Out Of The Past

Special thanks to ACFan for permission to do what this chapter does with his idea, story and most of all his characters.

Also this chapter is dedicated to the real life Kyle, ACFan's nephew Danny. One scene in particular in this story comes from an anecdote that AC related to some of us of the words and wisdom of a young boy and it made the scene in this chapter special.

Enjoy, DS

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Chapter 38: The Rescue, Part 2

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The answer of "It just does" didn't sit too well with Mr. Edwards for some strange reason, although everyone else liked it but finally the bell for recess rang and we were free or free at least until Mrs. Wentworth's English class but I liked that one so it wasn't nearly as bad.

I hadn't made it two feet out the door when Kieron grabbed me and pulled me off to the side of the playground asking "What happened in there?"

"I don't know" I replied looking at him.

"You really were spaced out you know? He said

"Yeah I do and I don't know what it was" I told him

"Well what happened?" he asked

"I was just sitting there and all of a sudden there was this picture of this boy in my head and I felt like the world was coming to an end" I told him.

"No shit?" he asked

"Yeah, no shit" I said

"Do you know him?" he asked

"No, never saw him before, take a look" I said as I sent the image to him.

"Don't know him either" he told me.

"Yeah I know, he was hurt and I felt well…horrible" I said

"Show me" he asked

"Okay but are you sure you want to do it here? It's pretty heavy man" I asked him

He looked around and then walked over by the tree and sat down leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"This way no one will notice nothing, do it" he told me.

I slowly brought my thoughts together and then sent to him all the things I saw and felt at the time.

I could feel him gasp as he saw what I did and felt what I felt then softly whisper "Holy shit"

"Yeah tell me about it" I said

"Is it one of your visions?" he asked softly

I thought about it for a moment or two as I had since it happened and finally told him what I had already decided "No, I don't think so"

"Then what the hell was it bro?" he asked

I didn't answer for a moment but finally told him what I had also decided already "I have no idea"

He was silent for a while before saying "Could you have picked up on someone else?"

"I don't know, it didn't feel that way but I just don't know" I told him.

The bell rang then and we went off to class where I spent the next hour lost on Chincoteague Island.

It wasn't until the end of the day that Kieron and I managed to get back together to walk home.

"So anything new?" he asked

"Nah, not really, Brad was being a dick again" I replied

"What else is new" he said laughing.

It seemed Brad spent most of his life being a dick but since I had kicked his ass in third grade he tended to pretty much leave me alone.

We got to my house and grandma was there to give us cuddles before telling us to go and change out of our school clothes and into play ones.

We got up to my room and quickly got out of our clothes then I went looking for some shorts to wear when I felt Kieron come up behind me and wrap his arms around me.

"Hmmm" I moaned

"How about a time-out?" He asked as he kissed my neck and I turned to look him in the eyes.

"That sounds so good" I managed to get out before our lips found each other.

It was too as I slowly ran my hand down his side, back and forth, sometime later.

I loved just lying in bed cuddling with him like this I thought as I felt the response of *me too* in my mind.

I looked down at his face as he lay there with his eyes closed, sweat gleaming on his forehead and thought how lucky I was to have him.

Kieron was my best friend in the entire world and had been since that first day I had met him just after he moved here when I was eight.

He had become even more now I thought as I kissed his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.

I had been walking home from school when I saw Brad and his friends hassling this kid.

That alone would have pissed me off no end since I really didn't like Brad but the fact that this was a little kid made me even madder.

I knew the day would have to come sooner or later and today turned out to be the day that it happened as I dropped my book bag and ran towards them yelling to leave the kid alone.

Brad decided to fight me and of course it wouldn't be just him but all his friends too.

It didn't last long and when it was over I had a bloody nose but all of them were lying on the ground moaning in pain while this kid just stood there with his mouth open.

I turned to look at him and as soon as I looked into those brown eyes of his something just seemed to connect.

I felt something I had never felt from anyone before and I had no clue what it was just that it was really special.

I don't know how long we had just stood there staring at each other before we came back to the here and now but we did finally and he just said "Thanks man"

"Anytime" I replied and then we both busted out laughing before he said "Come on my mom's a nurse"

We left the idiots still on the ground and I followed him to his house which turned out to be just down the street from mine where I met my second mom.

Mama J took one look at me and didn't ask any questions or nothing just said "Come on child" and wrapping an arm around me led me back to the bathroom and cleaned me up before getting me an ice pack for my nose.

After that she called my grandma and told her what had happened which of course meant that Memaw came right over to make sure I was okay no matter what Mama J had said.

We all were sitting on the couch when grandma asked what had happened and it was then as I started to tell it that I stopped and busted out laughing again.

The funny thing was Kieron was laughing with me while grandma and Mama J just looked at us like we were crazy.

"Would one of you like to tell us what's so funny?" grandma finally asked when we had quieted down.

"I don't even know his name" I said still laughing.

I watched as Mama J and grandma looked at each other and that got me and Kieron laughing even more.

"Well the giggle box is Sammy" grandma told her while Mama J replied "Well the matching one is Kieron"

"Nice to meet you" Kieron and I said at the same time as we both broke out laughing again yelling "Jinx" again at the same time.

Somehow we both ended up with our arms around each other's shoulders as we sat on the couch by the time we had finished telling the story that is after we could stop laughing.

We had been inseparable ever since spending as much time at one house as the other.

We even had clothes at each other's house and often slept over together.

We had gone through everything together since then and he had become the brother I had never had but always wanted.

It was about a year later that we had discovered our dicks and played around but it wasn't until this year that we realized that it wasn't just playing, it was so much more.

"You boys going to stay in there all day?" we heard through the closed door and I began laughing as Kieron jumped muttering "Jeez"© Neal

"We're almost done, Grandma," I yelled back and heard her laughter as she walked away.

"Did you have to say it like that?" he complained.

"Why not?" I teased.

"Well she'll think, well you know," he said turning to face me.

"Kieron, she doesn't think, she knows," I said laughing as he leaned his head forward and kissed me.

A few minutes later he softly said, "Parents ain't supposed know about that."

I couldn't help but laugh as this had always been something that Kieron was going on about.

Of course that meant that his parents and my grandma loved to tease us about it all the time but it was funny.

Both Mama and Papa J as well as my grandma knew all about us and didn't have any problems with it which was more than a lot of kids like us were able to say.

"Come on let's go to the park for a while," I said as I got up and grabbed my shorts to get dressed.

I also put some other things on as well, less obvious things and I could see Kieron watching with disapproval or maybe concern on his face.

Maybe both.

"You going to practice tonight?" he asked me as he pulled his shirt on.

"Yep" I replied.

"Sammy…" he started, but I just walked to the door and told him, "Don't say it," as I walked out and down the stairs.

I had been taking martial arts since I was seven and when I met Kieron I had gotten him involved as well.

He just wasn't quite as involved as I was and thought I was a bit too much involved as it were.

He caught up with me half way down the stairs and grabbed my arm stopping me.

"You gotta stop," he told me as I shook my head and broke free continuing down to the living room.

"Where you all off to?" Memaw asked.

"Park, Grandma, and yes I got my cell," I told her as I made my way towards the door.

"It's 'I have my cell, Child," she called out after me as I just rolled my eyes and heard Kieron snicker and close the door behind me.

The park was only three blocks over from our house and Kieron kept quiet the whole way there, although I could feel this wasn't over yet.

I was right, because as soon as we got to the trails he started up again.

"Sammy, it's too much," he told me.

"Kieron, I don't want to talk about it," I replied.

"Well, you never want to talk about it, now do you?" he snapped, stopping in the middle of the path as I turned to look at him.

"I do what I gotta do," I replied looking at him.

"But you don't have to do it this much," he said.

"I do and you know it," I replied turning away and beginning to walk again.

"Sammy, wait," he called but I kept walking.

"Sammy, you can't keep it up!" he yelled after me, but I didn't stop.

He of all people should understand, why I didn't stop, why I couldn't.

I didn't even realize that I was running until I stopped and looked around not feeling K anywhere near me as I looked around.

I let myself fall to the ground beside a tree and just stare at the grass thinking about it.

Kieron had been on me for a long time to slow down but I couldn't let myself.

It wasn't as if I wanted to do it, but I just couldn't stop.

Somewhere deep inside me in a place I didn't even want to accept, I knew he was right but then again I couldn't accept that knowledge so whenever like now I did admit it, I pushed it back down deep to that place.

I wouldn't stop.

I sat there until my love found me as I knew he would and looked up to find him staring at me.

I just held out my arms and he came into them as he always did and finally I let myself cry for it all, here, alone except for him.

"Sammy," he said, some time later.

"I know K, but you know why too," I said, as I softly kissed his cheek.

He looked deeply into my eyes and told me, *I know but it doesn't change the fact you gotta stop.*

I simply whispered, "I can't."

"You've never dealt with it and until you do…" he told me, but trailed off.

"There's nothing to deal with, K, it happened and all I can do is make sure it can't, ever again" I replied

He just pulled me back to him and hugged me tightly.

We sat there until I heard a voice say "Well, what do we have here?"

I turned to see a man and young boy standing there.

"You don't have nothing," I replied.

"Looks like a couple of faggots to me," the man replied.

"Great, another ignorant bigot," I replied as I slowly stood up with Kieron following me.

"Sammy, don't," I heard him whisper.

*It's up to them,* I sent.

"Well son, it looks like you get to see what we do to fags in these here parts" the man said to his boy, as he began to walk forward.

"Mister, you don't want to do this," Kieron said into the silence after that comment while I just got ready.

"I don't need no nigger telling me what I want to do, BOY!" he snarled.

"You really shouldn't have called him that," I said, as I moved forward, grabbed his arm and swept his feet out from under him.

"Sammy, NO!" Kieron cried, as I turned and moved back to the man who was rolling and getting to his feet.

I was way beyond hearing now as a rage consumed me like a fire burning through my soul.

One that I welcomed with open arms to stop the pain.

I took a flying leap and landed my feet in his chest before falling to the ground and rolling while the little boy cried "Daddy!"

I came up smiling as the man moaned on the ground.

"Well kid, I guess it's time you learned what we do to bigots in these here parts," I said to the little boy as I moved forward again towards his dad.

The man got up suddenly and rushed me as I kicked out and heard a satisfying snap to his knee,

As he went down I brought my hand up into his face and saw the blood begin to flow.

"Watch what this faggot is gonna do to you now," I said as I pulled the tanto I had hidden and brought it to the man's throat.

"Samuel, STOP!!!" Kieron screamed as the little boy cried "Please don't hurt my daddy no more, please!"

I looked down into the face of this man who moments before was going to hurt Kieron, and I only saw fear, fear and terror.

I felt the same thing coming from him but it was as I looked up into the little boy's eyes that I felt my breath catch in my throat because the little one was scared, scared of me.

Suddenly all the rage ran out of me as if someone had let the stopper out of the drain in the sink and I just fell back shaking my head as Kieron ran over to me and pulled me into his arms.

"Daddy," the little boy cried as he ran to his father and threw himself onto the man who could only groan in pain.

The kid had been scared of me.

"Come on," Kieron was saying as he tried to pull me up.

I slowly stood up and resheathed my tanto as the boy looked up at me still scared.

"I'd never hurt you, Kid," I said stretching out my hand but he just pulled back terrified.

"Come on," Kieron said, again pulling on my arm and I let myself be led away.

Sometime later on the other side of the large park where Kieron had taken me and just held me when I began to shake, I stopped and looked up at him.

"I was going to kill him" I whispered.

"I know, I could feel it." he replied.

"I was going to kill him," I repeated still shocked by that realization.

"Sammy, all I could feel was anger, the most intense anger I have ever felt before." Kieron told me.

I didn't answer for a bit until I finally said, "I know, that was all I felt too until I saw the little boy."

He didn't respond so I went on, "Kieron, he was afraid of me, me," I said.

"I was afraid of you," Kieron replied softly.

I started shaking my head as I cried, "No!"

"I was afraid of you but I still love you, Sammy, I never stopped," he said then.

"Don't. I don't know what I'd do if you ever did," I said, burying my head in his shoulder.

"That'll never happen," he whispered in my ear as he kissed my head softly.

I felt the tears start then and I let them fall with the only person who truly understood me and knew me, really knew me.

I was nine years old and had known Kieron for about a year by now.

He had become my best friend in the whole world and as we made our way home that day he was about to become even more.

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Flashback: (Just for D&B)

"Okay, I'll be over after I change," I said as the school bus pulled to a stop at ours and we got up to get off.

I jumped off first and had just turned around when Kieron jumped only his foot caught on the step and he began to fall head first.

I ran forward catching him as he fell with both of us going down.

Mrs. Chambers ran off the bus asking if we were all right and we both answered yes to her as she helped us up.

"This is why I keep telling you not to jump off the steps" she said, after she made sure we were okay.

"Sorry Mrs. Chambers," we both said sheepishly, as she got back on the bus and drove off muttering to herself.

"Wow that was close, I thought for sure I was gonna bust my head open on that one," Kieron said.

"Yeah, me too," I told him.

"Thanks," he said looking at me.

"Hey can't have you all messed up in hospital, now can I?" I said.

"Yeah that would be like so uncool," he said, smiling as I said, "See ya," and walked off to my house while he went to his.

I ran inside and Memaw gave me my usual hugs and kisses before shooing me up to change out of my school clothes.

"Where's your shadow today?" she asked as I reached the top of the stairs.

"He ran home and I'm going over there as soon as I get changed," I told her, as I ran to my room.

"You be good over there now ya hear," she called after me and I just giggled.

"I'm always good Memaw!" I yelled back only to hear her snort.

"What?" I called, as I started pulling off my clothes.

Suddenly something shot through me like a knife as images of Kieron filled my head.

The pictures which filled my mind were of Kieron under water and not moving, Mama J crying, and all of us at the cemetery.

I screamed, "NO!" as I fell to my knees gasping, because I couldn't breathe all of a sudden.

I realized it was because Kieron couldn't breathe either and somewhere I heard Memaw call, "Sammy, what is it?" but I was up and pushing past her, running out of the room and down the hall with her calling after me as I hit the stairs two at a time and then I was out the door running as fast as I could to K's house.

Nothing mattered at that point except I get to Kieron, that was all that was in my mind as I ran to the door and tried the handle but it was locked as I began pounding it as hard as I could.

Then Mama J was there opening the door and I pushed past her screaming "Kieron"

"Samuel Patrick Campbell you settle down this instant," Mama J told me but I was beyond listening as I yelled, "Where's Kieron?"

"He's in his room but…" she was saying but I knew he wasn't as I looked around frantically sending out my thoughts to find him.

When I did I just screamed and yelled, "No, he's not" and took off running while she called after me.

I felt him and ran through the house and into the kitchen before sliding the glass door to the side while Mama J screamed at me to get back there.

I didn't listen cause I knew what I would find as I cried Kieron's name over and over again.

I stopped at the back deck and looked at Kieron's new pool that he was so happy about getting.

It was finished yesterday and his parents had said he could go swimming today later, only I knew he hadn't waited as I jumped off the deck and ran to the ladder leading up the side to the deck surrounding the above ground pool.

As soon as I reached the top I could see him down there, not moving, just lying there on the bottom.

"KIERON!" I screamed as I dove in and swam down and down and down some more.

I finally got to him and grabbed onto his arm as I started back up towards the light begging God to not let him die.

"HELP!" I screamed as we broke the surface and then Moma J was there crying and pulling Kieron from the water.

"Oh lordy, what have you done, Boy?" she cried at him as she began CPR and I dragged myself out of the water to his side.

"Kieron come back," I called as I reached out and grabbed his hand.

I didn't think or even consider what I was doing next as I sent everything in me out to him.

I just knew I couldn't lose him.

*Kieron where are you?* I yelled as I searched for him.

I could feel him somewhere, but it was far, far away as I went after him.

I don't know how long I was out there looking, searching for him but finally I could sense him and called again only to find him standing on a beach looking around as if he was lost.

"Kieron" I called

He turned and looked at me "Sammy?" he asked.

"Come back K" I begged.

"Come back where?" he asked.

"Home Kieron, come home," I cried as I felt the tears run down my face.

He walked over to me and put his fingers up to my cheeks looking at me strangely before asking "Where am I?"

"I don't know, but you have to come back?" I said.

"How?" he asked me

"Take my hand," I said to him as I stretched out mine

He reached out and stopped with his hand inches away from mine.

"Please don't leave me," I begged as he looked back down the beach then turned back to me and took my hand grasping it tightly.

Suddenly we were moving really fast and then a bright light was up ahead of us.

The next thing I knew was that I was moaning and holding my head as Memaw told me, "It's alright Sammy," and I looked up to find my head in her lap and both of us on the ground of the deck surrounding the pool.

I sat up and saw Mama and Papa J holding each other crying while the med techs worked on Kieron.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"They're doing everything they can, Baby," Grandma told me quietly.

At about that time I saw the med techs stop and stand up with one of them turning to mama and papa J shaking his head.

"No!" I yelled running towards Kieron, "No!!!"

"I'm sorry, Son," another said as he grabbed me.

"You don't understand, he came back," I cried.

"He's gone, Son," the man said as I screamed out in my mind *KIERON!!!!!!*

Then K was coughing and the med tech let go of me and ran back to Kieron and started working on him again.

I was down on my knees next to him holding his hand and wouldn't let go as they tried to get me away from him.

In the end, they put both of us in the ambulance and we went to the hospital with me by his side.

Several hours later, they released him and we went back home with me dressed in hospital scrubs since it seemed I had run over to K's house in just my underwear.

As we all went into Kieron's house, I led him over to the couch while his parents and Memaw went into the kitchen.

He just looked at me and said, "How come I can feel you inside ever since I woke up?"

I looked away not knowing how to answer him.

*Sammy?* I heard in my mind and looked up at him in shock.

I realized then that I could feel him too, much more than before and had been feeling him ever since he woke up.

He had never spoken to me like that before though, no one had except Memaw.

*How?* I asked silently.

*You bonded with him,* I heard, as both of us looked up in shock to see grandma standing there.

"I don't understand," I said aloud.

"Neither do we," I heard as I looked behind Memaw to see Mama and Papa J standing there.

"What is that?" grandma asked as she turned around to face them.

"How he knew our baby was in trouble," Mama J asked, looking at me.

I felt as if ice water had been poured down my back as I quickly looked away.

No one was supposed to know, ever and now our secret might be out.

"I'm sure it was simply coincidence," Memaw said, but even I knew that was a stupid answer before Mama J started laughing.

"Ellen, he came over here in his underwear screaming that something was wrong with Kieron, now don't you try and tell me that it was no coincidence," she said, dead serious again.

"Come Samuel; we had better go," Memaw said after looking at Mama J for a moment.

*Sammy, what is it?* I heard Kieron ask.

"I gotta go," I said, standing up.

"You both just sit down right there and tell us what's going on now!" Papa J said.

"He's scared, mommy," Kieron said as Mama J looked at me sharply.

Memaw came over and put her arm around me hugging me tightly to her as she said, "You just leave him alone now ya hear me."

"Samuel, do you think I'd hurt you, Son?" Papa J asked walking towards me slowly.

I felt myself shaking and Kieron was there suddenly wrapping his arms around me saying, "It's alright Sammy, they won't hurt you none."

"Goodness no, Boy, you're like another son to us," Mama J said as I looked up at her

"He's scared something awful, mamma," Kieron told her.

"Why would you be scared of us, Boy?" Papa J asked softly as he got down on his knees in front of me.

He reached out gently and touched my chin bringing my face up so he could look directly into my eyes, "We'd never hurt you," he said as I shook.

I looked up at Memaw and silently begged, *Please Memaw? Maybe they won't hate me.*

"Why would we hate you?" Kieron asked into the silence as I gasped and looked at him then everyone else.

He heard me say that to Memaw.

"Yes, I heard you and I don't hate you," Kieron said.

I looked back up at grandma and I could tell she was thinking about stuff.

"You saved our baby, Samuel and if for no other reason than that, neither of us could or would ever do anything less than love you," Papa J said softly to me as if he was afraid I'd spook like a horse but then again as scared as I was I might have too.

"If I tell you then you won't" I said.

"I will, cause you brought me back," Kieron said quietly.

Into that silence, Grandma began to speak,

"Many years ago, when I was a young'un there was a lost little boy in the place we lived. My big sister told em where to find the child, even though my parents told her to keep quiet. She told them he would die if she didn't say nothing, she'd seen it, you see. My parents had always told all of us to keep quiet about things, but she didn't, she couldn't. They went out and found him right where she said they would. He was bruised and scared, but he was alright. You'd think they would be grateful, but instead two nights later as she came home from a neighbor's house, they caught her. We…we felt it; we felt it as she died. They grabbed her, tied her to a tree and calling her a witch set her afire. Do you have any idea what it feels like to feel someone burn to death?" Grandma asked, as she stopped telling the story and looked around her.

Mama J and Papa J had tears running down their faces as Memaw began again, "We…we couldn't even bury her as we ran back to the house and threw what we could into the car and ran for our lives that night. You see we called the police and were told to run while we could cause there wasn't anything they could do about it. We left my sister tied to a tree and fled for our lives in the middle of the night like animals fleeing the hounds."

Memaw stopped for a moment as the tears fell down her face, and we were all silent before she continued,

"When I got Samuel, I hoped he wouldn't have any of it but it soon became apparent that he did. I've always told him not to let anyone know and for good reason, too. I've tried to keep him from using any of what he has because of what would happen should anyone find out," she said.

"Not everyone is like those people," Mama J told her.

"Do you really expect me to take the chance?" Memaw asked bitterly.

"No, I suppose not and I can't say that I blame you none, but what exactly happened?" Papa J asked.

"You see we can do things, see things sometimes, feel things," Memaw said.

"I saw him dead, under water and then you crying, Mama J, but then I saw us at his funeral," I said as both of his parents gasped in shock.

"He saw what might have been," Grandma said.

"I saw what was going to be," I corrected her. "I…I'm sorry Memaw, but I couldn't let it happen," I added.

"I know sweetheart, I know," Grandma told me gently.

"You saw it?" Mama J asked softly.

"Yeah, I saw him and I couldn't let him die. I came over and found him in the water and pulled him out but he had left already, so I had to find him," I told her.

I saw the look of shock on their faces as Memaw said, "He went after Kieron."

"He brought me back," Kieron said.

"How?" papa asked.

"I'd like to know that too," Memaw said.

"I don't know, all I know is that I couldn't let him go," I finally answered as they all looked at me.

"I don't understand, didn't you teach him how to do all this?" Mama J asked her

Grandma was still looking at me as she snorted and said, "No, I didn't want him to do any of this. It's best if he doesn't have any of these abilities. They only lead to pain."

"Not only pain, Ellen, they saved our boy today," Mama J told her.

"Why can we talk to each other without speaking though?" Kieron asked.

Grandma sighed and said, "That's the other thing, we can sense how people feel and what they think even. The ability to speak mind to mind is something that we have as well. I think Samuel's love for Kieron let him send his mind out and follow Kieron wherever he went and then bring him back. I also think they bonded when that happened."

"I don't understand," Papa J said.

"He shouldn't have been able to do any of this without training and I don't know all that much myself. I've taught him how to build walls but not much else. The martial arts training could have imposed some of the mental discipline he would need to focus his abilities, I suppose, but I just don't know for sure how he went and did this. You see, when he went after Kieron he extended himself and I think he joined with Kieron. That means that they share a piece of themselves now and forever," grandma said.

"We can feel each other all the time since he came back," I said.

"Yes and tomorrow, I need to sit down with you two and teach you how to manage your link. You'll always have it, but you need to be separate too. Matter of fact, I guess I should teach you everything I can from now on, it won't do you no good to have these abilities and not be able to control them," grandma told me.

"I can tell you how he did it. His love for Kieron made it possible and you can't ever tell me that what he did is bad. Samuel, you are a second son to us and we love you even more after today, you understand, Child?" Mama J asked me.

"You don't hate me?" I asked, looking between them.

Papa J reached out and pulled me into his arms as Mama J came up and joined him hugging me.

"No, Son we don't hate you, we'll never hate you. We love you," he said softly, as I just started crying.

*I told you so* I heard in my head as I looked back and saw Kieron smiling.

"I told you" he repeated out loud.

All I could think was they loved me, they didn't hate me.

I spent the night with Kieron there at his house and we explored our bond making it even more before we slept that night.

The following day, grandma taught us how to put the walls up between us although they would never completely shut us off from one another.

After that, Memaw began to teach me what she knew about what I could do and Kieron and I became even more inseparable than ever.

It was that first night after they knew though, that I'll never forget as Kieron and I lay in bed holding each other and he simply said, "You really love me don't you?" and I replied "Yes"

End Flashback

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I still did,

In the two years since then we had shared everything.

That day had opened our souls to one another and since then we had opened our hearts and minds as well.

Kieron knew everything and that included things even Memaw didn't know things she couldn't know, ever.

*You should tell her,* I heard as I responded *No!*

*Sammy, you have to do something,* he whispered into my mind.

*Don't ever stop loving me K, please,* I said.

"Never," he replied.

"That doesn't change what I said though," he told me.

"Kieron, I can't ever let it happen again," I said, shaking now.

"Sammy, you're state champion and number two nationally, no one will ever be able to hurt you like that again," Kieron told me as I just shook my head.

"I have to make sure," I replied.

This had been an argument for a long time between us and I knew there would be no more of an answer now than ever before when this conversation ended.

A part of me knew that it didn't make sense, yet I couldn't accept that and had to keep going.

*The problem is this time you almost killed someone,* he said.

"I'll control it," I replied.

"Can you?" he asked but I didn't have an answer for him, I just didn't know.

The anger was getting worse now than ever, and today for the first time I lost it completely.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

We laid there for a while before finally we got up and made our way home to change for practice and then went to the studio.

Master T was waiting for us when we arrived and led us into the dojo and began our meditation exercises.

I found it difficult to concentrate even though usually the meditation helped me whenever I was having problems but not today and Master T noticed as he stopped and sat down across from me and asked what was the matter?

I told him, nothing, but he simply looked at me and I knew he knew different.

Finally he said, as he got up and began walking away, "Burying one's head in the sand does nothing except leave one's posterior raised in the wind to be kicked."

I looked up in shock, only to see him disappear through the door into the changing area but Kieron was snickering.

"How does he do that?" I asked.

"Well he seems to agree with me," Kieron replied.

"Yes I do, but Samuel must deal with what he must deal with in his own time or it will not be dealt with," the Master replied from behind us causing me to swing around in shock.

"How did you…" I stuttered,

"That is why you are the student and I am the Master," he said laughing but before I could pursue anything several kids came in and then we were busy for a while.

The next two hours were spent with Kieron and me instructing the younger kids and for some reason I found the time to be calming and relaxing.

They were so eager to learn and such a joy to work with that suddenly I knew I would be working with kids someday, it just felt so right when I was there with them.

All too soon it was over and it was time to go home but Master T stopped me on the way out to say one final thing "Samuel, your own time does not mean it is something that you put aside forever," and then he shut the door, leaving me standing there with my mouth open again.

When we got to Kieron's house, Papa J was waiting for me.

"Would either one of you like to tell me what happened in the park?" he asked, while Kieron sent, *Oh shit!*

*No kidding,* I sent back as I said, "Nothing."

"Really?" he said while I didn't respond.

"Okay then let's see if I have all the facts so far. You two go to the park this afternoon. A man with his young son goes into the park and finds two boys about your age kissing under a tree. Not only that, but one boy is black and the other is white. Then when the man tries to attack the boys an eleven year old Chuck Norris kicks his ass and you two don't know anything about it, huh?" he said.

I didn't say anything and neither did Kieron.

Papa J just shook his head and told me, "I thought by now you knew you could trust me, Sammy."

"I do," I said back.

"Then why did I find out about this from a sector car this afternoon and not my sons," he asked us.

Again I didn't have any answer so he went on, "The thing that disturbs me is that the man and boy claim you tried to kill him."

"If I had tried, he would be dead," I muttered.

"I know that, but I still want to know why I'm finding out something so serious from my guys instead of from you?" he asked.

"Because I couldn't tell you. I almost did kill him and the only reason I didn't was because Kieron stopped me," I told him.

"Why," was all he said?

"He was saying things," I replied.

"What type of things?" he asked next, still looking at us.

"Bad things Dad," K replied.

"Come on, Boys," he said as he went over and sat down holding out his arms to us.

We went over and crawled into his lap and I felt his arms go around us.

I just buried my head in his shoulder letting him hold me for a bit until he said, "I thought we talked about this a while ago."

"I know, and it's my fault, it just made me so mad," I told him.

"What all did he say?" Papa asked softly.

"He called us fags and he called me a nigger and Boy, that's when Sammy kinda lost it," K told him.

"I see. Boys, there will always be people who hate you for something. It might be because of how smart you both are or the fact you can do something better than them. Then there are those who will hate you for who you love or the color of your skin. You can't go around killing or injuring all of them, mainly because you won't live long enough to get 'em all," he told us, causing us to laugh at the last until I really thought about what he had to say.

Then I was just sad.

"Why do so many people have to hate, Papa?" I asked him finally.

"That's a question I don't have an answer for, Son, but they do and you have to decide whether or not you're going to let them rule your life and what you do with it or whether you're just gonna pity them for their ignorance," he said.

"But they said stuff about Kieron?" I responded.

"So? Is he a nigger?" papa asked.

"NO!" I said loudly.

"Look Sammy, you can hide your love of Kieron but Kieron will never be able to hide the color of his skin. If he knows and you know what he is and isn't, then what are you worried about others saying things for?" he asked.

"I wouldn't want to hide the color of my skin," K said while I said, "And I wouldn't want to hide my love either."

"Then live with the fact that there are people out there who will say things and know in your heart what is important and those people aren't," Papa J told us as we snuggled closer.

"I'm sorry, Papa J," I said softly to him.

"I know, Samuel, and you're not in any trouble, but you do need to think about this, so it doesn't happen again." he told me.

"I will," I replied.

"The damn fool called us from the hospital wanting to file a complaint and readily admitted to attacking two children," Papa J said, snorting in disbelief.

We sat there for a while getting huggles until we headed up to K's room and changed into our underwear and got on the Xbox for a while.

"Does it bother you that I'm black?" Kieron asked me between games.

I looked at him and then lowered those walls before I let him feel my answer

*No!*

*People are always going to say things cause you're with me,* he sent.

*I don't care, I love you and I always will, Honey Bear,* I told him as I reached out and pulled him into my arms.

Then I found his mouth and well let's just say that Mama J coughing in the door brought us back to the present before I got to taste any of that rich honey although I think we were both close.

It was at times like this I wished I had K's darker skin as I knew mine was bright red about now.

"Do try to remember to shut the door, Boys," she said laughing before turning around and walking away.

Kieron busted out laughing then and I could tell he had caught my thought about skin color.

I quickly got up and shut the door and turning around saw he had removed his last piece of clothing.

Smiling I walked towards him as he asked, "So you want some honey eh?"

"Uh huh," I replied and that was the last thing either of us said for some while.

I did get my honey though.

The next morning we got up and made our way to school early as usual for our dance club meeting only to find trouble there when we arrived.

We were about half a block away when I felt it and turning to Kieron could tell he felt it too as we both took off running.

There were times that I could feel things and since that day when he had died, Kieron seemed to have developed some of the same abilities as I had.

This day we both felt the fear coming from someone because it was so strong.

We ran to the school and began looking around for the source of the terror but it took us a few minutes to find out who it was.

When we did, I was beyond pissed.

"What the hell you think you're doing?" I yelled as I ran up behind the gym to find Brad there with some of his buddies, holding down a little kid about seven or eight.

"Well if it isn't the school fairy club," Brad replied mockingly.

I just shook my head at him and said, "Let him go."

"I don't think so," he replied.

"Look, I told you not to pick on the little kids no more, or do you really want a fairy to kick your ass, again," I said as he walked closer.

I couldn't figure out what he thought he was doing, since he knew I could kick his ass easily.

The others had walked up to stand beside him but the little kid was still cowering on the ground.

"I'm not afraid of you no more fag," he replied.

"You're not, huh?" I asked, smiling.

"Nope," he said as he suddenly pulled out a switchblade.

I backed up as I saw his buddies pull similar ones out of their pants as well.

This had just gone from bad to worse, a lot worse.

*Shit!*

*Tell me about it,* Kieron responded.

"Ain't so brave now are ya?" Brad asked.

"Brave enough, but you don't wanna do this, Brad; someone might get hurt," I told him, looking around for weapons.

I didn't bring stuff to school for obvious reasons, but now I wished I did.

"Oh yes I do, and that someone is gonna be you, Fag Boy," he said.

"If we're the fags, then how come you're the ones always checking out guys' dicks in the shower," Kieron taunted, hoping to get the exact result he did.

"Why you little…" Stan said anger taking over as he lunged forward at Kieron, but K just grabbed his arm and with a sickening snap broke it, taking the knife away in the process.

This wasn't gonna be nice and pretty, we were fighting for our lives and all rules were out the window.

The others had started charging as soon as Stan had, and as Stan went down screaming we were in the shit.

I saw Kieron parry a blow from Eric before bringing the knife he had taken up and around slicing the guy's arms to the bone and leaving him on the ground with Stan screaming.

I kicked out and sent Brad flying, as I spun and knocked the knife from Dean's hand then narrowly avoided a thrust from Tim who had came up behind me.

I dropped and rolled kicking out and sending him sprawling before I had Brad charging at me again.

This time, I grabbed his wrist and swung him around into the path of Dean who had regained his knife in time to bury it into Brad's stomach just as I brought the palm of my hand into the back of Brad's elbow effectively snapping his arm as I let him go, to deal with Tim.

I saw Kieron tackle Dean as I kicked out and put my foot square in Tim's nuts dropping him instantly as I reached down and took the knife he had and sent it flying.

Then as I spun around looking for more threats, I felt a burning in my arm only no one was near me as I looked to where Dean and Kieron were still struggling.

Dean had got Kieron in his arm and in a rage I ran over and took a flying kick to Dean's head sending him flying back.

He'd hurt my baby and now he'd pay, as I let the fire take over and burn brightly within me.

As I moved forward towards him, I heard Kieron, "Sammy no please," and it was like a bucket of ice water had been thrown on me and the fire went out as quickly as it had started while I looked around quickly and after making sure there were no threats, ran over to Kieron.

"Shit you're bleeding bad," I said, dropping down and pulling my shirt off and putting it on the deep cut in his arm.

"Yeah kind of hurts too," he said as he pulled his cell out and dialed Papa J

"Dad, we need you bad," he said into the phone and I could hear papa asking what was wrong but Kieron was looking kind of out of it.

I grabbed the phone and said, "Papa a bunch of kids attacked us with knives and K's been hurt bad."

He asked us if we were still in danger and I told him they weren't getting up for a while and he said he'd be right there.

I hung up and told K that papa was on the way.

"Don't feel so good, Sammy," he said and I noticed he was still bleeding out real bad.

"I think they got an artery Kieron," I told him as I pressed harder.

"That's not good," he said breathing fast now.

"Don't even think about it," I told him.

"Not my idea," he said smiling.

"NO you ain't leaving me again," I said, then something weird started happening and I felt myself sinking into him or more like into where he was hurt.

Suddenly, I could see everything that was wrong and all I could think of was I wanted it right again.

I couldn't explain what happened, except all of a sudden my arm began to hurt like hell and I heard K asking what was going on.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital with grandma holding my hand.

"What happened?" I asked

"Samuel, are you okay?" she asked, turning to me,

"Kieron?" I asked

"He's fine baby, just a little cut in his arm," she told me.

I was shaking my head and quickly said, "No, it hit an artery."

"No baby it's a minor cut is all and he's going to be fine once he gets a few stitches in him," she told me.

"That's not right," I said.

"I'm telling you, he's fine, now are you okay?" she asked

"I'm fine, they didn't touch me" I told her

She just looked at me for a moment before I asked, "What happened?"

"That's what we'd like to know; when Henry got there you were passed out over Kieron holding your shirt to his arm. He was out too and a bunch of boys were lying around hurt pretty badly except for one who looked like he was scared half out of his mind" Memaw said

"That must have been the little kid, there," I said.

"Sammy you alright?" I heard and looked to see papa J standing there with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied.

"Thank God, you scared the shit out of me when you called" he said, moving over and bending down giving me a kiss.

"Kinda scared myself, I thought Kieron was gonna die," I replied.

"Nah he's just got a small cut on him" he replied.

I was shaking my head again saying "but there was so much blood,"

"Sammy, he's gonna be fine but what happened?" he asked.

"Papa, we 'felt' a kid in trouble and when we got there we found Brad and his friends holding this little kid down, I think they were gonna do stuff to him, ya know? We told him to leave the kid alone, but he said he wouldn't and he wasn't afraid of us no more. Then they pulled knives out and came at us. There wasn't anything we could do except take em down," I told him.

"Well they're down alright, the one in the best condition has a crushed testicle and serious damage down there and the others are in even worse shape. The boy Brad is in surgery from a stab wound and to repair his elbow." Papa J related to us.

"You sure Kieron's alright?" I asked.

"Yes son, he's gonna be fine, he's just worried about you," he told me.

"I'm sorry but they didn't leave us any choice," I said, as I sent out my mind to find that of my love.

Suddenly I could feel him and felt the tears begin to run down my face as we joined together but damn my head hurt.

"I know, one of my officers called me after reviewing the security footage and it looks like there wasn't anything else you could have done," Papa J said.

"How's that little kid?" I asked next.

"He'll be fine, he's getting checked over but so far it looks like bumps and bruises is all he got from it," papa let me know.

Then K was walking into the room followed by a nurse trying to get him to go back to his own room.

"Kieron," I called as he ran forward and crawled into my arms.

*Are you alright?* I sent to him as he snuggled close.

I would have been kissing him if the nurse hadn't been standing there, but as soon as Papa J told her to let him be I made up for it.

"Can you two wait til we get home for that?" I heard Memaw say, laughing as we turned to look at her.

I smiled and we both said, "No," as I gave K another one giggling all the while.

My love was alright and it was so different than what I thought had happened that I just didn't understand it.

"Can we go home?" Kieron asked just as Mama J walked into the room.

"There you are child, how are you both doing? You gave us a fright you did," she said.

"Sorry," we both muttered as she came over and gave the both of us kisses.

I could suddenly feel someone else and that someone was really scared as I quickly looked at Kieron.

*LEAVE ME ALONE!* I heard shout into my mind as both our mouths dropped open and then we were scrambling to get off the bed.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Memaw asked

"Someone's in trouble," I said, as Kieron said, "He's real scared" while both of us were moving to the door.

*NO!* the voice in our minds yelled as we started to run with me sending *Where are you?*

I could feel the shock from the person and I had to admit I was rather shocked myself, considering I had never found another besides Memaw that could mindspeak like that.

*HELP?* was heard next as nurses began calling out at us while we were searching the ER.

Then I saw a door open at the other end of the room and from it I could hear a kid screaming and suddenly, I knew that was where the mind speech was coming from.

Both of us took off running for that door only to have a nurse block our path.

"Let us in," I said, coming to a halt before her.

"No, you two need to go back to your rooms now," she said.

"That kid in there is scared and we can help," I told her.

"That kid in there is being a baby over a little tiny needle and we don't need your help, now go back to your rooms," she told us.

"No!" I said as I started forward.

She moved to stop me and Kieron went around the other way and when she went to stop him I snuck behind her both of us entering the room to find a kid backed up against a wall screaming at several people who were cornering him there.

*It's okay* I sent as we moved forward with the nurse following us now yelling at us, but we didn't pay her any attention.

As soon as I sent that, he calmed down and looked towards us and that was when I realized that it was the little kid from earlier at school.

"It's okay, little guy," I said as I stopped in front of him.

"They're gonna hurt me" he wailed.

"Nah they're just trying to help you is all" Kieron told him.

We were both trying to send feelings of calm and reassurance out to the little munchkin and I noticed then that Mama J had come in and had gotten the nurses and all to back out of the room.

"You saved me from the bad boys," he said next.

"Yeah that was us, we couldn't let them hurt you, little guy," I told him.

*Is it you in my head?* he asked, silently.

*Yeah, it's us* I told him as his mouth dropped open in shock.

I moved forward slowly and asked, "You okay now?"

"You won't let them hurt me?" he asked.

"No, we won't let em hurt ya," I said.

Then he was in my arms crying with Kieron coming over and holding onto him and it was like he didn't know which one of us to hold onto so tried to hold both of us.

Damn, he was scared shitless.

We spent the next little while just holding the kid and trying to get him calmed down before he finally stopped crying and looked up at us.

"How can you talk in my head like that?" he asked as I looked around real fast to make sure only our family was still here.

"I've always been able to do that, how about you?" I asked of him.

"Me too, but no one else can" he said.

I turned to Memaw who was looking at the boy in shock and said, "He can speak inside Memaw, like we do."

"Well I'll be," Memaw said, in disbelief as the boy stiffened in our arms.

"Hey it's alright that's my grandma, and that over there is Mama and Papa J," I told him quickly.

"They're my mom and dad" Kieron said next.

"They won't hurt you none," I told him as he looked between the adults we had just pointed out.

For some reason, they scared him a lot.

"My name's Sam" I said, as Kieron added "And mine's Kieron."

"I'm Kyle," the little brown haired munchkin replied.

"Well Kyle, it's nice to meet you. Where's your parents?" I asked which got a wave of sadness and something else that was quickly gone before he quietly murmured, "My mommy died."

"I'm sorry," Kieron told him while I said, "So am I."

"Do you live with your dad now then?" Mama J asked and the wave of feeling that washed over me made me gasp and even Kieron looked a bit sick at it as Kyle mumbled "No."

Memaw had her hand over her mouth and I knew she had gotten that wave of pain, fear and disgust as well, from the little boy, along with other feelings I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"You know, don't ya?" he suddenly asked into the silence.

Both Kieron and I were shaking our heads as I said, "No, we ain't in your head and we won't be, unless you want to show us but when she asked that, we got slammed with a bunch of feelings and they weren't good ones either."

"No, they're bad," the boy said.

"You didn't look?" he asked again.

"No Kyle, we didn't. Whatever it is must be real bad, but we wouldn't go into your head that way unless you wanted to share it with us," Kieron told him.

"No, please," he almost begged looking up at me with beautiful rich chocolate brown eyes.

"We won't," I told him as he sank back into our arms.

"I live in a home now," he whispered to us, kind of sadly, I thought.

Suddenly images of kids, a house, adults and one kid in particular with bright eyes the color of the sky and shoulder length blond hair were flooding my head and I knew he was showing us that 'home' now.

But it was the blond that really got my attention because it was the same one from the other day in class, and for some reason, I didn't get the impression that the boy was in that home with Kyle.

*Should we call them?* I asked silently, and got a very emphatic *NO!* along with a wash of emotions none of which were good.

"Mom, can we keep him?" K asked grinning up at Mama J who looked rather shocked at the idea.

"Ya mean ya want me to come home with ya?" the boy asked, in disbelief while I just stared at Kieron with much the same thought running through my head even if unstated.

Kieron turned back to Kyle and said gently, "Somehow I get the feeling that you could use a family and people that care about ya so yeah, I'd like it if you would."

Mama J looked back and forth between us before saying, "I think he's right child, so if you wanna, we'd like to take you home with us."

I could feel the hope shoot through the younger boy but then it was replaced by despair with distrust running all through it as he muttered, "They'll never let me go."

"You let us worry about that, Son, all I need to know is if you'd like to live with us?" Papa J asked quietly as Kyle peered shyly up at him.

Then he turned to me and asked, "You gonna be there too?"

"Well, I live just down the street, but yeah, I'll be around," I said smiling at him.

Memaw snorted before saying, "He lives there more than he does at our house sometimes, I think, Child."

"I told you we should just get one big house and move into it" Mama J said laughing.

This finally got a smile out of Kyle as he nodded and said "Okay"

Papa J pulled his cell out and made a call walking from the room as he did so while we just held onto Kyle, not that he seemed like he was willing to let us go anyway.

Somehow I got the impression that there were not many that Kyle would allow to hug him and it made me wonder what the little guy had been through to be this way now. I couldn't imagine a life without constant huggles from people who loved me.

Then again, as much as I didn't want to, I remembered there had been a time….a time without…but no I wasn't gonna think about that and quickly shook my head looking up to find Kyle staring at me.

"What?" I asked

*I think you're hurting in here too,* he said softly in my head but I quickly shook my head and sent, *I'm fine.*

He tilted his head and looked at me and then got a sad look on his face before he turned his head from side to side never breaking eye contact with me.

"We need to get you checked out, Little One," Mama J said causing a pang of fear to shoot through him once again as he tried to back further into our embrace.

"Look Kyle, mama will take good care of you but she needs to check you out before you can come home with us," Kieron said gently to the once again frightened boy.

He looked back and forth between us for a moment, both of us nodding our heads to encourage him, before he turned his gaze back to Mama J and stared at her for several minutes.

Finally, as if he was reaching a hard fought decision, he slowly nodded his head and when Mama J moved forward, allowed her to pick him up and place him on a bed nearby.

We started to leave but he quickly stopped us and Mama J said to stay put so we went over and held him until she was done checking him out.

He was okay, just a couple of scrapes and shaken up of course but finally she told him he could go and about then Papa J came back into the room.

I could feel that he was still scared, but he allowed Kieron to take one hand and me the other and be led out of the ER with Mama J and Memaw following to Kieron's car.

We all got in, but again he made sure to sit between us and it was clear that he didn't trust the adults at all.

He was quiet all the way home not even talking to us in his head and when we got to K's house, he made sure to stick glued to our sides, especially Kieron's.

Kieron had always been real good with little kids, definitely more so than me, and it showed with Kyle.

"Ya all go and get him settled into the guest room and we'll work on making it his a bit later" Mama J told us, but Kyle started to freak at that

"No, please, I wanna stay with Kieron and Sammy, please," and I could see the tears being held back only with the greatest of effort in those pretty eyes of his.

"They ain't going no where child, don't you worry none bout that, ya hear?" Mama J said warmly trying to reassure him.

"But…but you said…" he stammered out.

Papa J knelt down and looked Kyle in the eyes as he said, "We just thought you might like your own room is all. It's right down the hall from Kieron's"

Kyle was already shaking his head before Papa J got finished and Kieron quickly said, "It's okay; he can stay with me for a while, Dad."

"Are you sure?" Papa J asked looking back and forth between us and I knew what he wasn't saying.

I looked at K then we both said, "We're sure."

"Okay then, Kyle there is only one bed in there so you'll have to sleep with Kieron until we can buy another one in a day or two is that gonna be okay?" he asked

Now I watched as Kyle looked at both of us and I could see the fear on his face only this time directed at us.

*What's wrong Kyle?* I asked, silently.

"Nothing," he muttered and we both looked at Papa J before saying, "Come on then," and led him upstairs to K's room.

I knew we needed to get him in private to find out what the problem was and being down here with the grups wasn't gonna do it.

"Well here it is" Kieron said, sweeping his hand towards the door when we got up there and Kyle walked to the doorway and stopped, looking in.

Kieron's room was large and had a King size bed up against the window overlooking the front lawn and it was decorated with I guess the usual boy stuff only with Kieron there was a lot of Fed stuff in it and computer stuff as well.

He had a big poster of Commander Spock from the USS Aldeberran on his wall and I knew that Spock was a hero to him along with Professor Daystrom from the Daystrom Institute.

Kieron was into computers big time although after he went into the school computer system where he used to live when he was six and gave everyone A's he kinda settled down with stuff. Mama and Papa J weren't exactly happy about it, to say the least.

He told me once he just made sure not to get caught anymore which he hadn't really understood back then.

I wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

I told him if he got grounded and I couldn't see him then I'd kill him.

I wasn't joking.

Kyle looked around a bit while still standing in the doorway before slowly moving on into the room with us following.

"So whatcha think?" K asked smiling.

"Who's that?" Kyle said, looking at the big poster of Spock on the wall.

"That is…." Kieron started while I just groaned.

Kieron would go on about his hero forever if you let him and sometimes I think he knew more about Spock's life than the man did.

Finally he noticed me rolling my eyes and said, "What?"

"He doesn't want to be bored to death," I said giggling.

Kieron got an offended look on his face while Kyle just giggled.

"See he's not bored," K said.

"Wanna bet?" I asked.

"Yous all silly" Kyle said grinning.

We both stopped and looked at him.

"Well yous are," he said as we looked at each other then charged the now startled little boy and began tickling him.

Giggles and squeals filled the room as we chased each other around and finally tackled him onto the bed after he escaped the first time until we all lay back breathing hard to catch our breath.

Into the silence he asked, "Ya'alls won't do sex stuff to me, will ya?"

We both turned over and looked at him and the scared expression on his face before I said, "No, we'd never make you do that stuff."

"We'd never make anyone do that stuff. It's supposed to be fun and feel good, but only if you want to do it," Kieron added.

Kyle was looking back and forth between us still with an uncertain look on his face as I looked quickly to Kieron and could tell he knew what I wanted to say as he nodded his head.

I turned my attention back to Kyle and said, "There's something you do need to know though. Kieron and I love each other."

He gave me a slight smile and said, "Yeah I kinda figured that since yous like browthers"

I looked to Kieron but he just said, "Hey you wanted to bring it up."

"Bite me," I told him before turning my attention back to a giggling Kyle.

"Later," Kieron said causing Kyle to break out into laughter which I thought was a nice change for him.

Finally though he turned to look back at me and I tried again, "Kyle, me and Kieron, well…it's like this we love each other more than brothers, more than friends too."

He got a confused look on his face before saying, "More? What's more than that?"

Kieron started snickering which wasn't helping things.

"Well, damn if you think it's so damn funny, you tell him," I said.

"Oh no, Mr. Teacher, it's all yours, this I gotta see," he told me laughing.

"What?" Kyle asked, looking back and forth between us with a confused look on his face.

I took a deep breath and tried again "Kyle you know how boys love girls right?"

Kyle was shaking his head rapidly from side to side and loudly proclaimed "Uh uh, girls are yucky" which set Kieron off into hysterics again.

"Ah shit!" I muttered which got "Ooooh you said a swear word" and through it all Kieron just kept laughing his ass off.

*What the hell am I supposed to tell the kid,* I sent privately to Kieron or so I thought until I heard *Tell me what?*

*Try showing him,* Kieron sent back and I looked at Kyle before asking *Can I send what Me and Kieron feel to you so maybe you'll understand?*

*Okay,* he replied, although he didn't seem all that sure about it.

I thought for a few moments and then sent out how I felt about Kieron, my love for him and how much he meant to me. I could feel Kieron adding his side to it as well and watched as a look of wonder came across Kyle's face then slowly let the feelings I was sending subside and end.

*Wow!* was all he sent out.

"You loves each other like mommies and daddies do" he said softly into the silence which had taken over for a bit after the sharing.

"Yes, we do." Kieron and I both said at the same time.

"Do yous do sex stuff?" he asked quietly.

"Between us, yes, but not with others and we won't make you do nothing," I told him seriously as he looked back and forth between the two of us.

"And we won't do nothing when you're around, either," Kieron added which seemed to reassure the boy as we could both see it and feel it from him.

"That's okay then, I just don't wanna do stuff" he said.

"You never have to do "Stuff" with anybody, us included, Little Dude. When you wanna do stuff, it has to be cause you want to do it, not because anyone else is making you. If anyone ever tries to make you do anything you don't wanna do, then you come tell us and I promise you that they'll wish they was dead by the time we're done with 'em, ya got that, Munchkin?" Kieron told him in no uncertain terms.

He looked at him then over to me before going back to Kieron then asked "You mean that?"

"Yeah we do, no one'll ever hurt ya again, Little Guy," I said this time.

I knew he had to have seen at least some of what happened at the school yard so he had to know we could do what we said we would and now all we had to do was convince him that we would.

I looked at Kieron and silently joined with him and together we sent with everything we were feeling behind it, *No one will ever hurt you again and if they try, we'll make them wish they had never been born.*

He rocked back with the force of it and Memaw yelled up, "Is everything alright up there boys?"

"Too much?" I said as Kieron replied, "Ya think?"

"Yeah, we're fine, Grandma," I yelled back.

"Sorry about that, Kyle, but it's true anyway," I said as I turned back to him.

Then we had a little boy throwing himself into our arms and we held him tightly until Mama J came up to find out how things were going with us.

I could still feel the fear in him even if it was muted and knew somehow that it had to do with whatever it was that he was keeping hidden.

Then again I knew that I kept things hidden too, and didn't begrudge him his secrets either, I had learned the hard way that we each had our own and he was as entitled to his as I was to mine.

There would come a time when he would trust someone with whatever it was that had happened, and I knew it might or might not be Kieron or I but that would have to be his decision when that time came, if it came.

We spent some time showing him around the house and explaining the basic rules which really weren't that bad, although we both told him never ever go into the pool without someone else being there and we told him why. He agreed to everything and thought it was actually pretty easy compared to the rules where he'd been which made me wonder and not want to know really just what those had been by the way he said it and how he felt when he did.

That afternoon, Papa J took us out to the store and bought him a bunch of clothes and we had another glimpse into what his life must have been like as he broke down into tears in the middle of buying everything.

It took us a while to figure out what was wrong but finally he lowered his shields enough to let us feel how no one had ever bought such things before for him and he didn't think papa J should spend so much money on him.

Papa J just knelt down and pulled him stiffly into his arms and said, "You listen to me, Kyle Calvin Hodges, I don't know what all you've had to live with until now, but from now on you are entitled to have what any little boy or girl should have and that's food, clothes and lots of love n cuddles, you understand me?" to which he got a tearful "Uh huh" from the boy who we could both feel was quite shocked over this whole thing.

When we got home, we took him up and put his stuff away and both of us told him that papa J meant every word that he had said.

That was when he told us he knew that and that was part of what had shocked him because he had been reading papa J when he'd said that stuff and knew he meant every word he'd said.

We just pulled the munchkin into our arms and held him tightly for a bit before going back downstairs and joining the grups who were all talking together.

We got the next couple of days off from school so Kyle could settle in a bit not to mention we had a bunch of interviews with the police and school people cause of what happened.

We kept our fun confined to showers so Kyle didn't have to see it cause we somehow sorta knew that whatever was bothering him had to do with sex somehow.

Kyle still didn't talk much or tell us anything, although Saturday he found out one of our secrets, see we'd thought he was outside with Mama J, so me and Kieron were up in his room.

"Connection established," the voice said.

"Reroute Kieron Alpha 34402" Kieron said,

"Rerouting, connection established," the voice said again.

With a big grin, Kieron then said, "Initiate protocol Epsilon Zed 0020 Alpha 3"

There was silence that stretched for several moments and I could feel Kieron getting worried then the voice came again "Connection established."

"YEEESSSSSS!!!" he called out, excited.

"So what exactly have you went and done this time?" I asked, grinning at him.

He just smiled and then said, "I've accessed the main Starfleet Database and through it virtually anything else I want."

"You've done what?" I damn near screamed.

"Chill, its untraceable" he informed me proudly.

"Its Starfleet dude, nothing's untraceable with them," I replied horrified.

"Would you relax, I know what I'm doing," he told me, still smiling.

"Yeah, I remember the last time you 'knew what you were doing'," I said.

"Well they didn't trace it back, did they?" he asked.

"Almost, they came to the school," I said, staring at him in disbelief.

"Yeah, but they never found out who it was," he said proudly.

He was right there, but it had still damn near given me a heart attack and I knew it had scared the shit outta him too.

"Look, this is like totally safe. It's routed through so many places real and imagined that they could never trace it back and if they did it would trace back to the Aldeberran and not even here on Earth," he told me.

"And you don't think your precious Mr. Spock will notice someone using his ships' computer?" I asked, still not happy with this.

"No, since it's his access codes which are being used. I've also buried it seven ways to Sunday in the Aldeberran's computer system, so he'd have to suspect something to even begin to try and figure out what was up. Not only that, but if he does get suspicious and try to trace it, then it'll show as coming from the Vulcan Academy of Science on Vulcan and from there back to Starfleet HQ in London so don't worry, we're safe."

"Safe from what?" I heard and jumped six feet I think as I spun around only to find Kyle standing there.

"Ah nothing," Kieron said as the computer stated "Awaiting command."

"Oh shit," I mumbled

"Who's that?" Kyle asked, looking around before saying "I can't 'feel' no one else," with a puzzled expression on his face.

*Might as well tell him,* Kieron sent as Kyle asked, "Tell me what?"

I just nodded wondering how much worse this could get when Kieron spoke up "It's our computer system."

Kyle looked confused and finally said, "It didn't sound like no computer."

Kieron got a big smile on his face as he said, "That's because I added a human emulative voice interactive response system to him."

"A what?" Kyle asked, with his face all scrunched up.

"He means something that makes it sound human," I added.

"Oh why didn't he say so then?" he asked.

"I did," Kieron replied, indignantly.

"He speaks computerese if you get him going on that stuff," I said laughing.

"It's not funny; just because you don't know a hard drive from a butt hole," Kieron told me laughing at me and my lack of computer skills.

"I don't wanna either, I just want to push the button and have it work" I replied as he rolled his eyes and looking at Kyle said, "See what I have to put up with?"

Kyle just giggled.

"Oh and I do know the difference when it counts," I said grinning evilly at him.

"Not going there," he said but I could tell he was thinking it as he turned back to Kyle.

"You got to promise not to tell about what we're doing," Kieron said to the younger boy.

Kyle got a puzzled look on his face and asked "Why?"

K looked at me and I just grinned and said, "All yours, Mr. Teacher"

"Bite me," he responded before turning back to Kyle, "Well it's like this, Mom and Dad know about me having the computer, they just don't know all that I can do with it and I really don't want them to find out."

"Ya mean you don't want em to kill ya if they do," I said laughing, and rolling his eyes, he said, "Well there is that too."

"So what can it do?" Kyle asked, and before he could answer, I added, "And what are you planning to do with it?"

Kieron looked around, trying to look innocent but of course not succeeding before finally saying, "It can do just about anything now and as to what I'm gonna do with it well….I don't really know."

"You're kidding, right?" I asked in disbelief.

"What?" he replied.

"You got this thing to access Starfleet and you ain't got a reason for doing it?" I replied.

"Well…it was more to see if I could do it?" he said.

"So do something," Kyle said.

Kieron looked off into space for a moment or two before getting a grin and saying, "Adam, give us the service record for Commander Spock."

The voice came out then again,

"Spock Service Record Number S 179-276 SP Rank Commander, Born Shi-Kahr City Planet Vulcan Earth Year 1944, Parents, Sarek of Vulcan and Amanda Grayson of Earth…."

About the time that Adam, the computer, got to his assignment to the Aldeberran, Kieron stopped him.

"Okay, that's nice, I guess," Kyle said and I could see that he didn't think much of it.

"You have to understand that his service record is classified and Adam just read it to you," Kieron said, clearly kind of ticked that we didn't get it.

"Alright," Kyle replied uncertainly.

"He means that Adam can find out things we're not supposed to be able to know," I said.

"Like what?" Kyle asked.

"Just about anything. There's a few things that Adam might not be able to find out but not many," Kieron added.

"Cool, ya want go outside and play?" Kyle asked, obviously less than impressed and I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on my K's face.

"Yeah, Little Guy, we'll go outside and play," I said walking forward and pulling on Kieron's arm to bring him along.

He yelled back as we went through the door "Adam, standby mode" and then we were off.

Sunday night was kinda hard, because Kyle was afraid of going back to school the next day but we kept telling him we'd be there and when the time came, it actually wasn't that bad.

A couple of comments got made about us but just looking at them shut them up and Kyle was surprised by how nice the other kids his age were about things and were all glad he was all right.

The rest of the week went by pretty good until Wednesday, when Mr. Edwards got a phone call during his ever so boring class and then told me to report to the office.

Getting there, I found Kieron already present and he sent to me *No clue,* because as soon as I walked in and started towards him the office lady got up and told me to sit at the opposite side of the room.

I did, but sent to Kieron, *What the hell?*

*Don't know, just got here and noone's said jack.*

About then, the door opened and the Principal came out followed by two men in suits who I knew were cops along with two state guys in uniform.

What the hell was going on here?

They stopped in front of Kieron and I listened in as one of the ones in suits asked "Are you Kieron Jackson?"

"Yeah" he replied

"You're gonna need to come with us?" the detective said

"Why?" K asked but didn't receive an answer as the detective turned towards me and walked over asking the same question.

I told him yeah I was Sam and why did we have to go with him but he again didn't answer just grabbed me by the arm.

I twisted out of his grip and backed up a bit.

"Look son, you don't want to cause any more problems here," he told me.

I saw that the trooper had taken ahold of Kieron and as I looked back at the detective, I said, "I want an answer."

"Just tell em Ralph," the other detective told his partner as he looked at him before turning back to me and saying, "Fine, questioning in the assault of several children last week."

"We were the ones assaulted," I told him.

"Not that we were told," he replied before saying, "Come along."

"I wanna call my grandmother," I told him before he had moved more than a foot towards me.

"Well, you can call her later," he said, as he moved forward again and tried to grab me.

"I want to call my father," Kieron added loudly.

I had moved back again when he lunged forward grabbing me but I ducked down twisting out of his grasp, as Kieron did the same with his two.

I jumped over the counter as Kieron ran for the door.

The other detective tried to block his way but Kieron just did a sweep knocking him on his ass and ran out the door as I headed for the back entrance to the office and outside, pulling my cell from my pocket as I ran.

I could hear the cops back there swearing as I sent to Kieron *Where are you?*

*Going through the parking lot towards the back,* K yelled in my mind as Kyle sent *What's going on?* worriedly.

*Kyle say you gotta go to the bathroom and then run like hell for Mama J's house or mine, but don't go out the front,* I sent as I tried to call Grandma.

I didn't get any answer and Kieron said he was on hold at the department so I called Mama J.

"Hello," I heard just as I saw Kieron come around the side of the building. *Come on let's meet up with Kyle* I sent.

"Mama J, the cops tried to take us at school and wouldn't let us call you," I yelled as I kept running.

We both got to the back just as Kyle came running out with a teacher hot on his heels screaming for him to get back inside right now.

We grabbed him and kept running as I heard Mama J scream "THEY TRIED TO DO WHAT?"

"Mama J we got away but they're chasing us," I said as Kieron told me they wouldn't put him through to his dad.

I told Mama J that and she said she'd call us back and then hung up.

We ran out through the field and into the trees behind the school but before we got there, I saw the troopers and the other two come running out the back and then start towards us screaming for us to stop.

Not in this lifetime.

"Kieron get on with Adam and see if you can find out what's going on," I said and watched him dial into the computer network he had set up.

He talked quietly into it as I tried to reassure Kyle that everything was going to be alright but I didn't think it was helping much.

When he hung up I swear his face was white.

We were still running so I used mindspeech to ask, *What is it?*

He stopped and looking at me with haunted eyes said, "They're charging us with assault and battery and…attempted murder."

I gasped but he wasn't finished as he added, "Five counts of it."

"Five," I said not wanting to believe it but he only nodded his head.

"How? They have the tapes," I told him.

"I don't know, but it's out of local hands now. Adam says the parents went to the State because of dad and the State is doing this stuff," he replied.

Just then the phone rang and Kieron answered it said yeah and okay a couple of times then hung up.

"Mom says to come home through the back way and dad is on his way" he told us.

"Okay let's go then" I said and we started running again

The woods we entered behind the school ran most of the way to Kieron's house and we would have to cut across old man Jacob's field, but that would be the only open area before we'd be back in amongst the trees again until K's back yard. Then it was just across his yard and into the back door. If we could get through the field and the cops weren't there waiting at K's house then we'd be fine.

We reached Mr. Jacob's field and stood there looking out from the trees for a while until we were sure it was safe then ran across it to the next group of trees which would lead to K's house.

I expected to see the cops at any second and was almost surprised when we made it to Kieron's house without seeing any of them.

We stopped there for several minutes just watching and I sent out my mind to the house there in front of me trying to see who might be there.

I felt like my heart had started again when I only sensed Mama J and Memaw inside.

Kieron, I knew, could feel it as well and looking at a frightened Kyle, I knew he also sensed no one was there yet, even that didn't really reassure him none.

I couldn't say I blamed him much, cause I knew they would be there soon it's just we didn't have any place else to go.

With a nod to K, we began running across the large back yard and around the pool to the back door.

Taking a deep breath and looking back at me Kieron reached up and very gently opened the back door and we all walked in and then through to living room.

Seeing Memaw there, I lost it and threw myself into her arms crying and felt Kieron doing the same with Mama J.

I don't know how long it was before we were dragged back from Memaw telling me it was going to be okay over and over again as she held me and stroked my back, but it was the front door opening which caused us to come back and stare towards the doorway scared to death once again.

I don't think any of us were breathing as we stood up to face whatever it was.

Don't ask me why I didn't reach out to feel who it was, but I didn't and it was only papa J walking into the room that let us take a deep breath and then Kieron and I were throwing ourselves into his arms sobbing and crying once again.

He held us and tried to sooth us but we were petrified and it didn't help when the pounding on the front door started.

"Listen to me, Boys, it's gonna be alright, but I need you to take Kyle upstairs and wait until I call you, do you understand?" he said

We nodded and he told us "Then go."

We both reached back, grabbing Kyle and ran upstairs going to Kieron's room.

I turned to the frightened boy and said, "Look, Kyle, Papa J won't let nothing happen to you. Remember we told you you'd be safe now and we meant it. Mama and Papa J will protect you, okay?"

He didn't look to sure about it but finally nodded as we listened to the yelling going on downstairs.

We couldn't make out what was being said, but we could hear Papa J wasn't happy.

Kieron went over to the computer and was messing around while I held Kyle in my arms and tried to calm him down and in the process calm me down too, but I don't think it was working too well, at least for me.

Then Papa J was in the doorway and we were back in his arms.

"I'm so scared, Papa," I mumbled as Kieron and Kyle said, "Me too."

"I know boys, I know," he replied, going on, "I need you to listen to me for a minute."

We all pulled back and looked up at him and I could see the tears in his eyes as he said, "I love you, each one of you, but…well you're gonna have to go with the detectives right now."

I pulled away and said, "NO!"

"Samuel, listen to me. There's a way to do things and a way not to, and right now you have to go with them. We'll get you out as quickly as we can, but I can't do anything right now."

I was shaking my head and backing up, Kieron was looking back and forth between us before coming to stand at my side.

Kyle had moved to the side and was looking at all of us with a frightened expression on his face.

Then good old Ralph pushed his way past papa and stopped in front of us.

"There you are," he said.

"I told you I would handle this," Papa J said angrily.

"Not your call," Ralph replied, smiling at us but never looking away.

"Leave us alone!" I told him angrily.

"Don't give me no problems this time, or you might get hurt," he said, moving towards us.

"Detective, don't," Papa J said warningly, as I said, "Don't touch us."

He didn't listen and reached out to grab me again only this time, I was beyond caring as I grabbed his hand and pulling it in, sent him into a flip that landed him on is back with a 'whoosh'.

I started moving in when I was grabbed from behind. I swung around only to find Papa J holding onto me and saying "Sammy no, please."

I could see Ralph struggling to his feet as I looked at Papa J and begged "Please papa, don't let him take us, please."

He looked down and then back up at me, "I'm sorry boys, I really am but you have to. Sammy you trusted me once, remember? I'm asking you to trust me again. It might take a while, but I will get you out," he told me.

I just looked into his eyes and then threw myself into his arms as he hugged me.

"You'll regret that, you little…" Ralph started to say when I pulled away and moved towards him.

Papa jumped between us and said, "Just shut up and take them but don't hurt either one of them or I swear, I'll kill you."

"That little shit needs to be taught a lesson," Ralph said, looking at me.

"You wanna try asshole," I snarled as papa J said, "Sammy" warningly.

"Oh please, don't stop him on my account it'll be my pleasure," Ralph said, smiling.

"You fool, it's not him I'm worried about," Papa said turning to him.

"What, he tricked me before, I'll be glad to show him whose boss here," Ralph said.

"Ah, come on dad, this should be fun," Kieron said, smiling now.

"Boys, he has no idea, don't do it," papa said, looking between Kieron and me.

"Why don't you stay out of it, Captain," Ralph said, and I just knew he wanted a piece of me.

"Fine," Papa J said smiling and stepping back, pulling Kyle with him.

"Don't do nothing serious, Guys," Papa J said, as he got to the doorway.

Ralph got a big smile on his face and stepped forward, only I was already moving and flipped him again.

This time he rolled with it and came up lunging for me, but Kieron had already been moving and with a flying kick planted his feet in the detective's chest sending him sailing backward.

He stayed down for a minute before coming back up more slowly this time saying, "You little fucks are gonna pay for that."

I saw Papa J shaking his head out of the corner of my eye but my attention was focused on the dipshit in front of me, as he charged us again.

We both stepped to the side and I planted a kick in his ass as he went by sending him crashing onto the bed.

This seemed to piss him off more as he came up and like a bull headed towards us again.

*Let's finish this,* I sent to Kieron and got agreement.

This time when he got to us, I lashed out with my foot into his knee while Kieron came up into his face.

The result was Ralph's crumpling to the floor and not moving.

I was breathing hard and so was Kieron as we stood there panting and looking at papa, who was smiling.

"Be careful of him boys, I don't think you've made a friend today."

"No shit," I muttered, as we walked towards him.

We all gave him hug again and he told us how much he loved us as I felt the tears running down my face.

I was going to have to go back and I was scared.

*It won't be the same, this time.* I heard in my head but just looked at Kieron.

Then Ralph was groaning and we turned our attention towards him.

He got up on his hands and knees then looked up at us before slowly getting to his feet.

I saw him reach towards his waist when suddenly papa pushed us behind him and yelled "Don't!"

The detective froze before saying "Those two are dangerous."

"I told you, and you wouldn't listen. It could have been a lot worse, trust me," papa told him.

"You're coming with me," he said to us and I responded with "Just don't touch us."

With that we began walking downstairs and it was probably the hardest thing I had to do in my life, I didn't want to go.

*I'm scared too, but we have each other,* Kieron sent.

I couldn't answer him as I saw Memaw and Mama J at the bottom of the stairs just watching us both crying.

We both went and hugged grandma and mama before being told it was time to go.

With one last hug of Kyle and Papa J, we walked out of the house I'd known these last three years not knowing if we would ever come home.

As they put us into the back seat we both looked back to see them standing on the front lawn, Papa J with his arms wrapped tightly around a frightened little boy who didn't know anymore if he was safe.

*We love you Kyle* Kieron and I both sent to the boy but we didn't get a response.

Then it was a long ride to what turned out to be Juvy and the hell that was that place.

As Ralph left us with a guard there, his parting comment was, "Hope you enjoy your stay Mr. tough guy."

'Yeah right,' I thought as we were led back to a room and told to strip.

The next little while was one that I wish I could forget as they searched us in places I didn't know things could be hidden in and only Kieron stopping me kept me from breaking the arm of one guard who enjoyed it way too much.

After that, we were led into a shower and had to wash with the guards watching, then were sprayed with some foul smelling stuff and had to wash again before being led to another room where we were given sheets, a blanket, one pillow, deodorant, shampoo, a bar of soap, underwear, socks and three jumpsuits of a nasty orange color.

As we stood there holding all this stuff in our arms, we got told the rules:

Don't talk back

Don't cause problems

Don't talk back

Don't fight

Don't do sex stuff

Don't steal and once again don't talk back.

Lights out was at 9 wake up was promptly at 6 and the guard didn't like it for some reason when I asked "Six in the morning?"

I wasn't much of a morning person.

We were told breakfast was served between 7:15 and 7:45 and if we missed it, we did without. Lunch would be served between 11:30 and 12:00 same rule with dinner between 5:30 and 6:30.

PT was to be between 6:15 and 7 am with showers between 7 and 7:15. School would start at 8 and go to lunch. School would resume at 12:15 precisely and being late would result in punishment. After school was devoted again to PT from 4pm until 5pm and showers once again from 5 to 5:30.

After dinner from 6:30 until 8 was study hall and for other school related things with free time from 8 to 9pm then bed again to start all over the next morning.

It sounded so wonderful I didn't know what I was going to do other than try not to let the tears threatening escape right now.

I suppose as long as K and I were together that we could make it through, but shortly I found out that even that was being denied to us.

We were led through the area where we were brought in and into another area, this one full of kids.

They all stopped and stared at us as we were led through stopping at a room or more exactly a cell which the guard told me was mine.

I started forward only to come to a dead stop as I heard him say "You come with me," and turned to find his hand on Kieron's shoulder stopping him from following me in.

I could see the shock on Kieron's face and said, "No, we stay together."

The guard turned to me and told me, "Look I hear you think you're a big tough guy, well I got orders you're not to be allowed to be together and you're not gonna be."

I started forward but Kieron's warning of *NO, don't* in my mind stopped me.

I looked at him as he said, *We can still be together this way and they can't stop this, please Samuel.*

I felt all the air rush out of me and I just stepped back because while he was right he was also very wrong.

We could be together in our minds but it wasn't the same as being able to hold one another tight when it got to be too much.

How was I going to make it through this?

Oh God, Papa J, please hurry, I thought as the guard smiled and said "Thought you'd see it my way," and pulled Kieron away dragging him on down the hall.

Once he was out of sight, I turned and went to the only unmade bed in the place and after dumping my stuff on it, just sat down and tried real hard not to cry.

I don't know how long I sat there until I heard a voice say "It'll be alright, it's not so bad here," and looked up to find a kid about a year younger than me standing there smiling at me.

I tried but just couldn't bring myself to smile back as I lowered my gaze back to the floor and said, "Yes it is."

"Ah fresh meat," I heard and looked up to find another boy about thirteen standing in the doorway grinning at me,

"Leave him alone Robby," I heard from the boy who had come in first.

"Fuck off, Twerp," he said as he started to come into the room.

I stood up and walked in front of the younger boy.

"You don't wanna mess with me, kid," he said.

"Sure I do," I replied.

"What you in here for?" he asked next as the little kid said, "Adam won't like this."

"Fuck Adam too, he thinks he's got such a big set, but I'll kick his ass."

"Ya ain't done it yet, Puta," the little kid told him.

"Well, I'll start with you," he said as he moved forward.

I got between them and said softly, "Attempted murder, five counts. You want to make it six?"

That stopped him, as he glared at me then backed off turning around and walking out only stopping in the door to turn around and say, "See ya tonight, sweet cheeks."

I felt a wave of fear wash through me and was surprised to find myself shaking just standing there staring after the boy.

It was the little kid who brought me back to the here and now though as he kept asking if I was alright.

It was only then that I felt Kieron trying to get through to me and quickly reassured him.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked as I took a deep breath and said "Yeah."

"My name's Kelly, what's yours?" he asked.

"Sam," I replied.

"Cool, you're in here with me," he told me.

"Okay," I said quietly, still staring out the cell door into the room and at the boy who now was across the way.

"Don't worry none about dipshit, he talks a lot but ain't got no balls," Kelly told me.

"Okay," I said, again turning and going back to sit on the bed

"So is it true what you said to him?" he asked.

"Yes and no. I'm charged with it, but I didn't do it," I told him.

"Cool, thanks for sticking up for me," he said next.

"No problem, I don't like bullies," I said.

"Me neither and Adam's not here right now, that's why he came in here playing the fool," he told me.

"Who's Adam?" I asked.

"He looks out after the younger kids," he said.

"Why?" I asked, but all I got was a shrug and "Don't know, but he always has."

I didn't ask him any more about this Adam kid, but I was curious why he was in here, he was younger than me.

"Why are you in here?" I finally asked.

"Didn't have room in the fosters so they sent us here instead, and I've been here now for almost four years. Adam got sent here at the same time as me and he's kinda like a big brother now," he told me.

"Fosters?" I asked.

"Yeah, you know, foster homes," he informed me.

"Oh, right, but you're not in trouble how can they send you to a place like this?" I asked.

"They can do with us whatever they want and they do. Guess you haven't been around much, have you?" he said.

"Once, a long time ago, I was," I told him softly.

"Yeah, well then you should know, huh. There's lots of us who didn't do nothing but we're still in here," he said.

"That ain't right," I told him, looking up at him.

"It don't matter what's right they do what they wants to anyway," he said. shrugging his shoulders and I knew he just accepted that.

"So how old are you?" was the next question and I told him eleven to which he replied he was almost ten.

Then he wanted to show me around and I reluctantly got up and followed him out and got the grand tour of where he was allowed to take me.

One place he wasn't, which came as no surprise, was to the F section which is where Kieron had been taken.

There were ten sections here in this place each housing a group of kids.

The one we were in was 'I' while Kieron was apparently now in F and we had separate facilities for everything, food, showers, everything.

Kelly informed me that it was possible I could see Kieron during school if we were really careful, but if we weren't supposed to be together and we got caught, it would be solitary which wasn't any fun.

I thought about that and wondered if it wouldn't actually be much better than being around some of these kids.

I would find out soon enough that the answer was a definite no.

I had noticed that a number of them had openly stared at me as I went around on my tour and I picked up from them that they weren't really nice kids at all.

I tried not to think too much on what they were thinking they wanted to do to me.

The rest of the day and evening went surprisingly well and by the time I went to bed that night, I wasn't feeling as bad as earlier.

Kieron and I had basically opened our link and left it open so we were in constant contact.

That night in different parts of the building we loved one another in our minds in a way we had never done before but it was so real and so good that I had to get up and clean things up afterward even though I hadn't touched myself throughout. It was as if we had actually been together and in our minds, in the meadow we were in there, we had been.

I woke up the next morning and the first thing I saw was Kelly smiling at me and after asking what, produced nothing but giggles, I gave up cause I could sense he somehow knew at least some of what had happened last night.

I know my face was nice and red as I got to the bathroom to take my shower and then head off to breakfast.

Then it was school and I almost laughed at how easy the stuff was and at one point got in trouble when I wasn't paying attention and the teacher jumped my shit for it.

Without thinking, I gave her a complete answer to what she had been asking which earned me glares from the others and an open mouth from her.

"How do you know that?" she finally asked.

"Because I'm in 5th grade and we got this stuff last year and even before," I told her without thinking.

"You did?" she asked, not believing me.

"Yes" I told her looking straight at her.

She dropped it, but held me back after class and asked me if I was having the same problem in the other classes to which I told her yes.

She let me go and the rest of the day was okay until a guard came and drug me out of my last class not answering any questions only leading me back into the area where they had brought me in the day before.

I was led to a room and put in a seat where I was left for a while until Ralph and his partner came in.

Ralph sat down and stared at me while his partner went to the other end of the little room and did the same.

I didn't say anything and neither did they for a while.

It was like something out of a bad TV show and I was actually trying hard not to laugh.

Finally, it was Ralph who broke the silence by saying, "We have some questions for you."

"I want my grandmother and an attorney," I replied calmly.

"Well we all want things but it doesn't mean we're gonna get them," he told me.

"Well you're not allowed to question me without my guardian present or if I've asked for an attorney and Memaw ain't here and I've asked for a lawyer so that's that," I said, smiling.

"So you think you're smart, eh?" he said, kinda mean to me.

"I know that much my papa is a cop and he's told me that stuff before," I said.

"Well you ain't getting no attorney and you're gonna answer our questions you hear me?" he yelled, slamming his hand down on the table.

I just looked at him.

When I didn't answer, he yelled, "WELL?"

I just shrugged my shoulders and didn't say anything.

At that he got up and reached over and grabbed me by my top yanking me out of my seat then threw me against the wall.

I felt the fire building up, the rage and anger taking hold, consuming me at being touched.

"You listen here…" he started to say, but once I got slammed into that wall, I didn't bother trying to control myself.

Papa wasn't here to beg for me to not hurt the prick and I brought my knee up into his balls as hard as I could, then clasping my hands together brought them around and across his face ending his scream in a burble of blood from what was likely a broken nose.

As he went down, his partner came at me and I turned jumping on the table then off hitting him in the face with both feet before tucking into a roll and coming up spinning around and charging him once again.

He had dropped to his knees screaming and when I got to him this time, I stopped, spun and landed a roundhouse kick to the side of his head.

That was number two down and I turned back just in time for number one dick to start getting up. I figured if it worked for his buddy it would work for him, and brought my foot around for another roundhouse clocking him dead on.

He dropped like a sack of potatoes and I was thinking two for two when the door burst open and several guards came rushing in.

They stopped staring at me then the cops on the ground before coming towards me.

"Stay away from me," I said and tried to sound as mean as I could.

"You're going down kid, one way or the other," one of them told me while I just smiled.

I was beyond caring at this point and somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear Kieron screaming but I just didn't care, right now.

The fire was everything and rage was all I knew at that point.

I moved out away from the table and said, "Let's go."

They came.

The next little while was a blur, I was good, but I was still a kid as they proved eventually.

Several of them joined the two on the floor and even more ended up groaning in pain but then again there were a lot more of them than of me, so in the end I was the one down with a bunch of them on top of me.

Fists and feet were hitting as well as kicking me and all I could feel was pain and more pain but in the end they won and I lost.

The last thing I felt was a stick from what I realized was a needle and Kieron screaming in my head then I didn't feel anything, the fire finally dampened but I knew never out.

When I woke up I was in their 'solitary' they had told me about.

A small room padded top to bottom and everywhere else.

I was wearing something all around my top that didn't allow me to move my arms at all. I also realized it was the only thing I was wearing and more I realized that I hurt like hell.

I had also wet myself sometime or another because I could feel myself laying in it.

I rolled to the side and pushed myself up against the wall finding myself in a great deal of pain and out of breath.

It felt like someone ran over me with a truck or something.

Things were still a bit fuzzy and it didn't surprise me when trying to reach out and touch Kieron met with nothing but dull pain pounding through my head.

I just sat back and felt the tears running down my face.

Why? Why? "WHY?" I screamed out to anyone and no one.

I let my head fall back and just cried.

I don't know how long I sat there before I had to go again and although I yelled and yelled for someone to come no one did so I went over to a corner and did it there.

That seemed to be my existence for years or maybe hours with the only breaking of the sameness of it all being when I had to go to the bathroom or dozing off again only to wake in the same nightmare.

I can't tell you how long it was before I could reach Kieron again but he was damn near in a panic by the time I did and I let myself lose myself in and with him.

Kieron told me I'd been out since the day before and he was really freaking out.

They wouldn't let him call anyone and he'd almost did something else but he was saving that for a real emergency.

It kinda made me wonder just what he thought this was.

He didn't want to tell me at first, but I kept bugging him until he said he had a subvocal comm. link imbedded deep in his ear and could talk to Adam.

It was only after having Adam access the records of the center and finding out I was okay that he didn't use it to call Papa J.

For some reason, I felt a lot better knowing we had contact with everyone if we really needed it.

I laid back and just lost myself in Kieron living through him and even roaming elsewhere, where I didn't know but elsewhere, which I realized probably wasn't a real good idea but I couldn't stand where I was anymore.

There was one place that was so nice it was only a little boy appearing and telling me I had to go back, that I could visit but not stay that made me leave it.

It was the most beautiful meadow I'd ever seen, snow capped mountains in the distance and kids everywhere, all having fun and playing.

Why couldn't it always be like that?

I only realized how bad I had let myself go when I realized it had been three days and let myself separate a bit from Kieron going back into my own body only to find myself in the infirmary and a doctor talking to someone.

"I don't know why he's in a coma. He received multiple blows to the head but none of them should have been serious enough to cause this," I heard then a reply of "Then why the hell isn't he waking up?" followed by "I don't know."

"Figure it out because if he doesn't, then we're in deep shit," the second voice said before I heard footsteps rapidly moving away.

"You mean you're in deep shit asshole," I heard the first voice say before I felt hands touching my eyes and pulling my eyelids up.

I groaned and turned my head away as he said, "Ah you're awake eh?"

I tried to say something but it came out more of a moan than words and he put something to my mouth saying "Slowly, now."

I realized it was a straw and through it water as I sucked harder than I've ever sucked anything in my life.

"Easy now, easy," he said, taking it away for a moment then bringing it back saying, "Slowly."

I tried I really did, but he quickly pulled it away again.

"Listen up, I know you're thirsty as hell right now, but you can't drink that fast or you'll be throwing it all back up in no time and you don't need that right now," he said.

Strangely, I hadn't even tried to open my eyes yet as I felt the straw being put back to my lips only this time I drank very slowly because he was right, I didn't want to throw up.

"That's a good lad," I heard softly and felt the goodness of this man as he gently fed me the water.

I extended my mind out and began to look at his when I heard "That's not very polite you know," and suddenly I was outside his head and my eyes shot open in shock to find a man sitting there holding the cup and smiling at me.

"So, that's where you were eh?" he said.

I felt the fear shoot through me but he just laughed and said, "You're not the only one who can do that, lad. It's alright, I won't tell, don't worry."

"Who are you?" I asked softly, still staring at him.

"Don't you mean how can I do that?" he asked still smiling

I couldn't help but smile back as I said, "Well that too."

That caused him to laugh as he said, "My name is Drystan and I'm the doctor."

He had a funny accent and I said something which caused him to laugh as he said, "What? You don't know a Welshman when you hear him?"

I couldn't help but smile at him as he asked, "So how are you feeling, Lad, considering everything?"

I stopped to think about it for a moment or two and then said, "Not too bad I guess, I still hurt but not as bad."

"That's good to hear then," he said as he looked around quickly then said "Be very careful doing what you did. I didn't even think of it or you would have been back a lot sooner than now."

"Why?" I asked.

He looked at me funny for a bit but finally said, "You should have had training so you wouldn't even have to ask that question."

"Well I don't, so what's the big deal?" I asked.

"You can lose yourself if you're not careful," he replied.

"Lose yourself?" I said, wondering what he was talking about.

Now I got a real strange look from him before he said, "You left your body and went elsewhere, if you're gone too long, you might not be able to find your way back," he told me.

Now it was my turn to look at him funny as I said, "I knew how to get back, I just didn't want to come back to…to…" but didn't finish as I stared down at my hands.

I felt his hand reach out and touch my shoulder squeezing gently as he said "I understand, bachgennyn, but you must be careful, still."

I told him thanks and asked what that funny word was and he said it meant 'little boy or little one' in Welsh.

He checked me over and said I would be fine after a couple of days of rest then stood up to leave.

"Wait," I called.

He turned back to me and smiling again said, "You have questions, I know but there will be time later for answers, then he walked away with a parting shot of, "I'll bring food."

Wow, another one who could mind speak, this was too weird yet so cool too.

He came back in a bit with food and after making sure I'd eat very slowly left me to it.

I had told Kieron all about what was happening and he was just as curious about this man as I was.

I didn't get any answers that night, although he did come back to check on me several times and even brought me a book.

When I asked him what was going on, he wouldn't tell me though, so I was still in the dark as to what was going to happen.

The book was one on Welsh mythology which was quite interesting and I soon lost myself in it.

The next day, he brought me another book after seeing how much I liked the other one and how much I'd finished of it as well.

That afternoon, a man came by who introduced himself as the Director of the place and asked how I was doing.

"Fine," I replied.

"You want to tell me what happened in there?" he asked.

I just looked at him.

To say I didn't really trust anyone much less him right now was kind of an understatement as Memaw was always saying.

"Look, if you don't tell me, then I can't help you." he said.

"Ralph grabbed me and threw me against the wall because I asked for my grandma and a lawyer and wouldn't answer his questions. After that I defended myself," I told him.

"I see. You have to know that's not what they're saying" he said

"Gee ya think?" I replied.

He actually smiled at that, before I asked, "Aren't these things recorded?"

The smile left his face at that and for a while I didn't think he was going to answer but he finally said, "They're supposed to be."

"Let me guess this one wasn't?" I asked,

"Well, we're still investigating but they're claiming there was something wrong with the equipment," I was told.

"That's shocking," I said not smiling now.

"Well, we're looking into it, but at the moment you're in a bit of trouble to say the least," he told me.

"I want to see my grandma and Papa J" I said to him

"I'm sorry neither you nor that other boy are being allowed visitors, but you also won't undergo any further questioning unless I'm personally present. I will not have a repeat of whatever this is, is that clear?" he told me.

"Don't touch me and you won't," I replied which got a frown from him but he finally told me to get better and left.

Just as he disappeared, Drystan showed up smiling, "He's not that bad a guy, really," he told me.

I didn't say anything for a bit just looked at him and he finally chuckled and said, "You want some answers, don't you?"

"That would be nice," I replied.

He laughed again which he seemed to do a lot of and finally said in my head *What do you want to know?*

*Everything* I replied, grinning at him.

*Ah the curiosity of youth, but everything might be more than you want to know,* he said laughing in his mindspeech which tickled in my head.

*I like to know stuff,* I replied, laughing the same way.

*Of course you do,* he said.

*So?* I asked.

*Well, I'm from England as you might have guessed and I can speak like this,* he said.

*Gee that tells me so much I didn't know,* I told him as he broke out laughing not only in his mind but out loud as well.

*Please, I've only known two other people and my…my best friend who can speak like that and he can only cause of me,* I said.

*There's not that many who can, child, although there seems to be more for some reason these days than ever before,* he told me.

*What are we?* I asked him.

*That's a good question, some have said over the centuries that we're magical, others that we're spawn of the devil. In the highlands of old they called it the sight and now days of course it's ESP. You're different than most, gifted, never doubt that, but different. Your children will be even more powerful than you, if things hold true to form. Each succeeding generation seems to be more powerful than the one preceding it. In the old days they even bred for it to strengthen the traits but now it's forgotten. Children like you crop up here and there now and there's no telling where you may have sprung from without researching your family history, although at a guess I'd speculate that you're descended from those of my homeland somewhere along the way.*

I thought about what he said for a bit and then said, "Have you met others like me?"

"Oh yes, quite a few over the years. I seek them out and try to help when I can," he told me.

"You do?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm a healer as I said and one of the things I do is heal the mind when possible," he replied.

"Did you seek me out?" I asked, but he just smiled before saying, "Rest and I will return tonight before you go to bed."

Then he was up and gone before I could even speak to tell him to wait.

I found after he left that strangely, I hadn't had my link open to Kieron as I usually would have but didn't think too much of it as I quickly filled him in on what had happened.

He said he wished he could meet this guy and I wished it too; there was something about him that I really liked.

That night, just before lights out he suddenly appeared while I was reading, I didn't even see him come in, and then he was there.

"Well, little one, it's our last night together, for tomorrow you will be leaving here," he said.

"I will?" I asked in shock,

"No, not that just yet, you are simply going to be released from the infirmary," he told me.

"Will I still get to see you?" I asked somehow feeling as if I wouldn't and that was confirmed when he said, "No, I'm afraid not."

I looked at him because he should still be here even if I wasn't, but he just laughed.

*Listen child of the future. I have much to tell you, and little time to do it in. I will help you as much as I can but there will still be things you must learn for yourself over the course of time. Hear me child of tomorrow, and heed me well for I am Drystan Elwyn Ap Myrddin, Blentyn chan 'r Heibio i….*

I remember those words and his hand coming towards my head but that is the last thing I remembered until the morning.

I woke and felt funny like my head was stuffed to overflowing and lying back, I realized that I knew so much more than when I went to bed, so very much.

My God, he'd taught me more in one night than Grandma had in my whole life.

I spent I don't know how long thinking about what I now knew and it was amazing I thought, looking inward to how everything worked in my head now.

In the end though, it was the three things he'd said 'Child of the future, Child of tomorrow', and what he'd called himself in the end, 'Child of the Past', that I was left to wonder about the most.

What did they mean and how did I know what he said in that strange language of his?

I wasn't sure that I didn't have more questions now than before I met him and when I stopped and thought about it he didn't answer very many of the ones I did have.

He looked old but felt very young.

The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed, this Doctor of mine.

The only thing I did know for certain is that he was good, there was nothing evil in him, of that I was sure.

Then the door opened and in walked a strange man I hadn't seen before.

"How are we feeling today?" he asked, and I immediately disliked him.

"I'm feeling alright I guess," I replied.

"Good, let's take a look at you then," he told me bending over and starting to pull the sheet off of me.

I grabbed onto it real fast and said, "That's okay I'll wait for the doctor."

He laughed and said, "And who do you think I am?"

"No clue," I responded.

"Well, I am the doctor, so let's have a look, shall we?" he said.

"I'll wait for the other doctor." I told him.

"Other doctor? Look here, there is no other doctor so you'll be waiting a long time, now let's quit playing games," he said as he reached for the sheet again.

I just stared at him in shock as I could feel he was telling the truth, but I went into his mind anyway suddenly sure of what I was doing and how to do it.

There was no Drystan in it though, he'd never seen or heard of 'my' doctor at all.

What was there, made me sick.

He worked in this place so he could do stuff to kids if he could get away with it, and as I found that I realized he was examining more than he needed to.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked, sharply.

"Just making sure everything is healed up alright," he told me as his hands continued to 'examine' certain areas.

"Well, maybe you could check the parts that actually got hurt, then," I said, which caused him to glare at me before slowly moving his hands away.

"I was under the impression that you had suffered injuries to your groin as well," he told me.

"Well you're under the wrong impression, then," I said coldly.

It didn't look like I had made a friend, but then again I didn't really care in this case, as he felt none too gently all over me except there and finally stood up and said, "You can go back to general," and walked out slamming the door on his way.

I guess I ruined his morning, I thought, which made me smile as a guard walked in carrying a jumpsuit.

"I'm here to see you showered and escort you back to your cell," he said.

"I can shower by myself, thank you," I said without thinking.

"At your age, I would hope so," he replied chuckling a bit and I felt a bit embarrassed as I got up and went to do that.

I guess they weren't all bad.

Suddenly a thought struck me and I called Kieron.

*Hey can you have Adam see if he can access the tape from when I got questioned in here?*

*Yeah sure and wait til I tell you what happened to me last night* he replied

*What?* I asked worried

*I'll tell you later,* he said then went silent.

Damn.

When I came out, I found my clothes next to the towel, dried off and got dressed then was escorted back to my cell.

Kelly came running up asking if I was alright and after I told him ten times that I was, he left me alone.

I had a lot of thinking to do now, about what had happened, both with Ralph and with Drystan and learning everything that he had taught me.

The next few days nothing much happened other than apparently Drystan had come to Kieron that night and taught him a few things as well.

He was of the same opinion as I was in that he liked the man, but he hadn't been told any more about him than I had.

The one thing positive that had occurred was that Adam had been monitoring things inside this place as well as he could and had the tape of what had happened which somehow turned up in the Director's email one morning.

I never saw Ralph again, but we still weren't let out of here and we still hadn't seen our parents.

I did get to meet Adam though who had been in hospital in town getting his appendix out.

He was a pretty cool kid, and I found out that he really did protect the younger ones and didn't ask for anything to do it either.

I remembered some from before who offered but only if you did what they wanted, if you turned them down, then you were on your own to the extent that they even let it be known that you were free.

Adam wasn't like that at all, to my surprise, and reading him I found he really cared about the little guys here.

Don't get me wrong, most of the guys did sex stuff and that included Adam but he never 'made' anyone which made me like him a lot.

He also made sure no one got pressured into doing it unless they wanted to.

That included me when some of the guys kept after me to do stuff.

I was worried about telling them that I had a boyfriend and they didn't get why I didn't join in with them because most of them took care of each other that way. It was kind of nice seeing a bunch of them doing stuff to make each other feel good in here rather than forcing kids into shit.

The thing was, I didn't want to do anything with anyone beside Kieron.

We joined our minds together like we had that first time over and over again and loved one another that way.

It felt wonderful and for a little while, we could be together in our minds but it wasn't the same as actually holding one another and I found myself getting sadder each day we were apart.

I wanted to touch and hold him as I had for so long; it seemed as if we had been apart forever.

Robby, my second visitor in this place, made sure to make comments whenever he could but so far he hadn't done anything.

The other change is that I am now attending what they call seventh grade classes which actually come pretty close to the level of stuff I was at in my regular school.

I found it kind of sad though that they were so far behind everyone else.

Two weeks after I got out of the hospital, one night while I was in the shower, I suddenly sensed someone come in just after I had put shampoo in my hair.

I was just reaching out to see who it was with my mind when the person slammed into me and knocked me back into a wall.

Suddenly the fire was back, a raging inferno that left me reacting without thinking as I extended my mind to feel whoever it was.

Sweeping out with my foot I connected with something then jumped forward and began pounding his body with quick rabbit punches.

When I felt all movement stop I backed up under the shower head and rinsed my hair out so I could see.

Robby lay there bleeding and not moving, although I knew he was still alive.

He had planned on raping me.

I rinsed off and walked out of the shower, grabbing my towel and drying off before pulling on my underwear and walking out of the shower room and down to where there was a guard standing.

"There's a boy who attacked me down in the shower, you might want to get him some help," I told him and kept walking as he shouted for me to stop.

He started after me then stopped, looking back towards the shower, then at me again, before taking off, running towards the shower.

I just went to my cell and waited letting a very worried Kieron know what had happened and what was going on now and sure enough about ten minutes later, several guards came to the cell and stood there looking at me.

We just stared at one another for a while before one of the guards stepped forward and asked "What happened?"

"He attacked me and was going to rape me, he didn't" I told him.

"The boy's in pretty bad shape, he's being transferred to Children's as we speak," he said.

"I'm sorry, he caught me by surprise. I had just put the shampoo in my hair when he slammed me into a wall and I just reacted to defend myself. I didn't even know who it was until I got a chance to rinse the soap out of my hair" I told them

"You need to come with me and don't give us any problems," he said.

"Alright, just don't touch me," I said as I stood up and followed them out of the cell with Kelly standing just outside watching.

I got put back in the little room and once again talked with Kieron to keep me from going crazy, but this time I didn't let myself go completely.

It seems this time there was no problem with finding the video of the shower and what happened there so my time in the "Room" was short.

The next day, I was released and "Counseled" over my aggressive actions.

It was felt that other alternatives could have been used rather than harming the boy.

I just sat there and listened to this moron speak his liberal bullshit for what seemed like an eternity before he finally allowed me to go back to my cell.

I just didn't understand why some people were like that.

Robbie had made his choice and now he was suffering the consequences, alternatives be damned; he was lucky I hadn't killed him, although I didn't mention that last part.

Then just as suddenly as it had begun, the Director showed up a week or so later and said to come with him.

I was taken back to the room where this nightmare had all begun and given my regular clothes back then escorted out to the waiting room near the main entrance.

As I came through the door, I stopped in shock before screaming in joy and running to who was waiting there.

My grandmother and Mama J along with Papa J were standing there talking as I came into the room and at my scream turned shocked to see me running towards them and launch myself into my grandma's arms.

I knew I was crying like some little kid or something, but I didn't care as I just kept crying "Memaw, Memaw"

"Hush child, you're okay now, hush sweet boy," she kept murmuring in my ear as she held me.

Then I pushed away and traded her arms for Mama J's then Papa's before returning to Memaw's.

I don't know how long it was before I felt him but suddenly I knew he was there and turning saw him come through the same doorway I just had.

Like me, he stopped in shock then screamed running to his dad then mom before tackling Memaw.

I just stood and watched with tears still running down my face as he finally stopped hugging everyone and turned to face me.

There were no words, there didn't need to be as we fell into one another's arms, each of us softly crying the other's name out.

It wasn't until I heard Papa J's cough that I realized that my lips were locked with his and had been for more than a moment or two.

We slowly broke apart looking at one another and for once neither one of us was embarrassed.

"I think we should be leaving," Papa said, as I looked over at him and saw him throw a glance behind us.

I turned to see the Director watching us along with a guard but I really didn't care at this point, we were free and we were together again.

Suddenly a thought hit me "Where's Kyle?" I asked

"He's out in the car Samuel, he just couldn't face coming in here" Memaw said sadly.

"He's worried you'll be mad though," Mama J said as I shook my head.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to come in one of these places either, if I could help it and I kinda think he's been in one before and it wasn't good for him," I told them.

"He hasn't really told us much of anything sweetie, so if you know that about him then you know more than we do," Mama J said softly.

"I haven't been able to find out anything either, the investigation into the home he was in has reached a dead end. The information about him that they had placing him there is falsified and he's not talking," Papa said.

"He'll tell us when he's ready, Papa, but I think he's been through a lotta shit and he don't trust no one yet," I said thinking about it as I said each word knowing somehow that all was very true.

"I think you're right child, but for now, let's get you two home and Kyle'll come around when he's good and ready and when he's had enough lovin," Memaw said as she started walking towards the door with us following.

I knew she was right, and it would just take time is all. I just knew that for Kyle he hadn't had many if any people in his life that he could trust and I also somehow knew that adults weren't among them at all.

We got out towards the car and saw Kyle standing there nervously looking at us.

Kieron and I looked at each other and then screaming, "KYLE!" ran towards him.

The look on his face was one I will never forget, going from pure terror to disbelief then joy as we got to him and between us picked him up and hugged him half to death.

"Missed you, Little Guy," I said to him as he pulled his head back and looked between us before asking, "Really?"

"Yes really, Dufus," Kieron said grinning.

"Ya's not mad I didn't come in to see you?" he asked next.

"Listen Kyle, I don't know why, but I do know a place like this don't hold good memories for you, and I understand why you couldn't come in, so no, we're not mad," I told him and did it both with my mouth and with my feelings letting him know this type of place didn't hold any for me either.

That got us a big hug as Mama J asked, "Are we ever going to get home?" which then got us all laughing as we let Kyle down.

We got in the car but just before I entered, I turned back to look at it one last time and was surprised as well as happy to see two of the boys had come to see us off.

Adam and Kelly were there, and I felt bad for some reason for leaving them.

I couldn't tell you what it was, but for some reason or another, I felt something for both of them, a connection like.

That was the only sad part of leaving this place that I never thought I'd feel.

"Friends of yours?" Memaw asked, stopping and placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah grandma, they are," I replied, still looking back at the two boys. staring out longingly at us with their fingers reaching through the chain link fence.

"Yeah," I said again as I waved and got into the car.

It was silent for a while and I figured it was because they could all feel how and what I felt right now.

I hadn't expected to feel bad about leaving that place and I didn't, but I did feel bad about leaving those two.

"They don't belong there. They didn't do nothing and are there just because there is no foster home for them. A lot of the kids in there are in the same boat too but Adam and Kelly, the two at the fence helped me a lot, Memaw. They don't belong there," I said into that silence.

I saw the adults look at one another but there wasn't really anything they could say so silence took over again.

Finally though I had to know what had been going on and asked Papa J.

He told me that they had been fighting in court since day one and that social services along with the state DA had been playing games, including "losing" us in the system.

It had finally taken Papa J calling in an old friend to get to the bottom of it, that, and a mysterious call from someone, telling them where we were that had gotten us out of that place.

He went on to tell us that the Justice Department and FBI were investigating and that it was now a Federal case, but that all state charges had been dropped and further, that the Feds weren't going to charge us with anything, after reviewing the school security camera footage which supposedly had been lost but suddenly turned up again.

I saw the smirk on Kieron's face and knew that a certain computer had, had something to do with this whole thing.

One thing got to me though, and I asked, "Who called though, Papa?"

"I don't know son. All I know is he had an odd English accent and a funny sense of humor," Papa said,

"Huh?" I asked him.

"Well his comment was, "I think it would be best if you got him out of here before he disabled any more of the staff, for some reason, he doesn't care for them all that much," then he laughed quite a bit," he told me.

I was grinning now, knowing exactly who it was as I sent a silent "Thanks Doc," hoping somehow he would hear me.

I started coughing when I heard a reply of *You're welcome, Child of Tomorrow,* in my mind.

Kieron was looking at me funny, but I just shook my head.

Then we were home, finally home.

There had been times in the last few weeks when I wasn't sure if we were ever going to see it again.

It was now late June and summer had started officially, while I'd been in that place even though they kept up school there as if it hadn't.

Adam had said that way they didn't have to let us have any fun by giving us a summer vacation.

I still couldn't understand how, if they made these kids go to school all year long, that they were so far behind what we got out here.

They had a cake waiting for us and a banner up in Mama J's living room saying, "Welcome Home," and Kyle was so proud because he'd made it.

We made sure to thank him with lots of hugs and cuddles which he seemed to eat up.

We spent the rest of the day and into the evening cuddled up with someone and it was like we couldn't let them out of our reach.

K and I were always with either each other or one of our parents and usually had Kyle hanging on to one of us too.

I had dreamt of this day for all these weeks and what would happen with Kieron and I come tonight, but when it came time to go to bed, all the dreams didn't happen at all, yet somehow it was better.

We went in and got undressed then Kyle cuddled up with us and all of us holding one another tightly, we fell asleep.

It was better than I could have thought up for some reason, we were home.

I will say, the following night K and I went over to my house and Memaw stayed with Mama and Papa J so she wouldn't have to listen to us.

It was then that all my dreams became reality and wow in a great way too, boy did we have fun even if we both were walking funny in the morning.

I just wish it had lasted.

I went the next morning to the dojo and began to practice once again even though Kieron said I shouldn't, but I had to.

It was like I had to do it as I went even more than I had before.

It had almost happened again and while Kieron told me over and over again that it hadn't, it didn't seem to make any difference to me.

I just knew I had to keep it from ever happening again.

Part of me knew somewhere that it didn't make sense, but it was like I was looking in from the outside and couldn't stop myself.

So to practice, I went, and Kieron was left behind.

Practice became everything to me, and lots of days I was there from ten in the morning until nine at night when they closed.

I ached and hurt in ways I didn't even know you could hurt but I was determined to never be caught again.

Master T tried to talk to me, but I wouldn't listen and I would just see him looking at me with a sad look on his face from time to time.

The thing is that I didn't care anymore, not about any of them.

Being able to fight back was all I cared about, now.

I could end up in a place like that again as this had proven to me and it left me feeling something I hadn't felt since Memaw got sick, scared.

No not scared, terrified and it was a feeling which I didn't like one little bit.

I never thought I would be back in that kind of place, yet suddenly that's exactly where I'd found myself and knowing how easy it could happen did something to me.

Only I didn't see it, at least not then.

All I saw was that I couldn't let it happen ever again.

Kieron and I began to fight and while I didn't like it he just couldn't seem to understand why this was important to me.

In late June, he did something which was like a slap in the face to me, he refused to go to train any longer with me.

He left me alone.

Oh he tried to tell me he still loved me and it didn't mean he didn't but he wouldn't do the training any longer with me and that hurt.

It hurt a lot

If I had been thinking clearly, I would have seen it was a desperate attempt to get through to me, but I didn't and I wasn't.

Finally it didn't.

I just went without him and another part of me died that I didn't even realize was gone.

Mama and Papa J were worried, as was Memaw but I just told them everything was fine.

K tried to talk to me but I didn't listen and finally as June gave way to July things got even worse.

I wouldn't see or speak to Kieron hardly at all anymore and Kyle was walking around on eggshells not really understanding what was going on.

He begged us not to fight but we'd just look at each other and say "We're not fighting" then walk away.

I didn't realize til later just how much we were hurting an already hurt little boy, or maybe didn't want to.

I felt bad for him but what Kieron had done hurt me so much, he was the one thing in my life outside of the grups that I could always count on and now I couldn't anymore.

I felt lost and once again alone, if I let myself, which the training kept me from feeling so I did it even more.

I also started going out at night in secret with my toys on me and finding those who hurt people, especially kids.

Suddenly, I found a way to get rid of some of my anger and I took to it like a bee to honey, the only problem was that there was so much of it.

So much that it scared me because no matter how much I got rid of there didn't seem to be an end to it but I didn't know what to do about it.

I never had.

I had to laugh when I read of the "Gang" terrorizing the city and those who had been found come daylight, its victims.

Victims they weren't and of a gang it was of one, me.

Kieron knew and again tried to talk to me but I wouldn't even when he begged me crying to not shut him out like this.

But I had the walls up and shut him out I did, something I hadn't thought I'd ever do to him of all people.

I just turned and walked away going home and to my room where I let my own tears fall unnoticed by anyone else.

It hurt so much.

Why had he abandoned me?

Why now when I needed him so?

He hadn't but I couldn't, wouldn't see that.

It was July tenth that changed everything, that ended everything and where everything began.

I was in my room going over various Katas along with Kamae since Master T's Dojo was closed today.

I would have been outside but there was a thunderstorm which had moved in and it was pouring down rain.

I heard the doorbell but didn't pay it any attention.

I had moved on to basic moves with a small staff in order achieve mushin and was flowing through them when Kieron came to the doorway and stopped.

I kept going through the exercise not stopping even when I heard him say softly, questioningly "Sam?"

I ignored him and he just stood there before saying again "Sammy?"

I could feel the anger rising, anger at all the hurt and what he'd done to me but there wasn't anything I could do about it

Why did he have to come over here?

"Sam, please answer me," he begged me.

"What?" I finally responded or growled.

"Sam, talk to me, don't do this," he said.

"I didn't do anything, you're the one who did it," I replied, moving into the next set of forms.

"You have to stop this," he told me next.

"No I don't" I answered back, never stopping my movements.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

I did stop at that and turned to him in disbelief, *You know why!* I sent and inwardly was pleased to see the wince come across his face at how strong I had sent it.

How could he dare to ask me that of all things, he knew, he KNEW why

Instead he was shaking his head and told me, "You have to get help."

I laughed and said, "This is all the help I need," moving forward and bringing the bo around in several swift strikes against the target bag set up in my room.

It felt so good to hit out right then.

Kieron moved into the room and started to say "Samuel…" but I cut him off

"Leave me alone, Kieron" I snapped.

"No, not any more. I won't" he replied moving forward and grabbing onto my arm.

I swung around and brought the staff up but he moved back and blocked me.

I could feel the rage building, blinding me as I swung the bo around again to strike but he just fell rolling and came up grabbing one of the staffs against the wall and presenting it in guard position.

"Sam, don't," he cried but I was already moving forward.

"You would attack me?" I yelled as our staffs clanged off one another.

"No," he said, but I didn't stop.

Staffs, feet, elbows everything went flying in the next little while as the fire burned out of control once again.

I got in strike after strike against him but he was holding his own as well and I could feel the pain from the blows that were landing on me.

Kieron was good, not as good as I was, but he was good.

There was no breath for talking now, no breath for anything except the fight.

All the hurt, anger and loss of the last month or so came boiling up in me and red was all that I saw as I went after the latest cause of it.

This wasn't sparring this was for real and I was trying to hurt him.

As I pushed him back against the wall, finally, I screamed, "You wanna hurt me? Huh?" as I brought the staff around in one final blow to the side of his head.

He ducked at the last second bringing his staff up and deflecting the blow but it still struck him just not with killing force.

It was enough to send him crashing back into the wall and to sink down dazed.

I'd jumped back ready but he didn't get up and I knew I had him as I moved in bringing my staff up for another killing blow.

There was no coherent thought anymore, just a haze of red clouding my vision and wanting the hurt to go away.

As the staff came down Kieron looked up at me and I froze with the end at his throat at seeing the tears running down his face.

Not tears of pain or only that but tears of love and loss.

Tears which echoed what was in my own heart as he softly asked "Are you going to kill ME now?"

I just stood there frozen as I began to shake more and more violently looking down into those eyes filled with nothing but love.

What was I doing?

What had I just done?

What was I about to do?

Oh my God, I was…I was… but I couldn't complete the thought as my world seemed to come crashing down.

I gasped "Kieron" in a broken voice before hearing someone I belatedly realized was me cry "Noooooo!"

Then I was running, blinded by the tears in my eyes, the pain in my heart.

I could hear someone calling my name but I didn't care as I ran out the front door and into the rain now mixing with the water on my face.

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see.

Everything hurt so much and I felt so lost.

I don't know how long or far I ran but I never stopped until I couldn't run anymore and fell to the ground sobbing and crying one word over and over again.

"Kieron"

I was curled up in a ball on the ground rocking back and forth calling out his name in agony running through me.

How could I have done that to him?

The one person I loved more than anyone else in the entire universe and I was going to hurt him, kill him.

I heard the keening and didn't even realize that the heart wrenching sound was coming from me at first as I finally realized just what I had lost, what I had thrown away.

I don't know how long I lay like that before I felt arms surround me and hug me gently.

It brought me back a bit as I looked up to find Kyle there softly whispering, "It's okay, it's okay."

I shook my head as I cried, "No, it's not."

"It will be," he said as the rain poured down on us both.

I just shook my head again as I softly said, "It'll never be okay again."

"I used to think so too, but Dr. Dan helped me and maybe he can help you," he told me.

"I don't know what to do anymore," I said, still crying.

"I know, you had something bad happen to you too, just like me," he said.

"I'm scared," I whispered.

"I know," he replied.

"I've lost Kieron forever," I told him.

"You can never lose me, cause I'll never leave you," I heard and looked up shocked to find K standing there looking down at us.

"I…I…" I tried to speak but couldn't get any words out as I broke down crying again, but Kieron was on his knees in an instant pulling me sobbing into his arms as I bawled like a baby.

He just kept saying, "shush, shush, it's alright," over and over again until I calmed down enough to look up finally into those dark chocolate pools of his and see all the love spilling out for me in them.

"I..I'm sorry," I sobbed, as he whispered, "I know, Love," and then the barriers I had put up crumbled and I could feel him again, I allowed myself to feel him again.

I couldn't stop crying as I felt his love overwhelm me and fill me as it used to, taking all the cold dark places away and replacing them with his love.

"Oh God, I almost…I…" and then lost it again as he told me, "But you didn't."

I tried to say something else but he knew what I was going to say and replied before I could even speak it, "I knew you wouldn't, couldn't hurt me, Babe."

Did he even realize that I was trying to, but even as I thought it, I felt him in my mind telling me I wouldn't have and that I didn't.

When I could control myself again, he sent, *I thought I'd lost you.*

*Never again. I don't know what I'm gonna do, but it's not gonna happen ever again.*

*I'll help ya if you let me,* he sent to me.

*I'm scared, I can't control it anymore,* I sent back.

*I know, but I'm not going anywhere and we'll help you,* he said.

*I was for a long time too, til I met my brother, and Dr. Dan,* I heard and realized Kyle was still there.

I reached out at the same time as Kieron and pulled our little brother into our arms and hugged him tightly.

*We'll both help you,* Kieron sent as Kyle added, *Find Dr. Dan, Sammy, he can help ya.*

*I gotta do something, don't I?* I asked silently.

*Yeah,* they both replied.

*Tell your grandma,* Kieron softly said into my mind.

*I can't,* I replied.

*Do you think she'll stop loving you?* he asked.

*No, but I've never told her, I don't want her to know,* I sent back.

*I know, Love, but she could help and so would mom and pop,* Kieron said.

"Not yet, please," I asked softly.

"Okay babe, when you're ready, but it'll have to come, just don't ever go away again," he told me gently.

"I know, and I won't," I replied.

"Now can we go in out of the rain?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Good, cause your Memaw was having a fit when I left," he said.

"Oh shit and Kyle, oh man, Mama J's gonna have a stroke" I said, looking at the drowned rat that Kyle resembled now.

He just had a grin on his face at that, and I knew he picked that thought up outta my head.

I pulled him to me again and said softly, "Thanks little bro, for coming out to get me and in all this too."

"Hey, that's what friends….what brothers do," he replied, smiling up at me shyly.

I gave him a huge hug and said, "I'm glad I got you for a little brother then."

Kieron slowly pulled me to my feet and together for the first time in a long while, we headed back home, the rain pouring down but no longer mixed with tears or if there were any they were of happiness.

It was as we were approaching my house, that Kyle asked softly, *Can you find my brother?*

We stopped and looked at him a moment before Kieron said, "We'll try, but what's his name?"

"Cory" Kyle replied softly, and I knew this was a huge step for him.

"Okay, got it, Cory Hodges. Does he have a middle name?" Kieron asked next.

Kyle giggled and said, "It's not the same as mine, it's Short."

"Okay, well I think Hodges is pretty short but what's his name then?" I asked smiling down at the imp.

He busted out laughing, falling on his butt as he said between howls "No…no, that's his name silly. It's Short, Cory Short."

"Oh," I said and could feel my face heating up.

"Dufus" K said as he helped Kyle to his feet.

"Hey he…" I started to say, when Memaw appeared in the doorway,

"Samuel Patrick Campbell, you get your skinny butt in this house this instant. I swear you don't even got the sense to come in out of the rain and you'll catch your death out in this. And the other two as well, Lordy what will Elizabeth say to this? All of you soaked to the skin. Get in here, right now and out of those clothes. You hear me?" she hollered.

When grandma got going, there wasn't any point in arguing as K and I meekly said, "Yes ma'am" and walked on in.

"Get out of those clothes this instant," she said as she reached out and pulled us into the house, stopping us before we tracked water everywhere.

Kieron and I began stripping right there, but I quickly noticed Kyle was just standing there.

"That includes you, young man," Memaw growled.

Kyle jumped and I could feel his fear, as I quickly said, "It's okay Kyle."

"But…but…" he stammered.

"We'll take care of it grandma" Kieron said softly, as Memaw told us she'd get some towels and left.

I reached slowly out and pulled Kyle into me wrapping my arms around him as Kieron joined the hug.

"It's alright, Little Guy," Kieron whispered to him trying to reassure him.

"She wasn't really mad," I added.

He pulled back and looked up at me then Kieron, before asking "She didn't want to do…you know?"

"No I didn't," we heard Memaw say and all of us jumped.

She came around and knelt down next to a petrified Kyle and said softly, "You listen to me, young'n. There ain't gonna be no one messing with you thataways, least of all me. Anybody tries, and you tell me and I'll change 'em permanent like and they won't be able to bother no one no more, ya hear me?"

Kyle started to ask what she was talking about we could both feel but then he saw where our hands had gone and he got the idea as his eyes widened.

I could feel the fear drain away as he looked at Memaw and then said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay child, I'm not mad at you," she told him glaring up at us and it was clear who she was mad at.

"We're sorry too, Memaw," I quickly said.

"Now Kyle, I need you out of those clothes, cause you're soaked through and you'll get sick if you stay in them, not to mention drag water everywhere. That's why I want you to take them off," she said turning her attention back to Kyle.

"Okay, but then you'll see my thingy," he told her with a normal worry for a kid his age.

That got Memaw laughing as she said, "Lord child, I've seen more thingy's since Samuel came to live with me than most of the hookers in Texas and several other states combined have, I'd bet."

"Grandma!" I shouted, as Kieron started choking.

"What? You know you run around here naked more than clothed so don't act like you're all shy all of a sudden," she said, but my face was beet red again. I just knew it.

The only good thing was Kyle found it funny and was giggling like crazy.

"I do not," I protested as Memaw just looked at me.

"Well fine then, but not all the time, just some of the time," I mumbled.

"Well if that's 'some of the time,' please don't show me most of the time," she said as she made this snorting noise.

"If you're worried about me seeing things, then you can wrap this here towel around you til I get Elizabeth or Henry over here with some dry clothes" she told Kyle who promptly said, "Okay" and stripped down buck naked.

He stood there and Memaw handed him the towel which he used to dry off with then he wrapped it around his waist and the fact he'd been completely naked in front of her didn't seem to occur to him.

I looked at Kieron and he looked back at me before we both shook our heads.

"Well, what are you two waiting for?" Memaw asked and we each got naked real fast.

She handed us towels and we dried off real good and then got sent off.

We went into the living room and sat down and it was then I got a good look at Kieron.

Suddenly something else that I'd been missing this last month made itself known as Kyle's giggles testified to.

"You best head on up to your room and take care of those," we heard Memaw say, and I mumbled, "Oh God."

Kyle just giggled some more.

I had to smile and say, "Well let's go then, Honey Bear."

We headed to the stairs with more giggles coming from Kyle, then a comment of "They's gonna go and make funny noises again ain't they?" and Memaw responding with "Reckon so, child, I reckon so."

We both turned, with Kieron yelling, "KYLE!" while I cried, "MEMAW!"

Kyle just giggled while Memaw looked up at us and said, "I'd say you better get going there Samuel, or all the blood will have left where ya need it before you can get any use outta it."

"OH GOD!" I muttered, hiding my face in my hands as Kieron started laughing and dragging me up the steps giggling as much as Kyle.

"I can't believe she said that," I said as we got to my room.

Kieron just turned and as he shut the door, told me, "You know she's got a point there with how red your face was, and we certainly don't wanta lose the use of it now, do we?"

As he turned around to face me all I could do was utter a soft whisper of "No, we wouldn't want that," as we proceeded to make Kyle's noises, lots of them.

Kieron and I didn't let one another out of our sight for the next several days and our bond was back in full as if it never had been gone.

It seemed even stronger though, and I kept all the walls down vowing never again to shut my love out.

Kieron had told Adam to start a search, but so far all we had found out was that this Cory person had been in the same group home as Kyle in Iowa of all places and had disappeared at the same time as Kyle.

He also told us about a week later that he'd uncovered some additional information that showed a Doctor Dan Richardson had been a shrink working with both boys which led me to believe I had found this Dr. Dan that Kyle had told me about.

Adam also told us that Dr. Richardson had tried to get a court order to remove the boys but it had been denied and shortly thereafter both boys had disappeared from Iowa.

He was still working on tracking down how Kyle ended up in Texas and where this Cory might be now.

All we could do was hope it was here as well because if it wasn't then we faced a big problem on how to get to him if we could even find him.

Kieron and I spent as much time together as we could now and I stopped going to practice entirely.

When I started to feel scared, he was right there and it pulled me back from sinking into the pit where I'd found myself before.

Now if only it were enough because that was what I was worried about more than anything else.

What if Kieron wasn't enough to keep the fires from burning out of control again?

It was July 21st and we were hanging out in Kieron's room all of us playing video games when Adam told us he had information on Cory.

Kyle jumped up and stood there shaking as we both got to our feet and Kieron asked for whatever it was.

"Cory Patrick Short was sent to Arlington Texas. What I have been able to find was that the home where he is at now is not licensed in any manner with any agency to provide care for children. It seems that Doctor Richardson has been making trouble for the group home in Iowa and they took Kyle and Cory out of state in order to keep him from causing any more trouble. It's a plan that is not working very well" he told us.

It sounded like this Dr. Dan hadn't given up on either one of the kids which made me like him already even if Kyle hadn't said he was a good guy.

"Do you know where he's at now, Adam?" Kieron asked

"Of course," Adam replied.

Kieron rolled his eyes and then asked, "Okay where?"

"3476 Evergreen Circle" Adam told us.

"Is he okay?" Kyle asked, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

"That I cannot answer. Cory is shown as being sent there but I have been unable to access any computer which may be in this home to provide further information. I do have access to emails stating as of one week ago that he was still there but nothing else" Adam said.

"Sensor readings?" Kieron suddenly asked.

"I have been passively monitoring when able and have detected life signs. Three adults I believe, and possibly several children but without an active sensor scan I am unable to provide further details," he said.

"Okay then. That means we have to go in and find out if he's there or not," Kieron said knowing as well as I did that hijacking Starfleet sensors for active scanning would definitely be noticed.

"Yeah!"

We planned for the next few days and waited til Saturday to do anything.

Thankfully, there was another storm in and we used to it put the ponchos over what we were wearing to hide it.

I had my toys with me today and so did Kieron, all of them and the oversize poncho hid them as well as the black outfit we were wearing underneath.

Somehow two kids looking like ninjas wondering the streets of Dallas were not something either one of us thought would go over all that well.

The outfit along with some grease paint had come in quite handy for me in my nightly wanderings which I had also given up.

I did miss those as they seemed to quench the fires for a time but Kieron was with me now constantly and holding them at bay.

I thought sometimes that he was the only thing keeping me from losing it.

As if he could sense what I was thinking which he might have, even though I was trying to hide it he sent softly, *I love you* and I just smiled back at him letting him feel what I felt for him.

Kyle was the only problem with everything though.

He flat out refused to stay behind, no matter how much we tried to convince him he'd be safer.

He said he was going to see his first brother and if we didn't take him, he'd make his own way there.

I knew the little shit would do it too and so did Kieron.

We included him in our plans since we didn't have any choice and he finally agreed to what we told him.

We took the bus into Arlington and listened to Adam as he directed us from there to where the house was.

It looked really nice but all of us could feel the pain and fear coming from it.

We knew we were in the right place.

Now that we were here, I could tell we were all nervous but we had to do this and had talked to each other the last couple of days about why we couldn't go to papa or anyone about it.

This was not a legal operation and the kids could be hurt if the cops showed up.

We figured it was up to us and so here we were.

We left Kyle down the street a bit out of sight and kept our link open to him.

He had a cell phone and would call papa if we told him too and he also agreed to stay away from the house until we said it was safe for him to come in.

Also if something went wrong then he could get help.

We just hoped nothing would go wrong.

"Be careful," Kyle said worriedly as we started to move away and we both turned back and hugged the little munchkin close for a minute before both of us told him, "We will."

"Are you sure about this?" K asked me softly as we approached the house.

"We gotta do it, something bad is happening in there," I replied as we reached the front steps and began to walk up them to the door.

He looked at me for a moment before leaning in and giving me a quick kiss and saying, "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied as we both said the final words softly, "Always and forever."

With that I reached out and rang the doorbell.

We had planned what to do, now if it would only work.

I couldn't help but smile as the door was opened and the thought ran through my head, kids could be such brats now days.

"Hey," I said to the man who opened the door for us.

"What do you want?" he growled at us.

"Hey man, we're just here to see Billy" Kieron said and as the man turned his attention to K, I rushed past him saying, "Yeah he said to come over and visit him today."

"HEY!" the man yelled, turning towards me as Kieron now slipped past him and he screamed, "Get back here! What are you doing?!"

"We came to see Billy, we told ya," Kieron said, smiling as the man scowled at us.

"Look, there ain't no Billy here, now get out!" he yelled, while I moved back towards the back of the house, more.

"Yeah there is, he lives here," I called while Kieron was saying, "Yeah he said to come over and play, so where is he?"

"Are you deaf or something, there ain't no Billy here now get outta my house!" he yelled, trying to keep track of us as Kieron had gone one way while I went the other.

"Yeah he does," I replied.

"What are you doing in here?" I heard and turned to find another man just as dirty looking as the first, coming from down the hallway I was standing at the front of.

"We came to see Billy," I said, smiling and moving towards him as I let my mind go out and read him.

That was a mistake as what I found made me stagger and almost throw up at seeing what was there.

*NOW!* I sent out as I pulled my tanto from underneath my poncho and thrust it straight up into his throat holding it there as I pushed with all my strength.

I heard Kieron taking on the man that was with him and just prayed that he would be alright while the man I had, gurgled and blood poured out over my hand as I quickly withdrew the blade watching as he sank slowly to his knees clutching his ruined throat and looking at me with a completely surprised look on his face, before falling over backwards.

I ran towards the other room where Kieron was, pulling off my poncho as I went, to find Kieron standing over the dying form of the other man.

*You okay?* I asked as he turned to me and shook himself.

*I killed him.* he said softly in my mind.

It was like a punch to me to see him like this, and feel his horror at what he'd done.

Me, I'd done it so many times now it didn't bother me none, but I realized that Kieron had lost something with his first.

It made me wonder if I had too.

There wasn't much I could say to that, as I cleaned my blade on the sofa before sheathing it and pulling the mask across my face.

The hood had been easy to hide beneath the poncho but the face mask part of it had to wait until now.

We didn't know what we were facing and this way it ought to scare the shit out of them plus all our stuff was now accessible quite easily.

Kieron copied me and slowly we made our way through the rest of the house checking everything out that we could before heading back down the hallway carefully stepping over the man I had taken out to get to the door there.

We could sense kids through it, and at least one more man but we were worried about whether or not he'd heard anything.

I sent my mind out and down, and once more was sickened with what I found.

We hadn't been heard because he was too busy with what he was doing down there.

I slowly reached out and turned the door knob letting the door slowly and quietly open.

Then with deliberate slowness, made my way down the stairs with Kieron at my side.

I'd shared with him what I'd found and we both wanted to run as fast as we could but we both, allowed training to take over and instead, moved with complete stealth.

It was dark down there with just a small light from somewhere which helped keep us invisible to all, as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

Kieron threw a star immediately and both of us had separated and headed to come at the man from opposite sides before it even struck home.

"AH MY ASS! WHAT THE FUCK!" he screamed, as I said, "Turn around and I'll get your front too."

To my complete surprise, he swung around towards me and I let fly, his scream of agony as the shuriken found its mark in his rapidly wilting flower was quite satisfying as well as testimony to it striking its mark.

He staggered to his feet as I was moving forward pirouetting around with my Katana in rapid motion.

It connected in one fluid arc and his head left his body to bounce on the floor staring up at me, while his body tried to figure out what to do next as the blood fountained everywhere.

I do wish they didn't bleed all over the damn place so much.

"I don't like people who hurt kids," I said into the rapidly blinking eyes just as his body toppled over covering the head.

I could see the shock that had been in his eyes as I spoke and somehow it made me feel good to know I had rid the world of another such as he.

I quickly turned at Kieron's indrawn hiss of breath to find a boy standing there between the kids and us.

It was my turn to take that breath as I gasped in surprise "You,"

"Don't hurt them please?" he begged.

Kieron said rapidly as he removed his mask, "We're here to rescue you, not hurt you."

Standing before me was the boy from all those months ago I'd seen in my nightmare during class.

The blonde teen, beaten and bloody and while this one had been beaten and looked a lot thinner, there was no mistaking those sky blue eyes as they stared defiantly back at me.

It was the same boy.

I let my Katana drop to my side as I slowly reached up and pulled my mask aside and repeated what K had just said.

"We ain't gonna hurt ya none."

Then there was a scream of "CORY!!!!" and our little bundle of joy launched himself down the final steps and into the now totally shocked arms which had instinctively come out to catch him of the older boy.

Kieron, Cory and I all shouted "KYLE!" at the same time, although I suspect for different reasons.

It was pandemonium for a while, before I put my fingers in the corners of my mouth and let out a whistle that Memaw probably could've heard clear back at home.

Everyone stood or sat and in one case lay there looking at everyone else until Kyle said "Cor, they saved me from the bad place and I got them to find you too."

The boy Cory just looked at Kyle for a minute before saying, "There's two more."

"Not anymore," I told him and watched as he took that bit of news in, allowing a smile to appear on his face, figuring what I meant by that.

"They're my brothers now too, Cor" Kyle said softly still in the teen's arms.

"Thank you then, but all of them are hurt or sick. Can you get help cause they're my family now, too?" he said, gesturing back to the kids behind him

"I already called Papa J" Kyle added.

"Papa will help," Kieron said as I looked at the kids behind Cory.

All of them looked like hell as did Cory, but it was one kid coughing that really got me worried, he sounded bad.

Kieron must have thought the same because as we moved in to see how badly they were hurt he went straight to where he was laying bundled up.

"Freeze," I heard and turned slowly to find a cop standing there pointing a gun at us.

Several kids screamed into the silence and my hand was moving before those screams stopped sending a star into the nerve cluster in his wrist instantly causing the gun to drop from his hand as I ran forward and placed my blade against his throat.

"Don't move," I whispered as Kieron said, "Sam,"

"Don't worry; I don't wanna have Papa J mad at me."

"POLICE" I heard and I recognized that voice as both of us and Kyle yelled "Papa J"

Suddenly he was bounding down the stairs and stopping staring at the sight that confronted him.

"Holy Christ," he said.

"You behave, now?" I said, smiling to the cop who couldn't even nod before pulling my Katana away from him.

"What the hell?" Papa asked.

"Dad, they're kids here who are hurt pretty bad, we need med techs right now," Kieron said into the silence.

"Go upstairs and get that looked at and get me some ambulances out here yesterday" papa told the cop who scrambled back up the stairs, never taking his eyes off of me though.

I never stopped smiling at him though either.

Papa started to move forward as I quickly said, "They're scared to death, papa, go slow."

He nodded and then asked, "You want to tell me what in the hell is going on here?"

"I told you papa, we had to save my brother," Kyle said, still in Cory's arms.

"Oh shit," I heard, and turned to Kieron who had finally made his way to the form laying on the bed.

"She's real sick," Cory said.

"No shit," Kieron said, as I moved closer to get a better look.

Whatever he had seen had shocked the shit out of him but all I could tell from here was that she was coughing like crazy.

"Help's on the way kids and you're safe now" Papa J told everyone while Kyle was rapidly talking to Cory.

It couldn't be, I thought, as I got over to the bed and saw what lay there.

"Dad med techs can't help her," Kieron said, looking up to me then to his father.

"What do you mean?" he asked, moving towards us.

"She's Vulcan" he near whispered.

"That's impossible," Papa J said.

"I am here so it must be possible," a raspy voice said from the pile of coverings which began to struggle to sit up.

"No, you shouldn't try to move," Kieron quickly said.

"It will make no difference," the voice said as she finally sat up straight and the coverings fell from her, revealing jet black hair and two very pointed ears along with a decided greenish tint to her face.

She got lost in a spasm of coughing that seemed as if it would tear her lungs out it was so strong, but eventually it did stop.

"You can't be here," Papa said, his face drained of color now.

"Yet I am," she said with the hint of a smile on her face.

She couldn't have been more than ten years old, yet her eyes seemed so much older.

"You can't let anyone else down here, dad, no one can find her," Kieron said urgently, and I watched as dad fought back and forth before going quickly back to the stairs and yelling that no one was allowed down there and to guard the door until they heard otherwise from him.

Papa came back and said, "They and she especially need medical attention Kieron and they need it badly."

"Earth hospitals, especially US ones can't handle her, Dad," Kieron replied.

"It's better than nothing," Papa said.

"She'll die," Kieron said.

"He is correct. Even if I were outside of your country, only a hospital versed in Extraterrestrial Medicine could hope to heal me," the girl said.

"I think it's the climate and she has something wrong in her chest," Kieron said.

"Yes, I have an infection in my lungs and this damp and cold basement has worsened my condition, not to mention the humidity in this region," she replied.

"Then what do we do?" Papa asked.

"There is nothing you can do. I have a ninety-eight point three percent probability of dying within eighty-three hours, thirty seven minutes as it stands. If I am taken to one of your medical facilities, and I am allowed treatment, that probability decreases to ninety-three point one percent within ninety-seven hours fifteen minutes," she told us.

"They may not even treat her, Dad, you know that," Kieron said, and I knew he was right.

She might just be arrested on the spot as papa was supposed to do.

Under the Treaty of Versailles, no one not of Earth origin and birth was allowed anywhere on United States territory, under penalty of death unless invited solely by the US President.

In all the years since it's inception, that invitation had never been extended, to anyone's knowledge.

We here in the states knew about the Federation and such, because of the Under-Net from Net Free Europe, but even interception of that was against the law, although many did so anyway.

"There is nothing you can do for me, but these others require medical attention. Of the nine of us here, five suffer from respiratory ailments similar to what plague me. All suffer from malnutrition and physical abuse as well as sexual abuse. William, I believe, has a fracture to his right arm as well," she said.

"I can get you help," Kieron said, as he stepped back and brought out his phone.

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, guardedly.

"There's only one place that can help you now, and I'm gonna call them," he said.

"You can't call them Kieron, they block that sort of thing, and they couldn't come here anyway or they'd be violating the treaty," Papa replied.

"I can, papa, and if she gets beamed out then nothing is getting violated." Kieron said, as he raised the phone to his mouth and said, "Adam are you there?"

"Wait!" the girl cried before going into another coughing fit.

I moved forward at the same time as Cory and we both grabbed onto her to support her as she hacked and hacked

"They can help you" Kieron said.

"You cannot," she gasped.

"Watch me," Kieron said, turning back to the phone but the girl said, "Stop, I command thee."

"Sorry, not your call, I ain't gonna watch you die when you don't have to and you don't command me anything," he said.

"You must not, you don't know what you're doing," she cried.

"They're trying to help you," Cory said softly.

"It would be better that I die than it comes to the attention of certain people" she gasped, before coughing again.

"Adam, can you reverse your monitoring and broadcast on Starfleet channels, we need their help, here." Kieron asked and I heard Adam's response.

"I believe so, but it may not be exact, resulting in poor quality."

"Do it," Kieron said.

"Please, it could start a war," the girl cried.

"How could saving you start a war?" Kieron asked.

"You don't understand, if Vulcan finds out of my existence…." She started to say but stopped when a coughing fit overtook her again.

"They'll probably be happy to get one of their kids back," Kieron replied.

"No, they don't even know I exist, and it must remain that way," she said.

"Why?" Kieron asked.

"Because my name is S'Lara, daughter of Spock of the family of Sarek of the House of Surak of the planet of Vulcan," she replied as she drew herself up.

Kieron gasped and said in shock, "That's not possible, Spock doesn't have any children."

"I know," she wheezed, before beginning to collapse.

"Lara!" Cory cried out as we lowered her to the bed.

"Please help her," he then asked, turning to Kieron.

"I will," he replied, as Adam said, "I believe I have an open channel."

"Patch me through," Keiron replied.

I could see that Papa J was about to say something, but instead he snapped his mouth shut as Kieron said, "You might want to go upstairs Papa, or you'll end up going with us."

Papa didn't move, as Adam said, "Channel open."

Kieron looked at his father for a moment before saying, "Any Starfleet station, we have a medical emergency, please respond."

There was no response and Kieron repeated it but again without success.

"Adam, boost power and broadcast on all Starfleet channels you can access, broad spectrum transmission with override and encryption," Kieron told the computer.

"Working, but be advised that will draw attention," Adam replied

"No shit!" Kieron replied, as Adam told him channels were open.

"Any Starfleet station, please respond; we have a medical emergency, immediate assistance is required," Kieron tried again.

There was a burst of static then a scratchy voice came through, "Unidentified party, you are on a restricted Starfleet channel, please identify yourself."

"My name is Kieron Jackson, and we are located in Arlington Texas in the United States of America. We have nine injured children in need of medical assistance, Starfleet," he told them.

"Your transmission is off frequency and further, you are in violation of contact rules between your country and the Federation. If you require medical assistance, you should contact your local authorities," the voice said through the static.

"Jesus Christ, gimme that," I said, moving forward and taking the phone from Kieron, "Hey ya'll up there, we got a Vulcan kid who is Captain Spock's daughter down here, and she's gonna die without help, so ya think you could get your head outta your ass and get us a doctor here?"

"Please stand by," the voice said suddenly, after several moments of silence as everyone looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"This is Commander Uhura of the USS Aldeberran can you tell us what exactly is going on down there. We are attempting to locate your signal now" a new voice said.

"Commander, we got nine kids sick and hurt and one of them is Vulcan. She'll die without help from ya'll so can you do something?" I said.

Before she could answer Kieron said, "Adam, lock on to their signal and transmit our co-ordinates to them."

I heard, "Transmitting," then "We have you locked on, stand by for transport, medical personnel will be standing by."

"No," I heard, and turned to see S'Lara fall back on the bed as sparkles appeared and then everything faded out.

When the sparkles faded, we were in a room standing on a raised dais with circular pads spaced around it.

That was the first thing I noticed, the second was all my weapons were gone.

The third was the three men spaced out in the room surrounding us with weapons pointed clearly in our direction.

"Easy now, laddie" a voice said and I looked past the ones with phasers to a man standing behind a console across from us.

"Where are my things?" I asked, already knowing from Kieron that his were gone as well.

"Safe now, you won't be need'n them here now, will ye?" he told me, smiling.

"I'm Captain Henry Jackson, Dallas P.D. and we need a doctor here," Papa interrupted me, before I could say anything.

"He be coming, Sir," the man replied as Kieron suddenly moved forward which got phasers trained on him immediately.

"You're Commander Scott, aren't you?" he said, with a big grin on his face.

"Oh no," I muttered which got me a look but the man just looked startled before replying, "That I am, Laddie and who might you be?"

"Kieron Sir, Kieron Jackson," K said.

"Well Kieron Jackson, we'll be takin good care a the lot of ye; don't you worry none," he replied smiling back at K.

Just then a man and several other people came almost running through the doors before coming to a stop as the man scowled and said, "Put those damn things away. They're children not Romulans."

Then he moved up and started scanning the kids as Cory said, "Please help my sister, Lara,"

"I will, don't you worry none about that. We'll help all of you rules be damned," he replied as I watched.

"Let's go, she's critical and the others aren't much better.

"Sir, they're supposed…" one of the guards started to say.

"Git outta my way, or I'm gonna find out if this will fit up somewhere ya'll don't want it to be," the man said angrily turning to face the guard and in his hand he held something I sure didn't want put up anywhere.

I guess the guard agreed, cause he kinda got a sick look on his face before backing up as they started putting kids on stretchers and walking others towards the exit.

About that time, two men came through the doors and stopped at seeing all of us there.

"Tell me you haven't been scaring the kids again, Bones?" the one asked smiling as the doctor replied, "I've got to get these ones to sickbay, questions later," then pushed past him.

It was the other one that had my attention though, and Kieron was standing there staring with an open mouth.

"Stop drooling Kieron," I muttered.

"But it's Captain Spock, and…and…" but he couldn't go on.

"Oh boy," I said as the man asked, "Something wrong, Boys?"

"No sir, it's just my son thinks you're the greatest thing since discovering…." Papa j started to say when K turned and almost yelled "Don't you dare say it!"

Papa laughed and asked, "What?"

Everyone laughed, even me, everyone that is except the one man.

He walked up and held out his hand, saying, "Captain James T. Kirk, USS Aldeberran, my first officer, Captain Spock, Chief Engineer Commander Montgomery Scott, and the man who just scared my security team half to death was our Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Leonard McCoy."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir, I'm Captain Henry Jackson with the Dallas Police department, and these are my sons Kieron and Samuel," Papa said as he shook hands.

"Why don't you come this way and we can talk," Captain Kirk said, motioning us out the door.

"Alright," papa replied.

"Wait a minute, what about our stuff?" I asked, still not happy.

"Stuff?" Kirk asked, looking at me.

"They took our stuff," I replied as Commander Scott added, "They had a veritable arsenal on their persons, sir, it was held in the buffer on transport."

Kirk looked at papa and asked, "Why were you attempting to bring weapons on board my ship?"

"He wasn't, we were," I said, interrupting papa.

"I did have my service weapon and such, but that's all."

"Sammy," Kieron hissed at me.

"What?" I replied.

"Why would you have weapons?" Kirk asked, while Spock just looked at us.

"Cause we had to rescue those kids," I said.

"We couldn't tell papa until we were sure the kids were there," Kieron added.

"Scotty, let's take a look, and you two stay away from them for now," Kirk said to us.

I just glared, but Kirk didn't seem too impressed.

There was a humming and then more sparkles and when they cleared all our stuff was in two piles up on that platform.

Kirk walked forward slowly looking at everything before reaching down to pick up the Katana and looking at it.

He looked up at us and said, "You shouldn't be playing with toys like these in real life emergencies, you could have gotten those kids killed."

I moved forward and said, angry now, "They're not toys," as I lunged and grabbed the handle of the Katana swiftly drawing it and spinning around bringing the blade against his chest and then moving it to Commander Scott's throat as he had came running up behind me.

No one moved as all looked to Captain Kirk who was staring down at the slice clearly visible across his uniform shirt although not into his skin.

"Fascinating, your degree of skill is remarkable in one so young," Spock said into the silence.

I couldn't help but grin, as I withdrew the blade and turning it hilt first handed it to Kirk, who took it, as I said, grinning, "Yeah I don't do too bad with it."

"Sam, that's Captain Kirk," Kieron hissed in horror at me.

"Yeah, I got that," I said, smiling as I moved back watching as Kirk just fingered his shirt staring at it in disbelief.

"Well obviously not. You may reclaim your weapons, although I would ask that you refrain from any more…demonstrations while aboard my ship," Kirk finally said.

"Cool, thanks," I said moving to my stuff, stopping to take the Katana from Kirk on the way.

It had been mine.

As I placed everything into where it was supposed to go, I knew Kieron was doing the same.

By the time I was finished, everyone but Spock was looking at us in disbelief as I looked to Kieron then back, both of us saying, "What?"

Kirk shook his head as I put the Katana back in place and pulled off the black hood and put it in a pocket, Kieron doing the same.

"I think explanations are in order, so if you would follow me," Kirk said, turning and walking towards and through the doors.

We followed him down the corridor with more than a few people staring at Kieron and me.

"Trick or Treat, Captain?" One man asked smiling as we approached him.

"Like to find out?" I said, laughing while Kirk quickly said, "Not now Sulu."

"Nice replica kid," the man called Sulu said, as he began to walk by us.

"It's not a replica," I said turning towards him.

He stopped and turned back with a look of surprise on his face before looking at me, taking in everything then turning his attention to Kieron.

I watched him gasp in shock and realized this man knew what we were and that we were carrying many more weapons than could be seen.

His stance changed and I matched it which brought more surprise to his features, before Kirk intervened and said, "It's alright Lieutenant."

"Sir…" he started to say, never taking his eyes off me as Kirk just said, "It's alright, I know about his weapons."

I just kept smiling and could see Kieron doing the same.

"Yes sir," he replied to Kirk before saying to me, "Maybe we could speak later if that becomes possible."

I simply nodded and he shook his head before turning and walking away but I noticed he looked back several times.

"Shall we, Gentlemen," Kirk said bringing our attention back to him and we were led into a small conference room.

Kirk, Spock, and Commander Scott took chairs on one side of the table while we took the other side.

About then, an absolutely beautiful black woman walked into the room.

If I wasn't so in love with Kieron, I might have gone straight, wow

*HEY!* I heard in my mind and felt myself blushing, as I sent *You know you win out babe.*

*I better,* he replied before turning my attention back to the adults in the room as Kirk said, "This is my communications officer, Commander Uhura."

"They are speaking telepathically, Captain," Spock said and it was like a bucket of ice water was thrown on me.

I felt myself flinging myself backwards and drawing my Katana in one move with Kieron at my side both of us at the ready.

Even Papa had jumped up and now stood before us, between us and them.

There were looks of shock on their faces as we stood ready.

"They are afraid, Captain," Spock intoned softly, still looking at us.

"Why?" Kirk asked.

"That remains to be answered," he replied.

"Let them go," Papa said.

"Captain Jackson, I do not know why you are afraid, but no harm will come to any of you, on my ship, I personally guarantee it," Kirk said as he rose to his feet and looked at papa.

"How did you know that?" I asked, but Kieron interrupted me and said "Damn, I forgot, Vulcan's are telepathic."

I watched Spock's eyebrow raise before saying, "In a way, yes, but not as you are thinking it. We can pick up strong emotions and thoughts and through touch much more. You were not hiding your communication so it was easily overheard."

"Something about us knowing this has frightened you, why?" Kirk asked me now, and I took a moment to try and calm myself.

"We don't let people know about us cause they'd hurt us if they did," I replied.

He frowned for a moment before slowly leaning forward and pressing a button on the panel in front of him and speaking softly into it. "Lt. Marina, would you please report to conference room Forty Seven Alpha, immediately."

We heard a woman's voice reply that she would be right there and Kirk turned his attention back to us.

"Please believe me; we will not harm you because of that. Lt. Marina will be here shortly and I think she can answer that better than I can." He said.

So we waited, although I wasn't too happy about someone else being called in here.

We were already outnumbered and one more wouldn't help our side any.

A few minutes later, a woman came into the room and stopped upon seeing us, a look of shock on her face as she softly asked, "Captain?"

"It's alright lieutenant, please speak to the boys in your native language if you wouldn't mind," Kirk told her.

She looked confused for a moment and said, "My native language sir?"

"Yes lieutenant, the language native to your world," he replied.

"But we…" she started to say then stopped as a surprised look came across her features and she turned to look at us smiling and said, *Is this what he means then?*

Only she didn't say it and as we realized that we damn near dropped our swords and our mouths did.

*HOW?* Kieron and I both shouted to her, and watched as she winced and said *Not so loud, boys, I'm right here. The people of my world are a telepathic species, all of us communicate in this manner. It is only after learning of other races that we found a need to learn a language which we now speak amongst the head blind.*

*Your whole planet talks like we can?* I asked, in disbelief.

*Yes.*

*And these Federation people they won't hurt us because we can do it?* I asked her.

*No child, they would never do something like that. Look at me, look at the uniform I wear. I am one of these Federation people, and I would never see you hurt because of your gifts unless you were misusing them to the detriment of others. Vulcan taught us a simple belief that has taken root throughout the Federation, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Why would you think that?* she told us

The next little while was spent talking back and forth in our minds telling her what it was like for us and Memaw and she telling us of her people and what it was like for them.

I could feel the tears running down my face as I thought of being able to live freely, never afraid, never worried about being discovered like we had to now, and I could only dream of someday being able to live like she did.

She wrapped both of us in her arms and held us as we cried softly before slowly releasing us.

"I am sorry you had to endure such, Children," she said now softly into the room before turning back to the Captain and saying "Samuel's family has reason to fear as he did Captain. A young relative was burned as what he called a witch for using her abilities to save the life of a child. His grandmother and her family at the time... they lived it through her, as she died. It is a powerful incentive to be wary of anyone discovering their abilities, and his grandmother has instilled that fear into him to protect him."

"I see. I'm sorry something like that happened to your family, but we would never harm you as I hope you can now see" Kirk said.

"I do, Captain, and I'm sorry for reacting that way. It's just…It's just I'd rather die by this, than…than…" but I couldn't do more than shudder as I felt Kieron wrap his arm around me and pull me tight.

"I understand," he replied.

Lt. Marina was motioned to a chair and once seated we both sheathed our blades and took our seats once more.

"Now Captain Jackson, maybe you could explain what's going on here." Kirk asked looking to Papa J.

"I'd like to know that myself, Captain," Papa J responded, looking to us.

"Well it's like this…." Kieron started and between us we relayed what had happened and what was happening up until being brought to their ship.

"You went in there alone to save these children?" Captain Spock asked when we were done.

"No, Kyle was outside and down the street safe, so he could call for help in case we needed it, and to bring in Papa if we found what we thought we were going to," I said.

That eyebrow went up again as he simply said, "Fascinating."

"What I want to know is how you managed to get onto a Starfleet channel?" Uhura asked then.

"Ummm…aahh…" Kieron stammered, looking at me for help, but I didn't know what to say either.

When it was evident that he wasn't going to say anything, I said, "Well we kinda are able to listen to you all so we thought we'd see if we could talk to you too."

There went the eyebrow again, as he asked, "How were you able to listen to Starfleet?"

"I would like to know that as well," Papa J added.

"We kinda tapped their communication relays," Kieron said, trying to look sweet and adorable which he was of course, but still.

"You what?" Kirk asked, shocked as he sat forward.

The others looked stunned except for Spock of course, unless you counted both eyebrows doing the crawl thing now.

"Well, the problem was we were set up to listen and not talk. We didn't want to be discovered or nothing. So when we needed to get ahold of ya'll, we had to kinda make something up real fast to do the job, that's why it wasn't on the right frequency, exactly," Kieron said.

"Those channels are encrypted, I would be most interested in discovering how you accomplished that," Spock said.

"Well you see…" Kieron started, but I put my hand over his mouth and quickly said, "We'll be here all year if you get him going."

"Hey," K said, looking indignant.

Kirk and the others just laughed, all of them looking at Spock.

"Some do not appreciate the accumulation of knowledge as others do," he replied with a completely straight face.

"Some don't appreciate getting bored to death," I had to add, which got Captain Kirk laughing and saying softly, "He's got you there, Spock."

As if nothing had been said, Spock asked, "I would be interested in knowing who this Adam is who was assisting you, as he does not seem to be present."

"Ummm…" Kieron sort of mumbled before looking at me for help.

"It's Kieron's computer," I replied.

"Gee thanks," he responded.

"You asked," I said grinning.

Spock's eyebrows were up again and Kieron finally turned back to him and said, "Yeah, it's our computer."

"I believe, from what you're not saying, that this is not an ordinary computer?" Spock inquired.

"Ahhh not exactly," Kieron finally replied.

I watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the creation he had come up with to keep in contact with Adam.

"Adam can you hear me?" he asked

"Yes Kieron" Adam replied causing the eyebrows to go up again.

"That shouldn't be possible," Commander Uhura muttered bending forward and quickly typing into the computer panel in front of her.

"Indeed," Spock replied.

"Captain, someone is linking through Starfleet channels and…Captain they're in our systems," Commander Uhura said, shocked, as Spock sat forward and began working alongside her.

After a few minutes, Spock sat back and simply said, "Fascinating."

"Hey, I'm pretty good," Kieron said, grinning that big grin of his.

"I would say that is an accurate assessment, considering that you have managed to get through the multiple levels of defense which are inherent in our systems, some of which are designed by me," Spock said, and while no one else except papa would know, I could tell K was blushing something furious.

"You mean to tell me a ten year old…." Captain Kirk started to say, but was hotly interrupted by Kieron who said, "Hey, I'm eleven."

Kirk shot him a glare then went on "Fine, an eleven year old boy has infiltrated our security subroutines and bypassed them to gain access to our computer and communications systems?"

"Yes," Spock replied.

Kirk turned and just stared at him before Spock added, "I believe that is what I said, moments before your question."

I couldn't help but snicker at the look Kirk was giving Captain Spock, but that only got that look turned on me.

"Hey, I don't know jack about 'em," I quickly told him.

"Captain, I do believe that this would explain why we had been recalled to sector 933," Spock said, saving me.

I'm sure Lt. Marina meant it about no one hurting us but Kirk kinda looked like he might make an exception in this case, although I wasn't sure if it was me, Kieron or Spock who would be the exception from that look.

"Explain," Kirk quickly told Spock, turning his attention back to him.

"I believe, coupled with the information which has been provided that this 'Adam' is the one who accessed the Starfleet database. The primary purpose has been to locate one Cory Patrick Short which is one of the children brought aboard earlier," Spock said.

"You mean to tell me, that they accessed what is supposed to be inaccessible and only used it to locate some kid?" Kirk asked.

"Hey, that kid needed help." I said, getting a bit angry now at his attitude.

"Can you think of a better reason, Captain?" Spock asked then.

"That's all we looked into too. We just wanted to find Cory," Kieron said.

Kirk looked down and finally raised his head looking up and said, "Well, you explain it to Admiral Farnsworth, then."

"Sure," I had to say, which caused several people to break up laughing while Kirk just shook his head.

"I am curious about one thing," Spock asked, looking at us once that laughter had died down.

"What?" I asked.

"Why did you tell Commander Uhura that the Vulcan child you found was my daughter?" he asked.

"Was it just to ensure we helped?" Uhura asked, before either of us could answer.

Kieron looked at me leaving it up to me, I guess, to tell them.

"Because she is," I said into the silence.

"That is not possible" Spock stated.

"What you all ain't got a dick or nothing like we do?" I asked while Papa started choking before saying, "SAMUEL PATRICK CAMPBELL!"

"Yes Papa," I replied, trying not to laugh.

I hoped they did at least.

Even Captain Kirk was laughing.

"Vulcans are equipped in a similar manner to an Earth human, in that regard and mine is of course….functional. What I meant was that it was not possible for me to have fathered a child," Spock said.

"Oh sorry, I just thought adults did it at least some of the time," I told him, while sending to Kieron *I hope we don't stop doing it when we get old.*

Lt. Marina busted out laughing and I could feel my face turning bright red having forgot she would hear us.

Then to make matters even worse, it was made clear I had forgotten about Spock too.

"You do not understand, Samuel. I have not stopped 'doing it' as you put it, it is simply that I have not fathered a child," Spock informed us.

"Well, ya got kind a problem then, cause she thinks you're her daddy" I told him.

"She may think what she likes, but it does not make it accurate. She is mistaken for Vulcans would never abandon a child and should a woman of acquaintance end with child, I would have accepted responsibility for my actions," he replied.

"Maybe she didn't tell you," I said.

I watched as the eyebrow went up again but this time he didn't say anything.

"Do you know her name?" Commander Uhura asked.

"She said it was S'Lara, daughter of Spock of the family of Sarek of the House of Surak of the planet Vulcan," Kieron replied.

I watched as Commander Uhura typed some things into the computer again and just as she opened her mouth to speak the man from earlier walked into the room.

"Bones?" Kirk asked, as he entered.

"They'll be fine, although the girl was touch and go for a while," he replied, as he took a seat.

I could feel the relief wash over me and knew that Kieron was feeling the same.

They were going to be alright, after everything, we had gotten to them in time.

I looked up to find everyone looking at us and knew that our feelings must have shown on our faces, but I didn't care.

"Go ahead with your report, Uhura," Kirk finally said.

"There is no record of a S'Lara in the Vulcan or Federation Database sir" she replied.

"Bones, anything about her that would tell us her identity?" Kirk asked.

"Well she's definitely a Vulcan, I can tell you that. We took DNA and it's in the system. I didn't run a trace, because I didn't see a need but you should be able to run it against the Vulcan Academy's Genetic Database and come up with something in short order," McCoy replied.

"On it Captain," Uhura replied as she typed again into her console.

"Now the question remains, what do we do with them?" Kirk said, looking at us.

I could sense the worry coming from Papa at that, and Lt. Marina quickly said "None of you will be harmed."

"No not that but our actions are clearly in violation of the Treaty," Kirk said.

"Well then, your treaty sucks if it can let kids die rather than help 'em," I said to that.

Kirk just laughed softly and told me, "Sam you may be right, which is why you're on our ship instead of still in Dallas but this does leave us with a bit of a problem. The Federation doesn't really care what your government likes or dislikes, but on the other hand, we really don't want open hostilities either."

"Why don't you just send us back and when the kids are okay send them to my house. We'll figure something out from there," Papa said.

"He may have a point, Captain. Is there any reason to inform the U.S. of the events which took place today?" Spock asked.

Kirk turned and looked at him for a moment before saying, "No, Mr. Spock, no reason whatsoever," as a smile grew on his face.

"Ya'll grownups like telling too much stuff," Kieron said smiling as Kirk chuckled and replied, "Sometimes we do indeed, Young Man,"

"Well then how would you all like a tour of this fine lady?" Kirk then asked looking at us.

"Oh yeah," we both said, as Spock replied, "I would appreciate Mr. Jackson accompanying me to answer a few questions."

"Certainly sir," Papa said, as Spock told him, "I was referring to the young Mr. Jackson."

"Oh," papa said, surprised, as Kieron moaned, "But I'll miss the tour."

"I will personally conduct you on one after we are finished, if you find that acceptable?" he said.

"Cool" K replied, smiling again.

"How long before we'll be able to speak to the kids, Doctor?" Kirk asked.

"I've got them sedated with the bio-beds for now to give them some accelerated healing, but we can probably take them out in about an hour or so, I'd say" Doctor McCoy replied.

"Alright then, let's go and we'll meet up in the sickbay in about an hour then," Kirk said, standing.

We got to take that tour and even see the Bridge of the ship.

Eventually though, we found ourselves down at what was Sickbay and walking in, found the kids just starting to wake up on the beds scattered around the room.

I walked over to where I could see Kyle standing near the boy Cory, and sent softly *How you doing, little guy?*

He spun around and flew into my arms crying, "You got Cory back."

"We told you we would do our best, and we got lucky, Kyle. I'm glad you got him back, though," I said, hugging him tightly back.

"We're really in a Federation ship?" he whispered in my ear.

"Yep, we sure are," I said as he let go and looked around quickly before saying, "They's ain't gonna eat us, are they?"

"Nah too skinny, we need to fatten you up first," McCoy said as he walked by and I watched Kyle's eyes get huge and I couldn't help but laugh.

He looked at me accusingly for a moment before saying, "He was teasing me, wasn't he?"

I just nodded my head and watched as a small smile came to his face.

"So how's Cory doing?" I asked.

"They said he's gonna be fine," he replied as he turned and gave a fond smile down at his big brother, still laying there asleep.

A nurse or something came over and pressed some buttons before saying "He'll wake up now," and walking away.

We stood there as Cory slowly came back to wakefulness blinking and seeming confused for a few seconds before focusing on Kyle and I watched a matching smile come to his face before he looked beyond Kyle to me.

"Hi there," I said.

"Hello," he replied.

"The doc says you're gonna be fine and the others too," I told him, and you could almost see the tenseness and worry ease and I could certainly feel it.

He began to sit up and Kyle was right there helping him until he was first sitting looking around a few moments then easing himself off the bed to stand.

"How's Lara?" he asked.

"Well, the Doctor said she was in pretty bad shape but that she was going to be alright," I told him.

"Well that's good to hear, I was really worried about her," he said, looking around a bit before moving off.

I followed as he went around to those who had been woken and watched as he would say a few words here and touch another lightly or even give some a hug.

And I watched as they seemed to draw strength from him and oddly enough you could almost see him walk taller as well as if they were feeding him their strength in a way as much as he was giving it in return to them.

Finally, he made his way back to me just as Kieron came through the door and to my side.

He stopped when he got to us and said, "I just wanted to say thank you for saving my family. They're all I have left."

"I'm glad we were able to help," I told him with feeling just as Papa J said "We need to talk about that, too."

I looked over to see him staring at me and realized that he wasn't too pleased with what we had done.

Not pleased at all.

I wouldn't back down and said, "What is there to talk about?"

I could see his anger at that and heard Kieron send, *Sam what are you doing?*

*I won't be yelled at for saving these kids,* I sent back.

"What is there to talk about? How about putting yourself in danger and putting Kieron in danger as well," he said, anger lacing his voice.

"I did what I had to do, Papa and so did Kieron. We took precautions and I'm not sorry about it either," I told him.

I noticed that Cory and the others who were up were watching this closely as he replied, "What you had to do? You come to me with something like this. You don't just head off into danger without a care in the world, you hear me?"

I walked closer and said, "Yes what I, what we had to do. How can we come to you? What could you possibly do? You're always going on about how you can't do shit because of all the rules and stuff. Well, you tell me how you would go in there if we came to you and said, "Gee this computer we have thinks it's found some kids who might be in trouble, but then again we're not really sure and oh by the way, Adam found all this stuff illegally." What would you have done? Huh Papa? What could you have done? Oh and just for the record, we didn't just head off into danger without a care. We planned it very carefully and did everything we could to protect ourselves as well as these kids. So don't you dare say we didn't think this through. We thought about everything!"

By the time I was done, I was practically yelling and Kieron had grabbed onto me, trying to calm me down.

He didn't answer me at first and I went on, "Do you think I didn't worry every second about losing the one person I love more than anything else in this world? Do you? Do you think it was easy to go in there and not know if we would make it out or not? Well, it wasn't. I was scared to death, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and these kids needed help. You grown ups don't want to do that then fine, but someone has to."

Cory walked up as Papa and I were staring at one another and said softly, "Sir, they saved our lives, please don't be angry at them. I don't know if a grown up could have done what they did. Kyle told me everything that happened and them being kids got them in there when you probably couldn't have."

"Cory, I realize you're thankful for what they did for you and these others but them going off like it was some adventure…." Papa was saying but by now I was seeing red again.

This time Kieron couldn't calm me down as I moved forward and said, "Adventure? You think it was some fun and games we went on? We killed people today Papa. Kieron had to kill someone and I did too. Do you think that was fun for him? Do you?" I snarled almost in his face, then.

"You better calm down, Son," he told me.

"I think everyone had better calm down," a voice said and I swung around to find Captain Kirk standing there with Spock next to him.

My hand had gone to a weapon without even realizing it but I could tell that Captain Kirk did as he stared from my hand to my face and back again.

It took a lot of effort, but I slowly unclenched my fist and let it fall to my side, opening and closing my hand trying to get control back.

Spock was watching me intently and it was then I noticed Lt. Miranda behind them leaning against the wall clutching her head.

*What's wrong?* I sent to her

"Your feelings hurt her," I heard turning to find Kyle walking up to me.

"You won't hurt me will you?" he asked, stopping a few feet away and looking worriedly at me.

"What? Of course not, Kyle, I'd never hurt you, you're like my little brother now," I said, shocked that he'd actually be afraid of me.

I think it was that, that put the fire out more than anything else.

"You even scared me, dude," Cory said as he walked up and put an arm around the little guy.

"I…I'm sorry," I said, looking at everyone not believing it.

Was it getting that bad?

I stopped and thought a moment and realized that the answer was yes, it was

What was I going to do?

*I'm here for you, love, don't forget that,* K softly said into my mind.

I let his love wash over me as I knelt down and said softly to Kyle "I'm sorry I scared you, Little Guy. Please…Please don't be scared of me anymore."

He just stood there watching me for what seemed like forever before slowly walking forward a step at a time as if he were pushing himself for each inch of ground covered and I realized that anger was something that had hurt him very badly before, and I'd brought back memories of whatever it had been that had hurt him.

I let my shields down some so he could feel how much I cared for him and how I'd never hurt him, ever, only protect him.

Then he was in my arms and he was sobbing into my neck.

It took me a minute before I realized that I was crying too.

*You need to find Dr. Dan,* I heard him whisper softly into my mind and I knew he was at least partially right; I needed to do something and soon.

I almost lost it with Papa and didn't want to think about what I might have done if I hadn't stopped.

I thought things had gotten better with Kieron helping, and they had, but it wasn't the solution only something that stopped stuff for now.

I was in trouble and I didn't know how to get out of it this time.

"Maybe you could introduce me," I heard and stood up with Kyle still in my arms to face Captain Kirk who had spoken.

"This is Kyle, our brother," I said.

"I'm Cory Short, and these are my family now," Cory said, pointing to each kid and introducing them starting with Kyle.

"Pleased to meet you, Cory and the rest of you as well. I'm glad to see you all seem to be doing better now. I'm Captain James T. Kirk and you're aboard the Galactic Federation Starship Aderberran. This is my first officer and friend, Captain Spock of Vulcan, and the ship's counselor Lt. Marina"

As I watched the shocked looks on some of the faces at that news, I sent silently to Lt. Marina *I'm sorry if I hurt you.*

She smiled as she replied, *You are strong, little one, but I was not expecting that level of…anger from anyone, much less one so young.*

I couldn't do anything but drop my head, ashamed of what I had done at that point.

She sent *You must get some help to deal with it, before it consumes you.*

I finally looked up at her and simply sent, *I know.*

"What's going to happen to us now?" Cory asked, obviously for everyone.

"Well, we'll try and find your families if you want us to and we can but for now you're going to be returning to Earth with Captain Jackson and his sons."

I watched several of the kids shake their heads as Cory replied for them, "We ain't go no family but each other except for S'Lara."

As he said the last bit, he looked directly at Spock who stepped forward and said, "I believe the child is mistaken, as I have no children."

I really got to see what the others saw in Cory then as he stepped forward and said, "S'Lara doesn't lie and she says you are her father."

I could feel the fear in him, yet he stood up to Spock anyway, for his sister.

I watched as the other kids moved to circle Cory clearly showing, despite the fear I could feel, that they would support him.

There was something special about this kid.

"I did not say that she lied, Cory Short. I simply said she must be mistaken, as I do not have any children nor would a child born of me be abandoned in this manner should a pregnancy have occurred somehow," Spock replied.

"Well she doesn't think she's mistaken; maybe you should ask her," Cory said.

"An acceptable solution, Mr. Short," Spock told him before asking "Where is she?"

"She's back here, Spock, we haven't woke her yet, although it's about time, so if you'll come with me," Dr. McCoy said.

Cory, Kieron, Papa and I, with Kyle still in my arms, followed the doctor through the sickbay into another room with Kirk and the others following behind us.

I watched as the doctor pressed some buttons next to the bed and stood back saying "She'll be waking in a second."

We all waited and soon she was moving and blinking her eyes.

She looked first at Cory then around the room and I could see the startled look in her eyes, but it was when those eyes landed on Captain Spock that got the most reaction.

With a gasp she let out a little cry of, "No."

"How are you doing S'Lara?" Cory asked her, gently.

She was shaking her head muttering "It must not be."

"S'Lara, it's okay, you're alright now," Cory said.

"Yes little lady you'll be fine and up and about in no time," Dr. McCoy said smiling down at her.

She glanced at him before returning her gaze to Spock as she said, "No, I can't be here. This mustn't be."

"It is, child, and you have claimed my house as your own. I would like an explanation," Spock said, stepping forward.

"Please, there has been a mistake. Allow me to leave and I will not trouble you further," S'Lara said, looking down and not at Spock any longer.

I could read the turmoil in her, but that was all as she had tight shields in place preventing anything further.

A nurse walked in at that moment with a data pad in his hand and handing it to Doctor McCoy said, "The genetic search results are back, Doctor."

I felt the slam of fear from S'Lara, as I watched her face pale while the beeping stuff went crazy.

The doctor looked up at the noise and then at the girl child lying there before looking back at Spock, as S'Lara pleaded "No, you must not speak of it."

"What is that S'Lara?" Captain Kirk asked softly, as Lt. Marina told him rather unnecessarily, I thought, "She is extremely frightened, Captain."

Kirk looked at her for a moment before turning his gaze back the girl on the bed and said, "S'Lara, you are safe now. No harm will come to you on this ship, I promise you that."

She just shook her head before saying, "You do not know of what you speak. You must allow me to go and do not read what is on that pad. It…it must never be learned."

"S'Lara, you are clearly Vulcan. I do not know why you are claiming parentage by me, but should that be the case somehow, then I am obligated to be thy father. If it is not the case then as a Vulcan adult, it is my duty and responsibility to see that you are reunited with your proper family and taken care of should that not be possible. Either way, we must know the contents of the pad to accomplish this, unless you would tell us the truth," Spock said to her.

"The truth in this case can never be heard. He who is my father, for were it to be heard, the result would be war," S'Lara said to Spock who for a moment seemed to get a shocked look which quickly disappeared on his face although the eyebrow thingy went on again.

"Interesting if true. It is too late though, to hide that which is evident. The truth must come out as we must know it now," Spock told her.

"Why couldn't you let me die?" she asked, turning her gaze onto me, now.

"Because I won't let a kid die from being hurt if I can help it, and K and I could in this case. There was no other choice and I'm sorry if you feel that we made the wrong one," I said.

"You have no idea what you have done," she replied.

"Why don't you tell us, then," Captain Kirk said then.

"I suppose I have no other choice now, do I?" she said bitterly, looking over at the pad still unread in Doctor McCoy's hands.

"My name is S'Lara daughter of Spock of the family of Sarak of the house of Surak of the planet Vulcan and I am ten Earth years old," She said, sitting up straight in the bed now and daring someone, anyone, but especially Spock to contradict her.

"This will take some time, so please bear with me. You know that the Earth government known as the United States decided categorically at the Treaty of Versailles to shun any offworld contact and to keep strict control of their population and what was disseminated to them. They have ruled these past sixty years with an iron fist along with propaganda attempting to discredit the Federation and Aliens in general. Their control is not as exact as they would wish, because of underground access to other sources of information but still much of the United States population believes at least some of what they have been taught all these years about aliens and the Federation." She said, looking around at everyone and seeing nods at what she had said.

"That was only part of it though. The United States has and does fear the Federation and what it represents. They have secretly been buying and developing weapons over this period of time for what they see as the eventual war which will come between either the other countries of Earth against them, or from the Federation, perhaps both," she told us.

"How do you know all of this?" Kirk asked.

"Please, allow me to continue," She said and I watched as Kirk nodded after looking at Spock, who was just staring at the Vulcan girl.

"Weapons were not the only thing that they planned for that eventuality though. Spock, you are the firstborn of House Sarak and therefore of great importance over your two brothers and one sister in the Vulcan way." She said, and I watched as Spock's eyebrow went sky high again, before she continued.

"A plan was devised to attack that which they have come to hate the most, to attack it from within. You see, your father, my grandfather is seen as the representative of the Federation on Earth. He it was who made first contact and he it was who primarily was seen as the figurehead of the Federation here on Earth and all dealing with its people. Sarek has become representative of everything those in power in the United States have come to hate. Because of this, it was thought to devise a plan that would attack him, Vulcan and the Federation all in one blow." She said, pausing and looking around at us again.

No one said anything and she took a few moments before continuing, "Spock do you remember when you were twelve years of age and your father brought you and your younger brother with him to a secret meeting with the United States President and his son, who shared your age?" she asked looking intently at Spock now.

Spock didn't respond at first then simply said, "Yes."

She looked around a moment before saying, "This is going to get personal, are you sure you want me to continue?"

"Yes," Spock replied, and nothing more.

"Very well. If you recall you and the President's son Cody got along quite well and that, that amity developed quite quickly also. Cody genuinely liked you but he'd been asked to do something by his father. He didn't understand it and thought it strange but also didn't see any harm in it either. There was though. If you remember, you and he being of that age became sexually active together for the week you were there?" she said, as Spock nodded.

"The President had asked for him to befriend you and since Cody was naturally friendly, that wasn't an obstacle. If you remember, he would perform oral sex upon you and then quickly run from the bed you shared into the bathroom coming back out telling you he washed his mouth out from what had been in it?" she stopped again to receive another nod from Spock.

Cory and Kyle were bright red and I didn't understand how S'Lara and Spock couldn't be embarrassed by what she was saying, but they didn't appear to be.

"Cody would take the semen from your emission and run to the bathroom, depositing it there in a receptacle which was then retrieved for later use. You may also remember that on your last day there, you woke up sore in your genital region and also that your arm hurt. You were sedated that night and additional sperm were forcefully extracted from you since you were not producing large amounts yet, due to your age. Also blood and tissue samples were taken from your arm to go along with the semen. That is why you woke up sore the next morning and with a headache as well," She told us.

Spock's eyebrow was up but still he didn't say anything.

"Cody was given an inhibitor to prevent his saliva from degrading the sample if you're wondering how the sperm survived in that environment. Several years later, his friendship with you cost him his life when he found out what he'd been asked to do and objected. He was a true friend to you Father." She told him, now looking at him.

"He was. I never knew anything except that he died," Spock replied.

"He found out and when he threatened to go public, he had an 'accident', a fatal one, son of the President or not," She told him.

Spock nodded before saying, "Please continue."

"The original idea was to simply impregnate an Earth woman but this was easier said then done they found out. It took them many years and many failures before they finally succeeded in cloning which they had been attempting for some time. The female who resulted was raised simply to be an incubator for future generations. They were not ready to do anything yet but they figured in time as they perfected their technique that the time would come. The female they finally were able to make viable was mentally deficient due to their cloning process. She was little more than a vegetable but her internal organs functioned which was all they needed. Twelve years ago, their genetic mastery was complete enough that they could proceed after a number of failures. Almost eleven years ago, my three brothers were born. The female was immediately re-impregnated with three more children. My sisters and I." she said stopping as everyone gasped in disbelief upon hearing what she had to say.

"You mean that you are clones of Spock?" McCoy asked

"Yes and no," she replied.

"Please explain," Spock said.

"Remember they had large amounts of your sperm as well as cell and blood samples. With genetic manipulation of those cells and your sperm we became your children. Our genetic footprint is not that of a clone but a child of your loins. The genetic material in your sperm provided enough differentiation that we are not clones but your son's and daughter's. The plan was to infiltrate one or more of us into your house as your children at some point at which we could perform our function which was the destruction of House Sarek. We are stronger, faster, and more intelligent than a normal Vulcan amongst other things," She told us.

"Fascinating," Spock replied.

"This is your daughter that some mad scientist cooked up in a lab and that's all you can say, Spock?" McCoy asked irritably

"I was not cooked up in a lab, Doctor McCoy. Genetically altered Sperm and cells were mixed together and implanted through the vagina of she who was my mother, resulting in my live birth some nine months later," S'Lara informed him flatly.

"Oh my God, if there had been any doubt there's not now. She's definitely your daughter, Spock," McCoy said, looking at S'Lara in disbelief.

"Thank you, Doctor," Spock replied, before asking S'Lara to continue.

"Something happened some months ago, although I am only speculating as to what, at this point. All I know for sure is that a termination order was issued for all six of us. The General in charge of this project was not happy and apparently since we are still alive did not comply with the order. We were separated and I was sent to those who you found me with. It is my belief that the others have been similarly sent to clandestine locations and are being held as I was as the General did not want to lose such valuable property." She finally seemed to finish.

"There are six of you, all his children?" McCoy asked in shock.

"Yes doctor, my three brothers and two sisters. My brothers just turned eleven while we just turned ten Earth years old, although our aging will slow now that we are approaching puberty. It was a measure designed in case there was a delay in being able to implement the plan. It was felt that younger children would be better and more easily accepted than a middle aged child or adult. So as puberty approaches, our aging process slows and actually almost stops when it arrives. My brothers will appear to be eleven for some years to come yet, before any appreciable changes take place in their bodies and even then, they will be much slower than normal. They and I will appear to be young pre-pubescent children for at least another twenty Earth years. Our bodies will begin puberty sometime after we are thirty years of age and our aging process will be even slower than is normal for a Vulcan. They even have the ability to halt it entirely if it was needed for their plans," S'Lara told us.

"But how did they expect to pull this off?" Kirk asked.

"We have been trained from our youngest years of life in Vulcan culture and heritage. While the United States denies knowledge to it's citizens, they have no problem amassing it for those deemed in need of it. I know more about Vulcan and it's customs, history and people than a full adult raised on Vulcan does. I speak all the languages and dialects of the planet including the language of our house Father. You should also know that my brothers and sisters and I were not the only genetic creations of this program. They have been creating what they call super soldiers for some time now. Genetically modified or created children sometimes mixed with Earth animal DNA to build an army. The latest projection I have seen shows almost seven thousand such children ranging in age from thirteen down to infancy. They have stepped up production in recent years and there were almost two thousand more in utero as of the last time I had access to the data." She said.

"Children super soldiers, well now, I don't think we have to worry about them, at least for now" McCoy said.

S'Lara looked up at him before sliding off the bed and walking towards a table where she picked up a pad and simply turned around and shattered it with one hand.

It didn't look like it took any effort on her part either.

"Understand doctor, a three year old one of these children could take on twenty armed and trained men, and that three year old would in all likelihood walk away from the encounter. These aren't normal children. They spent years perfecting the techniques used to create these hybrids and they have been trained since birth for one thing and one thing only, to kill. They are also very good at it," she told him, walking back to us and stopping in front of Spock who was looking at her.

"Read the pad now, Doctor" she said never taking her eyes from Spock's"

Doctor McCoy looked between them before turning on the pad and beginning to read it.

After several moments he looked up and said to Spock, "She's telling the truth, she is your daughter. Her genetics are a bit strange but there is no doubt."

"Indeed," Spock replied, as they stood there still looking at one another.

Finally Spock said very formally, "I acknowledge thee daughter of my blood and of the Family of Sarak."

I could see the tears fall from S'Lara's eyes as she almost whispered, "Thank you, Father."

Then she was in his arms hugging him and to my surprise his arms wrapped around her and I saw tears in his own eyes as he held her to him.

No one said anything for some time, as they quietly held one another and I could feel an unspoken communication going on as well.

I don't think anyone had a dry eye in the room at seeing that, and when S'Lara finally pulled back to look up at her father it was with a small grin as she said, "I never thought I would hear that and have you actually mean it instead of the mission,"

"I am glad that this was possible, She who is my daughter, but I think we need to find your siblings as well," Spock said.

"That shouldn't be too difficult," Kirk said as he walked over to a panel on the wall and hit a button before speaking into it.

"I want a full sensor sweep of the United States and I want it done yesterday," he said.

"What are we looking for, Captain, and you do know they may be able to detect it?" a voice asked.

"I'm aware of that. You're looking for Vulcans, specifically, Vulcan children, and I don't give a damn what they can detect or not. Raise shields, arm weapons and go to yellow alert." He told him.

"Yes sir," the voice replied and you could hear the disbelief in his voice even over the speaker.

"This is what I was afraid of," S'Lara said softly.

"Don't be, this is an act of war on Vulcan, child. I must inform your grandfather immediately." Spock said, as Kirk simply said, "Go."

He turned to leave, and then stopped, turning back and said, "Daughter, would you accompany me, I believe your grandfather should make your acquaintance."

S'Lara smiled a huge smile at hearing that before quickly taking her father's hand and following him from the room.

After they had left with all of us staring after them, McCoy said grinning, "I never thought I'd see the day, Spock's a daddy."

"Indeed," Kirk replied with his gaze still looking after his first officer and friend.

No one said anything for a few moments before Kirk turned and said, "You all need to get back to Earth and I am needed on the bridge. It's been a pleasure meeting you but if you'll excuse me."

We nodded as McCoy said he'd take us back to the transporter room, but he stopped as he got to the door and turning, said, "Bones, issue them communicators and a couple of phasers while you're at it. Captain Jackson, the rest of you, if you have any problems, let us know" and then he was gone.

"Well now, let's see about getting ya'll home," Doctor McCoy said heading towards the doors as well.

"May I speak to you for a moment," I heard asked and turned to find Lt. Marina standing there.

I shrugged and Kieron said, "Sure."

She looked past us and called "Dr. McCoy, the boys and I will catch up in a few minutes."

At his mumbled reply, she turned back to us and said, "Samuel…I'm not sure how to say this. First of all I didn't read you, but the anger…no that's not right, the rage…what's inside you is consuming you and you're losing control of it."

"He'll be alright," Kieron said, quickly coming to my defense.

Both of us though were shaking our heads and responded as one, she with "No, he won't be" and I with "No, I won't be."

"You're wrong! I'm helping him control it," Kieron told her, but she just sadly shook her head, "Yes, Child, you are, but it's getting beyond the point that it can be controlled, even with your help."

"That's not true, he stopped before," K said.

"K, she's right. It wasn't enough. It was Kyle who shocked me out of it. It's just not enough anymore, and I'm getting scared, real scared," I said as he looked at me shocked and shaking his head.

"Samuel, whatever it is that eats at your very soul is destroying you and if you're not very careful, will destroy those around you as well. You must battle and defeat your demons once and for all or they will defeat you and Space only knows who will fall along with you," she said, but she was looking at Kieron who had gone pale at her words.

"I know," I softly said and nothing else as their just wasn't anything else to say.

She looked at me for a moment before saying, "Well, let's get you home" and led us out of the sickbay and down to the transporter chamber.

Before we could all go, Cory asked, "What about Lara?"

"She'll be with us for a bit I would think, along with her brothers and sisters, but we'll keep in touch, don't you worry none about that," the Doc told him before he said simply "Energize and ya'll take care now,"

Before the sparkles took us Lt. Marina sent one last message to me.

*Find help, young one. Find help, before it's too late.*

That was easier said than done, though.

The next few hours were spent answering question after question before we finally were allowed to go home.

Papa had a few new kids with him, and so did we, although grandma didn't quite know that yet.

It seems he had a friend in the local child guidance division which placed them with us for now, just like that person had helped with Kyle before and Papa basically said it would be seen to that it wasn't just for now.

I'd never seen Kyle happier than he was over those next days stretching into weeks and by the final week in July; I thought everything was settled down.

We'd heard that S'Lara's brothers and sisters had been found along with a number of children being held with them, in places just as miserable as we'd found Cory and them in.

These children though were quietly placed in homes in other countries rather than risk knowledge of Federation involvement in the US.

It was towards the end of the month that Kieron finally came to me and told me that Cory had been suffering nightmares and screaming out someone's name during them.

Kyle had been strangely silent throughout, and he didn't know what was going on.

The weird thing was that a few times lightly scanning him, I found Cory's mind to be a confusing jumble with a huge blank area like it was just gone whatever was there.

I knew it was wrong, but I didn't know what to do about it.

Finally, I got Kyle alone and asked him if he knew about what Cory was going through.

The answer surprised me in that Kyle thought that Cory had a family, a good family, somewhere in Iowa, he just didn't remember them.

That gave me all the information I needed to let Kieron know what was going on and to get Adam to start looking.

It took a while but not all that long, considering how much work Adam had done prior to this on Cory.

The "Dr. Dan" in the earlier stuff proved to be the lead which when traced back to his office and home computer systems, along with the court orders he'd tried to get from Judge Roberson provided the information Kieron needed to track down everything.

This time we went to Memaw and then to Papa quietly and told them of everything.

With their help, contact was made and a meeting was set up between these people and us.

It was the first week in August when Mama and Papa J along with Kieron, me, Memaw, Cory and Kyle went to the park while Papa's friend just happened to come by and stay at home to interview the other children.

We were there about an hour when Kyle suddenly stopped and turned looking towards a small group of people walking in our direction.

There was an older woman with reddish brown hair who had her arm around a young boy about thirteen with the same hair color and with them was a man with curly brown hair even older than the woman.

I watched them, but didn't sense any alarm from Kyle and Cory hadn't noticed anything yet, being busy talking with Papa J at the moment.

When they got closer, I saw the boy start forward and the woman grab onto him as her eyes locked on Cory who, as if he sensed something, turned around and froze staring at the people as they stopped just in front of us.

I watched as a puzzled expression came across his features and tears came to the woman's eyes along with the boy with her.

"Cory, do you remember any of us?" the man asked gently.

Cory started to shake his head but then stopped and moved slowly forward never taking his eyes off the boy in front of him as he came to a halt a mere foot or so from the boy.

He just looked at him for a long time before his face scrunched up and in a hesitant voice asked, more than said, "I know you?"

The boy nodded slightly before Cory hesitantly said "You're name? It's Sean, isn't it?"

The boy nodded again a look of desperate hope on his face as Cory just continued to look at him for a while before saying while sounding more sure of himself, "You're…You're my friend?"

Sean smiled, tears still running down his face and told him, "Yes! Yes, Cory, I'm your friend."

He looked at him for a few moments before turning to the woman and saying softly, "I know you too, don't I?"

She couldn't do anything but nod through her tears as he turned his attention towards the man.

After staring at him for a moment he said, "You were at the home before."

"Yes, Cory, I was. I'm your doctor and I was trying to help you while you were there," he said.

He turned back to the woman and tilting his head said, "Your name is…is Teri…but that doesn't sound right."

She was rapidly nodding her head as he turned back to us.

"I don't understand," he said, clearly confused.

"Cory, you've been having nightmares and calling out Sean's name and Teri's too. I told em, and they found em for ya," Kyle said.

"We brought them here to meet you, Cory, cause if they're your family then you have the right to know them and maybe even be with them if that's what you want, son," Papa said softly moving forward and wrapping an arm around Cory who had turned back to look at them.

"I'm Teri Short, and this is my son Sean," she said before going on, "This is Doctor Dan Richardson, or as the boys call him, Dr. Dan" she said.

I gasped and saw Kyle look at me and nod slightly before Papa was introducing us to them.

"We've been so worried. After Dan tried to get an order for removal from the Judge and was turned down, Cory just up and disappeared. We've been looking for him ever since," Teri told us.

"Why can't I remember?" Cory asked of everyone.

"You lost your memory, and I was afraid of this happening. You not being around your family allowed what little you did remember to be lost to you. I'm glad you at least remember us," Dr. Dan said smiling at the still obviously confused boy.

"But I don't, not really," he said softly, looking at them again.

"You will though, in time, I believe," Dan told him.

"Will I have to go with them, Papa?" Cory asked turning back to Papa now.

"We'll have to see, Cor," Papa replied and I could feel Cory being afraid.

He'd found somewhere safe now and he was afraid of losing it.

"Cory, listen to me for a moment," Doctor Dan said, drawing our attention to him.

"We'll give you all the time you need. No one is going to take you away from here until or unless you're ready to leave," he said.

"He's right. We love you but we won't take you away unless you want to come with us," Teri told him softly.

I could see and more feel the pain each word cost her and the agony shoot through Sean at those words.

It almost broke my heart, feeling how much they loved him and wanted him.

"Okay," he quietly replied.

He started to say something else when I heard a voice I really didn't want to hear ever again.

"Well looky what we have here," it said.

I swung around to find Brad standing there smirking at me.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly, the rage beginning to build at seeing him here.

"You fucked me up pretty good faggot," he snarled.

"I can do it again if you like," I replied as Mama J asked, "Who is this?"

"That's Brad, Momma," Kieron replied as Papa suddenly tensed up even more and I knew he recognized the name.

"Yeah these mothers fucked me and my friends up pretty good and now it's payback time," he said.

"I think you'd best leave, son," Papa J said to him as he moved forward towards Brad.

"I don't think so," he said, suddenly bringing out a gun in his hand.

K and I started to move but he quickly said, "Not this time" and we froze as the gun was leveled at us.

We were standing off to the side a bit from the others and far enough away that there was no way at all that we could get to him before he could shoot someone.

"You don't want to do this, Brad, let's just put the gun down and we can talk about this," Papa said softly, trying to calm the boy.

Brad just laughed as he said, "I don't eh? Well let me tell you I shot that bastard at the home this morning and I'm gonna shoot you little fairies now."

"Leave them outta this, it's me you want," I said, trying to draw his attention away from the others.

"Oh you're right about that, you fucker, and it's you I'll get too but not before I hurt you man. I'm gonna kill the rest then I'm gonna kill you and your little faggot nigger there and this time you can't do shit about it."

He was right.

I knew I couldn't move fast enough to stop him at this point from getting at least one of us.

*What can we do?* I sent silently to Kieron but his miserable reply was *Nothing*

"Son, if you do this, there's no going back. Right now it's not too late even if you think it is," Papa told him.

"Fuck you, Nigger. I don't care no more, don't you get that I don't care," he said before turning to me and saying, "I've been watching you faggots for a while now. Whoever that new kid is seems to be real important to you so I think I'll start with him."

Before I could even fully understand what he was saying, he moved the direction of the gun slightly and as Teri screamed no, pulled the trigger.

It all happened so fast, yet it seemed as if it was in slow motion as he moved the gun away and the deafening roar of the gun sounded so close.

I was already moving, along with Kieron and as the red blossomed on Cory's chest, along with a surprised look on his face; I was burying my knife in Brad's throat while Kieron was snapping his arm holding the gun into pieces.

I turned back in time to see Sean screaming as Cory slowly collapsed into his arms, both going to the ground as Teri fell to her knees alongside him.

Kyle was just standing there with a horrified look on his face, mouthing silently, "No, Cory, no," over and over again.

Suddenly a horrible feeling came over me and I knew that Cory MUST NOT DIE!

As quickly as I'd moved to take down Brad, I now moved towards the downed boy who was looking up in pain and clearly still not understanding what had happened.

I fell to my knees alongside him and said, "No, you can't die, Cory," as I placed my hands on his chest.

Suddenly the fire which had been there, changed and I could feel it going into the boy beneath my hands, the fire and all my heart with it.

I didn't understand what was happening; I just knew I had to try to save him.

What I'd done before, I had to try and do again and sending every ounce of my being into him, I felt what I'd felt before, as I sank into where he was hurt and began to make it not.

I heard yelling and then Kieron was there saying, "Sammy, STOP! It's too much!" but I wouldn't listen.

I couldn't stop yet, or Cory would die.

I felt different this time and knew suddenly what it would cost me if I didn't stop.

I also knew somewhere deep inside that if I did it would be very very bad, Cory needed to live.

For some reason, it was vitally important that he do so.

I didn't stop until I was sure and when I did it was to fall back weakly as Memaw cried out, "What have you done?"

"What I had to," I gasped as Papa tore his shirt off and pressed it to my chest.

"Oh Sam," Kieron cried and I realized it was in his arms I lay as his tears fell onto my face.

"One…last…thing," I whispered before sending my mind out to the now unconscious boy being looked over by Dan.

"There's nothing here," he muttered as he tried to find the wound that was no longer there and I sent my mind out with what strength I had left to break the strange wall in Cory's mind.

I knew it had to go and with the last of my strength, I shattered it before coming back to my own body as Cory cried out.

"Get those med techs here now," Papa was screaming as Mama tried to help stem the flow of blood but I knew it was of no use.

What would have killed Cory was now doing the same to me.

"Samuel, you stay with me ya hear?" Mama said, as the tears fell down her face to join my beloved's.

I couldn't talk even so I reached out for the link and felt Kieron's love fill me one last time as I said to him, *I'm sorry, my love.*

"Why? Why Sammy? Don't, please don't go," he cried.

*I had to save him. It's probably better this way, I saved someone instead of killing them,* I sent silently.

I could see Cory stirring and then he was looking up in bewilderment at those around him before he said softly "Mom?" to Teri and I couldn't help smile at her shocked look of disbelief.

"Oh my God, my baby," she cried as Cory said, "My head hurts."

*Tell him I didn't have time to be gentle,* I sent silently to K.

Then I was coughing and blood was burbling up out of my mouth.

This fucking hurts I thought and Kieron couldn't help but laugh through his tears.

"No shit" he said, as Papa looked up at him.

"He said it hurts" Kieron sobbed.

"Gee, I wonder why," Papa muttered.

*Goodbye my love,* I whispered in our minds as I felt the blackness coming

Then before it could get here completely I heard a voice rudely ask "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST can't I leave you alone for a friggin minute without you goin and getting yourself hurt?"

I tried to focus through the pain and haze enveloping me as Memaw asked "Who the hell are you?"

"Don't ask," I heard as suddenly warmth filled me and the pain left, leaving me staring up at a young boy.

"Damn SamSam what did you go and do to yourself now?" he asked.

"I asked you a question, young man?" Memaw said insistently.

He ignored her and said to me, "Time to wake up Sammy, you got some decisions to make."

"Just who are you?" Papa asked as Mama gasped and said, "Henry,"

I don't know what they saw but suddenly Memaw cried "Oh my sweet Jesus,"

"Nah he ain't here, just me" the boy said, grinning into the silence.

"Who are you?" I asked and he grinned down at me and said, "I do wish you'd all stop forgetting me."

I didn't understand what was going on but then softly from somewhere music started playing, something I'd never heard before but yet at the same time sounded awfully familiar.

"Looking back,

on the memory of,
The dance we shared,

beneath the stars above,

For a moment

All the world was right

How could I have known, that you'd ever say goodbye"

"Come on SamSam, wakey, wakey, it's time," the boy said softly,

That song, something about that song and he called me….he called me SamSam.

I gasped and said "Pablito!?"

"Yeah, little brother, it's me," he replied as he held out his hand and taking it helped me up.

Only he didn't for as I stood up I looked back and saw myself lying there covered in blood still and looking around saw everyone except for those who had been with us frozen not moving.

What had gotten everyone so excited was the med techs that were running towards us were stopped in mid-motion, everything around us was stopped, as Mama J said "Oh my God,"

"Nah he's not here either," Pablo said as memories rushed into me.

Everything suddenly became crystal clear except for one thing.

"What the hell?" I asked, looking at everyone around me before realizing she was still alive.

"Memaw?" I said, softly moving towards her and then throwing myself into her arms crying "Grandma, Oh Grandma you're alive,"

"I thought so," I heard her say, but everything was so strange.

I remembered my life here with them, her having the heart attack and spending months in rehab while I stayed in the group home yet I also remembered her dying on the couch that day and going to the group home for a little while before being moved to the foster homes.

I remembered everything that happened in that group home while I waited for Memaw to get better but I also didn't remember anything like that because it never happened, she'd died.

I had two lives running through my head at once and all I could do was try to sort them all out as the music played on.

"And now, I'm glad I didn't know,
The way it all would end, the way it all would go,
Our lives, are better left to chance,
I could have missed the pain,
But I'd a had to miss, the dance."

"That's a right pretty song, but I don't think I've ever heard it before" Memaw said as Pablito replied "Yeah it is and you haven't he died here getting thrown from a horse when he was thirteen"

I looked up at her and kissed her softly saying "You're really here"

"Of course I'm here child, what in tarnation's gotten into you?" she asked

"You died" I whispered and watched her face show her shock at what I had said.

"I most certainly haven't yet, have I?" she asked, looking around her

"Nah, you're still alive, everything is just stopped is all" Pablo told her.

"You did Memaw, you died when I was seven," I told her softly then turned to Pablito and asked, "Dad? What about dad?"

"I can't tell you, Sammy," he replied.

"I don't understand," I said then, as the music played one more line

"Holding you, I held everything

For a moment wasn't I the king?

If I'd only known, how the king would fall

Well who's to say, you know, I might have changed it all"

I gasped and looked at him but before I could say anything, Mama J said "Would someone mind telling me just what in the hell is going on here and who the devil this kid is?

I couldn't help but laugh and so did Pablito as he said, "Sorry, wrong place," and suddenly his wings were there, golden, shining behind him, warmth radiating outward from him, filling us.

Then they were gone along with the golden glow of His power and my little brother was just standing there again.

I heard everyone gasp in shock as I took a deep breath and said, "Everyone I'd like you to meet my little brother Pablo, he's kinda a…." but I was interrupted by him saying "Don't say it."

I just looked at him.

"Come on it's bad for the rep, and I'm your big brother," he said.

"I still don't understand, Pablo," I told him.

"I know SamSam. Do you remember hearing this song?" he asked

"Yes Cory was singing it to me," I said looking over at the boy stunned as was everyone else.

"What did you wish for, Sammy? What did you pray for?" he asked softly.

I felt my mouth go open in shock before I could finally manage, "To change it all, to stop it from ever happening."

"And you've been given that chance," he replied.

I looked around at everyone not sure what to say.

"Is this real?" I asked.

"Very much so," he told me.

"Someone, please, in simple terms tell me what is happening," Kieron said.

"Yes please," Memaw echoed.

"Where SamSam is from, Grandma, you died when you had that heart attack back when he was seven years old," he began, causing everyone to gasp again in surprise.

"Sammy went to a group home for a little while before being moved to several foster homes. The last one was not a good place to be, and he ran away. By doing that, he found his dad and my papa found what he'd been missing for a long time. Someone all his own to love, a son. Some very bad things have happened though, and Sammy prayed to change things so those bad things wouldn't happen. That prayer was granted by Our Father and with some help, I got to give him what he asked for. In this time, you didn't die four years ago and Sammy is still living here instead of with Papa. The bad things never happened here and Sammy well Sammy has the life he would have had if things had been changed," Pablo said.

"So you're saying this isn't my Samuel," Memaw asked, hesitantly.

"Yes it is, Memaw," I heard and looked to see Sam walking up from the trees.

"What?" was asked by several voices this time mine included.

"Hey Sammy," he said.

"You see Memaw, Pablo came to me and showed me the future that awaited me here. I choose to help out and make a difference in how I died," Samuel said.

"What are you saying?" Kieron asked, tears beginning to fall.

"Ah my love," he said, walking over and taking K in his arms "I would have died but Pablo said if I allowed Sammy to experience things here it might change how things went. It did and now Sammy has a choice to make,"

"I do?" I asked.

"SamSam, you being here has changed things but this is the gift He has given you. Now it's up to you whether you stay or not." Pablo said to me

"Wait what about my Sam?" Kieron asked

"I died Kieron, I was with Sammy and he was me all this time. One being, one soul and one mind. It was me but it was also him. I would have died and this way I got to decide how I went and maybe do some good. I didn't die on the school yard that day because of Sammy and now Cory lives because of him as well." Samuel said.

"But you are dying," Kieron said looking down at our body.

"Yes," he replied looking down at our body.

"But how can I take your life?" I asked him.

"SamSam, it's your life and has been," he said tapping the side of his head

"If you decide to stay, there will be no memory of any other life Sammy, for you or for anyone else," Pablo told us.

"I'm afraid I still don't understand," Memaw said.

"Your Samuel would have died trying to save Kyle. We came to him and showed him this and told him there was a possibility that might change if Sammy came here. Samuel agreed to share with Sammy while Sammy knew nothing but Sam's life here. It did get changed, and Samuel didn't die that day in the schoolyard, and because of that he could save Cory today," Pablo told her.

"What do I do, Pablo? What about Dad and Brian? What about Yuri and Ronnie? Are they okay?" I asked.

"Who are these people?" Mama J asked.

"They…they're my family. These bad people attacked us and shot dad and some of my brothers. I don't know if they're okay or not," I said, tears falling from my eyes as I thought to the last time I'd seen dad laying there against the car.

"I can't tell you, SamSam. It has to be your decision. That's the rules. This life or the one you left behind. There are no guarantees either way," Pablo said sadly to me.

"What do I do?" I begged.

"You got a family there child but you have one here too," Memaw said taking me in her arms.

I could feel the tears dripping down my face as Kieron came over and wrapped his arms around me.

"You follow your heart, Sam, that's what you do, you follow your heart and it won't lead you wrong," he told me.

I hugged him tightly before letting go and saying, "I don't wanna lose you. I don't wanna lose any of you," moving over and taking Memaw in my arms again.

"Child, you once taught an old fool something that I've never regretted getting shoved down my throat. You followed that heart of yours, and saved a little boy who was gonna die. You knew what it could cost you and you still did it. Now you have to choose which life you are going to live, you've been given a chance most never get, and our Kieron's right; you just follow that heart of yours. It knows the right way," Grandma told me.

I looked over to Sam and saw him looking back at me.

I could feel him gently say, *They're right.*

*I know,* I replied as I stepped back and looked at all of them.

Cory, Sean and Teri sitting there silently but watching just the same.

Mama J, Papa J and my Kieron all waiting to hear what I would decide.

How can I choose?

If I went back and lost dad and the others what would I do?

If I stayed what would happen to my brothers and if dad got better, what would he do?

I closed my eyes and it was Cory asking softly, "Did they all die in this attack?"

"No, they didn't" I replied looking up at him now and with that my decision was made.

Even if Dad, Samantha, Brian, Yuri and Ronnie did die, then Peter, Chris and Derek along with Nikolai and Alexei would need me even more.

And there was the Trinity and Uncle Eric, I would always have them there for me too.

I bet Cory would see we had a home too if we needed it.

Standing up straighter I looked at Pablo then everyone else before saying, "I have to go back."

They nodded tears running down their faces as I turned to Sam and said "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was my time and I made a difference this way," he told me.

"Are you sure, Sammy?" Pablo asked, looking intently at me.

I turned to face him and said, "Yes, I'm sure. No matter what happens…if he…if they…the others will need me," I finally managed to get out.

He nodded smiling as Samuel said, "I guess it's time to say goodbye, then."

"Nah, you ain't goin nowhere yet," Pablo said smiling as we all looked at him and Sam asked "What? You said…."

"Yeah well things change and Our Father just told me that by Sammy's decision, and your sacrifice, the Book has been changed a bit," he told him.

"You mean…?" Kieron asked in disbelief, as Pablo just said, "Yep."

Kieron jumped on Sam and started hugging him half to death while everyone just watched, all of us crying.

Pablo walked over to Cory and knelt down saying, "Dufus here got you headed towards getting better, but he didn't do it right, which is why your head hurts so much. If you'll let me, I can help you. It won't completely bring everything back; that will come when the time is right, but I can help some"

"Gee forgive me I was kinda dying there ya know so perfection wasn't on my list at the time" I said which got some laughs

"Okay" Cory said as Pablo raised his hand and placed it on Cory's forehead.

A soft golden light flowed from that hand into Cory's head for a few moments and when it stopped all Cory could do was look up in awe and say "Oh man"

"Cool huh?" Pablo asked getting back up.

"Yeah" he replied as Pablo turned to me asking, "Ready?"

"I don't know," I said before turning and going to each of them and giving them hugs that would have to last a lifetime.

I had more tears than I thought possible flowing as I finally reached Cory and Sean along with his mother.

"Good luck with everything Cory. You're more special than you know," I said softly to him, giving him a hug and a gentle kiss.

"Take care of yourself and your family, wherever you're going," he said just as softly.

No matter where he was he was the same, I thought, smiling through my tears before turning to Sean and surprising him by pulling him into my arms as well.

I whispered in his ear, "You don't know me here, but in just a few minutes in my other life, you helped me so much. Take care of him, and yourself."

Then I let him go, leaving him shocked but smiling.

I grabbed a startled Kyle and picked him up in my arms hugging him and sending softly to him *You take care of these big lugs for me, you hear?* and as he giggled I added, *I've been proud to have you for a little brother Kyle. You're the best, and I hope I find you in my world too somehow.*

As I walked over to Sam and handed him off to his arms I could see the tears in his eyes as he sent, *I will and you're a good big brother too. I hope the other me finds you too,*

I smiled before moving over to Kieron and said nothing letting my mind intertwine with his one last time as my lips found his.

It was Kyle giggling and saying, "Hey little kids, here ya know," that brought us back both of us beet red or at least Kieron would be if he was lighter.

The adults laughed at that and I let everything I was feeling flow to K as I sent a different final goodbye than I thought it would be, but no less meant,

*I love you*

*I love you, too SamSam,* he replied and I knew he meant it.

He still didn't fully understand everything but he loved me just as much as he loved Sam, because we were one and the same.

I walked to Sam finally and again no words were exchanged we just nodded and finally I said the only thing that mattered for giving me this chance, one I hadn't had originally, the chance to not only see how my life would have been, but to say goodbye.

"Thank you," was all I said and he just nodded.

I went back to Memaw and softly looked into a face that I hadn't seen for four long, long years.

"It's been so good seeing you again, Memaw, more than you'll ever know," I said, before letting all my love and the pain of missing her flow from me in my new found skills to her.

"You take care of that dad of yours, and tell him for me he's one hell of a lucky man to have you for a son, ya hear." she choked out as the tears ran down her face.

"I'm the lucky one, Memaw," I replied as I moved over to stand with Pablo.

"It's time Sam," he said motioning to Samuel who walked over to his body and stood looking down at it.

"Give ya a bit a warning, it's gonna hurt," Pablo said as he let a bright light grow from his now outstretched hand to Samuel almost pulling him it seemed down and into his body.

As he joined it once again, he gasped and said, "Ya think! Shit!"

"You're gonna be fine, but it's gonna take a little while to get better. Can't have you all healed, now can we?" he said as Sam replied, "That'd be fine with me."

"Learn to duck" Pablo replied, smiling as he turned to me and said, "I think it's time you got back to your own life, SamSam."

I nodded and walked to Pablo who took my hand, moving me back before I suddenly said, "Wait."

I turned back around and said, "Sam, maybe it's time," and I knew he knew what I meant as he locked gazes with me before nodding his head.

I smiled and watched as he turned his gaze to Kieron who simply nodded as well, before looking over to Dr. Dan.

I not only knew how hard this was for him, but I could feel it as he took a deep breath and said, "I think when I get better I need to see ya, Doc and I need to see ya real bad."

It was grandma who responded with "Why, Samuel?"

Samuel looked down and it was obvious he was struggling for some moments before his gaze came up and he said softly, "I…I never wanted you to find out, Memaw but it's…it's killing me, and I can't control it anymore. When…when you were sick, when I was in the home…they hurt me, Memaw, they hurt me so much," he said, sobbing and continuing brokenly, "I didn't want ya to know, but they did things, bad things to me,"

"Ah child, we'll, help you; don't you worry none. That's why you were so hell fire bent on all that martial arts stuff when you came home, wasn't it?" she said softly stroking his face.

"I couldn't let it happen again, ever Memaw. Please don't hate me" he cried out

"Oh baby boy, I could never hate you, never" she replied

"Can you help me doc, please?" Sam asked, now looking up desperately at Dan.

"Sam, I helped Kyle and I'll help you too. We'll get through it, I promise you," Dan said softly, from where he'd kneeled down in front of the boy.

"I'll help too," Kyle added as Kieron said, "We all will."

All that could be heard was the soft sobs coming from a very hurt little boy until the music began softly from somewhere and Pablo said gently, "It's time to go bro," as one world began again as it faded out and another took it's place.

"And now I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end, the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance,

I could have missed the pain,

But I'd a had to miss

The Dance

A beautiful meadow appeared around us, with snow capped mountains in the distance and children playing around in the grass and amongst the trees.

"Will he be alright?" I asked, turning my gaze to him.

"In time, Sammy. There is a lot of pain and hurt there that he'll need a lot of help to deal with," he told me.

"What about the anger, Pablo I've never felt anything like that before" I said shuddering as I remembered

He smiled up at me as he said, "Take care of the hurt and pain, then the anger will follow. He never dealt with it, you know?"

"I know," I replied staring out at the mountains and thinking about things for a few moments.

"That could have been me, couldn't it?" I finally asked.

"Yes," was his simple reply.

"I…they only did it a little to me, before I left there and later with the last place, but it still hurts in here," I said, touching my chest.

"They took something very special from you by what they did, and it's something you'll never get back. But you moved on and found love, where as Sam found love, but never could leave it behind him. It became his life, making sure it would never happen again. The only problem was that all the hatred he had just kept growing inside of him until now he can't stop it and it's taking over more and more," he told me.

"I really thought K would be able to help him," I replied.

"Oh he did, but he can only do so much, Sammy. Only Sam can control Sam in the end and only once he deals with what caused that rage. Now he's taking the first step. It's gonna be a long and painful journey, but in the end he'll be able to let go and live again without the demons rising inside him," he said.

I thought about that for a few moments before saying, "Pablo you know he…he did…things…" but I couldn't go on just looked over to him as he sighed deeply and replied, "Yes, I know and Our Father knows as well. That's something else he'll have to deal with in time."

"He didn't regret it Pablo, he…he liked it. When I...when I had to kill that man, it felt like…I hated what I did, "I finally said.

"He thought letting out the anger that way would ease it, but all it did was feed the need to hurt. It hurts you because you still have a soul that he needs to find again, and when he does which he will, by the way, he'll really need Dan's help then, cause what he's going through now is nothing compared to what he'll go through when he realizes fully what he's done," Pablo told me.

"He'll make it through though, won't he?" I asked again.

Pablo looked up for a moment then said softly, "Eventually, yes. The love of his family, now and to come will see to that. Sometimes bad things have to happen, so the good things can."

I gasped at that and he smiled saying, "You're wondering where that came from?"

"Yeah, I've been saying it, but I don't know where it came from, it just showed up one day in my head," I said.

He laughed and told me, "Well someone gave you that bit of info a long time ago."

"You?" I asked.

"Nah, it came from someone else who got it from his brother. You won't believe it but a little Fireball said that after some real bad stuff happened to him."

"Who?" I asked

"You'll find out, just watch out for redheads wanting to take a shower with you" he said giggling a bit.

"Huh?" I said

"Don't worry about it, you'll find out in time," and the look in his eyes left me wondering if I really wanted to or not.

"I feel funny, like everything is…is…" I said but stopped as Pablito interrupted and said, "Separating?"

"Yes," I replied, looking at him.

"That's because they're two separate lives Sammy, yours and his," he told me, smiling gently.

"At least I know so much more now, like I am gay and how to use these powers I have," I told him, thinking about things.

"No you don't," he said, with that grin on his face.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"Sammy, Samuel, not you, is gay, or at least he thinks so, and that's what matters. Like you he loves who he loves and little things like having a dick or not don't mean nothing to him. But that's Sam not you and as for the other, again HE has those powers, but it doesn't mean you do. Your memory is going to suffer a bit, I'm afraid and if you have anything like them, you'll have to discover it for yourself, in time," he told me.

"You mean you're taking away even shields and stuff?" I asked.

"Yep, you won't remember how to do any of it that you didn't know before," he told me while I scowled.

"If it's meant to be, then it will be," he added and I just nodded.

"Things aren't always better different, are they?" I finally said thinking about these past months and my life in them.

"That's what you needed to find out, SamSam. The attack didn't happen but so much else did, and in the end which was worse?" he asked of me.

I didn't answer for a bit before finally saying, "I don't know, but I guess each of us has problems to deal with, don't we?"

"Yep" he replied softly.

"Dad saved me, didn't he?" I asked him.

"You saved each other, but if you mean cause of the stuff that happened to you, then yeah he did. You could talk to him and he loved you which he's very good at, by the way and that love got you through it without it turning to what Sam had to deal with, and never did," he told me gently.

"I smiled peacefully at him and just said, "Yeah I know."

"Well how about we get you back to where you belong, I bet there's some people who have been missing you," he said.

"Oh God, what am I going to tell them. I've been gone for months now. What will they think?" I said, fully realizing what I was going to be going home to.

He just laughed, "Sammy, you'll go back to the exact instant you left, trust me, the only one who'll know anything happened at all is you."

He held out his hand and I took it still in shock at what he told me, as I said, "Really?"

"Yep really. Come on," he replied as I quickly asked something I had just thought of,

"Pablo, are they in my world too?"

He turned and looked at me before asking, "What do you mean?"

"I mean I know Teri, Cory and Sean are there, but what about Dan and Kyle for instance. That little guy really got to me, and if he's still being hurt somewhere…" I let it trail off.

"Some are, some aren't" he replied.

"What about Kyle? I think I want to find him and make sure he's okay at least," I asked.

He giggled and said, "Oh I think you'll find Kyle, don't worry."

"So he does exist in my world?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, you could say that," he replied giggling again

"What's so funny," I asked, but all he'd say is, "Nothing."

"Why are some things so much the same like Cory and Sean and Kirk and Spock?" I asked him, next.

"Some things are meant to be in any universe or timeline if it's at all possible and they are examples of it. Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew are meant to be together, as are Cory, Sean and Teri" he told me.

"What about Kieron?" I asked next, but he just looked at me for a moment before saying, "Sammy, you may find some of these people in our world but don't expect them to be the same, some might be but…well some might not be too."

I didn't know how to take the look in his eyes as he said that but it made me wonder and I vowed to find Kieron if he existed, different or not.

He broke me out of my thoughts by saying "Let's go then, it's more than time"

"Wait Pablo, what happens to them?" I asked.

He looked up and then said, "Come, He's going to allow you to see."

Suddenly we were in front of a house on a regular street somewhere and people were getting out of a car.

It was, I realized, all of them.

Teri, Cory, Sean, Kyle, and the other kids along with Kieron, Samuel, Memaw, papa J and Mama J, even S'Lara was there along with two other Vulcan girls and three Vulcan boys but to my surprise, it was Captain Spock who got out last.

The biggest shock which caused me to say, "Pablo look!" was Adam and Kelly amongst all of them.

"I see," he said, grinning before continuing, "The US found out the hard way that fucking with Vulcan isn't the brightest of ideas. There's been a lot of changes since you left them in the park and the beginnings of what will be the Clan, now exist here too."

"But we just left and the Clan?" I said puzzled, looking at him.

"We did, but they didn't. This is August 20th, Sammy. And yes you're looking at what will be Clan Short, here in Sam's world," he said, as I turned and gaped at him before turning my attention back to what was happening.

They all walked up the walkway but stopped half way up as Cory followed by Sean and Teri went all the way to the door.

Cory tried it, but found it locked and turned to see Teri hand an envelope to Sean who looked at it silently for several moments before handing it to Cory with a look of excitement mixed with what almost looked like worry on his face.

Cory looked confused but finally Sean said, "Well open it," grinning all the while.

Cory did and I watched as tears came to his eyes as he slowly and gently took out what had been inside looking at it for several long moments as tears dripped silently down.

I felt my own fill as he looked up with such wonder and disbelief on his face and said, "They…they're my keys, you…you were expecting me to come back."

I saw the tears in Teri's eyes as she reached out and took Cory into her arms and said softly, "I always knew you'd come back to us, and no matter how long I had to wait, I wasn't giving up."

"I…I love you…Mom," Cory finally said, when he could speak again and Teri replied, "And I love you too, Baby, I always will."

As Cory looked back down at the keys in his hand, Sean asked softly, "Do you remember which key it is?"

With that I watched as Cory inserted the key into the door and slowly pushed it open.

"It's just like I remember it," he said softly before he moved inside followed by the others, the door closing softly behind them as Pablo took my hand.

"Okay, let's go," he said, when suddenly I said, "Wait there's a kid in the bushes and he looks like he's in trouble," as I watched the kid frightfully peer out and then slowly walk towards the front door.

"That, is another story," Pablo said, laughing softly as the music began again and we were gone.

Suddenly, I was back in the hospital room with Cory and Sean as he sang the final words of that song, the one I finally and truly understood now.

"Yes my life, it's better left to chance,

I could have missed the pain

But I'd a had to miss…….

The Dance"

We each have our own dance and he IS right, even with everything that had happened, I'm glad I didn't miss this one.

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The End

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Author's Note:

Well this is 38. Wow, it's been wild. Originally I ended 37 with the idea that I'd do a quick 'It's a Wonderful Life' scene and go back to AHBL. I started this chapter thinking that it would be a quick jaunt into another world where Sammy didn't have any bad stuff happen to him or his family unlike what had happened to him in his world. The idea was happy, idealic, fun new life and then has to choose to go back to the uncertain future which is awaiting him. Well as you may know from previous chapters, my ideas never stay the same as I envisioned them which is probably a good thing.

Well in case you didn't notice, the "Quick" part went out the window fairly rapidly. Hell the "no bad stuff" went too it seems. Instead it's become the chapter that would never end.

You got to see a different Sammy than the one you are used to yet I hope vestiges of the old SamSam shown through at times as well.

Between real life and this chapter giving me a bit of a headache in writing because it took a while to get going on it and I suppose to actually listen to the characters in it, it just seemed like it would never get finished.

Finally though it is and I hope you enjoyed it. Sammy found out that the grass isn't always greener as the old saying goes but he did get to say goodbye to his grandma and see a slightly different beginning to the Clan while still being eerily the same.

I want to take a moment to thank AC again for allowing me to retell his idea and story in a slightly different format. Without his permission this chapter would never have seen the light of day. When playing with another author's characters it is always hard to tell if they will like what you have done or not but AC has been very supportive and was pleased with the end product in this case. It would not have been possible without him approving it so thank you AC. And thank you for allowing me to use, sometimes, word for word scenes from Memories, part 1 chapter 1 along with the whole concept.

Danny's scene in the above was written specifically because of a story AC related that occurred when Danny was a boy. His simple declaration that real friends would come out in the rain for you was so endearing and childlike in its simplicity yet so true as well that I wanted to find a way to incorporate it into this chapter and the park scene was what you got. I hope I did it justice and it's something you'll remember from a remarkable young man taken too soon, our real life Kyle.

I would also like to thank Iluvantir, D&B and Roland as well as Str8 for proof reading through this chapter and Ilu for his help and permission to go with it as well.

As always a very special thank you to Darryl and TSL for their masterful editing work on all my writing but especially this chapter which is slightly longer than usual.

Thank you my friends without you it wouldn't be possible or readable.

For any of you who haven't read Memories or the other great stories in the CSU I strongly suggest you do cause you don't know what you're missing.

"Do you remember which key it is?" the phrase that started it all, thanks for the 'Memories' AC

Until next time……….DS

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