Life Renewed - Revised

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Hey everyone, Mikey at your service! I know that y'all are wondering what's been taking so long for ACFan to get back to you. Ya' see, sometimes I have to wait for him to put things in place in the other stories so that the things Kyle is telling him make sense for him to write. This was one of those times; he needed to get DJ and Julio in the right positions in the timeline before I could take care of a timeline issue that's been waiting for resolution.

The time has come to assist one timeline in progressing forward. The trunk of that timeline is firmly in place, but the branches have failed to form. To gain insight to the background of the first branch to venture from the trunk, the story "From Hell to Aunt Marge's" by Gary Q should be read. This story can be found on most of the official CSU sites, as well as at Garysgarden.us - please remember that this is a branch, not a trunk, so it is only one of many possibilities of where that story could have gone.

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This story arc is dedicated to Gary Q, wherever he may be.

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Later that night at the Orlando party, after DJ's wedding:

 

"You know, Teri," Ron stated as he watched his grandsons in the distance timidly letting down their barriers and taking the first steps in making new friends, "I'm pretty sure that JJ, Adam, and Antonio finally got it through CJ and Chad's heads that they're safe here."

As Teri was about to reply, her communicator chirped. "Federation Youth Services, this is Director Short," she stated formally as she answered the call.

"Director, this is Commander Calhoun at the main gate. I have a Senator Walter Benton here with me, he demands that he needs to see you immediately."

Ron's eyes got wide as he heard the name. Holding up his hand to signal for Teri to withhold her response, Ron stated "If that's the Walter Benton I think it is, he doesn't throw his weight around without reason."

Teri nodded. "We'll be right out, Commander." After closing it, she asked "Do you know him?"

Ron nodded. "The only Senator Benton I'm aware of was once one of my students for a class I taught back at the Yale Law School regarding Android rights. Walter didn't tolerate abuse of any kind, no matter who it is."

"Would you mind joining me?" Teri asked. "Mattering on why he feels it is urgent that he sees me, your previous interactions could prove useful."

Ron nodded. "I agree; unless he's changed, him making demands is probably going to ruin somebody's day very shortly."

Taking that tidbit of information into account, Teri stated seriously "George, begin official log on my badge. Once recording, transport myself and Ron to the Main Gate."

"Transporting, Director," George replied in a flat tone.

*********************

Teri and Ron appeared inside the guardhouse. After a quick nod verified Ron's identification, both of them exited the shack and headed towards the gate. "Allow access, Commander," Teri stated.

"Senator Benton," Ron stated calmly as he came to a stop, "I present Director Short of Federation Youth Services."

Recognizing Ron, the Senator replied, "Thank you, Mr. Michaels. Director Short, under most any other circumstances it would be my pleasure to meet you." Holding out an envelope, he added "Arizona's Lt. Governor Clarke requested I give you this summary before we discuss my reason for being here."

Taking the envelope, Teri opened it and began reading the contents. Once she finished, she handed it to Ron as she growled "George, set Condition Orange. Inform Patriarch Short that his presence is required at the main gate; I also require Prince Tyler to be present."

"Acknowledged, Director."

Having been told by George that their Mom seemed to be on the warpath, both Cory and Tyler appeared in full Clan away uniforms within seconds of George beginning his Condition Orange announcement. They had barely solidified when Ron, his face now the color of a ripe tomato, thrusted the letter into Cory's hand.

Cory quickly scanned the contents, then stated in a flat voice. "Director Short, at this time Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the planet Vulcan declares sole and absolute jurisdiction of this matter. My word as Councillor on the Vulcan High Council is given." Not waiting for a reply, he tapped his Commbadge. "Chief Soaring Eagle, activate your Tribe. Mark Owens, Colin Busch, Brandar; you are activated. All persons shall assemble at the Main Gate." 

"I cede jurisdiction, Councillor Short," Teri stated, fully aware of the fact that, by the phrasing of his statement, she had no other choice.

Turning to the Senator, Cory requested "Senator Benton? As I am sure that you are aware, telepathic testimony is preferred in situations of this nature. May I assume your cooperation in the retrieval of such?"

Realizing that the boy in front of him wasn't playing, Walter immediately replied "You have my full cooperation."

Cory nodded. "Proceed, Mr. Short."

"Yes, Councillor," Tyler replied as he stepped forward. "Sir, my name is Tyler Short. I am an Empath as well as a Vulcan-Certified Telepath. If I believe that anything we find in your memory could cause suffering, I will assist you in containing it."

"Thank you, Mr. Short," Walter acknowledged, following his gut instincts based on what he'd heard so far that Tyler wasn't just a random kid.

Tyler closed his eyes, then thirty seconds later re-opened them. "Thanks, Walter; don't worry, they're gonna wish they were never born very soon." Not waiting for a reply, he turned around and faced Cory. "Prepare for evidence, Councillor Short," he stated flatly.

"Proceed."

The only indication that Cory was done was the ice in his expression. Turning to the newest arrivals, he stated "Mark, please request of Patriarch Jason full mobilization of The Dragon. Colin, activate Nightwing Protocol. Brandar, assemble volunteers for delivering sentences. Timmy, it would be acceptable to activate the Redhead Brigade. Mom, prepare to assist Walter with fast-tracking the adoption of his nephew under Clan protocols; local judiciary in his location shall not be involved by my orders."

Turning his head, Cory verified "Grandfather Ron? Have you received full instruction regarding Family Clan Short judicial practices, including Safe Haven Act requirements and Vulcan punishment guidelines as employed by Family Clan Short?"

Ron nodded. "Jamie and Jacob caught me up earlier while you were off-site."

"Good," Cory replied. "It would be logical for yourself and Mom to join myself in determining charges against the multiple accused subjects. While I will declare the final verdicts, it will be with the assistance of yourself and Mom."

Turning to Walter, Cory seemed to relax slightly. "Mr. Benton, thank you for bringing this to my attention. It's probably going to take about thirty minutes for Ty's team to gather enough evidence to make sure that everyone that caused your son to be in the condition that he's in is identified and located. Not only will that be dealt with before any of us go to sleep tonight, but Tommy's going to bear your last name. You're probably going to want to sit down with Mom and Grandpa Ron while they work; it's easier if you understand what's happening when things go insane once we start."

Walter began to reply, but stopped suddenly as the phone in his pocket rang... despite being disabled.

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Cory looked around the AI Annex group now gathered around him. "Okay guys; as much as I hate to do it to you, I think this one is more something that you can handle than any other Division. Right now, Antonio and Doc Austin are in Arizona helping a kid who just had his appendix burst. His soon-to-be Dad is with Grandpa Ron and JJ filing the official complaint of abuse with Vulcan; it is serious enough that I claimed jurisdiction under the Vulcan High Council and mobilized Vulcan Special Operations."

CJ and Chad exchanged confused glances. "Why?"

Cory's face was completely serious as he stated "Systematic abuse and neglect by almost all of the Arizona juvenile justice system. Most of the victims are going to be evaluated and then assisted with placement by the VSO if appropriate. The exception is the boy that Antonio and Doc Austin are saving; his name is Tommy. Once he is recovered, you're authorized to make his adoption by Senator Walter Benton and his wife, Marge Benton final. The Senator is a former student of your Grandpa Ron that your Grandpa has a lot of respect for, so I am treating it as a family matter. The entire family is under our protection now, and any friends of the family that you guys feel should be covered are to be added to the protected list."

"Why us?" Chad asked warily.

"Because, as a group, you guys have more experience than any other Division with someone reaching the point of being completely past hope that things can get better. Tommy is going to need help pulling back from that cliff, and his new brother is still under an unofficial suicide watch until Tommy is stable emotionally."

After a pause, Cory added, "You guys will be speaking as me in all things connected to this. That means you don't need to worry; if I have any questions, we will talk later, but I fully trust you guys to listen to your hearts and do the right thing the first time. If any adult gives you trouble, call in JJ and Adam; they'll give everyone in earshot a quick lesson on the authority I give to anyone I call a Director or Assistant Director. If after all four of you discuss something you're still not sure, you can ask me, Sean, or Sammy ... but I'm confident that you won't mess up, just as long as you keep being yourselves." 

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Tommy's Point of view:

 

I knew things were too good to be real. I must have fell in my cell or something, because everything’s numb and when I just opened my eyes for a second it looked like the infirmary. That was a pretty nice dream though, I wonder how long I was out of it.

"I know that you're awake Tommy," someone who sounded like a little kid stated from just behind my head. "There are four boys that are going nuts, waiting for me to let them see you to prove that you are okay. I need to catch you up on what happened to you, and what is being done to those who abused you, then we can go join them."

I opened my eyes again, just to find some nine-year-old kid dressed up as a doctor looking at me seriously. "You’re just a little kid! Don't let the guards see you, they'll toss you in the hole like me."

"You ain't never going back there," the kid replied with a small smile as he stared at me. "I'm Antonio. While they had you isolated from the world, there's a whole bunch of things that changed. The one that affects you the most is that Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan took it personally when he found out that some kids that his grandson considered brothers were being used for kid porn. He gave a few of us kids the power to override any government in the Federation to protect other kids, and the Federation Council gave it their full backing. Your Uncle Walter came over last night and filled us in on what was done to you. A minute after he heard everything that you went through, our Patriarch, Cory, put you and your new family under the protection of the Vulcan Council. That means Arizona Juvi can't touch you unless Cory approves it personally; the chance of that happening are less than the chances of me being elected President this election."

Did he just say Uncle Walter asked them for help?  No way that happened, not with the friends he has! Who put this Antonio kid up to this? The last thing I remember is dreaming that I was puking in the sink, and now I have little kids playing imaginary games. Now he's playing with something on the bed, and smiling as he pushed a button. That's weird, now my body don't feel fuzzy anymore. This has got to be a dream, beds don't have buttons to make you feel better. What the heck, I'll play along with the dream, maybe something fun will happen. Okay, it looks like he wants to say something, I guess I better pay attention to make him happy, before the guards find him in here and haul him out, that is if this is really real.

Antonio grinned at me as he said "If you don't want to be squashed, you might want to get outta the bed. I had to give Roy sedatives to keep him from a panic attack, so I know he is going to try to crush you when he has proof that you are okay."

Did he say Roy? Okay, maybe this kid isn't playing all the time. Things can't get worse, so I guess I can play along. This could still be a dream, too; I know I don’t feel as weak! I just caught myself before I smiled though, that was a close call. That Antonio kid just tapped a funny-looking badge on his shirt and played like he was telling someone to come in here.

End Tommy POV

Antonio had to work really hard to avoid a smirk as Dylan gave him a play-by-play of Tommy's surface thoughts. The only thing that gave him the control to resist it was the knowledge of why Tommy was so hesitant to believe anyone. Fortunately for Tommy, his Aunt Marge had called her husband while he was getting filled in by Teri about what Cory's declarations meant for his family; within a minute, Antonio had transported to the hospital that Tommy was at, then once he had a portable biobed, he proceeded to eliminate the septic contamination from Tommy's appendix bursting. Once he'd finished, he took care of a few other problems that were caused by the extended torture that Tommy had endured, which Antonio hoped would help Tommy to get back to normal quicker.

Tapping his commbadge, Antonio stated "Hey CJ; bring the mob in, Tommy's ready."

Thirty seconds later, the door crashed open as Roy slammed through it. In the two seconds before Roy crashed into him, Tommy was able to notice that Roy looked like he hadn't slept. Roy's hair and clothes were a mess, something Tommy knew Aunt Marge would never allow in public. Tommy didn't have time to comment, since Roy latched onto him for dear life and broke down in tears.

Val, Regan, and Jack followed behind Roy, latching on as well once they reached Tommy. Tommy barely registered the group that followed them in, as he was dealing with the four crying boys surrounding him.

Once he was satisfied that the five boys were stable, Antonio turned his attention to the waiting adults. Marge noticed this, and immediately asked "What is Tommy's status, Dr. Barnes?"

"Physically, he's in better shape than he was when you rescued him," Antonio stated seriously. "Besides the appendix, he had liver and kidney damage from the minimal amount of sub-standard food and beverages that he received. Also, the lack of nutrients and no exercise caused damage to his heart muscle. There was some glandular damage too. All of that has been repaired, but for at least the next two years he is required to drink two nutritional shakes a day to allow his body to rebuild the systems that should have been growing as he entered puberty. The rest of the boys can drink them too; if you talk to CJ and Chad, they'll verify that they taste nothing like medicine, and it actually is a good idea while they're in this stage of growth."

Antonio looked over at the boys, then back to the adults. "All five of the boys over there are under my orders to be exempted from returning to the private school until further notice. Mr. Arthur is currently in conference with the Clan educational arm, and will be providing educational services to all five that meets Clan standards.We have already arranged with their school to allow them to participate in after-school activities with their peers. Once the Academy has completed the transition to Clan educational standards, Mr. Arthur will take his position as Educational Coordinator over the school. While the school is transitioning, any other friends of those five boys are welcome to join them for the classes that Mr. Arthur is holding for them."

"Saint Luke's Academy is the best private school in Arizona," Lt. Governor Clarke mused. "What could be different that they would need to change?"

"I'll take this one, 'Tonio, Uncle Mike just explained it to us," CJ stated. "Madam Governor, the Clan schools are adapted from Vulcan schools. Each kid is taught in the way they learn best, and we have tests that guide the school in what our natural talents are. Kids who learn the same way and have the same talents are grouped together, with the groups formed by their level of knowledge, not their ages. Some of us even get to teach other kids; Mr. T says that us teaching helps us grow, since our students will ask stuff that makes us think outside our experience. Antonio teaches a lot of General Medical stuff, and me and Chad are going to help Marc teach Artificial Intelligence repairs. If Val has the talent for Engineering, sooner or later he'll have Patriarch Cory as a teacher."

"The best part is we ain't stuck in one building all day," Chad added. "My Music Appreciation class will be in Hawai'i, my Advanced Android class is in South Carolina, and Dad is gonna teach my Biological Level One Medical class at our place in Montana."

"So that would indicate that you're experiencing multiple cultures while learning?" Walter asked.

"Yes, Sir," CJ nodded. "Since Regan is in line to become a Chief, he'll be joining us for the Native American Ancient Traditions classes in Orlando; as his friends, the rest of the guys will too."

Dr. Frost decided to add in his view. "After talking to Dr. Richardson about the resources I'll have, I'll vouch for the description these guys just gave. Directors? I'll save you the trouble; once we are in a secure location, I'll fill everyone in on what you can't say right now. Basically, Saint Paul's will be catering to the students who require traditional education procedures to learn. I'm going to make an educated guess that none of our boys will be there for more than morning announcements. One important thing to remember; missing all or part of a day for personal business is encouraged, as it can provide educational growth in multiple ways. There are students who only make it to class once a week; they are graded on what they learned or did while they were away. Emotional growth is just as important as knowledge to the Clan."

"Wouldn't it be considered irresponsible if Roy and Tommy snuck off to Roy's favorite hiding spot?" Marge asked.

Dr. Frost shook his head. "Actually, Marge, most likely I'll be meeting with them the next day just to make sure that they sorted out what they needed to handle. While I can guide them, the Clan has found that the best help usually comes from someone near the same age or experience. Montana is our home Division just because there are multiple youth there that have experienced the type of isolation that Tommy has. There are going to be times where the best thing for Tommy's recovery is taking some time away from everything with the small group he trusts to just de-stress and process the changes to his life. All four of those boys attached to him are his safety net; they're going to be the most help in guiding him into accepting his new life."

Recognizing the disbelief that Marge was hiding, he added "Jack is the first friend that Tommy has made all by himself since he was rescued. I think him and Roy are the only two that totally trust Tommy not to hurt them; the rest of them are probably still un-learning the expectations they have of what someone who was in the Juvenile Justice System will do to them if they get mad. Right now, Tommy is unable to totally trust adults due to what happened; while the two of you are slowly chipping away at that wall, it's going to take the other youth showing him by example that you can really be trusted for him to drop those walls. Even then, he's never going to just trust a new adult; they'll have to earn it. The two of you have already earned more trust than he's given in a long time; once he is able to fully accept this is real, you're going to be at the top of his list as long as you keep doing what you're doing."

"What else can we do to help him understand that this is real?" Walter asked.

"You're already doing it," Antonio interrupted. "One of my telepathic brothers has been watching the surface thoughts of all five of them; I ordered that due to how unstable they were all acting, basically it is a Level 2 suicide watch. The reports I've been getting indicate that Tommy is bouncing back and forth right now; I think once he finds out that you decided to not wait for Arizona to get off of their butts for you to adopt him, he'll start moving towards accepting it a lot faster. One thing though, Marge; he NEEDS to have consensual sexual interactions with youth in his age range to undo the trauma from not only the juvie justice center, but also the last boyfriend his former mother had. If he doesn't, it will mess him up for life. I know this as a fact, since I'm a survivor of being raped by an adult. It doesn't make him or whoever he trusts to help him beat his demons anything but what they were born to be for relationships, but it does allow him to learn the difference between rape and sex done with love. Trust me, right now sex scares him more that your worry about him initiating sex scares you."

While surprised at the bluntness of the admission that the young boy in front of her just made, Marge took him seriously since he'd just possibly saved Tommy's life. After giving it serious thought, she replied, "While I've never considered that, I also have never had anything in my life to teach me about the possibility. Since you made me aware of it, I'll do my best to respond accordingly."

Antonio smiled. "Talk with Aunt Teri; she's good at explaining it in adult."

Marge nodded. "I'll do that, thank you."

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Meanwhile:

Tommy tuned out the adults as he tried to come to terms with his current situation. Roy was latched onto his left side, unable to speak through his sobs. Val was behind Roy, with his arm wrapped around to help make sure that Tommy couldn't go anywhere. On Tommy's right side, Jack was glued in as tight as he could be, while Regan sandwiched Jack just like Val was with Roy.

'Why would I dream that I hurt Roy?" Tommy thought. After a minute to contemplate the possibility, Tommy finally admitted that this was really happening. With that decided, he had to admit that the other three bodies latched onto him were not here for Roy, but were there because they actually were worried about him. after more thought, he realized that it could only mean that they considered him a friend; even Jack was responding like Tommy was his best friend.

Just then, a gorilla-looking kid walked over, once again testing Tommy's perception of reality. "Hi Tommy, I'm Kneau; I'm Security for Director Chad. Your prospective boyfriends already know about me, but I'll explain how I became real to you after we're not around the adults. You're not the only one who's suffered torture in this room. Chad wants me to take you guys to get cleaned up; Andrei is grabbing some clothes from the Clan clothing locker for you. Just so you know, Tommy, my one job is to keep you safe, if anyone tries to hurt you I'll turn them into balloon animals."

"Balloon animals?" Tommy muttered.

Kneau grinned."After you guys get cleaned up, I'll show you; that's how I relax, making balloon animals. The mini-Marcs love it already!"

After some quiet negotiation, Tommy followed Kneau with Roy and Jack super-glued to his side and Val and Regan making sure that the three boys between them didn't fall. To their surprise, once the door closed behind them, the hallway that they were in vanished and they found themselves under a purple sky.

"Relax guys, and have a seat," Kneau stated. "We're somewhere that the Federation has no idea about, so you're completely safe." Once all of them were seated, all five cuddled into one pile, Kneau explained, "Welcome to Archnania. This place exists outside of Time, so we can spend as much time as you need here and get back seconds after we left. I brought you here for a couple of reasons. The most important is that not only do all five of you need to talk and assure each other that you're all okay; but since this is a living planet, there are organisms in the water that will help all of you become as healthy as possible. They can fix things even us doctors can't find, so after what Tommy lived through we want to make sure he's completely healed. The rest of you get the same thing because he needs all four of you to be there for him."

"Even me?" Jack squeaked.

"Yes," Kneau smiled, "Jack, you are the first person that Tommy allowed to be a friend besides people that were already Roy's friends. Roy, Val, and Regan, that means that you need to forget the bullshit that you were taught about not associating with someone in a different grade than you. Since Clan schools are based on ability, your lab partner could easily be eight years old or eighteen years old - it doesn't matter, people are people no matter how they look or what age they are."

Regan shifted to give Jack a hug without separating him from Tommy. "Jack, you may be a squirt, but you're OUR squirt. Welcome to the tribe."

"Try not to blush too bad," Kneau chuckled, "but there's something else that we need to discuss, something that only the four of you can help Tommy with."

"Why would we blush?" Tommy risked.

"Because what I'm about to say isn't normally talked about in public outside of the Clan," Kneau replied. "Just so you know, your Aunt Marge was just blindsided by Antonio about it before I came over to join you. She shouldn't give you guys any trouble about it now; if she does, let me know and I'll scare that frown right off her face ... permanently!"

That relaxed the entire group as they pictured it and began giggling. Once they settled, Kneau continued. "Guys, Tommy has a problem because of what was done to him. First thing is that it is totally normal at your ages to mess around with each other to learn how the new equipment works; if you're attracted to the person, it becomes more than messing around, but that is okay.  You guys are all part of Clan Short now, so you live under Clan rules, not the rules that you grew up with. That changes a few things; the one that affects you the most is that relationships are not limited to two people."

Kneau paused as the thought settled into their brains. Once they stopped exchanging amazed looks, he continued. "All five of you were put under a telepathic suicide watch. Tommy and Roy for obvious reasons, and the rest of you for your emotional ties to Tommy. When the attractions that each of you have were discovered by listening to your surface thoughts, it was brought to the attention of Antonio and our Patriarch, Cory Short. Cory reviewed it, and declared that the five of you were to be designated as one family. That doesn't mean that you have to do things with everyone, it means that he recognizes that you function best when all five of you are together."

"I understand less now than I did before you started!" Val quipped.

"It gets worse, I promise!" Kneau laughed. "Okay, while it could easily change, this is the current map of attraction between all of you. Let me finish before you comment, since I'm going to take this by person to make it easier. First is Roy; he's attracted to Val and Tommy equally, with a lesser attraction to Regan. He thinks Jack is cute, but has not really got to know him yet. Val is mainly attracted to Roy, but has feelings that are equal for Tommy and Regan, and also hasn't got to know Jack well enough yet. Regan is mainly attracted to Tommy, but has strong feelings for Roy and Val, plus he's interested in Jack. Jack's strongest feelings are for Tommy, but he's unsure if any of the rest of you would accept him in that way. Tommy has feelings for all of you, but the strongest is Roy followed by Regan and Jack equally. While he likes you, Val, due to his history he's intimidated by your size. Once he gets over that, you'll probably join Regan and Jack."

"Now," Kneau added, "I think you guys see a pattern. Obviously, Roy and Tommy are the center of your family. the important part is that you don't have to choose, because all of you are attracted to each other at some level. That means that each of you can pick the one that will give you the support that you need at the moment, and none of you are cheating on anyone else in your group when you spend time with someone else. What I'm saying is that you should fight feeling jealous, because all of you put together make a complete package. Roy and Tommy are only the closest because they've been together the longest emotionally; as you settle in, the chances are really good that all of you will share that closeness."

"Mom's gonna have a whole herd of cows!" Roy quipped nervously.

"You'll never see it," Kneau assured him. "Aunt Teri, she's the Director of Federation Youth Services, will have it handled before she ever catches you. Val, your Mom is already in the loop; the same with your parents, Jack. Regan doesn't have to worry; the Navajo legend of the Chief with Five Souls is becoming reality. Chief Silverhawk is honored that his son is one of the Chosen Ones of the Great Spirit."

"So if the adults give us trouble, we all move into Regan's place?" Val grinned.

"The Navajo Nation is about to join with Clan Short; you don't officially know that yet, though," Kneau stated. "So yes, your nearest safe spot will be on Navajo lands. Regan, are you aware of a young brave who likes to make himself and other things float?"

Regan nervously nodded. "His Gift from the Great Spirit is not spoken of outside our lands. How did you hear of him?"

"I was on the team that prepared him for the journey the Great Spirit has selected him for," Kneau stated. "Once that plan proceeds, the five of you will be requested to visit to ensure that he is being treated as a Navajo emissary should be honored."

"Why us?" Roy asked. "Shouldn't it be Regan and his Dad?"

"On Clan business and Navajo business, where one goes you all go," Kneau stated. "The Clan takes Native American traditions seriously; in fact, the educational system is ran by the Seminole tribe. While they don't force us to believe in any religious system, the Native American beliefs tend to be closest to both Clan and Vulcan values."

"YOU get to explain that one to Mom!" both Roy and Val stated in unison.

"Chief Tecumseh will do that," Kneau smiled. "Usually while giving them a tour of the school at Camp Little Eagle. You'll probably meet him when we get back to your place, since Chief Silverhawk is probably going to invite him for the ceremony to acknowledge the new stage of life the five of you have entered. Besides, four of you need your new names as you are now considered warriors."

"Five," Regan corrected, "mine isn't official yet, it's supposed to happen on my 15th birthday."

"You're getting it early, then," Kneau observed. "Plan on a big party; the Clan takes pride in members who get recognized like that."

"ANOTHER one?" Tommy muttered.

"Don't worry, you'll look cute in buckskin!" Regan giggled. "At least you already have long hair; I can't grow mine out until I'm official."

Kneau smiled, then became serious. "One more thing, and this is really important. Tommy has a lot of trouble talking about this, just like anyone else that has suffered the same abuse. It doesn't change who he is, but it does change how certain things need to be approached. Before Tommy went to jail, his mother's boyfriend forced him to approach men for oral sex, then the boyfriend would come in and blackmail the target for money. between that and the other types of abuse that Tommy suffered from them, both adults were terminated after a Vulcan trial once our Special Operations team located them. The guards at Spring Ridge made sure that the other inmates knew about it, so the older ones were 'allowed' by the guards to repeatedly rape Tommy."

Kneau waited while all four boys smothered Tommy in a group hug, telling him without words that they were not going to reject him. After a few minutes, the hug finally broke with each boy giving him a kiss for comfort. Once they had returned to their previous seats, all of them in a somber mood, Kneau continued. "Like all victims, Tommy will panic if put in a sexual situation without being asked first; he also can panic if things move too fast. The best way to help him is to act like you did when you all were just discovering your body. Ask first, talk openly about how both you and him feel, and take it slow."

"I'm issuing you commbadges while we are here; they are monitored by multiple self-aware AI systems to make sure that you are always safe. those systems will know if anyone says 'NO' to an advance, and will dispatch help if the no is ignored. Just so you know about it, ignoring the word no is an instant cause to be telepathically scanned and placed on trial. Rape carries a possible death sentence within the Clan, as it does on Vulcan. If Tommy says Stop or wait, you need to do that to allow him to deal with whatever was brought up in his mind. If he panics, all you need to do is state 'we need help'; either Antonio or his brother Chris will transport to wherever you are to make sure that Tommy doesn't go into a full panic attack."

"As scary as that sounds, the longer you wait to share that with him, the harder it will be for him to handle it. Each time he'll be able to handle a little more, so don't be discouraged; he can't control this, but it can be fixed with love and patience. Sometimes, something he was okay with a few days ago will trip a memory the next time you do it; that's normal too, and it will happen less as he builds happy memories. He might just watch sometimes, too; just remember that seeing all of you happy and enjoying sex is just as much help as actually doing it himself."

"Tommy?" Jack risked, "Did they ever lay down with you and rub weiners with you until both of you felt good?"

Tommy shook his head, not really comfortable with the topic, but understanding that Kneau was giving voice to his thoughts.

"Maybe if you watch me and Roy do that, then you can try it with both of us." Jack stated. "After we're sure it's okay, then Regan and Val could do it with you too, that way you know none of us will hurt you."

Tommy gave Jack a small smile. "That might actually work. It's up to everyone, not just me."

"I wasn't gonna ask anyone else unless you liked the idea first," Jack explained.

"I'm game," Roy added. "It'll help Tommy, and I'll get the chance to get to know our youngest family member better."

"Regan and I can watch the first times," Val added. "That way we can catch it if Tommy's looking uncomfortable."

Roy nodded. "I think for now, anyone not involved needs to watch; that way Tommy knows that he's safe."

"You'd do that for me?" Tommy asked.

Roy nodded, "That, and a whole lot of other things if it means you're here and safe."

*************************

Archnania, two weeks of experienced time later:

Kneau smiled as he found the five boys in what they had decided was their favorite swimming pond. While none of the five were anywhere close to resolving their individual traumas, the break from their busy Alpha-Prime lives had allowed them the time to openly share the fears and trials of their lives; the act of learning that they were not alone gave all of them strength and trust that was needed. Kneau was surprised when he found out that all four of them had one very dangerous thing in common; they had either attempted suicide, were preparing to attempt it, or in Tommy's case, prevented from attempting it by his situation.

For everyone but Roy, Tommy, and Jack, the general issue stemmed from the isolation that came with the status of their parents. Their 'friends' consisted of kids who wanted to know them because of who their parents were, not because of each of them as a person. For Val and Regan, the only true friends that they had were each other and Roy, with Tommy just joining the list, and Jack still being suspect as to why he was so intent on being a friend. Roy had the two of them plus Tommy, with Tommy being the closest. Jack had the curse of being the smartest kid in his class; the only time anyone wanted to spend time with him outside school was classroom-related; there was also something else, but Jack kept whatever it was locked tight in his head.

The shared experiences of the group had done the job that was intended by Danny having Kneau bring them here; all five now accepted the other four as true friends who didn't care about what family each other came from or how smart anyone was.

"How's it goin'?" Dylan giggled as he popped in, causing Kneau to jump.

Turning around, Kneau found not only Dylan, but also his husband Thomas and their son Jimmy. "Someone needs to attach bells to all of the Mikyvis!" Kneau quipped.

"That wouldn't be as fun!" Thomas grinned. "How are our guests doing?"

"They've spent the last few days just exploring and being normal kids," Kneau replied. "I'm pretty sure that if they had their way, they'd just stay here."

Dylan and Thomas exchanged grins, then Thomas vanished. "I think we can fix that," Dylan smiled. "Uncle G wanted us to let him know which timeline they chose; I think he might have a present for them."

"Now I'm scared," Kneau smiled. "Seriously, from the outside, they seem better, but I'm not sure about their insides."

"You did good; you gave them just enough to open up to each other," Dylan stated. "They're heading towards the right path now, so we just need to let them decide where it leads."

"Daddy Dylan, you're confusing him again!" Jimmy giggled.

"Great!" Dylan laughed as he started tickling Jimmy.

Thomas returned a few seconds later, rolling his eyes before saying "Uncle G is having fun again!" After giving the seemingly six-year-old golden-blond-haired boy on his hip a squeeze, he continued, "This little guy is Aldrich. Uncle G rescued him from a timeline where Elves are real, upgraded him to a semi-Mikyvis to allow him to exist here, then sent him over so that Roy and Tommy can have a little brother to spoil. He's actually ten Alpha-Prime years old even though he looks six."

"Welcome home, Aldrich," Kneau smiled. "I think your new mom is going to love your hair; she already spends more time on Tommy's hair than she does on her own!"

"How much did he get? Miah is going to ask yesterday," Dylan queried.

"Full Time bouncing and teleport ability," Thomas replied. "Ageless like us, but no mental skills other than any he might have naturally. He can travel timelines, but is out-of-phase anywhere but here or Alpha Prime."

Dylan nodded. "Okay, we're going to want to do some training before we leave; knowing Uncle G there's a surprise hidden somewhere!"

Having spotted the new arrivals, the five previously-swimming boys came over to investigate, none of them in the least bit concerned that they had been swimming naked. "Who are the new guys, Kneau?" Roy asked, Tommy safely under one arm and Jack under the other.

"The purple-haired clown is Dylan, the one holding the little guy is his husband Thomas, the kid munching on a cookie is their son, Jimmy, and the little guy that Thomas is holding is about to become you and Tommy's little brother - his name's Aldrich.

"No fair, both of my brothers have longer hair than me!" Roy giggled. "Hey Aldrich; why don't you come over here and join the pile while we sit down and see if these guys can explain this?"

"You take him to his brothers, I'll fix the hair!" Dylan giggled.

"Deal!" Thomas grinned. By the time he reached Roy, all five boys were staring at each other in shock, as they all had hair the same length as Tommy's.

"Didn't anyone warn you not to make comments like that when Dylan's nearby?" Thomas quipped as he let Aldrich down. "Go ahead and cuddle with your new brothers, Aldrich," he added.

Once all six were seated, Aldrich safely on Tommy's lap, Kneau started the explanation. "First off, you guys can thank Dylan and Thomas for this little vacation. They were the ones who made sure that you made it to today after Tommy's medical problem. Both of them are one of the possible ways Humanity could be heading towards in the future - Dylan's parents are the very first of their branch of Humanity."

"What's different besides Dylan's hair games?" Roy asked.

"They exist in all of Time, in all Timelines, in all Universes," Kneau stated. "They can only be seen in whichever of those they choose; but they always come back to their home in our Universe by their own choice."

"Why us?" Tommy asked softly.

"Because I like you guys and I hope we can be friends," Dylan said seriously. "When your Dad told us about what happened, I went back in time to make a detailed report. I got to see all of you at your best and when you were feeling your worst, and I decided it was time to help you make your lives better."

"Thanks," Roy smiled. "Will we ever get to come back here?"

Dylan grinned as he nodded. "Pretty much any time you want to! If you can't talk your new little brother into it, call me or Thomas; we're here a lot, so you can tag along whenever you want!"

"I can do that?" Aldrich asked in a musical voice that was almost hypnotic.

"That's one of the things we'll teach you," Dylan replied with a smile as he saw the excitement in Aldrich's gold eyes.

*************************

The following week:

"...so in some way, all of us are a Prince," Chance finished as they all waited for their breakfast to be served. "Grandma Lizzy just decided that she needed to make it official, so by being Clan she declared all of us Princes officially. Usually she doesn't do that, she lets us ask for the honor; in our cases, she wanted to make sure all of us had the titles to back the authority that we were born or adopted into."

"I still don't understand why all these adults are doing that," Tommy admitted, having become comfortable enough with the members of the small group to open up to them.

"They realize that society has screwed up," Chance explained. "I'm a good example of that; I was being trained to do things a certain way when it became time for our world to move up to where we are now. Unlike the other Chances before me, I didn't just go along with the prophecy; I thought for myself, and outright rejected the bullcrap that I thought was wrong to do. Uncle Galli says that me doing that is why this world turned out like it did after the change. We're young enough to clearly see where the adults are screwing up by leaving things like they were, but old enough to listen to the issues that they have had before with trying to change it."

"The difference is, we've been given the power to override the really old people who refuse to change, so we are fixing things. Dad's still the King, but that's because I understand that if I took that position like I was supposed to, I wouldn't be as free to fix things. He tells me problems to look out for; but once I've worked out how to avoid them, it's my word that makes it law. Nobody here questions it, because they know that I'm working with all of my Clan family to get everything right, not just making my ideas law with no input."

"So what would happen if I said that guards that do what they did to me should be an immediate death sentence?" Tommy asked.

"CJ and Chad might pass it up to Danny," Chance replied. "They could approve it, but I don't think they'd be comfortable doing it. Danny most likely would agree with you, but he'd still tell Cory so that it could be made official. Since it is a death sentence, Cory would have Justy check with Grandpa Sarek to make sure that it meets Vulcan law for logical punishment, then it would be approved and added to the Safe Haven Act."

"Grandpa Sarek just stated that it is in accordance with Vulcan Penal Code," Antonio stated as him and his brother Chris appeared at the table. "He said to tell you that your understanding of Vulcan laws regarding youth is commendable, Tommy."

"What?" Tommy asked in shock.

Antonio smiled. "CJ and Chad asked me and Dylan to keep them informed on how all of you are doing. They took your question as a request for a ruling, and pretty much did just what Chance thought they would. Danny and Cory knew that it would meet the requirements of Vulcan law, but still passed it to Justy so that he could get Grandpa Sarek's advice on what safety measures needed to be in-place to eliminate false charges. Pretty much, if witnessed by a Clan member, the punishment is immediate; otherwise, the standard telepathic scan is required, but there's not as much choice in the punishment if found guilty."

"So Tommy just made a law by asking about it?" Roy asked with wide eyes.

Chris nodded as he replied, "The rest of us would only be guessing about where they crossed the line, but Tommy's been there. Between what was learned from him by Clan Intel, and what was learned in the trials of the guards and the scans of his fellow inmates, we now have enough information to make it very specific. Tommy, just so you know, we found out that those bigger kids that raped you did it under threats from the guards that they would receive serious punishment if they didn't do it. There's a whole line of kids that are hoping that they can ask you to forgive them once you're ready."

"They had to do it so they didn't end up like me?" Tommy asked uncertainly.

"Like you ... or worse," Chris confirmed. "They were just a different type of victim."

"What happened to them in the trials?" Tommy asked warily.

"Under Vulcan law," Chris explained, "If telepathic scans prove they only violated the law under duress, the charges against them are transferred to the person who was placing them under duress. None of them ended up being charged for rape; instead, the guards ended up with rape by proxy charges. All of their other charges that they were being held on were reviewed, and those that were not cleared of false charges were re-assigned to more appropriate punishments."

"Only six inmates are still incarcerated; those six are transferred to one of the minimum security Federation prison planets to receive rehabilitation help. All of the others were either not guilty, guilty but acting under duress, or already rehabilitated and eligible for release. Due to concerns with returning them to their families, mostly because the family either directly or indirectly caused their violation of law, all of them have been brought into Family Clan Short as wards of the Clan and are being given the chance to put their lives back on the right track."

Antonio nodded. "Oh, Tommy? Your first lawyer was in on the corruption ring; he's making big rocks into little rocks on a Class 3 prison planet now."

"How do we know it isn't going to happen again?" Val asked, his concern stemming from what he now knew about Tommy's experience.

"Your Mom went on the warpath," Antonio giggled, "remind me to never piss her off! Between her, Uncle Walter, and the Governor, the entire Arizona justice system is learning that they ain't as immune as they thought they were. The Governor declared a State of Emergency within seconds of your Mom giving him the official transcripts of Tommy's experience."

"Your Mom called in Federation Security to temporarily take over the entire justice system in Arizona until such time as they can complete a detailed review of every single person who is either employed by or a prisoner of the system. Uncle Walter called for an emergency session of the Arizona House and Senate; it was granted due to the State of Emergency."

"An hour later, after Aunt Marge came in and gave both Houses a piece of her mind regarding Tommy, it was voted that Family Clan Short was to immediately take over the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice systems in the State. The Governor signed it before it stopped sliding across his desk."

"Aunt Marge?" Tommy asked in shock.

Antonio nodded. "Tommy, at first she had no idea what you went through. That's why she didn't trust you; the only things she knew is what the legal system said. The more she learns, the madder she is getting about what happened to you, and the madder she's getting at herself for not taking you away from your mother before she vanished again. If she didn't actually love you and want you, the Clan wouldn't let you live in the same house as her, no matter what position Uncle Walter holds. There's a reason she changed after the arguments with Uncle Walter; he told her the truth. After that, she wasn't always mad at you; she was always mad at herself for not seeing it and stopping it. Aunt Teri is helping her with that, but just like how it's going to take time for you to trust her, it's going to take time for her to forgive herself for what happened to you."

"Mom blames herself?" Roy asked.

"Yes," Antonio explained, "before they vanished and everything happened to Tommy, she had suggested that Tommy stay with your family while his Mom got back on her feet. Tommy's mother said no, and Aunt Marge didn't force it. Before you get too mad, Roy, there's something that Cory's first son, Timmy, said that we call Timmy's Law. Cory had just saved Timmy's life, and adopted him because it was Timmy's father's dying wish. Cory started to have a breakdown like you did when Tommy vanished, but pulled out of it when Timmy told him 'Sometimes bad things gotta happen so good things can happen'."

"Timmy was six seconds from being dead, too," Chris added seriously. "Cory disarmed the bomb that would have killed him just before it went off. Instead, the only injury Timmy had was a broken arm. He was only five years old at the time."

 Roy's face was pale as he considered what he'd just heard. "What good can happen because of what Tommy went through?" he whispered.

Regan spoke before anyone else could reply, his eyes staring into empty space. "I usually let you guys laugh when I say my spirit says something. Do not dishonor me with laughing this time; the Great Spirit has knowledge above all of us. Tommy is now our Brother because he was returned to his Mother after staying with Roy for a while. His Trials taught him things which will help others in the future. Many lives were changed to a new path by the discovery of his Trials. Our Gathering to support each other would not have occurred in the way it did with Tommy present at the time. Seek not the changing of the past, but use the lessons taught to affect the future."

"Thank you for your guidance and wisdom, Chief Silverhawk," Antonio stated seriously.

"So if Mom didn't run off with me when she did," Tommy clarified, "we might not all be together now, and I could still be stuck in jail?"

Antonio nodded. "Exactly; from what Regan just said, you all needed to go through what you did to make today happen."

Tommy got up and went over to Regan, giving him a hug from behind. "Thanks for helping me understand, bro. It helps a lot knowing there was a reason, even if I don't understand it yet."

"I'm confused too," Regan admitted, "but I trust the Great Spirit to reveal things when the Time is right."

"I think you need to teach the rest of us to do that," Val quipped. "I'm sorry for making fun of you; I guess I didn't understand what you were saying."

"You understood when you were ready," Regan explained. "I knew that, which is why I didn't really get mad when you did it."

"My son, Yist," Antonio explained, "was brought from a long time ago to the present because he was needed in the current time to allow Family Clan Short to form. His Father was the tribal 'Medicine Man' back then, and Yist brought his knowledge of past customs with him. We learned from him that tribal customs regarding the Great Spirit have not changed that much in over a century, but in comparison, due to some events in the Dark Ages, important pieces of other religions were lost. That's how some of these churches that preach hate ended up forming; in the past, the parts that prevented it got buried."

"Does that mean Roy and I need to compare what we were taught in church to what Regan was taught to figure out the truth?" Val asked.

"As long as you remember that the Great Spirit and the God that you were taught about is one and the same," Antonio stated. "Sooner or later you're gonna meet our Guardian Angels in person; I think both of you will recognize one of them - Saint Mikey of Urbandale."

"Saint Mikey is OUR Guardian Angel?" Roy asked, shocked.

"He's Cory's big brother, so that makes you part of his family," Antonio grinned. "Since one of his assistants, Davie, has claimed brotherhood with CJ and Chad, you'll probably be seeing him a lot, too." After a pause, Antonio added, "Thinking about it, Pablito's probably hanging around as well; he tends to look out for people who have suffered like Tommy did."

"I thought I told you to stop that shit, it ruins my fun when you warn people!" a voice announced from behind Antonio.

"Bite me, Pabs!" Antonio giggled.

Pablito decided to make himself visible, wearing a shirt that stated 'Heaven don't want me, and Hell's afraid I'll take over!'. After showing his wings and halo long enough for everyone to realize he was actually an angel, he hid them and then grabbed a chair. "Okay, now that the Guardian Angel wing and halo shit's done, I'm Pablito, the sane one of your Guardian Angels!"

"BULLSHIT!" two male and one female voices exclaimed from nowhere.

"You're just jealous!" Pablito sniggered. "Tommy? Satan say to tell you that you're not even close to being on his list, so stop worrying!"

"Somehow, I never thought meeting an Angel would be like this!" Regan quipped.

"You'll get used to it," Pablito grinned. "Just a heads-up; we're taking advantage of Tommy being healed faster than normal doctors can do. Since 'Tonio is the definition of abnormal, we're gonna screw with things to make sure all the shit's hit the fan before you all re-appear in normal time. Mikey and Candy are explaining it to the adults, and Davie's handling CJ, Chad, and their crew. I'll let Dilly know when to bring you to. One other thing; I need to fix a few things that G couldn't do for Aldrich. As funny as it would be to see him hypnotizing everyone back home every time he talks, the Boss says it would fuck with them too much."

"So THAT is why you've been so quiet!" Roy giggled as he reached over and gave Aldrich's shoulder a squeeze.

"Uh-huh!" Aldrich sang.

Pablito walked over and put his hand on Aldrich's head, which immediately started to glow. After a few seconds, the glow faded and Pablito removed his hand. "There, now he's got conscious control of his abilities that coming to Alpha Prime gives him. In his old world, he was on his way to being a major mage; I can't wait until he pays his big brothers back the first time they pick on him!"

"I like my new big brothers," Aldrich smirked. "I wonder if this stuff works on potty-mouth angels though?"

"We'll try that later," Pablito grinned. "Knowing the Boss, anything's possible! 'Tonio? You've got a couple of gifts to check in, Dilly's bringing them shortly. Grandma Morrison wants to help Aunt Marge, so I'm going to join them!"

"Have fun!" Antonio laughed seconds before Pablito vanished.

"Does he always cuss like that?" Roy asked as soon as he was gone.

Chris nodded. "Actually, he was being good; you should hear him when he's mad!"

"He explained a bunch of things in my head," Aldrich stated. "I can control my voice now, so I don't have to concentrate to talk. He told me to just take time to explain it this week, because we need to stay here a little more. Uncle Chance? He said to tell you that everyone else needs a full language dump; he told me that my head is immune to telepaths here, so he's going to make sure I get any updates."

Chance closed his eyes for a second, then replied. "Thanks for telling me about your head; I just notified Clan Intel and the VSO about it, and explained why. Kyle says he'd like to sit down with you and do some testing, just to make sure that your natural ability doesn't have any holes. Uncle Spock will want to test you against Vulcan methods as well, just to be safe. Do you have any defensive protections, and if so, are they automatic or under your control?"

"I can control them unless it is a surprise," Aldrich explained. "Uncle Kyle and Uncle Spock need to be slow about it, though; Pablito says I'm able to burn out the telepaths on Earth if they force me to react automatically."

"Okay; Kyle was listening through me, so he's going to check in with Pablito before testing," Chance stated. "Would you be okay with Cam listening in and passing on what you tell your brothers about yourself?"

Aldrich nodded. "Yeah, that way you can pass it on if someone needs to know."

The conversation was interrupted by Dylan appearing with three boys that none of them had ever met. "Hey guys, did we beat the food being served?" Dylan grinned.

"The kitchen's still recovering from the last time you ate here, Dad!" Chance giggled.

Dylan stuck out his tongue, then addressed the rest of the group. "Hey guys; these three need some big brothers. All of their parents moved to a Federation prison planet for doing things parents are not supposed to do." Dylan paused, whispered with the three new boys for a few seconds, then turned back to the table. "These guys are going to trust what I've seen and let me pick their family. They want me to call their new big brother over to get each of them, so I'll introduce them one at a time. Jack, you get to come over first!"

Jack's eyes went wide as he pointed at himself. 

 "Yeah, you!" Dylan giggled.

Jack stumbled over, his shock obvious. "I ... I really ... I really get a little brother?"

"Yes, you've earned it," Dylan stated softly. Once Jack was standing nervously in front of him, Dylan put his hand on the youngest boy's shoulder. "Jack, this is Damon. He just turned seven, and he's just as nervous as you're feeling right now. Do you accept him as your brother, and promise to teach him right from wrong, helping him to grow into someone that you're proud of?"

Jack looked at the thin redhead who was nervously watching him. One look into the green eyes that showed more pain than Jack had ever seen made up his mind. "C'mon Damon; it looks like you need some brother cuddles."

A second later, Jack found that he had a new brother latched onto him for dear life. He carefully worked his way back to his chair, then once seated he guided Damon onto his lap before pulling him into a tight hug that he wasn't planning on releasing any time soon.

"Regan, you're next!" Dylan smiled.

Regan nodded and quickly made his way over to Dylan. Once ready, Dylan guided an obviously Native American nine-year-old forward. "Regan, Son of Chief Silverhawk of the Navajo Nation, Tarak Naiche of the White Mountain Apache seeks asylum within your Nation."

"The Navajo Nation grants asylum," Regan stated formally. "Come, my brother; the Spirits sing with joy as you join our family. What does your Spirit tell you regarding your current last name?"

"It no longer carries honor, Wise One;" Tarak stated softly.

"Dylan, the Navajo Nation accepts Tarak Silverhawk as youngest son of Chief Silverhawk. He is to be listed as a permanent member of our Nation."

"Thank you; I will make sure all records are updated," Dylan replied.

Smiling at Tarak, Regan softly commented "I believe this is the time that you start collecting some cuddles, little brother!"

Tarak slowly made his way to Regan, unsure if what just happened was real. When he felt Regan's arms pulling him into a cuddle, he suddenly latched on tightly, tears that he'd been holding for way too long streaming down his face.

"I'll pop the two of you over to your chair, Regan," Dylan stated softly.

"Val, your turn," Dylan said once Regan and Tarak were settled in.

Val came over and stood in front of the eleven-year- old blond that was left, greeting him with a big smile. "I'm Val, little brother. What's your name?"

"Kent Kent," the boy muttered softly.

"Ouch," Val winced, "that sucks! How's the last name Clarke sound - it's spelled with an E at the end."

Kent looked up at Val, his hazel eyes searching for any signs this was a trick. "Really?"

"Really," Val replied. "I'm sure someone's gonna call you Superman sooner or later, but you can just smile and tell them that they'll never know for sure. It's better than your old name!"

Kent slipped under Val's right arm, reaching around and pulling himself into his new brother's side.

"C'mon, let's grab a seat, then you can catch up on cuddles too; in our family, you're never too old for them!"

Dylan looked over at Chance. "Do you think we should warn the parents?"

Chance tilted his head, then grinned. "Nahh; it's too much fun seeing their faces!"

*************************

To be continued...