Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:37:46 -0600
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: A Light in the Darkness, Chapter 4
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction which will include t/t and
m/m relationships, and probably some sex too. If it is illegal in your
area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who
you are), stop here. Otherwise, please enjoy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is a companion story to "Things that Go Bump."
The story lines are related and the characters will occasionally interact.
The stories begin at roughly the same time. My sincerest thanks go out to
Darryl AKA the Radio Rancher (darryltheradiorancher@gmail.com) who kindly
edited this chapter, and John aka Tigger who read an advance copy and did
the same. And thanks to everyone for writing such encouraging emails.
A Light in the Darkness, Chapter 4
"Into the Open"
There was no alarm in the morning, and Chase woke up sometime after
eight. He rolled over, reached out and ran his hand across William's tight
abs and exposed nakedness.
"Hmmm," William moaned, before grabbing Chase and pulling the boy up
onto him, running both hands down the boy's back and cupping his cheeks
with his hands.
"Ahh," Chase groaned, kissing the strong boy beneath him. Nibbling his
earlobe, the boy whispered, "Since I can't have my first top on my
birthday, maybe I can have my first bottom?"
"A present we'll both enjoy...." William said, smiling. Then, it
suddenly occurred to him. "What time is it, Chase?"
"About 8:45...."
"Still time! I gotta get ready, I need to get down to the
synagogue...."
"What?" Chase was at a total loss. William gave Chase the 10-second
summary of how he had met this man who had been a friend of his father's
and had invited him to their services, and Chase didn't think he wanted to
go but then he decided he did and now it was time.... "All righty then....
Run, shower!"
William hopped in the shower, and about a minute later heard the door
open and soft footsteps cross the room. Chase pulled back the curtain and
stepped into the shower with William and started washing.
"What," Chase asked, washing his hair. "I'm going with you of course!
Now hurry!" The boys didn't even have time to cop feels, as they finished
showering and ran across the hall to get dressed. Then they ran downstairs
and found Steve at the table.
"We need a ride, dad!" Chase said. "William will explain in the
car...." The man rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys, as William gave a
slightly more full account of his encounter with the rabbi and the man's
invitation, omitting reference to his own heritage.
By car, the trip was short, and the man pulled up in front of the
synagogue, dropping the boys off. "We'll call you to come get us," William
said, smiling and holding up his phone. "Thanks, dad!" The man waved as
he drove off, and William led Chase to the door, which opened as he pushed.
William grabbed a kippah for him and one for Chase from a basket near the
door, and helped Chase put his on. Together, they walked to the door of
the sanctuary, which was quiet inside, so they stepped in. They found
people scattered throughout the room, waiting for services to begin.
They settled into their seats in the back left corner of the room, but
when the rabbi came in and saw them, he led them to seats nearer the front.
"The old folks like to see young faces in the seats," he said, laughing.
"It's good to see you, William," he said. Placing a hand on Chase's
shoulder, he said, "And you must be...."
"Chase, sir, Chase Abernathy, it's nice to meet you...."
"It really is my pleasure, young man.... Extraordinary," the man
proclaimed as he clapped the boy on both arms lightly. He made his way to
the front of the small congregation and got everything set up, before
donning his tallit -- prayer shawl -- and saying a prayer. Then he went to
the back of the room and returned to William with a spare tallit.
Holding it out to the boy, he said, "Repeat after me," and recited the
prayer word by word, William repeating it after him, before placing it
across the boy's shoulders and giving him a hug. "Shabbat shalom," the man
said with a beaming smile.
"Shabbat shalom," William responded, as if in a daze.
"What was that all about," Chase asked, but William had no response.
As the service began, the congregation was chanting the Hebrew, which
neither boy understood, but everything did seem strangely like home to
William. With the tallit across his shoulders, he felt draped in
... holiness.... The service was long, very long, actually, but William
felt comfort, and it seemed like no time to him when it was over. By that
time the room was nearly full, and the congregation was all curious about
the visitors. In small groups, almost everyone came up to William and
Chase to meet them. The rabbi came up between them and put an arm around
each of them.
"Come along, come along, join us for Kiddush.... We all have a little
lunch together...." So the boys followed the rabbi and got a light plate of
food, and sat down with the man and a few families at one of the large
tables in the community hall. The boys had already met, at least in
passing, most of the people at the table, but the rabbi reintroduced them.
"William here is the son of an old friend of mine! He was like the son I
never had.... And Chase is his partner...." Chase blushed until his ears
turned purple over that comment, and a couple of the women at the table
laughed.
William caught their eye and said, "He's cute when he blushes, no?"
But soon enough, he recovered and got involved in a conversation with one
of the families nearby, and William sat back and watched with pride as his
boyfriend charmed the table. William excused himself for a moment and went
to the restroom. But when he emerged he walked back toward the sanctuary.
He was standing in the back, staring toward the ark, when he heard the
rabbi's voice behind him.
"It feels right, doesn't it?"
"Yes," he said, turning around to find the man with his arm around
Chase's shoulder. "You know, I left here the other day not knowing who I
was.... I'd lost all sense of myself, until I found myself in Chase's
arms.... The one place I know exactly who I am," he said, as the boy flew
into his arms again. But William continued, "But I felt something like
that feeling today.... I don't know, but I want to learn more...." The
rabbi nodded, very pleased.
"Come see me early next week.... I'll have some information for you,
and we can talk then.... I can help show you some good books...." William
nodded, and walked with Chase toward the door. Chase made him come back to
the social hall to say goodbye to everyone, and then they left. William
called Steve, and put the phone in his pocket.
While they waited, Chase asked, "So what was all that?"
"I found out that my mother was Jewish ... that I was born a Jew.... I
... need to understand that.... It's part of what I come from...." Chase
hugged his arm and leaned on his shoulder until Steve pulled up.
On the way home, Steve asked, "So how was it?"
"I don't know, but I'll be back, I think...." Steve nodded, and drove
the rest of the way in silence.
Back at home, the boys went upstairs and changed into their casual
clothes, and William laid back on the bed with a book. Chase got on his
computer and browsed the net. Getting bored, he walked over and crawled
onto the bed, laying his head in William's lap. He closed his eyes as
William absentmindedly fingered his hair and read his book, and soon he
dozed off.
"Chase," William whispered about an hour later, "Chase, wake up,
sweetheart...." William patted his chest, and Chase groaned. "Chase, your
friends will be here soon.... We should go downstairs...." Chase sat up
and rubbed his eyes, then he walked across to the bathroom and splashed
some water in his face, and freshened up. William walked downstairs with
him. Steve and Sarah were sitting, talking.
"So," William said with a wicked smile, "we stayed out til after 11
last night, but we came home and heard the strangest noises.... Chase
thought some wild animals might be caught in the back yard.... We thought,
for safety's sake, we ought to stay home tonight and get to the bottom of
that...." Sarah blushed, and Steve tossed a pillow at the boy.
"What movie are you going to see?"
"Who knows," Chase said. "We'll see what everybody wants to see...."
"And who are these kids?"
"Dad! It's Matt and his new girlfriend, and Maria and Susan from a few
streets over, and their boyfriends.... Which reminds me, Matt his been
inviting everybody and his brother to my birthday party, so it may be a
little bigger than usual...."
"So what are we talking about," Steve asked.
"To hear Matt tell it," William said, "You'll definitely need the back
yard for overflow.... At best...." Just then, the door opened and Matt
welcomed himself, dragging Amy behind him.
"Hi, everybody! This is Amy! Amy, you've met Chase, this is his
boyfriend William, and these are his parents, Steve and Sarah...."
The girl stepped forward and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you,
Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy...." Turning to William, she appraised him with a
smile. "So you're Chase's mystery man...."
"I don't know about all that," William said, smiling and taking the
girl's hand, "but I am Chase's...."
The girl smiled and grabbed Chase's arm. "He is sweet...."
"I know.... Oh, that reminds me," Chase said, reaching into his pocket
and handed a piece of paper to William. "I did some research on the net
and thought you might want to take care of this...."
William looked at the paper and smiled: it was the name and phone
number of Charlotte's wedding venue. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make
a call...." In the other room, William called up the hotel and booked the
ballroom for the date Charlotte wanted, providing payment in full. He
asked the staff to call the young woman and let her know it had been taken
care of as a wedding gift from him and Chase.
He returned to the living room and squeezed Chase's shoulder. William
sat on the floor and leaned back against Chase's legs, and when the door
rang again, Steve and Sarah answered it, leaving the kids alone. They
pointed Maria and Susan and their boyfriends toward the living room, and
went into their bedroom to lie down and watch some television. Susan and
Maria stuck their heads into the living area and said hi, and Chase stood
up and held out his hand to William, who pulled himself up.
"Susan, Maria, you guys know everyone but William," Chase said, putting
his arm around the boy's waist proudly.
"Nice to meet you," he said, smiling and holding out his hand to each
of the girls.
"This is my boyfriend, Charles," Maria announced, and the boy shook
hands with William and Chase.
"And this is Edward," Susan introduced the quiet looking boy to her
left, who nodded shyly to them.
Susan whispered something to him, and he stepped forward with an
embarrassed cough and said with a light British clip, "I... I'm sorry....
It's nice to meet you chaps.... Edward Boyle...."
Chase took his hand warmly in both hands and smiled. "You're English?"
"We moved to America when I was eleven, but I suppose it's dead
obvious...."
"Nothing to be ashamed of," Matt laughed. "The girls love the British
accent...."
"If you can talk to them," Edward laughed, smiling at Susan.
They all got to know each other a little better, but at last Matt took
the lead. "I thought we could hang out at the mall, get some food at the
food court, and catch a movie...." They all agreed that that sounded good.
"I can drive," he said. "Who else can drive? We can all go in two cars."
Charles had driven the four of them over, so he drove his group to the
mall, and Matt drove Amy, Chase and William....
The little group had a lot of fun at the food court and walking around
the mall, and William picked up a few new additions to his wardrobe since
he had lost most of his clothes.... Edward and Susan stayed close to
Chase, Edward almost doting on the boy. Clearly, William thought, his
experience in America had not been positive, and he was drawn to anyone who
showed him a little kindness.
William got Susan alone for a moment and said, fishing for an
explanation, "If I didn't know better, I'd say your boyfriend was sweet on
Chase...." Susan just smiled and shrugged. "He's had a hard time?"
"It's not my place to say," she said, "but give him a chance and he'll
probably tell you himself...."
Chase and Edward, happily chatting, Chase guiding himself by the boy's
arm, had gotten far enough ahead of them to be out of sight, and Matt and
Ann had ducked into a store with Maria and Charles. Suddenly, a small
group of jocks blocked their path.
"Hey, if it aint the school queers.... Your boyfriend know you're out
with another guy, Chase?" The boys were emboldened as they taunted the shy
English boy and the diminutive blind kid. "I think it's going to be a bad
night for you two...." In a surprising show of courage, Edward stepped in
front of Chase and stood quietly. "Well, isn't that sweet, he's going to
protect his little boyfriend," the boy said, lurching forward and laughing
when Edward cringed.
Chase reached forward and grabbed Edward's arm. "Let's just get out of
here," he whispered.
Another one of the boys laughed and said, "You aren't going
anywhere...."
"Oh, no?" William said as he walked calmly past Chase and Edward. A
couple of the boys had seen him at school that day and they tried to blend
into the crowd and walk away, but Chase pointed at them. "Hey, you, where
are you going? It's no use, I know your faces...." The boys stopped in
their tracks.
The big boy, shrugging of his friend's hand, stepped forward, with a
derisive laugh. "I was expecting ... more...." William's hand shot out
like lightning, two fingers striking a pressure point at the base of the
boy's neck, doubling him over. It happened so fast, passers-by had no idea
anything had happened.
William leaned over and said, loud enough for the boy's friends to
hear, "This is over.... No more.... I'd like to show you all what I can
do, but I can't take my boyfriend and friends to the movie if I get
arrested for attempted murder." Standing up, he pointed at each of the
remaining boys, one by one, "You all ... get one last free pass.... But
any one of my friends gets hurt, ever, from here on out, I don't care if
you did it ... I'm coming for you. So maybe you'll watch their backs, make
sure none of your friends bumps into them in the hall, or anything like
that. Yeah?" The boys nodded and walked off, leaving their friend in
pain. "You! Get outta here...." The boy stood up shakily and headed for
the nearest exit.
William took Edward by both shoulders and looked into his eyes, and
asked, "Edward, you okay?"
"Yeah," he said, a little dazed. Smiling, he said, "That was fucking
brilliant!"
William gave him a hug and whispered, "I saw what you did for Chase,
getting between him and those guys.... That means the world to me...."
William patted the boy on the arm as he backed up, pretending to ignore the
moisture in the boy's eyes.
"What happened," Matt asked as they came out of the store they'd been
browsing.
"Jocks," Susan said with disgust.
But Edward smiled, "... got handed their asses, proper...."
Matt laughed -- been there, seen that -- but Edward regaled the rest of
them with his tale of their encounter and William's 'badassery.' The rest
of the night passed without incident, and the movie was funny but
forgettable.
Sunday brought boredom.... William went out for an early morning run
and finished with a workout in his lab, then he showered and woke Chase
with a kiss. The boys mostly just watched TV and read, and Matt came over
for a long time. Sarah found the boys laying around in the living room in
the afternoon and made them go with her to buy party supplies, both to get
their input and make them carry all the stuff inside when they got home.
The next day, with the boys back in school, William started to get into
a routine, running and exercising early in the morning, then working on his
magic in the lab, before returning to the house for lunch and study. When
Chase came home he cleared out of the house and got back to work in the lab
so he wouldn't distract Chase from his homework. On Monday afternoon,
William had a very particular task to achieve -- he would concoct a very
dangerous potion known as "the deep waters."
At his workstation, he triple-distilled a half-gallon of water, which
he then placed in his cauldron, slowly adding the ingredients which
included the tale of a scorpion, the venom of a snake, and
deadly-nightshade. Carefully, he brought the boiling cauldron into his
inner room and sat it on a prepared fire. In his right hand, he held his
wand, and in his left hand, he held a scroll he had carefully copied out --
on natural parchment, the letters were written in his own blood. In Latin,
he spoke, "Potentest of poisons, darkest night and deepest death, bow
before the light of love, submit to the heart of man, give up your
sting...." At the last word, he dropped the scroll into the cauldron and
stood at ready as a small explosion rocked the room. But it was the effect
he was expecting and he contained the explosion with his wand, suspending
the airborne liquid in midair and, by the force of his will, collecting it
into a single location and capturing it in a jar. The effort of
controlling the explosion drained every ounce of his energy, and he managed
to get the substance locked away and half way to the house before he
collapsed.
When he came to a few minutes later, he could not call out and he could
barely move. Resting his head on his arm, he closed his eyes; as much as
he hated to scare Chase, he knew the boy was the only one who would hear
him. Chase, he concentrated his mind. Chase, I need help. Chase.... He
was too exhausted to even maintain that level of focus for more than a few
seconds. But soon, he heard the door open and the sweet, soft voice
calling for him.
"Chase," he managed a low moan, but the boy's hearing was well-tuned.
"Dad," Chase called for Steve, "something's wrong...." Soon enough,
the man was kneeling at his side.
"William, William, are you alright?"
"I...." William couldn't finish, instead nodding weakly. Steve
wrapped his arms around the boy and helped him to his feet, but realized
that the boy would be no help in bearing his own weight, so he called Chase
to come down and help support William's other side.
"Be careful, son," he cautioned, but Chase showed himself to be
stronger than anyone realized in the circumstance. Inside, they laid the
boy on the couch in Steve's office and tried to decide what to do. Sarah
was just coming in the door, so she checked his vitals and he seemed okay
on that front. Steve wanted to call Aiden, but Chase was worried that
Xavier would overreact.
"Call Rabbi Roth," the boy said, running upstairs and grabbing
William's wallet. "His private number is on the card...."
"Why would we call a rabbi," Steve asked, thinking his son had lost it.
"Rabbi Roth is ... like them, a wizard or whatever...."
Now things fell into place for Steve, and he opened the wallet and
found the man's card. He dialed the number, but handed the phone to his
son.
"William?" The man answered, having seen the Abernathy name on his
caller id.
"Rabbi Roth? It's Chase...."
"Yes, how are you, my boy?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but ... I just found William collapsed in the back
yard, coming back from his lab...."
"What's your address," the man asked, and Chase could hear the man
gathering his things as he took down the street number. "I'll be there in
five minutes...." In less time than that, the man came bustling through
the front door, dispensing with knocking. "I'm glad this is the right
house," the man said with a little laugh as he walked past the gathered
family and sat next to William on the couch.
He placed his hand over the boy's heart and said, "Well, he's fine
physically...." Closing his eyes, the man concentrated, looking into the
boy. At last, he smiled, "He's fine, he'll be fine.... Just playing in
the deep end of the pool, so to speak.... I can revive him a little if
someone can spare a little energy...." Without a moment's thought, Chase
was on his knees next to William.
Sarah and Steve were about to object, when the man smiled and held up
his hand. "Absolutely no long-term side effects! Not even short-term side
effects that can't be countered with a hearty meal and a nice long sleep!"
Steve nodded and Sarah looked nervous.
Smiling at Chase, the man reached out and took his hand, and placed it
palm down over the heart, with both of his on top of it. Closing his eyes,
he directed a small amount of Chase's psychic energy down through his arms
into William's chest.
"That's it," the man proclaimed after a few short moments. He helped
Chase to his feet, and together they helped William sit up, and sat on
either side of him. "How do you feel, Chase?"
"Like I could use a nap, but fine.... Thank you for coming and
helping...."
Looking at William, Roth continued, "As for you, once you're rested up,
you can expect to make this up to me! You had me so scared!" William
looked down sadly and said nothing, but Chase put his arm around him and
gave him a hug.
"Could you all give me a moment alone with William," the man asked, and
they all nodded and Steve closed the door behind them. When he was sure
they were gone, the man turned to the boy and said, "What the hell were you
doing out there? What if you had passed out locked in that building?"
William looked at him in shock, as he'd not talked to the man about how he
had set up his lab. "Don't look so surprised.... You poured so much
powerful magic onto that place that I can feel it from here.... No one I
know could break down those barriers on short notice...." The man softened
and smiled at the boy. "It's actually quite impressive...."
William smiled weakly, and whispered, "Deep waters...."
"What?!" The man looked shocked as he turned to the boy and moved away
slightly.
William's shoulder's fell. "I thought you knew.... That comment you
made swimming in the deep end...."
"Wizards twice your age have died trying to make that potion, you
damned fool!" The old man sounded very much like a grandfather torn in
scolding his grandson for a foolish act but proud of a valiant effort.
"I've never actually seen the deep waters...."
"Would you like to," William asked with a sly smile.
"You mean.... It can't be true...." William nodded and the old man's
pride in the boy overcame his concern.
"Can you walk?"
"Can I borrow your cane," the boy asked with a laugh. The two of them
hobbled from the room and toward the door. Waving off the others, the
rabbi said, "It's alright, we'll only be a moment, no worries...." William
retrieved his wand and opened the outer and inner doors. "You've really
done something impressive here, William. Just the setup is fantastic."
William put his hand on the wall and opened the vault. Carefully he
removed the small jar of clear liquid swirled with glowing blue that didn't
mix in.
"Dear Lord," the man exclaimed, as the boy held out the jar. The man
absolutely refused to take it in his hand, for fear of dropping it. "But
William ... why? If you failed, one drop of the vapor could kill an
average man.... There are only a few reasons one might make this...."
William replaced the jar and asked the man, "If you promise not to say
a word about it, I'll tell you.... After this week, it'll be done in any
case...." The man hesitated, but nodded, and William took out the other
vial and the velvet bag. "Hold out your hand," William asked, and the man
did. William emptied the contents of the bag into his hand, and the man
peered into his palm.
Now he looked at the vial in the boy's other hand and asked, "That
isn't?"
"Essence of fire?" William said, nodding with a hesitant smile.
"Dear Lord," the man repeated, emptying his hand back into the bag.
"Deep waters, essence of fire, and angelic gold.... Most wizards would pay
great sums for any one of these elements.... You are forging a Bond?" The
boy nodded sheepishly, and the man sighed. "Youth!"
"I'm going to do it, " the boy said, with finality.
"I know! I know! But I can't let you do it alone...."
"I want to do it for him, I need to do it by myself...."
"In any case, not alone.... If anything goes wrong, I need to be
there, not only for you, but also for your father and mother.... You're
their memory...." The man felt bad touching that nerve, but anything to
gain the boy's agreement. And he got it. "Anyway, you don't know Hebrew,
so you'll need me to tell you how to pronounce the words that have to be
spoken during the forging at the fires...."
"Have you ever done anything like this before," William asked, grateful
for the man's assistance.
"I've faced grave danger, often side by side with your father.... This
won't be so dangerous, not like dark wizards and demons, anyway.... This
was the most dangerous step, anyway.... But no, nothing such as this... I
don't know when the last time someone approached the fires was...."
"Well, I'm glad you'll be with me...."
"Well, we should get back before someone comes looking.... And you
need to rest up! And I mean it.... No more difficult magic until we meet
for the final stages...."
"I still need the dragon's breath incense...."
The man peered at him above his glasses, and sighed. "Of course....
Then you'll have the four elements.... Not before Wednesday...." The boy
nodded, and the man led him back to the house. Inside, Chase was waiting
by the door, took William by the arm, and had him lay down on the couch,
with his head in Chase's lap. The old man smiled at them and muttered,
"Remarkable...." Turning to Steve and Sarah, he held out his hand. "Sam
Roth.... I don't believe we've been properly introduced," he said with a
laugh.
"Steve Abernathy," the man said, taking his hand, "and this is my wife,
Sarah...."
"I don't know if William's told you, but by an interesting coincidence
we crossed paths in town.... His father was very dear to me...."
They both nodded, and Sarah said, softly, "We're sorry for your
loss...."
The man's bright eyes glistened for a moment, and he responded, "Just
take care of him, for me...." He paused. "Tell me -- if it's too
personal, say so -- what do you think of the boys' devotion for one
another?"
Sarah looked uncomfortable, and Steve said, "They make each other happy
-- but its peculiar how quickly it developed," as they all looked over at
Chase, gently stroking William's face, totally unconcerned with being seen
doing so....
"Not so quickly, I think," the man mused, almost to himself. "Is there
anything unusual about your son -- besides the unexplained blindness, I
mean?"
"No," Steve answered, but Sarah's eyes widened.
Smiling, Rabbi Roth asked, "What is it?"
"Gideon...." It dawned on Steve too, then....
"William's guardian?"
"Apparently, he's been visiting Chase in his sleep for years.... We
only just discovered that...."
"I think ... it's a peculiar thing, but I suspect Gideon was preparing
your son for William, talking to him about love and life and his hopes and
dreams.... And likely he was doing the same with William.... What was it
he said about them?"
"They were destined for each other," Steve responded.
"Well, there you are.... It's not that this developed quickly, it's
that they've been waiting their entire lives for this last week...." The
parents looked overwhelmed, not frightened or unfavorable, just overwhelmed
by the sudden awareness of powers they could not manage at work in the life
of their son. The man smiled, and put his hands on their shoulders. "I
feel privileged to have the opportunity to see them together, as I am
saddened that Alexander and Leah aren't.... Stay open to what develops
between them, and you'll see things in your lives that you couldn't
imagine...." Removing his hands, he stood up straight and declared, "I
really must be going," and happily walked to the door. "See you on
Wednesday, William?" The boy waved from the couch and the man was on his
way....
William laid on Chase til dinner, and after they ate, Chase immediately
helped him upstairs to bed. Chase wasn't tired, so he got on his computer
after William was asleep and used text-to-voice software to listen to his
reading. Around ten, he was asleep, but the next morning when William woke
up, Chase was already long gone. He resumed his morning routine, telling
Steve he was going for a run.
"Don't push it," the man called after him as he jogged down the steps,
waving. William did cut back on the running, as well as the weights, that
day, and he spent the better part of the morning reading on the couch. He
was having lunch with Steve when the doorbell rang. It was the UPS man
with a package for William. Steve looked at it suspiciously, and almost
handed it to the boy, but William took out his wand and contained the
package before taking it to the inner room of his shed. It could have been
from his uncle, but the man knew not to send something like that to him
through the mail, for fear of being discovered. From a distance and behind
a shield, he opened the package, and a powerful explosion blew past the
shield on both sides, reddening his skin somewhat.
Before he left the shed, he picked up his cell phone and called his
uncle. "Montrose Gallery," the man answered.
"Uncle Xavier?"
"You shouldn't call me here...."
"It doesn't matter," the boy broke down in tears. "There was a
bomb...."
"Are you all right? Is everyone alright?"
"I took the package into an inter-dimensional room and exploded it...."
The man smiled in pride at the boy but was obliged to say, "That was
foolhardy...."
"Hmmf.... I saved the house and no one got hurt...."
"Thank God.... I'll be there in an hour or so...."
"Thanks.... Call Aiden and tell him not to take any packages," the boy
said, worrying that they'd all be in danger now. His fear was confirmed
when, as soon as he hung up the phone, he got a call from Rabbi Roth.
"Are you alright William?"
"How did you...."
"I got a package...."
"Me too," William sighed. "Uncle Xavier is on his way, Aiden will
probably come tonight, I imagine.... Can you come over too?"
"I'm going to beef up security here and then I'll be along.... Be
careful," the man said.
Running up to the house, he told Steve, "It was a bomb.... A big
bomb.... Rabbi Roth got one too...."
"Good Lord," Steve exclaimed.
"Now let's go to the school and get Chase," William said, and the man
looked confused.
"We got a bomb, the rabbi got one, I think Aiden will get one at home
-- I already warned him -- I think whoever is behind this might be after
not just me anymore...."
The man grabbed the keys and drove like a wild-man, calling Sarah as he
drove. Neither of them could breath when they arrived at school and cops
had the building blocked up. There was an ambulance out front.
"What's your business here, sir," a cop asked at the gate.
"I'm Chase Abernathy's father...." The man radioed up to his superiors
and let them pass after a few minutes. That did not bode well. They ran
to the school and were stopped a couple of times more. Inside, they spoke
to a detective, who directed them to the library, which was, again, full of
cops. They both breathed a heavy sigh when they saw Chase sitting in a
chair talking to the police.
Running past the policemen, William called "Chase," and fell to his
knees at the boy's feet, "You're alright!"
"Yeah," Chase smiled, but with tears in his eyes, "but they don't know
about Edward...."
"What happened?"
"That's what we're trying to get to, young man.... You are?"
"I'm...."
"He's my boyfriend," Chase said, trying to help.
"I am his boyfriend, but I am also William Jennings.... I've been in
hiding since my home in D.C. was bombed two months ago...." Now all the
attention was on him.
"That kid died in the explosion," the detective said skeptically.
"No, I didn't.... I was on my way back from my friend's house when the
explosion happened.... Since then, I've been hiding out.... I only came
here last week...." A flurry of questions and phone calls followed, and
finally a radio call came through.
"There's a man at the gate -- an Xavier Montrose...."
"That's my uncle," William said. "He can tell you which cops were on
that case...."
A few moments later, Xavier entered the library and put his arms around
both boys. The police questioned him extensively too, but at last both he
and Steve had had enough. "We're taking the boy's home," Steve said.
"We've got more questions," the detective said.
"Well, when the boys are rested and calm, I'll bring them to the
station to talk to you -- on their own time...." The cop didn't look
happy, but he nodded and the police let the two men and the boys go, while
they continued to investigate the scene. Outside, William and Chase got
into Steve's car, and Xavier followed them home. They found Rabbi Roth
sitting inside with Sarah, trying to calm the woman. Steve had explained
briefly about the concerted attacks in his phone call to her, so she took a
cab home, rather than risk her car.
"Alright, Chase, could you tell us exactly what happened at school?"
"I don't know, for sure.... I was walking in the hall with Edward, and
suddenly I heard screaming and a man's voice call my name. I turned, and
before I knew it, I felt Edward push me hard into the wall. Then there was
a shot.... A few seconds later a gun fired at him and he shot a few times
as he ran away.... Edward was shot; I stayed with him until they took him
to the hospital...."
Sarah gasped on hearing about how her son was nearly shot, and William
couldn't help but feel to blame. "I'm sorry, I should never have come
here," he said, putting his head in his hands.
Sarah looked at him and said, a little sharply, "Don't be silly!"
"It's my fault we're all in danger.... Chase could have been killed!"
"But I wasn't.... Now we have to stick together, and somebody has to
help Edward...." Chase declared.
"Is there someone at the hospital we can call," William asked, looking
at Rabbi Roth.
"No one I know," the man said.
"You could help him," Chase said. "You helped William...."
"I'm afraid not, dear boy.... William just needed a transfer of
energy. Mystics specialize in energies, but this young man needs
healing...."
Xavier picked up his phone and called Aiden, who was not yet on his
way. He asked him to see if a doctor friend of theirs in D.C. could visit
the boy, and Aiden said he'd get on that.
William stood up and paced for a minute, before exploding, "Who the
hell is doing this?!"
Xavier sat for a minute and said, "What about the Council?"
"Do you think they can help," William asked.
"He means he thinks they're involved," the rabbi responded, "which is
ridiculous...."
"Is it? My brother-in-law may not have gotten wise about the Council
when I left, but he left the council, he turned his back on them and told
them he wanted no part of them anymore.... They forced you out just
because of your association with him...."
The older man put his hand on his head and said, "You knew he was
thinking of going back?"
"Not true!"
"He was visited by a delegation begging him to return.... They
corrected some old wrongs, and made promises.... He spoke to Consul van
der Meer himself...."
"So someone who didn't want those promises kept, or someone who didn't
want Alexander back at the Council.... But then, it is still a Council
problem," Xavier said with a hint of self-satisfaction.
Grudgingly, Roth admitted, "Perhaps there is a faction.... But all the
more reason to seek the Council's help -- they would deal most harshly with
the responsible parties...."
"Who can we trust?" William asked, letting his uncle know he had
decided. The man shrugged his shoulders at his nephew.
"The Consul of US East is an old friend," Rabbi Roth said. "I'd trust
him with my life...."
"With all our lives," Xavier challenged, and the man looked hard at
William, before nodding.
Roth took out his cell phone and called a number he hadn't in a very
long time. "Who's calling?"
"Who is this," Rabbi Roth asked.
"Colonel Robert Fisher, Central Command...."
"I'm sorry, I was trying to reach Consul van der Meer...."
"Yes, sir.... Who may I say is calling?"
"Sam Roth, code name Viper...." William couldn't help but giggle at
the thought, causing the old man to shoot him a look, though even he
couldn't stifle a laugh back at the boy.
"General!"
"Not any more, boy.... Now what the hell is going on? Why is Central
Command at the consul's residence?"
"There was an assault on his home last night...." Colonel Fisher
filled him in on the recent events that had rocked the Council.
"He's alright?" Roth didn't fail to notice the sharp jerk as Xavier's
eye's filled with fear, before his mask came back up.
"Yes sir!"
"Thank God...."
"However, a friend of his, a human, was taken and ... turned.... His
... companion was injured.... And Avery Salazar was nearly killed...."
"Salazar is back?"
"Yes, he was pardoned in exchange for seeking the Oracle's advice on
behalf of the Council.... But we've been betrayed.... The Oracle was
killed.... We've been infiltrated...."
"Don't I know it.... A friend of mine was killed in an attack a couple
of months ago. His son has been in hiding ever since, but today; the boy
received a bomb, as did his uncle. His boyfriend was nearly assassinated,
his mother's car was probably car-bombed, and I just was able to save my
synagogue from yet another bomb...."
"That's ... disturbing news, sir.... Highly coordinated.... Were all
the attacks in Richmond...."
"No, in D.C. too.... Can you put me on with him, Colonel?"
"Let me see...."
"Hello," a young-sounding male voice answered.
"Sam Roth, sir...."
"How are you, my dear rabbi?" Roth filled him in on the same details
and he could hear the ancient vampire thinking over the line.
"I'm sorry, my friend.... I'm saddened to know that they are going
after allies who aren't even active anymore.... Any idea why they went
after the boys?"
"No, but you know -- knew -- his father.... Alexander Jennings...."
Rabbi Roth noted the gasp on the other end of the line. "
"Jennings.... They said that was an accident...."
"William is far more gifted than either of his parents in some
ways...."
"Hmmm.... Let me consider what assistance I might offer.... I'll get
back to you soon...."
"What's going on Sebastian?"
"Chang sold us out to someone, and the whole organization is riddled
with spies. Right now we're only using secure channels and dealing with
absolutely trusted agents. They've made me High Consul, you know....
Everyone is scared.... I don't suppose you'd consider...."
"Say the word, master...."
"Thank you Samuel.... And don't call me that.... I'll be in touch as
soon as possible.... And Samuel?"
"Yes, my friend?"
"Pray for us all...." Sam sat stunned as he heard those words and sat
back as he aimlessly shoved the phone into his pocket.
Xavier looked at him expectantly before asking, snidely "What has his
highness commanded?"
Sam narrowed his eyes at the man and said, "Yesterday and last night,
the Oracle was killed and Avery Salazar almost died trying to escape, and
renegades working for Chang attached Sebastian's compound, injuring his
companion and killing a dear friend...."
Xavier turned white and looked sick. "He's ... alright?"
"Yes, Sebastian is fine.... But he's been terribly burdened....
They've made him High Consul, and he's fighting back against this enemy....
Would you rather be fighting such a force with him or separately?"
Xavier looked at the floor. "With him," he muttered, before raising
his voice, "of course, with him! It's Sebastian, for fuck's sake...."
Sam nodded. "Glad you're not going to let your ... history get in the
way...." Xavier frowned and walked out onto the back deck to call Aiden,
but couldn't get through.
"What are we going to do," Sarah asked after a long silence.
"We're going to hunker down and weather this thing out," Rabbi Roth
said, sounding more certain that he was. "We're stronger together, and we
know more about what's going on.... It'll take a while for them to regroup
for another wave and we'll be ready...."
"What about our everyday lives?"
"I think we can work that out, but everyone is going to have to be very
careful.... School will be the most difficult thing to manage, but we'll
see what help the Consul can offer...."
They all waited tensely for a while, then the phone rang. Steve
answered, "Hello?"
"Steve, it's Aiden.... Is everybody alright...."
"Yes, we don't know about the boy at the hospital yet...."
"He's going to be fine.... I checked into it.... He was hit in the
arm, and he'll need some rehab, but beyond that...."
"Thank God.... You're coming up?"
"As soon as we finish our sweep.... I've got security going through
the house and the cars.... Once the jet is cleared, I'll be on it...."
"Can I speak to Xavier?"
William fetched the man who rushed to the phone. Aiden filled him in
on his preparations and his arrival time. Xavier whispered, "Be careful,
baby...."
"Always," came Aiden's confident reply. "I love you, sweety...."
"Aiden.... Sam, he's called the consul...."
"Hmmm.... Can't be helped I suppose...."
"You don't think that's dangerous...."
"You don't seriously think Sebastian...."
"No, it's just...."
"Don't tell me your still on about that? Maybe I should be jealous,"
Aiden joked.
"Aiden," Xavier warned, clearly not amused.
"I love you.... And I'll prove it to you tonight.... Bye for now, my
love...."
Xavier put the phone down and sat heavily into the couch, feeling sorry
for himself. Chase, as always, could sense that something was up and made
his way wordlessly across the room, standing in front of the man. Chase
put his hand on his shoulder and used that as a guide to lower his slight
form onto the man's lap and gave him a big hug. "You always know how to
make me feel better," Xavier whispered into his ear with a laugh, hugging
him back tightly. The boy lounged on him comfortably while a silent
tension hung over the room.
At last the quiet boy stood and shouted, "What's wrong with you? We
could all be dead right now, but we're alive," he trailed off, sounding
almost happy. "We've got William, I've made friends at school, mom's
working on number two, and we're together.... Things could be much worse
and you're acting like this is a funeral, but I'm feeling like we've all
come to life again...."
They all jumped at a boyish voice from the doorway. "You should listen
to the beautiful one," he said with a smile. "He's very wise...."
Xavier's jaw fell open as a smile spread over Sam's face. "Please don't
take offense, William, but you surely don't disagree," he said, feeling the
boy's jealousy flowing his way like a storm. "I should have introduced
myself.... I am High Consul van der Meer, head of the Shadow Council...."
William restrained his feelings somewhat, but said, "I'm afraid that
doesn't mean much to me...." Xavier put his hand on William's shoulder to
indicate he should not speak such things. But Sebastian smiled, and
William couldn't deny that Sebastian, too, was a great beauty, rivaling
even Chase. But in his eyes, Chase would always rise above the others.
Still, it was hard to maintain his hostility in the face of such beauty.
"It's quite all right Xavier," he said, looking deep into the man's
eyes. "I understand that there are people who have cause to ... be hostile
toward me...." The apology in his eyes was palpable.
"William," Sam said, "Sebastian is the most powerful person in the
world.... As High Consul, he is the leader of all the magical beings who
take part in the Council...."
William looked at the slight teenager in front of him with a new
respect, but still shook his head, doubting. "You want me to believe...."
But in a blink of an eye, Sebastian was at his side, causing him to shake
his head. The boy took his hand and he tried to pull away, but couldn't.
Sebastian's hand was cold. His skin was milk white. "Vampire...."
"The oldest in the world," Sam announced, causing Sebastian to look at
him wearily.
"For now," he muttered glumly. Then he let go of William's hand and
smiled again. "You do remind me of Alex," he said shaking his head,
speaking of the boy's father. He took one step in Chase's direction,
however, and a loud noise crashed in the room, and an imposing shadowy
figure stood between Sebastian and Chase.
"Enough! What are you doing here, vampire?"
"You," Sebastian exclaimed, his curiosity mixed with disgust. "It's
been a long time," he began, but Chase cut him off.
"Gideon, what are you doing?"
"Gideon, is it," Sebastian said with a curious look. "I certainly mean
no harm, only to offer my assistance to your charges, guardian...."
"Beware," Gideon growled. "I'm not so forgiving as Gamaliel...." And
he was gone as quickly as he came, and William wondered why the angel had
reacted so violently to Sebastian's approach to Chase, while he had let the
vampire take William's hand in his own. Everyone stood still, but
Sebastian considered Chase carefully. At last, he stepped forward and
reached out with his elegant hand, noticing that the boy didn't flinch at
his cold touch.
As if he could read Sebastian's mind, he said softly, "William and
Gideon would never let you near me if I had anything to be afraid of...."
Sebastian smiled at him, though he could not see it, and rested his hand on
the boy's cheek, feeling an instantaneous charge pass through him. He felt
something like this when he touched James, but ... this was something
other.... Goodness, like James's, but charged with unadulterated power.
Sebastian gasped and took a step back, almost involuntarily, nearly
stumbling. Xavier and Sam looked at one another, confused, as the ancient
vampire looked at Chase with something like awe. "Remarkable.... I...."
Chase took a step forward in concern, but Sebastian took another step back
and no one could understand. Sebastian cleared his throat and said, "I'm
sorry, Chase.... It's just; I'm at a loss.... I can ... read people with
a touch, but that was just overwhelming.... I get nothing from you beyond
pure.... Something ... indescribable...."
Chase stepped forward again, and Sebastian held his ground. "Can I see
you?"
Sebastian cleared his throat and said, "Yes," and as he felt the boy's
hand on his face, he again felt the rush wash over him. As the seconds
passed, his head began to feel lightheaded, and if it had lasted a moment
longer than it did, he would have had to pull away. As it was, he
collapsed into a nearby seat and caught his breath.
"Are you alright, Sebastian," Sam asked, sounding concerned. Chase
relaxed as he felt William's arm snake around his waist possessively.
"I'm sorry," Chase said.
"No," Sebastian said with a laugh. "It just makes my head spin....
The overwhelming.... It makes me long to get home to my James....
William, protect him at all costs...." William nodded, knowing they
understand each other. Sebastian took out a communication device and typed
in a few orders. Looking around the room, he explained. "I've ordered a
detachment of battle wizards to Richmond to protect all of you.... They'll
blend in, you won't know who they are, but they'll screen your mail, your
water and food, they'll neutralize any threats.... Still, be careful and
report any strange activity...." Reaching into his pocket, he took out a
handful of amulets. "I had these made.... Wear them at all times and if
you feel threatened, even you, William, grab the amulet between your
fingers and call for help.... It will come...."
Sebastian stood again and took William aside. Putting his hands on the
boy's shoulders, he said, "Don't take risks, William.... Let us help you
if you need it.... Chase needs you...." Surprising William, Sebastian drew
him into an embrace. "You do remind me of your father," he whispered.
"Some time soon, I'd like for you and I to sit down and talk...." Before
stepping back, he softly kissed William on the cheek, squeezing his
shoulder.
"I've got to get back. Please let me know if you need anything else,"
he said to the group, looking at each of the people in the room and shaking
his head. "Check in with Sam regularly...." With that he walked to the
door, beckoning the old man to follow him. He whispered, "I am
reactivating you, General.... You are my man in Richmond.... If you need
more wizards, send me a message, whatever you need.... I want the threat
to this family neutralized, as soon as possible.... With extreme
prejudice...." Sam nodded. In a softer tone, he asked, "Is 'Gideon' who I
think he is?"
"I believe so, Sebastian.... Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
"No ... yes, once, but I've come to see that there is much I never
thought possible...." Seeing the man's searching look, Sebastian
explained, "I recently had a close encounter with Gamaliel.... Let's just
say, it's changing my perspective...."
"How in the world did you come across him?"
Sebastian looked almost guilty. "I fell in love.... It's a long
story, but he was shot.... To save him, I had to turn him.... Gamaliel
had come for him...."
"Oh," Roth said, his face white. "I'm ... sorry...."
Sebastian shrugged. "Love.... It's a miraculous force.... Just look
at these boys...."
"Sebastian, why the interest.... I mean, in these times.... I'm glad,
don't get me wrong...."
"You saw what happened when the boy touched me?" Sam nodded. "I've
only ever felt something like that a few times.... But there is a power in
Chase that I know but cannot place.... He's important...." Sam nodded, but
Chase, hurrying their way, interrupted them.
"Sorry to interrupt, but ... I'm having a birthday party this weekend,
if you and James can get away...."
Sebastian looked at the boy, again taken aback by his purity,
sincerity, and innocence. "I ... it would be our pleasure, my friend...."
And with a wave he was gone. A group of wizards waited outside to
transport him home.
Xavier's laughter, at first soft, then almost cackling, broke the
silence that had fallen over the room. Aiden walked through the front door
and looked at his partner as if he'd lost his mind. "What the hell is
wrong with you?"
"Sebastian!"
"He was here," Aiden said, almost awed.
Xavier nodded, still laughing. "Chase invited him to his birthday
party!" Aiden's mouth fell open and everybody started laughing. "And he's
going to come!" Aiden ruffled Chase's hair.
"What!?"
"Chase, that's kind of like inviting the Emperor to lunch....
Sebastian is a vampire nearly four thousand years old, if the rumor mill
can be trusted...."
"Well, he's nice," Chase said.
Aiden chuckled and ruffled his hair again. "He can be...."
"By the way," Xavier said, standing and controlling his laughter, "here
is your amulet," he said, handing it over and explaining the security
arrangement. Aiden was impressed by the consul's response and he looked at
Chase strangely again.
When Matt burst through the door, all other conversation halted. The
boy, unaware of anything but the school shooting, ignored everyone and ran
to Chase, grabbing him in his arms. Matt was in tears as he whispered,
"You're alright! They wouldn't tell us anything...."
Chase squeezed his best friend tight and said, "Edward saved me.... He
got shot...."
"Is he going to be alright?"
"Yeah.... He's gonna hurt for a while, but...." As the boys talked,
Sam made a mental note to have some men watch Matt as well. Finally Matt
looked around, surprised to find that he had completely blocked out the
presence of Aiden and Xavier, as well as an unknown older man.
"Rabbi Sam Roth," the man said, extending a hand to the confused
looking boy. "I'm a family friend of William and Xavier...."
Matt looked confused and William explained, "Xavier is my mother's
brother...." Matt stayed a little while then stood to go, leaving the
group again to their own devices.
Sam too stood to go. "Everyone has an amulet?" They all nodded.
"Xavier, Aiden, you're welcome to my guest room...."
The men shook their head in thanks. "I've booked a room a few miles
away," Aiden said.
William followed him to the door and whispered. "Tomorrow? I still
want to finish by Sunday...." The man shook his head, laughing, and
nodded.
"Tomorrow then...." When the man was gone, William rejoined the quiet
group and they all had a bite to eat. No one was in much of a talkative
mood, however, and Aiden and Xavier soon left to their hotel. As soon as
they were gone, William and Chase went upstairs.
As they held each other in the bed, William softly began to cry.
"What's wrong, sweety," Chase asked feeling him trembling.
"Your mother was right, when I first came here.... I've put you all in
danger...."
"Shhh, now.... This is the way things are supposed to be, William...."
Rolling over onto William's chest, Chase smiled up at him. "If there's
anything to be angry with the powers that be about, it's that it took so
long to get us together.... And, of course, how it happened.... But to
think, our families were always this close to being connected and only
now.... For years, Gideon has been talking to me about the boy I'd meet,
and I can't...."
William kissed his forehead and wiped the hair from his face. "You're
so beautiful," he whispered. Kissing the boy's face, he stroked his cheek
with his thumb, before running his hand to Chase's chest. "And you have
the heart of an angel...."
Chase scrunched his face up and grabbed the much bigger boy's wrists
like he was restraining him, teasing, "We'll see about that...."
William played along, letting Chase pin his arms to the bed, but he
still shook his head. "I don't know what I would do without you...."
"Well then let's not find out," Chase said, planting a soft kiss on his
lips before snaking his way down the big boy's body, initiating a night of
hot lovemaking, fueled by their desire to be as near one another as
possible and the fears they were trying to avoid.
The next day, school was closed and the Abernathy house was swarming
with local police as well as those looking for answers in the bombing of
William's parents house. Steve's lawyer, as well as Aiden and Xavier's
also showed up to control the scene and also to ensure that William was
taken care of. Custody of William automatically fell to Xavier, at least
until a judge confirmed it, and Sebastian's men were also on the scene to
make sure the cops were under control. By lunch time, Chase was demanding
that he be allowed to visit the hospital and see Edward, but it was after
two before the police would allow the boys to see each other.
So, in the middle of the afternoon, William and Chase walked into a
hospital room and found Edward was sitting up watching television. "Guys!"
Susan looked up and smiled.
Chase carefully made his way to the side of the bed and wrapped his
arms around Edmund as best he could, tears springing up spontaneously.
"I'm sooo sorry, Edward...."
Edward smiled at William and gently stroked Chase's back, letting the
boy lay on him for a while. "You wanna go grab a drink, Susan," William
asked.
"Sure," she said. "I need to get the blood pumping to my legs
again.... Be back in a minute, baby," she said, and he silently waved back
to her with a smile.
"So, how's he doing," William asked Susan.
"He's fine.... He's kinda been a little jumpy, but I think he's also
kinda flying high.... I mean, it's not every day you get to save someone's
life, and everybody will know...."
"Well, he's my hero," William laughed. "I'd have rather died than...."
Susan looked at him seriously and knew he wasn't lying. "You should
tell him that sometime.... It'll mean a lot to him...."
William nodded. "Why is Edward so fond of Chase," William finally
asked.
"Jealous," she asked, laughing. He shrugged looking embarrassed. "I
told you he's had a hard time, and ... I really can't say anything, but you
really should talk to him...." William nodded and they talked for a while.
When they returned to the room, they found Chase up in the bed, his head on
Edward's good shoulder, laughing with the boy. William just smiled at
Edward and shook his head laughing.
"We've got to get going soon, Chase," William said. "When do you get
outta here?"
"Tomorrow morning," Edward replied. "Back to school on Friday....
I'll just have my arm in a sling for a while...."
"Can you come on Sunday, still? I'm sure Chase's parents would love to
meet you...."
"Sure," Edward smiled, hugging Chase, who slid out of the bed.
William walked over to the bed and leaned down, wrapping an arm around
the boy's neck for a hug. He kissed him on the cheek and whispered very
softly, "Thank you for Chase...."
Edward returned his hug and they quickly parted, waving bye to each
other. As the boys walked downstairs to meet William's uncle, who drove
them, Chase said, "I like Edward...."
"I noticed," William said, gently poking him.
Chase blushed. "You know what I mean...."
"I do.... He clearly likes you too.... Not everybody would take a
bullet for you.... Or let a gay boy crawl into bed with him, either...."
Now Chase was really blushing.
"It felt like the right thing to do," he said softly.
"IT was, baby," William said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and
kissing the side of his head. When they got back home, Chase went upstairs
to work on something while William called Sam to come help him with the
final stages of the preparations he had to make. When the man arrived, he
escorted the boy out to his workshop and they stepped inside together.
"You're quite sure about this, my boy?" William looked at him with
eyebrows raised to let him know he wasn't interested in a discussion.
"There's no need to do this now.... You can finish at any time...."
"You of all people, Sam.... I've nearly been blown up twice; Chase was
almost shot.... If not now, when?"
Sam laughed and the boy looked at him like he'd lost it. "It's
nothing.... It's just something Hillel used to say.... 'If I am not for
myself, who will be? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now,
when?' Don't forget, I'm a rabbi...." William laughed and nodded, leading
him through the interdimensional door. "So, you are prepared for the
spell?"
"I have all the ingredients I need for the potion...."
"The potion is the easy part, William.... You'll need to use absolute
concentration as you say the blessings, and then you have to watch
carefully over the mixture until it evaporates into a perfect state. The
incense will look like drops of amber on the bottom of the cauldron.
Overdone, it's useless; underdone, it can put out the fires when you've
kindled them. It must be ... perfect...."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said, as he built a fire
beneath his cauldron and began to measure out the ingredients, Sam watching
over him from a few feet away.
"Now we wait," the man said, having inspected and approved the potion.
So they sat talking while the brew boiled, about Jewish tradition and
community, as well as about the magical community, and their shared parts
in both. Occasionally, Sam would point and William would stir, testing the
thickness of the mixture. At last, it was thick and syrupy and he sat over
it constantly stirring. Sam instructed him to remove it from the fire and
let the rest of the liquid evaporate as it cooled. And when it was done,
he scraped the little beads from his cauldron into a jar, and the
amber-colored dots clinked against the glass. "Perfect," Sam proclaimed.
"We'll finish Sunday night after the party.... It has to be done at night,
and it'll take a while.... Have you thought about who your witnesses will
be, or where you want to do it?"
"I hadn't thought of it, actually.... There are options about places?"
"It's easy to forget ... because you're so powerful and so skilled
... how young you are! There are an infinite series of mystical realms and
mystical places, existing beyond our space and time, a place for all...."
"What is our place," William asked, bringing a magnificent smile to the
old man's face.
"The Beit ha-Mikdash ... the holy Temple...."
William looked at him with a confused expression. "But the Temple was
destroyed...."
Smiling, the old man shook his head. "My dear boy, the Temple is
beyond human power.... The Temple in Jerusalem was a worldly symbol of the
holy Temple, to be sure, and with it our people lost a very tangible
connection to the sacred. But the Temple is always there, and our
connection to it remains very strong...."
"Then, the Temple...."
"And who?"
"This ritual is something like a mystical marriage, William, you know
that.... But so much more...."
"Xavier and Aiden...."
"And?" William stated at him, blankly. "What about Steve and Sarah?"
"Are you sure that would be a good idea? Can they even...?"
"They can.... And it will surely be a lot for them, especially Sarah,
but how will they feel if they are left out of one of the most important
events of their son's life?" William nodded. "And then there is Sebastian
and James...."
"Surely they'll have more important...."
"You have no idea.... This kind of thing happens once in a century....
Anyone would consider it a great honor.... I must tell you, Sebastian sees
a lot in you two.... He's devoting extraordinary resources to protect
you...."
William nodded his assent, then and thanked the man for his help. "My
pleasure, young man.... I've never even seen a Bond, much less seen one
forged.... Honestly, you couldn't keep me away...." William laughed and
showed him to the door, Sam waving to Chase's parents and Aiden and Xavier
as he hurried on his way.
"What's this all about, William," Xavier asked, looking amused.
"It's a surprise," William smiled at him. "By the way, did Sam ever
tell you about the research he did on your and mom's family tree?"
"Yeah.... What of it?"
"So, you aren't ... interested in the least...."
"No! Are you?"
"Kinda...."
Xavier looked at him curiously and shrugged. "To each his own...."
William waved him off and ran upstairs, flopping down on the bed to read
until he and Chase were called down for dinner.
Aiden and Xavier started talking about their plan to relocate to
Richmond. They could accelerate that process since William was now known
to be alive, and a nice house two blocks over had just become available, so
they invited William to tour it with them the next day.
"You'll have a room there," Xavier said, looking at him with a funny
smile, "in case the two of you want a getaway from the new baby and the
crying...."
Sarah looked at them all with a cross look. "Let's not count our
chickens.... And don't be taking away my babysitters...."
"Oh, come on mom.... Dad's been a trooper, so you should be pregnant
in no time," Chase joked, causing Aiden and Xavier to burst out laughing
and his parents to blush. For the first time, some of the gloom lifted.
After dinner, William pulled Steve aside. "Do you have an hour or two
tomorrow or the next day?"
"Sure, what do you need?"
"I've found a guy I want to be my financial manager and to look after
my investments.... I'd like for you to meet with him and feel him out,
talk to him, give him some advice...."
Steve laughed and shook his head. "Where did you meet this guy?"
William explained about their encounter and how he just had a good feeling
about Dave.
"Normally.... Well, there's nothing normal about us, is there? Sure,
set it up for tomorrow afternoon if he can...." William ran off and did
just that, after spending a few minutes shrugging off Charlotte's
professions of undying devotion for his and Chase's wedding gift.
He told Chase all about it as they snuggled in bed that night. "I wish
you were coming to school with me...."
"I will.... I told you, I'm starting next week...."
"I know.... I just hate to be away from you all day...."
William snaked his hand under the boy's shirt and rubbed his stomach
gently. "I love you...."