Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:28:52 -0600
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: A Light in the Darkness 6

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) and Kelly
who kindly edited this chapter.  And thanks to everyone for writing such
encouraging emails.

I am now posting my stories to a Yahoo!Group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jaygordon_1981/ as well.  I'm putting them up
there a little in advance so I can make final edits before submitting to
Nifty, so if you are interested, you can check it out.  It's closed
membership to avoid spams and flames, so just let me know!

****SPECIAL NOTE: If you haven't been following my other story, "Things
that Go Bump," characters from that story appear here, picking up after
Chapter 18 in that story -- hope this isn't too confusing!




			A Light in the Darkness, Chapter 6
				"Back to School"



	Everyone stood, deathly still and gape-mouthed, shocked not only by
what was continuing to unfold before their eyes, but also at the way Chase
spoke to Sebastian like a parent might speak to a petulant child, with
mature amusement.

	Just as, to the horror and wonder of everyone present, it looked as
if Sebastian might actually bow or kneel before Chase, the mood was
lightened by the sound of James's uncontrollable giggle.  "He told you,"
the boy whispered to Sebastian with a snort, causing him to straighten up.

	Sebastian just shook his head with a weak smile, never prying his
eyes from Chase's face.  Chase smiled in the direction of James's voice,
"Sebastian's feelings are understandable....  These days are mysterious
works....  Who would have guessed that one present at the beginning of the
great journey from Ur would be present at its culmination," Chase asked,
again looking faraway, gesturing strangely toward the veil behind the
altar.

	Confidently he stepped forward and laid hands on Sebastian's
shoulders, leaning in and whispering something only he could hear.
Sebastian's eyes looked absolutely alive, and when Chase stepped back a
little, everyone could see the tears in his eyes as he whispered, "Thank
you...," putting his hand on Chase's.  If anything, the power that he had
felt in the boy before was magnified.  The difference between what he felt
now and what he felt before was like a river compared to the rivulets of
water leading to a puddle after a storm.  But it no longer disoriented
Sebastian, it electrified him....

	But as he took Chase's hand from his shoulder into his own, he
noticed the ring of angelic gold up close for the first time.  "Avery," he
said, excitedly, waving the man near.  "Have a look...."  On the ring were
carved sigil after sigil in perfect clarity, but the central symbol was
ancient and simple.  It was a crown.

	Avery took Chase's hand and saw it too.  "We have a lot to discuss,
my friends," Avery said to everyone and no one, all at once.  He motioned
for them all to follow him, and they milled through the portal until only
William, Chase and Sam Roth remained.

	"Come on, boys," the Rabbi urged.  Chase quickly, briefly turned
toward the veil of the Holy of Holies, and both William and Sam could see
the longing in his face.  "Chase," the man said a bit more urgently.

	"I know, I know....  Don't go near it...."  But he said it with an
easy and jovial spirit that set Sam ill at ease.  "Just a moment more....
I could stay here forever...."

	"That's why we don't stay too long," Sam said.  "It would be too
easy not to go back....  But the world needs us, and we need the
opportunity to rise to that challenge....  Here is quiet and peace, there
is the opportunity to become worthy of it...."

	Chase's smile would have lit the room, and he cheerfully led the
way through the portal with a little guidance from William at his elbow.



	Back in the living room, the atmosphere was turning festive.
Everyone wanted to see the rings and hug the boys, and talk to Chase.  In a
way they were avoiding the inevitably heavy discussion of what had
transpired at the Temple.  But they needed to let that go for a moment.

	Sebastian announced, "I couldn't think what to get you for your
birthday....  James thought you might like to come up some weekend and let
us take you guys out...."

	Chase smiled and nodded.  "That'll be great!"

	Sebastian nodded, and after a long pause began again.  "I also
... I know William isn't as keen on me as you are and I wanted to do
something for him, for you both, as well...."

	All eyes were on him with laser-like focus now, especially
William's and Xavier's.  Sebastian took out a beautiful mahogany box.
"William, your father and I weren't as close as I would have liked, but we
were friendly, and he was one of the best men for certain kinds of work....
Over the years, certain of his possessions came into my care for
safekeeping, or for security.  Your father sometimes went on dangerous
missions for the Council and he left some things for you, in case anything
ever happened to him.  When he left the Council, he never ... well, here
are his things....  I know you lost most of his stuff in the bombing...."
He handed the box to the boy, who looked from him to the box and back, over
and over again, as tears welled up in his eyes.  He felt Sebastian's hand
on his shoulder as he stared at the dark box in his hands.

	The room was silent as Sebastian backed away and sat quietly next
to James, who put a soft hand on his knee.  Xavier turned to wipe his eyes.
Even he had to admit, the gesture was ... lovely.  William and Chase left
the room quickly and talk resumed in more subdued tones.

	"Sarah, Steve, I hope you'll let the boys come up?  Perhaps there
uncle's could accompany them," Sebastian asked, looking quickly at Xavier.
"I'm sure they'd enjoy the chance to catch up with Avery...."

	Xavier squeezed Aiden's hand affirming, and Aiden smiled.  "Of
course!"

	Sarah looked at Steve and nodded.  She didn't know WHAT her little
boy was, but she knew it was all beyond her.  Maybe some time alone with
these people would help him discover some things about himself.  She was
still uncomfortable with letting him go, but they could talk about it
later.

	Meanwhile, William and Chase sat next to one another, the box in
front of them.  Chase just held his hand, running his free hand over the
box.  "What's in this?"

	William gently opened the box, removing an envelope.  He emptied
the contents into his hand and saw with his parents' wedding rings,
restored to like-new condition.  "He got their rings...."  Chase squeezed
his shoulders as William dropped the rings back into the envelop and
slipped it into his pocket.  Inside the box was a handwritten letter, a
handwritten journal, a few more photographs, and a few trinkets.

	William, his voice fragile, began to read aloud, "Dearest William,
Forgive the cliché, here of all places, but ... if you are reading this,
that means something has happened and I am gone...."  William couldn't help
but pause and laugh through his tears.  "Tell your mother I love her and
I'm sorry....  You know I love you both, but I couldn't turn my back on the
responsibility I have to the world.  What I do out there is for you and
your mom too....  The power that we possess, that grows in us from
generation to generation, places an enormous burden upon us, and I could
not ignore that.  The enclosed journal I kept with me these past many
years.  It records things I've kept secret, knowledge discovered and some
things perhaps better forgotten.  Use it as you may, and remember me --
these few trinkets are not mere ornaments, the book will tell you what they
are and how to use them.  Go to Sebastian if there's anything you need, he
is trustworthy beyond all measure....  Look out for your family and
friends, and look after yourself, my dear boy....  Gideon once told me that
you'd know an epic love, and I hope that I've lived to meet him (never
doubt I'm proud of you).  Gideon may not be a pleasant character but I
believe him, so don't question the feelings that will lead you to the
one....  Dad."  William sat still and stared at the familiar writing on the
page, and as he read the words he could hear his father's voice in his
head.  "He knew he might not come back to us....  He never imagined this,"
William numbly stated, letting the paper fall softly from his hands into
the box, Which he shut.  "It does make me wonder why he left the Council,
after what he said here...."

	A soft knock drew William's attention, but Chase announced, "I'll
leave you two alone...."

	"How did you know it was me," Xavier asked with a soft laugh.

	Giving him a quick hug, Chase smiled up at him and said, "Family
resemblance, you both have such a strong presence...."  Chase returned to
the living room and unselfconsciously settled onto the couch next to
Sebastian, who casually draped an arm across his shoulder.

	"You aren't having an anxiety attack on contact anymore," Chase
said, poking fun at him.

	Sebastian laughed, squeezing James into him on the other side.
"You remind me of him so much, actually....  I think the shock of it, and
the lack of recognition ... unsettled me...."

	"Who was he?"  Chase asked.

	"You don't know," Sebastian questioned, looking surprised

	"I haven't been told," came Chase's unconcerned reply.

	"Who?  What are you two talking about," Sarah asked, trying not to
get short.  It looked like now was the time.

	"We've all had a shock tonight, some of us a lot of shock,"
Sebastian said.  "Perhaps that is better kept for later....  It'll take
some time to adjust.  Suffice it to say that your son is....  Well, there
have been a number like him over the course of human history....  I only
knew one like him before...."  Sebastian looked around with a sigh.  "I'm
going to trust you all with knowledge that I've kept even from my inner
circle, except for Avery....  The being responsible for the attacks on me,
on you, on William's parents....  How to say it?  They were coordinated by
a force of extraordinary power, of extraordinary evil....  A purely
malicious spirit...."  Seeing a look cross Sarah's face, Sebastian added,
just as William and Xavier returned, each with an arm around the other.
"Events tonight have shown that, had William not come here, Chase would
have been in danger....  More danger because we would not have known about
him, we could not have protected him...."  Sarah exhaled and nodded.  "As
Chase's power grows, the enemy's attention will be drawn to him more and
more....  Right now, he's focused on me, I think...."

	"Is there any way to train Chase?  To prepare him," William asked,
looking concerned.

	Avery was about to reply, when Sebastian cut in, "William, Chase's
power is ... beyond us....  There is no training we know of for what he
is....  It will come to him as necessary....  But he has us....  He has
you....  And then there's Gideon, who is ... a force to be reckoned with
when he is freed to act...."

	Chase turned slightly.  "You know Gideon?"

	"Our paths have crossed," Sebastian said cryptically.  "Never liked
him much, but you've got to respect him...."

	"He's always nice to me," Chase said, letting a little crossness
slip into his expression.

	Sebastian smiled and squeezed his shoulder.  "Of course he is,
Chase....  You're you....  I'm afraid he doesn't hold most of the rest of
us in the same affection...."

	"Yeah, Chase, cool your heels," William laughed.  "Even my dad
thought he was bad-tempered....  Or so his letter would make it seem...."
Chase shrugged noncommittally and smiled.

	"So what or who is this enemy," Xavier asked, melting the smile
from Sebastian's lips.

	"That is in the same category of heavy as, 'What is Chase'....
Haven't we all had enough for the evening," Sebastian nearly pleaded, but
Xavier gave him a hard look.  "Xavier...."  But the man did not give an
inch.  Sebastian's face fell, as he said, "The last witnesses said that he
introduced himself as Sammael...."

	Xavier's look of surprise and horror shook them all, almost as much
as the fear on Aiden's face.  "Sammael," Steve asked, sitting forward.

	Aiden looked at his friend and shook his head.  "It's not possible.
Perhaps an imposter...."

	Sebastian shook his head.  "I'm sorry, Aiden, I wish it was
true....  He killed Chang with his bare hands and burnt him to ashes in an
instant....  And the scheme that he's hatching, it reeks of him....  He
plans to resurrect Resheph, awaken Sekhmet....  And Aethon is already
moving to join him...."  Aiden blanched.

	"Sammael?  Resheph?  Sekhmet?  Aethon?  What do these names mean,"
Steve insisted.

	Sam Roth interjected, "Sammael is ... the angel of death, the evil
inclination....  He is the destroyer...."

	"Satan," Aiden whispered, "the devil...."

	Sarah shook her head.  It was finally too much.  "Are you people
really sitting in my living room in suburban Richmond and telling me that
the person who's after us who's targeting my little boy is THE DEVIL?  Are
you all out of your fucking minds?"

	Chase's eyes went wide, and he barely restrained his instinctual
laugh.

	"I know it's a lot," Xavier said.  "But you need to listen....  It
gets worse...."

	"Sekhmet was an Egyptian goddess....  In reality she was simply one
of the most brutal and bloodthirsty of my kind, but oh what power,"
Sebastian said.  "To be honest, the thought of her still haunts me....  She
made war against humankind until the Egyptians appeased her....  Resheph
was a near eastern god of plague, and Aethon was a Greek god of famine....
But like Sekhmet, the reality behind the mythology was that they were some
of the most ancient, evil and powerful vampires of all time...."

	"You talk like you know them," Aiden observed quietly.

	"If you'd not left the Council....  In any case, I revealed my
identity to the consuls recently....  My sire was Resheph, and I met
Sekhmet in Egypt.  Sammael understands my fear of Sekhmet, and the
antagonism between Resheph and I," Sebastian offered.

	"What antagonism is that," Aiden asked.

	"I killed him and chopped him into pieces and had them distributed
to the far reaches of the world....  Sammael is nearly ready to resurrect
him...."  Aiden grunted at Sebastian's words and nodded.  "This is some
kind of psychological attack on me...."

	"No, it isn't," Xavier said, looking suddenly aware.

	Chase smiled at him with amusement. "You've figured it out, then?"

	Xavier responded, uneasily, "Yes," giving Chase a funny look he
couldn't have seen.  "Sammael is death....  Then you've got war, plague,
and famine....  Death, war, plague, and famine...."  They all looked at him
as if he were stating the obvious.

	Chase startled them by speaking in his authoritative voice, "'And I
looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death,
and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth
part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and
with the beasts of the earth....'  The words of John the Diviner...."
Chase shook his head and looked around.  "What?"

	"You just quoted to us from the Book of Revelation," Sebastian
said, befuddled.

	Chase looked lost for a moment.  "That's where that's from?"

	"You didn't know that," Aiden asked.

	"He doesn't need to," Sebastian said, standing and walking to the
window.  "I should have seen it....  That's what he's doing!  He's always
looking to destroy, but he has to do it with ... style!  God damn him!
He's going to try to carry out his attempt to destroy everything by acting
out to the prophecy of John...."

	"Holy shit," Avery exclaimed.  "He'll put on the show and let THEM
do the rest....  He's going to stand in the midst of it and watch the whole
thing burn...."

	"It's true," Sebastian granted.  "Once the humans see what's going
on, they'll see it to its conclusion....  Lately, they barely need an
excuse....  No offense...."  Steve shrugged as if to say, none taken.  "I'm
sorry to dampen your event...."

	William shook his head.  "Thank you for coming....  It seems that
your being here has helped us all learn a lot...."

	"And given you all a heavy burden to bear," Sebastian replied
wryly....

	"It was ours anyway....  At least now we know," William answered,
taking the ancient vampire's hand and drawing him into an embrace.  "Thank
you," he whispered and felt Sebastian's head nod almost imperceptibly.

	"Rabbi, if you'll kindly escort us back to your sanctuary, we need
to get home....  There are things I need to see to ... quickly," Sebastian
said, as William let him go.  The man nodded.  "Thank you for having us,
Steve, Sarah....  And thank you Chase and William, for inviting us to such
a beautiful moment in such dark times...."  He softly kissed Chase's cheek
and took James's hand.  After a burst of well-wishing and hugs between
Sebastian's party and Chase's family and William, they parted ways in a
flurry.

	When they were gone, a silence fell over the four who remained.
"Mom, dad," Chase began, but didn't know what to say.

	"You aren't angry about ... when I decided to offer Chase the gift,
I had no idea," William added.

	"You didn't make him what he is," Steve said with a sigh.  "Which
is a boy we're very proud of, no matter what else he may be," he finished,
wrapping his arms around the young man who felt very much the little boy in
his daddy's arms.  Sarah joined them in a family hug, waving William in to
join them.

	"We've got a lot to talk about, boys," she said.  "But we all need
our rest....  I think that perhaps a round of hookie is the order of the
day tomorrow....  We still need to get some uniforms for William and get
his paperwork in order with Xavier and the school....  I'll call in for us
in the morning, Chase, so you boys can sleep in...."

	Both boys immediately headed for the stairs, drained and exhausted
from an overly long day and a most unusual ritual.  When they were cuddled
beneath the sheets, Chase lay his head on William's chest.  "The gift you
gave me tonight," he whispered, "I don't know what to say...."

	"You already said what matters," William responded with a smile in
his voice, "You said yes...."

	"Yeah, but ... wow....  Was it hard ... getting all that stuff,"
Chase asked.

	"You know the answer to that....  You found me in the back
yard...."

	Chase squeezed him again, warmly.  "I am my beloved's and my
beloved is mine...."  William raised his eyebrows questioningly and looked
down at the sweet boy.  "The voices....  That's what they sang while we
kissed...."

	"Can you still hear them," William asked.

	"Yes....  Not like in there, but it's like background noise,
almost, unless I tune in to it, then I can hear ... a little...."

	William laughed a little, observing, "When you listen to them, you
get this look ... like, spacey, or stoned, or something...."

	Chase's giggle was accompanied by a cute blush and William kissed
him on the cheek, taking him into his arms.  From sheer exhaustion, they
both fell asleep before they knew it.



	When Matt burst through the door the next morning to get Chase, he
found not a creature a stirring.  He ran upstairs where Chase and William
still slept in each other's arms.  "You're going to miss school, Chase!"

	"Ugh....  No school today...," the boy groaned

	"Dude, your birthday isn't a national holiday, of course there's
school," Matt announced.

	"Matt!  I'm not going to school, today," Chase groaned loudly.

	"Oh!  Sorry!  I guess I'd better run....  So what did William get
you?"

	Chase held out his left arm, as William stirred and did the same.
"Cool rings....  Weird....  How does the color change," he asked as he
looked at the rings, which were identical except for the engravings.  Where
Chase's bore the symbol of a crown, William's was carved with a sword and a
lantern.

	"Magic," William grumbled, rolling over.  "Do I hear the bus?"
Matt ran downstairs and out the front door with a frantic wave.

	"That's not the bus," Chase said.

	"I know," William replied, with a sleepy smile, as he curled up
into Chase and wrapped his arm around the boy, slipping back into sleep.

	A little over an hour later, Steve and Sarah woke up and started
breakfast, which lured the boys downstairs, rubbing their eyes.

	"Sleep well, boys?" Steve asked.

	"Not long enough," William grumbled.  "And Matt woke us up...."

	"Poor babies," Sarah laughed.  "After breakfast, run and get
dressed.  Xavier needs to run with William to school to finish the
paperwork to get him enrolled properly....  Then we can all go do some
shopping, grab the school uniforms and all that...."  Both boys nodded
groggily and sat down to scarf down some food.  While Chase wasn't normally
offered coffee due to his sometimes overly peppy nature, that morning even
he had a cup.  William finished in a hurry so he could run get ready for
Xavier.  Chase, on the other hand, sat with his parents.

	"It seems almost like a dream now," Sarah said offhandedly, causing
Chase to flash his left hand in her direction to say, 'It wasn't!'  This
gave her the opportunity to see it for the first time in clear light and up
close.  "Goodness!  I've never seen anything like it...."

	Steve gave her a wry look.  "Do you suppose you would have seen
anything like a ring forged of an angelically altered metal, forged on the
altar of God?"  The way he said it, dryly and matter-of-fact, made Chase
giggle.

	"No more coffee for you, young man," his mother said pretending
maternal severity, removing the cup from his grasp.

	"So I was thinking about us going to visit Sebastian...."

	Sarah glanced at Steve with worry, but her husband just shrugged.
Chase, who was used to his parents having these silent conversations, to
which he had no access, let it pass without comment, but in addition to
hearing the voices, he felt as if all his senses were heightened.  Somehow
he just knew that his mother had shot his father a look, and that his
father had responded with a shrug....  He smiled to himself while the
silent negotiation continued.  At last, however, he said, "Mom, you're
worried about me going off without you for a weekend, and dad is shrugging
you off which is actually kind of pissing you off....  But I'm not a baby,
and I'm not helpless, and I won't be alone....  I'll be with William, and
Xavier and Aiden will go too...."

	Sarah frowned at her son, who, after being so playful moments
earlier, now seemed so grown up....  She supposed she'd have to get used to
that switch happening more and more often now, as the boy really was a
young man....  "Call me every night....  We'll figure out a date with
Xavier and Aiden...."  Chase smiled, having fully expected getting what he
wanted.  "And don't you shrug at me," she said somewhat crossly to Steve.

	Rolling his eyes surreptitiously, Steve thought to himself,
"MOODY!"

	A knock at the door brought him to his feet, and, checking the
peep-hole, he opened the door for Xavier.  "Come in, come in....  Aiden
back to D.C.?"

	"All week," Xavier began, laughing as Chase ran into him and gave
him a big hug.  Ruffling the boy's hair, he continued, "I'll be looking for
a storefront for my gallery and trying to make arrangements so that as soon
as the papers can be drawn up, we can get the house...."

	"It's a wonderful place, and it'll be nice to have you guys close,
for William, for everybody....  Plenty of room for kids there, too...."

	Xavier raised his eyebrows with a gentle smirk.  "Well, it will be
nice to be close to you guys and William of course....  As for the rest,
talk to Aiden....  I'd love to fill a couple of the bedrooms, but...."

	"We'll work on him," Steve said, laughing, as Xavier took a seat.
"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?  Aiden's not coming back
tonight is he?"

	"No, he'll probably come tomorrow night and then come back on
Thursday for a long weekend....  When we get the house set up, he can run
most everything from there, or rent an office...."

	"If you bought a building for your gallery, you could convert the
upstairs into office space and rent to his company and anyone else to help
cover your operating costs...."

	Xavier nodded, "I was thinking along the lines of buying one of the
nice old buildings downtown which would be perfect....  There are some
three- and four-story buildings with nice storefronts on the ground
level....  It'd be a good business investment; you know me, I never know
what to do with it all...."

	"Speaking of which....  Do you know how much your sister and
brother-in-law left for William?"

	"Well, Aiden tells me that the estate is worth about $75 million
when it's all liquidated, plus the insurance....  I thought it was a little
light, as my sister and I split over $200 million from our parents, and
Alex's family was well-off as well...."

	"That's because they had Swiss accounts which William has direct
access too, so no estate taxes...."  Xavier nodded, as it explained a lot,
but he didn't ask how much.  William had shown himself to have a good head
on his shoulders.  "Are you helping him with it?"

	"Funny story, he actually hired this guy he met at the
symphony...."

	"He what?"

	Steve shook his head, laughing, "I know!  But I met the guy, he's
the real deal....  Young though, just graduating....  I decided to hire him
to work for me, and I'll help oversee William's money...."

	"Talking about Dave," William asked coming down stairs, his hair
still damp.

	Steve nodded.  "I'll ask him and his fiancée over tonight so you
can meet him, Xavier...."

	"Good idea," William said before kissing Chase on the cheek.  "You
ready to go down to the school and sign me up, Uncle Xavier?"

	"Sure!  Let's head out, buddy....  Aiden's people sent all the
paperwork we need in on the plane that was sent to pick him up this
morning, so we're all good...."

	Xavier and William rode to the school in relative silence, and when
they arrived, their visit to the school was fairly standard, filling out
paperwork, then a quick tour of facilities.  Then they met with the
headmaster, Dr. Felicity Strong.

	"So what do you think of our little school," she asked them with a
smile as they sat down.

	"It's beautiful," Xavier said, nodding.

	"And I've got friends here....  Can I ask you something?"

	"Of course, William...."

	"I've had trouble in school before....  I don't always do well in
the rigid environment....  Steve Abernathy said your school values
independence, but I ... well, I've had some bad experiences...."

	She looked down at his file and nodded, "So I saw...."  Tossing the
file onto her desk, she leaned forward.  "Our school was founded on a
British tutorial model, but we've grown a lot since those days, so we do
have lectures and regular class sizes, but ... all of our courses are
required to have an extensive guided independent study component, like a
semester long research project or a science project....  You'll get
individual guidance on your project, as well as have access to librarians
to help you research, but within reason you are your guide in this
component....  How does that sound?"

	"Different...."

	"Well, tomorrow you have testing all day, just to give us an idea
about where you are in your studies....  Bring some tennis shoes and a set
of school gym clothes as you'll have a physical assessment with our
director of athletics and physical education....  I think you're going to
fit in here!"  Her smile was warm and comforting, and William smiled back.
But then she took her glasses off, and asked, more softly, "May I ask you a
question?"

	"Yes," he answered, fairly sure he knew what was coming.

	"Given what happened with your family and the recent ... incident
at school targeting your friends ... we need to be able to guarantee the
security of our students...."

	"We have private security," Xavier answered.  "How much additional
security would make you feel comfortable, in addition to the people who
will be focusing on protecting our boys...."

	"Your boys?"

	"We have men watching Chase, Matt and Edward, as well as
William...."

	"Well, two men on each main entrance and a few in the parking
lot....  We could do with an upgrade of the surveillance system we use to
monitor the halls...."

	"Consider it done," William said, as the woman looked surprised the
answer came from him.

	When she looked at Xavier, the man shrugged.  "Don't look at me,
he's got his own money...."

	"Do you think Sebastian could provide some of the men," William
asked Xavier.

	"I'm sure he will if you ask....  I could call Sam...."

	William shook his head, no.  "I'll take care of it....  Thank you,
Dr. Strong....  Please let me know how much your security upgrade will
cost, and I'll see that its fully covered...."

	"It could be $50,000," she said, hesitantly.  William smiled at
Xavier and reached into his pocket, pulling out a check book.  He quickly
wrote out a check and handed it to the woman.

	She nodded.  "This is very generous," she said, putting the check
for $100,000 in the lock box in her desk.  "We'll be sure to get
top-of-the-line equipment, this way...."

	"Just let us know if you require anything else," Xavier said as he
rose, shaking the woman's hand.  William did the same, and they made their
way out to the car.

	"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

	"Sarah, Steve and Chase were going to go with me to get my school
uniforms and other stuff later this afternoon...."

	"Want to ride into town with me and look at a couple of buildings?
I've scheduled a couple of visits to some places where my gallery might
fit...."

	"Sure," William said, enjoying some rare time alone with one of his
last living relatives.  The first two buildings were post-WWII construction
in an aging section of a fair neighborhood, and while they were nice, the
neighborhood wasn't the kind that one generally finds art galleries in.
The third building was older, built in the mid-1920's of pretty brick with
Art Nouveau features on the exterior. The neighborhood was a little
dilapidated but there were signs of life.  A few other older buildings had
been bought and restored, and some restaurants were opening in the near
future.

	Xavier was still skeptical until the agent took him inside.  The
storefront had been nicely refurbished at some point, and the ground floor
had high ceilings, eighteen feet, perfect for installation art, and a very
nice office.

	"So what's the catch," he asked, "besides the neighborhood?"

	"Actually, the neighborhood is growing in popularity with young
professionals....  They can afford nice houses here and renovate to suit,
so it's an up-an-coming area...."

	"But...?"

	The woman looked nervous.  "Weird things go on here....  Noises,
things like that, maybe a sighting or two....  Scared off some of the
tenants upstairs...."

	"Ghosts," Xavier asked almost laughing.

	The woman took it as incredulity – if she only knew – and
shrugged.  "You know people!"

	"What else?"

	"There are two tenants and they aren't interested in leaving, and
... they have leases for as many as three more years....  Either the seller
will have to pay them off, you can honor their lease at far less than the
rent you could get, or get them to sign a new lease with you and
voluntarily break their old lease...."

	"Hmmm....  How long has the building been on the market?"

	"Six months...."

	"Why's that, if this neighborhood is so up-and-coming?"

	"Hard to get commercial financing in this market....  By the way,
do you have a lender?"

	"Yes....  We'll get to that later....  Asking price?"

	"It was $2.4 million, but recently dropped to $1.8 million...."

	"Why's that," William asked, and the woman winced.

	Xavier smiled and answered him, "Because he needs the cash now....
Tell your client if he'll take $1.6 million, I'll pay cash and take care of
the tenants, so he'll have no legal worries...."

	The woman frowned but walked away to make the call.  Momentarily,
she looked over her shoulder and said, "$1.7 million?"

	"$1.5 million," he replied without humor.

	She shook her head and whispered fiercely into the phone.  "Is $1.6
still on the table," she asked at last.

	"For about 45 seconds...."

	"He'll take it," she answered immediately, "if we can do the deal
this week...."

	"No problem," he replied.  "Have your legal people call my lawyers'
numbers," he said, handing her two cards.  "Cash is ready to transfer when
the papers are signed, if the inspection papers are up-to-date...."

	"We had a state-certified inspector in two months ago; if you'd
like you can have your own people in...."

	"If your guy checks out, that won't be necessary," Xavier said,
shaking her hand.  After she was gone, Xavier smiled at William.  "I guess
you can see we're cut from the same cloth....  We get straight to the point
and don't dawdle...."
	William laughed and nodded.  "How are you going to deal with the
tenants?"

	"I'm going to refurbish the floor below them into really nice
offices and leave their floor as-is....  They can move into the nice
offices and make a new lease with me, or keep their offices upstairs until
the current lease runs out, and I won't renew them....  Then I'll refurbish
their floor too and charge what I want...."  William laughed and nodded,
and they hopped in the car to return to the Abernathies.

	Xavier had more errands to run, so he just dropped William off, and
Sarah, Steve and Chase immediately came outside and got in the car to take
him shopping.  They picked up five days worth of school clothes and some
other things he'd need, like a new backpack and some pens and notebooks.

	That evening, Xavier returned and enjoyed dinner with the family,
and just relaxed with William afterward, talking to the boy and catching up
on all that happened between the bombing and his arrival in Richmond,
mostly just tales of cold nights and false alarms.

	When Sam called, Xavier and William were brought into a conference
call with Avery and James.  Together, the five men arranged a schedule for
training with Avery in William's inter-dimensional room.  Sam and Avery
would open a door from Sebastian's house into the room, and they'd meet
there daily.  It would also provide another avenue of escape should
something happen requiring their immediate evacuation from the Abernathy
house.

	With that all set up, Xavier bid the family goodnight and drove off
to his room, while Chase and William went upstairs.  The next day would be
their first day in school together so they both went straight to bed, since
they'd both have to get up early to get ready.



	The next morning when Matt burst in, he found William and Chase
dressed and ready in their uniforms eating breakfast at the island in the
kitchen.  "Sorry about yesterday, guys," he said with a laugh.

	"It's okay," Chase laughed.  "So did we miss anything important
yesterday?"

	"Nah, nothing you can't make up...."  The boys talked as they
waited for the buses and William noticed Matt looking back and forth
between their rings.  "You know guys, people are going to notice those...."

	"SO," Chase asked.  "Everybody already knows about us...."

	"They know you're dating, they don't know you're like ... I don't
know ... married or something...."

	Chase choked, and William asked, "What are you talking about?"

	"Come on, I'm not stupid....  Those rings you guys are wearing
aren't promise rings, are they Nancy," Matt asked with a smirk.

	Chase laughed and shook his head.  "Matt....  You're right....
People can assume whatever they want, though...."

	"Alright....  Just saying," Matt said, now shaking his own head.
"So what are they?"

	"When you said they were wedding rings, you were close enough,"
William responded quietly.  Keeping the details to the minimum, he added,
"That's why the rabbi stayed after you guys left...."

	"We could have stayed, it would have been cool," Matt pouted a bit.

	"Sorry, bud," Chase said, patting his shoulder.  "It was
private....  When we do it for real, you'll be there, I promise...."  Matt
nodded and they climbed onto the bus, where both Susan and Maria demanded
to see William's gift.  Both boys dutifully put their hands up for the
girls to see, bringing a round of squeals and incomprehensible girl noises.

	"They're so ... different," Susan said.

	"They are unique," William smiled.  "There aren't any more like
these anywhere...."

	"You're so sweet," Maria said, gushing, causing Chase to giggle and
William to blush.

	When they arrived at school, William gave Chase a quick kiss on the
cheek and went to the office, while Matt and Chase went to class with the
girls.  "Can I help you," the older lady at the desk asked with a Scottish
accent when he came in.  "Oh!  You must be Mr. Jennings....  I've got a
schedule for you here somewhere....  Oh, here it is...."  AP US History, AP
English, Biology, Trigonometry, PE and Latin IV -- basically his schedule
from home.  "And here is Ms. Frasier....  She'll be giving you a quick
orientation this morning....  A better tour, rules and regulations, that
sort of thing....  Ms. Frasier...."

	"Hi," she said with a blushing smile, as she led him out of the
office.  "It's Gwen, by the way...."

	"William," he responded.

	"So, you're new here?"

	"Yeah, I've been in Richmond for a while, but not in school....
I've been staying with the Abernathies...."

	"Oh," she exclaimed, her eyes widening.  "YOU'RE HIM!"

	Now he blushed.  "I suppose so," he answered shyly.

	"I just, I mean....  I didn't recognize you in the uniform....  I
saw you beat up those guys who were picking on Matt...."

	"It was nothing...."

	"Believe me, it was something....  Those guys are menaces....  So
you're Chase's...."

	"Boyfriend?  Yeah....  It's alright, you can say it," he laughed.
She nodded and they walked on in silence.

	"So, what's he like?"

	"What do you mean," William asked, laughing.

	"Nothing....  It's just, he always seems so nice and happy and
all....  But, what with him being ... you know ... is he really that....  I
don't know, that's not coming out right at all...."

	"It's okay....  There's nothing fake about him at all....  He
really is that sweet, that bubbly, all the time....  You should get to know
him...."

	Gwen gave him a tour, showing him more of the little details than
he had seen before, like special features of the library, and introducing
him to personnel, like the librarian and the PE teacher.  Then they went
back to the library and she went over the school's policies with him and
had him sign the honor code and things like that.  Then she showed him
where his classes were and he began his first half day.



	After school, he met up with Matt and Chase at the bus, and they
rode home together.  "So how was it," Chase asked.

	"Kind of overwhelming....  I've been out of school for so long,
I've got a lot of catching up to do, but ... it definitely seems better
than my old school!"

	Chase squeezed him, and said, "Plus you get to see me some during
the day!"

	"Give it a rest, guys," Matt groaned, causing Maria and Susan to
laugh.

	"How's Edward, by the way," William asked.

	"He's doing better....  His mom is still driving him to and from
school, as his arm is still hurting, but otherwise, he definitely has been
in a better mood....  You'll probably see him tomorrow; I think you have a
couple of morning classes together...."


	"You guys want to hang out this weekend," Chase suggested, and both
girls and Matt agreed immediately, and they made some plans until they
began to hit their stops.

	When Matt, Chase, and William got off, Matt and William saw the old
man sitting on the porch waiting, so Matt waved to them and ran to his
house to get into something more comfortable.  "Rabbi Roth," Chase called,
surprising William.

	"How did you know," he began to ask, but Chase's exaggerated
expression made him laugh.  Of course he knew who it was!

	"Hi, boys!  How was your first day, William?"

	"Good....  I guess it's time for training?"

	"Afraid so....  Why don't you run upstairs and change into
something more comfortable...."  The two boys ran upstairs and changed, and
Chase sat down at his computer to work.  William kissed him on the cheek
with a smile and came back downstairs.  Then he accompanied the man to the
shed and led him into the inner room.  Sam drew a door and then contacted
Avery, linking the two locations and opening the door.  From the room,
William could see the basement of Sebastian's mansion and the two handsome
men waiting to enter.

	"Please, come in," he called to them, and James and Avery stepped
through in athletic outfits.

	"William, it's good to see you again," Avery said, hugging him, and
James shook his hand.  Looking around, Avery said, "It's getting a little
crowded in here....  If we're going to train, we're going to need room."
With a flourish, he pressed outward to his left and right, palms parallel
to the walls, and the walls moved away from him.  Then he turned and did
the same.  The room expanded around him until it was huge, the size of a
small athletic complex, but its decor remained unchanged, only expanded,
and William's doors and safe remained where they were, only further away.
"That's better!"

	Avery looked at William with an appraising smile.  "So, how much
training did you do with your dad?"

	"Mostly defensive, with some basic offensive...."

	"That sounds like Alex," Avery said with a smile.  But he added,
"In these times, we're going to have to perfect your offensive skills....
But first, let's test your defensive magic...."  Avery backed up toward a
wall, and Sam did the same.  "I've been working with James for a little bit
and he's a bit of a prodigy, it seems....  I'm going to get him to attack
with some of the spells he's mastered and I want you to defend yourself
only...."  Both boy's nodded.

	James began by conjuring an energy ball and tossing it at William.
None of them knew what would happen as William remained perfectly still,
not raising his hand or speaking to defend himself.  But the ball simply
dissipated in midair.  "Impressive," Sam whispered to Avery, who nodded.
When James responded by tossing four or five fireballs in rapid succession,
William smiled and whispered a soft incantation and it was as if a mist
enveloped him, dousing the fires.  James raised his arm quickly and a bolt
of electricity flowed from his arm.  What William did then surprised them
all, as he raised his arm and took the bolt directly, absorbing its energy.

	Avery stepped forward, clapping.  "Your father was a great teacher,
young William....  An impressive display....  Don't feel bad, James, I
suspected as much....  William's father was ... amazing....  Sam, would you
mind...."

	William, who had been smiling, blanched at the prospect of being
tested by a general of the Society of Magic.  Sam smiled as he took James's
place.  "Don't worry, William, we just need to know how skilled you are so
we can teach you," Sam called from a distance.

	William nodded, and gulped as the man began forming his own energy
ball.  When the huge orb began speeding at him, he raised his arms,
exerting a repulsive force that slowed the energy ball to a stop a few feet
from him.  Then with a massive push, he sent it speeding back at Sam, who
repeated his feat.  This time, the ball came within a few inches of William
and he forced it into the earth, dissipating its energy.  And when the man
repeated James's electricity spell, William countered by raising an earthen
wall from the ground in front of him.

	Avery nodded to Sam, whose grandfatherly smile beamed pride as he
stepped aside.  So William stood across the room from Avery Salazar.  When
the man's hazel eyes began to glow brightly, William had no idea what was
coming until vines burst from the earth and began to wrap around him.
William responded with a deadly spell, which caused the vines to wither
wherever they touched him.  Avery smiled and winked as an energy ball
struck William in the back, knocking him to his knees.

	"How," William asked, and Avery pointed to a far corner, where an
energy ball was forming.

	"If you can do it here," Avery pointed to the palm of his hand,
"why can't you do it anywhere?"  As he spoke, the energy ball began to
move, its swerves carefully controlled by Avery's mind.

	"How did you kill the vines," James asked.

	Avery cut in and answered, "A forbidden spell...."

	"Forbidden by whom," William asked, curiously.

	"By the Society of Magic, nearly a century ago....  But you boys
aren't bound by its rules now, you aren't members....  And I think that
even its members will need to recall some forgotten, forbidden magic before
our battle is over...."

	"What is the Society of Magic," William asked curiously, as Sam had
mentioned his father worked for them before.

	"The Society of Magic is a kind of guild of free magicians who work
for the Shadow Council....  Sam Roth is one of the generals of that order.
When I was a Consul, I was special Consul for the Society....  Rather than
governing a region, I governed the Society...."

	"Sort of like Secretary of Defense," James asked.

	"Exactly!"

	"So, do Sarah and those other wizards work for the Society?"

	"Ah, no....  That's complicated," Avery said.  "wizards and Witches
the world over are governed loosely by a monarch, presently queen of the
witches....  She's more like the pope than an earthly king, as she doesn't
command the loyalty of all witches and doesn't enforce her rule by might
but through spiritual leadership....  She does have her own armies, battle
wizards, to protect and defend the interests of magical folks the world
over.  She has pledged support for Sebastian as long as the threat
remains....  Her armies have their own military structure parallel to those
of the guild of the Society, and many members of the Society have
allegiances to the queen, but their primary military duty is to the
Council....  It's complicated, but it has rarely led to conflicting
allegiances, as witches and wizards are generally supportive of council
directives...."

	"With one exception," Sam added, looking at Avery.  "Relations have
been tense since the Council sent Avery to Ashaer prison....  That's why
your father, Aiden, Xavier, and I all left, or were pushed out of, the
Council....  We actively opposed the sentence...."  Avery nodded to the
man, a silent thanks.

	Avery then explained why he had been sent to the prison and how
Sebastian brought him back.  "Xavier ... I hope he'll forgive Sebastian....
He did all he could, and he didn't forget me...."

	William nodded.  "I think that Sebastian's helping us will help
smooth things with Xavier....  In time...."

	Then the boys got to work, conjuring energy balls and fireballs and
tossing them at the two powerful wizards, each attempt gaining power and
focus.  Then, Avery taught them a new spell.  He demonstrated: conjuring up
a humanoid image, he concentrated on its location and calling out,
"Incendere!"  Immediately, the figure burst into flames.  "A very powerful
spell, not to be practiced except on dummies....  This spell must only be
used with the intent to kill....  It is particularly useful ... on
vampires," he finished quietly, looking at James almost apologetically.

	"It's okay," James said.  "Some of our enemies are very powerful
vampires....  We need to know how best to deal with them...."

	"Good, then....  Let's get to work...."  Avery conjured more of the
figures to practice on, and had the boys both start.  By the end of their
session, William was able to light the clothes of the figure on fire, and
James was just getting able to control his concentration and really mean
what he was saying.  "That's enough for today, boys," Avery said at last.
After quick goodbyes, Avery and James retreated to their home and the
portal was shut.  But it was permanent, so a bit of magic from a person on
each side would be able to open it instantly.

	William and Sam walked up to the house, where the man chatted with
Sarah and Steve for a few moments before bidding them all farewell.  Then
William went upstairs to shower and get into some clean clothes before he
and Chase joined Sarah and Steve for dinner.  After cleaning up the
kitchen, William joined Chase to cuddle in front of the television til
bedtime.

	The next day, William caught up with Edward at school who did look
a lot better.  He didn't look so anxious, and when confronted by this fact,
Edward confirmed that he was seeing someone about his feelings, a therapist
who spent a couple of days a week at the school to meet with students.
He'd also talked with Chase some, which definitely helped him feel more at
ease; William had his suspicions that Chase had probably helped Edward with
a little more than talking, perhaps a little healing energy.  He'd have to
ask that later, though.

	As William and Edward walked down the hall, their path was blocked
by a couple of big guys.  "So it's true, you're here....  We thought you
were Chase's boyfriend," they said, taunting Edward.

	"Don't you guys ever learn," William said, dropping his bag.

	But before anyone could say anything, a tall, powerful looking boy
stepped up behind them, putting a big hand on one of each boy's shoulders
and giving each a punishing squeeze.  "Hey, guys," Carl said, smiling
brightly at William and Edward.  "See the football team came to roll out
the welcome mat?"

	"You could say that," William said, laughing and picking up his
bag.  "How's it going, Carl," he asked, knowing that as long as the
conversation continued, the painful grip Carl was putting on the boys would
continue.

	After a few minutes more, he let them go and told them, "You guys
... might want to avoid these guys from here on out...."  Then Carl walked
with them toward a class they all shared, putting a hand on Edward's
shoulder as they talked.  William noticed a couple of young wizards
blending into the crowd as the incident was controlled.  So Sebastian's
reinforcements had arrived.

	Actually, Edward and Carl got along quite well, despite the cute
young Englishman's shy bookishness, as Carl had quite a good head for
literature and wasn't all about sports.  Plus, Carl did like soccer, which
was the only sport Edward cared anything about.  William smiled as he heard
Carl whisper to Edward later, "I heard what you did for Chase....  That was
awesome....  Does it hurt?"

	Edward blushed cutely and nodded, "A little, every now and then,
mostly just a warm throbbing...."

	Carl looked at the bandaged arm with something akin to awe as he
touched it with unexpected gentleness.  "You know this makes you like one
of the biggest bad-asses in school....  I mean you've been shot!  And you
aren't even bitching about it!"  William smiled, as he could tell exactly
what Carl was trying t do -- build Edward up a little, like he would a new
guy on the team.  For his part, Edward could talk about little else but
Carl at lunch, telling Susan about how the big jock thought HE was a
bad-ass!

	As the week passed without further incident, William fell into a
comfortable pattern at school and at home, having daily training with Avery
and James, and usually Sam too, followed by dinner with the family and
evenings of homework and time spent with Chase.  And life took on a sense
of normalcy he had forgotten was possible.  It couldn't last, he knew, but
he'd enjoy it will it did.