Caleb 45 - Reunion
I stared at the two men, currently hugging like a pair of long-lost lovers. Shocked at both their reactions.
Cheryl who had followed after Dean looked at me, a question on her face. I shrugged.
She put her hand on her husband’s arm and he eventually broke the embrace with Kevin. Stepping back, he looked at his wife.
“Cheryl,” he said. “This is Kevin,” she still didn’t seem to understand. “Mr. Miyagi.”
“I thought you said…” she began, and Dean nodded.
“That’s what they told me,” he said. He looked at Kevin, his eyes still wet. “They told me you were dead.”
Kevin grimaced. “After the op,” he began, “they took me back to camp for debrief. I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone, they didn’t let me see anyone. Then they brought me stateside. I spent three months in isolation with more debriefing. Again, they wouldn’t let me see or talk to anyone.
“By the time they released me, I was out of the service. They told everyone I’d died. They told me that if I contacted anyone from the unit, I’d be arrested and tried for treason. I was told to go away and disappear. I got the feeling that it was a close call that they let me out at all.
“I got a new identity, picked up my daughter and tried to rebuild my life. By the time I got out, my wife had left and all I had was Carys.”
“How come you’re here?” asked Dean.
“I had a dojo over in Iowa.” Kevin said. “It didn’t do so well. When it closed, I managed to scrape enough together to move, and open up, here. It was my last throw of the dice. Caleb here, was my very first student. He convinced his girls to take lessons. Eventually, people started coming in. They came from PSU and, as things got busier, they started coming from other places too.
“Finally, we’re making money, we’re surviving.”
“Two of those girls,” said Dean, “are my daughters.”
“I recognised the name,” said Kevin. “I did wonder, but since your place is so far away, I thought it might just be coincidence.”
“Why didn’t you come find me,” asked Dean. “You know I would have helped you, given you anything you needed.”
Kevin looked down. “Because it was my fault,” he said. “I was, am, ashamed.”
“It was nobody’s fault,” said Dean. “At least not anyone on the op. They knew we were coming, and they were ready for us. You couldn’t possibly have known. That wasn’t on you. Tell me you haven’t been carrying those guys deaths around with you all these years?”
Kevin’s eyes were bleak.
“Dad?” Carys had come back to find out why her father hadn’t come out into the yard.
“What is it?” she asked on seeing his face.
“Carys,” he said. “there’s someone I want you to meet.”
He took her hand and pulled her to face Dean.
“You remember I talked about Dean Steadman?”
“Dean… You mean Stubby, Stubby Steadman?”
I couldn’t fully suppress the bark of laughter that broke from me. Dean looked at me, a little red in the face but smiled wryly.
“Yeah,” he said, “laugh it up.”
Carys blushed and put her hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Dad’s told me a lot about you.”
“Apparently,” I said grinning. “Why don’t you guys go into the living room and get reacquainted and we’ll bring you some food and drink.”
Dean, Cheryl, Kevin, and Carys went into the living room. We went into the yard. I was starting to collect a couple of plates when my girls came over.
“We’ll see to that,” she said. “Go spend some time with your guests.”
Nana Babi shouted me over.
“Caleb,” she said. “Come sit with me a while. Claire is off doing something, and I don’t know where Louise is.”
I smiled.
She was sitting at the end of one of the trestle tables, but to the side. She indicated a seat at the head. I sat.
“I wanted to talk to you,” she said in a quiet voice. I could just about hear her, so I scooted my chair in closer.
“What about?” I asked.
She beckoned me closer still, taking both my hands where they lay on the table.
It was at that point, I felt the hand on my flies, undoing them and pulling my cock out, under the table.
My eyes widened. Nana Babi grinned at me. “Happy birthday.” She said, standing up and moving away.
By the time she had moved, whoever was under the table, had my cock in their mouth and was playing it like a saxophone. I sat stunned.
There were paper cloths on the tables which hung down. I had thought that they were there to hide more food and drinks out of sight, but they apparently had a dual purpose, of which I was only just learning.
Josh came and sat down in the chair that Nana Babi had vacated. He had brought me a beer. He placed it on the table in front of me.
“Having a good day?” he asked.
I grunted, as whoever it was, spit shined my cockhead, lapping at me and sucking in a way that I knew that I would not be able to resist for long. Despite the circumstances, my balls were already rising, the tingling in my belly a sure sign that someone was not too far away from getting a mouthful.
“I wonder if Pricktard got his car back yet,” said Josh trying to maintain a one-sided conversation. I glanced at him and I could see, in his eyes, that he knew what was going on. He was both covering for, and laughing at me, at the same time. I would have to figure out some kind of revenge.
“I,” I said, feeling my climax approaching. I had just about reached my peak when Dana came over.
“Having a good day?” she, too, asked. I was certain that she didn’t know what was going on, but I was incapable of answering her, as at that moment it was all I could do to maintain a brittle façade as I emptied my balls for the fourth time that day. Even over the music and conversation I could hear the slurps coming from under the table as my anonymous fellatrix accepted my gift.
Dana looked at me, waiting for my response, and then must have realised what was happening. She grinned.
“Oh,” she said. “Looks like you are having a good day.”
My anonymous benefactor took a few minutes to clean me up with their mouth and then tucked me away back in my pants before zipping me up and patting my cock gently.
Josh looked around, and seeing that nobody was looking in our direction at that time, lifted the tablecloth. Louise quickly scooted out and then moved up to sit on his lap. I didn’t think anyone but Dana noticed.
She grinned at Louise.
“Tasty?” she asked.
Louise leaned across the table, in a clear invitation. Dana, after a moment’s hesitation, also leaned forward. Were it not for the fact that I had just come, I would have creamed my shorts. Louise had held some of my cum in her mouth, presumably to share with Josh, but Dana’s question had changed her mind. They kissed for a while, their tongues stirring up and sharing the bounty that Louise had collected. I saw both their throats working as they each swallowed their share.
Dana sat back, flushed and breathless.
“Tasty,” she affirmed looking at me. “Maybe one day soon, you’ll let me sample from the source?” she cocked an eyebrow at me, before leaning forward, giving me a little peck on the lips, standing up and moving off.
“Well,” Louise said. “Things ARE getting interesting with that one.”
I looked at Louise. “You recruited Nana Babi to help you?” I asked, a little scandalized.
“If you heard some of the stories Nana Babi told,” said Josh, “You wouldn’t be surprised. Next time you sit at the head of one of these tables, it could easily be her underneath.”
I snorted with laughter, then finally took a drink of the beer that Josh had brought for me.
About an hour later, just as it was starting to go dark, someone switched the music off. I looked around and saw Jules walking out of the kitchen, a birthday cake on a tray in her arms, complete with burning candles.
Ness, grinned at me, as she started to sing “Happy Birthday.” Revenge, apparently, comes with birthday cake.
After the singing was over, I saw Dean, Cheryl and Kevin turn to go back into the house, and noticed that Gerry was there also. I was initially surprised but then realized that Dean must have called him to come over. If he had served with Kevin then so too must have Gerry. I thought back to that image I had had of Dean when we first met.
When he had spoken to Jules about going to dark places, I had caught a glimpse of him in his own dark place. He had been sitting on a cot, a picture of some men in one hand and a gun in the other. I could see the picture, and I examined it. There were eight people on the picture, I recognized three of them.
I wondered how many others hadn’t come back from that mission.
Another hour passed, in which I opened all the gifts that people brought, getting a variety of smelly things, alcohol, a teddy bear(?), several boxes of condoms - some people thought they were so funny - and gift cards. I found the gift from Dana to be a little intriguing. It was a Kershaw Link spring assisted pocket knife. I looked at her.
“Gibbs rule number 9,” she said. “Never go anywhere without a knife.”
I cocked my head to the side for a moment, before making the connection. NCIS. I’d seen a couple of the shows, not being a great television watcher, but Amanda liked it. Her panties practically melted every time Leroy Jethro Gibbs came on the screen. Personally, from the few episodes I had seen, Ziva was my favourite character. She had a great ass, although Abby was cute, too, in a goth sort of way.
I grinned at her, “Thanks,” I said, slipping the knife in my pocket.
It wasn’t too much longer before people began to drift away. Typically Sue and George were first to go, climbing all over each other in their haste to be alone again. I pitied Brenda if she was still sharing a dorm with Sue; she must get sick of them. Since they were her ride, Dana went with them.
Over the course of the next half hour, pretty much everyone else had drifted off. Nana Bibi had apparently rented a room in town and would be driving back in the morning. We did suggest that she drop in for breakfast but she declined. I hugged her once again.
“You are a wicked old woman,” I whispered in her ear as we hugged and she cackled.
“If it hadn’t been for my knees,” she said, “it might have been me under there.”
“I’ll have to see what I can do about those for you then,” I said, staring her in the eye. She looked startled for a moment before laughing again.
“And you say I’m wicked,” she said. She patted me on the arm, before moving away to say goodnight to Josh and Louise.
Claire came to hug me. “Thank you Caleb,” she said. “I wasn’t ready to lose her yet.”
“You look after the both of you,” I said. “And be cautious around Keenan. He is not as benign as you think. I wouldn’t put it past him to think of bumping the old girl off for her money.”
Claire’s eyes widened. “You think he would?”
“I don’t know him very well,” I said, “but he’s shown what he’s capable of, especially when money is involved.”
“I’ll watch him,” she said. “Although I think Nana Babi has a plan.”
I smiled. “I hope so. Drive carefully, and you know where we are if you need anything.”
She nodded and then hurried off when Nana Babi called for her.
Soon enough there was only my girls, Gracie, Josh and Louise, and my parents left in the yard. Even Alan and Anne had gone home.
Dean, Cheryl, Kevin, and Gerry were still in the living room, Carys having left with her boyfriend a little while ago.
I was sitting in one of the lawn chairs, with both Ness and Jules on my lap. I was quietly using TK to support them, so they didn’t slip off. The twins were seated on chairs either side of me.
“Did you have a good birthday?” Jules asked me.
“I had the best birthday I could possibly have wished for,” I said. “There were certainly some moments that I could have done without, but the rest of it more than made up for those. Being surrounded by my family was fantastic.”
My mother looked across at me when I said that. I held her eyes for a moment, and she gave a weak smile.
I looked around at the plane wreck that had once been my yard.
“I can’t face this tonight,” I said. “We’ll clear up in the morning.”
I displaced Ness and Jules and stood. “Goodnight,” I said.
I looked into the living room, Dean Kevin and Gerry were still deep in conversation. Cheryl had apparently already gone to bed. I bade them goodnight and took myself to my room.
I half expected to find someone waiting in bed, and it was a bit of a relief when I saw the bed was empty. I took a quick shower. And climbed in.
+++++
I went out into the yard the next morning and surveyed the damage.
It was extensive. Moving back into the kitchen I grabbed some trash bags and began the job of clearing up. It wasn’t difficult – my TK made it very simple. The bags opened themselves and stayed open while all the trash simply jumped inside. I had already sealed the gloryhole with TK just in case next door decided to peek
In less than half an hour I had the yard back to its former glory, with all of the trash stacked in the bed of my truck, and the trestle tables standing against the wall ready to be dealt with. I then moved into the kitchen.
This was slightly trickier, but I continued to use TK. It was interesting using it under fine control as opposed to just lifting heavy weights with it. It probably took a little longer than it would have had I not used TK, but pretty soon I had the kitchen back to its normal state. Again, the trash was stashed in the bed of my truck. I’d make a trip to the city dump later and get rid of it all.
By the time I had finished. It was after five thirty and I was hungry.
I was making myself some breakfast when Dean and Cheryl came into the kitchen. Cheryl looked around .
“Wow,” she said. “You have been busy. I thought the girls were going to do this?”
“They set it all up,” I said. “I needed to work in here and I couldn’t do that with all the mess.”
Thirty minutes later Ness entered, looking peeved.
“We were going to do that.” she said. “I promised you you’d have your kitchen back pristine.”
“And it is,” I said, “so, you didn’t break your promise.”
She looked at me sideways.
“Okay,” she said resignedly. “But we’re doing the yard.”
“Okay,” I said amiably. “Do you want breakfast first or after?”
“After,” she said. “Let’s get it done.” She walked out of the kitchen door and then turned around and walked back in.
“You’re not funny, you know,” she said grumpily.
“I think I am,” I said grinning at her. I placed a plate in front of her. I’d made blueberry pancakes for a change. It seemed that we had bacon every day and I wanted something different.
She hmphed at me and started to eat.
Jules and the twins soon joined us, closely followed by my parents and Gracie. Ness, having finished her breakfast came and took over from me so I could eat. I copped a quick feel of her ass as she walked past me, and she looked up at me and smiled.
After breakfast, I took my truck to the city dump. Nobody seemed anxious to accompany me to that particular tourist attraction, so I went on my own. When I got back, there was a strange car parked outside the house.
Jules met me at the door. “You have a visitor.”
I went into the living room, to find Matilda Bree sitting on the sofa, a coffee cup in hand. She was dressed in jeans and a blouse and looked, at first glance, like someone’s grandmother.
My father was sitting in the room with her. They both looked up as I entered. I quickly scanned his mind, checking for interference, and confirming that the bond hadn’t been reapplied.
“I haven’t interfered with him in any way,” she said seeing what I was doing.
I sat down in the chair opposite and regarded her.
“I wanted to talk to you,” she said. “Off the record.”
I waited.
“You may not know this,” she said, “but I am one hundred and forty-five years old. I am now the youngest member of the Everson council. Ezra is one hundred sixty-four and Zacharia is one hundred and eighty.
“All of us grew up on tales of how Compulsion users used to treat both norms and members of our families. You were right in what you said to Dianna. All powers are capable of being abused. We Telepaths, or even Empaths, could do to a norm anything that someone with Compulsion could. They have no defense.
“Those with Compulsion, though, could do those things to us. This meant that we had no means to look after those that we had sworn to protect. We had to find a way of controlling the uncontrollable. Believe it or not, it was a Stott who came up with the binding oath. He knew that without it, there would be no stopping your line. Even now, with the technology available, and knowledge of powers, it takes an immense amount of resources to simply stop one wild user. Someone with your power, if you were cunning, could potentially be unstoppable.
“It was decided that the safest course, was to ensure that those with Compulsion were brought up ignorant of their powers and with their powers blocked. Then, when they were released at majority - and that age has changed through the years - they would swear the oath before they learned how to use and control their powers.
“That way, we could ensure that we maintained control and could continue to protect our charges. The system worked. There hasn’t been a single instance in ten generations where a Norm has been abused by a member of your line. All the abusers now are wilders - genetic anomalies who develop powers unexpectedly or their progeny. Just like that child that you found.
“Nobody thought to even consider what we were doing to those people who were being controlled. They were potentially dangerous power users and they had to be contained. We forgot that they were also human beings, with rights, and feelings, and dignity. We were doing to them exactly what we were supposedly preventing them from doing to others.
“Even now, we are divided. Some on the council wish to battle with you, to re-establish dominance, to force you to take the oath, and bind you to us. Perhaps that may be an option for someone who had committed some kind of crime, who has proved that they cannot be trusted with their powers, and would use them recklessly.
“But you have done none of these things. Even your retribution against those who tried to kill your friend was measured and controlled. We would like you to reverse it, though, after some time has elapsed – perhaps a year or two? I saw you in that court room. I was there, although you were so focused on the perpetrators that you didn’t notice me.
“I saw your rage from your aura. I saw exactly what you wanted to do to those men, and saw that you not only didn’t do it, you COULDN’T do it. I have no doubt that in the heat of combat you might have but, in the cold light of day, it was beyond you to perpetrate such an atrocity. Your forebears would have crushed both those men to paste and not blinked.
“Each time you were tested we expected you to fail, but you surprised us. We tested you further. You may think that we actually WANTED you to fail and, if I am honest, there are some on the council that probably did. Each time you confounded us. You proved to be better than we could have expected. Better than we could have hoped.”
I waited for her to say more, but she was obviously waiting for me to speak.
“I was,” I said, “no, I AM angry, that I grew up being lied to. I was crippled by a device that not only stopped my powers, but affected me in other ways too. I could have been so much more, had I had access to my full capacity. For the last year I blamed my parents. My relationship with them was almost destroyed because I thought that they had put your edicts over and above the needs of their own child.
“You tested me over and over, nearly destroying my relationship with all of my girls, and forcing me to lock myself in an emotionless state. The final straw was finding out that not only were you draconian in your rules but you were also hypocrites, using the very power you decried to control us. You forced generations of us into slavery.
“Make no mistake, I could have gone to war. It would have been easy for me to strip the power from all three of you. I had you in the palm of my hand. It would have taken no more than a thought to turn you into a norm. Maggie told me not to, but I think you know that I had no intention of doing so. I merely wanted you to appreciate that I could, if I needed to.
“Notice I said ‘needed’ to and not ‘wanted’ to. I would never WANT to do that, not even to someone who has done to me and my family what you have. What I wanted, and still want, is for us to be able to work together, to continue the work that we have been doing so well, but as free people and not slaves.
“You know that all the other families, with powers, be it TK, Telepathy, Healing, all self-govern, and all manage their own. If any go rogue, there are mechanisms for dealing with them. Our problem is not members of my line, nor of yours, but wilds and their offspring. A wild with Compulsion rapes a dozen women that we never hear about. All of a sudden, we have a dozen potential offspring. From that dozen we end up with a gross, and the further increase of wilders becomes exponential.
“If we spend our time fighting each other, who is going to protect the norms? Who is going to find and nurture those offspring into adults who will not abuse their power? Who is going to carry on the work that you started if we spend our time destroying each other? Because, if we go to war, that is what will happen.”
She nodded. “Your father told me that you were prepared to swear an oath to the Stott council,” she said.
“I said” I responded, “that I might. I would have to be satisfied with the wording, but moreover that I would not be bound. It would be an honor-based oath only.”
She nodded again.
“I am going to propose,” she said, “to what is left of our council, that they accept the formation of yours. I am going to ask Maggie to rescind her resignation from our council. In that way we will have both liaison and complete transparency between our two councils, with the Everson Matriarch serving on yours, and the Stott Matriarch on ours.”
“Will there not be a conflict of interests?” I said. “Since Maggie will be leading our council?”
“I am sure that she will be able to manage it,” she said. “After all, the point of the exercise is transparency. Besides, we’re supposed to be on the same side, not in competition.”
“Do you think they will accept?” I asked.
“I am hopeful that I can convince them,” she said. “I have already discussed the issue with Judge Roder. She is of the opinion that it would be best, although we would be asking for a stipulation from you not to pursue any action against us for what may be considered abuse of powers. Judge Roder opines that the case has merit, but it would be eminently defendable too. It would be a circus, cost both sides a fortune, and achieve very little.”
“One question?” I asked.
“Please,” she said.
“Why are you talking to me?” I asked. “Surely you should be discussing this with our council, with Maggie, Garrard, Dianna, and my father here.”
She smiled.
“You are not so naïve,” she said, “to really need an answer to that question. If it were not for the amount of power you hold, we would not be in this position. No matter who sits on the council, the
real power in the Stott family is you. They could make deals all day long, but if you say no, then they couldn’t enforce them on you.
“From the moment you discovered your power, you have proven to be a reasonable, thoughtful, and honorable man. I am hoping that will continue and that we can come to an accommodation that will benefit both us, and the people we care for.”
“So, if this is all ‘off the record,’” I said. “how do we go about making it official?”
“I will meet with the council,” she said. “I am going to ask Maggie to attend and be involved in that meeting. If I can get her back on board, then convincing them that it is the best way forward should be eminently possible.
“Assuming they agree, we will call for a meeting with your council to flesh out the terms of our working relationship, jurisdiction, and other details.”
“And if you can’t convince them?”
She shuddered. “Please don’t,” she said. “That is not a scenario I care to contemplate.”
Then she gave a little smile.
“As a small token of good faith,” she said, “I got you this.”
She gave me a packet of documents.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“It’s the articles of incorporation of the HOA on your street,” she said. “I looked into them since they seemed to be pestering you. I did actually enjoy the way you reversed Mr. Pritchard’s attempt with the parking company by the way.”
“Are you spying on me?” I asked.
“Constantly,” she said. “Get used to it. Anyway, it appears that the paperwork was filed incorrectly. I had Judge Roder check it over. She has ruled that in the absence of correctly filed paperwork the HOA no longer exists and, if they want to continue each household will have to re-apply for membership. There are nine copies of the ruling in that envelope along with an application for an HOA, should you wish to start one anew.
“The ruling will be mailed to all the members over the next week or so, but I thought you might like a little advanced notice.” She smirked at me.
“You know,” I said, “when you’re not being a bitch, I actually quite like you.”
My father’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to remonstrate with me, but she beat him to it.
“When you’re not being a brat,” she returned, “you’re not so bad yourself.”
I grinned at her then stood up. I held my hand out to her, and she stood, shaking it. She actually knew how to shake hands – remarkable.
I walked her to the door and watched as she made her way to her car. I saw Pricktard watching through his window. I grinned and waved to him. He just scowled. I did notice his car was in his drive.
I turned round, closed the front door, and leaned my back on it.
“Well FUCK ME!” I yelled.
“CALEB!!!” my mother shouted at me from the deck. “Language.”
My father laughed from the living room.
I shared the memory of the conversation with everyone in the yard, while my father started a conference call with the rest of the council and brought them up to speed.
“What did Maggie say?” I asked my father when he came out after his call.
“Exact words?” he asked. I nodded. “Well fuck me!” he said grinning at my mother. She sighed in exasperation as we all laughed.
He looked at me. “You did it,” he said.
“Not yet,” I said. “They still have to accept.”
“Maggie thinks they will,” he said. “She said that Ezra and Matilda were moderates. It was Zacharia that was the extremist. He would browbeat the others down. She is certain that with Maggie’s help she will be able to convince Ezra to accept it. Then, at two votes to one, Zacharia will have no choice.”
I grinned and got up.
“Where are you going?” asked Amanda.
“To say good morning to my neighbours,” I said waving my envelope at her.
I started with Alan and Anne. Not for any reason but I thought that they would enjoy the joke.
Alan literally cried with laughter when I showed him the ruling. Anne just sat grinning at his reaction.
I then went to my other neighbour. The one who had offered me his driveway.
I knocked on the door. He answered, looking sour. He grunted when he saw it was me. “You were right,” he said. “I should have minded my own business.”
“Why,” I asked. “What happened?”
“I got hit with a five hundred dollar fine. The paint is peeling on my weatherboard. I also have twenty eight days to put it right, or I get another fine.”
“Take a look at this,” I said pulling the ruling out of the envelope and handing it to him. He looked at it, his eyes getting wider as he read.
“Does this mean?”
“It means that the HOA is no more,” I said. “If you want one, you’ll have to create one fresh. You’ll be getting notification via mail in the next few days, but my friend got me an advance copy. As you see its all signed and sealed with the court seal.”
He scowled at me.
“Does this mean I have to say good morning to you if I see you in the street?” he asked.
“Only if you want to,” I said grinning at him. He grinned back.
“I don’t know how you did it,” he said, “but boy, you are a genius. Have you told Pricktard yet?”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t planning on it. He’ll get the notification in the mail. I am going to tell everyone else though.”
He grinned. “’Scuse me” he said. “I need to put my trash cans out.”
“But trash day isn’t until…”I began and then laughed.
I went around all the houses of the neighbourhood, and posted a copy of the ruling through each door.
Strangely, several people wanted to put out their trash, and others decided to do some work with power tools on the exterior of their houses, even though it was only eleven thirty.
I saw Tom Prichard stomping up and down the street slapping bits of paper on people’s houses, until one of my neighbours showed him the paper I had posted. He stood there reading it for a few seconds, and then, looking like a kid who’s dog had died, walked slowly back to his house.
I almost felt sorry for him.
“Did you enjoy that?” asked Dean as I came in the house.
“At first,” I said. “Now I feel like a bit of a tool.”
He laughed. “Petty revenge is like that,” he said. “He doubtless deserved it though.”
“So,” I said looking at him sideways, “Stubby?”
“Don’t start,” he said.
I grinned at him. Then had a thought.
“I need to ask your advice,” I said.
“Shoot,” he said.
I pulled out my wallet. “Nana Babi gave me this.”
I handed him the check. He cocked an eyebrow when he read the amount.
“You didn’t?” he said with a grin.
“No,” I said “I didn’t. I did heal her though. She had cancer.”
“So, what do you need from me?” he asked.
“What do I do with it,”
“It’s a check” he replied with a grin. “You take it to the bank, and…
“I know that,” I said. “I mean what do I do with the money.”
“Well, the IRS will want their share.”
“She said she’d already taken care of that,” I told him.
“Okay then,” he said. “You need to speak to a financial advisor. I can put you in touch with mine. I know someone with a company you could invest in.” he grinned at me.
“Take it,” I said. “If you can use it – do.”
He shook his head. “You really don’t have any desire for money, do you?”
“I have enough to pay my bills,” I said. “What am I going to do with all that? Besides you pay most of my bills. I owe you…”
“No,” he interrupted. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Deposit it for now,” he said. “The bank will take a while to deal with it in any case. There will be all kinds of questions about money laundering and such. Once it’s in your account, let me know, and we’ll talk again.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks. I haven’t said anything about this to the girls.”
“Secrets?” he said. “Not a good idea.”
“Not secrets, per se,” I said, “but they threatened me with a joint bank account a little while ago – I think I might take them up on it.” I grinned at him.
“Ah,” he said, “they threatened your masculinity and now that you have some money you want to wave your dick around. Is that it?”
“When you put it like that,” I admitted, “it doesn’t sound nearly as funny as it did in my head.”
“And how do you think that would make them feel?” he asked quietly. “Jules and Ness could trump you easily, but the twins offered you the money they got for their parents’ deaths. And you belittle it?
“I know you didn’t think that through properly, and that you would never do anything to deliberately hurt your girls. The proper thing to do is to go out there and tell them about the gift. Let them know you, and I mean all you, have the money.”
I nodded. “Thanks Pops,” I said. “You may have just saved me making a complete twat of myself.”
“Any time,” he replied brightly.
“Girls,” I sent. “I need to talk to you. Can you come into the living room please?”
I went into the living room and sat down. A few seconds later Jules and Ness arrived, closely followed by the twins.
I closed the door behind them, and indicated that they should all sit. Typically they all sat, on or around me. I had expected this so had gotten the check out of my wallet and was holding it in my hand.
“What’s up?” asked Jules.
“I needed to show you guys something,” I said. “My present from Nana Babi.”
“I saw,” said Jules. “There was a check in that card, wasn’t there?”
I nodded.
Amanda grinned. “Did she give you a hundred grand too?” she asked. I shook my head.
I held out the check and she took it, unfolding it and reading the amount.
“Five Million?” she said. I nodded. All the other girls gasped.
“Well,” said Mary, “That was unexpected.”
“I know,” I said. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer. She said that she’s already done all the paperwork with the IRS so I don’t have to pay any of it to them either.”
“Have you told Louise?” asked Ness.
I shook my head. “You think she’ll be mad? Nana Babi said that she was going to look after Louise. Apparently the twenty million that was going to go to Keenan for marrying her, was split between Claire and I.”
“I think,” said Mary, “that Louise will be very happy for you. She knows what you did for Nana Babi, and she will think you deserve it.”
“Let’s see,” said Ness. “I’ll go get her.”
She clambered off my lap, and darted from the room, returning a few minutes later with Louise. Josh of course in tow.
“Louise,” I said. She smiled at me.
“I already know,” she admitted. “Nana Babi told me what she was going to do. She asked me how best to do it so you would accept.”
“You never said anything,” I said.
“She wanted it to be a surprise,” she replied. “Please tell me that you are going to accept it?”
I nodded. “She said that she’d already spent money resolving the IRS position, although to be honest I have no idea what that would be. Apparently if there was tax to be paid, she has already paid it. So, I don’t really have a choice. I think, though, I would have accepted it anyway. At least now I know that she’s taken care of Claire and…”
“And?” asked Josh.
“And she’ll take care of me,” said Louise. “You told her that money should be mine, didn’t you?”
I looked at her. Then nodded.
“I’ll be fine,” said Louise. “Nana Babi wanted you to have that money for what you did for her. You gave her an extra ten or twenty years of life. What price that for someone who is as rich as she is?
“Caleb,” she said, “when you had no money, or very little, you offered to pay for me, pay for my car, and employ me so I could stay in college. I know roughly how much you make doing your hypnotherapy and I know that at that time, two fifty a week would have been a sizeable chunk. After that and the IRS got to you, you would have had nothing left. But you offered it to me without blinking.”
“Technically,” I interrupted, “Mary offered you that.”
“But you didn’t disagree,” she rebutted. “You healed Nana Babi without a thought of what you could gain from it. Your only stipulation, if you could call it that, was that she thought about Claire and doing right by her. You didn’t ever make it a condition of her healing; you just asked her to consider it.
“You are a good man, Caleb, and you deserve to have good things happen for you. Take the money and use it. You’ll probably end up spending on someone else anyway, knowing you.”
She leaned in past Jules who was still on my lap and kissed my cheek. Then she and Josh went back to doing whatever it was they were doing.
“So,” said Jules as Ness once more settled on her side of my lap. “What are you going to do with it?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Maybe buy some shares in a dairy farm.”
She grinned up at me.
After lunch, my parents said goodbye and set out for home.
I hugged them both, feeling a lot happier with them than I had for some time. I realized that I had been angry with my mother since Gerald, and with them both since I had found out about the amulet. That anger was now gone. Perhaps I could rebuild my relationship with them after all.
“Maggie will keep you up to speed with what is going on with the council,” my father said to me.
I nodded.
“We still don’t know what we are doing for the entirety of the break,” I said. “Maybe we’ll come home and see you.”
“That would be nice,” my mother said with a smile. “Although I’m not sure your room would be big enough anymore.”
“We’ll figure something out,” I said. “When we know what we are going to do. I think we are going to have to spend at least a couple of days here until we find out what is happening with the council.”
“I suspect we will know sooner than that,” my father said. “They asked Maggie to go see them this afternoon.”
“You think she’ll be okay?” I asked. “I know Matilda came over, but it would still be three against one. Matilda, alone, is stronger than Maggie.”
“What would they gain by doing anything to Maggie?” asked my father. “Even if they bound her again, you would see it the next time you spoke and undo it. No, I’m not concerned. Besides Maggie may not be as strong as Matilda, but she’s not an innocent. Remember she’s an assistant deputy director in the FBI. I’m sure she’s got her bases covered.”
I nodded. “I hope so,” I said. “Drive carefully.”
He got into his car, backed out of the drive, and drove off down the road.
I stood staring after their car until they turned at the end of the block. Sighing I went back inside.
Everyone was out on the deck, enjoying the afternoon sunshine. I joined them.
“So,” said Dean. “What are your plans for the rest of the vacation?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Maggie is apparently meeting with the Everson Council this afternoon. Hopefully that will put that issue to bed. Other than that, I had nothing in mind. I was thinking we could come up to the ranch for a few weeks. Don’t you have some fences to fix?”
“I think you have some fences of your own to mend,” he said. “Going and spending some time with your folks might be a good idea.”
I nodded. “You may be right,” I said. “But not yet. Perhaps the last week of the break. There will be very little to do there for any of us. Dad will be working and the house isn’t really big enough to accommodate us all in any case. We’d probably manage a week but more than that we’d end up killing each other.”
He nodded. “I get that,” he said. “Let’s wait and see if we hear from Maggie later, then we can think about where to go from there.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon on the deck chatting. I was nervously waiting for news form Dianna or Maggie, but it was nearly six before we heard anything.
My phone beeped, Maggie.
_Can I come over? I have news.
_Is Dianna with you?
_Yes.
_Dinner will be ready in an hour.
_Thanks – we’ll be there.
I went into the kitchen closely followed by Ness, and between us we put together dinner. As promised it was ready in an hour. Dianna and Maggie arrived five minutes before it was due to be served.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“Can we eat first?” asked Maggie. “I’m starving.”
I served dinner and we ate. Finally, Maggie sat back in her chair and sighed.
“Well, that was a council meeting and a half,” she said. “I took Dianna with me. I wanted her to see what was going on, and I hoped that by showing unity between the two matriarchs of the line we could settle things easier.
I looked at Dianna.
“Nothing bad happened,” said Maggie. “I’ll allow you to examine my mind for the binding if you desire.”
I wondered what to do. Should I trust her, or was this a double bluff?
“Please,” I said finally. She nodded and dropped her shield. It took only a few seconds for me to ascertain she was not bound. I backed out immediately.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “If I was bound, then you couldn’t trust anything I said.
I nodded a thought suddenly occurring to me. I filed it away for later.
“Outside of that,” she said, “it was probably the most acrimonious council meeting I have ever attended. Zacharia was incensed at what you did and how you spoke to them. He was insistent that you must be forced to take the oath.”
“How did he intend to force me to do so?” I asked.
She pulled a face. “You don’t want to know.”
“No,” I said. “I DO want to know. If he is of that mindset, then he may decide to take independent action. I want to know what he has a mind to do.”
She looked at me for a long time. “Please Caleb,” she said. “He was voted down. It’s over.”
“He wanted to use my girls against me,” I said, “didn’t he.”
“Both Ezra and Matilda expressly forbade him from doing any such thing,” Maggie said.
“You said,” I told her, “that one of the genius things that I did was to never make a threat. But I’m telling you now. If Zacharia harms a single hair on any of my girls, he will die, slowly, screaming in agony. That is not a threat, it is a promise.”
Maggie paled.
“I can’t…”
“Tell him that from me,” I said.
“Tell him also,” said Dean, “that all those girls are mine too. So, if Caleb doesn’t get him, I will. You know what resources I can bring to bear.”
“I think we’re getting a little off track,” said Dianna. “Zacharia was voted down. He can’t do anything. Anything he does will be illegal, and therefore will be punished by the law.”
“The council,” said Maggie, “of which I am once again a member, voted to accept the new Stott council, and to work with them, in order to continue the work they had previously done. That is, to protect people from rogue power users, whatever their power.”
“The subject of your oath to our council came up,” said Maggie. “They are anxious for you to swear.”
“We haven’t yet discussed the wording of such an oath,” I said. “And my swearing an oath is conditional in any case.”
“On?”
“That, on demand, I may examine any member of the Stott council to ensure that they have not been re-bound.”
Maggie’s eyebrows rose.
“That’s quite a condition,” she said. “You’re asking for access to all of our minds at any time.”
“Unless you can think of another way that we can be sure that they don’t tamper with you. I don’t trust them. It will take many years before I might even consider it. Possibly more years than I have left.”
“They can’t really force anyone to take the oath,” she reminded me. “They don’t have Compulsion. Your father is the exception, but his is virtually unusable. Their Empathy couldn’t do it, and while Matilda has telepathy, that is only good for reading minds and illusion. They only got away with it for so long because nobody knew about it, and they asked people to take the oath when they were young and inexperienced. Those of us who might have noticed, were already compelled not to.”
I sighed.
“I know you’re scared,” she said, “that they will find some way to work around us. I know that you don’t trust them. But please, trust us. Yes, we were bound, but that happened before we gained all the knowledge and experience we have now. Now that binding is broken there is no way it could be reapplied. Literally the only person alive that could reapply the binding to me is you. Issuing threats and demanding access is only going to make people nervous and upset a delicate detente that has only just been reached.
“I know that you don’t completely trust me, but I also know that you do trust Dianna. Be guided by her if you won’t be guided by me.”
I looked at Dianna and she raised an eyebrow at me.
I nodded. Maggie sighed in relief.
“But the use of that ritual oath must be banned,” I insisted, “even for Eversons. It’s not likely, but it is possible that a new user might actually have Compulsion as well as Empathy. There can’t be any risk that anyone else is ensnared, even accidentally.”
“That was already decided,” said Maggie. “It was Ezra’s suggestion. They have also made a suggestion regarding the wording of your oath” she continued.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” I said. She handed me a piece of paper.
I read it.
“No,” I said. “I will not swear to obey the council. Respect yes, obey no.”
“Okay, we can change that,” she said. “Anything else?”
“The last four words,” I said.
She looked at the paper in surprised.
“So help me God?” she asked.
“I’m an atheist” I said. “Why would I swear on something I don’t believe in. It would make the oath meaningless, no?”
She shook her head, smiling wryly.
“If we make those changes, you would be willing to take this oath?” she asked. I read it through again, and then before answering handed it to Mary. She read it and handed it to Amanda, who read it and handed it to Jules, then Ness. Ness went to give it back to me, but I indicated that she should give it to her father for him to read.
“Thoughts?” I asked. I wanted to make sure that there was nothing hidden in the wording that I had missed.
“It reads a lot like the oath I took on enlisting,” said Dean.
“It’s based on the oath that FBI agents take,” said Maggie. “One that you will have to take if you do join.”
“About that,” I said. “What if I change my mind and want to do something else instead?”
“Such as?” asked Maggie.
I shrugged. “Jeevan sells insurance,” I said. “He Heals in his free time. I also quite enjoyed working on the farm.”
“Both councils,” she said carefully, her face closed, “would be very disappointed if you did not lend your power to our fight against rogue power users.”
“And the girls?” I asked.
“Are free to choose whatever career they wish,” she said.
“Okay then,” I said. “I am content to swear the oath as written there. When?”
“Well, your parents just left for home. While the full council doesn’t need to be present for the oath to be sworn, just a quorum. That would be three of the four. We could get them together this week, and include your father by Zoom. Also, Judge Roder would like to meet with you. Would you have any objections to the Everson Council being present when you swear your oath?”
I shook my head. “If it pours even a little oil on the waters,” I said, “that would be fine.”
“As long as you don’t go on to set fire to it,” murmured Dianna. I chuckled.
“I will do nothing,” I said, “except respond to their actions. If they are civil and behave, then I’ll act accordingly.”
Maggie bit her lip. “Why am I not reassured?”
+++++
Out of habit, I was at the dojo the next morning at four thirty. Kevin was there as usual. He was not, however, in his gi.
“A lot of things clicked into place on Saturday,” he said. “Things that I had only suspected before, I am now certain of. Now you know of my background, you must also realize that I, like Dean, served with Psi-Ops.”
I nodded. “I wondered if we were going to be having this conversation.”
“Those boys,” he said, “with the bricks. What did you do to them?”
“I just laid fear onto them,” I said. “I knew that they were cowards. Increasing their fear made sure that they would never come back.”
He nodded.
“Dean said that you could just have taken all my knowledge of fighting out of my head,” he said. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because that would have been a violation,” I replied.
“But if I agreed to it?” he asked.
“That would be different,” I admitted. “I have done it a few times, with the consent of those who I took knowledge from. My original instructor being the first.”
He closed his eyes in realization.
“Which is how you attained nidan level in only ten months,” he sighed. “Of course. I spoke to a few people at your party. You have a huge amount of responsibility on your shoulders. I would like to help you, and perhaps ease your burden a little. I would be happy to allow you to take all of my fighting knowledge, the way you took all of Dean’s weapons training.
“You would still need to practice to build up the muscle memory, but I suspect you know that already having been through this process before. I think it would accelerate your learning if you did this. Dean told me what you asked him to do, and I spent some time gathering all my memories of my various trainings and other fight related activities. They are yours if you care to take them.”
“I would still want to come and practice with you,” I said. “Like you said the muscle memory is as important as the knowledge. Also I found that even taking the memories, sometimes I misinterpret things that I learn, it is always useful to confirm the knowledge in reality.”
“Of course,” he said. “I was hoping you would say that. Besides, having someone who knows everything I know, to spar with would greatly accelerate my own training. I learned little by simply beating you up every day.” He smiled at me.
“Not every day,” I said.
“I am ready whenever you are,” he said. I reached in and found the memories he had prepared. His mind was remarkably disciplined, and all the memories I took contained almost no extraneous information.”
“Thank you,” I said a moment later.
“Is that it?” he asked surprised. “I was expecting…”
“All done,” I said. “I need to spend some time assimilating the information – there’s a lot, but from your point of view it’s all done.”
+++++
I was making breakfast when I got a text from Maggie.
_Judge Roder would like to meet with you this morning. Will you?
_Sure, what time?
_Can you be at my office at ten? I’ll take you across.
_See you then.
I finished up with breakfast and got ready to go see the judge. I contemplated putting a suit on, but then thought better of it. For a moment I held the T-Shirt that Jules had gotten me for my birthday in my hand. I grinned as I once again read the message.
In the end I settled for smart but casual dress. I wore a pair of dark trousers, and a white button-down shirt.
I parked in the FBI spaces again, this time with no hassle. I went into the Federal Building and stepped through the metal detector. I looped my ID over my belt. Rosie the receptionist smiled at me as I entered.
“Morning,” she said. “ADD Forbes is expecting you. She said to go straight up.”
I thanked her and walked to the elevators, feeling her eyes on me as I did. I looked back quickly and caught her eye. She blushed and I grinned.
When I got to the top floor I stepped out of the elevator, and saw that Maggie’s door was open. Cuthbert was sat at his desk.
I quickly spun an illusion and his eyes widened as I approached.
Maggie, who saw me approaching from her seat at her desk, called to me.
“Caleb,” she shouted, “Come in a minute, I’ll be right with you.”
I walked past the gaping PA and into her office.
Maggie looked up and spotted the grin on my face.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“Me?” I said. “Nothing.”
I saw her ‘listening’ for a moment. Cuthbert was mentally screaming about what he had just seen and she obviously picked up the memory.
“You are a bad man,” she said. “He’s old. You’ll give the poor man a heart attack.”
“At least he didn’t complain about my dress,” I said.
“I think he might be taking an early lunch,” she said. “You gave him an issue to deal with.”
I laughed.
“Come on,” she said. “We can’t keep the judge waiting.”
As we walked out, Cuthbert looked at me. I didn’t continue the illusion, so he saw me as I was. I could see realization in his eyes. He’d been with Maggie long enough to be clued in about powers.
For a moment he chewed his lip. I grinned at him. Then he nodded, as if to say ‘Okay – I’ll give you that one.’ There was a small smile on his face. I felt his eyes on me all the way to the elevator. I didn’t look back.
The judge was in her chambers. There was a young woman sitting in the corner when we arrived.
“Good morning,” said the judge. She was an older, stern looking woman, probably in her early sixties. She had iron grey hair and piercing blue eyes. Despite her being a Norm, it felt like she could read my every thought. It was an unnerving sensation.
“Good morning Judge,” said Maggie. “This is Caleb Stott.”
The judge, who had had her gaze fixed on me since we arrived, indicated the seats across her desk from her.
“Please sit,” she said.
“Mr. Stott,” she began, “I have heard little else, other than your name, from the Council for the past few months. You scared the pants off them.”
“Good,” I said glancing over her shoulder at the younger woman, who looked to be about twenty, sitting behind her.
“Ah,” the judge said, “don’t mind Melissa. It’s protocol to have a power user observe whenever I meet with power users. It’s to make sure that you don’t use your powers to influence me.”
Melissa smiled at me.
I shrugged. “Okay,” I said.
“I wanted to meet you,” she said, “and see for myself what kind of a man you are.”
“I’m sure you have had regular reports,” I said. “It seems that the council has had me under surveillance for some time. I presume that you signed off on that?”
“Not exactly,” she said. “But I don’t necessarily disagree with it either.”
Once again, I restrained my immediate response.
“You feel that your rights are being impinged upon?” she asked. “I understand that.”
“Aren’t they?” I responded.
“You make a lot of people very nervous,” she said.
“That is their problem,” I returned, “not mine.”
She regarded me for a moment. “You still carry a lot of anger.”
“I’m working on that,” I said. “Resolving the issues with the Everson Council has helped a lot.”
“Matilda tells me that you could have stripped her of her power,” she said. “You literally destroyed her shields and had her at your mercy. What stopped you?”
“What would it have achieved?” I asked. “Perhaps a moments satisfaction for me, but that would have soon faded. Matilda, and the rest of the council, have, despite their methods, done a lot of good in protecting Norm society. It’s very easy to come along as someone who knows very little and say that they should have done things differently. And I know that is exactly what I am doing: looking for a different way.
“But destroying her power would only weaken us all. Even if it hadn’t prompted an all-out war between us, we would have lost someone with a huge amount of knowledge and experience. There are so few left to fight the rising tide, we can’t afford to lose even one.”
“She also told me about the two people she saw you Compel in the courtroom. What gave you the right to do that?”
I bit my cheek.
“May I send you a memory?” I asked.
She looked at Maggie, then at Melissa.
“Or better still,” I amended, “Melissa can take it from me, and then pass it on, once she determines it is of no danger to you.”
“Melissa?” asked the Judge.
Melissa nodded. I offered up the memory, and she took it.
It was an amalgamation of my memories of seeing Gracie brought into the ER, as well as the memories Gracie being attacked. I included the grizzly details of what they had done to her from her perspective as well as from the viewpoint of the two who had attacked her.
I saw Melissa assimilate the memory and she went white.
I thought for a moment she was going to throw up.
“Melissa?” asked the judge looking concerned, Melissa held her hand up.
“I’m fine,” she said. “The images are shocking.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologised, “I should have warned you.”
“They are rather graphic,” she admitted, “but there is no direct harm in them to you, other than perhaps to your sensibilities.”
The judge nodded and Melissa passed on the memory.
The judges face didn’t change, but I saw her pale as she assimilated it.
I had included the memory of applying the Compulsion in the courtroom.
“I have never,” said the judge, “in all my years, seen anything like that. I have been shown video evidence, pictures, heard witness and victim testimony, but to actually experience what the victim experienced, is harrowing. I know that you held back, remarkably so, when you saw them and watched their version of what they did to your friend, to an FBI Agent.
“Do I think that they deserve the punishment that you meted out? Yes. However, it is against the law, and unconstitutional. You need to undo it, as soon as you can.”
“Strange,” I said, “that you condemn unconstitutional behaviour against a couple of would-be murderers, and yet condone it against me. Is this what I have to look forward to? I am to be treated worse than the worst criminals, just because I make people feel uneasy?”
She sat back in her chair, looking first at me then at Maggie.
“Is he like this all the time?” she asked.
Maggie nodded. “He does have a point though.”
The judge sighed. “Frankly,” she said, “you scare me. I sit here in chambers, with Melissa to protect me, knowing full well that it is a fiction. You could overwhelm her in an instant and scramble my brain before I even knew anything was wrong.”
“Have I given you any cause,” I asked, “to suspect that I would do such a thing?”
She shook her head. “I once had the misfortune of touring one of our nuclear subs. The potential for death and destruction, even though it is ostensibly on our side, gave me chills. I get that feeling when I think about power users and, even more so, you.”
“So, fear is your motivator,” I said. “But do you not think that reacting through fear, and provoking those with their fingers on the trigger, might not be the best way forward? You don’t seem to have the same fear of Melissa. Believe me, she could have you dancing naked in Washington Square Park if she so chose.”
The Judge looked at Melissa sharply, as if she hadn’t realized that tidbit of information.
Melissa looked at me with a ‘Thanks for that’ expression on her face.
“Melissa?” asked the judge, “is that right? Could you make me do something I didn’t want to do?”
“It’s not as straightforward as Compelling you,” Melissa replied, “But yes, I could.”
“But she wouldn’t” I said, “any more than I would. We are all on the same team here with the same goals. I just wish that there was a way to show you that I am not a danger. I am, in no way, different than any other agent. Or won’t be, if I ever manage to become an agent. They carry weapons, as will I, but I am already armed. I will continue to use my weapons appropriately.”
“It seems,” said the judge, “that I have some thinking to do. We are all guilty of reacting. It’s human nature to do so, but certainly in the position I hold, and given the power you hold, we both need to rise above that and consider our actions.
“However, it seems that you have managed that process somewhat better than I, although perhaps a little more moderation in some cases might have been appropriate. I am going to ask that the Everson Council withdraw their surveillance on you and leave it to your own Council to manage you. I will add the proviso that the Stott Council will keep both the Everson Council and me informed of your progress, and ensure that you continue to act appropriately.
“With regard to the two convicts, I’m going to forget I saw anything you did to them. They deserve every second of the misery they are suffering. I know that Matilda asked you to perhaps consider removing the Compulsion at some point in the future. Perhaps you will think about that, and do so when you deem that they have suffered sufficiently for their crime.
“I understand that there is to be an oath sworn to your Council?”
Maggie pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it over. The judge read it, and made a couple of changes. She handed it to me.
She had amended the oath to also include full FBI oath. I was being sworn-in even before I had applied.
“Are you willing to swear to that?”
I nodded.
“Then I think we have an understanding,” she said. “I look forward to hearing good things about you.”
It was an obvious dismissal and I stood. She stood too, and winced.
“You have pain?” I asked.
She waved her hand. “I have a bad back, age gets to us all.”
“May I see?” I asked. “I might be able to help.”
She looked at me for a long time. Considering.
“Melissa?” she queried.
“My father trusted him,” Melissa responded. I looked across at her, something clicking into place.
“Melissa Wragge?” I asked. She nodded.
“Give your father my regards.”
“I will.”
“Go ahead,” said the judge. I looked her over, seeing that she had a couple of prolapsed disks that were slightly impinging on the nerve roots, and also some degeneration of the bones in her spine.
I set a few things in motion to reverse the issues. It would take about a week to ten days.
“Take a calcium supplement,” I said. “You’re low, and your bones are suffering.”
“Is that it?” she asked.
“I’ve started the healing process,” I told her. “It would be too painful to do it all in an instant. In about a week or so you should notice the difference.”
She looked at Melissa who just shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said. “I’m not a healer. I can tell you he didn’t go anywhere near your mind, but more than that…”
“I’ll just have to accept your word on it then,” she said. “But a calcium supplement is no big deal – I’ll get some on my way home.”
++++
“You were quiet in there,” I observed to Maggie as I worked my way through the plate of food in front of me. We had stopped at a diner. I had used about a quarter of my energy bar Healing the judge and wanted a snack. Maggie just had coffee.
“You were doing fine without me,” she said. “I think you might just have won her over.”
“I hope so,” I responded. “I’m tired of having to watch my back all the time. It would be nice to have the feeling that I wasn’t about to get taken down by someone on my own team.”
There was shouting coming from near the register. I looked up. A man was yelling at the woman behind the counter for some reason.
Maggie had turned to watch what was going on. I felt her power flex, and the man stopped shouting, apologized, and paid his bill. Then he left the restaurant.
She turned back to see me looking at her, eyebrow raised.
“Really?” I asked.
She shrugged.
“It’s just easier than arresting him for disorderly conduct,” she said.
“And if I had done that?” I asked.
“I’d have been up your ass in an instant,” she said with a grin. “Rank has privileges.”
I chose not to comment. Words like hypocrite, and abuse, flitted through my mind, but it was an argument I didn’t want to get into. I was, finally, learning to pick my battles.
“When am I going to meet with the council?” I asked.
“How does tomorrow afternoon sound?” she responded. “Your father won’t be there in person but he can teleconference in. Garrard, Dianna, the Everson Council, and I will be there.”
“Where is ‘there?’” I asked.
“We could use one of the conference rooms at the office,” she said. “Shall we say two o’clock?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
I paid the bill, and we separated. I went to my truck and from there home.
“How did it go?” asked Mary as I got home. I sent her, and all the other girls the memory of the interview with the judge.
“I was thinking,” said Dean, “once you have gotten all of this out of the way, perhaps we could take a trip?”
I looked across at him. “Where did you have in mind?” I asked.
“Perhaps a few weeks in Europe?” he suggested.
“I don’t know if I’m even allowed out of the country,” I said. “I guess I’d have to ask.”
He acknowledged that. “You’re going to see the council tomorrow,” he said. “Perhaps bring it up then.”
“I will,” I said. “How long were you thinking?”
“Three maybe four weeks,” he said. “The UK to start. London has some amazing history to see. Then onto mainland Europe. France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, or some subset of those. We’re spoiled for choice. We can play it by ear once we get over there.”
“That includes you two also,” he shot at Josh and Louise. “You seem to be a part of this posse, so if you’re up for it…”
Josh stammered.
“Wow,” he said, “I don’t think I…”
“If you are going to say anything regarding money,” he said, “then don’t. It won’t cost much more with you than without, and I’m good for it. What do you say?”
“Thank you,” said Josh. Louise nodded, adding her thanks.
“I guess,” said Mary, “that it all depends on whether Caleb can travel.”
Dean Grinned. “Nah – we can always leave him behind.”
“Some Marine you are,” I said. “Isn’t your motto never leave a man behind?”
“Kind of a different context,” he said laughing.
“If we get the all clear, when were you thinking of going?” I asked.
“As soon as we want,” he said. “Gerry will get a second pilot, we need to have two when flying that sort of distance. We can file a flight plan in no time at all. I presume you all have passports and the like?”
We did. Although I had never used mine.
Mary and Amanda immediately went and started packing. Jules and Ness went soon after.
I picked up my phone.
“I’m going to ask Maggie now,” I said. “I’d hate for them all to get their hopes up and have them dashed.
I sent her a text.
_Dean is suggesting a holiday – few weeks in Europe.
It was nearly two hours later that she responded.
_The council has agreed that you can go once you have sworn your oath.
That response made me a little angry.
I was just typing out my response when Dean came in.
“Who pissed in your Cheerio’s” asked Dean when he saw my face. I handed him my phone.
He sighed. “Two steps forward and one back,” he said. “If you want my advice – don’t send that.”
“I’m not going to be told where I can and cannot go,” I said. “I have the same rights as any other American citizen. I am sick of them trying to control me.”
“Caleb,” he said, “pick your battles. You already won that one; they said you can go. Why antagonize them when there is no need?”
“Because if they get the impression that they can order me around, then they will expect to be able to do so all the time.”
“And they will, just as soon as you join the Bureau,” he said. “As I said, pick your battles. Don’t fight one that you can’t win, but more importantly don’t fight when you have ALREADY won.”
I sighed, and deleted the text I had been just about to send. He was right. I would be stirring up a hornet’s nest for no reason.
+++++
All my girls came with me the next day to the FBI office. They wanted to be there to support me. I walked up to Rosie on reception and introduced my fiancées. Her jaw dropped for a few moments, but she soon rallied and called up to Maggie’s office to see if all these people could be admitted. Then she issued them with passes.
Amanda spoke to her as she leant forward to sign her pass. “You could always come over and play with him if you want.” She grinned at Rosie who went scarlet.
I grinned at her as I waited by the elevator for my girls to join me. Then we all went up to Maggie’s office. Cuthbert bade us all wait in the chairs provided for such. We sat, in silence, waiting for Maggie to emerge. Every now and then Cuthbert would steal a glance at me. I wondered if he was hoping for a repeat performance.
A few minutes later, Maggie came out of her office followed by the Everson Council, Garrard Cross, and Dianna. She indicated that we should follow her and took us to a conference room just down the hall.
Once we were inside we all took seats. The Everson Council together on one side of the table, Maggie at the head, and Garrard and Dianna at the other. I took a seat at the foot of the table with my girls taking two seats on either side.
Maggie fiddled with the console in front of her for a few moments, and my father’s face appeared on the screen on the wall.
“Can you hear us?” asked Maggie.
“I can,” he said nodding. In the background I could see our kitchen. He was obviously on his laptop at the kitchen table.
I had brought a copy of the oath I had agreed to, but Maggie passed me a piece of paper.
I glanced over it. It matched perfectly the one I had brought, and so I stood, and with due ceremony delivered my oath to the Stott Family Council.
I then walked around the table until I came face to face with Zacharia, who had stood as I approached him.
“Zacharia Everson,” I said. “I, Caleb Stott, swear my personal oath to you, and your Council, on my powers, that I will not use those powers other than in accordance with the principles laid out by Stott Family Council. That I will ensure that the use of my powers will be for the protection or benefit of society, and that I will hold myself accountable to the laws of the United States, and to the decisions of the Stott Council for such uses of my power.
“I am not your enemy. I have not done, nor do I intend to do, any harm to you, your Council or your family. In the same way, I have not done, nor do I intend to do, any harm to any member of Norm society. My entire focus will be bringing to justice those, both power users and norms, who break the law, or do harm to others.”
Zacharia held my gaze for a long moment, then gave a short sharp nod.
I held out my hand. For a second I thought he might ignore it, but eventually, reluctantly, he took it and we shook. He still had the handshake of a wet fish.
Ezra, who had been seated next to him, also stood. I looked at him and he, without hesitation, held out his hand. His handshake was much firmer than the last time. Matilda stood as I moved to her and surprised me by pulling me into a hug.
“Not bad, brat,” she whispered in my ear, before releasing me. I grinned at her.
I looked at Maggie who was looking at me in amusement.
“Well,” she said. “If that’s all, I suggest you guys go start packing. I believe you have a vacation to get to?”