Memories Part 2: Spreading The Hope

USS Lafayette: Forward Lounge:

Cory couldn't help but smile at the look on Xain's face as Timmy crawled into his lap, cuddled up, and promptly fell asleep. "I hate to say it, but you asked for it Xain; you should know that Timmy is always willing to cuddle. Asking about why he cuddles so much was just too easy."

Xain looked over the top of Timmy's head with both eyebrows raised. "I understand the necessity of infants using the action you refer to as cuddling as a means of non-verbal communication. My question was regarding the necessity of it once sufficient maturity is reached to grasp fundamental language skills." Just then, Timmy reached up and pulled Xain's arm down and around him, then purred contentedly. "I am experiencing a curious increase in ... comfort ... due to the increased proximity of Timothy to myself. I am curious as to the possibility that he is feeling the same emotional responses."

Jake walked over and put a hand on Xain's shoulder. "T'hy'la, his feelings are similar; in addition to comfort you are also providing him security. That was the unconscious reasoning in him relocating your arm just now; in his mind you are protecting him as he sleeps. It is an unconscious emotional need for humans that sadly too many parents insist be stopped well before the child is emotionally secure enough to not require it."

Sean shook his head. "Jake, I swear you are sounding more and more like Xain every day! Are you gonna start putting Starship Captains in their place too?"

Jake grinned at Sean. "No way; that's Xain's job. I know what happened; but Xain's still learning to describe other people's emotions over our link. When are you gonna fill us in, Cory?"

Cory returned Jake's grin. "Dude, it was awesome! I swear their jaws hit the floor when Xain introduced me like it was some major conference. Once I had let them know how the modifications would affect the ship, Xain had some fun. He looked the Captain right in the eye, then said 'With all due respect, Captain; may I inquire as to the breach of protocol that was exhibited on the Bridge? It would have been proper to have addressed Mr. Short by his rank in Starfleet in consideration of the duties he was performing.' I think they were shocked that Xain knew the regulation. The Captain was pretty cool about Xain questioning his actions, though. It seems Admiral Morrow told him that as far as Starfleet was concerned, no matter what I'm doing this trip I'm to be treated as a Vulcan dignitary. Captain Simmons said that pretty much unless absolutely necessary I technically do not hold any rank on this trip. Starfleet is taking this conference pretty seriously; they are counting on Sean and me taking charge. I didn't know it, but Sean's representing Mom for Youth Services; Sarek expects me to concentrate on representing Clan Short."

Jake shook his head. "Better you guys than me; I still don't know how you do it."

"That's a bunch of bull!" DJ interjected. "Even when you were drugged up, you still knew what to do; Kev wouldn't be with Kenny if you didn't!"

Jake and Xain exchanged glances, then Xain spoke up. "DJ's logic is correct; you possess a natural ability to protect those who need assistance."

Jake just shook his head. "I'm learning not to argue with you guys! Whadda you say once the fireball finishes his nap, we check out that anti-grav chamber you've been talking about?"

 

Clive, Iowa

As the shot rang out, the boys all hit the ground, their training kicking in unconsciously. JJ quickly scanned his "troops"; once he was satisfied that all of their shields worked as designed, he relaxed slightly. 'Thank God the shields worked!' he thought to himself. 'Mom was right though, this stuff gets dangerous.' JJ made a mental note to thank Matt for helping to re-sync the personal shields to block projectile weapons.

"Set phasers to stun, we're going in." JJ announced. "Set shields to maximum." Once he was sure everyone was ready, JJ led off the group towards the house.

Adam noticed a glint of sunlight on metal from a side window as they moved forward; he immediately drew a bead on the window and fired as soon as he saw flesh. "GO!!!" Adam yelled. "I got him; lower level west room front window!"

As the group advanced on the house, Alec contacted headquarters. "Recovery team to headquarters; Justy stand by for status report."

"Begin report Alec; how is it going?"

"We were attacked with a projectile weapon upon arrival; no injuries to team members. Suspect has been stunned; advancing on house now."

"Acknowledged. Keep this channel open until situation is verified secure."

"Will do."

The group carefully advanced on the house. As they reached the open front door, Andrew and Mark took position on either side as the other three entered the house. JJ led the boys as they advanced into the bedroom where the shooter had been disabled. As soon as they entered the room, Adam quickly moved the shotgun away from Joe Senior while JJ and Alec restrained him. They had just finished when he began to regain consciousness.

As his head finally cleared, Joe looked around the room at the three boys watching him. As it registered what the uniforms were that JJ and Adam were wearing, his face went pale. "Oh shit! You're Starfleet!"

JJ grinned. "I'm glad to see you are awake Mr. Hartman. Let me make the introductions. I am Ensign Richardson, Starfleet Security. To my left is Ensign Short, also with Starfleet Security. To my right is Alec McCarthy representing Clan Short of Vulcan. Outside your front door are two more Clan Short representatives. Fortunately for you, nobody was injured when you shot at us; but I honestly would love to have an explanation as to why."

Joe looked JJ over before responding. "Since you are here, I guess that means Joey must of found you. Ironically, I got a rude awakening a couple of days after he disappeared. My nephew Bradley showed up here badly beaten; his father caught him playing truth-or-dare with a friend and did the same thing I did. I knew Joey was lost to me after the stunt I pulled; but I figured out where he was going fairly quickly and resolved myself to him not being around. When I called Bradley's father, the situation was totally different; his exact response was 'Great, now I know where to find him so I can finish what I started.' I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but I'm not going to let Joey's favorite cousin go through any more of what I put Joey through. Bradley's father tried to come by yesterday carrying a whip; he made it quite clear what he was going to do. I informed him that if he came on my property again he'd be shot - that's when he informed me he'd be back today with some friends."

JJ glanced over at Adam before responding. "Mr. Hartman, I am going to require you to submit to a telepathic verification of the statements you just made. To prevent the possibility of you having the same reaction against Joey in the future, the removal from your custody will still stand. Also, pending the results of the scan, your realization of what you have done wrong has opened the possibility that if Joey decides he wishes to contact you, that wish will be granted. He will be presented with that option, but the decision will be his. I would not be surprised, if he does decide to initiate contact, that he will demand that you explain your actions. May I ask where Bradley is now?"

Joe nodded. "I have to agree with you regarding Joey; my reaction was literally beat into me as I was growing up. I have too many years of my own childhood to unlearn for him to truly be safe here; my father was my hero growing up, and I learned his bad traits as well as his good ones. I really do love my son, and if it means someone else raising him to make him safe from the abuse I grew up with, than so be it. If Bradley followed instructions, he's in the closet in Joey's old bedroom; he was supposed to go there if he heard me fire the gun."

As Joe finished, a pair of shimmering columns appeared in the center of the room. A few seconds later, Kyle and Ty stepped over to JJ.

"Clan Short Intelligence at your service, Sir." Kyle announced with a grin.

JJ shook his head. "Okay lil' bro, what are you two doing here?"

"Justy said you needed a telepath, Ty's gonna help with the new kid while I handle the scan for you."

JJ thought for a second. "Alec, go with Ty to get Bradley; Ty's been here before and knows his way around. Are you linked with the twins, bro?"

Kyle grinned. "Of course! Jamie's gonna log what I find, and Jacob is gonna mobilize any civilian agencies necessary to prevent someone getting hurt. We got you covered JJ; I ain't gonna let my big bro look bad." He then turned to Joe. "Mr. Hartman; may I have your permission to enter your thoughts and memories?"

Joe looked at Kyle in shock. "You're just a kid; what makes you think I'd want to play games? It's not like anything YOU say would mean a thing in court!"

Kyle suddenly got totally serious. He stared Joe straight in the eye as he replied. "Mr. Hartman; your view of me is mistaken. My telepathic skills have been verified and trained by a well known Vulcan. My testimony has the same standing in all courts of the Federation as a Mind-Meld; it is considered more valid than a signed written confession. If so instructed by the senior ranking member of Clan Short present; I am required to recover your memories with or without your permission. I much prefer it if you are willing; it allows me to be more careful about making sure I do not bring memories to the surface which would cause you terror or grief. May I have your permission?"

Joe could not break the gaze of Kyle's steel gray eyes. The realization hit him that not only was Kyle serious; he was fully capable of following through with his barely concealed threat. "In that case, I think I would prefer to let you do it, young man. You may proceed."

Kyle nodded his head, finally breaking eye contact, then pulled a chair over so that he would be comfortable. "Thank you. Just relax; you might feel some tickles in your head but I'm not going to hurt you."

As Kyle began, with JJ and Adam watching, Ty led Alec to Joey's old bedroom to find Bradley. As they entered the room, Alec walked over to the closet and said through the partially open door "Bradley; it's okay to come out. Everything is safe."

"Get stuffed, mate." a small voice replied. "Ain't no one gonna bugger me up again."

Alec looked at Ty in shock. Ty just giggled and pushed past him. "Brad! I'm Joey's best friend Tyler. Make some room; I'm coming in."

Ty squeezed into the dark closet and made himself a seat next to Brad. "Hey dude, relax. We know what happened to you; my big bro is here too, and he ain't gonna let it happen again." Ty reached over and placed a hand on Brad's arm. He reached out with his mind; as he connected with Brad he was shocked at the emotional turmoil going through the young boy's body. Just beneath the anger was a volatile mix of sorrow, loss and desperation. Ty quickly realized that Brad was bordering on an emotional breakdown which could be fatal. Ty immediately began diffusing the danger points as he calmly began talking again. "Brad, I know this is weird, but I wanna tell you somethin' about me. I can feel when other people feel bad inside, and can fix some of it. I know you are hurtin' inside worse than he hurt you outside and I'm gonna try to help you. I'm gonna take you home with me so Mom can help you like we helped Joey."

Brad looked over at Ty, his shocked expression hidden by the dark closet. "Mate, somehow since you touched my arm I feel better. Unless one of us is bonkers, you gotta be tellin' the truth. How's your Mum gonna help me, and why? How'd she help 'Roo?"

Ty giggled. "Roo? Why do you call Joey 'Roo'?"

"It's 'cause when I first met the bugger he was bouncing around the place like a bloody kangaroo! Since little 'roos are joeys, it fits him."

Ty almost collapsed in giggles. "Dude, that's sooooo funny! Everyone's gonna call him that after they hear why! My mom is able to fix things so you get a new family that'll take care of you. It's kinda her job; but it's a job she does cuz' she wants to. C'mon; I wanna introduce ya to the guys - one of my big bro's is out there waiting on us and he's gonna worry."

"Okay mate; but you better not leave me." Brad replied as he took Ty's hand and wiggled out of the closet.

Alec watched as the two boys exited the closet. Silent tears began running from his eyes when he got his first look at Bradley; the sight in front of him was all too familiar.

Ty reached up with his free hand and placed it on Alec's shoulder. "It's okay, Alec - it's over for Brad now just like it's over for you and Trav."

"Why the tears, mate?" Brad asked in a confused voice.

Alec reached over and rustled Brad's hair. "You just reminded me of what my lil' bro and I just got out of. You're about to meet a lot of guys who understand how you feel. By the way, since the runt here is too lazy, I'm Alec."

Brad gave a small giggle and the three boys headed out to join the rest of the group. As they entered the room, Brad immediately noticed that Joe was restrained. "Blimey! Why have you buggers got unc' Joe tied up!"

"Settle down, Brad." Joe replied quickly. "They did it for their own safety; it was them that I fired the gun at. I have a suspicion that these guys are going to tell you to go with them; for your own safety I think you'd better do what they say. They can protect you a lot better than I can."

Brad ran over and wrapped Joe up into a hug. "But Unc', we're mates! I don't know none of these blokes from Mary, how do I know they ain't gonna dump me somewhere?"

JJ quickly released Joe's restraints so that he could comfort Brad. As Joe returned the hug, he spoke softly. "Brad, when you showed up here I promised to make sure you were safe. After what happened today, I realize that I really can't keep that promise as long as we are here. These guys are the ones who save kids who have been abandoned, so I can definitely promise that they won't abandon you. The best way to make sure that you are safe is to let you go with them; once I finish with some counseling that JJ here recommended I will catch up with you and Joey at their place. Give Joey a message from me, okay? Tell him I was wrong and I know it now; once I get my head fixed I'll come by and if he wants to he can talk to me about what happened. I won't apologize to him through you, but tell him I would like to apologize to him face-to-face once I understand what caused me to do what I did."

Kyle walked over and joined the pair. "Dude, I've been in his head; he's tellin' the truth. I think if you tell Joey what happened here it'll help both of you out. You wanna help us get some of Joey's stuff? You know what's important to him better'n we do."

Brad finally looked around the room and saw who all was there. "Where're the grownups? You're all kids."

Joe chuckled. "Someone forgot to tell THEM that, lil' buddy! These guys mean business, and nobody with any brains is going to mess with them. Trust me, I've just found out the hard way. Go ahead and get Joey's things for him; I think you'll make his day when you come back with these guys."

Once Brad was out of hearing, Joe turned to JJ. "What's going to happen with him?"

JJ smiled. "Don't worry. Adam and I will make sure both him and Joey never feel unloved again."

 

Three days later: Rigel VII:

Cory, Sean and Xain had just finished their lunch and were heading back into the conference hall for the final day of serious discussions. Cory had been pleasantly surprised to find out that the rest of the week was just optional workshops. Cory was slightly nervous; the time slot allotted him had finally arrived, and after seeing the disinterest shown the other speakers he was not too positive about the reception he would receive.

Xain picked up on Cory's distress. "Cory; you must not allow your emotions to affect your conduct. You represent Vulcan, conduct your business accordingly."

Cory stopped and looked at Xain. "Thanks bro; I needed that. Let's go show these guys that at least one group ain't here for the free vacation!"

Sean giggled as they continued. "Xain, you just created a monster!"

A few minutes later, they were escorted to the podium. Xain stepped forward and spoke. "Representatives of the member planets of the Federation, I require your attention."

The dull roar of the assembled crowd immediately lost volume as the sight of an obviously Vulcan descendant got their attention. Satisfied that he would be heard, Xain continued. "My name is Xain Thompson, son of Solak of the House of Suvak of Vulcan, Head Moderator of Clan Short of Vulcan. I ask of you your total attention as my Patriarch makes his presentation. Representing Clan Short of Vulcan and Federation Youth Services I present to you Patriarch Cory Short of Clan Short of the family of Sarek of the house of Surak of the planet Vulcan."

As Xain listed Cory's linage, the few groups which had still been talking went silent. Of all the speakers to that point, none had the credentials to command respect the way Cory's linage did.

Cory stepped forward, giving Xain a nod of dismissal. "Planetary Representatives, during the course of your presentations the common factor was a failure of expedient means to protect youth who are at risk. There are two options available to you to negate these unsatisfactory conditions. The first is the Federation Safe Haven Act. It is administered by Teri Short, Director of Federation Youth Services. All planets following Federation codes have access to designate an on-planet representative who reports to Director Short. By invoking this Act, all planetary legal channels are bypassed and the Representative takes immediate custody of the affected youth and provides safe and proper placement. Mattering on population density of the system and socio-economic structure, representatives may be assigned on a system, planetary, or regional level. As an example, at this point in time Earth is divided into three regions. This is your first line of defense; logically it should be the most used.

Cory paused, letting the information sink in. To his surprise, he still had everyones full attention. "The second option involves myself and Clan Short directly. I have been tasked by Ambassador Sarek of the house of Surak of the planet Vulcan to protect all youth of all known and yet to be discovered races in Federation territory. Any member of Clan Short who discovers information of a youth in distress is authorized to immediately bring the youth under Clan protection and provide services required to medically stabilize the victim. Once under Clan protection, the youth is no longer considered a resident of his or her present location, and is provided full diplomatic immunity as accorded any Vulcan official. Any planetary representative requiring this to be the primary means of dealing with your issues due to local political structure negotiate a treaty with Xain Thompson immediately."

Cory stepped back, and nodded to Xain. Xain stepped forward. "Patriarch Short has concluded his statements. Does anyone require clarification?"

For the first time in the entire conference, there was not a mass flood of questions and comments. Finally, the Rigel VII representative stood. "Am I to understand that these methods have eradicated the problems on Earth?"

Xain turned to face him. "That is incorrect. Logically, the only way to eradicate the problem is to totally isolate youths from adults and each other. As that is unacceptable, the only possible solution is to have methods in place to immediately remove youth from environs and situations where either their physical or mental well-being is in immediate danger. Due to the inadequate responses of governmental agencies which follow political motives, the only acceptable alternative is a method which bypasses the political machine in cases of need."

The representative smiled. "Thank you. That one response just cleared up a few questions I still had; and also explained why such drastic measures are now in place. I was to be the last speaker after Patriarch Short; I hereby give my time to Clan Short so that all representatives have a chance to negotiate if needed. I for one can say that you have just given me the solution to most if not all of my problems."

An hour later, the boys found themselves finishing the last negotiation. Three planetary systems had governmental structures which precluded using the Safe Haven Act; all three were easily handled by Xain. Once Cory and Sean approved the proposed arrangements, the representatives agreed to contact them with final details once they returned to their home planets.

Thirty minutes later, they met up with the rest of the boys. Calen walked up to Sean and cuddled up to his side. "Pop, can we go out an' just walk around? Jake says that the stuff we've been seein' is called 'tourist traps'; it was fun but I wanna find a playground."

Sean looked over at Cory. "Whadda you think, babe? You feel like hiking it for a while?"

Cory grinned. "Sure, I'd kinda like to see the real city anyways. Just for safety; everyone who is qualified with phasers needs to carry theirs with them, and everyone make sure you have communicators just in case." Just then William landed on Cory's shoulder. Cory looked at him and giggled. "No, you can't have a phaser! Where would you put it?"

Timmy giggled. "DAADDYYY!!!! You're SILLY! William says he don't want no phaser thingy, he ain't got nowhere to put it!! He wants ta' know if he can fly with us?"

Cory couldn't help but giggle as Timmy suddenly gave him puppy-dog eyes. "Munchkin, tell your feathered shadow he can come along; but he has to stay on someones shoulder unless there is trouble. I don't want him getting hurt by a strange animal."

William rubbed his beak on Cory's cheek to show his thanks, then hopped to a nearby chair. The boys rushed around to get ready and in no time they were gathered at the door impatiently waiting for Cory and Sean.

Tanner turned towards their bedroom. "DAD, POP! Do me and DJ have time for some fun ... You guys obviously have enough time, and unless your fuse is short or you hurry up we will be here all night!"

Cory yelled back out of the bedroom. "We're coming!! You're just jealous cuz' you're a one minute wonder - it's a wonder that you last a minute!"

Tanner giggled. "Sure Dad .. And if you had three more inches, you'd start breaking the surface!"

Cory and Sean came out of the bedroom with a slight blush still glowing on their cheeks. "I heard that Tanner!" Sean giggled. "Just remember, paybacks are a pain!"

Tanner stuck out his tongue in defiance. Sean quickly replied "Don't offer unless you mean it! Besides, I really don't wanna know where it's been!"

Tanner responded with an evil grin. "It's been all over the brownies that Helen made for you and Cory. They tasted good, huh?"

Cory grimaced. "EWWW! Gross!!!"

Tanner grinned wider. "But Dad, I just had a lick!"

DJ managed to stop giggling long enough to comment. "C'mon cutie, stop pickin' on them or else we'll never get out of here. I'm sure Dad and Pop are not interested in what you've been licking!"

Cory stopped wiping off his tongue. "Alright you clowns; lets get going."

Leaving the room, Cory found himself face to face with a well armed guard. "We will be leaving the building for a recreational break." he announced firmly.

The guard nodded his head in approval. "Do you require an escort sir?"

Cory grinned as he looked at Jake. "No, I believe we will be well looked after."

Noticing some of the boys were armed, the guard nodded his head as he watched Timmy practically dragging Sean toward the elevator. "Sir, if I may; there is a park not too far from here just south of the main entrance. That may be just what the little one needs." he said as Timmy began repeatedly hitting the down button at the elevator.

"Thanks." Cory replied with a smile. "You are more helpful than you know. Our little fireball there seems to have saved up quite a bit of energy!"

Tanner looked at Cory and began to walk toward the elevator giggling. "Yeah, he's gonna explode if he doesn't get out soon!"

The elevator ride was nothing short of a circus act. Timmy was so excited to finally get out he kept pacing back and forth in front of the door until it opened. As soon as there was a gap big enough to fit through, Timmy shot out through it. Before either Cory or Sean could tell him to wait, Timmy crashed into a bellboy waiting on the elevator. While Sean and DJ quickly grabbed Timmy and quietly reminded him to stay with the group, Cory helped the bellboy up off of the floor.

"Sorry dude; Timmy heard there was a park nearby and he's kinda nuts trying to get there." Cory said sincerely. "I'm Cory; are you okay?"

"Yeah, a couple more bruises is all. Uncle Jolak is gonna kill me anyways for getting my uniform dirty. I'm Gavin; is that your little brother?"

Cory quickly looked over the boy in front of him. Gavin appeared to be twelve years old at the most. He had the slim, streamlined build of most Rigelians, but his skin tone and facial structure hinted at Latin American genes in his family's recent past. Even though his natural skin color hid it fairly well, Cory could see the shadow of a black eye on the boy's face. "Did your uncle give you that black eye?" Cory asked softly.

Gavin hung his head. "Yeah, I was a couple of minutes late last week."

Gavin's head snapped back up in shock when Xain joined Cory. "Patriarch Short; Timothy has relayed information from William which I find very disturbing regarding Gavin's situation. May I have your permission to proceed with an investigation?"

Cory quickly shifted gears. "You may proceed Xain, with Gavin's approval."

Xain nodded, then stepped up to Gavin. "Gavin, the information I have received regarding the environment which you are being subjected to I find to be unsatisfactory. May I have your permission to enter your mind to clarify the facts to allow Clan Short to rectify the problem?"

Gavin groaned. "I'm sooooo dead! Uncle Jolak told me to stay away from Clan Short; he said that he didn't want me to screw up relations between you and Rigel VII. Go ahead, sir; it might be my last words."

Xain glanced at Cory with a raised eyebrow, then reached out his right hand and placed it on Gavin's temple. Cory watched patiently as both boys settled into the meditative state required for the transfer of thoughts.

After five minutes, Xain pulled his hand away. "Your Uncle has responded improperly to your heritage and actions, Gavin. The logical solution is for you to accept protection from Clan Short. Upon review of his previous responses, I have determined that there is a 98% probability of life-threatening reactions to what he will consider as your latest transgressions. Patriarch Short; I would also suggest a conference with the Hotel owner regarding infractions of labor regulations by Jolak; as guest services manager he has violated many regulations in his use of Gavin. Also, you need to know that Jolak is Gavin's only known surviving relative."

Cory nodded. "You may file the remainder of your report later, Xain; you have provided enough information for me to accept your determination. Gavin, will you accept the protection of Clan Short, and are you willing to return with us to Earth?"

Gavin glanced between Cory and Xain a couple of times, then a small grin appeared on his face. "I get the feeling my Uncle's about to get woke up rudely! I've heard a couple of the other guests talking about you guys today; a few of them were saying they would hate to mess with you! You better believe I'll go - anythings better than what the last five years have been like."

Cory allowed himself a small grin. "Welcome to the Clan, Gavin. Let's go; you get to see why they didn't want to mess with us." Cory turned to head towards the front desk, but stopped as William flew over and perched on his shoulder. "Nice touch, William!" Cory giggled. "Lets go ruffle some feathers!"

William squawked as he bounced his head up and down.

Cory walked up to the desk, with the rest of the boys respectfully a pace behind him. Xain stepped up next to Cory and addressed the hostess. "I am Xain Thompson, Head Moderator of Clan Short. Patriarch Short wishes to speak to the owner of this establishment as soon as expediently possible."

The clerk started to smile until she looked over and saw the stone-cold serious look in Cory's eyes. "One minute Patriarch; I will ring him."

She picked up the phone. A few seconds later, she spoke. "Mr. Arlin-ka; this is the front desk. Patriarch Short is here wishing to speak with you; and he's not smiling." She paused for a second then continued. "Yes sir, I will bring him right in."

She escorted them into his office, then quickly left and closed the door behind her. The owner stood as they walked in. "Patriarch Short; I am Mit-kal Arlin-ka. How may I be of assistance to you?"

Cory stepped forward and replied seriously "Mr. Arlin-ka; it has come to my attention that your Guest Services manager has violated numerous local regulations in addition to multiple hotel policies, in addition to physically abusing his nephew on Hotel property. Xain Thompson, Clan Head Moderator, will give you the details. A full transcript of his findings using mind-meld will be provided to yourself and local law enforcement within twelve hours. Gavin has been taken under Clan protection for his own safety and shall no longer be under your employment effective immediately." Cory then nodded at Xain. "Proceed Mr. Thompson."

Xain began. "Upon investigation of comments made by Gavin Urt-lakin, it has been determined that his uncle has been forcing him to perform work for your establishment without pay. In addition, Gavin has been required to work a minimum of ten hours a day up to sixteen hours a day seven days a week. If at any time his Uncle felt his actions were not sufficient, he would physically discipline Gavin with fists or inanimate objects."

Mit-kal held up his hand. "Stop right there. I've heard enough; and knowing that you are providing the transcript is enough proof that you are serious. I know the rulings regarding Vulcan mind-melds in court; in fact that is why my Security division is headed by a Vulcan. As far as employment goes; Jolak was specifically instructed that Gavin could help for no more than a few hours during busy periods. He was to receive the same compensation as anyone else doing the same job - in fact I remember authorizing the payments. I'm adding embezzlement to the charges. Go have a good day, I will handle it from here."

Cory nodded. "Very good. I will ensure the proper persons are notified of your willing assistance in this matter. Live long and prosper, Mit-kal Arlin-ka."

"Live long and prosper, Patriarch Short." Mit-kal replied. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention; I will not let this stain on my hotel's reputation go unpunished. Might I suggest a complementary afternoon snack while I ensure Jolak is detained; after that is accomplished one of my staff will assist you in retrieving Gavin's personal belongings."

Cory nodded. "That would be acceptable. We shall await notice from you."

An hour later, the boys once again tried leaving the hotel; this time accompanied by Gavin. They had found a ball in Gavin's belongings which would serve as a soccer ball, and had convinced Gavin that they would teach him the game.

Once they reached the park, Cory smiled when he saw an open field to the side not being used. "Gavin, would it be okay to play over there?"

Gavin looked to where Cory was pointing. "Yeah; they use that for festivals and stuff. It gets picked up real good, so there shouldn't be anything there we can fall on."

As they were talking, Sean was looking around at the other kids playing. "Hey guys, I think we're gonna be out-of-place here! None of the other guys here are wearing any shirts; so I guess we'll have to use ours for marking the goals!"

Tanner giggled. "Yeah Pop; you just wanna show off your bird-chest!"

William gave a loud squawk, followed shortly by both Timmy and DJ giggling. DJ managed to squeak out between snickers "Bro ... William says ... hehe ... stop insulting birds!!"

Sean just shook his head as the rest of the boys collapsed in laughter. "Keep it up, William!"

A few minutes later, the boys were all deeply involved in a free-for-all game of soccer. Gavin picked up on the rules quickly, and was soon right in the middle of the action. All of the older boys made sure that the younger ones were involved too; giving encouragement to them when they managed to pull off plays which the older ones considered normal routine. When they finally decided to take a break, they were shocked to see the crowd of youths that had gathered to watch them.

"Hey Gavin; what you guys playin'?" one of the boys yelled from the crowd.

Gavin looked over. "Tar-min! It's an Earth game called Soccer!"

Suddenly the boys were flooded with requests to learn the game. Sean explained the basics as they were resting, and Gavin gave his friends the information to contact him once he got it from Cory. They made Gavin promise to send them all the info on the game so they could learn everything about it.

After the break, the game resumed in a much more orderly fashion; thanks to all of the volunteers there were now enough players to form teams. Cory headed up one team, while Sean headed the other. Timmy and CD decided they wanted to check out the playground equipment; so Xain and Jake volunteered to supervise them and their new friends.

After a couple of hours, the boys finally wore down. DJ and Tanner spent fifteen minutes gathering contact info from their new friends in the group, in effect setting up the Clan's first interplanetary pen-pal network. Once everyone was assured that contact would be maintained between the two groups, including Cory pledging support if any of the local boys on Rigel VII had problems, the boys started to head back to the motel.

About halfway back, William suddenly let out a loud "SCREEECH" and flew down a nearby alley. Almost immediately, Timmy broke out in full war-paint and ran off behind William. Cory immediately yelled out "Red Alert! Move out, guys!"

The boys rushed behind Timmy into the alley. They came to a stop when they found Timmy cuddled up to a thirteen year old boy. The boy looked like his skin was decomposing, and it was obvious that someone had attempted cosmetic surgery on him from the scars. Timmy looked up at Cory. "Daddy! This is Austin; he says he's an an'roid and his body's shuttin' down. We gotta help him Daddy!"

Cory looked at Timmy in shock. "ANDROID??!! How'd you find that out, lil' buddy?"

Timmy looked up. "He's talkin' in my head, Daddy. Kinda like Deej and I do."

Cory looked over at DJ. DJ just shook his head. "I can't hear him directly, dad, but I can tell Timmy can hear him. How we gonna help him; where is he from?"

Timmy looked up. "I jus' askded him, he says he's from Earth."

Cory thought for a second. "Okay; Sean, could you, Deej, and Tanner figure out a way to carry him? Jake, Xain; head over to the hotel and let the owner know we've got an emergency and see if he can give us someplace on the first floor to take Austin. Timmy, CD, Calen, Gavin; you guys run interference so nobody bumps into us as we move him. William, you got Air Patrol - let Timmy know if we need to reroute to miss anything. Let's go guys!"

As Xain and Jake ran ahead, the boys found some scrap in the alley and make a quick stretcher to carry Austin. They carefully carried him to the hotel, and found the owner waiting for them at the door. "Follow me, I've opened up a conference room for you Patriarch Short. You have a viewscreen at your disposal."

"Thank you Mr. Mit-kal." Cory responded. "Your assistance has been most helpful. I shall remember it whenever we require lodgings in this sector."

They got Austin into the room and closed the door. "Get him comfortable Sean, I'm gonna see if I can get an early pickup." Cory said as he headed to the terminal.

Cory opened the connection, and initiated a call to Starfleet Headquarters. "This is Patriarch Cory Short of Clan Short of Vulcan. I require immediate connection to the Dispatch Center."

"This is a secure line kid, and we prosecute for prank calls. Your connection has been logged and blocked. Goodbye."

"THAT SONUVABITCH!" Cory yelled. "That .... JERK just hung up on me!!" He furiously set parameters for a second call and opened the connection.

"Clan Short Headquarters; this is Thomas."

"Tommy, this is Cory. Set Condition Yellow. All personnel are to locate information on anyone on Earth who can repair Androids. I need you to relay me to Ambassador Sarek; Priority One call."

"Dang bro; what crawled up your butt and died?"

"I just got hung up on and blocked by Starfleet! Get me Sarek!" Cory responded loudly.

"Oh SHIT" Tommy replied in shock. "One Ambassador coming up!"

A few seconds later, Ambassador Sarek came on the screen. "T'nar pak sorat y'rani Cory."

"T'nar jaral Sarek. I have an unacceptable situation at present which logically requires your assistance." Cory replied, an edge of anger still in his voice.

Sarek raised both eyebrows. "Continue Cory."

"We have an android here in immediate need of repair. He has developed self-awareness to the point of telepathic communication with Timothy to make up for his inability to speak due to partial system shutdown. My logical evaluation is that any form which can develop telepathy to communicate in time of need is a lifeform. As such, he falls under Clan Short jurisdiction. I attempted to contact Starfleet to arrange for emergency pickup; not only was I refused access to Dispatch after properly identifying myself as Clan Patriarch, but all communications from this terminal have been blocked to Starfleet."

"I find your logic to be correct Cory." Sarek responded. "May I inquire as to the urgency of the situation?"

"I believe the situation to be of emergency status; his external skin has began to decompose."

Sarek's face clouded over in suppressed anger. "I agree that the situation has become extremely unacceptable. You are to await a call from Admiral Morrow with specifics of your emergency recovery. This situation shall not repeat itself; I shall immediately take measures to ensure you have transportation available as befits your status as a Vulcan Clan. I will NOT accept such treatment of a Vulcan, especially not my family!"

"I shall await the call, Sarek."

"A grievance shall be filed with the Federation Council. I shall contact you with further information regarding permanent transportation"

Cory was surprised to see the screen go blank. From behind him, Sean commented "Dang, I'd hate to be Admiral Morrow right now! I'd hate to be on the receiving end of a pissed-off Vulcan."

Timmy snuggled up to Sean's side. In a worried voice he stated "Poppa, I don' know who's madder; Gran'pa or Daddy. Daddy ain't gonna start hittin' us is he?"

Sean looked down at Timmy in shock. "No little guy; Daddy and I don't hit kids. Why are you worried about that?"

Timmy looked up at Sean. "I don' wanna see my brothers gettin hurt again."

Cory came over and knelt in front of Timmy. "Lil' buddy, I'm mad at adults who don't take us seriously because of our age. They just did a very bad thing; not only did that man insult me, he insulted Grandpa Sarek and all of Vulcan. That is a very bad thing to do; you are part of one of the most important families on Vulcan and that alone is reason enough not to be treated the way I was treated."

"Thanks Daddy; I just wanna look out for my big brothers." Timmy replied as he leaned over and gave Cory a hug.

Just then the terminal beeped indicating an incoming call. Cory went back over and answered. "This is Patriarch Short."

"This is Admiral Morrow. I understand you need transportation, Patriarch Short."

Cory's reply was completely void of emotion. "That is correct Admiral. I have an emergency transport and require the nearest available Starship immediately. I will require command status and full authorization to use maximum warp. I will also require full medical facilities on board at my disposal."

Admiral Morrow looked slightly agitated. "Command is a pretty high demand for an Ensign."

Cory coldly stared at the screen. "I am PATRIARCH Cory Short of Clan Short of the family of Sarek of the house of Surak of the planet Vulcan. My requests are non-negotiable, Admiral."

Admiral Morrow paused. "My apologies Patriarch Short. I have instructed the Lafayette to turn around. I will inform them to proceed at maximum speed to your location. The Captain will be informed of your requirements. Expect contact from the ship in approximately twelve hours."

"That will be acceptable Admiral. I will await contact from Captain Simmons."

"You will hear from him shortly. Morrow out."

Cory turned back to the rest of the boys. "Let's get Austin ready. We'll set him up in the shuttle so that we are ready to take off as soon as the Lafayette is in system.

 

USS Lafayette Fourteen Hours Later:

Cory and Captain Simmons were standing on the Bridge, watching as the stars flew by at maximum warp speed. "You sure you are okay with me taking command, Captain?" Cory asked.

Captain Simmons smiled. "If it was anyone other than you Cory, I would probably be irritated. On the way out, you proved that you were more level headed than most officers of higher rank. I think Admiral Morrow went into shock when I told him I had already planned on doing that anyways."

Just then, the Communications Officer turned to Cory. "Patriarch Short; I have an incoming call from Clan Short headquarters."

"On screen, Lieutenant." Cory replied.

JJ appeared on the screen a few seconds later. "Cory, we found someone finally! There is a Doctor Marc Furst and a Doctor Jerald Owens on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina. We've got their contact info as soon as you are ready."

"Have Tommy make the connection, upload all the info you have to the ship." Cory replied.

"Right away, Cor!" JJ replied as the screen switched to standby.

About a minute later, a voice came across the connection. "Doctor Furst is standing by, Cory."

"Thanks, Tommy. Connect us please." Cory watched as the screen changed to a "connected" display. "Doctor Furst, this is Cory Short, Patriarch of Clan Short of Vulcan. Do you have visual capabilities?"

"No Patriarch Short, I'm sorry but at this time we don't." Dr. Furst replied. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Doctor, do you have any knowledge of the Austin series android?" Cory asked while pondering the youthful voice on the other end.

"Um, Yes, I was part of his prototype programming, but he was never completed, why do you ask?"

"Apparently, somebody completed him, we have him here right now. He needs some serious help. Are you capable of repairs to him?"

"Um, well, yeah. I mean yes, I can , I mean... somebody finished him?"

Cory smiled at the bemused sounding boy on the other end. "Don't worry, he's still active."

"Still active? He wasn't even finished. How was... I mean who activated him... Where did you find him?"

"Well he was off planet, we found him in an alley, With extreme modifications attempted to his skin structure."

"I'm sorry Patriarch Short, you are catching me a little off guard. Did you say he's been physically modified? How serious is his condition?"

"Well, If I didn't know any better, I 'd say his body is rejecting the work."

"Oh shit... Oh god, I'm so sorry Patriarch Short. I mean I can be ready to receive him as soon as possible."

Cory barely managed to cover his giggles at Marc's slip. He signaled to the Communications Officer to mute the connection for a second. "Call the Vulcan Embassy; have them dispatch technicians to that location to install a terminal. Give them my credentials. He then signaled to resume the conversation. "Okay then Doctor, in approximately 3 minutes there will be a knock on your door for installation of a terminal at your premises."

"How do you know where... wait, three minutes? Where exactly are you sending him. This number is registered to a classified location that I am not currently working from, you're gonna need my address."

Cory had to stifle another giggle. "You are on Sullivan's Island, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah, how'd you know that?"

Cory couldn't help but smile. "I'll have my son explain it to you when we get there."

"Your what? Oookay, we'll be ready to receive your party and equipment, when should we expect your arrival sir?"

"At maximum warp we should be there within a day, approximately 16:00 hours tomorrow." Cory paused for a few seconds, looking at his watch, then continued. "Doctor. send someone to answer the door to receive my party."

"Huh? Oh, okay." Marc replied, then Cory heard in a muted voice "Dude, answer the door, and be professional okay?"

A voice in the background answered "Be what?"

"Dude, just let them in and don't say anything dumb."

Cory finally broke down and began giggling over the exchange on the other end.

"Oh god, I'm sorry sir, we haven't had too many emergency calls in the past few years."

"No problem, I tend to surprise people a lot."

"Well, you surprised one more." Marc replied, then added. "Oh no, about to be two more."

"I'll leave my technicians to install your terminal, they will assist you in it's operation, use it to contact me as soon as possible."

"How will I be able to get through to a starship over sub-space frequencies? I don't have that kind of access."

"You do now. Contact Clan Headquarters as soon as possible, my technicians will instruct you on proper procedures."

Marc cleared his throat for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Yes sir, thank you. We will be ready for your arrival."

As Cory ended the call, he broke into laughter. "I think I just totally blew his mind!

Captain Simmons laughed along with Cory. "Yes you did! Why don't you head on down to sickbay with Austin; I'll make sure we get to Earth as fast as possible. I'll pass the call down to you as soon as Doctor Furst calls back."

"Thank you Captain; that would work great. You have the Bridge." Cory replied with a smile as he turned and headed for the turbolift.

A minute later, Cory entered Sickbay. As he headed towards the bed Austin was laid out on, he came to a screeching stop. The ship's Chief Medical Officer was hovering over the displays; on the bed a very naked Timmy was cuddled up to an equally naked Austin. Two things grabbed Cory's attention; Timmy's 'war paint' now covered his entire body, and there was the telltale glow of a status field over both boys. Most of the boys were sitting along the wall watching carefully; DJ and Tanner had taken position right next to the bed and William was perched on top of the display at the head of the bed.

"What's going on, Doc?" Cory asked with worry.

The doctor looked up. "You can relax Patriarch Short; they are safe. Despite lack of programming being available for Austin's physical makeup, I was able to find a stop-gap measure to prevent any further damage to his skin. However his skin is generated, it is based on Human skin cells. It is obvious what happened, but I have no way to repair the internal damage. Somebody attempted to perform cosmetic surgery to alter his racial features; his body rejected the implants and my guess is that something overloaded trying to 'repair' the damage. I have no way of repairing what broke, but your son accidentally stumbled on a way to fix the skin itself. The Medical Unit requires a sample of good skin somewhere to reference to so it can perform regeneration; while I was trying to figure out a way to slow down the deterioration Timmy climbed on the bed with Austin and suddenly the regenerator kicked in at full speed. I just finished removing all of the implants; I just wish that we had a way to fix his internal problems so that this work on his skin does not go to waste."

Cory relaxed and gave a small smile. "I think we've got that part handled, Doc. I found the original programmer of Austin; he should be calling shortly. Do what you can here; we're taking him to his creator to fix the rest. Thanks for the hard work; I really do appreciate it, and I'm going to make sure you get a commendation for your assistance."

As if on cue, the terminal in Sickbay chimed. "Patriarch Short; I have Doctor Furst from Earth for you."

Cory smiled at the doctor, then went to the screen. "Pipe it down here with visual, Lieutenant."

"Aye Sir."

A few seconds later, an image of a thirteen year old boy with almost white blond hair appeared on the screen. Cory smiled as he said "This is Patriarch Short. It's great to actually see you."

Marc's jaw visibly dropped when he saw Cory on the screen. "Umm ... ahh ... sorry Patriarch Short, but ... you're HUMAN!"

Cory tried hard not to giggle. "Last I checked, yes! Let's drop the formality dude; leave it for the old folks and people I'm mad at. Just call me Cory, okay?"

"Cool, I hate formalities. Just call me Marc and the two you see behind me are Dr. Jerry Owens and my brother Dr. Daniel Page." he said with a giggle as the two waved 'hi' and smiled. "Jerry and Danny."

"Hey guys!" Cory replied with a giggle. "That group you see behind me is my family." Cory turned and pointed out each one as he said their names. "That's my life-partner Sean, sitting on his lap is one of our sons, CD. Next to them is Calen, Beau, and Toby; also our sons. Over by the bed are two more sons, DJ and Tanner. The little one cuddled up on the table is our youngest son Timmy; and the big one on the table is the subject of this call, Austin."

"Wow!" Jerry squeaked out.

"Seven kids? You two got your hands full." Danny added with a smile.

The whole time, Marc seemed to be focused on the two forms on the table. "That's Austin? I've never seen him, I mean in a functional form." Marc said with tears in his eyes. "Danny, That's my son."

Danny grabbed Marc's shoulders and leaned in for a better look. "Cory, what's wrong with him?"

Cory looked Danny in the eyes over the connection. "From what we can tell, Danny, a bunch of his critical circuits shut down; he actually looks better now, since the ship's Medical Officer figured out a way to regenerate his skin."

Danny started rubbing Marc's shoulders as Marc accessed his Tech files. "Okay, looks like you have the right idea. Is there any way you can send us a copy of the technical data you are working with"

Jerry began to tug on Marc's shirt. "Wassup sport?" Marc asked.

"Is Cory's son safe in that field with Austin?" Jerry asked with concern.

"I dunno." Marc replied, then looked at the screen. "The bed knows the difference between Austin and Timmy? Right?"

Cory glanced over at the Doctor, who nodded. He turned back to the screen. "Timmy's just fine; in fact the bed needed good skin to use as a template to generate from and it says Timmy is an exact match. Marc, look at the lower left corner of your console, there should be a flashing button there shortly - once it starts flashing, push it and a window will open with real-time data." Cory then glanced down and pressed a few buttons on his console.

"Great, Thanks Cory." Danny replied.

"Lemme get this straight Dr. The bio bed is using Timmy as a biological model to regenerate the dying skin on Austin?" Marc asked then turned his attention to Cory. "How did you guys come up with that solution? That's... Just amazing." Marc added with a thoughtful smile.

Cory giggled. "Don't ask me; I was busy on the Bridge commanding the ship! I let the doctors do their stuff, I'll stick to engineering - it makes more sense!"

Marc finally seemed to loosen up and laughed. "Well anyway, it is an awesome idea. I don't think anyone has ever tried that before."

Danny smiled and then got an instantly confused look on his face. "Commanding the ship? Is that what you said?"

Cory giggled. "Yep; Sean did it on the way out, so I figured it was only fair I got to on the way back. I cheated though; he was asked to, I ordered them to let me."

All three began to giggle. "I'm not sure I want to know what that conversation sounded like." Danny said as he began to laugh harder.

Marc, who seemed focused more on the incoming data than the conversations, began muttering almost to himself. "Regeneration circuit, offline. Motor functions disabled... Cory, how did you find out what model android Austin was? There are no identifiers on him and he was far from being public knowledge. Heck, I designed his entire program and had no idea someone went ahead and completed him."

"You're not gonna believe this; but he was able to initiate a telepathic link with Timmy; he told Timmy what his model was and what was wrong." Cory replied.

Marc's mouth dropped open. "Telepathy?" he almost coughed out as Danny and Jerry got dead silent. "He used telepathy to tell Timmy?"

"Yep, telepathy - I think he takes the Clan up to double digits now on telepaths."

Marc grinned but obviously had a thousand questions to ask on his mind. "Well, I'm sure I don't need to explain that we never created an android that was equipped with telepathy. How can we program something we don't understand?" He asked rhetorically, then continued as if in a running thought. "Overcome physical disabilities... It is part of his programming."

Cory did a double take. "Dude! What do you mean 'overcome physical disabilities' is part of his programming??"

"Okay, when I programmed him, I incorporated as much as I possibly could; everything I had learned I was incapable of doing in comparison to a human." Marc must have saw the confused look on Cory's face, so he continued, "If a human goes blind, his other senses become sharper to make up for the loss. His programming must have reasoned a way to find an alternate way to communicate."

Danny tilted his head and grinned. "Well, I guess his logic center is a little more complex than ours, but to just learn telepathy cause he needs to? That's unreal."

Xain and Jake had walked in just as Cory asked the question. Xain looked at Jake then commented "I believe I am beginning to understand your opinion that a blond having an intelligent conversation is an oxymoron."

Cory and Marc chorused at the same time: "HEY!!!!"

Danny began to giggle as Marc poked him hard in the side. "OWWW, I didn't say it." Danny said as he side stepped a second attack and added; "I always heard Vulcan's were logical, now I have proof."

Cory shot Xain and Jake a dirty look. "That is Xain and Jake - Xain is the smart aleck who is gonna end up in the nearest body of water as soon as we land."

"Dude, plenty of water here. You get his arms, I'll have his feet and we'll see how far 'Two Dumb Blonds' can throw one small Vulcan." Marc said breaking out in an almost evil laugh.

Jerry snuck up to the screen and quickly got out, "He's serious Xain, run while you can." before Marc swatted at him and missed.

Marc finally settled down as the laughter from both sides of the conversation died down before getting serious again. "Cory, your Doctor is right on the money with the progress he has made. Continue with the treatment as is and we will... Oh no." Marc groaned as he smacked his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Cory asked with sudden concern.

"We have a slight problem." Marc said as he put his hands over his face and sighed. "The unit I will need for Austin is in use right now and we don't have another."

"What do you need? I'll get it for you." Cory stated forcefully.

Marc shrugged his shoulders as he heard Jerry clear his throat and step forward. "Whatcha thinkin?"

"Cory? Can your Doctor import an androids biomechanical profile into a bio-bed? It could act like a Panda." Jerry said with uncertainty showing through in his voice.

Cory looked back at the doctor. "Well Doc, what do you think?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "I need someone higher than me to unlock the upload function; after that I see no reason why it wouldn't work. I seem to remember something in school about the bio-bed being descended from the Panda."

Cory got an evil grin. "Prepare for upload Marc; I'll handle the unlock."

Cory placed Marc on hold and contacted the bridge. "Lieutenant, I need a Priority One call placed to the Federation Youth Services Medical Director - flag it as Medical Emergency."

"Yes Sir - right away."

A few seconds later Doc Austin came on the screen. "What's wrong Cory?"

Cory responded quickly. "I have another conversation on hold - I need an upload override from the coordinates on your screen to the Lafayette's Bio-Bed. Without it we will possibly lose a boy named Austin."

"Give me two minutes Cory; fill me in later. Bye."

Cory switched back to the call with Marc. "Okay, in about two minutes you can start your upload."

"Okay Great Cory. Jerry is going to iron out the parameters needed and we'll send them your way. That will definitely stabilize him until you arrive. I guess instead of bringing him down here, we could go up there instead. Would that be okay?"

Cory smiled. "Actually, unless you have room inside we can set up a portable bio-bed just outside your doorway. I can arrange for it to arrive just as we get there; it's self-powered anyways."

"Um, Cory. Are y'all comin down? I mean everyone?" Jerry asked getting Marc's attention.

"Not sure they all wanna be cramped up in this house sport." Marc replied. "We have three beds and a couch. Nothing else but floor"

Cory giggled. "Not a problem dude; ain't you ever heard of a nest? We usually just pile up a bunch of pillows and blankets and just pile in."

"Cool!" shouted an excited Jerry. "I'll get to work and strip my bed!" Danny and Marc burst out laughing.

"Well Patriarch Short," Marc said through a giggle. "I do believe your plans for the bio-bed and nest building have been accepted by our team so, you are all welcome to come down and teach us about your nest building techniques."

"It sounds like a plan, Doctor. I'll give you a call as we're on the way down. Have a good day."

"You too Cory, Nice meeting y'all and can't wait to meet you in person." Marc replied with a smile. "Okay guys, we got work to do. Jerry, work on the profile before stripping your bed, we gotta prioritize here." Jerry gave Marc an 'Up Yours' glare followed with a grin. Marc turned back to the terminal and smirked at Cory before half giggling out "Furst out.".

Cory closed the connection, then immediately reopened a new one. "Lieutenant, please connect me to Clan Short Headquarters."

"Right away Sir."

A few seconds later, Tommy came on. "Clan Short Headquarters."

"Hey bro, it's Cory. Have JJ get the group together for a road trip. Tell Justy I want his guys to run Headquarters; I'll need Antonio and full security and a few of the intelligence guys. Get with Doc Austin and get us a portable bio-bed delivered to the coordinates the upload came from; he'll know what I mean. It's gonna need synced with the one here on the Lafayette if he can. If he can split away for a day it'd be kewl too - I think he might be interested in what he'll learn."

Tommy grinned. "Where we goin'?"

"South Carolina - pack everyone's swimsuits and nest materials."

"I'm on it bro! See y'all there!"

"Bye bro."

Cory closed the connection and joined Sean with some of their sons. "Babe, I think we've opened a hornet's nest. You up to it?"

Sean reached his free arm around and pulled Cory close to his side. "As long as I have you I can do anything."