The Last Phoenix

Lunch was a huge success and the staff of the house was invited to join the mob.  It was a real party atmosphere when the word got around that the 'House Nazis' were now a thing of the past.  Tom, at one point, stood and got everyone's attention, "Neal, Brian, Travis and Mitch, please come here, Guys.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce the owners of The Phoenix Foundation.  That means everyone really works for them.  If you have a problem with that, we will let you have a nice severance package, see me after lunch.  Now John Gregory, front and center."  John maneuvered his chair up to Tom.  "This is Retired Sgt. John Gregory of the Philadelphia Police Department.  He is the Director of the Phoenix House and will be living here.  His office is in the old Master suite so if he isn't underfoot you can probably find him there.  Now Bobby please join us.  Bobby easily guided his chair as only someone who has lived in one for a long time can, came to rest next to John.  This is Mr. Robert Ricland our new Phoenix Foundation CEO.  Be nice to him, he makes out and signs your paychecks.  So guys, when are the races?"

Both men looked puzzled then Bobby caught on, "Well, Tommy, we haven't decided on the course yet, and there is still the 'Blue Paint' hazard on the second floor.  We'll need fair and impartial judges like our two sets of twins..."

Everyone was laughing as Bobby went on and John nodded like this is what they had been negotiating all morning.  Neal's voice was heard over the laughter, "You guys are so dead!  They are both INSANE and plotting TOGETHER!"  All traces of decorum were shattered.

Soon the boys were back to work after cleaning up the dining hall.  At four they were done and the adults were given the 'Wet Paint � Don't Touch' tour.  John had been hesitant about the boys being able to pick colors but the end result was amazing.  Each squad had its own personality and things really did seem to work together pretty well. 

Tym and Shorty had looked into the first floor apartment they would be in and had decided the white was fine and they could decorate as they pleased.  Eddie and his boys had painted their living room a pale blue and left the rest.  Now with the two larger upstairs apartments open, it looked like Bobby would be able to live here as well.  Samuel was considering a remodel since they had four kids.  He could take some room from the other apartment and have a smaller one left.  Oliver asked if it would be large enough for himself and little Luke.  Samuel wrote some notes and said he would work on it.  John had heard the exchange and told Samuel that if he needed the space he could take some of their apartment if it would help.

By the time all of this was done, stomachs were beginning to growl.  The boys gathered ready to go.  The boys loaded onto the bus and Bobby and his crew loaded into their van and they all left.  Tom, Neal, Brian, Shorty, Tym and Walter were last.  Walter was busy barking at something at the locked building across the way.  He would not come, even when Tym called, which for Walter was very strange.  Finally they all decided to go get him.

Walter was at the door and was whining, scratching and barking.  He was unmovable and even growled a bit, when they tried to get him to go.  Tym said, "I think he wants something inside there.  He thinks it's real 'portant."

Tom said, "Well, we don't have the keys..."

"Daaaaaad!  I saw a big hammer over there," Neal pointed to the small service barn.  Then he was off and was soon back dragging a 20 pound sledge hammer.

Shorty grinned, "I believe the boy has found the universal key.  Stand back everyone."

Tom took the hammer and lifted it.  It was with a huge stroke of luck that he actually hit the lock, which was pretty much unaffected by the impact.  The hasp, on the other hand, was torn completely out of the door.  He grinned triumphantly at the others as he set the sledgehammer down and cautiously pushed the door open.  Walter was off like a shot and Tym was right behind him.  Neal was just a pace off the lead and Shorty and Tom brought up the rear.

Tom and Shorty stopped inside the door.  This was a laboratory out of a horror movie.  There were jars lining the shelves with what looked like human brains in them.  The smell of dirty animal cages and formaldehyde permeated the air.  As the shock wore off they became aware of Walter's renewed barking. 

"This is very unlike Walter; I've never seen him act like this before." Shorty said to Tom.

"We better go find him and the boys.  I really don't like this place one bit."

Following the sound of Walter's barking, they passed through a room full of empty animal cages and then into a storage room.  In one far corner was what appeared to be a large dog bed and Walter and Tym were watching as Neal climbed up on a counter and looked into the ceiling.

"Tym!  Get Dad!  NOW!"

Tom's heart skipped a beat at the panic in Neal's voice.  "I'm here, son."

"I don't think he's dead, Dad, but he isn't moving.  I'm going to pick him up and hand him down to you."  Neal reached his arms up into the hole and in a few seconds a filthy head appeared.  It didn't look like the kid had bathed in weeks, maybe months.  He was so dirty you couldn't even tell for sure what color his hair was.  Tom quickly moved to grab the kid as Neal pulled him loose.  He was as light as a feather and terribly skinny.  Tom carried him straight outside and to the Van.  Neal was close behind and opened the door.  Tom put him onto the back seat.

"Neal, get him buckled in.  I'll get one of the blankets in the back."  Tym climbed in and sat on the other side of the boy.  Walter climbed in too and Tom handed the blanket over the seat and Neal began wrapping the boy.

Shorty climbed in and took out his cell phone.  He speed dialed Martha, "Hello dear, I need to speak to your husband... Nick, Call Eric and tell him he needs to get to Phoenix; we found Dummesel's Laboratory and he'll need a Forensic Team... We have an unconscious boy who had been locked inside there, so alert Leo that we are leaving now and bringing the boy back there."

Tom jumped in and started the engine.  He spun gravel as he put the van in gear and floored the gas.  Tom passed Eric going the other way; both were exceeding the speed limit by quite a wide margin.

'Philip' already had the gate open when Tom reached Haven, which was a good thing because he wouldn't have been able to stop.  Leo was waiting with his gurney, by the kitchen door when Tom slid to a stop.  Neal had the boy's seat belt off and helped move him to the gurney.  Leo checked him over quickly.  "How long has he been in there?"

Tom replied, "Since Dummesel locked the lab the last time."

"Oy vey!  Let's get him to the clinic.  He needs fluids and food.  Neal, Find Martha and see what she can fix this guy."  Leo guided the gurney through the kitchen and through the halls to his clinic.  He got an IV going and pushed fluids as fast as he could.  He took the boy's vitals and in fifteen minutes things were looking better.

Tom had stood watching his partner work.  "Well?"

"I can't explain how he survived that long without food, but I think a few days of good food and he'll be out of the woods.  He should be waking up soon."

As if on cue, the boy opened his eyes, "Who are you?  Where am I?"

"I'm Dr. Turnman and this is Mr. Richards.  You're at Haven Manor and you are safe now."

"Thank you, sir."

"We have some food on the way."  Tom commented and watched the boy light up.

"Real food?"

"Yes, real food.  We have the best cook in the world fixing you something right now.  All the kids here call her Aunt Martha.  Neal better not eat it all on the way here."

"Jeez, Daddy Doc.  I wouldn't eat it all," Neal said, as he wheeled the cart loaded with food into the room.  "Aunt Martha didn't know what he could eat, so she sent everything she had." 

The boy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he looked at the amount of food on the cart.  There were several sandwiches two bowls of soup, a couple of hot dogs and a hamburger.  "It all looks good."

Leo smiled, "Help yourself, Just don't overdo, there will be plenty.  It's time for our dinner too, so we will go and be back in a little while."

Neal grinned, "Aunt Martha sent my dinner too, so I'll just stay here and keep him company."

Tom and Leo nodded, then left.

Neal looked at the food, "Which soup you want?  Chicken Noodle or Beef Vegetable?"

"Ah, chicken, I guess." 

Neal handed him the bowl and a spoon, then took the Beef Vegetable for himself.   They repeated this until the cart was empty.  Neal leaned back in his chair, "If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm Neal Richards."

"Hi, I'm Peter, just Peter."

"Hi Peter.  I know Uncle Eric will want to talk to you, but if you want to I'll listen and then hang in with you."

"I don't know nut'n.  The fat bastard bought me, and brought me here and he and the German perverts would..." Peter began to cry.

Neal moved the cart out of the way and climbed onto the bed with Peter.  "I know, I know."

"Nuh uh.  It was bad stuff."

"Actually I do know, Peter.  Most of us here know.  The thing is though, here it don't matter and you are safe."

"I don't want to go back."

"That Doctor guy got kilt, and the Nazis, I fired them today.  I guess I was too soon, now Uncle Eric will have to hunt them down."

"YOU fired them?"

"Yeah, me and some of my Bros own that Phoenix place where you were.  I'm really sorry; we didn't know you was there."

"That sounds kewl.  I wasn't talking about there..."

*  *  Peter's flashback as he explains to Neal  *  *

Six year old Peter Heldig, stood on the street, looking at the five dollar bill in his hand.  Aunt Marcy had given it to him and told him to go get some supper and not to come back until bedtime.  She had a meeting, and she didn't want to be bothered with a damned kid while the women were there.

Aunt Marcy was something she called a "feminist" and she had these meetings with other women at least once a week at her house.  Other nights she would go off to meetings somewhere else, and Peter would be left alone all evening, with just the TV in his room for company.  He would watch TV until he fell asleep.  When Aunt Marcy came home, she would turn off the TV.  Then she'd holler at him in the morning for wasting electricity by leaving the TV on when he wasn't watching it.  He tried to be careful and turn it off, but sometimes he'd just fall asleep without realizing it.  Breakfast the next morning wouldn't be fun!  His only escape was going to school, although his new first grade teacher yelled at them to be quiet all the time.  When he got home, he went straight to his room and worked on his homework until supper time.  After supper, he had to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen.  If Aunt Marcy was having a meeting in the house, he had to go out until it was over; if she was going somewhere else for the meeting, he could at least stay home and watch TV.

Peter looked at the money.  He really wasn't hungry right now, so he stuffed the bill in his pocket and set off down the street.  As he walked, his mind wandered.  He remembered his Mom and Dad before they died.  He was happy then.  Then Mom and Dad started fighting.  That was scary, and he'd hide in his room when they started shouting at each other.  One day he came home from school, and Mom wasn't there which was really strange.  She was always there when he got home, to ask him how his day had gone in school and to fix him a snack, while she got supper started.  Then he'd go in his room and work on his homework until he heard Dad come home.  If it was quiet in the house, he'd go out to see Dad and get a nice hug. He loved getting hugs.  If they were hollering at each other, he'd wait until the silence came.  That meant that they were sitting down to supper, and it was safe to come out and join them.  After supper, he'd help Mom with the dishes, while Dad watched the news on TV in the living room.  When they were finished in the kitchen, he and Mom would go into the living room and watch TV with Dad.  Those evenings were great, but then there were the ones when the two of them started arguing again, and he fled to his room, shut the door and turned on the TV, a little louder than usual to try to drown out the angry words.

But now Mom wasn't there.  When Dad came home, he found a note on the table.  She wasn't coming back; she had contacted her lawyer and was getting a divorce.  Dad was really quiet for the next couple of weeks.  He was good to Peter; they usually went out to a diner or a fast food place for supper, and then they'd sit on the couch and watch TV together until Peter's bedtime.  Gradually, Dad had become more and more distant.  Then, one morning, he told Peter that he was going to be really busy for a while, and Peter would have to go stay with Gram and Gramps.  That wasn't so bad; Peter loved Gram and Gramps.  They always had time to talk to him, to play with him, and Gram made really good cookies.  Dad took him to their house the next day; it was Saturday.  He gave Peter a big hug and told him to be good for Gram and Gramps.  Then he got in his car and drove away.  That was the last time Peter ever saw him.

Peter adjusted quickly to the new routine with Gram and Gramps.  When he got home from school, there were always cookies and milk on the table for him, and Gramps would help him with his homework.  He liked this kindergarten.  The teacher did fun things not just repeating the alphabets and counting.  He liked homework like coloring a picture with seven different colors.    Gramps was a retired teacher, and he knew just what Peter needed.  But one day everything changed.  Peter was called to the office at school.  The lady there told him that his Aunt Marcy had called and that she was coming to pick him up.  The lady didn't say why.

When Aunt Marcy got to the school, Peter knew there was something really wrong.  Aunt Marcy had been crying.  Instead of taking him home, she drove to the hospital.  When they got inside, she rushed him to a room.  Gramps was standing by the bed with tears rolling down his cheeks.  "I'm sorry, Marcy, Peter.  It's too late.  She's gone."  Gram was lying in bed.  She looked as if she was asleep, but Peter knew somehow that she wasn't just asleep.  He'd never seen a dead person, but he knew.  Somehow he knew that Gram wouldn't be waking up to hug him and make cookies any more.  It felt as if something tore inside him, and he began to cry.  Gramps held him and hugged him while he cried.  Aunt Marcy just stood by the bed, looking at Gram, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.  She was thinking that her brother's little brat made her miss saying goodbye to her mother.

Neighbors brought in food, a lot of food, so they didn't have to worry about what to eat.  Peter wasn't allowed to go to the visitation or the funeral; Aunt Marcy didn't think it was appropriate for a child his age to be there.  She came and drove Gramps to the funeral home.  Peter stayed with a neighbor until they came home.  It was really quiet in the house for the next few days.  Peter didn't go to school; Gramps wanted him to stay home with him.  They didn't talk much, and both of them cried a lot.  Aunt Marcy came to the house every evening and warmed up some of the food that friends had brought.  They were still getting more food.  The fridge and the freezer were just about full.  The next week Peter went back to school, and things got back to normal.  Well, not really normal; he really missed Gram, when he came in the house from school.  She wasn't there with a big hug and the cookies and milk.  She wasn't there, fixing supper and singing hymns under her breath.  She wasn't there, teasing Gramps at the supper table.  She wasn't there, cuddling him while they watched TV in the evening.  She wasn't there to tuck him in at night and kiss him before she turned out his light.  She wasn't there, humming as she made breakfast and packed his lunch, before she gave him a big hug and patted his bottom, as he went out the door to school.  She wasn't there.

Gramps tried hard to make up for the hole in his life where Grams used to be, but Gramps wasn't doing too well, either.  He didn't joke any more, the way he used to.  He'd be too busy, or too tired, to help Peter with his homework.  After supper, when they sat in front of the TV, he wasn't really watching it; he was just staring into space, as if he were somewhere else.  When Peter tried to talk to him, it felt like he was making a long trip back from somewhere to answer him.  Peter finally gave up trying to talk to him.  They just sat together in the living room until Peter's bedtime.  Then he'd get ready for bed.  Sometimes Gramps would come in to tuck him in, but not often, and those times got farther and farther apart, until they ended altogether.

When he was called to the office again, Peter was really scared.  Aunt Marcy was there, waiting for him.  They didn't go to the hospital.  Aunt Marcy took him home with her to her house.  They didn't talk on the way home, and Peter was getting more scared by the minute.  But the look on Aunt Marcy's face made him decide not to say anything.  He waited.

When they got to Aunt Marcy's house, they went to the kitchen.  She poured him a glass of milk and told him to sit down.  Then she sat down next to him.  She told him that Gramps was gone.  He had a heart attack, and he died before they could get him to the hospital.  Aunt Marcy told Peter that he would be staying with her now; they were all they had, all that was left of the family.  She didn't seem too happy about the prospects of having a kid in the house.  Peter decided that he had better be really careful not to get her mad.  If she went away, there wouldn't be anybody.

Again, neighbors sent in lots of food.  Again, he stayed with a neighbor, while Aunt Marcy went to the funeral.  When she came back, they settled into what was to become their life together, such as it was.

Aunt Marcy was a "feminisit."  She tried to explain to Peter what that meant, but all he could figure out was that this was a bunch of women who didn't like men very much.  He really didn't mind being sent out of the house, when Aunt Marcy had her meetings, because a lot of the women who came to them acted as if they didn't like kids very much, either.

He suddenly stopped and looked around.  He'd been so lost in his thoughts and his memories that he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going.  Now he was in a part of the city where he'd never been.  He had no idea how to get back to Aunt Marcy's house, and it was getting dark.  Peter was really scared now.  What was he going to do?  He couldn't call Aunt Marcy.  He wasn't allowed to use the phone, so he didn't even know the number.  It was getting darker, and he realized that he was really tired.  But what could he do.  He passed an alley and, for no real reason, he started down it.  About halfway down the alley there was a big dumpster close to one of the buildings.  He looked around; there was nobody in sight, so he quickly slipped behind the dumpster and sat down on the ground.  At least he was safe here for a while.  He'd have to figure out what to do.  But he was so tired.  His eyes closed, and he fell asleep.

The clanging of the dumpster, as someone dropped their garbage into it woke him suddenly.  He looked around, terrified, trying to figure out where he was.  As he became wider awake, he remembered what had happened.  He tried to slip out from behind the dumpster, but his body was cold and stiff from sleeping on the concrete.  It took him a while to wiggle free.  When he was finally able to stand up and look around, he realized that he was completely and totally lost.  He didn't know where he was, and he didn't know what to do.  And to add to that, his stomach was reminding him that he hadn't had any supper last night.

He stretched the kinks out of his sore body and started out of the alley.  When he reached the street, he looked both ways.  Nothing familiar in either direction, but he could see a Dunkin' Donuts sign in the next block.  That would solve one problem; he still had the money Aunt Marcy had given him for supper.

He walked slowly down the street, trying to get his aching arms and legs to work right.  There weren't many people on the street yet; it was still early.  When he reached the Dunkin' Donuts, he went in.  The girl at the counter looked a little surprised to see a kid coming in by himself, but she smiled at him.  He climbed up on a stool at the counter and looked at the racks of donuts.  He decided on a couple of jelly-filled donuts and asked the girl if she had chocolate milk.  She did, and she brought him a tall glass.  Then she set a plate with the two donuts on it in front of him and disappeared into the back of the store.  He was really hungry, and it didn't take him long to scarf down the donuts.  Then he sat, sipping his chocolate milk until the girl came back.  She put a bill on the counter in front of him, and he fished the five out of his pocket.  She took it and rang up his order on the cash register.  When she brought his change, it didn't look like much.  He shoved it into his pocket, thanked her and walked out.

Now he was getting worried.  He was lost in the big city, he had no way of getting in touch with Aunt Marcy, and he didn't have enough money left for another meal.  He walked slowly along the street, trying to think of what he could do.

*  *  End flashback *  *

"So see, I don't want to go back there.  Aunt Marcy would really be mad at me now." Peter told Neal.

"Well, I'm really mad at her!  Kids ain't supposed to be treated like that.  We're going to find her..."

"NO!  No, please!  I don't want to go back.  I'll do stuff so you will like me and keep me.  I'll suck your thingy and you can put it in my bottom and everything.  Please!"

Neal put a finger across Peter's lips to silence him, "No.  As much fun as that stuff can be, nobody HAS to do it.  It is not the PRICE for anything.  If you want to do it and so does the other person, then it's kewl but if anybody tries to make you do it, just tell them, no, if they continue, help will arrive shortly."

'I say, it shall, indeed.  If you are here at Haven, or at The Phoenix House, I will personally guarantee the activity will be stopped in short order.'  'Philip' said with a very serious no nonsense tone.

"And there ain't no way we would let you go back to your Aunt!" Neal said seriously.

Peter hugged Neal tight.

When Peter looked up, there were six boys looking at them.  Neal sensed the change in Peter and looked over at the newcomers.  "It's okay, Peter.  This is Squad Six.  Guys, this is Peter; Dummesel locked him in that building behind Phoenix, and Walter found him."

The kid Peter thought the oldest, said, "Hi Peter.  I'm Bob Brown, the Squad leader for these clowns.  We have an extra bed and wanted to invite you to join us.  Well, unless you got a home to go back to."

The other guys nodded and smiled.  Peter asked, "Are you the ones going to be living in the big house?"

"Yeah, it's really Kewl!  When they said we would share a room, I thought it would be a tiny room with bunk-beds.  Man it is so big.  Kevin and I each have a nice big bed, I think Samuel called them twins, and each of us has their own dresser and desk and there is a huge closet we share for our clothes and we still have room to move around and not trip over each other.  In Juvy, the rooms were like half that size and there were four of us sharing it, two in each bunk-bed."

One of the boys followed with, "And each suite has a sort of lounge, we call it the squad room, with a TV and stereo and stuff so if we want to hang out together and watch something or listen to tunes, we can do that, there is a library crammed full of books and videos, and 'Philip' can get access to all kinds of stuff; all we have to do is ask him."
 
"Peter, you're really lucky that Walter found you today. He nearly always stays right with Tym, but he took off like a shot and headed right to that building you were in, he must have known you were in there, cause he really made a fuss till we broke the door open."

"I get a bed?  What do I gotta do?" Peter seemed not to have noticed anything else the boys had mentioned.

"Jeez, Peter.  You just got to be a kid.  You know, go to school and whine about it, like the rest of us, but get good grades anyway, and help out around the place, clean up your room and the real hard one, never lie."

Dr. Turnman came in and checked out Peter while the others watched to be sure he was okay.  "Well young man, you are doing much better.  You may go and play now; just try to not overdo it.  You're going to be in Squad 6?"

"Sure he is, Daddy Doc.  Come on Peter, let's go get you a nice shower and find you some better clothes." Neal helped Peter out of the bed, then took his hand and led him out of the room.

When they had made their way to the Squad Six rooms, all the boys were offering him their clothes.  Since Peter was so malnourished, Sean and Luke's clothes would fit him perfectly.  The first order of business, though, was a nice hot shower. One of the older boys, Justin, said he would help Peter and they went into the bathroom.  Justin stripped off and Peter stripped, bent over and spread his bottom.

"Whoa!  Peter, we're not doing that stuff.  We're just taking a shower and getting you cleaned up.  No offense, man, but you stink.  I just got naked so I can get in the shower with you and help scrub your back."

"I'm sorry." Tears again ran down Peter's cheeks.  "I don't understand this place.  Everything is different here. You're treating me like Mom and Dad used to.  Since I left Aunt Marcy, any time anybody did something for me, I had to 'do it' and if a guy got naked, it meant he wanted to...  I'm sorry if I keep messing up."

Justin hugged Peter.  "Don't worry, Peter, I understand.  Just a couple weeks ago, all of us had our world turned upside down and so we all understand.  Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

It took three washes before the rinse water wasn't a dingy brown.  Justin was surprised that Peter's hair was a beautiful blond.  When they emerged from the shower, the rest of the Squad had moved to their common room and the two boys dressed and joined them.  Everyone introduced themselves and they worked out their roommates.  They decided that Luke Jones would room with Peter, and Sean Alexander and Brett would room together, leaving Justin Liberatti and Kevin Williams.  Bob Brown, the Squad Leader filled Peter in on how things worked.

Peter's only had one question, "I can get as much food as I want?"

"Yes, we all go through the line and when you finish what you take the first time through, you can go back again and again until you are full.  The only rule is you should try to eat everything you put on your plate." Bob answered. "But even that doesn't mean that you have to eat something that you find out you don't like.  Sometimes it's nice to try something you never had before, just to see if you like it. When you try something that you don't know, just take a small sample; that way, if you like it you can get more when you go back, but you haven't wasted a big hunk of it, if you don't like it.  No one will get mad at you if you accidentally get something you don't like. There will always be plenty of other stuff you will like." 

Luke piped up, "You got to save room for dessert!  Some of the stuff is like from heaven!"

All the boys agreed with that.  Now the guys showed them around the place and went to introduce the new Squad 6 to the rest of the guys.

At bedtime, Dr. Turnman came to Peter's room.  A quick check and Leo said, "Well, Peter, you are doing quite well.  I want you to get a good night's sleep.  If you aren't tired, I'll give you a pill to help you sleep."

"I'm tired.  So much happened to me today.  I think I can sleep okay."

Doc left and Luke and Peter climbed into the double bed in their room.  "In the new place, there are twin beds so you don't have to sleep with me." Luke said.

Peter smiled, "I don't mind, I had to sleep with my only friend in a tiny bed before, so this is nice."

"You got me for a friend now, too."

Just when Peter was going to reply, the huge black dog Peter had seen came into the room.  Peter pulled up the covers and froze in fear.

Luke patted the bed and the huge Neapolitan Mastiff stepped up onto the bed.  He quickly sniffed Luke then turned his attention to Peter.  Evidently he passed inspection because Walter gave him a lick and curled up between the boys resting his massive head on Peter's stomach.  Peter relaxed and managed to get the heavy head off his stomach and he cuddled up to the dog and soon all three were off to dream land.
 

Author's Notes:
Sorry Arli, I can't end every chapter with a Cliff Hanger.
            Str8mayb

Editor's Notes: 
Well that last bit was interesting. Where was Tym? Why wasn't Walter sleeping with him?

What did Neal mean when he said they would find Aunt Marcey?  I wonder if she is going to get in trouble. It would serve her right if they charge her with child endangerment at least, and maybe child abandonment.  She seems like a real piece of work, doesn't she?  It's about time she gets a little payback for the way she treated Peter.

I think Peter is very lucky.  I doubt that he would have lasted very much longer without food, and if Walter hadn't been there, there is no telling how long it would have been before anyone thought to check out that building.  After all, no one had bothered to check it out before, and there was no real reason to look in there right away.  There were a lot more pressing things going on without going on some exploring tour of some storage building, or so everyone thought. 

Of course, there is still a lot we need to learn about Peter, but for now he is safe and happy.  That never hurts. 

Did anyone besides me notice what Oliver said about his apartment?  It might be important.

I think I have covered most everything that I intended to, except to thank Arli for filling us in on some of what had happened to Peter. It is amazing what these guys tell us, when we bother to listen. Guys, I promise that I will listen to you if you guys have something you want me to pass on.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Fort Chief Editor's Notes: If Tym missing isn't a Cliffhanger what is it? Why is Peter so familiar to me? Is that another mystery to be solved?

It is a crying shame how some people pervert Love and Sex and use them to control people.

Well I have to go edit a SciFi story and then write one while waiting for the next chapter.

The Story Lover