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