Jigsaw

Meanwhile, in the McConnaghay home in Arkham Maine:

Maureen rose early, dripped a pot of coffee, and sat at her kitchen table, a telephone before her. After a second cup, it seemed the time was right to begin the calls she needed to make.

First, the high school. "Good morning," she told the answering machine. "This is Maureen McConnaghay. I'm sorry, but my son Jonas will not be coming to school today. There's a family legal matter we need to take care of. I'm fairly sure that Harry Johnson will also be absent, but either his mother or I will call back when I'm able to confirm that with her. Thank you."

She had just reached out her hand to call the Dispatch office when the phone rang.

"Maureen McConnaghey here. To whom would I be speakin'?"

"Maureen, it's Abbie. What are our boys involved in? Do I need to get Harry a lawyer?"

"No, Abbie. The boys have done nothing but what's right and fair, but in helping a couple of younger boys, they may have run afoul of Scordo and his minions."

"Why does that not surprise me? If Scordo's involved, I'll trust you to know what you're doing. And by the way, there was a cop at my door last night, looking for Harry. I told him that he hadn't come home. Something told me I'd best not volunteer any information, so I didn't mention his staying at your place."

"Good move, Abbie."

"What I'm concerned about is if I need to get him some legal protection, take him out of town or something. You said he'd be safe at your place, when we talked last night."

Maureen reached a decision within herself. "Abbie, listen. The local cops *are* looking for our boys. But I have Federation security staying here, undercover. I can't explain the whole thing to you yet - I'm not sure if I believe it all myself yet, but I trust what I've been told. And I can guarantee that the safest place for Harry right now is here with me. I'll fill you in with the full story as soon as I can, but it's likely Scordo's bully boys are after our sons, and they've got protection here. From what I understand, there's likely to be some arrests that will blow the corruption in this town wide open within a day or two, and I'll go surety for Harry's safety if he stays with me and Jonas until then."

"What?" Abbie responded. "I'll trust you, Maureen, but I'm worried as hell about my boy."

"I won't tell you not to worry, Abbie; I'm worrying, myself, about my Jonas. But the security detachment that's staying here with me has Starfleet phasers, and the authority to shoot our local cops if they come on my property. I'll tell you the full story as soon as they make their arrests."

"I don't like it, Maureen. But you clearly know things I don't. You take care of my boy, now, do you hear me?"

"I will, with my life, Abbie. By the way, I'm keeping Jonas here today, out of school, and I told the school's answering machine that I thought you'd keep Harry out too."

"I'll phone them, then. I need to go get ready for work. Take care of my boy!"

"I surely will, Abbie. You have my word he'll be safe."

Maureen no sooner hung up the phone from that call than it rang again.

"Maureen McConnaghay," she answered it.

"Maureen, it's Frank. I need you in the office today."

"I can't, Frank; there's problems here."

"I don't want to hear that, Maureen. The biggest story to hit this town since McKinley campaigned here just broke. Someone murdered George and Rhonda Templeton, and their boys are missing. I need you to cover it."

"I'm on it, Frank."

"Don't give me any lame excuses, Maureen. I need your reporting skills on this story... Wait a minute! Did you say you're on it?!"

"I'm on it. I knew yesterday afternoon they'd been murdered, and I know where the boys are."

"What!? Where? Nobody else seems to have any idea."

"They're in Florida, in Federation protective custody. And for 48 hours or so, you don't know that officially. This story is bigger than those murders, bad as they are. It looks like that was the catalyst for the Federation to step in and shut down Scordo's misbegotten schemes. And I have first person interviews with the boys and have, or will have, interviews and background stories with the Federation personnel."

"My God, Maureen, good work! How'd you manage that? And how soon can you get down here?"

"First, it was my son and his friend who rescued the boys and started the Federation involvement. Second, I told you I'm not coming in. Scordo's tame cops are looking for my son and his friend, and this is the one place they'll be safe. I'll be working on the story at home, where I can be with them."

"All right. I don't like it, but I've learned to trust your judgment as a reporter. But how do you figure they'll be safe there? Do you have Starfleet security patrolling your yard, or something?" Frank asked sarcastically.

"For all practical purposes, that's exactly what I do have," she responded equally curtly. "Now let me go cook them breakfast. I'll keep you posted as the story breaks."

She was rewarded by something she rarely ran into: her editor at a loss for words. "I'll call you later in the day, Frank. Goodbye."

A yawning D.J. and Tanner walked into the kitchen to join her moments later. After a perfunctory round of Good Mornings, Tanner asked if he could take his coffee into the front room to begin security monitoring. "Sure," said Maureen.

The phone rang again.

"Maureen McConnaghay," she answered.

"Maureen, it's Mary. Frank said to call and see if you need any help."

"Hi, Mary. Thanks, but I think I've got things covered. No, wait - do a casual check at the police station and town hall, as if we don't know anything about the Templeton story yet, and see what you turn up. I'm playing a hunch there, but at the stakes Scordo and his gang are playing for, they're bound to let something slip. You know pretty much what to watch for, I think - see what you can find out.

"Will do. But after this is over, you've *got* to tell me how you broke this story open."

"Actually, my son brought it home like a lost puppy," Maureen said with a smile in her voice. "Anybody can fall into a pile of crap, like I did yesterday. What makes you a good reporter is if you can turn that into an expose of conditions at the sewage plant."

Mary's laugh tinkled in the air. "I suppose that's true! Well, I'm off; I'll phone you as soon as I find out anything."

---

Jonas woke up and headed for the bathroom to relieve his bladder and grab a quick shower. Then, noticing Harry, he realized he was not alone in the house. He started to grab a robe, remembered the events of the previous evening, and said to himself, "The heck with it." And left the robe alone and walked to the bathroom as God made him, his morning wood leading the way.

In the kitchen, Maureen and D.J. were deeply involved in a discussion of Vulcan telepathic evidence gathering and verification, and the treaties and court cases that had established it as valid in Earth courts.

Tanner watched the normal bustle of a small town weekday morning - adults driving off for work, kids excitedly discussing something on their way to the school bus stop - with a touch of nostalgia for how it had been before he lost his parents.

Harry woke up groggy-headed, realized he was sleeping at Jonas's, and pulled on his pants from the previous day before heading for the bathroom. The shower was running, and he knocked.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"C'mon in, dude. I'm just grabbing a quick shower; the commode's all yours."

Harry walked in, stepped to the proper facilities, and began to pee. He couldn't help glancing over at the translucent frosted glass door of the shower, through which Jonas's body was dimly visible.

"Hey, dude," Jonas said, sliding the shower door open. "Don't forget not to flush; you'll scald me if you do. Oh, and don't feel like you have to wear the same clothes; there's loads of sweats in my bottom drawer. Set a pair out for me on my bed, too, if you don't mind."

It suddenly became much harder for Harry to pee. Or perhaps we need not specify "to pee."

Sliding the shower door closed again, Jonas grinned. "That was probably cruel of me," he thought, and giggled.

A police car drove slowly by. "Hey, dude, check this out!" Tanner called.

Walking into the front room, D.J. focused. "They're toying with us," he said. "They think Jed and C.J. are here, but they know Maureen knows the law and would blow the whistle on them if they tried to get in without a warrant and against her will."

"And sure it is that I would," Maureen said as she followed him in.

"We ought to check in with the Clan," D.J. said thoughtfully, pulling out his communicator. "Wagner to C.I.C."

"Hey, Deej," came Tommy's voice. "Any excitement up there?"

"Nothing yet; I'll keep you posted. How are the new guys doing?"

"C.J., about what you'd expect for an eight-year-old who's lost someone he loves. He's grieving, but he's pulling back out of it. Jed's bad, though. He's put up a wall between himself and the world."

"Damn. Well, I'll check back in later. Beep me if you need me. D.J. out."

"Tommy out."

Jonas walked back into his room from his shower, toweling his hair, to see a pair of grey sweatpants and matching top lying on his bed, and Harry pulling on a similar pair of pants. "Thanks, dude," he said. He walked over, put his arm across Harry's shoulders, and added, "And thanks for being there yesterday. What you did was indispensable, and took a lot of bravery, and I just want you to know I appreciate it." He pretended not to see the flush spreading across Harry's face and torso, stepped over to his bed and began to pull on the sweats Harry had laid out for him.

"C'mon, dude, let's go get some breakfast," he said.

"So tell me about Clan Short, how it is that you kids have the kind of authority you do," Maureen asked after a filling meal of pancakes and sausage.

"Well, it has a lot to do with our being legally part of Vulcan," Tanner answered. "Maybe I ought to start there. Tell me what you know about Vulcan."

"It's a desert world. Its people have green blood and pointed ears, and are intensely logical, showing no emotions," Harry answered, in a voice that showed he was parroting a school lesson.

"That's one of those 'facts' you learn that isn't quite right," Tanner answered. "It's a harsh world, *mostly* desert. And that's key to several facts about Vulcans that make all the difference to who we are as a Clan. Nobody could live on a true desert world, like Mars - there'd be nothing for them to eat. You couldn't grow food. Vulcan has quite a few large oases, and one area in the tropics that's wet enough to grow some fruit. Nobody lives in them."

"They don't? Why not?" Jonas exclaimed.

"Think about it. There's only a small amount of land area that can support crops," Tanner said. "That land's too precious to let people build houses on it. Instead, they live elsewhere, and the farmers commute to work. On Vulcan, 'farmer' is an honored profession, like lawyer or college professor here. Only the people who are most adept at getting the most out of their crops are permitted to become farmers.

"But that led to two other culture traits that have a lot to do with Clan Short. First, they developed logic to a high art. And Vulcan logic is intensely practical, and includes justice and ethics as a necessary part of their logic system. Vulcan justice is remorselessly logical, and swift to punish wrongdoers. They couldn't afford to be anything else. Deciding what crops to raise and how best to raise them, making decisions about what learning to encourage and what to ignore, dealing with wrongdoers, all had to be done right and logically immediately the first time without any mistakes and without emotional arguments, or else people would die.

"And children are both precious and not coddled. In the early years, as the planet dried and the population grew, child mortality was high. Neglect or abuse of a child is a capital offense there. But by the same token, they couldn't afford to allow a child to goof off for twenty years before he began to be a productive member of society. Young people are challenged to attempt to reach and exceed their limits, to do whatever they're capable of doing, to grow up as fast as they're willing and able to do so. In addition, family, including adopted family, is vitally important in Vulcan culture - you protect your own."

"You sound like a professor when you're explaining that stuff," Jonas commented.

"We've got good teachers. We make sure of that," D.J. threw in. "Nearly all of us go to school at Camp Little Eagle, and Mr. T and his staff are great at what they do."

"Mr. T?" Maureen asked.

"Derek Tecumseh - he's our head teacher," Tanner answered.

"Your principal?" Harry asked.

"No, Mr. T coordinates who teaches what to whom, but he spends most of his time teaching. His father, the Chief, runs the camp and school and takes care of the residents, because he's a skilled leader and administrator. Mr. T's too good a teacher to waste in that job."

"What did you mean, 'we make sure of that'?" Jonas asked.

"Well, the group that manages the school, sets policy and such, kind of the school board, is half adults, from the Seminole tribe and our parents and such, and half students," Tanner answered. "Cory, Xain, and two Camp residents are on it, and Kyle represents the younger guys."

"Students running a school?" Maureen said. "It sounds like the inmates took over the asylum." She grinned.

"Back where Deej and I were kids in California, I'd have agreed with you," Tanner answered. "The difference is, everybody at Camp Little Eagle is there because they *want* to be, including us students. Back in California, teachers would be droning on about what the curriculum says, or what they think is interesting, and the kids would be thinking about Nintendo games, or getting laid, or whatever, and ignoring the lessons mostly.

"At Camp Little Eagle, they make it interesting, challenging for us, and they deal with us as real people. Take last week: in the same day, we dealt in the morning with the stuff about Vulcan that I just told you about, and they made it make sense, how one thing led to another. Then we started math, and Luke got up and left class, with an intensely sad expression on his face. At my old school, he'd have gotten yelled at. At the Camp, we all got up, students and teacher together, followed him outside, and sat down with him and helped him deal with what was bothering him. His problem was more important than algebra at the moment, and we all knew it. Then we all agreed to get together later to cover the classwork, except the guys who were helping out in the kitchen, and Kelly offered to work with them so they wouldn't miss it. But we *chose* to do that; nobody made us."

"One thing they do is ask leading questions, so that we figure things out ourselves. It sticks with us better. Another thing is that everything we learn is taught in ways that make it valuable to us, practical. Like health: Doc Austin does that when he's free from patients, and he teaches it so we learn what our brothers that were malnourished need and why, and how we can save lives. I'll bet they didn't do that at your school."

"What a concept: kids that *want* to learn, and teachers that encourage it!" Maureen smiled. "That would stun our stodgy school board, fer sure."

"But how did all that Vulcan stuff lead to the Clan, and you guys packing phasers?" Jonas asked.

"Tanner, switch guard with me," D.J. said. "I want to do this part."

"Only if you give me a kiss first," Tanner said with a mock leer.

D.J. moved in and gave him a firm, quick kiss. "We'll continue that thought later, after we're off guard duty."

"I can't wait," Tanner answered. "Drool, drool." Maureen and Jonas laughed.

"It's a pretty long story," D.J. began, "but to boil it down as much as possible, Sean, Cory, J.J., and Kyle got really close rapidly, owing to a bunch of things, including closing down the institution that Cory and Kyle had been in, and J.J. and Kyle's mother's death. The net result was that they vowed to be each other's brothers forever.

"Then in one single day they rescued Tyler, Adam, Jamie, and Jacob from abusive situations, and included them in that promise. The next thing was J.J.'s father's long-lost family catching up with him and reconnecting, and that included two of the Backstreet Boys, as well as Chip and his son Justy. Chip and Josh ended up adopting the twins, and Justy got included in the band of brothers."

"Okay," said Harry. "But how does this tie to Vulcan?"

"That's easy," D.J. said. "Chip had been adopted by Ambassador Sarek after some crisis I don't completely understand yet. That made Justy Sarek's grandson, and the twins too when they were adopted. And on Vulcan, pledges of brotherhood like the guys had made are legally recognized, creating real family ties.

"John rescued Sammy and 'Bastian shortly after that, and their story is just plain sick. Their father beat on them, and left them with a friend who made them into boy prostitutes and photographed them having sex for child porn sites.

"Sarek got wind of that, and of the pledge Justy had made to be brothers to all of them. He pointed out that by Vulcan law, they were all now his grandsons equally with Justy, Jacob, and Jamie, and that they were obliged to right the wrong done to their new brothers. Not just entitled to, but obliged to. And he dug up an old Vulcan law, and chartered us as a Clan within his extended family and house.

"That gave us diplomatic status as an arm of the planet Vulcan, and he had the Safe Haven Act amended to authorize the Clan to act legally as a law enforcement arm of the Federation, with a charter that entitled and required it to intervene whenever a child was abused, neglected, or abandoned or in some sort of danger that local law wasn't dealing with properly.

"Starfleet generally goes along with what Ambassador Sarek wants; he pulls a lot of weight in the Federation. Net result is that we kids are legally entitled to intervene whenever there's a kid in trouble, anywhere on Earth ... or on six other planets. Though we haven't gotten to that yet." D.J. grinned.

"And so when Harry called Zac Hanson..." Maureen began.

"He brought the whole weight of the Federation in to help Jed and C.J." Tanner finished the thought with a smile.

The phone's ringing interrupted conversation. Jonas answered, "McConnaghay residence. Just a moment, Mary. Mom, it's Mary, for you."

"Maureen here. Hi, Mary."

"Got something for you, Maureen. I was just talking with the Town Clerk, and it seems that Scordo's tame coroner declared it death by foul play by persons unknown last night, and released the bodies to the mortician this morning. Funeral's set for tomorrow afternoon, at the Methodist church."

"Gil Grissom or Horatio Caine would be having conniptions if they were real people," Maureen remarked. "That's the fastest processing of murder victims I've ever heard of. Scordo and Co. must be in a hurry to get them in the ground. If this isn't a cover-up, I'm St. Brigid herself."

"My thought exactly. I e-mailed you the obits on the Templetons, by the way. How are things going at your end?"

"Got 'em already, and thanks. I needed them a few minutes ago. As for the story, it's coming together very well, actually. This is going to be an amazing story, when it all falls into place," Maureen replied.

"I'm going to wander around and see what scuttlebutt I can pick up," Mary said. "I'll let you know if I get anything more."

"Thanks, Mare'. I appreciate the help."

"Well," said Maureen to the boys, "I don't know how much you heard of what Mary said, but after the fastest excuse for a murder investigation on record, they've already released George and Rhonda's bodies. The funeral's tomorrow afternoon, at the Methodist church two blocks east of here."

"I'd better let them know in Orlando," Tanner said.

---

Short Compound, later Tuesday:

"Damn, damn, damn," Rina said. She was sitting in the Clan dining room over coffee with Teri, Helen, Dan, Cory, Sean, and Antonio. "I opened my mouth and made a promise to those two boys, and I have no idea how I'll be able to keep it."

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to make the material things work, if hearts are in the right place," Teri said. "Three months ago, I was sitting in a house outside Des Moines with one son at home and one in residential care." She gestured at Sean and Cory as she mentioned them. "And except for Dan, who was my son's psychologist, I'd never met any of the rest of these people. Tell us what you're up against."

"Well, I trained in interior design in junior college; it's something I've always loved. But there were no jobs when I got out, and the school placement office was absolutely no help. After a couple of panicky weeks, I landed this clerk job at Michaelson's, but it doesn't pay enough to support me and two boys. And what I've got is a studio apartment. But I meant what I said: if I have to work three jobs, I'll make sure they have a home. My heart just went out to them, and when Jed reached out to me, I knew I had to be there for them."

"Hmmm," Teri responded. "We have some discretionary funds to help set new families up. But the income thing is an issue. Do you have any other skills?"

"Teri, do you know where 'Tonio... oh, there you are, Rina," Allen said as he and Billy walked in. "I'm glad you got a chance to meet everyone."

"Hello, Allen, Hi, Billy," Dan said. "We're just trying to give Rina a hand figuring out how to afford to house and support two boys."

"I gather Clan Short magic struck again," Allen said with a smile. "Maybe I can be some help; I know Orlando businesses passably well."

"Well, she's a store clerk, now," Teri said. "She's trained in interior design, but...."

Allen broke into a grin, and turned to Billy. "Damon?" he said.

Billy developed a matching grin, and said, "Definitely. You ought to make the call."

Allen pulled out his cell phone, and quickly punched in a number.

"Damon? This is Allen. Let me ask you something... no, not that; I'm dating someone. This is business related.... That's all right; it's not a commission this time. ... I figured it was only a matter of time before Marty quit you; he was too flighty and quick tempered. ... You're *never* that backed up on work. ... He did, huh? Well, that changes the question I intended to ask. Could you use a young woman with training and good design sense, but little experience? ... Yes, I think she'd probably be amenable to starting immediately. ... How good is she? Well, she sold us the treatments for my boys' bedrooms; that's how much I trust her. ... I'll bring her over to talk with you in two hours, if she's agreeable. ... All right, see you then."

"Rina, would you be interested in a position with Damon's Interiors? It's only a $15,000 base salary, but with commissions that tend to run about $45,000 a year on top of that, based on the people I know from there. It just so happens he's desperate for help; one of his staff just quit and left three major projects hanging on him."

"There's one small catch," Billy said with a grin. "If you look in the dictionary alongside the word 'flaming,' you'll see your prospective boss's picture."

"You exaggerate a little," Allen said, smiling, "but only a little. But he's very talented, and probably one of the most successful interior designers in Orlando."

"What did I tell you?" Teri said to Rina with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I can't believe this," Rina said, wide-eyed.

"It happens all the time around here," Helen said, grinning.

"There's one small detail," Cory said. "Making sure she and the boys want each other for a family."

"Oh, I definitely do!" Rina said.

Sean walked to the door to C.I.C. and said, "Jed, Ceej, Kyle, would you come in here?"

Cory's face lost all expression as he adopted his Clan Patriarch persona. Dan unobtrusively activated a tricorder at Cory's gesture.

"Rina Baldwin, is it your wish to accept custody of Jeremiah Sarles Templeton and Christopher Judd Templeton?" he asked solemnly.

"I just said so," she answered.

"I needed to ask you formally," Cory responded. "Jeremiah Sarles Templeton, do you accept placement with Rina?"

"We get to stay with her?" Jed asked.

"If that's what *you* want," Teri interjected. "We won't place a child anywhere he doesn't want to be."

"Is Ceej coming with me?" Jed then asked anxiously.

"That's his choice, but we won't split you two up, whatever happens," Sean said.

"Then yes, if Ceej wants to live there, so do I," Jed said firmly.

"Christopher Judd Templeton, will you accept placement with Rina?" Cory asked.

"You're gonna be our new mom?" C.J. asked.

"If you want me to be, yes, I really want to," Rina answered.

"Then I want to have you for a mom, and stay with Jed," C.J. answered.

"Kyle, in view of what these boys have been through, I've asked you to be here to monitor their feelings and inner reservations," Cory added. "Would you state your findings for the record?"

"I read what you had in mind, and was monitoring them," Kyle's eyes twinkled as he spoke. "All three of them mean what they're saying without reservations. Both boys are worried about their future, though."

"All parties consenting, I find this to be the proper placement, and so declare," Cory said. Abruptly, he smiled, and said, "Congratulations, guys."

"I'm confused," Rina said. "All that was for evidence when we go to Family Court, right? And why did you all have Cory ask the questions?"

"That *was* the permanent placement," Teri said. "If the boys decide to adopt your name later, Judge Robison will be glad to make a formal declaration for the purposes of Florida law. But Cory made it official, in his capacity as Patriarch of Clan Short, and it's recorded on Clan/FYS archives already. He can do that, because the Clan has legal custody of them under the Safe Haven Act. There's two things left to do: Kayla or I'll make up the paperwork tomorrow for those bureaucrats who won't believe anything's official unless there's formal paper saying so. And Justy will send formal notification to Vulcan of the boys' status."

"Vulcan?" C.J. asked. "Like with green skin and pointy ears?"

"Yep," Cory answered with a warm smile. "You and Jed joined the rest of us as joint citizens of the U.S. and Vulcan when Zac proclaimed Clan protection over you yesterday. Justy will just make sure that Vulcan planet records show that properly. But you don't have to get pointy ears," he added. C.J. giggled.

"After you're settled in, we'll be inviting you to join the Clan," Sean added.

Dan held up his hand. "If you'll accept my advice, guys, delay that for a few weeks. Have the Clan support them, but don't try to get them involved just yet. And Rina, I want to see both boys a few times, to make sure they're working through the grief process all right and to see if we can get to the bottom of why Jed reacted so intensely. Seeing someone you love murdered is a shock for anyone, but most people don't react as strongly as Jed did. I won't push you into anything," he said, addressing Jed, "but if you're willing to spend some time talking with me, maybe we can find out why it hit you the way it did."

"I'd like that, I think," Jed said hesitantly. "Are you gonna make me do it?"

"Not on your life," said Dan. "I don't believe in forcing a child to do anything they can reasonably make a choice about. But I'm hoping I can be some help for you."

"Okay," Jed answered a bit more firmly. "I just want it to be my choice."

"If I weren't certain Dan would never force you into it, Jed," Cory interjected, "I'd make it an order to him that it's only on your free choice."

"Can you do that?" Jed said with wide eyes.

"I sure can," Cory answered. "When it comes to the safety and reasonable wishes of any boy in the Clan or under its protection, I have more authority than the President or anybody else except Ambassador Sarek and the Vulcan High Council. And as long as I'm acting logically by Vulcan standards, they'll back whatever I decide."

"For the next day or two, though, I suggest you stay here at the Short Compound," Teri interjected. "Rina will need some time to start her new job and find a larger place for you to live, after all."

"Hey, y'all," came Tommy's voice. "Tanner's on the line here, and y'all might want to know 'bout this." Everyone quickly walked into C.I.C.

"Looks like they plan on covering up the murders; they just released the bodies to the funeral home this morning," Tanner reported. "And the funeral is set for tomorrow."

"That's fast," Cory remarked. "Out of sight, out of mind?"

"Probably that's what they think," Gabe commented.

"It is," chimed Jacob, getting the distant look that said he was scanning minds.

"We need to be there," Jed said suddenly.

"It's too dangerous for you," Helen warned.

"It's our parents being buried. We need to go," Jed repeated. White-faced, C.J. nodded his agreement with his brother.

"It would give them closure," Dan said, "and I think they may need that. Just a minute," he added, pulling out his own communicator.

"John, hon, it's Dan. Listen, I have an idea. Can you and Matt free up some time tomorrow for a protective escort at the Templetons' funeral?"

His son interrupted, "And plan on Adam and me coming along with them. They may need as much coverage as they can get."

"I'll do it," John's voice came from the communicator. "And J.J.'s right - the four of us plus Tanner and D.J. should all be there, just in case. Dan, you should be along to keep an eye on Jed and C.J.'s emotional state."

Kyle got a distant look. "For this to work out right, all you guys plus Jamie and Jacob should be there. You too, Rina; Ceej'll need your moral support, and Jed too if I'm reading him right." Jed nodded and flashed Kyle a smile of thanks.

"Where's that from? Mikey?" asked Sean.

"No, it's like I'm seeing different futures in my head," Kyle said with a mystified air. "What I know is, without the twins, people get killed; with them, everything is OK. And Jed needs to draw strength from Rina for what he needs to do inside himself tomorrow."

"I'm not comfortable with Jed and C.J. going," Teri said. "The local police are looking for them, after all."

"Jed said what he needs to do, Mom," Cory answered quietly but firmly. "I think we need to back him on that."

"Well, you do have the final say, son," Teri responded. "But let me be a mother and worry about you guys, OK?" C.J. flashed her a smile.

"Tanner, let the folks there know that we're bringing Jed and C.J. up for the funeral, with a security detail," Cory said into the terminal mike.

"Will do, Cory," Tanner responded.

---

Later that evening, in Jonas' room:

"I'm surprised they want to risk bringing the boys back," Jonas said as he began to strip for bed.

"Must be they think it'll be safe," Harry said. "Besides, with Starfleet phasers, they can defend them if they need to."

"Aren't you going to get undressed?" Jonas asked, pulling off shoes and socks.

"Um, I was just waiting for..." Harry blushed, gesturing vaguely down his body.

"No sweat, dude," Jonas said. "It happens to me all the time too. We're both teenage guys; think nothing of it."

"You are so cool to have for a friend," Harry said. "Most guys would pick on me, or worse, think I was getting pervy with them."

"Hey, think about D.J. and Tanner," Jonas responded. "I don't have any problem with them, and they're pretty open about being in love, and horny for each other. They're probably in the guest room, kissing and making out right now."

"That is *not* helping," Harry said, his blush deepening.

"It's cool, Harry," Jonas said, pulling off his sweat pants and sitting on his bed naked. "Just relax; you're my friend and I like you just as you are. No need to be embarrassed about biological reactions."

Still blushing, Harry slipped down his sweat pants, revealing a full erection. He quickly slid into bed. Jonas chuckled, walked over and switched off the light, and slid into bed himself, turning as he did to avoid showing the evidence of his own arousal. "G'night."

After a few minutes, light rustling and the streetlight shining through the bedroom window let Jonas know that Harry's hand was at work under his covers.

Jonas smiled, and came to a decision. "Come here, Harry," he said, and tossed his blanket back from his body.

---

To Be Continued