Mikyvis Chronicles

AI Division Hospital, Earth:

After a grueling game of 'rock, paper, scissors', Noah groaned as his shoulders visibly slumped. "Fine you win," he shrugged in defeat, then whined "I'll go tell the techbots they can't repave McMillan Avenue, but you know they aren't gonna like it."

Danny giggled, "Someone's gotta do it, and Rock breaks Scissors."

As Noah huffed, the door to the room opened and Nurse Patty entered. "Director Page, you have a visitor," she barely got out before a little blond boy peeked into the room.

"Billy!" Danny shouted. "Get in here and give me a hug," he added with a smile, "It's been a while."

Never one to disregard an order from the ancients, Billy launched himself at Danny in full pounce mode.

Arms suddenly full, Danny gave the boy a squeeze and sat him on his knee. "I think you're getting a little taller there, big guy."

"Naw, you're shrinkin'!" Billy giggled back.

Noah grinned. "Danny, I'll let you two talk, I have to go ruin the day of a few techbots, then I'm gonna raid the cookies Mary's bakin'. Your loss!"

Ignoring the rude gesture that Danny was making just outside Billy's line of sight, Noah quickly left the room to once again try to restrain the techbots from rebuilding the entire city.

As Danny stuck out his tongue at the departing figure, Billy giggled. "What ya doin' for the next couple of seconds, Uncle Danny? We're goin out on a trip to watch Time Touched and Platinum Habits at one of the concerts that they already had a couple of decades from now and we really want you guys to come and watch with us because you really needta take a break because Prez said so."

"Oh man, that sounds great. Confusing, but great," Danny giggled. "You know, maybe it would be cool to bring Caleb, along with your buddy Hunter."

"Really?" Billy gushed, "Yeah!"

Danny ruffled the boy's hair and pulled out his communicator. "Let's see what they're up to." After flipping the unit open, Danny smiled. "Page to Caleb."

"Hey Danny, wassap?"

"Cal," Danny started with a smile, "I just received an invitation from a young, old friend who would like us to go see a couple of concerts or something. He says it's only gonna take a couple of seconds so I'm guessing it'll be one of 'those' trips."

"Hey!" Billy laughed. "I wanna talk to Caleb too!"

"Is that Billy Carr?"

"Yup! Hi Caleb!" the boy beamed. "Can you an Hunter come? Please?"

"A couple of concerts? It does sound cool. We're in! Gimme a couple of seconds to get Hunter ready."

"Okay ... times up!" Billy giggled.

"Wise guy... Danny, you having Noah hang back?"

"Yeah, I'll send him on the next one." Danny grinned. "Meet us here then we'll take off. Danny out."

"What are you waiting for?" Caleb giggled as him and Hunter appeared less than a second later, Hunter pouncing Danny as soon as he was solid.

"Yeah, Uncle Danny!" Dylan giggled as he joined them. "I've been waiting a whole thirty-seven microseconds, you're gettin' slow in your old age!"

"Seriously, I don't think I'm ever getting used to this split-second five minutes ago last week thing." Danny laughed as he hugged Hunter back and set both boys on their feet. With his communicator still open he reactivated it. "Page to Assistant Director Barnes."

"Noah here."

"Noah, just so you know, you are in charge for a few seconds. Myself, Caleb and your son are going on a little trip."

"A few seconds?"

"That's what I'm told. See you when we get back." Danny grinned as Noah laughed instead of answering. Putting his communicator away, he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm ready when you guys are."

Before Danny had a chance to blink, they found themselves above a very familiar Archnanian lake; before anyone could say anything, the entire group, including Dylan, found themselves swimming. "I HATE it when Dad and Pop do that!" Dylan sputtered as he surfaced.

"I should have known..." Danny sputtered as Hunter swam past him giggling.

'Told ya you were gonna take a break!' Kyle's voice giggled in Danny's head. 'Now relax, or I'll do it again!'

'Leech, you're so gonna get it!' Danny laughed. 'We gonna see you on this trip, little guy?'

'I think you did, I'll check next month and tell you when I first meet you!' Kyle sniggered in return.

'Deal?' Danny laughed out loud gaining everyone's attention. "Kyle-gram." he said, getting a knowing nod from most.

"Daddy must be in a good mood!" Dylan giggled. "C'mon, race ya to the shore, Uncle Danny!"

"Yer on!" Danny replied and off they went.

Russ looked around, trying to count heads for the fourteenth time. Exasperated as he once again found himself counting the same person for the third time, he yelled "Prez, control your Mikyvis! We don't leave until EVERYONE is accounted for only ONCE!"

Blinking uncertainly, Prez slowly smiled, "Control... Russ, did you really say... ?" and then bellowed laughing at the thought.

"Our Dad's finally lost it!" DJ added as he shook his head.

Chance hugged Ulysses as he asked "Danny? You got that positronic brain ready for the transplant? I think Uncle Russ' is burning out ahead of schedule!"

"I don't," Danny smiled; "but I did bring Caleb. If we can't fix him, he can at least hack him."

"You know, you'd think that at your age, you would have learned to tell good jokes!" Russ chuckled as he reached over and messed up Danny's hair. "Don't give up your day job!"

"Oh no, maybe it's too late. His humor chip is already fried." Danny laughed. "Caleb, you better get to work."

"Oh, someone needs to be hacked alright," Caleb responded, patting Danny on the shoulder.

Still giggling, the six members of Platinum Habits sang,

They fell apart at Russ' twisted expression.

"Okay then..." Danny laughed.

Hunter came over and tugged on Danny's shirt. "Uncle Danny, what did they say happened to his..."

"Never mind!" Danny cut him off. "Glad to see this place is still nuts."

Out of sync and completely hysterical, watching Russ turn and wander off, Platinum Habits disjointedly sang,

DJ and KC both signaled Dylan, who popped Russ back into position. Dylan became serious (amazingly) as he said "C'mon guys, I really hate having to rewind before we jump millenniums!"

"Yeah," Danny laughed, "So that's enough music for now lads, there's dirty work afoot."

"And you guys wonder why the parents need tranquilizers..." Russ muttered. Raising his voice, he added "Okay, this goes out to the clowns who I claim as sons, as well as the clowns they've invited to join them! Despite what you did on our last stop, the purpose of our tours is NOT to see how many planets we can populate in Alpha Prime. Do you think that, just once, we can go somewhen WITHOUT bringing back hundreds of new friends?"

The group put their rusty halos over their innocent heads, and cheerfully chanted yays, nays, and prayers, but Prez simply sang dirty Irish limericks.

With a stack of halos over his head that literally doubled his height, Timmy added "But Poppa Russ, we'd NEVER do somethin' like that!"

Muttering just loud enough for some of the kids to hear, Russ commented "When I was a kid, I wanted to run away to the circus and become a lion tamer. Why didn't I do that, at least lions listen!"

Prez and Keith's son, Sammy, grinned, "And then when you turn your back, they claw you to ribbons."

Gage giggled, "At least we're honest about it."

"I can get ya a lion kitty if ya want one, Poppa Russ!" Timmy and Pauly offered in unison.

Russ grinned, "No thanks, Timmy." Looking around at the large group, Russ smirked, "Just this once, clue me in on any rescues or other 'humanitarian' abductions you're about to do before it's done, and we'll be on our way."

DJ and KC, who were busy polishing each other's halos in-place, replied "We'll try!"

“I bet,” Danny giggled.

"Ya know, it's funny the one without a halo said that!" Tanner giggled, pointing at Danny.

"I can't wear one. I don't have any horns to keep it straight." He smiled as Caleb swatted him in the shoulder.

"Uncle Marc forgot to make you horny?" CD asked with an innocent grin.

"Hey now!" Danny laughed, opening his eyes wide at CD. "I'm plenty... well, you know."

"Viagra does wonders..." Calen giggled before taking off running.

"Unreal." Danny laughed. "So, what are we up to here?"

"We're heading to the year 3724 in Xi mu thirty-four." Dylan offered helpfully. "They're having a little festival, and we were invited to have both bands play. They thought we handled New Boston really well."

"Oh wow." Danny gasped as Caleb's mouth fell open. "Just a little trip around the block then?"

"No Uncle Danny," Hunter shook his head. "That's a different universe in the future, right Dylan?"

Keith grumbled, "After that stinky skanky Koluth scumbag, this place better be much nicer, or I want nose-plugs!"

Dylan grinned. "No beans there, Keith! You're close, Hunter - it's not really the future there, they just started their years before ours. I think you guys are gonna like it, there are some fun things that happen there."

"Oohhh..." Hunter screwed up his face in thought. "Daddy, that means I was close, right."

"I think so big guy." Caleb smiled and lifted his son into a hug.

"Cool, thanks Dylan!" Hunter beamed.

Grinning, Dylan asked "Y'all ready?"

In answer, the members of both bands began harmonizing "Magical Mystery Tour" to the enjoyment of the Archnanians standing around with their friends.

Jouynyed Yhaynds Aympyhytyhyeaytyer, Tyerayyh Syevyen, Universe Xi mu, Timeline 34:

Dyekyembyer 37, 3724

The first thing the group noticed was that the grass in the field they appeared in was definitely orange, and the sky was green. The next thing they noticed was the humanoid waiting to greet them; if you disregarded the two extra arms and the orangish tone to his skin, he seemed normal enough. The man walked over to Dylan, enveloping the giggling Mikyvis in a four-armed hug. While the words of the man were unable to be understood by the newly arrived group, a box on his waistband helpfully translated into a language resembling Federation Standard. "Welcome back, Prince Dylan; I am honored that your family has agreed to join us."

"Coooooolll!" Hunter said in awe.

"Four arms to hold you?" Derrick grinned.

Reyes laughed, "The Ring! He is wearing the sacrificial ring! HELP!"

"I wonder if he knows anyone who would like to learn a double-neck lead?" DJ giggled.

"Imagine a drum solo with four arms. That'd be sick!" Danny giggled.

Mike knelt down to inspect the orange grass more closely, within about 3 centimeters of his nose. He asked, "Do you taste like citrus, and are you edible or smokable?" He seemed to wait for a reply.

'Yes' Mike heard in his head.

"All of the above!" Prez and Keith cheered.

"I'm liking this more already," Keith smiled.

"Are they really talking to the grass?" Caleb whispered to Danny.

"Four arms Caleb!" Danny shouted, oblivious to the question Caleb had asked. "I'd kill for that!"

"Okay, we get it..." Caleb laughed.

Timmy and Ricky, meanwhile, were deep into a physical show-me-I'll-show-you comparison with their new friend, a native boy about their size called Wyryn. The fact they were doing this in the middle of the field didn't faze the people walking around; in fact there were a few grins as nearby natives heard the comments of the boys.

"He's definitely YOUR little brother!" Tanner giggled to DJ. "I seem to remember you doing that when we were..."

DJ put his hand over Tanner's mouth. "Can it, sweetie.. no more ammo for our bros!"

"Who do ya think taughted us, Tan?" Timmy and Ricky giggled.

After giving the group a chance to look around, Dylan got their attention. "Hey guys, this is Diyoyn; he's the organizer of this little party. We just finished discussing the details of the show. First thing is that we're all getting the local 'universal translator' to wear. It's already loaded with every language that any visitors will speak, and it will translate your singing real time. The next part is that you guys are getting pretty popular; they decided that you're gonna be put right before the headliners for the show, so you get to watch four other bands before you're up."

"I wonder how this thing works." Danny whispered to Caleb as they both looked over the unit they had been handed.

"You must be the Danny and Caleb that Dylan warned me about," Diyoyn commented as he handed each of them a second unit and a tool kit. "This technology is cleared for your home universe, so have fun."

"Oh! Sweet!" Caleb gasped. "Thank you, thanks a lot!"

"You are welcome; I think you will learn a few new possibilities for technology that you are already using." Diyoyn replied with a toothy grin as he moved on.

Danny elbowed Caleb in the ribs as he turned his unit over exposing a removable panel while Hunter watched the two and crossed his arms. "We're here for music Daddy."

"Fine." Caleb pretended to pout. "But when we get home, me and your uncle are playin' with our toys and that's that!"

"You're silly." Hunter giggled as they heard Diyoyn begin to speak again.

"Honored guests, not only do we wish you the utmost enjoyment of the upcoming festivities, but we as a planet look forward to sharing our culture with you. Our laws mirror those that Dylan informs me are called the Safe Haven Act in your culture, and you shall find that you have full support if you find a violation. As far as the upcoming concerts go, each non-featured band gets, in your time measurement, one hour. Each of your bands gets one point five of your hours, which means that you will have three hours total if you intermix bands as you have done previously. Unlike the bands that proceed you, you shall be allowed up to two encores before the headliner band finishes the show. The headliners, 'Yesterwhen' have requested that your bands join them for a final encore at the end of their set."

"Oh wow, this is gonna be big." Danny thought out loud.

"Only a day or so!" Dylan giggled as he popped in behind Danny, gave him a wedgie, then popped back out.

"Ack!" Danny shouted as he tried to straighten out his shorts through his pants, failing miserably.

Giggling at Danny dancing around, Timmy joined them, pulling on Caleb's shirt. "Unca Caleb? Wyryn says we can go see where he lives and go play, but Poppa Russ says I gotta have someone 'ponsible go too if I go off. Do you an' Hunter wanna go?"

"Yeah! Can we Daddy? Please?" Hunter pleaded, his green eyes as big as saucers.

"I don't see why not." Caleb smiled as the two high fived each other. "Lead the way Timmy." Looking over his shoulder he shouted back: "Good luck Danny!"

"Yeah, thanks." Danny said as he continued to pull his shorts back to a more comfortable position.

Dragging Hunter behind him, Timmy yelled "Ricky! Wyryn! He said YES!"

"Wait for me!" Billy yelled as he picked up the six-legged cat-like creature he was petting and rushed over to the group.

Ricky took one set of Wyryn's hands in his and began jumping up and down. Wyryn joined him, proving that kids showing excitement is a universal language.

Off to the side, DJ watched with a grin as Caleb joined the munchkins. "Looks like Timmy's finally gonna get some kid time."

KC nodded. "But can this place survive the punkette invasion?"

"Hope so, bro!" DJ giggled as he put an arm over KC's shoulder. "C'mon, I think I saw a place over there where we can break out the boards."

"Damn." Danny scowled. "I didn't bring my deck."

"I got a spare, Gramps!" KC giggled. "That is, if you think you can keep up!"

"If I think I can keep up?" Danny laughed. "Lead the way and prepare to be skooled junior."

"Oh, the old man still got game!" KC put his arm around Danny's shoulder. "Probably because you helped invent them, am I right?"

"This is gonna be fun." Danny smiled as all three broke out in a run.

Rolling his eyes after overhearing, Dylan turned to Russ. "I'll go get the first aid kit, Uncle Russ."

The boys followed Wyryn, excited to see the unusual buildings of the planet. They were led into a building that looked like a large translucent ball, then followed him to a room on the middle perimeter. "This is my place!" Wyryn exclaimed.

"Wow, Daddy look!" Hunter almost squealed. "His house is awesome!"

"Yeah it is." Caleb replied, just as impressed. "Wyryn, how many people live here?"

"I dunno, lots?" Wyryn replied. "We're all orphans that've been rescued, we're just waiting for fam'lys."

"That's sad." Hunter replied, pulling Wyryn into a hug. "I hope you find one soon."

Billy nodded, his furry companion purring happily as he scratched its ears. "Yeah, I just got me an awesome family, it'll happen for you too!"

Just then, William and Duke came flying in, landing on Hunter's shoulders. Seconds later, Hunter's eyes grew wide as the two spirit guides explained to him the details of the weird stuff that he'd been seeing since he'd been reincarnated.

"So that's all real?" he asked, receiving a nod from Duke.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked Timmy while they all simply watched the unheard exchange.

"Hunter can see peoples past when he hugs them," Timmy explained, "it's a gift from Uncle Mikey; it helps Hunter help hurtin' kids."

Caleb watched as his son seemed to intently pay attention to the two eagles. After another moment of silence, they both took flight and Hunter, with a tear in his eye hugged Wyryn again. "I'm happy for you." he said with a smile. "An' I know that this place is better than the other ones."

"What did you see Hunter?" Caleb asked as he knelt down next to his son.

"I can't say. But I can tell you that he's safe now." Hunter replied, not taking his eyes off of Wyryn. "The rest isn't for me to say."

Everyone's eyes grew wide as, in perfect Federation Standard, Wyryn commented "The Spirit Birdies say I'm gonna get a special surprise soon!"

Timmy and Ricky exchanged knowing grins, but said nothing. Billy buried his face in the side of his 'kitty' to hide his giggles, much to the delight of said 'kitty'.

"Oh wow." Caleb said, breaking the silence. "Now we don't need to use the translators!" he smiled as Wyryn covered his mouth. "So, why don't we have some fun. I don't know when we'll be able to come here again next."

"Last week?" Ricky stated, his face serious for a whole two seconds before he fell to the floor in giggles.

"Um..." Caleb shrugged. "Wouldn't that be before?"

"Not if we do it next month!" Timmy giggled before joining his boyfriend on the floor.

"Of last year, three centuries from now!" Billy added with a snigger.

Caleb, Hunter and Wyryn just watched as the three little ones cracked up. "Do they always speak in riddles?" Wyryn asked.

"Sometimes they even make sense." Caleb replied and they all laughed.

"You guys wanna go to the Hub?" Wyryn asked. "They have great playstuff there!"

"They got stuff to climb on?" Hunter smiled.

"BIG stuff?" Billy added.

Wyryn nodded. "Yeah! there's this really great one that goes all over the place!"

Watching all of the boys get excited, Caleb laughed. "Looks like they're sold, lead the way Wyryn."

Back outside:

"I can't believe you just dropped in like that." KC said, hanging on Danny's shoulder. "It's like you've been skating right along."

"You never forget." Danny said, pleased with himself as it had been decades since he had skated a half pipe. "You're really good too Deej! That first stall was awesome. I wanna try it sometime."

"It's easy once you lean into it right the first time, after you've felt it, you know how to do it over an over." DJ smiled as they all sat and watched all the locals continue to skate. "I'll work with you on it when we have some time. KC taught me, so you picking it up should be easy."

"Cool." Danny said looking at his shins. "Got a little banged up I guess."

All three looked at their own bruises and began to laugh. "Definitely gotta do this again." KC laughed.

"Hey!" One of the locals shouted as he ran up to the three with his own skateboard under his upper right arm. "For guys with less to balance with, you really tore it up."

Tapping on his translator, KC smiled. "Thanks bro. You guys have a sweet park here. I'd love to build one like this back home."

"Where's home?" The boy asked as he sat down with them.

"Not sure how to explain it." Danny said as he looked at DJ.

DJ grinned. "Me and KC are in one of the bands playing at the inter-dimensional festival, Time Touched. The nutjob is one of our friends; we're from Alpha Prime."

"Oh wow, you're playing in the festival?" The boy gasped. "I'm going with my family. It's cool I'll get to see you play." He said looking at the deck Danny had been skating. "Can I see that?"

"Sure." Danny smiled as the boy handed him his deck. "Your's looks like our older style with the wide tail."

"This is different." He said looking at it from all angles. "It's nose on both ends." He laughed.

"Give it a try um... what's you name kid?" KC asked, watching the boy look the deck over in amazement.

"Oh, it's Kayiyn." The boy said as he stood up and carefully rode in a wide circle before hopping off and smiling. "Can you ride mine?"

KC shrugged and Danny smiled wide. "I cut my teeth on a deck like this one." he said as he dropped it and hopped on, taking off toward the ramps. "It's a little heavier than I'm used to but..." he got out before grinding a rail, "...I can get around on it."

"Nice." KC shouted as he and DJ threw their decks down and chased after the other two. "Catch the old man!"

"Old?" Kayiyn questioned as Danny turned back and pointed to himself. "You must age weird in your dimension."

"His kind don't age." DJ replied as they watched Danny stalefish off of the ramp leading to the lower section of the park followed by KC. "See."

"He's old?" Kayiyn asked as they got to the edge of the ramp and stopped to watch.

"They both are kinda." DJ smiled as he watched KC and Danny take turns showing each other up.

"So you will never get big like our adults do?" Kayiyn asked, cringing when Danny wiped out pretty hard.

"No I will." DJ laughed. "I guess you could say they were designed to stay the same." He said looking back at his new friend. "That makes sense, right?"

"No." Kayiyn replied with a sound that sounded a little like a laugh. "But if they can stay like that forever then we all need to try to be like them. My people age and can no longer play like they do when they are younger."

"Hey!" KC shouted. "Kayiyn! Do you know how to play S.K.A.T.E.?"

"It's a game?" Kayiyn shouted back.

"Yeah!" KC yelled back as DJ tapped on Kayiyn's shoulder.

"We take turns picking a trick to do. The first person does it and we each try to duplicate the trick. If you fail, you get a letter to spell out the word 'skate'. Last person on their deck without all the letters wins." DJ explained.

"Yes!" Kayiyn yelled toward KC to answer him. "But we should spell it in my language so it will last longer." he laughed again.

"How is it spelled in your language?" DJ giggled.

"WheelBoard," Kayiyn laughed, "and I'll want my deck back too, cause I'm really good at this one."

"Oh boy." DJ laughed. "Guys! He's in and I think we're in trouble!"

A group gathered to watch Kayiyn play the familiar game with the alien looking boys. KC began with a kick flip that Kayiyn duplicated easily. In the end, he was very good at mimicking their moves. When his turn came up, they learned that even though they were from different worlds and different cultures, the way they played seemed to be universal. Eventually, KC was the last man standing but, it took a long time to spell out the alien version: W.Yh.Ye.Ye.L.B.Ou.Ay.R.D. and in the end they were all exhausted.

"I haven't skated like that in a long time." Danny said as he poked at his scraped up knees. "This was awesome guys, thanks."

"You should come back when we have our competition event at the changing of the season." Kayiyn said, looking just as tired as the other three.

"When is that?" KC asked, sitting down on his deck.

"It is thirteen soloyar periods before the beginning of Mayiy." He replied, laughing when the other three scratched their heads. "Mayiy? No?"

"Our calendar is different." DJ replied. "But, if you give us the date, we have people who can translate it so we could try to be here."

"That would be great." Kayiyn smiled. "Maybe you could bring more of your wheelboards so I can try to learn to ride it better."

"Actually." KC smiled. "Take this one." he said handing Kayiyn the deck he had been riding. "I have a bunch of different ones."

"Oh no." Kayiyn said as he tried to hand the deck back. "I can't take your board."

"You can and I want you to have it but, it's a 'skateboard' so when we come back, you gotta play S.K.A.T.E. not W.Yh.Ye.Ye...eh...L.M.N.O.P... or whatever it was. That took way too long."

"I will, and I will do it on your skateboard." Kayiyn replied standing up and hugging his new deck to his chest. "Thank you for the fun, I will work on that trick you showed me Danny."

"Sweet." Danny smiled. "When we come back, we should bring you a brand new deck to work with."

"I'll build you one." KC grinned.

"I'll help." DJ added.

"I will look into getting local boards for you all as well. I have to leave now though, I can't wait to hear you play." he said with a wave.

"We'll look for you!" Danny shouted back.

"Bye Kayiyn!" they all shouted before all three smiled wide.

"That was fun." Danny said hopping up and kicking his deck up. "Wanna see what the rest of the gang is up to?"

"Sure." KC replied, both now looking down at DJ, who was still sitting on his deck.

"Don't you guys ever get tired?" he giggled. "It's just not right!"

With a laugh, KC and Danny each grabbed an end of DJ's deck, picked it and him up, and walked for the exit.

Conner had decided to take a seat in the shadow of the stage, smiling wryly as he caught glimpses of his family and friends enjoying themselves in the bright daylight. He was resting his eyes when a voice interrupted his musing. "Hey, you okay?"

Conner opened his eyes, tilted his head, and smiled as he saw his visitor. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just decided to take a break, since I don't want a sunburn."

Conner's mind quickly took in his visitor's features; if at all possible, the boy was even whiter than him. He was wearing dark goggles, and despite being almost five feet tall, his waist was no larger than a seven-year-old. His lower set of arms were bent to allow him to hold his own hands on each side, which he was nervously doing right then.

"My parents have my lotion for that, do you want some?" the boy asked nervously.

Conner smiled, a genuine smile. "Maybe in a little bit. I'm Conner, you wanna sit here with me for a few first?"

"Really?" the boy asked with surprise. "Sure! I'm Yhyrayn!" he added as he sat down and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Conner.

For a reason only known to his subconscious mind, Conner wiggled his arm free and put it over his new friend's shoulder. Yhyrayn returned the gesture, sliding his arms behind Conner and pulling himself even closer. Neither of them felt the need to say anything, just enjoying the contact as they watched everyone else. After a few minutes, both boys dropped into sleep, never releasing their hold on each other.

"... I'd say that albinoism is very similar between our homes. Thanks for getting me extra samples of the lotion, if I have any problem duplicating it I'll let you know." Austin's voice stated as the cuddling pair woke up.

"Wyhayt ayrye iyouyu taylkkyng aybouyut, Dayd?" Conner asked, half awake.

"Mom? Dad?" Yhyrayn added, "I thought you were with Uncle Rysyayn?"

The jaws of all three parents dropped, their eyes darting from the translators to the two boys on the ground. Austin found his voice first, stating "You guys spoke each other's language... without translators!"

Conner and Yhyrayn turned to look at each other, grinning as their noses made contact. "KEWL!" they giggled in unison.

"If I may ask, how does your home regard those who appear different to yourselves?" Yhyrayn's father, Jaysiyn asked.

"It's common to see species from other planets visiting, why?" Austin replied as Nine joined him, proving the point by wrapping his arm around Austin's waist.

"I will explain shortly; may I ask your son's age?" Jaysiyn asked.

"Eleven years, three months, one point five weeks, approximately." Nine answered quickly.

Grinning, Austin said "This is my soon-to-be-husband, Nine. I'm still working with him to cure his problem of not being precise."

"I can see that," Jaysiyn grinned. "As your son is senior by two of your months, he is considered primary, which means that the couple historically resides at his residence. What you are seeing is an event which brings both joy and sorrow to a parent of our species; a Life Bond. When we meet the person that we are to spend our lives with, our spirit reaches out. If the time is right, the junior person's spirit accepts the union, and the two spirits bond as one. The knowledge of both is merged, and from that point forward either can speak for both. I would suggest we find a method to relocate them, however; while their mental bond is complete from the signs we have seen, it appears they are about to physically seal their union."

Austin looked over and grinned; not only were the pair rubbing noses, but all six arms were interlocked as they held each other tightly. "Dylan!" Austin yelled, "This is YOUR fault! Get over here and take them someplace private!"

Dylan appeared next to Austin, a confused look on his face. "What did I do... wow! I didn't see THAT coming!" After a quick blink, which included the lovebirds vanishing, Dylan popped back in. "Uncle Austin? Can I look in your head to see what I missed?"

Austin nodded, which was all that Dylan needed. Dylan then got the permission of the other two parents, who thought nothing of a purple-haired munchkin who could read minds. Even after getting all the details, Dylan's face reflected an emotion that was a first in the history of natural-born Mikyvis... total confusion.

As everyone watched the poor little Mikyvis try to sort out something he couldn't understand, they were joined by Kyle, Tyler, and their newest adopted sons, Colt and Conrad. Kyle swiped a bit of Colt's cotton-candy-like treat, then giggled "Conner finally found someone?"

"Dad!" Dylan whined. "I didn't see it was gonna happen, and I can't see what it changed!"

Kyle grinned. "That is love, Dyl. Nothing changed, because it was meant to be, just like your pop and me. We're here to have fun, so stop worrying and go spoil your little brother."

"Yeah, get moving, brat!" Tyler added as he swatted Dylan's butt.

Rolling his eyes, Dylan giggled "Whatever!" before popping out.

"Kids!" Kyle giggled as he swiped another bite, this time from Conrad.

"PARENTS!" Colt and Conrad giggled in unison, turning to protect their treats from Kyle's attacks.

Conner and Yhyrayn relaxed on the room-sized bed, goofy grins on their faces as they both recovered. "You think our parents figured things out yet, 'Rayn?" Conner asked after sneaking a quick nose-rub.

Yhyrayn nodded. "Traditionally, I am to live in your home. Even though I will miss them, once we bonded we need to be near each other most of the time or we'll start getting sick, so I'll settle for visits when we can."

"Hey Hot Stuff, it ain't gonna be like that." Conner replied, comforting his Bonded. "Grandpa Cory will set up something, somehow, so we can visit whenever we want."

"I can't wait to meet him, you make him sound so awesome." 'Rayn stated as he squeezed himself against Conner's side.

"He's a great grandpa," Conner stated, "and I know he's gonna love you!"

The conversation was interrupted by light knocking on the door. "You guys done yet?" a young voice giggled.

"Get your skinny butt in here, Uncle Kyle!" Conner giggled.

Kyle opened the door, peeking in to be sure before coming in with Ty, Colt, and Conrad. "You guys doin' okay?" Kyle asked seriously.

Conner smiled. "Doing awesome, Uncle Kyle."

Kyle smiled. "Great! Do you guys mind if I check a few things?"

"Go ahead," 'Rayn replied, "then get up here for cuddles!"

Colt and Conrad scrambled over to join Conner and 'Rayn while Tyler and Kyle got to work. After a minute of quiet, Kyle smiled. "Okay, we just checked your inter-universal balance. You guys are safe to travel, it looks like your bond put you in sync with each other. I had Dylan catch up with Rylan; there will be a portal between each of your homes to the other one. The portal's gonna be tagged so that only a few people can use it, so let me know before you try to take anyone new through it."

"Thanks, Uncle Kyle," Conner replied. "Now get over here and cuddle before I decide to tickle you until you pee!"

Quickly reading their parent's glances at each other, Colt and Conrad scrambled to roll out of the way, making it just in time. With a scream of 'BONZAI!', Kyle and Ty launched themselves at Conner and 'Rayn, successfully executing a level ten pounce.

Conner and Colt joined the pile, and thus began the first of many inter-dimensional tickle wars.

Roaming off in another direction were Ralphie, Pat, Richie, Theo, Robbie, Billy, Ronnie, Garrett, John, Stephen, Frankie, Wade, Leo, Kenny, Sammy, Ben, JD and Jason, Gage and Jonah. More than a little distressed by all the people with four arms, Wade held John's and Stephen's hands, walking between his dad and pop to feel more secure. They hadn't gone more than ten paces when the telepathic quadruplets picked up on Wade's thoughts and silently shared with the others; "Let's create a circle around Wade, so nothing suddenly freaks him out." Grinning and nodding, Ralphie and Pat took point at the lead of the group, with Sammy and Ben beside them. To the left were Robbie and Billy, and JD and Jason. On the right were Richie and Theo, and Gage and Jonah. Bringing up the rear were Ronnie and Garrett, and Leo and Kenny.

Wade knew what had been shared and checked all around, seeing all the tallest boys were protecting him, his brother, dad and pop. In another few steps, Wade's grip on his dad and pop lightened. Appreciatively, Stephen smiled, "Thanks guys, that made a big difference."

Glancing down at his youngest, John grinned, "Think of it this way, Wade; out of our group, only six are telepaths, like you and me. The rest can hear our thoughts when we direct it to them. Everybody's a little different in some way or another."

Getting where his dad was leading, Frankie finished, "We must seem weird to all our uncles and their boyfriends, 'cos we can mind talk. Imagine how weird we must seem to the folks of this world, havin' only two arms."

"We're your cousins too, Wade," Sammy cheerfully reminded.

Having walked far enough without contact with Jason, JD wrapped an arm around Jason's shoulders, saying, "Compared to New Boston, this place is almost as kewl as Archnania."

Grimacing, Jason complained, "We weren't allowed to go for any walks around that toilet of a planet without a bunch of teenagers going with us."

Billy chimed in, "We always had a couple o' Core Rimmers with us, even for bathroom trips."

Robbie confirmed, "My bros and me are checkin' the people out, Wade."

Ralphie added, "It's a different world from home, Archnania, and thankfully New Boston too. I haven't heard an unpleasant thought from anyone around."

"It's easier to pickup and understand Archnanians though," Richie thoughtfully scowled. He looked over at Wade and grinned, "You're checkin' too, aren't ya?"

Blushing and nodding, Wade answered telepathically at first, but then remembered to include the other "regular" guys. "Even the birds and animals have extra arms... Or wings... Or paws." He shrugged and then asked, "Does it feel more like home to you guys too?"

"Very much," Ronnie answered. "Everybody's got their own little ideas; what to cook for dinner, which shop to go to next, when they'll get home to family, how and when to finish that project, stuff like that."

"Stuff that Archnanians don't seem to ever think about," John told his boy.

Rapidly nodding agreement, Wade giggled, "They's more like you, Daddy, like N-Gens; doin' one thing but thinkin' of lots of other stuff."

Wanting to hear a laundry list of what his Uncle might be thinking, Leo giggled, "What are you thinking of now, John?"

John only grinned, but Wade cackled, "Like when you and Kenny are gonna make it official." John cracked up and let go of Wade to spin around. Leo and Kenny came to an abrupt halt, causing Ronnie and Garrett to walk right into them. In mere seconds, everyone paused and turned to the now blushing pair.

Only the telepathic quadruplets and John's family were grinning; everyone else's expressions showed astonishment and surprise. Only because Ronnie happened to be closest and wearing an evil grin, Leo shoved him back a few steps.

Garrett giggled, "Even for non-telepaths, like me, it was pretty obvious." Kenny giggled and tried to shove him away, but Garrett was ready for it and held his ground, cracking up at the attempt.

Slouching and turning to all the others, Kenny whined, "How can ya tell time outta time? We know how we feel, since earlier today, or a couple o' days ago, depending on which planet we're on."

Ben sniggered, "So how do you feel; are you boyfriends or not?"

Kenny turned to check with Leo. After a barely perceivable shrug from Leo, Kenny faced the others, saying, "Leo's parents..."

Taking hold of Kenny's arm, Leo said, "I'll tell them."

"You sure?" Kenny softly confirmed.

Leo nodded then sighed and told the group, "Battle of Earth never should've happened. Just about everybody that died that day, shouldn't have died. My folks have been attached to me since then, and came with us to Archnania. They were sent back home, to Ewa Beach, 'cos seeing a place like Archnania shouldn't have happened either; its too close to perfect, like paradise. When we get back home again, they'll be there waiting for me, and waiting for the execution of their murderers."

Frowning, Frankie wondered, "You can't see 'em, so how do you know?"

"An Archnanian boy named Neje told me," Leo answered. "He's friends with my dad and pop, so they were told first, and then he told me."

Gage excitedly hollered, "Why didn't you say something?"

Leo grinned, "I did, first to my dad and pop, and then to Kenny."

Richie giggled, "So that's why we didn't see you two..."

"SHUSH!" Leo and Kenny loudly interrupted.

Sadly shaking his head, Jonah smiled, "We should've known. When Kenny's not around, Leo's with his family. When Leo's not around, Kenny's with AJ and Jerry. When it's bed time, there's Leo and Kenny, side-by-side."

"And that's the way we want it for now," Kenny firmly said. "We both need and want time with our new families. When we can be together, like now, we are."

Nodding, Leo softly admitted, "When I learned my parents were sent back home, Kenny's the one I wanted... No, I needed to tell him." Brightly beaming, Leo faced Kenny and giggled, "He thinks I'm special, but I know he's more special."

Turning scarlet, Kenny giggled, "He's the most special, and he knows how I feel."

Sammy smiled, "Dee's gonna be so surprised and wishing he were here."

Jason grinned, "So, you are boyfriends?"

"As much as we want to be now," Kenny admitted.

Leo nodded, "New families are important to us now. Sooner or later, we'll be more important to each other." Slyly glancing around all the other couples, he giggled, "Which is why we're not attached to each other, holding hands, or wrapped up together, like some people!"

Turning even redder, Kenny cackled, "Isn't it strange how we can sleep together, but never get caught wrapped up together?"

"Kenny!" Leo howled, and everyone else roared laughing.

Skyler popped in before Kenny and Leo, giggling, "Still a secret?"

"YES!" The new couple loudly insisted.

"Gotcha!" Skyler giggled, and popped out again.

Feeling more secure on this planet, the six members of Platinum Habits, plus Sean, Richie, Dee and Corbin took a leisurely stroll into the main part of the city. The natives of this world warmly smiled at the group and some even chanted, "Syhyumblye dayiy." The universal translators offered "friendly day" as the meaning. However the same greeting wasn't used between the folks of this planet when they passed by one another. When the same greeting came from two adult males and a small boy, Prez took a moment to ask, "Is there a special meaning or reason why the phrase "Syhyumblye dayiy" is used?"

The small boy began giggling, and was prompted by the taller of the two men to explain for the visitors. Through the translator, the boy's giggling reply was, "You aren't of this world. You're here for the festival, correct?" Seeing nodding heads and hearing confirmations from the group, the boy explained, "Everybody knows you must be musicians, so they want your friendship, and to hear songs, since music is friendship and the festival celebrates all friendships."

"Oh!" The surprised band members chorused.

Corbin broke into giggles, and Dee teased his dads, "You were all being unfriendly, and rude."

"You couldn't have known," the boy giggled.

Keith grinned, "There's a song that immediately comes to mind."

"Your My Best Friend?" Troy and Derrick confirmed. Sean, Richie, Dee and Corbin stood beside the small family that prompted this sidewalk preview of the festival. Snapping their fingers, the six band members backed up to the wall of the nearest building. Derrick, Mike and Prez harmonized to fill in the chords and bass part at the start of the song, and then Troy, Keith and Reyes began singing;

From across the road and all directions, more people gathered around. Snapping fingers were replaced with clapping hands to keep tempo. Keith sang;

People were coming out of shops and their homes to gather around. There were already many dozens surrounding the group. Reyes and Troy joined with Keith for the counterpoint harmony vocals.

About a hundred people and four hundred hands applauded furiously, with many repeatedly chanting, "Saylyut! Syhyumblye dayiy!"

Russ shook his head in wonder as him and Chance worked on powering up the immense set of boards that were required for concerts with both bands involved. "Chance, what do you think the possibility is of one concert on this tour going as planned?"

Chance shook his head. "I don't think the AIs can count that low! Tell me again how they managed to convince the organizer to let them play the night BEFORE the festival's music is supposed to start?"

Russ chucked. "All Dilly said was that Conner had got the okay, and some weird comment about a bonded nephew."

"Oh snap, here we go again!" Chance muttered as he began on the effects station. "I don't think your warning worked, Russ."

"Why?" Russ asked as he brought the last board out of standby and began verifying that Dylan hadn't messed with any settings during transport.

"Dilly had me research this plane before we accepted, since it is so far down the line," Chance explained as he did his own checks. "The native humans of this plane have a very interesting method of selecting a partner. Think of it like a Vulcan bond, but automatic and at a sub-mental level. the pair literally become what Jamie, Jacob, and Beau are - one person in multiple bodies. Just like the Triple Terror, they have their own personalities, yet their thoughts and experiences are shared. I'll bet that somehow at least one of the band members has 'Bonded' with someone."

"Do you think wrapping all of them in tin foil, then locking them in cages might help?" Russ suggested in exasperation.

"I doubt it, I think this stuff looks for them," Chance sniggered. "Effects are online."

"I'm good here too," Russ replied. "Tell your boyfriend we're ready for the roadies to sound check."

"Ulysses said to tell you that you asked for it!" Chance snickered, quickly covering his ears. "Ricky's first."

The reason for Chance's comment was soon quite apparent. Ricky picked up one of the few right-hand guitars that Timmy used on stage, then randomly activated a few effects pedals as he played "Mary Had A Little Lamb". What made the effects even more ... unique ... was the fact that Ricky was picking the strings as if the guitar was strung normally, not taking into account that Timmy had it reverse-strung for left-hand play.

Fortunately for everyone within hearing distance, Ricky only made it through the first stanza before Prez rescued the guitar. While Prez performed the rites to un-curse the poor instrument, Keith ran on stage and grabbed Ricky, bodily carrying the giggling and squirming munchkin towards the nearest body of liquid that looked like it might be water.

"Prez, could you please check Timmy's pedals?" Russ asked as he tried to clear his watering eyes. "Also, someone PLEASE find me something for this headache!"

Once everyone recovered, the sound check proceeded, Russ' glare ensuring that the rest of the crew did not add any more escapades to compete with Ricky. Once he was satisfied that everything was good, Russ signaled for the crew to finish their setup chores and prep for the mini-concert.

Austin stepped up to the microphone, addressing the curious onlookers. "Hey everyone! Y'all really know how to throw a party, and I hear that you ain't even started yet! A little bit ago, I found out that one of my sons has the honor of being the first citizen of Alpha Prime to bond with a citizen of the Xi Universe. One of the customs of our home is to hold a celebration when a new family is formed; since y'all were part of me gaining the expansion to my family, I want you to join me in celebrating the new union." Austin turned just long enough to motion offstage, then turned back to the microphone. "Everyone please give a warm welcome to the stars of the hour, Conner and Yhrayn Short!"

As Conner and Rayn joined Austin, Conner commented "Just wait, Dad; I've already talked to Pop about getting even."

"Meep!" Austin sounded as he searched the family coming on stage for his mate. A second 'Meep!' escaped when he spotted Nine and saw the grin on his face.

Grinning, Conner addressed the crowd. "Next time Dad'll listen when I tell him a small party!"

"We warned him!" Rayn added.

Once the laughter settled down, Conner continued. "Seriously, thanks to all of you. I learned today just how much meeting the person that you're meant to be with changes your life. In my home universe, we generally don't have things like a Bond to help with that search, so I was really surprised when Rayn and I Bonded. The very first thing I realized is that having the Bond give you the strength to deal with surprises that you couldn't handle alone. Rayn made sure I was not going to lose it before teaching me what comes with being Bonded, which was a good thing considering how different it is to what I'm used to. Since I was adopted into my family, all my uncles have tried to make me understand that I'm no different that anyone else. I didn't really believe them until today; as Rayn showed me how he saw me, I finally understood that the things I thought were flaws were actually just small parts of what makes me the me that my family loves."

Rayn leaned in and hugged Conner. "Don't let him fool you; he did the same thing for me! I learned something else, too. Even though we look different, inside we are just the same. I'm good at stuff that Conner needs assurance with, and things I'm weak at he's stronger. Even though we're from different Universes, we're still the same where it counts; in our hearts."

Conner stole a kiss, then took over. "See, he's smart AND cute, who could ask for more? We found out something else too; our Bond gives us something that my new Dad-in-law says is unusual; our skills merged so that things one of us is good at both of us can do as long as it doesn't involve muscle memory. Since both of us have been taught to sing some, it makes it better; our memories of songs we know merged, so that means we can do this..."

Back on the stage, the rest of the family took their cue. Temporarily filling Conner's spot at the concert grand, Tanner began playing, a big smile on his face. Timmy took the guitar duties, while anyone who could play an orchestra instrument was in position, watching CD as he took on the duties of conductor.

Conner and Rayn turned to face each other, joining all six of their hands. Looking into Rayn's eyes, Conner began;

"You know our love was meant to be...

The kind of love that lasts forever.

And I want you here with me...

From tonight until the end of time.

As the song, "You're The Inspiration", hit the chorus, Rayn joined in, never breaking eye contact as he harmonized the lyrics with his Bonded. They continued through the song without breaking eye contact; the love they shared visible to all. Out in the crowd, couples started dancing along with the music.

Once the song was finished, Rayn grinned. "Hey Uncles, speed it up!"

"Uncle Tanner, Uncle Deej! Get up here and help!" Conner added.

As some of the band members switched to horns, DJ and Tanner joined them, DJ commenting "Let's see if you can dance like you sing!"

With Jamie and Jacob handling rhythm guitar behind Timmy and Mike, and Pauly joining Joey with the drums, the boys picked up the pace with "Alive Again". This time, Rayn took lead vocals, with the other three harmonizing. Keith came in and took piano duties, while Prez stepped in to play the fretless bass since CD was busy conducting.

Fife joined them at the end of the song, taking over lead vocals for "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", with the four boys providing harmony while they danced alongside him. For the next song, "Silly Love Songs", Derrick took over drums, while KC and Fife shared the lead. As the song finished, KC announced "Make some noise if ya' wanna see the newlyweds dance!"

With both KC and Fife egging on the crowd, Conner and Rayn finally gave in. DJ and Tanner joined KC and Fife on vocals, then the band launched into "As Long As You Love Me". Conner and Rayn slow-danced at the front of the stage, all six arms interlocked as they danced chest-to-chest.

"Last song!" Fife announced before the bands kicked up the tempo slightly, finishing the set with "Let Your Love Flow". The newlyweds didn't separate by much, with only about a six inch gap appearing between them as they continued to hold each other while dancing.

Later that evening:

Rayn and Conner finally got a chance to relax post-party, whether they wanted to or not. Tanner had taken the lead in ensuring that his favorite nephew did not overdo it, and with the help of DJ, KC, and Fred he'd arranged for the newlyweds to escape. All three couples were now sitting against some trees as they watched the sun set over a distant mountain.

"Ohh, that's pretty!" Timmy exclaimed as he walked up with Ricky and Wyryn. "Cuddle time?"

DJ grinned, not surprised in the least that Timmy found them. "Yep, cuddle time, lil bro. Get your skinny butt over here."

KC sniggered. "Ricky, you're over here. We gotta talk about when to use effects, rugrat!"

Conner noticed that Wyryn seemed lost, and asked "Let me see if I heard right earlier. You're Wyryn, right?"

"Uhh huh. You sang pretty!" Wyryn stated shyly.

"Come on over here," Rayn said softly, "it looks like each of you gets double cuddles."

Wyryn pointed at Tanner. "But he said not to bug you."

"It's only bugging if we don't want you here," Conner giggled. "Rayn and I want you to join us, so it's okay."

"Go ahead, dude," Tanner said as he worked on getting Timmy's shoes off so that he could give Timmy a foot massage. "Timmy and Ricky knew it was okay or they wouldn't have brought ya'."

"Told ya'!" Ricky giggled from his upside-down position hanging from KC's shoulder. "FRED! That tickles!" he added as Fred began poking at his ribs.

"Good!" Fred cackled. "Next time you'll warn us!"

Deciding that since his new friends were having fun it must be okay, Wyryn moved to stand in front of where Conner and Rayn were sitting. Before he had a chance to change his mind, the couple reached out with their three free arms and guided him down to sit on their laps.

As Wyryn noticed the three arms wrapping around his little chest, he felt something that he'd been missing for most of his life; the comfort of being held. With a purr of contentment, Wyryn crossed his own arms over theirs and settled back to enjoy the cuddle.

After some searching, Russ finally found the last of his wayward group before he hit the bed himself. Still by the trees, DJ had Tanner spooned against his back, with Timmy nestled against his chest with both of the older boy's free arms holding him protectively. A few feet away, KC was laying on his back with Fred cuddled under one arm and Ricky under the other. Just one look at the contented smiles on the sleeping boys' faces was enough to convince Russ that disturbing them was out of the question. His eyes grew wide when he finally spotted the last sleeping pile in the shadows; after walking closer to verify what he thought he saw, Russ shook his head with a grin. Conner and Rayn were facing each other, the three top arms over each other's back. Intertwined with Rayn's two arms on Conner's back was another set of much smaller arms; smaller arms which even while sleeping seemed to be latched on to ensure their target could not escape.

"Teri's going to kill me..." Russ muttered as he turned to head back, mentally tapping Dilly's virtual shoulder in his head to get security for the nine boys arranged for the night.

Iyouyutyh Syervykyes Koumplyex, Kyhaytyhaym:

Jaysiyn and Austin proudly escorted their respective sons, along with the boy who was seemingly becoming their instant grandson, to begin the official process of adoption. Nine had decided to stay back, stating it would be of more use for him to learn about the differences in the nutritional needs of Rayn and Wyr from Rayn's mom, Kkaylyen.

"Thanks for coming along to help, Jaysiyn," Austin said as they walked up the sidewalk to the local Child Services branch. "I'm not really sure if I'd figure out what all they'd want to make this work for the guys."

"From what Russ has told me, government offices are universal," Jaysiyn replied. "Unless someone takes the initiative, people sneak in with no want to do anything more than the minimum. In general, we have processes in place to fix that, but it takes someone noticing to get it fixed."

"That's better than some places we've been," Austin stated with a grimace. "The last one was really bad; they made the laws, then pretty much ignored them."

Jaysiyn shook his head. "That's really sad; youth are the continuation of a society, and if they never get positive guidance, the society will slowly fail."

"I agree," Austin nodded. "I just hope they learn before it is too late."

Conner, Rayn, and Wyr followed along quietly behind the parents, all three listening to the conversation as they quietly pondered the chances of this going easy. Conner and Rayn were holding hands as they walked, while Wyr was perched on Conner's back, one set of arms draped over Conner's shoulders while the other was wrapped around Conner's chest.

Once they entered the large lobby, they were immediately greeted by a middle-aged receptionist, who by the tone of her voice was clearly bored. "May I assist you?"

"We are here to begin the process for..." Jaysiyn began, only to be interrupted.

"Form 17IY46, fill it out and drop off, the next review is in 23 dayiys." she stated as she pulled a form out of a bin without looking and placed it on the counter.

Picking up the fact that Jaysiyn was about to lose his temper over the treatment, Austin held up his hand. "Miss, I'm sorry, but this is a unique situation which will require the assistance of a senior manager to research the proper protocol."

The receptionist's eyes seemed to light up, and she finally actually looked at who she was addressing. Seeing the fact that Austin and Conner were obviously not natives, she stated "Of course, Sir. I know just the person to assist you." With that, all four of her hands flew over a hidden console, resulting in a man appearing next to them a few seconds later.

"Hello, I'm Kkyeayn. How may I assist, Gentlemen?" the man stated as he gave Jaysiyn and Austin a bow.

"We need to discuss an inter-dimensional adoption by my son and his Bonded." Austin replied, already aware that, since Conner was primary, he was required to start the proceedings.

Nodding, Kkyeayn turned to the receptionist. "Conference room three, please?"

"Yes, Sir," the receptionist replied as her hands flew again. Seconds later, the group found themselves in a large conference room, with couches and end tables spread in a circle around a ball-shaped display on the floor.

As the rest of his group found seats, Austin got Kkyeayn's attention. "Before we start, could I please make an observation?" he asked carefully.

Kkyeayn nodded. "Proceed, Sir."

Austin took a deep breath. "I'm Austin Short, Father of Conner; he's the one who has the munchkin latched onto him for dear life. First, you need to know that while my body is organic, my brain and nervous system are technological. While it is not a normal trait of my species, due to trauma I suffered a short time back I developed the capability to capture thoughts. It is protocol when not at home for any of us with that ability to scan the surface thoughts of anyone we encounter; that way we can protect our younger brothers. I would recommend that you consider finding a position in your staff where you could place the lady at the reception desk; she seems to need a position which gives her challenges that are different each time."

Kkyeayn smiled. "Thank you, Austin. While there have been comments about her performance, nobody has offered a reason that makes sense. The previous comments have affected her promotions, but your insight will be taken seriously and I will personally ensure she gets what she needs to succeed. Thank you for the insight." With that, he went over to the ball, which lit up and displayed an interface in the native language. With a few taps, the entire globe went dark except for the section directly in front of Kkyeayn. After a few minutes, he turned to Austin. "I have passed your observations on to the Resources Team, and after reviewing her profile they are recommending immediate action. Your use of your skill to assist another is greatly appreciated."

Austin smiled. "You have no idea of how much it means to see your response. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with the way things work here now."

Kkyeayn nodded. "Thank you. While an inter-dimensional adoption is not specifically noted in procedures, I believe the inter-planetary guideline will apply without any issues. Due to the issues with crossing dimensions, I believe the expedited review process is called for?"

Austin nodded. "That would be appreciated. While Time isn't an issue for me and my family, knowing my brothers the longer we're here, the busier you'll become. Grandma Teri'll have a heart attack if we come back with twenty new kids again."

"Again?" Jaysiyn and Kkyeayn exclaimed in shock as Conner and Rayn giggled.

"Yeah, sometimes we kinda find kids who need families in batches!" Austin giggled. "It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!"

"I'm impressed," Kkyeayn commented. "Not many would take on such a task."

Austin smiled. "It is unusual pretty much everywhere and everywhen, but we're slowly working to change that."

"If you ever need my assistance, please let me know," Kkyeayn commented. "I believe our system could help with placements. I have been evaluating the family as we talk, measuring the emotional indices of everyone present. With your permission, we can move on to the next phase, which will require our systems to log identifications and refer to local records."

Austin nodded. "Please proceed."

Kkyeayn had Austin go first, laying his hand on the top of the ball. Once the ball flashed, the procedure was repeated for the rest of the group. Kkyeayn then asked Austin "May I address your son?"

"You may," Austin replied.

Kkyeayn took a seat next to Conner. "Conner, while you are not of our culture, your Bond has given you access to the knowledge of what being a Primary Partner means. Are you comfortable with being the voice of your family in legal matters, expressing the opinions of your Bonded as if they were your own?"

Conner shook his head. "Not really; it makes him less that me, not an equal. Why can't he speak for himself?"

"Good question, and thank you for being honest," Kkyeayn replied. "As your Bond is recent, it is still developing the full potential. As you age, you both will grow closer in your ability to communicate, yet your individuality will blossom from your shared experiences. As this trait developed in our ancestors, it was found that the mental structure that forms the Bond also forms a filter of sorts which allows each of you to express the intended response of the other. As that filter is historically better developed in the senior member of the family, it was found to be most accurate to have that member speak for all on matters which affect everyone legally. Just to show you, is Yhyrayn comfortable with you being the voice of the family in all legal matters?"

"Yes," Conner replied almost instantly, before turning to look at Rayn with wide eyes.

Rayn smiled, "You got it right, Con; before I Bonded with you the only one I would say 'Yes' to is Dad; but now that we've Bonded only you have that ability."

Conner smiled back, then rubbed noses with Rayn before turning back to Kkyeayn. "I still don't like it, but I'll do it only because I know it works."

"I am glad you are expressing your reservations," Kkyeayn stated. "It takes a lot of maturity to stand up for your beliefs, and is a sign of a strong Primary in a family. Austin followed our customs by representing the group in the initial evaluation; as your family is the subject, your status as Primary was extended to him as well, which made him senior in the room. Even then, now that you have Bonded, he can not speak for you; he can only state what he and his partner will allow in his own family. While that is taken into consideration, the word of a parent is not absolute once their child has Bonded. Does that make sense?"

Conner thought it over, then replied "So you're saying that the ability to Bond is what makes you an adult, not your age?"

"Close;" Kkyeayn admitted. "The Bond which you and Yhyrayn share is only possible once the brain has reached a certain maturity level. The logic and cognitive centers have to have stabilized before the ability manifests, then the pair must emotionally attract to each other before it is triggered in the junior partner. There are millions of things which will make the Bond fail to connect, including hormone levels that indicate an incompatible age gap. Once formed, however, it is rare that a Bond breaks; it usually is the result of one partner performing an action which is against the moral fibre of their Bonded."

After pausing to see if Conner was getting it, Kkyeayn continued. "There is one other type of Bond, however; one which Yhyrayn referred to, the Family Bond. We'll be getting to that test soon, but first I think you need to understand it. I am unsure as to how strong your part of it will be, but a child has a natural Bond to their parents that only breaks upon the loss of the parent. In the absence of one of their parents, they gain the ability to refocus their Bond on someone who Bonds with the remaining parent. In the absence of both, they attach to a caregiver until such time as they find a compatible family or Bond with a partner."

"What about someone going to jail?" Austin interrupted, Conner nodding his agreement.

"Good catch; that can be an issue." Kkyeayn admitted. "This process has had an effect on our legal system, as incarceration for serious crimes that would incarcerate someone for life can lead to a child or partner who is Bonded to a person they can not have contact with. As this poses health issues both physically and mentally, the person involved tends to request termination if they are guilty of the crime. Failure to request termination results in a review of the investigation; over ninety percent of the convictions are overturned with the actual offender caught using this logic."

"And the other ten percent?" Conner queried.

You could see the pity in Kkyeayn's eyes as he responded "If they still do not request termination, they are reviewed for the crime or crimes they have committed over their lifetime. Also, their Bonded are questioned regarding their guilt, with someone adept at detecting emotional state present, in cases where nobody was harmed physically or mentally. Upon conclusion of the review, one of three things can happen. First is that it is decided that the evidence is not absolute enough to warrant the other options, so the person is released. Otherwise, in the cases of property-only crimes, a drug is administered which will break any Bonds that the person has; the side effect is that person loses the ability to Bond permanently. In the rest of the cases, the choice between the drug and termination is based on the severity of the crime; in most of those cases termination is decided."

"How long does the whole process take?" Conner asked, thinking of Rayn's comment about staying together so they didn't get sick.

"Up to a Iyyeayr," Kkyeayn replied. "During that time, measures are taken to ensure none of the Bonded suffer from lack of contact."

Sensing Rayn's discomfort on the topic, Jaysiyn broke his silence, asking "Is there a reason for this detail?"

Despite the break in protocol, Kkyeayn nodded as he replied "When one is a victim of a crime by his Bonded, it leaves a scar. When a child is the victim and both of his parents are the criminals, it can cause unexpected consequences to his or her ability to fully Bond with another."

"That makes sense," Conner stated, "there are lots of kids back home that don't trust adults, but look up to kids only a little bit older than them as parents. It sounds like pretty much the same thing, just on a deeper level." Conner paused to rub noses with Rayn, then added "Rayn agrees; if it takes being a kid to help another kid have a good life, then not doing it is stupid."

Kkyeayn nodded. "That's a valid point, and not one that has been explored fully. I see my new assistant already has a project on her plate. Give me a moment to check on the results of the scans that were performed, then we'll be ready to determine the status of your request." With that, he stood and went over to the ball, seemingly entering responses as images and text scrolled over the face. Five minutes later, he smiled and turned around. "This went easier than expected; it seems one of your family was able to assist with interfacing our systems into one of your local systems for some of our standard checks. All that is left is testing for a Family Bond; your background and compatibility tests are all good to go. For this next part, you will need to be absolutely quiet and follow my instructions exactly. What will happen is I am going to give you a pair of goggles to put on Wyryn that will block his sight. I will then have all four of you go to random different parts of the room, and instruct Wyryn to locate you. If he is Bonded, he will find the person I indicate and safely make his way over to you."

Sensing Conner's doubt, Rayn added "It really does work like that; I can find Dad in a dark basement in the middle of the night!"

"Okay," Conner nodded, "as long as he's safe."

As Wyryn finally detached himself from Conner and moved to stand in front of him, Kkyeayn retrieved the goggles from a drawer in one of the tables. He watched as Conner placed the goggles on Wyryn, making sure they were fitted properly, then he began the test. "While Wyryn stands still, all four of you walk in circles around the ball in the middle of the room, passing each other as much as possible. this needs to be random, so adjust your pace multiple times to fast and slow. Remember, no talking until I say so. Responding after you're found is allowed, but only the one found can speak."

Wordlessly, all four complied. After he was sure there was no way they could be identified, Kkyeayn stated "Stop, and go to the nearest seat. If you would be sharing a seat, pick one nearby. Do not sit near Wyryn." Once everyone was seated, he asked Wyryn "Okay, can you find your Secondary?"

Wyryn nodded, and with a grin he walked assuredly around the ball and straight to Rayn. "Gotcha, Poppa!" he giggled as he climbed into Rayn's lap and rubbed noses.

"Good job, Wyr!" Rayn giggled in reply. "You ready for the next try?"

"Uh huh! This is fun!"

The process was repeated, with Wyr having no problem finding either of his prospective grandparents. For the final test, however, a twist was added; a spot on the far wall was opened up and the four targets were motioned to go mix themselves in the crowd occupying the dining area on the other side. Once he was unable to locate any of them, Kkyeayn told Wyryn "Find your Primary, then tell him to follow you to find his Bonded."

Kkyeayn followed just far enough behind Wyryn to ensure he didn't cheat, judging just how well the young boy could find his Primary in a crowd. Having already determined by observation that somehow Wyryn had already formed parental Bonds with Conner, this particular test was more of the child's abilities to navigate than of his ability to Bond. As this test was not unusual, the other employees paid no attention to the procedure, neither helping or intentionally hindering Wyryn. Conner was found with only a pair of accidental bumps along the way; after a quick cuddle and nose rub Wyryn took the lead with Conner following to locate Rayn. Once that task was completed, Wyryn decided to play Captain, climbing onto his favorite spot on Conner's back and verbally guiding him to find the grandparents.

Once everyone was back together, they went inside and closed the wall. "I'm impressed," Kkyeayn stated with a smile, "that last test is usually the hardest to pass for anyone; finding all four was extremely well done! I'll admit that the Bond was verified after the third test; I added that last one to answer my own curiosity as to the extent of the Bond's formation, as well as to ensure there would be no questions later. Congratulations, your petition to adopt has been approved."

The three adults were fairly sure they heard a 'Thank You' from somewhere in the triple-hug that suddenly formed in celebration. Just to be sure, Austin stated "Thank you from our families, Kkyeayn."

A few minutes later, they arrived back in the lobby, finding a young man now sitting at the reception desk. Before they had a chance to leave, the young man got their attention. "Is one of you Conner Short?"

Still smiling because of the recent success, Conner raised his hand. "That's me!"

"I have a packet for you," the receptionist replied. "The Department of Naturalization left it here for me to give to you before you leave."

Conner went over and retrieved the packet, carefully opening it with Rayn's help. Inside, he found a certificate and short letter, the letter stating the same thing in the local language as well as the translation into Alpha Prime English.

To Be Continued