"Thanks for the lift, Kyle," Evan smiled. "You are planning to hang around, right little brother?"
"You won't give me a choice!" Kyle grinned.
"Good, I might need your leech powers to explain a few things," Evan stated.
"I'm gonna get Danny for giving me that nickname!" Kyle play-pouted.
"Yeah, and he'll get you right back," Evan laughed. "Okay, Filipe; the first thing that you, Gil, Dio, and Sal need to be aware of is that there are seven of us in the house on the Autistic scale. Me and Cleiton are the most functional, Amanda's son Oscar is next behind us, then her son Julian. After that, the next group has issues with people, especially new ones or large groups. Our little brothers Haden and Barrett have their good days and their bad days; it is pretty easy to spot when they just need to be left alone with each other. The last, and most sensitive, is Amanda's newest son, Jasper; nobody's done more than feeding him drugs, so right now it doesn't take much to trigger him. Amanda and my husband Jimmy are his safeties; mainly Amanda. Please, just treat them like anyone else, but also be aware that they're going to respond differently from what you expect."
"We understand," Gil stated sadly, "We used to have a little brother like that. Our father got drunk and knocked him off the boat we were on; they never found him."
"Klaus, fire up the bay; Kerry, get your digital butt down there," Kyle growled as his eyes started to glow. "I'll be right back!" he stated before vanishing.
"I think we just discovered why he was never found," Evan stated seriously. "Gil, you might have just saved your brother's life; I can't promise it, but if it doesn't mess up Time, then Kyle might just bring him back."
Jimmy nodded. "Cory's son Timmy said something that has become the Clan motto; sometimes bad things gotta happen for good things to happen. Him being knocked overboard might have made it so he could be saved instead of being killed another way where there was no saving him."
"Okay," Gil sniffled. "That kinda makes sense; Father hated him."
"Did your old Father act different after that happened?" Hac asked.
"Yeah, he wouldn't leave the house; he even quit work," Gil replied.
"I think our favorite leech scared the crap out of him, that way the two of you would end up here," Hac mused. "That type of personality means that the two of you were in danger as well; if Kyle put the fear of God into him if anything happened to the two of you, that would explain a few things."
"Could that be why he acted scared every time he saw one of us?" Dio asked. "It happened last year, that's when he stopped hitting us all the time."
"Yep, that sounds like Kyle's doing," Evan quipped. "There's something in Time that he calls a Fixed Point; certain people have to be in certain places or it breaks an event that has to happen. Most of the time, he can't tell us what it is, because that could break it too, but he's explained it enough times that I get the feeling that this is one of those times."
The room fell silent as Kyle re-appeared, a slight seven-year-old Brazilian boy latched onto him. "C'mon Manny; your brothers are over here," Kyle said softly as he guided the boy, obviously Manny, over to the couch his brothers were on. Once they were within arms reach, Manny quickly let go and scrambled to sit between the twins, latching onto their nearest arms.
Kyle turned to Evan, stating "Stage one due to physical abuse; all needed procedures have been completed. He is placed with Filipe by order of the Mikyvis Council. His full legal name shall be Manuel Rui Monteiro de Borges. His safety is his twin brothers."
Turning to Filipe, Kyle added, "Filipe, he needs to sleep with the twins; he's got a real fear of being alone. There's a good chance that now that you'll be in his life every day, he'll bond to you as well. Sal, he already thinks of you as an extension of the twins, so don't be surprised if he sneaks into your bed with you or chooses you to cuddle with. Since there's a lot of people new to him here, he asked me to fill you all in."
"Kyle?" Filipe asked, "You can relax, little guy. You just turned a bad thing into a good thing. We were discussing what you might have been doing, and the twins said that they stopped being hit after the boat incident; I'm pretty sure that was all you. If so, that makes two bad things that you made good things."
"You're an adult, you're not supposed to be right like that!" Kyle stated with a small smile.
"You're a kid; you're supposed to be getting cuddles from me," Filipe responded.
"Okay," Kyle stated as he came over and took over Filipe's lap. "Cuddle Testing Mode engaged!"
Once he was comfortable, Kyle continued. "Just so everyone knows, I'm hanging out in Manny's head to help him understand the weird stuff. Also, when he's touching at least one of the twins, he jumps on their twinlink, so if either of them tells you that Manny said something, they're just relaying it for him, even if he's touching the other one somewhere else in the house."
"Thanks little guy," Filipe stated, "Now where's that switch to turn kid mode back on?" With that, Filipe started poking and prodding until he figured out Kyle's ticklish spots, then went on the attack until he had a laughing, squirming kid doing his best to try to avoid the tickle attack.
Giggling at Kyle's predicament, Gil announced "Sal, Manny says he's ready for you to take your normal seat; Kyle's answered enough of his questions to get his control back."
"Sweet!" Sal replied as he looked around for a spare cushion.
Cleiton asked "What do you need, Sal?"
"A cushion for the floor," Sal replied.
Cleiton smiled. "Just ask Kerry out loud to get you one. He has one of his VI cores always monitoring to make sure all of us are safe, when he hears his name, he'll hop in and get you what you need."
"Wow!" Sal exclaimed. "Kerry, can I please have a thick cushion to sit on? Manny likes me to sit on the floor in front of him so he can put his legs on my shoulders."
"Will this work?" Kerry asked as a thick cushion with armrests attached appeared in front of the couch.
"Yes! That's awesome!" Sal replied, "Thanks!"
"I'll spread a bunch of those around the house," Kerry stated. "If I miss a spot that you need one at, just let me know!"
"Okay, thank you!" Sal stated as he slid the 'chair' into the perfect position, then took a seat. Within seconds, Manny shifted around to put his legs over Sal's shoulders, a small smile appearing on his face as contact with all three of his brothers was achieved.
"Gil, Sal, Dio, Manny?" Kerry asked, "I just used one of my cameras to get a picture of your first family cuddle as brothers. I'm saving it so that all of you have a copy; do you want me to give your Dad a copy? I can also make one to hang on the wall in the house family room if that is okay with you."
For the first time since his arrival, Manny spoke up. "Go ahead, Uncle Kerry; I want everyone to know who my special brothers are."
"Your wish is my command, Sir!" Kerry replied in a very bad British accent, earning him giggles from all four boys. "Guys, is it okay if Amanda brings Jasper up to meet you? Manny, he's a lot like you, so he's probably going to be really scared."
"Manny says that he's going to help us know what to do," Sal stated, earning him amazed looks from the rest of the room. "What?" he asked innocently, Kyle-provided halos appearing above all four boy's heads.
"So that's why you guys are so close!" Filipe chuckled. "I think we can officially upgrade you guys to having a quad-link; you four don't need to hide things like that anymore, I'll accept them as part of who you are."
"Thanks, Dad!" all four stated in unison.
Having been warned over his subvocal by Kerry that they were arriving, Jimmy had moved to the door to the room to let Amanda and Jasper in as soon as she knocked. As he opened the door, he stated "Come on in! Jasper, you'll see four new boys cuddled together; the littlest one is just like you, and the other three are his safety. They're all special brothers, and they all understand how you're feeling right now. Would you like to try sitting with them, that way you can watch your Mommy learning about the new family without you being too close to a new adult?"
"Carry me, Uncle Jimmy?" Jasper asked softly.
"Of course," Jimmy smiled as he picked Jasper up. "Amanda, Evan's going to fill you in, I'll be with the boys answering any questions they have."
"Thanks, Jimmy," Amanda smiled. "Have fun making some new safe friends, Jasper."
"Okay, Mommy," Jasper smiled as Jimmy carried him over to the couch.
Once they'd arrived at the couch, Jimmy stopping far enough away to not violate anyone's safe zones, Jimmy did introductions. "Guys, this is Jasper. Jasper, the boy sitting on the floor is Sal, the boy on the left is Gil, the boy on the right is Dio, and the younger boy in the middle is Manny. Manny's just like you, and all three of his brothers are his safety. These guys can talk to each other in their heads like I do with you sometimes; I can't promise that it will work between them and you, but if it does, that's how they help Manny not be as scared."
Jasper took a minute to process what Jimmy was saying, then he asked "Manny? Is it okay if I try sitting next to Dio?"
Many nodded. "Go ahead."
Dio smiled at Jasper. "Let me know when you feel safe enough for me to put my arm on your shoulder; we can try the head talking thing once I can touch you, since that is how it works with Manny."
"Uncle Jimmy?" Jasper asked, "Could you do the fire thingie again? I wanna watch it."
Fully realizing that Jasper wanted a distraction to keep from panic, Jimmy replied "Sure thing; just remember to move to where you want to sit while you're watching, okay?"
Jasper nodded as he wiggled out of Jimmy's arms and moved towards the couch. Deciding to put on a show once Jasper was at a safe distance, Jimmy formed two fireballs above his hands, then began juggling them as all five boys watched in wonder. Without taking his eyes off of the show, Jasper slowly backed up until he could feel the couch on the back of his legs, then carefully sat down. He felt around until he found Dio's hand, then touched it to get a 'feel' for this new person. After about fifteen seconds, Jasper lifted Dio's arm and scooted under it, gluing himself into Dio's side.
After the first five minutes, Jimmy was aware that the display was no longer needed, but he was having fun, so he decided to try some new tricks that he'd been working on. He turned the balls into little dragons, then proceeded to play out an airborne 'Dragon Fight'. Once one of them 'won', he ended the show, bowing to the five smiling boys that he'd performed for.
"Thanks Uncle Jimmy, that was awesome!" all five boys stated in unison, which resulted in shared glances at each other and a lot of giggles.
"You're welcome, guys!" Jimmy replied. "If the five of you need to have a little time with just you, Manny can ask Kyle to put you in a bubble, that way you don't have to leave the room."
"Okay," Dio replied. "We might do that, that way we can talk about stuff without adults hearing."
"I understand, and they do to, even if they don't know it yet," Jimmy grinned. "Have fun!"
"Okay guys, you're safe now," Kyle stated to the five boys. "If you need me, just ask; I'll hear you. Nobody else can come in here, and nobody can see what you are doing, so you can do what you really need to."
"Thanks, Uncle Kyle," Jasper replied.
Once Kyle was gone from the bubble, Gil hesitantly spoke up. "Jasper? Something that the four of us used to do back in our old home was to cuddle naked when we were feeling really stressed. It made all of us feel a lot better. We really need to do that right now, is that okay with you?"
Jasper thought it over for a minute. "Can I try it with you guys? I've never done that before, but my head's telling me it might help."
"Sure," Gil said, relieved that he didn't just screw things up. "We usually undress each other, but if you are not ready for that you can just undress yourself."
"We'll do it right," Jasper replied. "I want it to be just like you normally do it."
Boys being boys, there was quite a bit of innocent checking out and comparison of where each of them was at in the growth cycle. As they completed their inspections, most of them began negotiating who would be where in the cuddle pile. The two exceptions were Jasper and Dio, as Jasper had stopped him to trace his finger along a long scar on his chest.
"What happened?" Jasper asked carefully.
"Our old father busted some of my ribs a couple of years ago; a couple of them punctured my lung, and the emergency room had to cut me open to fix it."
Jasper leaned down and kissed the scar, then stated "You will never be hurt like that again. From now until forever, you will be with me when we cuddle."
Dio took one look at Jasper's eyes and realized it wasn't an offer, but a statement of fact. Deep in the back of his mind, he had a suspicion that Jasper might have suffered more than him in the past; a suffering that hardened him to the point that if anyone touched someone he was close to, they wouldn't get a second chance. "We gotta talk," Dio told Jasper. "I'm not going to let you hold your hurt inside, and considering what you just said, we'll have plenty of time to do it."
"Never trust doctors you don't know," Jasper stated firmly. "Manny? Could you ask Kyle if he knows any good doctors that can make sure Dio's fixed right?"
"I was worried too," Manny admitted. "He said he'll be right in with the two best Docs in the Clan - one of them's an adult, tho. He said don't worry, the adult's safe."
"Trust Kyle," Dio stated softly. "He saved the lives of all four of us."
"Okay, I'll add him to the list." Jasper agreed.
Kyle popped in first, announcing "Here they come" before being joined by Antonio and Bones.
Bones looked around, his gaze landing on Dio's chest. "Holy Mother of God!" he exclaimed. "What backwoods hack with a dull chisel worked on that boy? I've seen straighter lines from a drunk monkey driving a plow blindfolded!"
"What in the HELL!" Antonio added as he did the initial scan. "That damn monkey was snorting coke when he got inside! That sunuvabitch wasn't qualified to kiss a scratch, I'd damn sure eat Sean's cooking before I'd let that asshole-sniffing waste of a condom pinhole anywhere near a band-aid!"
"Once the Doctors finish teaching you words that ain't in the language dump, I'll introduce them!" Kyle giggled, earning him two death glares from said doctors.
"Smartass!" Antonio muttered. "Guys, I'm Doctor Antonio Barnes; I'm the head doctor for Family Clan Short. This is Doc Bones McCoy, retired Chief Surgeon on the Enterprise, and now Medical Director over all Federation Youth Services and Family Clan Short medical departments. You already know the leech who is going to be soaked the second I catch him outside the bubble."
"Kyle gave us all of your names," Bones stated. "Jasper? Kyle said that you were the one that was worried. Good catch, that repair will cause problems as he grows. Talk to Antonio if you want to learn medicine - I just cleared you for whatever you wish to specialize in."
"Why?" Jasper asked defensively.
"Because if you could spot that with no training, you probably have a natural talent." Bones explained. "You could very well be like Haden and Barrett; when it comes to electronics, they can make Scotty's eyes glaze over."
"What's in it for you?" Jasper stated.
"I get to sleep at night knowing that Antonio and his brother Chris have someone else that can operate at or above their level to help them," Bones replied. "I understand where you're coming from; I reached the point I did in Starfleet because I despise hacks that call themselves Doctors. I'm guessing that you ran into more than a few of them yourself."
Jasper nodded. "Doc Antonio, Kyle gave me the information to explain how you are a doctor. From this point forward, only you two and Doctor Chris Barnes are allowed inside Dio and his brother's bodies. If you can not be present, they are not to be considered healed until you have personally verified their health."
"Cory just backed him," Kyle stated. "it's one of Cory's gut feelings, so don't argue!"
"Kyle, hop in my head," Antonio ordered. "I'm not gonna let anyone put Dio through what's needed to fix these fuck-ups; Mikyvis Magic time."
"Okay," Kyle replied seriously as he linked up with Antonio.
Bones nodded. "Antonio and Kyle are making use of Kyle's skills manipulating Time," he explained."The way Kyle explains it is that he backs up each injury to before it happened, then brings it back to the present after skipping over it happening. Him and Antonio go through them one at a time; the only thing that might need help is building muscle strength back up. Since most of the world couldn't comprehend it, this option is saved for serious emergencies or times like now where the repair would cause more injury than the original injury."
"Is he going to heal the scar?" Jasper asked.
"I don't know," Bones admitted.
"He needs to," Jasper stated. "It is a bad reminder of his old life."
Catching the thumbs-up from Antonio, Bones replied "Antonio heard your reasoning, and just signaled that it would be handled. Next time that your head messes with you and tries to make you panic, remind yourself that you were strong enough to save Dio from a lot of pain, and even possibly saved his life in the future."
At that point, Jasper realized that McCoy knew more than he was saying about him, yet was still treating him like anyone else. In that split second, the shackles of being told all his life that he was never going to be able to even live alone were torn from his mind. For the first time ever, Jasper now felt self-worth.
"Thanks, Doc; that helps a lot," Jasper smiled.
"You're welcome," Bones smiled. "A little advice from an old man that's seen a lot; at your ages, neither you nor Dio have the words for what I can see by your body language that you're both feeling. You're both under Doctor's Orders to give each other an intimate hug and share in your first kiss for each of you. After that, follow your hearts, not your heads; trust Manny to do what he is best at, protecting the spirits of his brothers."
If anyone else at that moment had said anything like that, both Jasper and Dio would have responded very badly. The difference was that Bones had earned a spot on the lists that both of them had of adults they trusted ... lists that, even combined, counted in single digits. Seemingly in slow motion, the pair turned to face each other, hesitantly extending their hands. They shyly interlocked fingers, just staring into each other's eyes for a full minute before beginning to creep closer. As their bodies finally made contact, they released the hold on each other's hands and pulled each other together as close as physically possible, squeezing all of the air from between their bodies. After another two minutes, their hands shifted as they guided their lips together. The first contact lasted only a few seconds, then after a few moments of looking into each other's eyes for assurance, they repeated the kiss, this time holding it as they slowly started exploring the use of their tongues.
As he saw the kissing pair relaxing enough to start exploring the back of their partner's body, Manny turned to Gil and Sal. "Your turn," he stated simply.
When both of them gave Manny shocked looks, Manny just pointed at his head, then said "Stop hiding."
"We really missed you, bro," Gil smiled before turning to Sal. "We're busted!"
Sal's response was to pull Gil in and lay a lip-lock on him that proved there'd been plenty of private practice. In no time, they had caught up with the other pair, all four completely obvious to the audience witnessing their first public display of their feelings.
Kyle caught Manny's eye, then pointed at a spot next to him with a smile. Seconds later, Xavier appeared, whispering "Thanks for warning me, Dad," before turning to Manny. "Dad and Pop said that you and me need to touch minds, and that we might be able to work together," Xavier explained.
"You gotta be dressed right first," Manny replied. "No touching wearing clothes."
Xavier blushed at least fifteen different colors as he complied with the request, earning him a smile from Manny. The next thing he knew, Manny had him in a hug just like his older brothers, and was guiding the young Mikyvis into experiencing his first kiss.
"Manny's not totally autistic," Kyle explained to Antonio and Bones, "At least not in the normal meaning of the definition. He has the same genetic fault that his brothers do, but it is mixed with strong Empath and Founder genes - he has the touch empath ability, plus his Founder rooms are activated, just in a slightly different way; he's always seeing a short time into the future while being in real time."
"When I picked him up after he went under the water, his first words to me were 'Took you long enough, I thought you forgot!'. If this goes the way I think it will, we're going to have a whole group of shocked parents, because my gut feeling is that Xavier has a room in this house for a reason, and that reason is currently checking to see if Mikyvis have tonsils.
"Do they?" Bones asked with a grin.
"Sometimes, when they want to; I've got weird kids!" Kyle giggled.
After a few more minutes, all three couples had settled into cuddles with their partner. Kyle smiled as he said, "Guys? If you can listen for a couple of minutes, we'll leave you alone to cuddle."
All six boys gave their partner a squeeze, then turned to face Kyle.
"Okay, first thing is the most important; Xav? No new kids on your first cuddle, got it?"
"You're no fun, Dad!" Xavier grinned, the rest of the boys giggling at the thought.
Noticing that the serious warning that was phrased as a joke relaxed all of them, Kyle continued. "Seriously, guys, you're probably going to be experiencing a lot of weird for the next day or two. First thing is that Daddy Spock is probably going to be over after I break the bubble, which will be after your cuddle's done. That's because the six of you are part of something big, something I can only talk about now, since you are finally all together. Xav will be able to answer some of your questions, as he was involved in the first stage of what I'm talking about. Just after the battle, I was told by a Power that only a few Clan members have met that three groups were coming, each brought together by Love. The first two formed around Julio's little brothers, Johnny and Eddie. Manny assembled the last group, which is all six of you."
"I don't know the details of why you were all brought together, just that all three groups working together are supposed to do a bunch of good stuff," Kyle explained. "You're different from the other groups; Johnny married all three of the members of his, while Eddie married the two others in his group. They didn't have a wedding; as soon as they got together, their souls married each other. Thats what Daddy Spock is checking for; if you guys did the same thing, he'll verify it and notify Vulcan, which makes it legal. The other thing that happened is they are no longer affected by Time; that means they don't age. Xav already does that, but theres a chance that the rest of you might be affected as well."
"Make that confirmed," Antonio stated. "They all stopped aging the instant Xavier and Manny kissed. I planned ahead, I started scanning all of them the second you got involved, Kyle."
"Why me?" Kyle grinned as a stack of halos appeared above his head.
"Because you scare normal to death." Antonio quipped.
"You're just jealous," Kyle sniggered. "Guys, I'm pretty sure Johnny and Eddie are going to come over with their families soon; Johnny will fill you in on the finer points of what new things you'll be able to do. Xav, I was serious, there is a good chance that you and Manny COULD make a kid - the same way me and Pop made you. I really don't want to go ask Saint Peter for the parents of these guys to be brought back from the dead, so be careful. You can warn your new brothers once we're gone about it, but no actual kids yet."
"Okay, Dad; we'll all be careful," Xavier replied seriously. "You can stop talking now; we're all sleepy."
"You're already sounding like your Uncle Julio;" Kyle laughed. "Okay guys, enjoy the cuddle. Xav, I'll let you drop the bubble after everyone gets dressed again."
With that, the six boys found themselves alone again. "Was he serious?" Jasper asked, not really directing the question at anyone.
Xavier nodded, "Yes, he was; if I hadn't of been there when it happened to Johnny, I'd be just as surprised as you guys are."
"What about making kids?" Manny asked.
"If Dad's right," Xavier explained, "we'll all make kids by thinking about it. We kinda build them in our heads. For me, it's natural; since I don't really sleep, my head is doing relaxing things when I lay down. If Manny and I are sharing our heads when resting, we can work together and 'make' what we think our kid should be, then we naturally just both supply the energy that forms into the new kid. We give him the knowledge that he needs to start life, but once he is born, he is his own person. Dad and Pop were having a debate when I was born, so I have a twin brother; he's living in Hawai'i and helping them there."
"Okay, that just sounds weird!" Dio quipped. "Basically, me and Jasper could just dream up a kid?"
"Yep," Xavier nodded, "and I bet your first one's gonna be really cute! All of us are changing, even me; I can feel it. We all should wait for that to finish, since I don't know if it'll affect the kid."
"Okay, at least that part makes sense," Dio smiled. "Cuddle time?"
"Cuddle time," Manny confirmed. "Sal, you're between Gil and Dio; I'm between Xavier and Jasper. Dio and Jasper are face to face, and all of us are cuddled as tight as we can to everyone we're touching. Couples, face to face like Dio and Jasper!"
When the group finally woke up from the cuddle pile, all of them could feel the new bond that they shared with each other. Each of the couples dressed each other, just grabbing whatever looked like it would fit to put on their partner. While Xavier and Manny didn't look too bad except for mismatched shoes and socks, along with swapped shirts, the other four each had at least once piece of clothing from one of the other three; in fact, none of Jasper's clothes were actually his. When they all actually realized what they'd done, they all started giggling. "Dad didn't say WHOSE clothes we were supposed to wear!" Xavier grinned. "Pair up, this might be fun!"
Once everyone was ready with an arm around their partner's waist, Xavier dropped the bubble. Within seconds, all conversation in the room came to a sudden stop, as everyone looked at the six boys, then quickly looked at Kyle.
"Don't look at me!" Kyle exclaimed, "I left Xavier in charge! I'm as confused as you!"
"Did any of you NOT end up in someone else's pants?" Andrea asked, not considering how it could be taken.
Six boys with huge grins and sudden purple halos shaking their heads rapidly answered the question in all ways that it could be taken. Just to make sure their point was made, the three couples turned to their partner and gave a lesson in tonsil inspections.
"Oh my God!" Andrea stated as she realized what she'd just done.
"Guys, there's a time and place for that, and this isn't either one!" Filipe stated with a chuckle. "Find a seat, keep your hands in publicly safe places, and we'll wait to see if Kyle can find someone to explain this in terms that we can understand."
"Okay!" all six giggled in unison after breaking their kisses, then they proceeded to all squeeze onto a single loveseat.
"Evan? Cleiton?" Kyle interrupted, "Daddy Spock suggests that you might want everyone up here; He's picking up a few others who are involved, then he'll be over."
"That DOESN'T make me feel better, Munchkin," Cleiton groaned. "Kerry; we're calling a Family Meeting up here ASAP. Everyone is required to attend."
"Can I come?" Kerry asked. "I just had to reboot a logic core after that last stunt!"
"Sure, and invite Julio, Jesse, and Benny please," Cleiton replied. "I get the feeling they might be needed."
"Done; I'm grabbing Kyle's kids now," Kerry giggled. "Paybacks are fun!"
To prove the point, all of Kyle's family not already present, as well as Peter and his family, suddenly appeared, looks of confusion quickly appearing on all of their faces. "Family meeting," Kyle stated. "Xavier's done something that we're all trying to figure out."
"You confused Dad?" Skyler grinned, "Way to go, Bro!"
"Careful, Kiddo," Kyle giggled, "I know ways to keep you away from Bruce that NONE of your brothers can figure out."
"POP! Dad's picking on me!" Skyler whined.
"Good, you're overdue!" Tyler grinned.
"Don't look at me; I'm on their side!" Levi smiled as Skyler turned his head. At that point, Skyler knew he was stuck, as even Bryce wouldn't go against their oldest brother.
As this was going on, the rest of the family had joined them and found seats to enjoy the show.
"I'm tellin' Prez!" Skyler tried as a last resort.
"Do you really want to explain to him where the 40 foot waves came from?" Tyler asked sweetly as he gave himself a halo.
"NO WAY!" Skyler exclaimed in panic. "I'll be good, PROMISE!"
"That's what I thought," Tyler quipped before turning to the rest of the room. "This lesson in parenting Mikyvis was brought to you by Cookies, the official snack of Family Clan Short."
Tyler's ending statement made everyone in the room break out in laughter, even Skyler. There were still random chuckles among the group when Spock appeared along with Julio, Jesse, Benny, Johnny, Jack, Anton, Liam, Wiley, Eddie, Robin, and Avery.
"Considering the present company," Spock quipped, "it would be prudent to refrain from inquiries as to the events that resulted in the emotive expression of humor."
"Your Logic is sound; VERY sound, Dad!" Tyler giggled.
Turning to Evan and Cleiton, Spock asked "It has been stated that you have declared the Mikyvis species as part of your bloodline. Is that information valid?"
"Yes, Sir," Evan and Cleiton replied.
Spock nodded. "You have my condolences, Patriarchs."
"DAD!" Tyler and Kyle exclaimed. "That was MEAN!"
"The penchant that yourselves and your family has for causing errors in the logic centers of your AI brothers supports my determination, sons," Spock quipped.
"No fair using facts to pick on us!" Kyle grinned. "I'm tellin' Joel!"
"I anticipate that Saren's response shall be most intriguing," Spock replied. "Saren has provided the needed information for my duties. Julio, he has stated that yourself and your husbands shall support the Patriarchs. Johnny, you and the remainder of those of your family who arrived along with yourself are to perform the actions known as cuddles with the six boys located on the loveseat to your right. It is my understanding that introductions will be accomplished non-vocally in an unusual manner. Once that action is completed, then I shall proceed."
Johnny and Jack exchanged mischievous grins; seconds later, all eight of the boys started giggling. The reason for their mirth became evident almost immediately; Johnny seemed to transform into Snow White, with the rest of his group becoming the Seven Dwarves. Even Spock was unable to see through the illusion as Johnny led the group around the room, singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to cuddle we go!"
By the time they reached the loveseat, taking the longest route possible, the occupants of the loveseat had tears running down their faces from laughing. Before they had time to realize it, all six found themselves buried under dwarves, with Snow White cuddling into Sal's side.
"I believe I have reached understanding of why Human parents find mind-altering substances beneficial while raising their offspring," Spock quipped with raised eyebrows.
"I find no fault in the logic of your conclusion, Admiral." Julio stated. "Hey Kyle? Do temporal tranquilizers cover little brothers?"
"It's worth a shot!" Kyle replied. "I'm time blind right now, so don't feel lonely!"
"Does anyone know why they're glowing? Filipe asked, obviously worried.
"THAT I can answer!" Kyle replied. "That's an Angel glow; it means their Guardian Angels are fixing stuff that none of us can fix."
Filipe nodded. "Should I expect such things often?"
Kyle nodded. "Yeah; Mikey, Pablito, and Davie do it a lot because of what a lot of us lived through. You'll probably meet them sometime soon, they like getting to know the parents, and they'll fill you in on things that you need to know so you don't get surprised."
"You'll like Pablito," Cleiton interjected. "He don't take no bull, but he also gives protective a whole new meaning. I rest easier knowing he has taken our sons under his wing personally."
"How much did you pay him to say that, Pabs?" Mikey's voice asked from nowhere.
"Bite me, Mikey; you're just jealous!" Pablito's voice replied.
"Now I know why I got wings; to make up for both of you!" Davie's voice giggled.
"Believe it or not," Julio laughed, "Mikey's a Saint, and the other two are his assistants. All three of them are family, literally. Just treat them like one of the rest of us; they're no different than any of us here."
"Pabs is a LOT saner than you, Uncle Julio!" Glen quipped.
"Of course, he doesn't have to deal with nephews like you!" Julio giggled, which ended suddenly as he squeaked and stood on his toes.
"You were saying?" Pablito's voice asked as Julio tried to discreetly put his undershorts back where they belonged. "Kerry; Julio is scheduled for a visit to a few lakes when we finish, I'll send you a list."
"Gotcha, Pabs!" Kerry giggled. "Sweet! I love dips under Angelic orders; the target can't pay me back!"
"Kyle, please ask your brother if Temporal Tranquilizers have been tested on Vulcans." Spock requested.
"He says he'll let you know next week," Kyle replied seriously. "He's starting the tests now."
"That will be acceptable." Spock nodded. "As the obvious signs of my son and his cohorts doing their required actions have diminished, I believe that I may continue shortly."
Everyone shifted their attention back to the loveseat full of boys, only to find them formed into a ball as they created a mass cuddle bundle.With all of the interlocking arms and legs, it was impossible to determine one participant from the rest.
"Daddy? I think Grandpa's ready now!" Asher's voice announced from somewhere in the center of the bundle. How he knew, nobody was going to ask, as their were zero signs visible from the outside that he was even in there.
Somehow, the boys untangled themselves without creating a knot, then they stood up long enough for Xavier to exchange the loveseat for a large sofa. After re-taking their seats, now with nobody occupying laps, the entire group said in unison "Ready, Grandpa!"
"Restrain your natural tendency for mischief, Grandsons," Spock instructed. "Once I have determined the status of the newest six members of your pack, I will determine what adjustments have been made by Michael and his helpers. Xavier, you are to assist those of the group who need emotive support."
"Yes, Grandpa," Xavier replied seriously.
Before Spock could pick someone, Dio and Jasper stood up and walked over to him. "Davie said that you needed both of us," Dio explained.
Spock nodded. "Jasper; it has been reported that you shall require assistance with controlling the effects of your past. As I am verifying other things, I shall assist you with the needed adjustments."
"Okay," Jasper whispered. The only reason he wasn't in a full panic from being that near an unknown adult male was the presence of Xavier in his head reminding him that Spock was trusted family repeatedly.
"This requires my fingers to touch your face," Spock explained, recognizing the situation. "Do not fear, as those around you are protecting you."
"Thanks," Jasper replied weakly, Spock's reminder that he wasn't alone helping considerably.
With that, Spock began his meld. He immediately realized just how badly Jasper's history was affecting him presently, so he performed a Sharing before doing anything else. Even outside the meld, it was obvious that Jasper started to relax as his demons were de-fanged.
Once he started with checking bonds, Spock realized that this wasn't anything that he expected. After explaining it to Jasper mentally, he broke the meld.
"Fascinating," Spock stated. "Dio, I must perform a check with both of you. If I find what I believe is present, it will require verification by one trained to a higher level than myself. It is not a problem; but there is a high possibility that yourself and Jasper have achieved something beyond what Jamie, Jacob, and Beau have achieved."
"Go ahead," Dio replied carefully.
Spock then placed a hand on each of the boys, a procedure that all of the married couples recognized as a Bond meld. After only a short time, he pulled back. "It is as I thought," he stated as he began tapping out a complicated pattern on his commbadge.
Being fully aware of what that particular procedure indicated, both Colin and Benny immediately ran to be at Spock's side, standing at attention once they arrived. While not 'in the know', Hac knew Colin well enough to respond accordingly; he joined them in the welcome of whoever was being called.
They were all in place just in time. An obviously high VSO officer appeared, a hood obscuring any attempts at identifying the person behind it. An obviously altered voice stated "Spock, son of Sarek. Indicate those who you deemed it necessary to call me for."
"The two youth before me, Councillor," Spock stated.
"Youngsters, you may approach for verification," the hooded figure stated.
Cautiously, both boys moved to positions in front of the strange person. After five minutes, the hooded figure completed the meld. Without stating anything else, it said "The Mikyvis Council shall seal this building. Kerry, you shall switch to independent, code H59FnW427."
Kerry's eyes went wide as he suddenly found himself completely cut off from his core servers.
"Multi-layer bubble engaged," Kyle and Tyler stated.
"At ease," the person told the boys at attention. "I am Spector; Knowledge of this will not pass the lips of any who witness. Revelation of what you are about to learn is to be punished by Death; Red One is active. Hac, you shall return with me to Vulcan to complete your training."
At any other time, Hac would have argued. Knowing that both Benny and Colin were VSO-trained, he quickly realized by their actions that this person was NOT to be ignored. "I shall comply," Hac stated formally.
Spector nodded, the movement of the hood the only indication. "On both Vulcan and Earth, the response of those not in certain positions to what has been found would defy logic. Spock, blood of Surak, you are to declare the following pairs as having a full marriage bond, and as Timeless. Marriage under Vulcan Law is granted. Dio and Jasper, Gil and Sal, Xavier and Manny."
"I will comply, Councillor," Spock replied.
"That which shall not be revealed," Spector stated seriously, "is that each of those pairs share one Katra across the pair. Not merged as Jamie, Jacob, and Beau; each provided the half the other was missing. They are two personalities with one Katra. It is unknown how they survived being split, but they are now whole. A bond previously only theorized has been formed between all of the youth in the group before me; the theory is so illogical it has not even been named.The closest description that is applicable is the CSNIC network developed for the Family Clan Short AI systems; they have the ability to merge into one mental being. The brothers of Julio developed the base for this with their spouses, but it was still four or three working AS one. This group acting together BECOMES one if they so desire. Due to this ability, each has the abilities of their peers; which logically means that any one of them is able to act as a Mikyvis if necessary, despite only one having the physical attributes of a Mikyvis."
"Xavier; upon my departure, you shall take your entire group to Archnania, and shall spend the required time with the assistance of your brothers to ensure that your Bonded group is fully versed in the abilities and restrictions of their new status. You shall not return until the one known to humanity as the Guardian informs you that this task is completed. For those remaining, know that on this plane, only seconds will expire. Those going, however, will most likely have personality changes due to the length of time that will be required, and quite possibly might return with additional offspring."
"Julian and Oscar, know that you have gained brothers, despite the fact that they have different parents. Just as Julio guides and supports his brothers and their spouses to ensure they retain their youth, the two of you have gained the remaining five along with Jasper. One is just learning his humanity, and the other five had their childhoods up to this point stolen from them. A message was left in Jasper's mind for me to reveal; if you accept this task in your heart, you will survive until the last of your brothers move on. As they are timeless, logically you would probably survive as you are now for Eternity."
"No mortal knows the reason for this event. The Mikyvis Council will confirm that trying to identify the reason that caused this event shall cause them to suffer unplanned difficulties. The probability of the reason being far enough in the future that most here will have passed on is in excess of 95 percent; do not trouble yourselves with something that you may never see."
"Kyle; I authorize you to explain what a Red One event is and the implications of the issuing of the designation. Those who are departing shall be instructed in their arrival location. Xavier, you shall be told at what time your return arrival is allowed. You may depart immediately."
Taking the hint, Xavier didn't wait as the entire Archnania-bound group vanished. Once they were gone, Spector stated "Tyler, you may retrieve Hac in twenty minutes real time. You will know when to pick him up from. Kyle, you may release the bubbles once you are done explaining the situation; at that time, Tyler's countdown will begin. Hac and myself are now leaving." With that, Spector and Hac vanished without another word.
"Just WHO was that?" Andrea asked, now that she felt safe doing it.
"The top official of Vulcan Special Operations," Spock stated. "Red One is still active during this discussion, Kyle is to take this conversation from here."
For the next hour, Kyle explained not only the importance of who they'd had visit, but also the rules when a Red One is declared, and the intricacies of Time events and how they can be derailed or influenced by advanced knowledge. By the time he was done with his explanations and answering questions, the only non-Mikyvis that knew more about Mikyvis and Time than those in the room was Cory; and that was only because he had a twin-link with Kyle.
Ten seconds after Kyle dropped the bubbles, the group from Archnania returned, surprisingly with only one addition. Xavier smiled at the relieved faces, then introduced the yellow-haired youth by his side, who could easily pass as a seven-year-old. "Everyone, this is Harett; he's Archnanian, and is going to hang with us for at least a few eons. Momma Andrea, Poppa Filipe? Archnanians are gatherers of Knowledge; so anything that's important he makes sure is recorded where it won't get lost. Otherwise, he's just like any other eleven-year-old, except he ages like we do."
"Was that Reality that I saw for a second?" Filipe quipped, "Hurry, someone grab it before it gets away again!"
"You're goofy, Dad" Manny giggled. "Everyone knows reality is a fable!"
"After the last day, I'm starting to believe that you might be right, Manny," Andrea stated. "If all of you boys wouldn't mind faking it for a bit, I believe it's time to start working on dinner."
"If you want, I'll give you a hand," Filipe offered. "I've got a good idea of what our family from Brazil might expect."
"I think we've got a plan," Andrea smiled.