Bradley sat in the office waiting to see the principal about registering Zackary and Franklin for classes and to update Luka's registration information. It was not long till Principal Daniels walked out and welcomed them to the school. Looking at the four he was confused by their ages but they were members of Starfleet so age was not an issue. He ushered them back to his office to begin what was surely something interesting.
"Guys how can I be of assistance today?" Principal Daniels asked curious to see how this was going to go.
"Sir, I need to register two students and update another students registration" Bradley said while pointing to each of them.
"Not a problem. Let us do the update first." Mr. Daniels said looking at Luka. "Luka, I am sorry to hear about your family. If there is anything I can do. Just let me know and you have it."
"Thank You Mr. Daniels, Bradley has adopted me, and we need to make sure all my information is updated in the system. Including my address and email address." Luka said as he squeezed Bradley's hand for support.
"Well to be honest all the information needed has already been update as of an hour ago by Buddy." Mr. Daniels said with a smile. "He has also updated the information for Franklin and Zackary. So, all we have left to do is generate their class schedules."
"Excellent, Buddy seems to be batting a thousand today." Bradley said knowing he would need to hug Buddy later.
"Now looking at the generated schedules it looks like Zackary and Franklin will have the same schedule and then the last class of the day they will all be in the same class. Here are your schedules and your dress code books. Franklin, normally blue hair would be against the dress code. However due to you CSV Identification stating your hair color is part of your species. If any student or teacher gives you any issues come, see me." Mr. Daniels stated then asked for the office student helper to take Zackary and Franklin to their classes. "Guys this is Gunther he will show you to your classes. Luka here is your excuse for missing class and I am sure Mrs. Tenna is expecting you."
Mr. Daniels waited for the students to leave and then began speaking with Bradley, "Bradley, I understand you are older than you appear but should you need someone to talk with please come and see me. Besides, I expect you at the PTA Meeting since the Clan is part of this school and you are a Clan parent."
"Mr. Daniels, I will call upon you for assistance from time to time either as a parent or as a representative of Starfleet or of the Clan." Bradley said and smiled broadly as he caught Mr. Daniels off Guard.
Trent sat alone at the lunchroom table thinking about his sister Jena and how much he missed her. The last three weeks had been tough between his sister going missing and the attack on earth. She was his rock; he was jarred from his thoughts roughly.
"Hey Fag, whatcha doing, pining over your boyfriend or the mysterious disappearance of your Fag loving sister?" Damien said with hate rolling off not only his tongue but every movement of his body.
"Why do you care Damien", Trent asked already knowing the answer.
"To be honest, I don't care I just like causing pain to lower beings" Damien almost snarled out.
Damien reached out and grabbed Trent, before he could say or do anything around the collar, pulled him forward across the table, his lunch and into the floor.
"Whoa, Damien you know if'n that lunch lady catches this we will be suspended man." Jake asked wondering if Damien even knew what he was doing.
"I'm tired of him and his kind," Damien said with a dangerous malice but his face masked all emotions.
"Franklin, are you alright?" asked Zackary.
"No, someone is scared, and I feel another frightened person, come on let’s go." Franklin said as he gathered up his stuff.
Mrs. Tenna saw movement and the two new students gathering everything up to leave. Knowing they were clan, she figured it was about to get interesting. Before they had all their stuff gathered up, she sent a text message with the homework assignment and a smiley face before waving them on.
Beverly looked out of the kitchen just in time to see Trent being drug through an entire twenty-foot length of tables. "That's it! I have had it!" she bellowed, as she rushed out of the kitchen only to find now there was a Tiger sitting down with its front paw on Damien's chest.
Franklin was using his medical tricorder to check over one tween, while Zackary was checking over a teen who had passed out when Beverly screamed.
"Let me up dammit!" Damien yelled at the tiger.
"I wouldn't piss him off, he hasn't eaten yet!" Franklin said while still checking out the tween on the floor.
"Is he alright, do I need to call his mother?" Beverly timidly asked the new student with blue hair.
"Yes, contact his mother and let her know we will be in touch." Franklin said while still looking over his readings. "Also, who is he? And who are you?" Franklin finally looked up to this woman whose emotions were flipping between Anger, Fear, and Worry.
"His name is Trent Waterloo," she paused at the look Franklin gave her. "his parents were free spirits for a while, hence the name. Oh, and I'm Beverly by the way."
"It is nice to meet you Beverly; Zackary is over with that other teen ... he seems frightened of the teen being held by Sparkles." Franklin said to Beverly while reading her emotions as he pointed to each of the players involved.
"The other teen is Jake Wilson, and the tiger toy is Damien." Beverly said, but looked like she was going to cry.
"Let’s move everyone to the Clan conference room on the third floor." Franklin said while he looked around and asked, "Could someone go get the three Wheelchairs by the nurse’s office?"
Before anything else could be said three teenagers went running by making a beeline toward the chairs and returned to help load the two patients. While Franklin approached Damien. "I will let you up, only if you calmly get up and get in the third chair. You will say nothing, do nothing but sit and ride, or so help me I will turn Sparkles loose again. Do you understand me?"
Damien only nodded.
Franklin looked at the guys who ran for the chairs. "Are you able to help us for a few minutes, we will make sure you have passes for your class"
"I'm in, and my name is Dan Wills." the tallest of the three said.
"I'm Max Cates, unfortunately the tiger toy is my older brother" Max said while looking to the floor and his brother who was getting up to get in the chair.
"I'm Joseph Meadows, please don't be hard on Max it’s not his fault his brother is turning in to an ass" Joseph said while pointing to Damien.
"Let’s go to on to the conference room and get this all worked out, I think there is a lot more going on." Franklin said then turned to "Beverly, I think you need to join us. Don't worry about the kitchen, the staff knows how to do the job."
"Just so everyone understands this is an attempt to work this out once and for all." Franklin said just after Jake woke up. "Now since everyone is awake, we can get started."
Beverly reentered the room "I just finished the call with Trent's mom, she said to call her back in case she is needed."
Franklin nodded he understood. "So, Damien, would you care to tell us what is going on? Or shall I just call in a few Clan Telepaths and make this really short work?"
Beverly, interrupted quickly "Franklin, I'm sure there is more going on here, so let’s first gather information from everyone before we get to Damien."
"Interesting Idea, I have no problems with finding the information this way. But we must resolve this quickly." Franklin said while internally smiling.
"Since you suggested this course then would you care to start us out?" Zackary asked knowing she knew bits of what was going on.
"Well, Franklin. Early last year I did not even know Damien was attending school here because he was a quiet and withdrawn student. Then around August of last year he snapped. He was always in trouble for one thing or another. Back talking teachers, starting fights, causing mischief. This year he started fighting his friends." Beverly said while waving her hand around the room.
"Look it could be due to their mother’s recent marriage." Joseph stated, then noticed both Cate brothers giving a death glare.
"Look we just need to know what's going on here!" Beverly said with exasperation.
"All I know is we were best friends even with the age difference. He was there for me when I came out." Trent said while looking at his hands folded on the table. "He told me then he would never hate me, and we would always be friends. Then one day in June he looked upset and I asked him if he was alright? He then punched me in the stomach while cussing me out." Trent said through tears and chancing a glance at Damien.
Damien looked toward Trent his voice low with an almost demonic tone "so we only care about them, the rest of us don't matter." Damien was shaking his color had a sickening look to it.
Franklin felt waves of Disgust, Hate and unbridled Fury radiating from Damien. Before he could say anything, Damien let out the most painful sounding moan and passed out.
Sparkles was closest to his toy "Mww, crrr, RAWW!"
Tapping his communications badge Zackary told "This is Zackary to Marky of the Saratoga; we have a medical emergency."
Before anyone could say much else.
"Please state the ...., Oh shit. " Marky stated.
Rushing to the boy in the wheelchair Marky hypo-sprayed him then looked at Franklin. "We gotta go he needs surgery, contact his folks, and the faculty let them know this was a life or death situation"
"Will he be okay?" Simultaneously Trent, Max and Joseph asked.
Before they got an answer, Marky and Damien disappeared in a cloud of sparkles.
Bradley had already prepped bed one when Marky left. He was trying to keep busy, just so he could keep his mind from worrying about Franklin and Zackary. No matter how non-traditional the school had thought his family was to their standards or lack thereof, it did not matter. They were a family in his eyes and the clan’s eyes. But what really said they were a family was how his heart felt.
"Bradley, were back! It's not your boy's!", Marky said after snapping his fingers to get Bradley's attention.
"Sorry, Marky" Bradley said while scanning the patient.
"Holy mother of Mary" Tom exclaimed while looking at the readings.
Bradley turned to Marky "If he is the aggressor of today's actions then we need to investigate things further!"
"I agree, but let’s try to stabilize him first before we jump down the rabbit hole." Marky said with disgust rolling off his tongue and shaking like a leaf in the wind due to his temper flaring.
Shay's private channel popped to life. "Shay, I need you to gather a team for a planet side investigation. Oh and you might want to have your hacker in the group, as I am sure he could be handy" Marky stated and then started again "If we don't do something I am afraid Bradley will be going to stomp someone's ass into the ground and if he doesn't then I will. Hell, I might just join him."
"I'm on it, but Bradley is going, I need him due to his hand to hand combat skills. Plus, he is strong as an ox and smarter than the worst bad guys." Shay stated thinking about the world of hurt about to take place.
"He heard you, then sniggered and then left sickbay to get his kit. He also said he would meet you in transporter room one." Marky replied while shaking his head.
"Shay to Grub, get your gear meet me in transporter room one in five minutes" Shay sent not expecting a response.
"Shay, I have my gear and team, we are waiting for you." Grub responded with an audible smirk.
"Understood, be there in two minutes, I need to grab a few people." Shay said smiling knowing grub had been monitoring all the private channels again.
Tom, B'ellana, Data, and Shay entered the room to find Grub, Bradley, Hal and Lt Jameson from special ops. All of them where standing in position on the pads looking toward the clock on the wall. "it has been almost six minutes, where have you been?" Grub asked then thought better of it. "Of, course you’re the captain!"
"Data when we arrive, I will need you to mediate between the school and parents." said Shay
"I will endeavor to accomplish my task without errors" Data said with a smile. "When we return, we can have cookies and milk?"
"Chief, if you have the coordinates then fire it up and get us to the school" Shay ordered.
"Duh, what the bloody hell do you think I do all day!" the Transporter Chief replied as the transporter engaged. "What does he think I am some stooge, who stands idly by!"
Once the transport finished Data simply walked out of the room to find the office and the principle. Bradley started to hug Franklin but thought better of it after seeing his hair was almost Black and Zackary seemed to be channeling his emotions. "Guys, when this is over for the day if you would like to talk about it, I will make all the time you need." Bradley said with his eyes glistening.
"Bradley the same goes for you buddy!" Shay stated while looking around the room.
Beverly looked around the room at the new arrivals. They may have varied between, young tween and older teen, but she could see the determination and noticed how they worked as a team.
"Shay to Sammy at North American Command, I need a Vulcan certified telepath at my coordinates." Shay asked as politely as his anger would allow.
Bradley looked to his captain, "Shay you do realize that by not specifying whom you wanted this might get an interesting response?"
"Interesting or not we will get to the bottom of this situation." Shay said while trying to hide a smile. He remembers the clan initiated boarding party (First Contact).
"Excuse me you needed a Vulcan Certified Telepath?" Dustin said with a twinkle of his purple eyes.
"It's odd you would say bottom?" Bradley again trying to get his friend to smile. "Hello, and yes we did request one. Who are you?"
"Dustin" he said not giving away to much information.
"I hope Damien is alright, no matter how mean he has become, I knew there was a reason for his change." Trent said letting his tears roll freely.
"Trent, I know he still cares about you. He still talks about the old days when we were at the park." Max said while rubbing circles on Trent's back.
"How strange, how does he act at home?" Beverly asked while trying to gain Franklins attention.
"He is always telling me to stay in my room, especially when Steve our stepdad is home." Max said, "But when Steve is home, I never see mom or Damien."
Quickly Beverly turned to Franklin, "We need to get a medical team to find their mother now!"
Joseph and Dan stood in a corner, trying to stay out of the way but wanting to be of help.
"Mewmr", Sparkles said as he began to rub Dan's leg.
"If you want to be of help then get your butt's over here", Franklin said smiling. He had never had Sparkles request he have someone else help. At least not like this.
Franklin turned to Shay. "My team is going to try to find their mother and see what else we can find."
Franklin, Grub, Bradley, and Hal stood up and walked to the center of the room. "Four to beam to four eleven Cherry St. the front porch is good. "
Lt. Jameson stood up and intercepted Joseph and Dan as they approached the table. "Look before you can join in and help, we must get permission from you parents." he expected resistance.
Both boys answered, "We understand, so we need to see our parents." both passed over their Starfleet family ID's.
"Data, please let the administration know Joseph Meadows and Dan Wills will be leaving to see their parents." Lt. Jameson said smiling knowing Data might have a word later with him.
Marky is startled by the sound of the restrain field as it zaps in time with stifled groans.
“Damien, please calm down. Currently we have you in a restraint field to prevent harm to yourself or others.” Marky said while privately calling for Annika on his medical communication channel. Checking the settings on the bed and the readings. “You will be fine just rest for a moment I have called another member of the crew to assist with your integration.”
As soon as Marky finished speaking the medical bay doors opened and in stepped Annika. After speaking to Marky, she walked up and started examining Damien's chart.
"My name is Annika. I am here to help you with your current medical issues." Annika said dryly. "I am told you have been terrorizing your best friend. And protecting your brother and mother from your father. Tell me why I should help you?"
"I can't tell you why you should help me. My family is in bad shape. I broke a promise to my best friend, and I have been a complete bastard to everyone." Damien said slowly thinking about what stunts he had pulled. "Please help me. I would like the chance to apologize for my behavior.
"Fine, I will help you and this will hurt. Resistance is Futile" Annika said as she injected him with nano probes. "Dr. I must return to the bridge. Please let me know if there is any issues with the procedure."
Author Notes : This is an excellent place to stop. I know the Cliff Hanger Police will be hot on my Trail.