by P. S. Power
The trip back to the base was a lot nicer than the last one he'd been on, since they got to use Christian's jet. She was his team leader after all, and not selfish about lending the thing out, footing the bill for all of it. Then, she was incredibly rich and normally didn't spend money otherwise. Her parents tried to throw money at the IPB, but for the most part got turned down. Chris was a huge asset, but the IPB didn't want her to feel like they were using her for funds or that she was buying her way in. It wasn't true anyway. She was an incredible telepath.
As a rule she couldn't stand to be around him either. A combination of her own first mode, all the pain he was normally in and a bit of personal distaste that Brian could feel coming off of her, but not understand. They just didn't get along that well. Then that happened with a lot of women. Not all of them, luckily.
The thought reminded him that he had to deal with the Karen situation as soon as possible on landing. He really didn't want to, but lying about it wouldn't help anything, he didn't think. Not living in the world he did. She'd find out, sooner or later, and he had enemies that would spring that kind of thing on her as a distraction if she didn't know. Plus, she had friends that would probably tell her anyway... like Christian. No, the only thing to do there was face the music and hope Karen wasn't as hurt as he would be if it was him getting the news. It wasn't lost on him that he might just be getting that same information back, which he dreaded, but couldn't actually blame her for.
There was also the other stuff...
What he really wanted to know was when had his life turned into some kind of soap opera? Love triangles, and secret time travel babies? The whole thing made his head hurt.
Doug was happy enough to enjoy the flight, sitting near Jason, Georgia and Janice, talking about the duties of people on Team One. It looked a little mean but when the in flight sandwiches came around Georgia made sure that Doug only got one and some water to drink with it, confiscating his chips. He didn't complain about it, but didn't look happy either. Brian could sympathize, having lived on a diet for a long time, but it had to be done. For that matter so did a good exercise plan.
He spent most of the trip working with Carl and Montrose to come up with that for his old friend, not having to explain why it was needed. Oddly enough both men kept telling him to pull back on the expected workout schedule. A lot.
"He's not you Brian. We don't have to throw him right into the action. If it takes a few months for him to lose weight and get in shape, we can do that. He isn't going off to fight the Jackal in three days or anything. Is he?" Carl gave him a funny look when he said it, but kept going. "Besides, we need him to look pretty. Thrashing a person like we did to you is a fast way to get a person in some kind of shape, but it doesn't do a lot for the looks. You seem a bit better now, but I think we need to put you on a real exercise program soon." He smiled about it. That was almost never a good sign from the thin and hyper intense looking man.
Brian didn't mention it though, if he had to do more work, then he would. If it saves even one life, it was worth it. Besides, that wasn't what the man had in mind anyway.
"We definitely need to change your training up, and make it easier for a while. Otherwise all the healing you've obviously done will go to waste."
Then they started in on the landing, which took everyone's minds off of him for a while. For his part he just felt a sense of impending doom that he didn't know if he'd survive.
Relationships were so hard.
It was probably why he'd managed to ruin the only one that had ever lasted more than three months. OK, sure, there had been some odd time travel garbage that helped him do it, but that didn't change what had been done. Not at all.
It wasn't just Karen that stood waiting for him by the edge of the tarmac on the far side of the base either. Rachel was there, along with the Director, Scott and Bridget. Because obviously some of them knew what had happened and were ready to spill the beans to all the others at the same time. Except that Brian really had to talk to Karen first. It wouldn't be fair to let anyone else know what was happening and just blindside her like that.
She ran up and gave him a hug, which after a few seconds was joined by Bridget. It was a little too lingering for him, now that he knew what was going on, so he pulled back from them both, trying not to seem like a jerk but failing at it, if the hurt look on Karen's face meant anything.
There was a nervous smile that went with it though.
"How are you? I heard about what happened, some of it. Are you all right? We were told that the whole thing was really painful for you." Her first concern of course was for his safety and comfort. Always.
The only thing that made it better for him was that she honestly was like that with everyone. She hugged him again, and he returned the gesture, with Rachel giving him a tight smile and a head shake, which meant that she hadn't told anyone else everything yet. Or possibly just Karen. Scott and Bridget didn't bring it up though, so he assumed it was at least the younger people. What the Director knew... Well, he had to know that Scott was adopted at least. What else there was he couldn't guess at all.
He felt stuck as everyone unloaded, until Doug walked over to him, smiling a bit shyly, trying to suck his stomach in and look taller by standing straight, with his chin up. Georgia and Jason had been coaching him and were following along behind as if ready to jump in and defend his honor if needed. Brian waved Jan over too.
"The new Team One people. Janice Renfro and Douglas Tibs. You probably have reports on them, but they're both really great people. Um, Scott? Could you take them under your wing and make sure they learn the ropes?"
The large golden man smiled, which wasn't half as self important as it could have been given everything and put out his hand to shake, taking Doug's first, as if the fact that Jan was incredibly hot just didn't matter to him. Then, maybe it didn't? A lot of good looking women threw themselves at him daily after all, that had to wear the new and shiny off of it after a while.
"Of course I can. We can go to the studio and practice with the food show people when they come back. The relief effort in D.C. is being taken over by the government. It was a tremendous effort and everyone involved did a wonderful job. We should set them both up on the first floor?" He looked at the Director and carefully didn't eye Doug at all, even if he was a bit chunky. It was just possible he'd be given a different Team assignment now that they got to see him in person.
That didn't happen though.
"That's right. Welcome to the Infected Protection Bureau, I'm Director Kevin Moore. If you need anything, please feel free to ask. We should have Robert out here to meet you as well, but some things have come up and he was needed to take over as a guard for the President on a temporary basis. In the mean time Scott will be acting as your guide. Marcia Turner is filling in for Torque as team leader for a few weeks. It's a little hectic around here, but you have one of the most friendly and interesting jobs possible. As members of Team One you are the image of the IPB. That means always being on your best behavior, but there are some perks to the job as well. Scott, perhaps you could show them some of those? Bridget? Would you go along as well? We need to go over a few things with Brian here I think." The man seemed grandfatherly towards the girl, which made sense, having practically raised her after a fashion.
Doing the job that he should have. Probably better than he could have done it too, Brian knew.
It cut down on who was around but didn't give him time alone to chat with Karen first, even as Rachel started leading them out beyond the gate at a slow walk. An amble for her, but she was a good percentage of the way to being as fast as Argos, so that meant the rest of them had to jog along to keep up. She didn't say anything once they got beyond the gate, nor did the Director, but Karen, looking miserable did.
She was a little breathless when she spoke too.
"I... While you were gone I had sex with Rob. He was lonely and we had some drinks. I knew it would hurt you, but I didn't want to hurt him, and he was
there. I'm sorry!" She seemed really broken up about it too, but for some unknown reason Brian didn't feel as hurt as he thought he would.
"Well... He's a good guy and your first mode kind of means that you had to. Drinking is a bad idea in a situation like that, but it almost had to happen. Besides, it's kind of what our relationship is. You can sleep with anyone you want to." It came out fairly soft, but not that creepy sounding voice he used to use all the time. It was nice compared to that.
"Really? You aren't mad at me? I thought that you'd be furious..." She seemed relieved, rather than anything else.
Brian thought about it and finally shook his head slowly.
"We can't have sex, thanks to a certain ghost in my brain. I'm a little jealous I guess, but not mad. Besides... I kind of... well I was gone a lot longer than it seemed like, in the past. Rachel knows." He glanced at her, and she carefully didn't make eye contact with Kevin. He was her boyfriend after all. Not that she didn't have more than one.
The man looked perplexed and made a face.
"Explain." It was directed at her though, not him.
"OK, there's a lot and I don't think we should do it in this order, no matter what you think Kevin. What I can tell you right now is that Brian was in eighty-two a lot longer than you thought at the time. He was staying at a place near town the whole time, for months at least. He vanished the day I made contact with him. I never knew if he'd just ran off or not, until I met him later." She turned and looked at Brian with a lazy smile.
"You know, I didn't recognize you at first. You were all covered in bruising from going over that cliff. It wasn't until nearly two weeks later that it occurred to me that you were you. Kevin reminded me of the name you gave at the time of the event. I've known a few Brian's since then, so it didn't make that big of an impression on me. At first."
He nodded.
"OK. So... anyway. I kind of met someone back then and um, she got pregnant." He didn't say more, but Karen covered her mouth with her right hand, a bit of blue light running along her flesh in shock. It was something he'd never noticed her doing before, losing control like that. Brian got ready for an attack. Or tears.
They didn't come.
"That poor woman, being left all alone like that. The child... What do we do? I guess it's a little late to run off and find them now, isn't it?"
Rachel at least had his back, after a fashion.
"That gets into things that we need to discuss with some other people. I guess we should get to that now?" She didn't leave them a choice, just walking away. Brian followed easily enough, but the others lagged behind.
This was going to be awkward though, wasn't it?
On the good side Scott and Bridget were both busy, taking Doug and Janice around. On the bad side, that didn't take long at all, since they sent the new kids to their rooms to get ready for dinner, explaining about the make-up rule. Doug made a face and shook his head, embarrassed, but Bridget patted him on the back.
"I'll get Clari to come help you this time. She's really good. No one will think you're a tranny or anything. Unless you are, and then... Well if she did the make-up they still wouldn't think that, they'd just think you were a girl. She's kind of good at her job. We should totally do that sometime. I can get you a dress and everything!" There was a smile then, especially after Doug just shrugged.
"Not my thing, but I guess I can do what's needed. I have those new suits. Jason bought them for me." He said it as if embarrassed, but Scott nodded happily.
"Good man for that. He's helped me pick out a few of mine too."
Then too fast for his taste, Brian found them all being taken to the Directors main office on the second floor. Karen got to leave for it and he was really tempted to dump the whole thing on Rachel, but instead he sat next to Bridget and waited, not knowing where to start. Luckily the older redhead did.
"All right, you all know that Scott is adopted, so that isn't a shock to anyone. Scott, you remember Mary, from the store in town?"
"Sure I do. I still go in there for coffee now and again. Sweet woman. Hasn't aged in years, so I figure she's Infected?"
Two things happened at once then, Rachel said "that's right" and Brian shaking his head. It got everyone's attention.
"Um. Well. Sorry to interrupt Rachel, but she isn't Infected, she's something different, from the same place that Hobbs and Braid are? Her ability is to move people through space and time. She doesn't have a first mode or anything though and a lot of her family has the same ability that she has. It's a genetic thing I think, not like us."
That got everyone's attention fast.
"Really? How fascinating. Do you think she'd be willing to chat with us about it?" The Director spoke to Brian, as if he'd know.
It was Bridget that asked the same question Brian would have first.
"Is that how Braid and Hobbs got here?" She sounded serious, even though she was fidgeting worse than normal, picking up on the tension in the room.
His tension at least.
"Braid yes, I know that one for certain. I don't know about Hobbs. That would be a pretty recent thing, if it's what happened. I mean I just came from there but I haven't talked to her in thirty or forty years, maybe longer. Time travel stuff."
The girl just gave him a single nod.
"Let's go ask her then." Jumping to her feet she was halfway to the door of the office when Rachel caught her arm and laughing, pulled her back towards her chair, getting her to plunk down.
"Sorry, I was sidetracked for a second. What I was trying to get to was that Mary is your biological mother, Scott. It's one of the reasons we went to her store so often as you grew up. It was our agreement that she'd get to see you when she wanted. She was always very good about not letting you know who she was and you didn't make a point of asking much, so I just kind of never told you about her. A bit selfish of me, I know, but I didn't want to lose my family." She settled into a chair, but started tapping her feet fast enough it sounded like a low buzz instead of a drum roll.
Scott stood and gave her a big hug then, which was the right thing to do, apparently. Bridget joined in as well.
"Mom... You're the only mother I've ever had. I always just figured that my parents died, or they couldn't take care of me, so they found the most wonderful person in the world to do it instead. There may have been some things in there about me being an alien prince..." He stopped and stared at his mother for a second, eyes going wide.
"Wait... she isn't the queen of that place she's from is she?" He laughed though.
It was kind of funny after all.
"I don't think so. We'll have to ask. Anyway, your parents aren't dead Scott. That's what we're here to tell you." Then, unhelpfully she stopped. No one said anything for a while, until finally Scott smiled and shook his head.
"I have a father now too? Maybe someone can finally teach me how to play catch?" It was another joke, but Rachel just looked at him, passing the buck.
Brian sighed.
"No, but I can tutor you in all sorts of math. I... This is really sudden for me too, I mean you weren't even born when I left and you were already five years old, thanks to Mary doing some time travel of her own. That was less than a day ago to me. So, sorry about being the worst father ever? I feel really bad about it." He did, but for some reason everyone just looked at him strangely. Except Rachel who bit her lip and nodded.
"Right. Brian is your father Scott, and your grandfather Bridgie. I've known who he was for a while now, but he didn't have a clue until just a bit ago. A day, like he said. It's, well, I hope it's a happy thing?"
Scott smiled and moved in to pat Brian on the shoulder.
"Um, I have no clue what to say. If it was coming from anyone else in the world I'd think it was a trick, or at least a joke. You wouldn't do that though... Welcome to the family? I'm not calling you dad. Sorry. Will Brian do?"
"I'd prefer it, actually."
Bridget responded a little bit differently, jumping up... and hitting Rache
l about a half dozen times so fast that the air only made one snapping sound. Brian couldn't even really track it, but the woman flew back into the wall behind her, causing it to break where she hit. The girl didn't stop there either, fists moving a lot faster than Brian had ever seen from anyone before. Even Argos. Rachel blocked about half of them, not being exactly weak or slow herself, but she didn't get them all by any means. Scott tried to jump in, but caught a backhand that slapped him against the far wall on the other side. He was back up instantly, but it was a powerful move.
Then the girl explained herself at least.
"After all those times I threw myself at him? After what happened with dad and mom and people saying that evil stuff about us? You didn't tell me? I told you I loved him, and you didn't say anything? Not even that it might be a bad idea? You bitch!" There were more blows then, which honestly, Brian could understand. It was kind of a poor move, not mentioning it at all. Still, the girl would feel bad if she actually killed the woman. Most likely at least.
He walked over, ready for his own beating, but when he touched her arm she just turned and hugged him, moving in a little too close for comfort, then after a few seconds she pushed him away, eyes huge.
"See, look how screwed up this is Gran! I swear you're paying for my freaking therapy. I... leave me alone and don't talk to me." She stormed out, but Brian noticed that she didn't add anything to indicate it was permanent. No screamed "ever!" at the end or anything like that. She didn't slam the doors either.
Hopefully that was a good sign. He probably would have slammed a few things if it were him.
Brian looked at the mess the room had become and at Rachel who was picking herself up, looking a little battered, but still alive. She healed fast, so the marks were mainly going away by the time she sat back down, about five minutes later. The rest of the time she'd just paced nervously.
He looked at her and grinned then.
"See and here she saved me from having to do the same thing. I mean, I would have just spoken to you about it, but... I understand the thinking, something should have been said. I don't know what. Hopefully she calms down by the time of the family barbeque? Oh, and I should fly you all in to meet my parents, so that they can get to know their grandchild. That... is almost worth doing, just to hear them scream and wail about it. They owe you so many birthday presents Scott. They'll all be educational though, so I wouldn't press them on it."
