NationStates Jolt Archive

Cathedral of Punishment, Deadside

The thick green air hung low in the building to Jeff and Ann in their respective parts. Jeff coughed as he finally drug himself from the floor he was on and looked at the robed people in the chamber.

"Where the hell is this? Where am I?" Jeff cocked an eyebrow at the group, Great, I've gone down the rabbit hole...

One of the robed men looked past Jeff, Jeff turned around in time to see a man behind him, with tentacles on his face before the flash of the club turned his world red and black.

"Take him away. When the other one returns, he'll want to deal with him."

-----

Ann walked through the hall, the light from the bracelet almost working like a torch for her. She heard a noise at the end of the hall, stepping into a doorway, she saw two cloaked people dragging Jeff down the hall away from her.

Ann raised the squad support gun and fired six rounds...the UV phosphorescent rounds glowed as they headed for the backs of the two men.

The two men dragging Jeff dropped to the ground as the bullets ripped into them (so if you kill someone in Deadside, do they live again? :P Maybe as some Deadites... )

Jeff hit the marble floor hard, groaning as the drop woke him up. He slowly pushed himself onto his knees and pulled his head back..

"Finally, a break that doesn't involve one of my body parts..."

((Well in my conception of the universe...Deadside is sort of Ante-Purgatory or the Elsian Feilds. Live people can run about but most of the ones who populate the place are 'shades' (ref Dante) or lost souls who are not damed to hell or heaven or don't know they are even dead. I wasn't actually expecting the bullets to work.))

Ann rushed forward and half pulled Jeff to his feet..."Now we just have to get the hell out of here..." she said outloud.

(That's a pretty accurate view of what I had in mind. Besides, just because they dropped doesnt mean their dead, but if I remember correctly, phosphorous does some pretty nasty stuff to undead things. ;) )

Jeff looked at Ann like he'd seen a ghost, his swelling eyes focusing on her, "But.. You.. I thought.. "

While Jeff's was getting drug through the hallways.

A light shimmered in the main chamber and a moment later, Antony walked into the room.

"Damnit all!" he growled. "At least I still have Jeffie..."

"What happened?" one of the robed men asked.

"He had more friends than I expected. They screwed up my plans, I'll have to finish the work here, they got to me before I was ready."

"Of course. We have taken the courtesy of taking him to your room."

Antony nodded and grinned in anticipation. His features took a darker tone on this side, more evil. The carved pentagram glowed like there was a fire deep in Antony's chest, his face looked more demonic. At first glance he expected people would look for a tail and horns on him. He turned on his heel and walked down the hallway where Jeff had been last taken.

((Damn forums ate my post...note: Ann is still in disguise...))

Ann looked about for any kind of exit from this place. Just to get outside and away from whatever she had just shot down. "Alright...here exit...come to mama...exit...anywhere..."

((Damn forums ate my post...note: Ann is still in disguise...))

Ann looked about for any kind of exit from this place. Just to get outside and away from whatever she had just shot down. "Alright...here exit...come to mama...exit...anywhere..."

(No sweat, I'll play it like jeff's surprised to see anyone in these halls, which he is.)

Jeff knelt down, he tried to open the compartment with the smart pistol in it. He thought he recognized the voice, but before it registered, he had a new concern. As he hit the small switch, his leg burned like it'd been on fire.

"Oh, f---!" He gritted his teeth as the pain subsided, pushing himself back on his feet.

Come on Jeff. Keep your head in the game... I'm about as useful as a Michael Jackson Daycare Center in this state...

He looked around. Reaching out and opening the first door he saw revealved what looked like a torture chamber. He quickly closed the door.

"Ok, we'll be taking what's behind the curtain instead of door number one."

The pair heard some bootsteps in the distance.

As Jeff and Ann fled down the hallway and dipped into another, looking for the exit, Antony appeared down the first hallway. He looked down at the pair of cloaked men lying on the ground... Jeff was no where to be seen.

"Goes to show you, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," he muttered as he picked up one of the cloaked figures.

The man was still conscious and tried to speak, but Antony 'shhhhhh'ed him and opened the door to the torture chamber. He punched the man's throat, cutting down his air as he drug him into the room. Antony pushed the man in a crude, wicked looking Iron Maiden and slammed the door closed on him. The man's scream was muffled because of his throat.

Antony walked to the door, and pulled a lever. A vat of molten steel was slowly poured into the Iron Maiden's skull hole as Antony walked out of the room.

"Here Jeffie Jeffie Jeffie... where are you?"

((Continued from part 6))

Tracker was in a very unfamiliar place, but he knew Jeff was close. He pulled his shot gun and began to follow the signal in his head.
You are smarter than I thought, boy. You made it here. Now go get your brother.

Tracker looked up at the building before him, it was... you could say green, but then the sky was a dark sickly green color. The building seemed to be moving, after a moment Tracker realized that the building was alive. Not as much alive as the outside was made of flesh, moving, crawling on the walls.

He walked up to the door, which were Oak and steel and looked at the door handle. Jeff was somewhere in this building.

Tracker swallowed hard Damn....Well here goes everything.

He reached out for the door handle, shotgun ready in his other hand...

The door opened into an entry hallway, the building from the inside looked like any other building, no sign of anything... out of the ordinary (except for the screams). As Tracker peered inside he noticed that the hallway was empty.

Tracker began to stalk down the hallway, sweeping the shot gun cautiously across the hall.

As Tracker walked down the hall, he peek inside one of the open doors. He saw what he first thought was a religious ceremony going on, until he looked up at the large crucifix and realized it wasn't a carving up there, there was really someone on that upside down cross!

((ANd now we have a Niven moment))

Tracker knew that he had to get to Jeff, and that this little side trip was going to cost him time, and perhaps alert every pipe hitting monkey boy in the entire place, but...

The shot gun blared out its death cry as Tracker combat rolled across the floor, attempting to open the cest cavities of all the bad guys in the room.

(Well, they don't call it the Cathedral of Punishment for nothing.. ;) )

Tracker barreled into the room, and before anyone knew what was going on, there were a lot of bodies on the floor. The man on the crucifix looked out at Tracker with unseeing eyes, he died the same moment Tracker shot the last man that was standing.

Tracker cut the man down, and closed his eyes. "Go in peace".
As he reloaded his shotgun he looked around the room...."Damn shame"
A second later he was back in the hallway tracking Jeff.

Tracker followed the signal, he figured Jeff was two or three flights up the spiraling staircase in front of him. Looking up he saw a stained glass window at the top, with something that looked like a Picasso painting from hell in the glass. He shivered as he looked at the window before stepping on the stair.

The paining made Tracker rethink the intelligence of this adventure, but before he could talk himself into going home, he was going up the staircase, the barrel of his gun checking out the staircase...

As Tracker made it to the second story, the signal from Jeff came from above and to the east, while the screams he heard came from the hallway to the west, right next to him.

damnit Tracker turned to the sound of the screaming... I am comming Jeff, but I have to help if I can... Reluctantly he moved towards the sound of screaming.....

The screams resonated through the halls, as Tracker walked through them it sounded like screaming was coming from every room. He looked inside one bright silver room and a young woman was lying in the room, not breathing. A man in a brown robe was just washing the blood off of his... utensils and humming a tune.

(remind me not to watch "The House on Haunted Hill" and "Event Horizon" back to back anymore....)

((Deal. LOL))

Tracker launched a round into the back of the killers head, and the he walked on down the hall.....
This could take a long time, I have got to find Jeff.. he turned and started heading towards the location of Jeff in his head.

As Tracker walked back to the staircase, he looked up and saw Jeff's face.. no, not Jeff's face... Something more demonic...

Antony looked down the staircase and saw Tracker. He recognized him from before at the steel mill. he ducked back into the hallway and opening a door in the hallway, stepped through it as he heard the commotion below him.

Damn it, what do I have to do to kill Jeff?

Tracker began to move at a faster pace, he felt a great sense of danger. He was not sure if it was a danger to himself or to Jeff, but either way he wanted the hell out of here...

Tracker ran past the room Antony had ducked into, he looked inside but Antony had already vanished. He felt Jeff was close, and the closer he got to Jeff, the stronger the feeling of danger got, almost like it was following him.

Antony in the meantime had slipped into a small passage hidden behind one of the curtains in the building. He was still so new to this place, he was learning as he went, but decided this was the passage to follow for now.

So if you get killed in the land of the dead , I wonder what happens...Oh that line of thinking is going to drive me crazy..

He picked up the pace and made sure that he had a round in the chamber.

As Tracker rounded one of the corners, he almost ran into Jeff and the figure from the steel mill who'd jumped in after Jeff.

It took Jeff a second to recognize Tracker, "You?" he said quietly.

" I have come to take you back to your wife. She is together again, and it is time to go home. Follow me." he headed back down the stairs, something told him that he could not fall back to the real world inside this house....

(Ya think we should wait for Alcona and Hubris at this point? So Ann can act, her dynamic with Jeff might play a part in this, and check your TGs)

Jeff nodded, a look of relief hit him when he heard that Katherine was all right, then a look of concern, he wondered what he'd unleash if he could find Ann's soul and bring it back.

((That is fine, I will be here all night tonight and then back again tommorow night. I am afraid that A&H and I will not be on at the same time very often. TG responded to)

Tracker gave Jeff a quick hug, he was not sure why. He then handed him a package of grey goo.."This batch has a toxin blocker, I thought it might help."
He looked at Ann, "I am sorry that this is such a short introduction, but I am Tracker."

((Check you tgrams again, please ))

(Gotcha, and replied to again, that's a good idea!)

Jeff grimaced as he looked at the package of goo, "Dear God..."

The hallway shook when Jeff said the word "God"

He looked around, swallowed the goo and then at the pair, "And speaking of short introductions, I'm Jeff, and thank you for saving me back there," he said offering his hand to the cloaked person.

Tracker turned and scanned the hall. "I hate to cut this short, ambasadore Williams, but I am sure that your father will be much less likely to cut me in half if we move this right along..."

"Right, we need to get a move on," Jeff said. He was walking around unarmed. But he wasn't unarmed totally, he reached back to pull out Excalib...

Oh sh*t!

It was gone.

Great Jeff, lose a f***ing relic.. the only thing that might be able to save your ass here..

The last time he felt the sword he was.. he was getting an I-beam slammed into his chest. He was going to get it out, but was flung here...

He tried to chalk it up to fate, the sword came into his life when it did.. and now it was gone. There had to be a reason.

((I've missed something, how did Traker get 'in' to deadside?))

The figure looked around and just said. "Lead us the f*** out of here..."

(He magicked himself over to Deadside.

A short while later there was a bag delivered to the room Tracker was waiting in. He took the objects and new shot gun out and placed them in all of the proper pockets and holsters. He was back in his combat gear, he was ready.
He began the relaxation exercise.
"Just like jumping into the stream"

((Continued in part 7))

Jeff couldn't place the figure's voice, damnit all, he knew it from somewhere.

"Come on," Tracker said as the group made it to the stairwell.

The trio went down the stairs, as they hit the first floor the screaming throughout the building stopped. The only sounds were of the group's boots on the marble floor.

"I've got a bad feeling about this,"Tracker said as the group stepped onto the first floor, "This way!" He led the group to the entranceway and a moment later the three were outside.

Lightning flashed against the blackened green sky. Tracker put both of his arms around Jeff and Ann, "OK, I think we're ready. Let's go."

The world in front of the group shimmered, going from the green of Deadside to the relative calm of Dr. Niven's cybernetics lab. The rest of Tracker's team, and James (who'd arrived just prior to the group's return) and Katherine (in a hospital bed) were also in the room after they crossed over.

Tracker smiled at looked at Ann, "Whew, made it in one piece, and you Jef..." He stopped short as he looked over to his other side.

Katherine looked at them, "Where's Jeff??"

James looked around, alarmed. Jeff was missing.

Tracker turned back and closed his eyes. A small window into the other side opened up but he was unable to open it anymore.

-----

Deadside

Jeff opened his eyes after it was supposed to be over. The green sky, the decaying smell. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

"Oh come on Tracker.. this isn't f***ing funny," Jeff muttered to himself.

"But I think it is," a voice came from behind Jeff. "I think it's very amusing."

Jeff turned around and saw Antony standing in the doorway of the Cathedral. He smirked at Jeff, "You didn't think I'd let you go so easily did you?"

"Well, yeah I had kinda hoped that."

Antony chuckled, "Well I don't think so," he looked at the doorway Tracker was trying to open and his gaze hardened, freezing the opening before it could get any larger. "And we don't want your friends meddling in ... family business"

Jeff took in a deep breath as Antony pulled out a large black blade.

Oh this is about to suck on eight different levels of existance...

Sweat was pouring down Tracker's face as he tried to open the door way a little further Just like jumping in a stream my ass, gramma Finally exahustion got the better of him and he had to stop, but the window to dead side remained open.....

Antony circled Jeff like a tiger, his blade swishing back and forth. Jeff tried to keep his distance from Antony.

"Come on Jeff, what's the matter? The Jeff Williams of old finally die off?"

Jeff kept his eyes on Antony while he looked around the courtyard, a few rocks here, a branch there, the leaves on the ground.. Christ, not even McGyver could come up with a workable plan from that.

Antony jumped at Jeff, the inky blade sinking across his chest before Jeff could get out of the way.

Jeff fell back against the wall, recoiling quickly from the flesh of the wall. He stood up just in time for Antony to plant his boot into Jeff's ribs. The ribs, cracked by the I-beam already, screamed under the new stress as he dropped to a knee, rolling away before the blade planted in the ground where Jeff's head was a few moments ago.

As Jeff stood up, he got his second break since landing in Deadside. He looked at Antony and a quick flicker of the heads-up display appeared in his vision.

The new nanites Tracker gave him were slowly working their way through his system, shutting off the toxin as they found it. His nerves stopped burning, his vision was coming back online and .. well Jeff started feeling like his old self.

Jeff pushed himself back up from the ground. "Come on bitch, let's try this again," he said to his brother.

Tracker watched, trying to come up with a plan...nothing was working, he looked to the people in the room in hopes that some one would think of something...


((Lark, check t-grams))

(checked and replied to)

Katherine looked at Tracker and James in shock. She didn't know what else to do either.

-----

Antony laughed at Jeff's apparent bravado. "You're either very brave, or very stupid, and I'm not sure which one it is yet... Probably the latter."

Antony lunged at Jeff with the sword again, and Jeff caught the blade when his own shot out from his arms. Antony's eyes widened as he saw the blades shoot out.

Jeff just winked at him and exploded into Antony with a flurry of kicks and punches. Antony jumped back after a moment and looked at Jeff.

"But... how?"

Jeff grinned at him, "How? I'm Jeff Williams, bitch. That's how."

Tracker's worries began to fade as Jeff Rallied, but he knew that Jeff would be over gunned before long. On a whim Tracker pulled a pistol and fired a shot at Anthony thru the window that he had opened.

The bullet shot out of the opening and sunk into Antony. A sickly green gas erupted from the bullet hole instead of blood. Antony looked at the small opening and pointed, "I'll deal with you slap happy bitches next.."

"Over my dead body," Jeff replied.

"Well, that is the plan, isn't it Jeffie?" Antony said appearing to have recovered from the shock. He waved his hand and a bolt of fire shot out of it and his Jeff in the chest. Jeff got thrown back from the shot and rolled over to put out his smouldering shirt.

"Jesus.. Christ," Jeff said as he pushed himself up.

Lightning flashed and raged at that statement.

"He's not big around here, as you can guess," Antony said before slashing at Jeff's ribs with the sword again.

Jeff felt the blade cut into him, it was icy hot, unnaturally cold.

Seeing Jeff injured Tracker reacted " NO !!!!"

When he screamed the opening widened just a bit more.....

Katherine shrieked when she saw Jeff get struck.

Jeff stood back up and looked at Antony, "Come on, is that all you've got?"

Antony peered at Jeff, slammed his shoulder into Jeff and knocked him down. He picked up the blade and drove it down towrds Jeff's head. From Jeff's view all he saw was the tip of the blade coming toward his head.

Jeff reached up and caught the blade in his left hand, wincing as it bit deep into his palm and fingers. He kicked Antony's legs out from under him and rolled away, pulling out the smart gun from his leg as he stood up. Before Antony could turn around, the crosshairs formed on his back and Jeff squeezed the trigger.

*pop pop pop*

Jeff emptied the pistol in Antony's back. Green fumes and blood rose from Antony's back and head. Antony turned and looked dazed at Jeff and smiked at him, "Is that what you wanted? Me looking shocked at you shooting me?"

Jeff looked at Antony as he stood up with the sword, "You got your shots in, at least allow me the same opportunity." Faster than the lightning falling around them, he reached back and pulling out a dagger flung it at Jeff.

The dagger flew through the air, embedding itself in the armored coat Jeff was wearing. He pulled it out and looked at the coat. It went through but stopped before getting too far in. He wrapped the coat around himself tighter, it was the closest thing he'd get to a suit of armor here.

Antony slashed at Jeff again. This time Jeff deflected it with his own blades and drove his right hand into Antony's chest with the blades extended.

((now))

Antony looked at the blades in his chest, and the other blades parrying the sword and for the first time started to worry about Jeff.

He took what little advantage he had, balling his fist and sending another bolt of flame into Jeff's chest at point blank range, throwing him back into the courtyard.

A nagging thought at the back of Tracker's head finally made it to the front Holy crap, I have his sword !!!
He had not remembered picking it up and it had not registered that he had it until just then.
He looked through the hole in reality and saw Jeff there, he pulled the sword and threw it.

"JEFF !!!!"

Jeff pulled himself up just in time to see Excalibur fly through the air towards him.

(*thud* and it impaled him :P )

The sword stuck in the ground near Jeff. He pulled it out of the ground before Antony reached Jeff. Stopping in his tracks, he saw Jeff's head turn towards him.

"I knew I was missing something here..."

He turned to Antony and circled the sword around in his hand. Antony took a step back before charging into Jeff.

The two swords rang out, sparks flying as the two blades made contact for the first time. Jeff spun around and kicked Antony in the ribs before following up with a slash to the chest. Antony cried out as the sword sliced into him, more of the green vapor rising from his chest.

"You can't beat me Jeffie, when are you going to understand what I am now?"

Jeff shoved Antony back, "Right about now, at the same time I can accept what I am." He slammed the blades into Antony's stomach over and over.

Excalibur hummed as Jeff swung it into Antony's shoulder, Antony's blade hissed through the air as it bit into Jeff's chest again.

Jeff kicked up some dirt into Antony's face as he rose his sword to drive it into Antony. At that moment, Antony raised his sword in desperation and reached into his pocket for a vial. He popped the cork on the vial and threw it into Jeff's face.

Jeff screamed as the acid inside the vial flew into his eyes, shattering his vision and rupturing the corneas. He didn't have time to think about that, he felt his blade punch into Antony at the same moment he felt a sharp pain in his ribcage and out his back.

Both men collapsed to the ground. Antony looked out at the world through eyes that were fading as Exclibur had passed through his neck. His head fell from his shoulders moments before he hit the ground.

Jeff landed on his side, bleeding from the eyes and face where the acid had torn into him, Antony's sword stuck through his left side, front to back.

Tracker's barrier to reentering Deadside collapsed when Antony's head hit the ground.

Tracker lauched through the hole when it reopened. Along the way to pick up Jeff he fired his shotgun into Anthony's head until he ran out of shells. He then scooped Jeff up like a large baby and ran back to the opening. He handed Jeff to the waiting medics on the other side and then turned.
He walked slowly over to the body of Anthony and picked up the black sword.....

He then returned to the real world and sealed the rip behind him, for a moment he heard a voice say "Well done Little Owl...."

(so what did he to do Antony with the sword, we wonders Precious... ;) )

Jeff laid in the gurney while the medics went to work on him. Katherine and James stayed out of the way as much as they could.

(Lets just say that none of his major organs touch each other anymore)


Tracker collapsed into a chair in the hall outside the room that Jeff was in, a large black sword across his lap.
"You alright ?" It was Fiest, his tone was fatherly and concerned. "I don't remember you being much of a trophy collector."
"No, I just didn't want to leave this behind where just any evil entity could get thier hands on it. Now that I have it, I have no idea what to do with it. I guess I will just hold onto it for a while."
"Whatever you think is best. I think we all need a little R&R right now, I am putting the team out of rotation for a month. Pridemore already approved it. Oh, and we got the bonus." Fiest dropped a large envelope in his lap.
"Thanks, I think I am going to stay here until I know that Ambasador Williams is alright, if you don't mind sir."
"I don't mind a bit, son. You stay as long as you need to."

Jeff was unconscious in the room for quite a while, Katherine and he were sharing adjoining hospital beds.

She walked out of the room and saw Tracker in the hallway. She ran over and hugged him, "Thank you... thank you.."

He wanted to say something cool like just doing my job or All in a days work But all that came out was a weak voice "My gramma told me to help him." He then remembered something "You are from Daezmon, right ?"

"Yeah, I am," she said after a moment. "Why?"

" I hate to ask you this, considering all that you have been through." He swallowed "but could you translate a word, or idea for me ?" he looked at his feet.

Translate a word?

"Yeah, I guess I could try to."

"My gramma was trying to explain something to me once, the word she used was second sister or coozin. Do you know what this means ?" He hoped she would not guess what was going on, but something about his gramma's explaination had seemed off to him, and he had to know....

Katherine mused over the word for a couple of minutes, "Well, usually it was used to refer to a sister or brother-in-law, since they became like another sibling.

"You had a Daezemani grandmother?"

well that makes perfect sense...I guess. "Thanks you. Yes my grandmother and my mother were both Daezemani. "he said with a small amount of confused relief.

"Really" Katherine said with a little relief, and a little pang of remorse at the same time. That statement brought back a lot of memories for her. Good and bad... "Well it's nice to see someone else from Daezeman after all this time."

"I only lived there until i was about six, and then gramma, mom and I all moved to Celeborne. My father was from Celeborne, though I never met him, and I think Mom wanted to give me the chance to experience both sides of my heritige." He started to relax a little..." I started working for Niven right out of the military, and that is about my life story up to today." He gave her a small smile, a very Niven smile, and leand back in his chair.

She looked at Tracker's smile for a moment Wow, he looks so much like dad...

"You never had the chance to meet your father? That's sad. But I'm sure he'd be very proud of the man you grew up to be," she said. "So what is it like working for dad?"

She was glad to give her mind a break from Jeff, and Daezeman... and that small part of her that blamed him for it...

"I don't know if he would be or not, mom never wanted a husband so she was artifically inseminated. So I never really think about it much."He laughed "Working for Dr. Niven, well there is an interesting line of work, I think I have done everything from carry medical aid packages into the jungles to protect foriegn diplomats, seen some combat. Heck my team was even stationed on a space station for a while as a police force. We all have standing orders to protect Ambasador Williams if the oportunity comes up, that is kinda how I ended up here." He shrugged
" You never know where you are going to be or what you are going to be doing until you are there and doing it. I enjoy it, alot of folks can't take it , but my C.O. thinks that I am geneticly wired for adventure." He smiled
"I dont have any family, so it is not so hard on me to be moving all the time. Now Fiest he has a wife about 14 kids, so he is always talking about leaving. He never will though.."
He looked up at her "I am sorry , I am just rambleing. It has been quite a day."

"No husband?" she said with a grin, "I wonder what that'd be like..."

She listened attentively, "A space station? Well I think Jeff and I should be taking him up on his offer of a honeymoon at one space station, I think we could use the break.

"Don't worry about rambling, it has been quite a day and you're entitled to it!"

He became somewhat embarassed by the mention of no husband and then recovered.
"Oh the space station was lovely, we never even had to speak harshly to anyone. I guess it is just a different vibe up there. People tend to get along. I am not sure why that is, or perhaps we were just there on a good month. If you get the chance, you should take a trip up the well."He seemd to be perking up.

"Thanks for understanding, I am not sure when the last time I slept was..."

Fiest came out "You are not bothering her to much are you boy ?" He then tossed a package at Tracker "Eat your bugs boy !" He nodded to Katherin and then walked down the hall...

"It'd make sense for people to get along up in a space station, there's no where for them to go if they get upset."

She smiled at Fiest as he walked down the hall.

"Eat your... bugs?" she asked perplexed.

Tracker laughed and held up the package of grey goo(tm) "He is worried that I got hurt and didn't tell him, so he wants me to eat my nanite healer fuel. He calls it bugs because there are nanite surgeons in this batch."
He open the small packet and squeezed the contents into his mouth.
"I had to eat it, 'cause he will check..."

"Nanite healer fuel? That's the stuff dad's always making Jeff eat isn't it? Helps to heal him when he gets hurt?"

"That would be the stuff...It looks old gruel and tastes like glue with black pepper in it. Some of the time I think I would rather be injured." He laughed " But with the number of times I have been shot, stabbed, attacked by vampires, and hit with large pointy objects, I think that grey goo may be my personal savior. Sometimes I wonder if I have any blood left, or if it is just goo." He smiled.
"I just realized that you have been standing here talking to me all this time, can I get you something to drink or a seat ?"

"No I.. I'll just sit down," she said sitting down in the next seat from Tracker.

"Now that sounded like something Jeff would say, nothing left in him but metal parts and nanites," she added quietly before looking back towards the hospital room, "And all the king's horses, and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again.."

" I have seen the stats on the ambasador's hardware, most impressive. I have some, but not that much. Cyberware tends to interupt my...ahem...abilities." He patted her hand, and then look embarassed and took it back.
"I am sure that the ambasador will be fine. He has the best medical team in the world in there working on him. He will most likely come out better than he was before.." He dropped his head to his hands.
"I just wish I could have gotten to him sooner."

Tracker was very unsure as to why he felt such a connection to Jeff. He had held life long friends as they died and not felt like he could have done more. There was jsut something about Jeff that made him want to try harder, to do just a little better.....

Katherine smiled at Tracker, "yeah, though I wish dad were back from London as well. I always feel safer when he's working on Jeff.

"But the last time Jeff had cybernetics put into him, he... he was different when it was done. He tried to explain it to me once, like he was trying to fight off some shadow of himself."

Tracker thinks for a moment "Well, maybe I can explain what might have happened." Tracker began to draw on his experience as a cyberpsyco squad." When a person has cybernetics installed, the person can sometimes start to see themselves as less human. This new view can cause self loathing, unreasonable anger, or they can become egomaniacal." He takes a breath .
"This is all a worse case scenario. The mind can be helped to accept the cybernetics with counseling, and positive self image reinforcement. Not everyone who has a lot of cyberware goes crazy, I mean look at Dr. Niven, he is very heavily modified, and he has very little trouble with it. It may just be that the ambasador is in shock from having so much installed so quickly. He seems like a fighter, I am sure he will be alright."
I pray he will be alright, I would hate to see what happened if he went 'borg...

Katherine listened to Tracker as he explained it, "That does make sense, it sounds like what he was trying to describe to me. It was right after he had his leg blown off and dad getting ready to put in a replacement. There was a lot of stress then, he'd just been court-marshalled, he found out he was engineered while his mom was pregnant and running some eugenics experiment and then he had some really horrible dream. It was after that, he started getting these flashes."

"Sounds like he needs to spend a little time relaxing and doing normal human stuff. Perhaps a fishing trip, or just getting away with you and your children." He smiled
"Stress can make it worse, he could stand a little counseling, if you dont mind me saying so." He blushed again.
"I am sorry if I have overstepped my bounds, Fiest says I have a tendancy to talk to much."

When he mentioned the children he knew where they were. " Conner is up and walking around." He said this out of the blue and was sorry he had just blurted it out. "Sorry, sometimes I just talk without thinking. He is alright, he seems to be looking for something. Would you like me to go get him ?" He then looked at the big sword in his lap and the blood on himself " Maybe not..."

((Hope you don't mind me highjacking one of the kids for that))

((No problem., I was thinking they'd make an appearance sometime soon ;) ))

"It's all right, you haven't overstepped anything. You're right though. We do need to spend some time away from all of this. I know he's put himself under a lot of pressure between all of this, and the embassy, and getting elected to Parliament in Iansisle. He wants to change the world, starting in his own little corner of it. But he butting heads with those who don't want to change it. And the threats have gotten nasty."

She perked up at the mention of Conner, "He is? Oh maybe Pridemore will point him in our direction."

Pridemore was sitting in his office when a little head poked in " Mr. Granddad's friend, do you know where my mommy is ?"
Pridemore stiffled a laugh "Yes, young master allow me to take you to her."

A few moments latter Pridemore and Conner came down the hall to Katherine and Tracker "I think someone wants to se his mommy."

Katherine holds out her arms and Conner runs into them, "Mommy!!"

"How my darlin' doing?" she asked as she kissed his head.

"I'm all right now," he said looking up at her. "You got boo-boos on your face."

She looked embarrased, "Well... yes, mommy's and daddy's get boo-boos too."

"We know all about daddy's boo-boos" Conner said, "He's always got a boo-boo."

Katherine chuckled and looked at Tracker, "Can't argue with that.," she said before looking down at Conner again, "This is mommy's friend, Tra.."

"Hi Mr. Mommy's friend, you don't have any boo-boos do you?"

Tracker thinks about it for a moment..I can't remember if I have been hit or not..."um, I don't think I have any boo-boos. It's ok if I do, 'cause I have magic bugs to make me better." He smiles at Connor.

"He is a doll, Mrs. Williams. You must be so proud."

"Ooooooooh!! You got magic bugs??? I wanna see!!" Conner said excitedly, "Mommy can I see the magic bugs??"

"Well that depends honey," she said stroking Conner's hair. "We are, of all the children.

"Mommy have you seen Meow Meow? Miss Ann left him here, and I'm supposed to look after him til she gets back. Have you seen Miss Ann?? She was here and then gone! We're all worried about her!"

Katherine looks at Pridemore at the mention of 'meow meow', "The tiger?" she asked him.

"Yes ma'am, apparently Baroness Winton left the tiger in Conner care until she returned."

(and I'm off to bed, that final wiped me out, g'night!)

By this time of course "Meow Meow" and the figure had walked down to the dock and boarded the L.O.W. craft. Strangely, cameras had captured her giving a deep curtsey to Mr. Crawfnord...

After the group and the Var had returned to their ship, it had taken off leaving a plume of bright white gas. ((We...nothing left for Ann or Meow in this thread really...and me trying to get on anymore is a test of patience this post took 36 minutes... :? ))

(ooc: aw, cripes! eighty-five posts already? Well - *sets jaw* - this one I'll actually participate in properly. ;)

*gets to work*)

The medical team finished working on Jeff and moved him back into the hospital room as Katherine and Tracker talked.

As he woke up, Jeff groaned and tried to roll over but he bumped into the tubes sticking in him and they hindered his movement. He tried to look around the room, but it was dark. Reaching up, he felt the gauss and bandages wrapped around his eyes and part of his face. The last thing he'd seen.. that fluid Antony had thrown into his face, then a scream, his or Antony's he didn't know, and a white hot burning feeling.

(( I am glad to see the Silver Corp. is still around :) ))

Tracker smiled at Connor "Well, my magic bugs are very small, but if you want to go to your grampa's lab sometime, I will show you what they look like under the microscope." Looking to Katherine "With your mother's permission of course."

His eyes got a bit wide "There is a tiger roaming around ?" He seems to relax a bit " Well I guess anything can happen here...."

(Of course man, I'm taking good care of it for ya ;) )

"Ooooh! Can I mommy?" Conner asked.

"I think it'd be all right."

"Yeah," Conner kept going, "Meow Meow was around , but now I can't find him!"

"How about you and I go right now, so your mommy and daddy can have a few moments to say hello ?" He winked at Katherine, "And then you can show me where your grandpa hides the sandwiches around here."

Katherine smiled at Tracker, "Thanks" she said as she looked in and saw Jeff slowly moving around.

"Come on!" Conner said grabbing Tracker's hand and leading him down the hallway. "The kitchen's this way!'

Katherine slipped into the room and closed the door.

"Who's there?" Jeff asked a little nervously.

Katherine kissed him and whispered, "Guess who."

Tracker went flying after Connor down the hall "I guess you wanna eat before we look at the bugs then ? Thats fine with me."

As they hit the kitchen a large woman turned around with a knife in her hand. Tracker droped into a combat crouch and pulled a pistol while whipping Connor behind him.

The large woman started laughing.

"'ere now, whats all this then ? Connor, tell your 'ittle mate 'ere to put his play pretty away and clean up for lunch. Move now, lets go, march two three four."

Tracker had his gun put away and was washing his hands all the way up to his neck before he knew what happened.

(God Bless Mrs. Pridemore ;) Oh, and check your TG's)

Conner ate quickly and excitedly as he sat at the table. "MMmmmmm! This is good! And we can look at the bugs after this!"

He looked around the windows, "I don't see Meow Meow anywhere. Miss Ann's gonna be mad at me!"

" These sandwiches are great ." Tracker half way through his third sandwich.
"Well thankee kindly lad. would you fancy another ?"
"Yes ma'am."

Tracker sat and ate for a while, it was the first chance to relax he had had in a while. He looked down at Connor, " We can go look at the bugs right after we eat, and I bet I can help you find meow-meow. I am very good at finding things." He started to concentrate..

(Checked and responded to)

"Yea!!!" Conner said with a smile in between bites.

(the tiger's gone, there'll be a note for Conner on his bed if I know Ann ;) )

Tracker looked a little confused "Mrs. Pridemore, you might want to let the guards know that the tiger has left the house.....Don't worry Connor, it's a tiger, it is bound to show up....Lets go see the bugs." Tracker cleared thier plates and washed up again. He then held Connor up so he could wash his hands.
"Lets go to the lab."

"I hope he does, Miss Ann's gonna be mad at me.." Conner said a little worried.

The worry vanished as Tracker led Conner to the lab to look at the nanites under the microscope.

Tracker entered the lab and showed his security pass to the lab tech. He took out a package of grey goo and put a small amount on a slide, he then placed it on an electron microscope and adjusted the view.
"Here you go tiger, these are the magic bugs that make me feel better and fix my boo-boos."
He boosted him up and let him look in the eye pieces.

Conner looked in the eyepiece excitedly, "Coooooooooooooooooool!!" he said with a grin. "Does my daddy have these too?? Oooooooooh! They're moving now!!! I want some!!"

"Yes your daddy does have these. Your grandpa helped invent them." He sat Connor on a stool.
"You have to have special cyberware. do you know what cyberware is ? Well, you have to have that for these to work right. You only get those if you get hurt alot, or really bad, and you don't want to get hurt. Your mommy and daddy would be very sad if you got hurt." He tosseled Connor's hair.
"How about instead of bugs in you, you and I go out to the pool and have a swim ? I will check with your mom. I will also see if you can have some ice cream after we get done ? Dosent that sound better than bugs ?Hey, and if you are really good, and your mom says it is ok, we will go to town tomorrow and I will take you to the museum."
He picked Connor up and carried him back to the hospital wing to check with his mom.

"That would be great!!" Conner smiled, "I don't wanna get hurt either. Can Julie and Marcus come too??? that sounds like a lot more fun!"

"Sure, Julie and Marcus can come also. But your Mommy has to say it is alright." He sat Connor down and knocked on the door..
"Mrs. Williams ?"

"Come in." she said.

Conner ran over to Katherine and hugged her.

"Mommy? Can I go to the museum tomorrow?? And swimming now?? Marcus and Julie can come too, to the museum and the swimming too! Why does daddy have that on his face? We missed you daddy!"

Jeff chuckled, "I can see he's as quiet as ever."

Tracker laughed, "Sorry to intrupt, but I wanted to see if it was alright if I took the kids out to the pool for a while, and then treated them to ice cream. And tomorrow I thought I could take them for a trip into town to see the museum. I thought you two could use a little time to rest, and I know the kids will go nuts if they are kept locked up here in the house."

"I think that'd be great, give them some time out of the house," Katherine said.

"Yea!!! Thank you Mommy!!" Conner smiled, "Ice cream!!!"

"I'll bet their going nuts here," Jeff added, trying to peek at Conner through the bandages, more to see if he has any sight left.

Tracker scooped up Connor and spun him around. "Alright champ, go get your brother and sister and get into your swim suits and I will meet you at the pool."

He waited a moment until Connor was down the hall. "Ambasador, do you need anything ?" He took Jeff's hand " You will make it, you know. Your family needs and loves you to much for you not to make it."

Tracker turned and left the room Lucky man, even with everything that has happened to him, he still has a family...

Jeff squeezed Tracker's hand a sec, "I'm all right, I don't need anything. Thanks for everything, though," he said with a smile.

Pridemore was walking down the hall when he passed Connor. Pridemore just smiled and kept going. He intercepted Tracker in the hall " I need you to meet me in my office tonight. No rush, get some rest and play in the pool, but come by and see me."
"Yes,sir"
"You also have run of the house, and I have cleared you to use any of the Doctor's personal vehicles. I thought you might stay for a while. But we can talk later."

He entered Jeff's room "Oh good you are both here. I just got a bit of news from Larkinia. Jeff, you have won the election. I guess I should call you Mr. President ?"

Katherine was confused, "What election?"

Jeff turned to the area he heard Pridemore's voice in, "Come on Pridemore, that was just to call Antony out. No way I got elected, I didn't even run a campaign really."

Katherine looked at Pridemore, "I don't think he's kidding sweetheart."

Pridemore placed his hands behind his back and looked at his feet, " I am sorry, I thought you would be happy. This is no joke, you won the election."

The shock was evident on Jeff's face as he thought about it, "don't be sorry Pridemore, it's just a little hard thinking people actually voted for me, I mean I didn't really do anything when I was there.

"So.. I actually won?"

Jeff's head tilted down a little, and a grin spread across his face, "Oh man, I got a bad feeling about this. So.. any advice?"

Pridemore smiled "Well, we have a few people doing damage control. Your press agent, that would be me for now, has been leaking information that you are in Celeborne with your wife, and will return soon for an acceptance speach and such, but for now your wife has your full attention. It seems to be going over quite well with the women of Larkinia, according to the polls anyway."
"For now, you should rest. Perhaps send a nice letter or voice recording over. We could even make a video of whatever voice recording you make, we have some very talented artists here who could make you look uninjured...."

"Well, it's true," Jeff said reaching out to find Katherine's hand. She took his hand in hers quickly. "How much damage are we trying to control?"

"So... you ran for president?" Katherine asked him.

"Yeah, I was gonna draw Antony out and get him, but he threatened you and ... well I went after him."

((ok...I think I'm more or less caught up. Would James be in the room with Pridemore, Kate, and Jeff?

Sorry I've been such a recluse of late...finals gave way to packing up the room :?))

(No worries man, how were they? I think James wasn't in the room yet, I didn't want to speak for him while Jeff and Kate were... 'talking' ;) )

(No worries, I was gone for 2 months I think....)

"Well, if the two of you will excuse me, I have some things to see to." Pridemore backed out of the room.


((I hope you don't mind me saying that Pridemore was leaking things to the papers ..))

((Can do! ...er, I would do a post of James relating his experiances to Christin, but I'm not really too sure what those were...there was a weird building with the doors ripped off, then he was home, then...I'm not even sure ;).

See, that's what happens if you leave an ANH plot alone! You get hopelessly lost. Heh. Maybe I can just have him arguing with some Alconian. I remember doing that!))

((That's perfect man ;) ))

"No, wait!" Jeff said nervously.

"He's gone dear," Katherine said.

"Now what? I didn't actually think I'd win," Jeff said. "I'm tired of our life taking a backseat to politics. God I wish dad where here," He sighed, exhaustion setting in.

((James and Christin could be walking to check on Jeff, James saw the whole Jeff v. Antony prize fight, he could be telling it to Christin))

Katherine leaned over and kissed Jeff, "I'll be right back, I need to check on something."

"All right, I'm not going anywhere," he joked.

She walked out of the room and walked toward the front doors.

Tracker and the kids were in the pool playing "Marco Polo" which was unfair given Trackers advantage.....

"And then, slice," said James, mirroring the stabbing of a sword, "ran each other straight through!"

"How terrible!" exclaimed Christin, her hand at her mouth. "But Jeff..."

"Dad's people have been working on him. I don't know how Celeborne's medicine works, but it's the best in the world."

"And Antony?"

"mortuus est," said James with an almost sadistic grin as they walked into the antechamber.

Katherine saw the kids in the pool and giggled at Tracker's advantage in the game.

She slipped into the kitchen, she was incredibly hungry, she didn't remember the last time she ate. It made sense, she couldn't remember anything from getting in the limo in Iansisle and then being trapped someplace, like a blue room.

She smiled at Mrs. Pridemore, "I hate to ask, can I get something to eat?"

"mortuus est," said James with an almost sadistic grin as they walked into the antechamber.

(( :lol: No, James didn't get too much enjoyment out of that did he? :P )

Jeff laid back in the bed, his mind filling of thoughts of elections.. of Antony.. of Katherine.

Not again, I can't let her down again... I guess I can't abdicate the presidency...

((not the SLIGHTEST bit, I assure you! ;)))

James opened the door quietly and peered inside.

(heh heh)

Jeff heard the door open and he was pulled back from his thoughts. His bandaged eyes turned to the door.

"Hello? Kattie ?"

Mrs. Pridemore turned to Kathrine "'ere now deary, you just 'ave a seat, and let me whip you up a little tucker to make you all better."

10 minutes later Katherine had a feast laid out in front of her.

Katherine looked at all the food in front of her, "Goodness, I didn't think I could eat this food when I was pregnant.. much less now," she said. "Thank you," she smiled at the woman before digging in to some sliced chicken.

"Just me and Cris," replied James, opening the door a bit wider. "I - you weren't sleeping, were you? I don't want to disturb you."

Jeff smiled as he heard James' voice.

"No, I wasn't. I was just... thinking. I'm glad you're here. I have a question for you," he started.

He rose up his right hand and held up four fingers in front of his face.

"How many fingers am I holding up? I swear to God I don't know.."

"I..." started James, gazing down at Jeff's shattered body. "Four, Jeff." His voice was very sad. Christin squeezed his arm. He seemed to have something else to say.

Jeff put his hand on the bed and patted it, "Come into my office James," he said pushing himself up.

"Now, come on, tell me why you sound so sad?"

"Maybe I should leave you two alone," said Christin in a half-whisper.

"No, that's - I'm..." James stuttered a bit. Christin smiled and kissed him.

"I'm going to see if there's anything to eat. You two try not to get in too much trouble while I'm gone." And she walked off to the kitchen.

James sat silently on the edge of the bed for a spell.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help, Jeff," he said quietly at last. "I wanted to so badly, but there...I..." The almost admission didn't seem to get everything off his chest.

Jeff cocked his head to one side, "but what James? What aren't you telling me?

"James, if there's anyone who should be apologizing, it's me. I should have woken you up and told you why I was leaving."

James laughed. "If we're going to get into that, I should have guessed you were going to leave and woken myself up. Hindsight is..." He glanced at Jeff's eyes. "Well, no, I think that's everything I wanted to get off my chest.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in a desperate attempt to divert the topic.

Jeff shook his head, "Not that easily, bro. Not now. Spill it, what else do you want to get off your chest?"

-----

Katherine smiled at Christin as she walked into the kitchen, "Thank god you're here Cris! I can't eat all of this by myself," she said warmly.

"That damn mole?" tried James. "All right," he sighed, "it's not that easy; I know." He searched around the room. "It's nothing much really..."

Just that I think I'm in love with your wife...dammit, that wouldn't sound right at all. I need something, anything, else. Um...

Thinking on his feet had never been one of James' strong suits. A half dozen possible false topics floated through his head, everything from leaving the stove on at home to wondering if Antony was actually dead. None of them seemed worth the buildup he had accidentally given it.

"I...just wanted to know if this was all worth it," he said. "I don't know shit from Shinola where this magic stuff is concerned, and I wanted to make sure that...you know."

It sounded even more lame in his head than it did aloud.

----

"Good grief, Kate!" exclaimed Christin, pulling herself up a chair. "This is quite the heaping feast!"

She helped herself to whatever was closest with a few friendly words of thanks to Mrs Pridemore and tried to carry on a friendly conversation. But she couldn't help glancing more curiously than was natural at Kate every now and then.

"Mole?"

Jeff chuckled, "I'll ask dad to look you over when he gets back."

He then waited during the pause, "Was this worth it?"

Jeff's face didn't betray the thoughts that flooded him.

Was it worth it? I'm lying here in a f---ing hospital bed, blind as a bat, wishing someone would put a bullet in me to finally give me peace, broken down like I've been run over by a tank, and Katherine almost died, Ann's dead and you might have been next... Was it worth it???

His answer was all he needed to know.

"Yes it was. I guess I have a lot of Karma to pay back, I must have been a bad guy in a previous life and I have to earn my honor back."

Jeff's head dropped a minute.

"What else?"

-----

Katherine nodded, "it sure is!" she said with a smile, "I didn't realize how hungry i was until I woke up in that tank."

Katherine blushed and rose a hand to her face when Christin glanced at her, she thought Christin kept looking at the bruises and cuts on her face from the accident.

James half-smiled, thinking he had gotten out of the worst of it. "Maybe you're just storing up negative karma," he suggested. "Y'know, so that you can have nothing but good luck and a cozy lifestyle from here on out?"

"What else?"

James' stomach dropped a league farther than Jeff's head. "W-what else?" he repeated.

----

Christin glanced away and blushed. "I - I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to stare; it's just, y'know, I've never met anyone who has gone, um, been on the other side."

Tracker and three wet children entered the kitchen, all smiles and laughing until they saw the three women in the kitchen. They all blushed and looked at the floor, knowing they were going to get yelled at for being wet in the house..

Tracker found his voice first "Well...er...you see, I promised the kids ice cream...and..er...they couldn't wait any longer."

Mrs. Pridemore looked at them, and busted out laughing.

James half-smiled, thinking he had gotten out of the worst of it. "Maybe you're just storing up negative karma," he suggested. "Y'know, so that you can have nothing but good luck and a cozy lifestyle from here on out?"

"Damn, that'd be nice. Maybe I can start off as the new President that way.." Jeff was cut off by James' next statement.

James' stomach dropped a league farther than Jeff's head. "W-what else?" he repeated.

"James, you sound like someone just told you Santa Claus didn't exist, it can't be seeing me in a hospital bed, god knows I've been in one so many times before..."

Christin glanced away and blushed. "I - I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to stare; it's just, y'know, I've never met anyone who has gone, um, been on the other side."

"Well, it's not like I died or anything, you'd have to ask Jeff about the land of the dead," she winked in between sips of juice. "Maybe dad will have the time for a little plastic surgery. I'd like to get rid of some of these gashes."

Katherine smiled at Tracker and the children, "There are my babies," she said to them.

"Mommy!!" Julie and Marcus ran over, "you're awake!!"

Mrs. Pridemore was setting out Banana spilts and sundays before the water had dried on the floor "Course now the 'ole lot of you are gonna be helpin with the cleaning in 'ere, now aren't you ?"

Tracker looked up with a face covered in fudge "Yepps Ma'am"

"James, you sound like someone just told you Santa Claus didn't exist, it can't be seeing me in a hospital bed, god knows I've been in one so many times before..."

"He doesn't?" asked James. Fortunately, Jeff had supplied him with some good ammunition for diverting the topic. "Wait a moment - 'the new president'? You can't be serious..."

---

Christin laughed. "I'm sure he will. But don't worry; they're not so bad."

She smiled at the children as they swarmed over Kate, unconsciously rubbing her belly.

Conner nodded excitedly, "uh-huh!" he said setting the bowl down on the floor like he'd done with Sir Meow before and eating that way.

Julie rolled her eyes and looked at Katherine, "Is it too late to trade him in mommy?"

"Yes is it sweetie."

"James, you sound like someone just told you Santa Claus didn't exist, it can't be seeing me in a hospital bed, god knows I've been in one so many times before..."

"He doesn't?" asked James. Fortunately, Jeff had supplied him with some good ammunition for diverting the topic. "Wait a moment - 'the new president'? You can't be serious..."

"No he doesn't, I hate to tell you that," Jeff chuckled before continuing.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Jeff said, "After all we did, which was basically nothing, we still won, at least that's what Pridemore said."

Jeff was glad that James was perking up, wait a sec!!!

"Hang on, don't change the subject, what had you so depressed?"

---
Christin laughed. "I'm sure he will. But don't worry; they're not so bad."

She smiled at the children as they swarmed over Kate, unconsciously rubbing her belly.

"I wish they weren't," Katherine said before the children reached her. She kissed each of them over and over, "Oh, I missed you babies.."

Tracker finished up and collected bowls " If you will all excuse me, I just realized that I have not slept in 3 days and my endorphin chip is about to give out. I will leave you all to your family time."


Tracker made his way back to the room he had been assigned to, He wondered what the guys were doing, and how soon it would be before they were redeployed. He really missed them, they were the closest thing that he had to a family. He took the clothes that he had been wearing for his adventure and dropped them in the laundry basket and secured his firearms and the sword in a weapons closet that had been brought in. He found himself sitting on the side of the bed holding the gem that had at one time held Katherine's soul. He placed it in the locker also and then fell into bed.

((ooc: I think I'm shoving off, dudes...server's givin' me trouble and I'm half asleep as is. 'Night!))

"No he doesn't, I hate to tell you that," Jeff chuckled before continuing.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Jeff said, "After all we did, which was basically nothing, we still won, at least that's what Pridemore said."

Jeff was glad that James was perking up, wait a sec!!!

"Hang on, don't change the subject, what had you so depressed?"

"Depressed?" said James, feeling slightly like a broken record. "No, no - I'm not depressed. I am worried about you; you need your rest now more than anything else."

He wanted to tell Jeff everything; he wanted to get it off his chest once and for all. But he just couldn't. Not now, with his friend and brother lying half dead in a hospital bed.

"That's great news about the presidency, though. Have you been in touch with President Katana?"

"No I haven't yet. I gotta tell you James, I don't know if I really want to be president. I've got a great life in Iansisle, I'll have to give that up, move everyone to Golden Agate, I won't be able to visit much anymore.. I kinda like my life as it was before."

(g'night dude, and James could always tell Jeff, give him a heart attack to finish him off and then have Katherine and Christin to himself :P )

Jeff reached out and after a few moments found James' shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He knew there was something more, James had always been a horrible liar around him, but Jeff didn't feel comfortable pressuring him anymore.

"Look," he said, "If you don't feel OK talking right now, then don't worry about it. There'll be plenty of time to talk about plenty of things in the future."

(g'night dude, and James could always tell Jeff, give him a heart attack to finish him off and then have Katherine and Christin to himself :P )

((I don't think polygamy is illegal as such in Iansisle, but I'll bet IanCorp would really have a field day with it ;)))

"Look," he said, "If you don't feel OK talking right now, then don't worry about it. There'll be plenty of time to talk about plenty of things in the future."

"Yeah," agreed James, "the future."

"No I haven't yet. I gotta tell you James, I don't know if I really want to be president. I've got a great life in Iansisle, I'll have to give that up, move everyone to Golden Agate, I won't be able to visit much anymore.. I kinda like my life as it was before."

"I think this is good for you, Jeff," James said, "and good for Larkinia. Between you and Takeo, I think your voters made a good choice.

"I know change is hard - it'll be tough not being able to just drive over to your house - but it's almost always for the best."

*feh, forums... Bah! Humbug!*

"Look," he said, "If you don't feel OK talking right now, then don't worry about it. There'll be plenty of time to talk about plenty of things in the future."

"Yeah," agreed James, "the future."

Jeff sighed inwardly, he'd let James off the hook yet again. If Jeff didn't know better, he was enabling James' behavior of ducking questions...

"I think this is good for you, Jeff," James said, "and good for Larkinia. Between you and Takeo, I think your voters made a good choice.

"I know change is hard - it'll be tough not being able to just drive over to your house - but it's almost always for the best."

"I dunno," Jeff said. "Yeah, it'll be hard, and it'll suck not being able to just stop by Dun Adien and see how you and Christin are. Christ James, I don't know how to be a leader..."

Niven sat in the recliner on his personal aerodyne, reading the report from Jeff's latest adventure and looking over the medical charts that had been sent along with them "sweet gods, that boy is going to need a new set of eyes...."
He leaned back and looked it over one more time "Seems like this Tracker boy has some real talent, I am going to reassign him. I think I want to have him close by."
Niven pulled a small laptop out of the side compartment of his chair and typed in a few quick directives to Pridemore.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tracker rolled out of a troubled sleep and wandered into the shower Damn, I look like hell. He examined the criss cross of scars on his body that made him look like a road map of Silver City. A short beard had found it's way to his face and he smelled like chlorine and sweat. the shower hit him like a baptisim, and he was whistling by the time he finished shaving and putting on the clean clothes that were left in his room.
He opened the bonus envelope that Fiest had given him and poured the contents onto the bed.
Among the standard objects (inventory forms for items used, kill/injury counts ect...) was a smaller envelope. He carfully opened it and found a note, a set of keys, and a credit card.

Tracker,
Consider this a thank you for all of the extra effort and sacrifice that you experienced on this last mission. The Keys are to a Celeborne cycles Roadmaster 1800. The card has your bonus, $250,000. Enjoy your time off. You are not scheduled for duty for 30 days.

Tracker stood up to make sure he had not just wet the bed....He had wanted a Roadmaster since he was a kid. he dressed quickly and ran out to the garage.

((Heh heh, sweet! so is this a chopper or a crotch rocket? ))

((Chopper))

(Cool! ))

Katherine had just finished eating when the rumble of a familiar aerodyne was heard in the distance. She winked to Christin, "Sounds like Dad's home"

Niven saw his compund approaching through the window of his areodyne. He stood up, streched and started getting ready for all of the hugs to come. He hit the comm button "Have my medkit ready, I want to go down and have a look at Jeff. I also want my best eye designers ready for a custom job, understood ?"
"Yes, sir."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracker returned from drooling over his new bike, it was even red just like he wanted. His cell phone rang.
"Tracker here"
It was Prisemore on the other line.
"Could you come to my office, there are some tests we need to run."
"On my way."

Tracker entered the office. Pridemore and two labtechs were waiting. There was also a new computer on the desk. The lab techs were armed....

"We are going to do a three point DNA test. There are some concerns that you are really Tracker. Don't get upset, we just want to make sure that we are getting back the same guy we sent out."
Tracker thought this is pretty standard stuff, I have had this done before, but never my the boss's number two guy

They took a blood sample, a hair sample and a mouth swab.
"This should just take a minute"
The machine began cross refrencing the DNA with all DNA on file.

The children grinned as they saw the aerodyne land, Katherine watched as they rushed out to the landing pad to see their grandfather.

"Grandad!!!"

The Aerodyne landed softly and Niven strolled down the walkway. He saw the children running up to him and smiled "Who let these urchins into my compound ? I am not running a shelter for wayward children here." He scooped them up and gave kisses and hugs all around.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pridemore looked up from the screen, he had two positive matches. "Tracker, you are clear. Enjoy your time off, but stay close by, please."
"Yes sir."
Tracker left and Pridemore sent the medics away. He sat stareing at the results....Son-of-a-bi***..... No other computer would have this information to cross with. This was going to be interesting...

"No! We're not u'chins..." Marcus said as the children hugged Niven back.

"Did you have a good trip?" Julie asked.

Katherine and Christin followed the children out, "How are you dad?" Katherine asked him.

"Of course you are not urchins, you are the most darling children in the world." He hugged them again.

"I had a lovely trip, Julie. How are you doing ?" He smiled broadly.

He hugged Kathrine, and then started the examination " How do you feel ? why are you out of bed ? Are you in any pain ? ect..ect..ect.." He was looking in her ears, eyes and anything else he could see.

"Yes sir... I'll be all right dad... I was just hungry and Mrs. Pridemore cooked something for Christin and I... I'll get back to bed soon, I'm not in as much pain now." She appeared to be doing a little better, there's not many external signs for the internal injuries so she's letting the nanites do their job.

"Well, alright then. I guess you have to eat." He said smiling. "now you lot of children, come with me. We are going to check on your daddy and make sure that he is feeling better, and you all are going to be my medical staff. Connor, go and get my bag, it should be next to the door. And you two" he said picking up the little ones " You two, go get my lab coat and meet me at your dads room. Go on now, off to work, no more eating my food and not working." He started laughing.
Putting his arm around Katherine "You seem on the mend, lets go fix that husband of yours..."
Niven's watch beeped, he looked down and read the message scrolling across the face We need to talk.....Pridemore. Niven pressed the button that would send a message to Pridemore letting him know that the message had been read.

"Yea!!!" The children shouted in unison as Conner ran off to grab the medical bag, soon he was carrying a bag that was half as large as him over his head, while Julie and Marcus were wearing Niven's lab coat as they met Katherine and Niven at the door.

"I feel a little better," she said quietly to Niven. "I don't remember much of the accident, I can't remember getting run off the road."

"What good helpers I have. Now you all come in with me and be quiet while I check you dad out, and if he trys to give me any trouble you tell him to be quiet and let grandad take care him. And afterwards we will take my aerodyne out over the ocean before it gets to dark."

Niven walks into Jeff's room.
"Heyo, boy. Tell me the blow by blow, and don't leave any injuries out. I am going to double check you and see what we need to do." Niven begins his full check up, making the children look the other way from time to time.

Jeff rolls toward the door when he heard it open. "Hey dad," he said with a tired grin, "How are you and Jill?"

He started to describe the last day or two to Niven, blow by blow.

(check TGs)

Niven finishes his examination before the story ends and sits down.
"well, it seems likeyou have had quite the adventure, I thought I told you to stop that." Laughing a bit.
"alrighty down to brass tacks, we are going to have to replace those eyes, what do you want in the new ones ? " As if on cue, a pair of medics enter and begin taking measurments and taking notes.

Jeff heard a couple of people walk in, but didn't know who they were at first.

"I just have to be able to see Katherine and the kids again," Jeff started. "Just... I guess the same package I had before."

"Alright, Jeff we can do that. We are going to need to take you down to the surgery room. We can fix everything all at once, but it is getting late. We will take you in first thing in the morning." He fixes Jeff's blanket and then gives Kathrine a hug.
"Alright kids, out to the Aerodyne with you, we are going to go for a flight." Thurning to Kathrine, "Why don't you relax a bit. I will see that they get to bed at a reasonable hour."

Jeff nods, "I think I can use some sleep."

Katherine walks over to her adjourning bed, "You're right dad," she smiled as she slipped into the bed., "Just make sure they don't go jumping out of the aerodyne."

"Yea!!!" the kids shouted as they ran out to the Aerodyne.

"Ahhh, I thought I would let them jump into the ocean....How much damage could that do.." He was laughing again as he walked down the hall to the Aerodyne pad. In his head he was already performing the surgery that would be neccessary and putting together a supply list to have sent over in the morning, some of the parts that he would need were not in his private hospital.

"Alright , everyone strap in and lets go."
"Pilot, lets go watch the sunset."
"Yes, sir."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tracker was out on his new toy checking out the sunset when he say the AV go over...

The kids watched out of the windows at the sunset as the AV hovered above the ocean.

"OOooooohhh!! Cool!!" Julie said as she wached.

"Preeeeeeetty," Conner said bouncing up and down in his seat,

Marcus hugged Niven again, "Granpa, can you make daddy all better? I want him to be better. I want him to spend time with us like this..."

"Oh yes, your daddy will be better before you know it. And after he is better I am going to ask him if we can all go to a space station for a vacation. Does that sound like fun ?"
Niven cuddled Marcus down onto his lap and watched the sun set.
"Pilot take us a little higher, I want this to last a while."
"Yes sir."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pridemore was starting to get a little nervous."How am I going to tell him ?"

"'ere now deary, don't fret so much. The good Doctor is right proud of the family he 'as now, I am sure it will just bubble his kettle when 'e finds out 'bout this one. It'll be like christmas in july, it will. You just watch."

"I must know how this happened." Pridemore kissed his wife and then wandered back to his office. He punched up Tracker's birthday and started doing research.....

Marcus smiled up at Niven as he leaned back against him to watch the sunset. "Thank you Granpa!"

(check TGs, back in a few!)

As they talked, Katherine moved from her bed into Jeff's, curling around as much of her husband as she could with the tubes and braces.

"James asked if it was worth it?"

"Yeah," Jeff said, trying to pull her closer, "It was. The thought of anything happening to you... I just couldn't handle it. I'm so sorry sweetheart, I should have seen it coming, I shoulda stopped it."

A tear would have run down jeff's cheek, if he'd had anything left. Between what happened to Katherine, Ann, the idea of Antony coming after his family, in addition to his eyes disintegrating, left him emotionally and physically unable to.

"It's all right," she said kissing him, "You can't know everything. If you did, then you'd know you were going to be president."

"Hon, I want to give the election to Katana." Jeff said, "I don't want politics to keep us apart anymore."

The AV landed just after dark, and Niven took the kids in for some dinner. Mrs Pridemore already had the table set when they came in.
"There's my lovelys. Alrightyo, hands washed and ready for supper ?" She waits for a positive response.
"Alright then, here comes the tucker." She started filling the table and then turned to Niven "And you, off to the study, my 'usband needs to talk wit you and I dinna want him up all night waiting.Shoo, shoo. Dinner will be 'ere waiting when you get back."
Niven was down the hall before he relized that he had been shooed out of his own kitchen by the cook...Oh well it was really her kitchen and she is much more than just a cook.

Pridemore was still staring at the computer screen when Niven walked in.
"So, what is so important ? Did we take over another small nation by accident ?" Pridemore looked up.
"Well, yes. But that is not why I called you. You are going to need to look at this." He turned the screen around. Niven leaned in and looked at the information.
"So, Jeff has some Daezamonie blood in him. What is the problem." He turned white..."You didn't tell him did you ??"
"No sir, I did not. But this is not Jeff's genetic profile.....This is agent Tracker's profile." Niven fell back into a chair.
"Holy sh*t. I have another son........How ? He is the wrong age to be from before I was married, and the only time I fooled around was with, well you know who."
"Yes, sir. I have traced it back. It would appear that before one of your surgeries, you decided to put some of your sperm back incase something went wrong and you decided that you wanted to have more children. It appears that facility was broken into and one of the things that they stole was your, along with several others, sperm samples. I have fired everyone who should have reported this to either you or myself." He took a drink. " It looks like they took it to Daezamon for sale on the black market, not because it was yours but because artifical insemination was not exactly legal at that time." He leaned back in his chair.
"So how do you want to handle this ?"

Conner looked back down the hallway, "When is grampa coming back??"

-----

Katherine looked at Jeff as he finally fell asleep, she kissed his forehead gently. So often he'd been in the hospital, so many times Niven had to patch him back together. At times she wondered how Niven could stand it, having to open his so.. adopted son's broken body and replace the pieces again.

But she was thankful, if not for him, Jeff would have been dead many times over.

Niven returned to the kitchen and made sure the children were done wiht dinner. "So I think it is time for you guys to go to bed." He walks them all to thier rooms and tucks them in. "Good night. I love you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tracker was paged to Niven's office. He had never been to the boss's office before. I bet he wants to thank me in person for helping his son.

Tracker approached the office and Niven waved him in from behind his desk. "Shut that door behind you, please"
Tracker closed the door and came in and took a seat.
"Can I get you a drink ?"
"No, sir. But do you mind if I smoke ?"
"Go ahead, but only in my office." He said lighting a cigar and winking
Smiling "Yes, sir." He pulled out a cigarette and relaxed.

"Tell me about your family, Tracker." Tracker was taken off guard by the question, but figured this man could know his great grandmother's underware size if he really wanted to know....
"Well, I lived in Daezamon with my mother and grandmother until I was about six, and then we moved here. Mom said that my father was from Celeborne, and she wanted me to have exposure to the culture. They both went back....Before..well...you know what happened. I never knew my father. Mom didn't want to have a man around for some reason so she went to a street doc to get pregnant, and here I am. I don't know how mom knew my father was from Celeborne, unless" He pointed at the side of his head "she did have the gift.."

"This may seem odd, but I want to solve part of the mystery of your life." Niven leaned forward at his desk, releaved that he was not traumatized by not having a father, or that his mother had told him that someone else was his father..
"Do you want to know who your father is ?"
"Yes, I think that I would"
Niven turned the computer screen around to face him, and then explained it all.

A while later , Tracker was able to speak " So, you are my father and neither one of us ever knew about the other." He became thoughtful..
"Does this change anything ? I mean, I still have a job don't I ?"
Niven started laughing "Son, I take family very seriously, even family I did not know about. You have more than a job, you are going to become part of the empire..." The next several hours were spent showing him pictures of his new family. "Oh, and there is another suprise comming up, but I cannot tell you about it yet."

Tracker didn't really hear him, he had the strangest feeling....He was home.

Niven returned to the kitchen and made sure the children were done wiht dinner. "So I think it is time for you guys to go to bed." He walks them all to thier rooms and tucks them in. "Good night. I love you."

Three little voices replied in turn, "I love you too grampa."

Conner looked around before Niven tucked him in, "If you see Meow Meow, please tell him I'm worried about him. Miss Ann's gonna be mad if I lost him."

When Niven left the children he was shaking his head "Meow meow ?"


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

((Do you want to time warp throught he surgery and recovery ?))

(sure, sounds like a plan to me!)

Niven was relaxing in his office a few day later, having ordered a change in Trackers security clearance and setting a few other things up to provide for him, if something should happen to Niven.
Tracker and the children had a wonderful time at the Museum, and he was really enjoying being an uncle, even if no one, other than Niven ,Pridemore and Tracker knew right now.
The surgery on Jeff had gone well and he should be out of the tank today.
Niven made his decision, he would tell Jeff today. He went down to the recovery room and saw Jeff floating in the water "Time to come out before you get all pruny."

Jeff floated in the tank and smiled at Niven from around the breathing tube. His sight was coming back, and like Niven had promised, the first sight he saw when he opened his eyes was Katherine.

Jeff was helped out of the tank and the wetsuit, dried off and threw on a pair of cargo shorts for the inspection.

Niven looked him over, checking a few things. "Well, son, despite your best efforts, I think you are going to live. But If you keep tearing up my cyberware I am going to make you start paying for it. " He said laughing and throwing Jeff a shirt.

"Now that you are feeling better, I think it is time that you and Katherine join me up in the study for a serious talk. There is some one I would like for you to meet and soemthing I would like to talk to you about." Niven checked the charts on the table nest to him.
"How about later today, I think you are up to it."

Jeff threw on the t-shirt, and chuckled, "Pay for it? Just think of it as a trade for keeping the forces of hell at bay for a few more years.

"A serious talk huh? Well, then I'll go pick up Katherine and we'll meet you there shortly."

"Fair enough then. You keep the forces of hell at bay, and I will keep patching you up." He said laughing.

"That would be great I will meet you up there." He walked up the hall and pulled out his cell phone "Tracker, could you meet me in my office ?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tracker hung up the phone and headed up to Niven's office. They got there at about the same time. The office was no longer a mysterious place to Tracker, he setteled into a chair and lit up a cigerette.

Jeff knocked on the door, Katherine opened the door and a look of shock spread across her face. Jeff pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, the minutes ticked by as they kissed.

"It's about time you got out of there," she said.

"Yeah," he smiled back. "Before we get too... comfortable, dad wants us to meet him in his office, something's up."

Katherine sighed, "Not again... no more adventures, I want you all to myself."

----------

Jeff knocked on the door to the office before the pair walked in and looked at Niven and... Niven in a younger time.

"Hey Tracker," Jeff smiled at him.

Tracker stood quickly "President elect Williams, Mrs. Williams."
Niven smiled "it has been a while since that title has been used in this office..."


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niven settled back into his chair "Sit, get a drink smoke a cigar, we may be here for a while."
"There are a few things that it is time that you knew Jeff, and you also Kathrine. First is something that I have only recently found out. Tracker is my son." He then explaines everything to them.

"Also and this may be a shocker for everyone here but me, and I should have told you sooner....I ...I just didn't know how. And I am sorry for adding to your stress." He took a long drink and pulled a picture out of his desk, it was Jeff's mother.
"A long time ago, it seems like two or three life times, I was in Larkinia. I was assisting in the development of a super soldier serum. I met a young researcher there, we were both married, I was a long way from home, and well things got out of hand. She became pregnant and decided the best thing for everyone was for me to go back to Celeborne and her to tell her husband that the child was his. I told my wife and the children when they were older, that is why cookie doesn't talk to me. My wife forgave me in time and we moved on with our lives, but I could not come see you or tell you the truth." He took a cigerette from Tracker and lit it.
"When you were knighted I came to see how you were doing, I knew of your parents deaths and I wanted to make sure you were taken care of. The rest just developed from there."
"I was selfish, I was afraid to tell you because I thought you might be so angry that you would never speak to me again. But now the truth is more important than my fears. Jeff, I am your father."he looked down at his desk.
"If you want to go , I understand. I am sorry, but Iam also proud of you. You are so much more than your father...so much better..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracker sat in stunned silence as he found out that he had a brother....A few days ago he was alone, now.......

Tracker stood quickly "President elect Williams, Mrs. Williams."
Niven smiled "it has been a while since that title has been used in this office..."

"Well," Jeff said, "I haven't figured a way out of that yet."


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niven settled back into his chair "Sit, get a drink smoke a cigar, we may be here for a while."
"There are a few things that it is time that you knew Jeff, and you also Kathrine. First is something that I have only recently found out. Tracker is my son." He then explaines everything to them.

"That's wonderful!" Jeff said with a smile to the two of them, "Dad, I know you've always wanted a real, blood-related son, not just an adopted pair, and this is great news for you!"

Katherine felt there was something more to Niven's story.

"Also and this may be a shocker for everyone here but me, and I should have told you sooner....I ...I just didn't know how. And I am sorry for adding to your stress." He took a long drink and pulled a picture out of his desk, it was Jeff's mother.
"A long time ago, it seems like two or three life times, I was in Larkinia. I was assisting in the development of a super soldier serum. I met a young researcher there, we were both married, I was a long way from home, and well things got out of hand. She became pregnant and decided the best thing for everyone was for me to go back to Celeborne and her to tell her husband that the child was his. I told my wife and the children when they were older, that is why cookie doesn't talk to me. My wife forgave me in time and we moved on with our lives, but I could not come see you or tell you the truth." He took a cigerette from Tracker and lit it.
"When you were knighted I came to see how you were doing, I knew of your parents deaths and I wanted to make sure you were taken care of. The rest just developed from there."
"I was selfish, I was afraid to tell you because I thought you might be so angry that you would never speak to me again. But now the truth is more important than my fears. Jeff, I am your father."he looked down at his desk.
"If you want to go , I understand. I am sorry, but Iam also proud of you. You are so much more than your father...so much better..."

Jeff looked at the picture of his mother as Niven pulled it out. What in the hell??

He listened in silence as Niven went on to explain his relationship with Jeff's mother. Katherine squeezed his hand as Niven talked, That explains why Dad always put so much effort into Jeff... she thought.

The silence hung in the room almost as heavy as the day Niven told Jeff he'd kidnapped Grant and brought him to Celeborne... He tried to work out the information in his head.

"So, my step mo... your wi... she never wanted you to tell me," Jeff started "And now you feel comfortable telling me..."

He reached over and picked up a cigarette of his own. "You don't smoke cigarettes," Katherine said.

"Well, I think now's a good exception to that rule," Jeff said lighting it.

Jeff looked up at Niven, his eyes softening and a small smile warming his face.

"The first thing we need to talk about, dad, is your timing."

Niven's eyes welled up with tears...."Sorry about the timing, I should have said something sooner...I...am..sorry..I can fight vampires bare fisted all day, but the thought of losing you scared the hell out of me."

Jeff smiled at Niven a little more, "Well, we can work on the timing issue in the future. And you told me now, you didn't wait longer, like until you were on your deathbed, to tell me. Thank you for that."

Jeff took a drag on the cigarette before continuing, "I know how that feeling is, it scares the hell out of me to lose you too dad." He turned and grinned at Tracker, "And now I have a brother I didn't know I had. Well, another brother.. You have to be the good one, we all saw the bad seed..."

The thought was bittersweet, it drew his thoughts back to Ann just after she'd saved him..

"Ah, well who knows Jeff. I may completely screw up in the Golden Agate. I may come out of it successfully...I've got my furry companion and savior, a few new friends...All I need is good man, let me guess no unmarried brother Jeff?"

I'm sorry Ann.. if I'd known I'd have told you.. if you were still here.

"So you don't hate me ? "Niven asked with a raised eyebrow.

((Lark, check t-grams))

(checked, working on a reply now, no worries man. :) )

Jeff mock-peered at Niven for a moment before a grin broke out, "Ooooooooooh I'm so mad I could just hug you to death, old man. I love you, you already know that dad."

Jeff chuckled, "Now, I have questions I'm sure, I have frustrations over why you couldn't tell me anytime in the last 8 years. But you've already been my dad for that time. So part of me feels like it's ... right."

Niven walked around the desk and hugged Jeff " You have just made me the happiest father in the world."He saw Tracker over Jeff's shoulder
"Well get over here, we are a huggin family. You might as well get used to it." He motioned Katherine over to complete the group hug.

Tracker looked at Jeff "You are my brother, and I wish to be a part of your life and life of your family, if you will allow it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niven sat back down, "Now as to the reason that I did not tell you over the past 8 years ? When ? We have been jumping from adventure to adventure so fast I was afraid that it would distract you when you needed to be focused, and then the children came. It just never seemed to be the right time. I will do anything I can to make it up to you." He smiled again "Thanks for letting me be your dad."

Jeff smiled at Tracker, "Of course you will be a part of that, there's no worries there."

Katherine chuckled, "Geez, you two and James, we have three musketeers right there."

Jeff also sat back down, "You're right, I can see that I needed to be focused a lot, plus the children ... You're really my dad... and I'm glad you took the time to tell me now at least.

"Letting you be my dad? I think you'd flog me if things turned out any other way," Jeff chuckled.

"I would at least hunt you down and tickle you..."

"Now that we have taken care of all of the old business, we need to get you back to Larkinia. You have a country to run, or if I know you to give away ."He laughed.

Jeff winced at the statement, "Yeah, I gotta figure out a way to get out of that. At least we should all head over for the party I think y'all will want to throw."

(and I'm outta here for the night, have a good weekend Cele!)

ooc: Just letting y'all know that I won't be posting the rest of today or most of tomorrow, most likely. I'm making the shift from Tucson to San Diego and won't be in front of a computer for some time.

Anyhow, I'll catch both (all?) of you Saturday evening-ish! Later!

the only time I fooled around was with, well you know who.
OOC: What happened to Fowler?

At times she wondered how Niven could stand it, having to open his so.. adopted son's broken body and replace the pieces again.
OOC: Wasn't it purely because the number of times Niven had to patch Jeff up that they grew so close to each other?

EDIT: Sorry, wrote that before reading the whole thread. Though I wonder just how many affairs Jeff's mother had. Is James Niven's son too, by any chance?

the only time I fooled around was with, well you know who.
OOC: What happened to Fowler?

OOC: Well I think that he was just talking about the time when he was married.

At times she wondered how Niven could stand it, having to open his so.. adopted son's broken body and replace the pieces again.
OOC: Wasn't it purely because the number of times Niven had to patch Jeff up that they grew so close to each other?

EDIT: Sorry, wrote that before reading the whole thread. Though I wonder just how many affairs Jeff's mother had. Is James Niven's son too, by any chance?

OOC: I think it'll just be the two, she probably got serious after the whole baby freakout in 4A. And ya know, I was wondering if Niven was ever in Iansisle say... 32 years prior. ;)

I-Man, no worries dude, I've got to wrap up some stuff in Albuquerque and still figure out if Jeff's actually going to be president or not. So I'll be online Saturday night... god that's so sad just reading... :P

OOC: I liked it more when Jeff was Grant's son, but that's just personal opinion, I guess...

EDIT: So does this mean Antony is Niven's son, too?

figure out if Jeff's actually going to be president or not.
It it even legal to be the president of Larkinia, a congressman in Iansisle, and the ambassador of Larkinia to Iansisle, all at the same time?

OOC: I liked it more when Jeff was Grant's son, but that's just personal opinion, I guess...

EDIT: So does this mean Antony is Niven's son, too?

figure out if Jeff's actually going to be president or not.
It it even legal to be the president of Larkinia, a congressman in Iansisle, and the ambassador of Larkinia to Iansisle, all at the same time?

OOC: I've been wanting to do this for so long...
He's a Peer of Iansisle which is definitvely not a congressman...It is sort of the same way that the King of Hamburg could be a Peer of England and sit in the House of Lords until 1912. Hell, they could ask for their title back actually...Presently (If I recall correctly) there are is an Earl and three Lords who could be elected President of the United States. (Because they are american citizens but have english titles of nobility)

(I've Milosteined Milostein...let the war of the peanut gallery begin!)

OOC: I liked it more when Jeff was Grant's son, but that's just personal opinion, I guess...

EDIT: So does this mean Antony is Niven's son, too?

OOC: It probably does, since they are nearly identical. I toyed with the idea of Antony being Grant's and Jeff's being Niven's, but my biology background only goes so far and I don't know if it'd even be possible. And in another mea culpa, I had been thinking of this idea ever since Cele said.. I think it was back in Rebirth and Redemption in Celeborne, or a little earlier, he joked about Niven being Jeff's actual father. so it'd been in the back of my mind for a while.. (yes I actually remember stuff like that... I so don't have a life... :P )

It it even legal to be the president of Larkinia, a congressman in Iansisle, and the ambassador of Larkinia to Iansisle, all at the same time?

OOC: Jeff's going to appoint someone to be Ambassador to Iansisle, maybe someone more levelheaded, like Javin :P (actually he'll probably tip Markson for that position.. I wonder how Iansisle would handle a Black Larkinian Ambassador ;) ) As for the parliamentaryship, I haven't figured that out yet, Jeff will have to give it up probably (like Dirwisham and Tarriff would be heartbroken about that) Plus he can always visit and then they HAVE to at least pretend to respect him. ;)

(I've Milosteined Milostein...let the war of the peanut gallery begin!)

OOC: LOL, let the commenting begin. ;)

OOC: I liked it more when Jeff was Grant's son, but that's just personal opinion, I guess...

EDIT: So does this mean Antony is Niven's son, too?

figure out if Jeff's actually going to be president or not.
It it even legal to be the president of Larkinia, a congressman in Iansisle, and the ambassador of Larkinia to Iansisle, all at the same time?

OOC: I've been wanting to do this for so long...
He's a Peer of Iansisle which is definitvely not a congressman...It is sort of the same way that the King of Hamburg could be a Peer of England and sit in the House of Lords until 1912. Hell, they could ask for their title back actually...Presently (If I recall correctly) there are is an Earl and three Lords who could be elected President of the United States. (Because they are american citizens but have english titles of nobility)

(I've Milosteined Milostein...let the war of the peanut gallery begin!)
OOC: Ah yes, he's ALSO a duke of Iansisle (I forgot about that one), however, he was also elected into the Iansislean Commonwealth Combined Parliament (see the Another Day In Paradise thread, the one with Gallaga where Jeff first met Ann, for evidence), which is what I meant with congressman. Okay, parliamentman. So sue me.

OOC: I liked it more when Jeff was Grant's son, but that's just personal opinion, I guess...

EDIT: So does this mean Antony is Niven's son, too?

OOC: It probably does, since they are nearly identical. I toyed with the idea of Antony being Grant's and Jeff's being Niven's, but my biology background only goes so far and I don't know if it'd even be possible.
OOC: I'm not a biologist, but I'm pretty certain it's not.

And in another mea culpa, I had been thinking of this idea ever since Cele said.. I think it was back in Rebirth and Redemption in Celeborne, or a little earlier, he joked about Niven being Jeff's actual father. so it'd been in the back of my mind for a while.. (yes I actually remember stuff like that... I so don't have a life... :P )
OOC: I also remember that (you got the thread (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=87123&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=220) name right). Additionally, I also remember that at the time I thought of answering "Nono, Grant is!" but decided not to.

And don't worry about that life. I don't have one either.

OOC: I also remember that (you got the thread (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=87123&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=220) name right). Additionally, I also remember that at the time I thought of answering "Nono, Grant is!" but decided not to.

And don't worry about that life. I don't have one either.

OOC: I've heard those lives are overrated, but I'd like to find out someday... ;) And I don't know how much more Jeff could take, cause Cele made a good point, I've sure put him through a lot of sh*t so it's about time something nice happened to him again.

OOC: I've been wanting to do this for so long...
He's a Peer of Iansisle which is definitvely not a congressman...It is sort of the same way that the King of Hamburg could be a Peer of England and sit in the House of Lords until 1912. Hell, they could ask for their title back actually...Presently (If I recall correctly) there are is an Earl and three Lords who could be elected President of the United States. (Because they are american citizens but have english titles of nobility)

ooc: And I've been wanting to do this for so long :D. Yes, Jeff is a peer of the realm, but Iansisle isn't the U.K. - it doesn't have a true two-house parliament. Peers sit in the cruinniú which...doesn't really *do* much. They rarely get called, and they can be overruled by both the council and the full body. Peers are also allowed to be elected and sit in the Imperial Parliament or the Combined Parliament.

To make things even more complicated, remember that the Empire of the Shield is a conglomeration of seven kingdoms tied loosely to the High King. But each of the seven kings can create their own peerages. Peers of the kingdoms do NOT get called to the imperial or commonwealth cruinniú, but do get to sit in their domestic assembly of lords. Some kingdoms, like Weshield and Vesshampton, do have proper Houses of Lords. Take, for instance, the Earl of Dunerbridge: he is a Peer of Weshield, and therefore sits in the Weshieldian House of Lords, but does *not* attend imperial or commonwealth cruinniús. Jeff is a Peer of the Empire, and therefore cannot attend the Shadoran cruinniú, but can attend imperial or commonwealth wide ones...uh...

Where was I going with this?

OOC: ...Okay, parliamentman. So sue me.

MP. Sued :P.

(LOL, and I think I get it... no, damn there it went again... :P ) I'll have an IC post with James in a few minutes (deadlines here)

ooc: Heh, even I'm confused by that. Interesting but completely unrelated story: a couple days ago, I was trying to think of the most powerful man in Iansisle. I asked my brain, and the reply was something like "...um...Christ, I don't know! Why are you asking me?!" :lol:

Anyway, no worries about the response, dude. I'm going to be here for a while. And remember - Real Life > NationStates ;)

(LOL, you gotta love those kinds of answers to your own questions.)

IC:

Jeff and Katherine walked out of the the study after the discussion had finally ended while Tracker went to take the children out for ice cream. Jeff was happy, but still in a daze after what Niven had told him.

"You all right?" Katherine asked him with a kiss.

"I... yeah I am. It's just still surprising about dad actually.. ya know.."

"Being your real dad?" she asked.

"Yeah, It's really great, and I'm glad he is, I wish he'd been able to tell me sooner. I can kinda understand why none of his daughters, aside from Ann, wanted to meet me. I guess it's gonna be kinda hard being the 'bastard son' of the group."

"Come on Jeff," she said, "You know you're not."

"Well," he chuckled, "technically I am."

Katherine nodded and kissed Jeff again, "I'm going to go wash up and then we can go sailing." she said as she slipped down the hallway.

Jeff smiled at her and walked out onto the patio, watching the sun glisten off of the ocean.

((ooc: Sorry if this's a totally inappropriate response. I'm a little groggy right now and wasn't quite sure how to fit myself into this ;)))

"Just about ready, love?" called James. He was glancing himself over in the mirror with just a bathing suit on. A quick squeeze of his chest - there was more loose fat there than there had been just a few years ago. He resolved, for the seventh time in a week, to start working out more. Christin walked out and saw him.

"You look fine, dear," she said, kissing him on the ear and wrapping her arms around from behind him.

"Uf," he grunted with a smile. “Nice to hear that coming from such an unbiased commentator.”

“And these self-apprasials are unbiased?” she challenged, giggling.

“Well - ”

“I didn’t think so!” Christin slapped him on the belly. “Come on, let’s go - Jeff and Kate are waiting for us.”

“Well...” started James again, twisting out of her grip and picking his way to the closet. “Maybe I ought to wear a shirt.” He slipped one on. “Just in case.”

EDIT: bloody double negatives!

(Perfect dude!)

Katherine walked out of the room, wearing her two piece with a sarong while Jeff was out on the docks untying part of the boat.

She bumped into James and Christin in the hallway as they walked out of their room.

"Hi you two," she smiled.

"Hi, Kate," they both replied. Christin smiled at her friendly; James smiled too, but seemed very interested in the wall just over Kate’s shoulder.

“Great day for a sail,” said Christin as they walked down to the docks. “I didn’t used to like anything that slow, but living in Iansisle certainly changes your apprasial of what the word ‘speed’ means.”

“Unless you spend too much time around Jeff,” James quickly ammended. He seemed eager to draw Jeff’s name into the conversation.

Katherine followed the pair out, quickly looking over her shoulder wondering what James was looking at.

"It does!" Katherine said with a smile to Christin, "Although I'd prefer having a slower pace to life, after everything that's happened."

She looked at Christin and cocked an eyebrow at how quickly James spoke. "You've gotta get him better trained," she whispered with a wink.

Christin also looked curiously at James. His cheeks pinkened slightly, but he smiled. “Sorry; guess I’m just excited.”

“Anyway,” continued Christin, “It will be nice to get home. I’ll never let anyone in Northampton know it, but Iansisle’s really growing on me. No small thanks to one Iansislean.” She elbowed James slightly.

“Mrs. Subtle-pants,” he replied with a childish grin. She laughed anyway.

Katherine laughed at the pair flirting, she wondered if she and Jeff would get back to acting like that again.

"I bet it's growing ... on you," she replied, slightly surprised at what she said. "Wow, that sounds like something Jeff would say."

"What sounds like something I'd say?" Jeff said from the boat as they approached it.

"Hey ya, Jeff," smiled Christin. James added a "howdy, bro," (the lingo being picked up from Jeff), but it was hard to talk with his heart in his small intestine.

"Oh, just the usual," Christin grinned.

(Nice to know she can still shock. ;) )

"Hey Cris, Bro, how're you two doing?" he asked before Katherine walked onto the boat and kissed him.

(heh)

"As well as could be expected," said James.

"Nift-arific!" said Christin enthusiastically. "How about you?"

"That's great guys," Jeff said, casting off the last line just after they stepped on the boat. "I'm doing better than I was a few days ago Cris." Jeff added with a wink.

"Dad's got some work to take care of, and Tracker's taking care of the kids, so we'll finally get some down time to relax."

James found himself a seat. "It is nice to just..get away from everything. Sail off into the sunset, as it were." He took a deep breath. "Then again, I suppose the sea's always been a tad romantic for me. It's in my blood, I guess."

"The sea's not the only thing that's a romantic around here," laughed Christin, looking at him. "You should try listening to yourself every now and then."

"I figure it's too good for my own ears," shrugged James.

"Awww, don't tease him too much," Katherine said with a playful shove to James, "Some man has to be romantic here.. You should listen to him more Jeff, you might learn some things."

Jeff laughed, "Yeah, I've been told I need to tap into my romantic side more often."

Katherine got up and quickly jaunted down the stairs below, a few moments later she walked back up with a bottle of champaigne and four flutes.

"Now, what should we toast to?"

((heh...I must be tired. the sentence 'champaigne and four flutes' made me briefly think "oh..crap. What's James' musical schooling been? ;)))

"To a healthy Jeff!" said Christin at once.

(LOL, oh that's great man!)

"I'll drink to that," Katherine started.

"Wait wait wait," Jeff smiled as he picked up his glass, "I think James will agree with me on this, to the two most beautiful women in the world. Where would we be without them?"

"Hopelessly lost," replied James. "I'll drink to both of those!"

((I think I'm heading off, dude...I'm hopelessly tired!))

(Cool dude! Get a good night's sleep and start looking forward to the summer! Catch ya tomorrow)

Jeff raised his glass in mock reluctance, "Well, if I have to toast to the first one, I'll do that as well. Like it'll stay that way though," He said jokingly.

(Argh! Ok, this saga might have been a little more depressing than I thought :P . I just finished a game on the X-box tonight and after you beat the main evildoer, you still end up dying! My first thought was "If I wanted a storyline where the hero dies after defeating the bad guy, I'd write a fresh chapter of TPTB!" ;) )

I just finished a game on the X-box tonight and after you beat the main evildoer, you still end up dying!
OOC: You think that's bad? There's this game on the SNES where the hero just DISAPPEARS. There's no plausible reason for this, he just magically ceases to exist because he's not needed anymore. Or something like that.

I just finished a game on the X-box tonight and after you beat the main evildoer, you still end up dying!
OOC: You think that's bad? There's this game on the SNES where the hero just DISAPPEARS. There's no plausible reason for this, he just magically ceases to exist because he's not needed anymore. Or something like that.

OOC: Oh man, that's gotta suck! Hmmm... he just magically disapperars? That gives me an idea for Jeff....

Jeff raised his glass in mock reluctance, "Well, if I have to toast to the first one, I'll do that as well. Like it'll stay that way though," He said jokingly.

Christin snorted. "The past isn't always an indicator of the future, Jeff."

"No matter what it seems like," added James somewhat less than profoundly. He seemed at a lack of anything profound to say, but wanted to get his voice into the general conversation. He glanced quickly away from Katherine the exact second he realized his eyes had wandered there.

Katherine and Jeff finished their glasses of champaigne before Katherine turned to Christin, "Come on Cris, let's go up front and get some sun. there should be a couple of lounging chairs there if someone did their job," she said with a wink to Jeff.

"Don't worry, they're up there," he said before blowing a kiss to Katherine.

Katherine and Jeff finished their glasses of champaigne before Katherine turned to Christin, "Come on Cris, let's go up front and get some sun. there should be a couple of lounging chairs there if someone did their job," she said with a wink to Jeff.

"Don't worry, they're up there," he said before blowing a kiss to Katherine.

James watched them - which one of them? he wondered - walk up front. He was a little more than eager to have a distraction removed.

"We really ought to do this more often," he decided to say after their wives had vanished around forward.

---

"This is perfect!" declared Christin, sinking into one of the lounge chairs.

Katherine stripped off the sarong to sunbathe and tossed it to Jeff, "Here, make yourself useful," she smiled.

Jeff caught the sarong and laughed, "So since I caught this it means..."

"Hey, behave yourself," she laughed as Christin and she walked up to the front of the boat.

Katherine laid down in the other lounge chair, "Yeah, this is wonderful. Nothing to worry about but not burning too much. Can I grab you another drink?"

-----

Jeff watched Katherine and Christin go forward as well, he didn't know where she got that bikini, but he'd have to thank whoever got it for her.

"We should," Jeff agreed, "I love the ocean, it's so calm, the solitude can be wonderful."

"You'd make a fine Iansislean," grinned James. "Or, rather, you have. Just don't let Richard hear you talk that way - he'll have seventeen fish tales down your throat before you can escape!"

---

"Nah; moderation in all things," said Christin, rolling over to her front. Then she laughed. "I'll wait at least five minutes."

"I hate to spoil such a perfect day," she started after a moment or two, "and it's probably nothing, but have you noticed James acting a little strange lately?"

"I have, haven't I" Jeff said with a smile. "And I think I can handle some of Richard's stories. A little peace and calm would be just what we could use around here."

Jeff turned the wheel slowly and took another sip of his wine. "Have you ever... well, had your world rocked so much that it just takes your breath away?"

-----

Katherine nodded to Christin, "You're not spoiling anything. But it does seem that he's been preoccupied, or well, he has been acting strange lately."

“I can’t say that I have,” replied James. “An allusion to your recent world-shattering revelations*?” he asked. “You know that my ear’s always open.”

(([terribly lazy] * on which I’m a tad vague...so Niven is Jeff’s real dad? Is there anything else of which James should be aware? Sorry! ;)[/terribly lazy]))

----

“Thanks, Kate,” said Christin. “I don’t want to drag you down. I dunno what’s wrong. Like today - he was worried that he was putting on a little extra weight. I told him it was nothing - it is nothing - but he didn’t seem to believe me.

“James usually isn’t the sort to get self-conscious about his figure,” she continued, rolling over on her back and closing her eyes against the sun. “It’s got me a little worried, honestly.”

(Yep, Niven is Jeff's real father... One of those Star Wars moments I'm sure ;) )

"Yeah," Jeff said looking out to the ocean. "Dad caught me off guard today when we met in his office. Tracker's actually dad's son. Apparently some of his semen was stolen and used to impregnate a woman in Daezeman.

"And then he told me he was my real father. He and my mom apparently knew each other before."

-----

"He was worried about his weight? That's a first," Katherine said as she rolled over onto he stomach, "What do you think it is? He's always been reserved, but that's almost too much"

((oops...before I continue this, James didn't have any knowledge of that, did he? Heh, just in case, I provide Option A and B - go ahead and pick which is best for the situation.))

Option 'A':

"Yeah," agreed James. "I can see how hard that must be for you. Still, though, much better - er, Dad, than someone else."

Option 'B':

"Hold on a second!" exclaimed James. "Dad is your real father!? ((heh, how confusing would that be to someone who doesn't follow our rps?)) And Tracker your brother!?" There was disbelief written all over his face.

"That seems...impossible, Jeff! But fantastic!"

----

"IanCorp calls him the most socially liberal monarch the Empire's ever had," smiled Christin, drapping her right arm across her eyes. "But, I know what you mean. And this is fussy for anyone, especially James.

"I have no idea what it might be," she finished, but her voice left the hint that she wasn't so clueless as her words indicated.

"Hold on a second!" exclaimed James. "Dad is your real father!? ((heh, how confusing would that be to someone who doesn't follow our rps?)) And Tracker your brother!?" There was disbelief written all over his face.

"That seems...impossible, Jeff! But fantastic!"

"Yeah, it is impossible," Jeff said. "It explains why he showed up to the knighting ceremony like he did. He said that his wife wouldn't let him contact me ever. So the first chance he had was at the ceremony. I guess it makes sense why the only of his children we've met is Ann. It's gotta be hard to deal with the bastard child of the family."

"IanCorp calls him the most socially liberal monarch the Empire's ever had," smiled Christin, drapping her right arm across her eyes. "But, I know what you mean. And this is fussy for anyone, especially James.

"I have no idea what it might be," she finished, but her voice left the hint that she wasn't so clueless as her words indicated.

"He is fairly liberal socially, more so than the rest of the nobles," she started.

Katherine might not be able to sense emotions much anymore, but she knew something was up. She rolled over to one side and looked at Christin, "You don't? Really? You sound like you might have some idea."

((Ah, Option ‘B’...I liked that one better myself ;)))

“Well,” started James. He didn’t sense as much happiness as would be expected from Jeff. “I guess not, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem now. Now that you’re, y’know, officially a full member of the family and all.”

----

“Maybe,” admitted Christin, “but I don’t like to think about it.” She lay her left hand on her belly, rubbing what was quickly becoming a slight swelling. “And it’s probably nothing anyway. Just...I can only think of one other time when he’s acted at all like this, at least as long as I’ve known him.” She paused. “When we were dating.”

((Ah, Option ‘B’...I liked that one better myself ;)))

“Well,” started James. He didn’t sense as much happiness as would be expected from Jeff. “I guess not, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem now. Now that you’re, y’know, officially a full member of the family and all.”

"Yeah, well it might not be a problem," Jeff said with a smile. "It's weird, but I guess sooner or later they can accept who I am. Besides, it's like.. ever since he patched me up after that duel, he's kinda become our dad anyway, so it's not a change in my heart."

"Maybe,” admitted Christin, “but I don’t like to think about it.” She lay her left hand on her belly, rubbing what was quickly becoming a slight swelling. “And it’s probably nothing anyway. Just...I can only think of one other time when he’s acted at all like this, at least as long as I’ve known him.” She paused. “When we were dating.”

Katherine looked at Christin's stomach a moment, she thought she recognized that kind of slight swelling...

"What do you mean you don't want to think about it? He's probably just self-conscious cause he wants to relive those first dating months with you again."

"That's the spirit," agreed James heartily. "Have you told Kate yet? This is such great news!"

---

Christin laughed, but not quite as mirthfully as earlier. "I thought I'd finally helped him out his self-consciousness a year or two again. I don't think he'd suddenly revert out of some sort of second honeymoon thing."

She moved her arm and looked over at Kate with the slightest hint of a tear in the corner of one eye. "I -- I can't help but wonder - and it's really stupid - if maybe he has eyes for someone else."

"Yeah, Katherine was in the room when Dad broke the news to us," Jeff said with a smile, "Katherine... James, I realize how lucky I am. Any other woman would have probably left after all of the shit we've been involved in."

-----

"Well, I can't think of any other reason why he'd be self-conscious," Katherine said before listening to Christin's concern.

"You think he does?" she asked shocked as she sat up a little bit "Well we should nip this in the bud now and make sure he knows what your concerned about."

There were a couple seconds before James' response. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. We've all been very lucky the past couple of years, in love and war."

----

Christin sat up too. "Well, maybe - I mean, I don't really think -- it's just that...I don't even think I know what I'm talking about." She glanced back aft. "Y-you don't mean right now?"

"Yeah we have," Jeff looked back into the ocean. "Do you think there's just one person for everyone? Sometimes I do get worried that she might finally get fed up. Like a few years back, after the court-marshall, when she was on the verge of asking for a divorce..."

-----

"Well, if you're concerned, if you don't talk about this, it'll just fester and get worse. I know, I never told Jeff I was thinking about asking for a divorce after he got his leg blown off... I, I'm lucky he understood the stress we were all under."

((oooh, smooth! :P))

"One right...yes, I suppose I do." James let another few seconds pass between question and answer. "I didn't know about the divorce, but it was probably just because of the stress. I think Kate's just perfect for you, Jeff. If things just calm down for a while, I'm sure she'll never leave you."

And I certainly don't want her to do that...do I?

----

"You were thinking about a divorce?" mused Christin curiously under her breath.

"I understand, it's always better to have things out in the open. Just...I don't know, I kind of expected to talk this over with him one on one."