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Julio looked out from the new balcony on the addition that Peter had added to the house for his quickly-expanding family. During the party in Orlando, so many things had happened that he was still processing it all. Not only did his family and friends manage to sneak in a wedding for him, Jesse, and Benny, but the rest of the flight crew and ground crew for the air wing caught up to Herman and his family, and were now getting to know their new brothers and neighbors. Robin and Eddie had teamed up to bring Robin's new little brother, Avery, up to speed on his new home. The triple-twins decided that it was their responsibility to give their guests from Uridan a long-overdue crash course in living in a divisional headquarters, and were now in the process of teaching them Earth-style outdoor activities.
"What are you doing up here?" Mick asked as he walked over, interrupting Julio's thoughts.
"I think I know how Cory feels," Julio responded as he leaned over into Mick's side. "Where'd all this come from, and why us?"
Mick pulled Julio into a one-armed cuddle. "Where? I think it all came from the very big hearts of a group of boys that I've been blessed to watch growing into their future. Why? I think it's because you all don't just talk, you do things. You attract other youth who feel the same way, and then those that were afraid to speak up before gain courage by joining you and counting on you to back them."
"None of us tried to do this, though," Julio replied softly.
"I'm pretty sure that if you guys had tried to build this, you would have failed," Mick explained. "Youth like you, Cory, Danny, and Prez are what makes the core of the Clan work. The rest of the Divisions look to the four of you as examples of how to adjust to things as they come up; just by being yourselves, you teach all of them what family is really about, and they pass that on to their own Divisions. Even us adults are learning from you guys, just like you learn from us. The absolute best decision I made in my entire life was the day I told your Mom that I would raise you as if you were my blood son. Every night, I thank God for giving me the honor of standing by your side as your Dad."
Julio twisted to wrap his arms around Mick. "I love you, Dad," he whispered as he took the opportunity to soak up the love that was only his to receive.
Hac looked around at the group of half-lifes that had came over from Chicago. "Okay guys, before we go back up top, let me fill you in on what we came up with. Any of you that want to go ahead and proceed, we'll take care of it now. Ark and Klaus looked into what records there were about the original virus that created the first Moroi, and reverse-engineered the bracelets that were recovered that nullify the allergy to the sun. As all of you have been Mikyvis-certified to have an honest desire to not depend on killing to survive, all of the Clan AI systems put their heads together and reviewed the restricted genetic modifications from around the time I was converted to what I am. While it doesn't eliminate your need to feed, it does mute it enough that you can survive for a few months on meat like you used to eat before you were changed. This should make it so that you only feed when dispensing justice on someone that was already sentenced to death."
"What about non-meat food?" one of the boys asked.
"It won't hurt you, but your body can't really use it," Hac explained. "You'll each respond a little differently, so for non-meat items, take it slow until you're sure that you can handle them. Now, since you're Clan, we've been given the approval to give you a version of the bands that you'll see Moroi Clan officers wearing. Theirs gives them unlimited daylight access unless the band is physically taken from them. Yours give you conscious control so that you can shift schedules to help new guys or join night missions. Also, if you go rogue or otherwise break core Clan rules, it can be disabled on order of the Clan Patriarch or Brandar. It is a gift to you, but for the safety of the world's population there had to be limits put on it before the tech was released for us to use. You'll understand more when you've been through the Moroi History classes that the Professor gives in Orlando; I'll just say that your ancestors were not as civil as Moroi are presently, and we're not going to let your race devolve back into that from something we did. You wouldn't have got them if we didn't trust you, but I've learned over the centuries that sometimes people change."
"Will we get a warning before it is shut off?"
Hac nodded, "with only a couple of exceptions, we'll make sure that you are safe before the command is given. Actions that are an automatic death sentence under Vulcan law will have no warning... but even if that didn't kill you, you would be terminated anyway."
"Do we have to do both to get one of them?"
"Nope, neither one depends on the other," Hac noted. "It's your body, so you decide. Take some time to discuss it with each other."
Hac took a seat, content to let the youth Moroi make their own choices. He'd already had the discussion in private with Kit, Kaiyan, Zach. Grover and Chris; all had decided to take both options so they could protect their brothers and any families they created.
"Hac?" the oldest boy said, interrupting Hac's thoughts, "We've all decided it would be stupid to not take both options."
Hac nodded with a smile. "I figured that you might; just to be fair, all thirty-five of you will be asked by Klaus in private before anything is done. The only ones that will absolutely know what you reply at that time will be you and Klaus. One of the Mikyvis is going to time-loop us once everyone is ready, that way you can hang out with the rest of the Division's leadership if you take the embedded option."
Sherry Daniels looked up as she heard a knock at the door of her new house. "I'll be right there," she stated loudly as she stood up and headed towards the door. She opened it to find a smiling redhead boy on the other side, dressed in shorts and a Clan polo shirt.
"Hi Sherry, if you don't remember, I'm Johnny; I was part of your rescue team," Johnny stated, still smiling. "Is it okay if I come in? I want to make sure that you've got everything that you need here."
Sherry smiled back, "I wasn't expecting it to be one of you boys doing that; I figured it would be one of the adults! Come on in."
"We don't let the adults do that, they forget stuff!" Johnny giggled.
Sherry didn't comment, just shaking her head at the little imp as she showed him into the living room. Once they sat down, Johnny asked "How's everything going? I know it's been nuts with the battle; usually one of us would have been here the day after you moved in."
"In a way, I think the delay might have been a good thing," Sherry replied. "It has given me and the boys some time to talk; I think they are starting to believe that I'm not going to hold what was done to them against them."
Johnny nodded. "Keep doing that; I still don't trust most of the adult males here, even though I know they are safe to be around. Your sons are going to do things that you've been taught that they are too young to do; you need to accept that with what they've been exposed to, they are going to do those things as they are discovering the parts that were skipped that are normally done first. Mom would like you to come over for lunch, she'll explain it better then; I'm going to take the boys out for a ride to show them around. We'll grab some pizza while we're out."
"I can't ask you to pay for them, and I'm still trying to sort out our finances," Sherry started to reply, stopping when she saw the mischievous grin forming on Johnny's face. "Am I missing something?"
Johnny nodded. "You gotta get used to the Clan way of doing things. First, I'm carrying a card with me that has no limit on it; if I wanted to buy an island, I could do it and nobody would even blink. Second; inside this compound, one of our biggest priorities is making sure nobody ever goes hungry. That means that food is provided using Clan funds; the pizza shop we're going to doesn't charge for the food, and if someone does decide to pay, the owner splits it evenly between his youth employees to give them extra pocket cash. While you're visiting Mom, she's going to help you start to figure out just how you can help to support the Clan; when Colin sentenced you, he was sentencing you to rebuilding your life with our help. He just did it in a way that you couldn't argue with. Us telepaths that were on the rescue know more about you than you know about yourself; if we didn't think that you'd fit in and prosper here, you wouldn't be here."
"You know, coming from anyone else your age, I doubt I'd believe you," Sherry admitted. "After what I saw in Michigan, everything you just said actually makes sense."
Just then, one of the twins walked into the room, curious about the somewhat familiar voice he heard. Johnny turned his head, smiling as he stated "Hey, John! Grab your brothers and join us; we're going to tour the house and make sure everything's right for you guys!"
John's eyes got wide as he recognized who was visiting them. He quickly spun around and ran back the way he came, shouting "JAKE, JACK! JOHNNY'S HERE!"
Guessing at the response based on John's excitement, Johnny stood up and moved to where there was a clear path from the hallway to him. Just as he got in place, he found himself swarmed by the twins and their nine year old little brother. After a few rounds of hugs and a few quite friendly kisses, Johnny was guided to the loveseat, where the twins, John and Jake, took either side of him, while Jack sat at Johnny's feet, his arms wrapped around Johnny's legs.
After crossing his legs across Jack's chest, which put a permanent smile on Jack's face, Johnny turned his attention to Sherry. "That's the best thanks I've ever seen!"
"Something tells me that I'm going to see a lot more of you if my sons get their way," Sherry quipped. "especially Jack, going by his expression."
"No fair making the cuties blush, that's my job!" Johnny giggled. Turning serious, he added "First thing I see that's needed is to upgrade some things around here; they might have been all you could afford back in Michigan, but they don't meet our minimum standards here. You can keep things if you want to because they mean something to you, but you need the upgrades here too. The Federation's covering this part through FYS - Aunt Teri has given us her basic list, and we've added a few things that help anyone that we had to rescue."
"So don't argue, I'll lose," Sherry observed. "Just how is someone your age so sure of himself?"
"I wanna be like my big brother, he's the one who convinced Mom and Dad to adopt me and Eddie after we were rescued. He's the Director now, and he trusts me to run our Intel section."
Sherry nodded. "Considering how your brother has no problem stating where he stands, I think you might be just the person the boys need in their lives to undo the head games they lived through. Why don't we get to the tour, then the four of you can go explore."
Johnny's reply was interrupted by a knock at the door. Sherry answered it, only to find an eight-year-old boy with sandy brown hair and purple eyes grinning at her. "Hi Sherry, I'm Xavier! Doc Mike's going to tell me in about an hour that I'm supposed to come over to help Johnny with his boyfriends after Johnny decides to call me after you close the door!"
"Xavier! Get in here, cuz!" Johnny giggled. "Chill, she hasn't been given temporal tranquilizers, yet!"
"Remind me to tell you when I moved in over here that you're no fun!" Xavier giggled.
"Watch it, or I'll have Julio tell Kyle to hide your cookies again!" Johnny threatened. "Everyone, this is Xavier, his Dad and Pop are two of the founders of Clan Short. He's basically version two of humanity; his parents and brothers are one of the possibilities of what Humans can become. They reproduce by thinking about it, and are timeless."
"And we're the cutest High Race ever!" Xavier added with a bow. Turning serious, somehow, he told Johnny "Levi says that I need to remove all physical reminders of what Jake, Jack, John, and you went through. He's cleared it with Uncle Bones already. Sherry, all four of them are about to start glowing; that is me undoing something that a Power much higher than me says should have never happened. I'm supposed to leave their memories, but I can take the poison out of them so that they can use them to help others."
"I think you and I might need to talk after you're done, little man," Sherry stated.
"Let's wait until after we've done the walk-through of your house," Xavier offered. "I'm going to be your ride to meet Aunt Janice, so we'll have time."
Sherry nodded, then quickly sat down as all four redheaded boys started glowing brightly. All four seemed to be shedding stress that they did not know they were showing, and they all shifted around as their bodies became what they were intended to be. Her eyes grew wide when Xavier finally spoke, stating "As has been Seen by the Guide Timmy, so shall it be done. Four are One by a Bond Unbreakable. By order of the One above All, I give you the Gift of Time, and the Knowledge needed to use the Gift."
As he finished, there was a bright flash of light, then everything returned to normal. Xavier grinned as he announced "That was AWESOME! I got to be the first Mikyvis to channel Uncle Timmy doing a Miracle!"
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED!" all five non-Mikyvis exclaimed in unison.
Xavier smiled. "As I was finishing, Uncle Timmy hopped into my head and told me to repeat what he said, then I felt all tingly when he did stuff through me. He told me that all four of you are like parts of a puzzle. Now that you've found each other, your minds started joining in the background. All I had to do was check the links, and undo a couple of blocks that Daddy had to put into Johnny's head until the Time was right. Each of the four of you has a natural skill, even though all but Johnny were not actively using them to their full potential. Johnny is a limitless telepath, John is a send and receive empath, Jake is telekenetic, and Jack is an illusionist; Jack can force people to see or not see anything he wishes."
"All of them are trained now, and know the rules of how they may use their powers. With their bond, they can combine their skills with just a thought. Timmy's visiting Eddie and Robin; he said that now that they found Avery, their puzzle is complete too, so they'll be like you guys, only with three of them. Avery's an Empath, just so you know. Timmy was told that you guys earned a Gift; that Gift is that you're kinda like a Mikyvis, as you're no longer bound by Time. You still need one of us to bounce around timelines, but no matter when you are, Time has no effect on any of you four, or Eddie, Robin, and Avery. Oh, Timmy just let me know something else; be careful when you'r sharing a dream! Since none of the seven of you will ever grow up, you'll make kids like Dad and Pop do ... your minds will build them then they will appear next to you. Talk to my Dad and Pop before you do it; there's a few things that you need to know before you do that."
"Like what?" Sherry asked despite her shock.
"Like they made my oldest brother a true innocent," Xavier explained. "Unlike normal kids, when you give an attribute to a kid made that way, nothing can take it away, ever, no matter what he experiences. Don't get me wrong, he's a great brother, and we all love him, but that one slip was a warning to think it through very carefully. In Levi's case, it's allowed him to see things clearly without any filters, so he's been able to help the rest of us learn to be like our Clan family, while still being able to do things nobody else can do."
"I'm really going to need help getting used to seeing pre-teens being more responsible than most adults," Sherry observed. "So, if I get this right, those four are still going to physically be boys long after I die of old age?"
"They'll still be boys a million years from now," Xavier stated, "but I can not tell you if you will be alive or not at that point."
"That means don't push it," Johnny interrupted. "There are things that you can't be told, or else it will change the future. If a Mikyvis or one of us says that, it is final."
Sherry nodded, "Thanks for the warning, Johnny; I can see exactly why you have that rule."
Xavier looked at the non-existent watch on his wrist, then declared "Sherry, I'm going to take you out-of-time for a bit to catch you up on what to expect. While we're doing that and the boys are taking their tour, Uncle Petey and Uncle Gavin are going to move your house over to the Headquarters compound and make some changes so that those four have their own suite. I'll explain it while we're talking. Johnny, I brought a cart over for you guys."
"Hey guys, we'll talk some once we stop," Johnny said as he tried to decide where the four of them could just sit and chill with no adults nearby.
Spotting a set of tables that were empty, Johnny pulled the cart up to the one that was furthest from anyone else, then stated "We can catch up here; nobody'll bug us since we're trying to be by ourselves."
Just as soon as they were sitting down, Jack cuddled under Johnny's left arm and the twins on the opposite side of the table, Jack asked "Was that kid for real? You can't make babies by dreaming about them, even I know that!"
"He's not normal, cute stuff," Johnny smiled. "He's only six days old, so he's still learning to explain stuff."
"WHAT!" the three brothers exclaimed.
"I kinda know more about his parents than most," Johnny explained. "Kyle and Ty are eight years old; at the same time as that attack happened in Montana, Kyle changed from being like us into what he is now. He's made of anti-energy now, but his body has a natural shield around it to keep from blowing everything up. Him and Tyler took a nap in the hospital just after the battle finished, and when they woke up, they found out that Kyle's head converted Ty to be just like him. After they were home, Kyle and Ty were trying to figure out how they would reproduce; they were talking to each other in their heads while their bodies were asleep. For fun, they pictured what they thought a kid of theirs would be like, then when they woke up they found Levi cuddled up with them. Their brains created him as they were thinking about him. They've learned to control it now, so they only have six kids; Xavier and his twin Skyler are the youngest."
"So he was serious about us being able to do that, too?" John asked. "I don't know how to be a parent!"
"Dad says neither do the adults, but if everyone works together they'll all figure it out!" Johnny giggled.
Jake smiled as Jack snuck a kiss on Johnny's cheek. "Johnny, both of us want our cuddles too, but right now Jack needs you a lot more than we do. We got enough at the house to hold us until later."
"That explains both of you sitting over there, thanks!" Johnny replied with a smile.
"What did he mean that his Uncles were moving our house?" John asked.
"Just that," Johnny giggled. "Peter was dying of cancer, and Levi healed him by making him a Mikyvis, then Peter ended up inheriting an entire construction company and a bunch of housing developments. He'll probably ask us to join his house-moving crew; he was like you, Jake, he was telekinetic and didn't know it. He has a crew of telekinetics from all over the Clan that help move houses, sometimes from different universes and timelines. He'll put the house in what they call a time bubble, which just means it'll be on a different time scale, then they'll move it."
"Not bad!" Tyler giggled as he popped in next to the twins. "Now you know why Kyle and me trusted you and told you stuff we usually don't share, Johnny."
"You cheated!" Johnny laughed. "Guys, this is Xavier's pop, Tyler Short, Queen of the Mikyvis!"
"I thought I told Levi to stop telling people to call me that!" Tyler grinned. "I'll get him later! Guys, since I'm part of Command, I probably know more about you than you do right now, including your names. Right now, Kyle is working with your little brothers, and I'm going to help you guys make sure that you understand everything that you can do. By the way; Jack, the Looney Toons characters having a conference is a nice touch!"
Still smiling, Ty added "Jake, John, Jack? Just so you know, Kyle and me consider Johnny and Eddie our brothers after everything we did to help them. That means that all three of you are family now, and you get the same access to us that Johnny does from now on. What we're all going to do is head up to Archnania, so that we can make sure that you really do know how to use your new skills, plus we can make sure that you're really healed of any problems that your past caused. Even with Timmy's help, Xavier could have missed something, and I'm not going to let my brothers find things out the hard way. You'll like Archnania; we can hang out there as long as we want, yet be back less than a second after we left. I can explain it more once we get there."
"That sounds fun, we're in!" John stated for the group.
Grinning, Tyler stated "All aboard the Mikyvis Express!"
"That was fun! Thanks Ty!" Jack exclaimed as the group re-appeared, Jack now petting a bright yellow six-legged cat-like creature who was curled up on his lap.
"You're welcome, bro," Tyler replied. "I'm glad Chance figured out a way that you guys could 'pull' yourselves up there; that way you can visit your friends whenever you want."
"Did you catch Xavier and ask him not to warn Mom and Dad about how we reproduce?" Johnny giggled.
Ty replied with a grin, "Not only did he not tell, but he made sure that nobody else could. I'm coming over for breakfast tomorrow, this will be fun!"
"Speaking of food, we need to introduce these guys to George while we're grabbing pizza. You're coming with us, Ty," Johnny stated, his look not giving an option.
"You know I won't turn down Pizza Italiano!" Ty replied after sticking his tongue out.
"LOAD UP, MUNCHIE RUN!" Johnny stated as him, Jack, and Jack's furry friend got up and headed to the cart.
As the group was finishing the two large pizzas, Tyler tilted his head, then announced "Dad wants to come over and check the bond that you guys have now. Anytime something big like this happens, we let Dad know, just in case he needs to notify the Vulcan Science Academy."
Seeing the looks on the three newest addition's faces, Tyler added, "He's safe guys, I saw him permanently disable someone's hand just for slapping my brother Justy; if he ever caught someone forcing you to have sex, he'd rip their nuts off with his bare hands, then kill them. That's his right under Vulcan Law. Vulcan is really dangerous, and adults damaging kids in any way is dealt with swiftly and permanently when caught. We are all his family, which puts us all under his protection, even you guys."
"Okay," Jake stated, "we'll give him a chance."
"Don't be too surprised if he helps you with your past while he's here," Ty added. "He'll ask first, but he can help in ways even I can't."
John half-smiled as he replied, "Right now, you, Xavier, and Johnny have earned our trust; if you say it's good, we'll try it."
"Thanks, that means a lot," Ty stated as he popped over and gave John a hug. "There's only one other non-Mikyvis person besides the four of you that I've let get this close to me, and he just told me that he's coming up for breakfast tomorrow. After Dad's done, I'd like it if we could do the same thing I did for him. Mikyvis can share a part of ourselves in a 'room' in your heads; basically a place just for us. If you want to, you can open it up to anyone else that is also linked to me, which would be you four, Damon, and my cuddle-bunny Kyle. Damon's seven, and he's an empath like you and me, John."
"Someone to help plot pranks without anyone knowing? I'm in!" John giggled.
"Go ahead and tell your Dad he can come over," Jake added.
Seconds later, Spock appeared far enough away from the table to not shock those who did not know him. "Your assistance with transportation is appreciated, Tyler." he stated before turning his attention to the rest of the boys. "Gentlemen, I expect that Tyler has explained fully the relationship that you hold to myself on Vulcan. Johnny has accepted my position as an additional Father to his own in previous interactions. As none of the other three of you has previously had or currently claims one who fits the definition of 'father', it would be negligent if I was not to offer myself as one to fill that role in your lives. Based on the report I received from Xavier, I am extending the request for you to join my family. I shall also petition your mother to adopt the surname Short, as it would be illogical to retain that reminder of the past. It would be logical for yourselves to assume the surname Hernandez or Short or a combination of both for the same reasoning."
"Do we have to decide now, Sir?" Jack asked nervously.
"That was a good question, Jack," Spock replied. "It would be illogical to put a timeframe requirement on such a request. Based on the reports I have received of your past difficulties, I presume that Tyler has offered the three of you my assistance with compartmentalizing your memories to eliminate negative effects on your current and future lives. As mental conversations of the level that is required to do this preclude the possibility of deception, it would be logical for you to express your questions and concerns privately at that time."
Jack seemed to pull into Johnny's side even tighter as he whispered just loud enough to be heard "Please! Help me forget, Daddy!"
Sensing the urgency, Spock quickly moved to begin the meld. As soon as his fingers made contact with Jack's forehead, he began. "My mind to your Mind, my Thoughts to your Thoughts ..."
Sensing the worry of the remaining three boys, Tyler explained "All of you had mental links to a brother, which means you had subconscious help dealing with things. Jack didn't; he couldn't run to the asshole that was abusing him, and he was afraid of telling your Mom because of the threats of killing her. He held it all in because he didn't want to make his big brothers deal with more than you already were. I'm guessing, based on other kids, that when Dad basically declared the asshole as non-existent in your lives, then offered himself to fill the role that you three have never had, Jack's walls fell all at once."
"Oh!," Jake and John both exclaimed, their faces clearly showing their shame in not protecting their little brother better.
"I've been there, guys; trust me, you gave him all of the help that he would have accepted from you," Johnny stated. "You gave him a foundation to count on that saved his life; now all three of us get to show him that his trust in his big brothers was worth it. Eddie and I are further along in our healing than you right now, and I've learned a lot of things Eddie kept from me to protect me from being overloaded. Our little brothers didn't commit suicide because of us, and the three of us made sure that we wouldn't abandon our little brothers."
Spock finished his meld, speaking before anyone noticed. "Tyler and Johnny, your logic is sound. Once I have verified my findings with the other three partners, we shall discuss the implications."
John and Jake took one look at Jack and made their decision; not only was Jack now cuddling Johnny instead of clinging to him, his face displayed the most content expression that either of them had ever seen. "You next, Jake; you need Dad to help you more than I do." John stated, his tone clearly stating there was to be no argument.
After rolling his eyes, which earned him a glare from his barely-older brother, Jake said "Go ahead, Dad; maybe we can figure out how to deal with hard-headed twin brothers!"
"While John's phraseology may be less than diplomatic, current data indicates that his logic is sound, son." Spock stated as he moved to begin his assistance of Jake.
Once Spock had finished his melds with all present, Tyler included so that he could get the views of the Mikyvis Council, Spock reviewed the data he'd collected and made a decision. "My sons, your Mother has been advised of the option to assume the surname Short by Xander, and has accepted. I ask of you to be patient as I complete urgent family business."
All of the boys nodded, understanding by the underlying tone that is was not a request.
Spock tapped his commbadge, then stated "George, I require the presence of the Family Archivist, the Family Liaison, and Prince at this location immediately. It would be logical for Patriarch Cory to be present if his duties allow such."
"Acknowledged, Mr. Spock," George replied immediately. Without anyone asking, he queued all possible communication channels that could be required by a meeting of that group to expedite needed reports with one of his VI systems at the same time as he passed on the orders from Spock.
Within ten seconds of the request, the requested people started arriving, all in their Vulcan dress uniforms. The first to arrive was Justy, with Jamie, Jacob, and Beau less than a second behind him. A second later, Cory and Sean appeared, both already in their 'Vulcan mode'.
"Proceed, Father," Cory stated. "The Mikyvis Council has provided pertinent information."
Standing to face Cory, Spock stated, "The House of Sarek of the House of Surak has determined that under Vulcan law the Earth Family of Daniels, of the branch previously located in the lakeshore region of the State of Michigan in the United States of America of the Planet Earth has violated numerous sections of the Vulcan Code. The logical response is to deny association with the Vulcan society in all branches. Four who bear that surname from that branch have been declared by House Sarek as removed from Family Daniels, and are at this point without Family. As the youth affected have accepted me as what is known on Earth as 'Father', I have determined that it would be logical for this family to be incorporated into the Family Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan, assuming the surname 'Short'."
There was complete silence as Cory considered Spock's request, incorporating Tyler's report in his decision. After almost a minute, Cory made his decision. "Your logic is sound. Justin, you are to take Father's declarations as if they were my own. Sherry Short is to be logged as sister of Teri Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan. All three youth are to be given the opportunity to change their given name with the assistance of Father. My Word is given."
"Acknowledged, Patriarch," Justy stated seriously. "Father, I believe it would be logical to verify given names before proceeding."
"I concur, Liaison," Spock acknowledged. Turning to the boys, he first looked to Jack.
Before Spock could ask, Jack stated "I want to keep my name; Mommy named me after her baby brother that was killed in an accident when they were little. The butthole thought it was funny that it would make me named after whisky, so he let her do it."
"Honoring the Uncle that was lost before you were born is commendable, Jack." Spock replied. "I find your logic sound, and believe that you have made your Uncle quite proud."
"Thank you, Dad," Jack smiled, glowing at the first positive comment about his actions that he'd ever received from a male entrusted to providing his care.
"You're welcome, Son," Spock replied, allowing himself to display a small smile. He then turned his attention to Jake. "What does your heart tell you, Jake?"
"I don't want to be called what the butthole named me," Jake replied. "I like my name though; I think it would be cool to have Jacob as a middle name, that way I have the real name instead of the nickname, but I don't know what to use for a first name."
"I am versed in the procedure to determine a suitable given name from your Katra; what you would call your Spirit; if you would wish for that option, you may make a request of Patriarch Cory. If he deems your request logical, I can perform the needed ritual. I must advise you that the procedure requires you to be clothed as if you have just entered the world. It would be logical to consider that all present shall see you nude if you desire that we proceed."
Jake considered Spock's statements for a full two minutes before standing up and heading over to Cory. "Patriarch, I wish for Father to give me my new name."
Cory nodded, stating "Just so you understand, while your wish for a middle name will be considered, it will not be honored if it does not match your Spirit; it can actually mess you up. Do you still want to go ahead now that you know that?"
"Yes, Sir," Jake nodded.
"Jacob will prepare you telepathically for what is to happen," Cory explained. "Going by what I'm feeling from the four of you, Jacob, Jamie, and Beau share the same type of bond that the four of you do. Until you have settled into your new status, it's probably best if the only non-Mikyvis or non-Vulcan that you allow in your heads is one of those three, unless they tell you otherwise."
"Okay," Jake replied, comforted by how it appeared that Cory was really trying to look out for him. "I'm ready, Jacob."
With the training being done at the speed of thought, it only took a minute for Jacob to complete his task. "Okay Cory, we're ready."
"Jacob, you shall present him as the representative of the House of Sarek and Family Clan Short. As Patriarch of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan, I declare the youth formerly named Jake Daniels to be Unnamed, and order that the Naming be accomplished immediately. My Word is Given."
"I shall comply, Patriarch," Jacob answered, fully aware that his actions from this point forward were scripted down to the word. "Liaison, as Legate for Patriarch Short, I require a Table of Naming as declared by Patriarch Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan."
"Your request is approved, Legate," Justy replied. He triggered his subvocal, ordering "George, provide a Table of Naming at this location and a Naming robe for He-who-is-to-be-named by order of the House of Surak."
"Acknowledged," George replied, fully aware that this was not the time to mess around.
Once the table was in-place and Jake was clothed in only the Robe of Naming, Jacob escorted him to stand in front of Spock. "Father, as Legate to the House of Sarek of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan and Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan, by order of Patriarch Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan, I present He who-is-to-be-named for Naming as a member of the family Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan and House Sarek of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan."
"Proceed," Spock stated.
After assisting Jake with removing his robe, Jacob helped him onto the table then stepped back. Spock stepped forward, then went into a trance as he ran his hands just above the boy's body, not actually touching him. After a few minutes, Spock spoke, still in his trance, "As a Child of Earth, logic dictates that your Name must be of Earth. The Katra of this Child is mischievous, yet determined, and does not avoid challenges. As such, his Name is Wiley Jacob Short, Son of Spock, Son of Sherry Short, of the House of Sarek of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan and Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan. My Word is Given."
Once Spock stepped back, Jacob helped the now-Named Wiley off of the table, then gave him a loving hug. "Welcome to the family, Wiley!"
"Thanks," Wiley replied, returning the hug. "I thought I'd be scared having an adult that close to me with me being naked, but I wasn't."
"Blame Ty," Jacob giggled. "I asked him to help you; I knew you'd panic even though you were expecting it. You're our cousin AND our brother now, that makes you close family, and we look out for our family."
"How can I be both?" Wiley asked, puzzled.
"It's a Clan thing, you'll get used to it," Jacob grinned. "You think that's bad? Legally, in Vulcan culture, Cory's his own Grandfather!"
"That's just wrong!" Wiley laughed.
"One more thing," Jacob added, "Dad just did something that's unique to the Clan. Since he's legally a second father, on Earth we'd call him a Godfather, to Johnny, that means that your Mom is now a co-parent to all of us that are Momma Teri's kids since you call him Dad. That's why you're our cousin and our brother. Once Dad is done with John, then Justy will make it official. That also means that you don't have to change your name when you get married to the other three, because Mick and Janice are co-parents too, we just forgot to tell them!"
"We gotta compare notes," Wiley giggled, "That's a really good one!"
Pretending to not hear the two boys, since he surmised the interaction was helpful to both of them, Spock walked over to John. "While your brother strives to live up to his name, do you have any questions before deciding the name question for yourself?"
"Not really," John replied. "I think Ja.. I mean Wiley, was right; I could handle Jonathon as a middle name, but I don't want it as a first name."
"As Cory observed," Spock replied, "when you are Named, Jonathon might not be an option. Could you accept that?"
John thought for a minute, then replied "Yeah. I think I could. Right now it is just a name, but from what I just saw, the name you give me is actually telling people what kind of person I am."
"You are correct, son," Spock replied. "Once you are sure, you should ask Cory for his permission. I would expect Jamie to assist you, as Jacob and Wiley are using their newfound relationship as family to undo recent experiences both have yet to acknowledge."
"I'll go ask now," John stated, "I need to be part of a family that chose me, too."
Once Cory approved, John was stripped of his old name, then went through the same process as his twin brother. Spock found that John's Katra was one for a resilient Guardian, and bestowed the name Liam Alvaro Short.
Once Liam was completed, Jack motioned for Spock to come over. "Do you have a question, Jack?" Spock asked.
"Is there a way to tell what my name would have been?" Jack asked hesitantly.
"You need not worry," Spock assured him. "I am certain that the qualities that go with your name are about to become prominent. The meaning of Jack is 'healthy, strong, and full of vital energy'. The young man who guided me through our meld displayed those exact qualities; you naturally would have reacted as your brothers did if the name was not yours to bear."
"Thanks; I was wondering about that after watching them get their new names," Jack admitted. "What do we have to do now?"
"Once everyone has assumed seated positions, I will disseminate the finding of my investigations of your new bond, then I will instruct Justin of the required entries into the Family Archives on Vulcan. Once everything which is needed is completed, I will ensure that Eddie, Robin, and Avery are given the same assistance that has been given to yourselves."
"Cool! More little brothers!" Johnny giggled. "You're going to like having little brothers, Jack; it feels really good having little shadows looking up to you!"
Spock allowed himself a small smile. "The pair of you hold a secondary bond along with your primary bond with Liam and Wiley. To the observer, it will appear that you are closer to each other than to your other partners. In actuality, you are a complementary pair; each of you benefits from the other's presence, so you will naturally operate as a team in public situations. This has already been explained to your other partners, who understand that you have the same kind of bond that they do being twins. It would be assumed that you will naturally operate in public as two pairs; in private your relationships would logically be more fluid."
"That's how it is between me, Jamie, and Jacob," Beau stated as he joined them. "Sometimes it feels right to just have two of us, sometimes it feels right with all of us. If you just listen to your hearts, you'll know what is right at the time."
"Beau," Spock stated, "it would be logical for you to assist Johnny and Jake; as you hold the same status in your relationship as they do in theirs."
"Okay," Beau smiled. "We figured that, since being twins is a little different from us normal people!"
"Logic states that it would be prudent to not continue that train of thought audibly," Spock suggested. "It appears that everyone has completed their necessary tasks to establish family relationships, so I shall begin."
"Justin, prepare to update Vulcan," Spock stated. "Based on current data, it has been determined that the joining and formation of a bond between Jamie, Jacob, and Beau has produced an unforeseen circumstance regarding their relationship. The Vulcan Longevity Project has determined that, upon the joining of the three, a previously undocumented event occurred. At this moment, it has been verified that none of the three are aging; the Vulcan Council has reviewed this situation, and has made a decision."
Not waiting for a prompt, Cory stood and stated, "Justin, begin log. I am Patriarch Cory Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Sarek of the house of Surak of the Planet Vulcan. As a member of the Vulcan Council, I have determined that the statement of non-aging is substantiated for Jamie Short, Jacob Short, and Beau Wagner, and meets the requirements of the recent Council ruling regarding non-aging Vulcan House members. As denying marriage for failure to age is illogical, I now authorize Spock, Son of Sarek of the House of Surak of the planet Vulcan to perform the proper procedures to certify the three of them in full Vulcan marriage. My Word is Given."
"I will comply, Councilor," Spock stated. "Jamie, Jacob, and Beau; prepare to be Joined."
Spock verified their mental bond, and ensured that the bond that would normally be triggered by Khas-wan was present, then declared them married under Vulcan law.
Once Cory confirmed the marriage, he spoke again. "There are four here who, by the actions of a Higher Power, have not only been Gifted with the Bond, but also show the presence of a Marriage Bond. Spock, Son of Sarek, what are the conclusions of your investigation of this event?"
Spock stood as he reported his findings. "I have performed detailed melds with all four; and have reviewed additional data provided by the Mikyvis Council. It is determined than none of the four has the ability to age, and all four are Bonded as if they were married Vulcan adults."
"State the Names of those affected," Cory stated.
"Johnny Hernandez, son of Mick and son of Spock, Intel Director of Des Moines Division of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan; Liam Alvaro Short, Son of Spock, Son of Sarek of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan; Wiley Jacob Short, Son of Spock, Son of Sarek of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan; and Jack Short, Son of Spock, Son of Sarek of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan."
Cory nodded. "As the required conditions are met and the Bonds are confirmed, logic dictates that the relationship of Marriage must be validated. Based on the reports of Spock, Son of Sarek, Tyler Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan, and my own observations, it is hereby declared that their marriage is validated and shall be recognized by Vulcan as a valid marriage. My Word is Given."
"Remember, only ONE kid on the honeymoon!" Tyler giggled.
"I believe that your moisture content is deficient, son," Spock stated seconds before Tyler vanished, returning a few seconds later soaking wet.
"I'll get you later, Dad!" Tyler grinned. "Okay, what's left?"
"I've already got everyone logged and submitted to Vulcan," Justy replied. "So unless our Patriarch has anything else, I think we should just leave the two new multi-partner families to update Sean with the histories of the new guys."
"That works for me," Sean agreed. "I think it'll go better with less people."
Tyler caught up with Johnny, Jack, Liam, and Wiley once Sean was done. "You guys ready to meet Damon now?" the now-dry Mikyvis asked.
"Sure," Jack replied.
"After he gets here," Tyler advised, "Then we'll look into the rooms in your heads once we're all together. It'll make more sense once Damon helps explain it."
"We've been talking it over in our heads," Johnny said, "It sounds kewl, but I like the idea of talking to Damon about it."
"Incoming!" Tyler giggled.
Seconds later, a tow-headed seven-year-old wearing a sailor hat popped in next to Tyler. "Hi guys, I'm Damon!"
Tyler did introductions, then Damon tilted his head. "Wow, all four of you feel like you're married to each other!"
"Yep!" Johnny giggled.
"Dad's not going to believe this one!" Damon laughed. "Ty says you guys wanna talk about what it's like having a friend living in your head."
"Yeah, we're thinking of doing it too," Liam added.
"Daddy, I'm home, and I brought my husbands!" Johnny giggled as he walked in the door with Jack, Wiley, Liam, Tyler, and Damon.
Mick and Janice came out of the living room, coming to a stop at the sea of redheads with two blonds mixed in. "Help, we're being invaded by freckles!" Mick quipped with a grin.
"Told ya Dad was weird!" Johnny grinned back.
"At least you warned them," Janice stated with a smile. "We know Tyler, would you like to introduce your new friends, Johnny?"
"The blond with the sailor hat's Damon Williams, he lives on the Iowa down in Florida," Johnny replied. "The cutie glued to my side is my husband Jack Short, the other cutie giving Ty bunny ears is my husband Liam Short, and the last cutie is my husband Wiley Short! Oh, the funny looking kitty is Jack's friend Snuffles."
"You've definitely been hanging around your big brother too long," Mick smiled. "Welcome to the family guys, and welcome to Des Moines, Damon."
"Sherry should be home soon; she went over to Orlando to talk with Teri about what Johnny and Eddie got her into," Janice added. "Congratulations, even though I'm sure that Julio's not going to let you live down the fact that you four are married. Since he's only got two husbands, being outdone by his little brothers going to generate a little bit of joking with all four of you."
"Nuh-uhh, Mom!" Julio stated as he joined them, Jesse under one arm and Benny under the other.
"Four of them just means they can find us more nephews faster!" Benny added with a grin.
"We're going to show them around the Compound," Jesse added. "They live here now, so we've got to make sure they know where everything is."
"Great idea, guys. We'll all catch up again at dinner, okay?" Mick stated, fully aware that Johnny's husbands were still not fully comfortable around adults by the way they were keeping their distance.
"Good morning, Mom!" Johnny and Jack chorused as they walked into the kitchen, a redheaded six year old holding hands with both of them. Tyler, Damon, Wiley, and Liam popped in at that exact second, instantly seated at the breakfast bar.
"This is Anton;" Johnny added, "We found him this morning; me and Jack kinda had a baby last night!"
"We'll get him clothes after we eat," Jake grinned. "Making babies on your honeymoon is a lot of work! I'm hungry!"
"Besides, Dad said to slow down on adopting more family; he didn't say nothin' about having babies!" Johnny smirked.
"Hi, Grandma!" Anton giggled as he waved innocently.
"Oh ... my ... God ..." Janice whispered in shock as her coffee cup fell to the floor.
"Medic incoming!" Kerry announced over the room speakers as Doc Mike appeared, just in time to catch Janice. "Do I want to know?" he asked as he noticed the group of boys ALL had halos.
"She's just surprised that Jack and me made a son on our honeymoon," Johnny stated innocently. "Wylie and Liam promised to help with his brother tonight, but they wanted Anton to just be from the two of us."
"I should have never asked. Just when I thought I'd heard everything ..." Mike muttered as he revived Janice, earning himself a round of giggles from the boys.
Still recovering, Janice looked around, then concentrated on Anton. Holding out her arms, she softly said "Come here, angel; Grandma could use some cuddles from her new grandson right about now."
Once she had a very content newborn six-year-old in her arms, she added "I might just forget to plot revenge on a certain group of pranksters if they manage to get the rest of the family down here before this little angel's first meal is ready."
Taking the strong hint, Tyler popped the entire group of boys out to terrorize those who were still sleeping.
Mick looked up and down the table that his quickly-expanding family was working hard to fill. with a smile, he stood up, stating, "Everyone, could I please have your attention for a minute?"
It took a few seconds, but finally the occupants of the entire dining room fell silent, curious as to what could cause Mick to do something this unusual.
Sure that he had their attention, Mick began. "As I looked around the room this morning, I realized that there was no way I could catch all of you to tell you individually what I need to say. A while back, the son who gave me a reason to wake up with a smile informed me and his Mom that we were going to adopt two boys that really needed a family. I'm pretty sure that he had no idea just what that would lead to; but that one action of opening his heart to two boys who never knew love is what led to all of us being here today. The reason I bring that up is that Julio isn't the only one here who has done that; even those of you that have not formed your own family yet are doing it every day."
"During the recent battle, I saw battle-hardened warriors playing games with little ones, keeping them occupied while the rest of the team found their parents. I saw young men who still can't deal with their own pasts comforting those who lost family. I heard stories of a large part of this room that risked their lives just to make sure that they rescued every single person possible. There are youth here today that were sure that they wouldn't be accepted anywhere, but now they have loving families who are watching over them, even if they are not ready yet to make it permanent."
"The thing is, not a single one of you brags about your part in all of this; you've done what you thought needed done, and did not seek any type of acknowledgement. The thing is, you got an acknowledgement that is higher than any award that could be given; you have earned the respect of more people throughout the Universe than I could ever count. One other thing; every single adult in this room is not only proud of you for your individual accomplishments, but in general for how you ALL opened your hearts despite your pasts. None of you can ever say that nobody's been proud of you ever again."
"Now, I've got one example of just why you've all earned that; while it happens to be one of my sons that was part of this from the start, it could have been any one of you. Yesterday, Johnny went to make sure a family that he helped rescue was doing okay in their new house here. Nobody asked him to, he just did it."
"Now for a little history to show why this is special before I get into what he did. When he joined our family, Johnny would only interact with Julio and Eddie; he was just starting to allow me and Janice to interact with him normally when Cory and his family came back to visit. Thanks to Kyle and Tyler putting aside their own problems that they were dealing with, Johnny got helped and was finally able to interact with others without it driving him insane. Johnny asked them to help Eddie too, which led to Eddie finally taking a chance and interacting with other kids. That's how Eddie and Robin hooked up; even though we used to be neighbors, up until that point Eddie didn't even know Robin existed. With that in mind, I think all of you can understand why Johnny doing what he did yesterday was such a big step for him; as far as I know, this is the first time that he's ever acted without some sort of support alongside him."
"Like I said, Johnny went out on his own to visit. From what I've been told, he was outgoing, friendly, and confident ... qualities which he could have only learned from the rest of you. That's not all, though; just a week ago, he would avoid physical affection unless he really knew you well. Not only did he accept it from three very special youth, but he actively made it so that they were able to all give him affection at once. Here's the best part; by the time he came home, he was married to all three of them, by none other than Patriarch Cory himself. Thanks to plotting between out favorite Divisional Mikyvis and Timmy Short, I have two sons and five son-in-laws who have accepted their new skills and abilities."
"Johnny is the reason they accepted these changes, and I've learned that they all agreed to give Johnny and the one other person in their group who was in the same shape as Johnny had been the ultimate honor - none of them would make use of one of their new skills until Johnny and Jack had the honor of creating the first new child of their sub-segment of Humanity. This morning, I was given the gift of a grandchild made out of love, a grandchild that only exists due to the actions of every youth in this room. Without each and every one of you youth, the events of yesterday would have probably never happened. For the rest of our lives, us adults have a reminder of just how special each and every one of you are. It is solely due to your support and examples that Johnny and Jack were able to overcome their past lives and give us a living example of what the love of this division can accomplish - my newest grandson, Anton Kyle Tyler Hernandez-Short."
In the surprised silence that ensued as Mick took his seat, a young voice that only a few of them had ever heard giggled then stated clearly, "Wow! You're right, Daddy, Grampa Mick DOES talk a lot!"