Prologue: The Feeling Begins

Keelan sat at the table, idly doodling, a piece of pumpkin pie his mother had given him left mostly untouched. It had been nearly two months since he'd moved in with his parents- Christmas was only a few days away, and he was so excited to celebrate it. Especially since Emmet was planning a party that would reintroduce the two Business brothers. He was eager to see how that would turn out, and hoped it went well.

His night terrors had also lessened to a point where he thought he might finally be able to function like a normal human being again (and his brothers had been immensely helpful with that, even from a distance- there was nothing quite like feeling Alastar's gentle reassurance, or Cary's fierce protectiveness, when he felt he might drown in terror), but now the problem was finding something to do with himself. It was already looking like their separation was shaping up to be permanent. Cary was certainly starting to find reason to enjoy having mental privacy for once, and Benny had a lot to do with it. Keelan himself still wasn't certain he could tolerate sharing headspace again, nor did he even find himself missing it all that much. But then, he hadn't had as much time to adjust to it as his brothers, either.

He found himself growing more bored as time passed, too. He'd read every book in the house, including his parents' outdated encyclopedia set. When he'd exhausted that resource, he'd turned to the internet. He often found his thoughts turning to the expedition he'd become fully conscious in the middle of. That had been… a lot of fun, while it lasted. Exploring uncharted territory, discovering new places (or re-discovering, as it were), the strong sense of companionship they'd all shared… Ever since they'd returned to Bricksburg, he'd longed to go back to that, but his brothers' lives were in the city.

At least the party was in just two more days, and Metalbeard was going to be there. He could talk to his pirate friend then, see if the captain was amenable to having him tag along for another voyage.

"Keelan, dear, you've barely touched your pie," Ma's voice broke through his wandering thoughts. He jolted in surprise.

"Oh… Hi, Mum. Yeah I- I kinda f-forgot about it…"

She pulled out a chair, sitting with him. "Got a lot on your mind?"

"I guess… I feel- guilty for just- sitting here doing… nothing, b-but… I- I don't really know what, um, what I want to do… Did… did Cary and Alastar ever have this- this much trouble?"

Ma smiled patiently at him. "Those boys knew what they wanted from day one, and went for it. Oh, Pa and I got so many questions!" Keelan slumped in his chair. "But not everybody figures out what they want to do so easily, and that's normal. Is there anything that draws your attention?"

"I…" He toyed with his pencil. "I really liked when we were on the expedition… That was- that was fun."

"Have you thought of asking your captain friend if he'd mind taking you on another voyage?"

"I have. I'm- I'm gonna ask him when he's here, f-for the party."

"Well then, there you go." She leaned over to kiss his cheek, and he smiled. "Speaking of parties, I was just about to leave to get the supplies we need. Would you like to come? I could use the help."

Keelan considered the offer, and for a moment, Ma thought he would refuse again. "Y-yeah, um, I could- I could do with getting out of the house." Ma smiled to herself, considering it a victory, and took his shaking hands into her own.

"My brave boy," she quietly praised. "When we get back, we'll put that artistic talent of yours to use and get started on the decorations."

"O-okay."