Title: "Regeneration"
Rating: T, just to be safe
Genre: drama, friendship
Character(s): Leo, Douglas, Janice and OCs – lots and lots of them (okay, no, really – it's just a handful *grins* )
Pairing(s): there are quite a few, but let's keep them all a surprise
Summary: "It's alright. It's just starting over. I can do this. I can do this." [[Sequel to "In the Wake of Vultures"]]
Notes: Welp, this was inevitable, wasn't it? After a lot of falling apart, a coming back together is necessary. :)
After I finished working on the prequel to this, I started getting ideas for the third one, and they all turned out to be pretty good! What makes it all the better is that a number of you who had left reviews for the most recent story in the trilogy (wow, it's a trilogy now!) asked for another story, so I'm glad that I'd get to share this with everyone who's interested to see where Leo's life will be heading after everything that happened. So, this is dedicated to you.
Just a brief note regarding the length both of the time covered in the story and the chapters. As far as time, this would cover about two and a half years of the main characters' lives. As far as chapters, there would be five, but they'll be kind of long since each chapter will have events that will take place within a period of about six months.
Also, this goes off with what's been set up in the two preceding stories, so this is going the AR route where the events of season four never happened at all. I guess it's also AU in that Daniel and all the characters we were introduced to in that season don't exist.
Head's up: this is still not a happy story, but that's only going to be in the beginning. It'll get better over time.
Anyways, I've intro'd long enough. Please enjoy!
i.
The longer Leo watches the dreary and frozen landscape outside, the more he realizes that coming to Vermont even towards the end February hadn't been the best idea. The meter on the dashboard says it's about ten degrees. He doesn't doubt it. When he and Douglas got out of the airport earlier to walk to the car rental place, he felt the cutting air, thick and nearly smothering. They weren't out in it for long, but that few minutes sufficed for him to form the opinion that he doesn't like the bitter cold of the east.
It's good that they decided to bring only what's completely necessary – namely, their clothes and a number of important possessions. Unloading a truck in this kind of weather would have been disastrous.
Plus, because of the three thousand mile travel, he's tired. Through his silence as he drives to their destination, Leo can tell that Douglas is tired, too. The few boxes and bags that they have to bring in once they reach the house would be enough work for them for the day.
He spots the duplex after they turn into the street the GPS told them to turn to. He sees the identical chimneys perched on top of the long and wide roof emitting clouds of smoke, and it only adds to the melancholy of the scene that stretches blocks ahead of them. Almost every house and every barren tree are covered with snow.
It's the first time it really hits him that he's not in California anymore.
The house on the right side of the duplex has its storm door shut close but inside door open. There's a faint yellow glow coming from inside. Leo looks at the steps as they pull in. It's shoveled and salted, no doubt cleared just for them. He guesses his mother wasn't exaggerating when she said that his aunt was more than happy to provide a home for him for the time being.
"This is the house, right?" Douglas asks as he unbuckles his seatbelt.
"I'm not really sure," Leo says.
The door to the right house opens as soon as Douglas opens his door to get out. A woman in her mid-thirties, with her shoulder-length curly hair peeking from underneath the warm and sensible hood of her bubble coat, hurriedly descends the steps with an excited grin on her face. Leo smiles widely as he gets out of the car to meet her. "Leo! You're finally here!" she chirps before encasing the teenager in a big hug.
"Hi, Aunt Janice," Leo says as he embraces her back. "Long time no see."
Janice playfully swats him on the arm as she disengages. "You keep telling me you'll come visit but you never did," she says. She gazes at his face for a moment then says, "Look at you. You were just, what, thirteen when I left? You're a man now. You're even taller than I am! How dare you!"
Leo chuckles. Stepping back, he says, "Aunt Janice, this is Douglas, Big D's younger brother."
Douglas nods at her after pulling out one of the bags out of the trunk. "Hello. How are you?"
"Good," Janice says with a small smile, and Leo can tell that she's a little suspicious of him. "Oh. Uh, Tasha's probably told you that I said I could find a place for you to stay in, but I didn't find any within the price range you mentioned. My tenant moved out just a month ago. For right now, the left house is the only place I can get for you. I hope that's alright."
"Yes, that's fine," Douglas says.
"Alright," Janice says.
The abrupt halt in the conversation slowly descends into an awkward silence, but the addition of the new person into their group nulls it. Another woman who's the same age as Janice, blonde and with an eager pace, comes down to the driveway to join them.
"Leo, you remember Claire, right?" Janice says with a warm smile after glancing at her best friend.
"Of course. How are you doing, Aunt Claire?" Leo says with a smile as the woman gives him a quick hug.
"Not too bad, darling. Not too bad," Claire says. "And you?"
"I'm good."
"My, look at you. Didn't you turn out to be a handsome fella," Claire says with her hands cupping the teenaged boy's face as she takes a closer look at him. Leo, who's used to her loud and colorful personality, only chuckles. "You know, I know of a few girls who need a man like you."
"Claire!" Janice chastises as Leo laughs. "He's only been here a few minutes."
"It's just a comment, Janice. Please. Don't freak out," Claire says with a smirk.
"These are Leo's bags," Douglas tells Janice as he emerges from behind them with the items. "Where do these go?"
"You can just put them in the living room for now," Janice says with a smile.
Douglas nods curtly before ascending up the steps to the house, struggling against the inclination to shiver due to the icy breeze that blows by. Meanwhile, Janice watches him worriedly, knowing that weather is just one of the few things he will soon need to get used to. Leo was also looking at Douglas worriedly – but for a different reason. "If he's gonna live next door to us, you're gonna need a fire extinguisher," he tells his aunt.
"I'll say," Claire says as she gazes at the newcomer appreciatively. When Janice and Leo look at her simultaneously, the former with an expression of shock while the other with a deep frown, she shrugs. "What? He's a good looking guy," she says defensively. To her best friend she says, "I mean, you don't like him, right?"
Janice sighs. "Oh, Claire…"
The next few days are spent settling down to new homes and unpacking. Again, Leo found himself thankful that he didn't have too many things with him since moving his possessions into the upstairs bedroom that his aunt happily presented to him was relatively quick and easy. He didn't even have time to really appreciate the preparation that was done for him until yesterday, when he was lying down and realized that his aunt had gone out of her way to buy him a nice size bed, a desk, and some clothes and shoes that he can use until summer in case he didn't bring enough.
It even struck him then that Douglas' new home is modestly but fully equipped with the appliances and furniture he needs.
He guesses these things didn't really occur to him until recently because all he has done was sleep.
Since he has more energy to spend today, he decides to clear out the last packed bags he had and to put everything in place. As he folds his clothes, it comes to him how surreal everything feels. It's so quiet there, unlike the island where almost every corner is teeming with activity and chatter. It's so still. All he can hear is the mechanical stream of the heater and the low whistle of the wind passing by outside. From the gap between his curtains, he can see frail fluffs of snow twirling downwards from above. It's painfully beautiful to watch.
His thoughts are interrupted by two soft knocks on the door. Janice smiles when he looks up at her. "Hey," she says. "May I come in?"
Leo nods, a small smile tugging at an edge of his lips. "Of course," he says, scooting over to make room.
Janice sits down beside him, places the envelopes in her hand to her lap, and then says, "So, I was able to finally talk to the lady that runs the online school I've told your mom about, and she said that they can transfer your credits and take you in."
"Really?" Leo asks with an excited grin.
"Yeah really."
"How were you able to convince her to do that?"
"Well, I explained to her the situation and that it's necessary. I also reasoned that you only need a few more credits to graduate anyways. She didn't seem very favorable towards it, but after working in universities for years, I've learned how to work things around," Janice says with a pleased expression.
"Ah, you're the best, Aunt Janice," Leo says, giving her a quick hug.
"Don't thank me yet. We may have gotten past the registration problem, but you've got quite a workload ahead of you, mister," Janice points out. "Because the classes had been ongoing, you're at least a month behind on schoolwork. As soon as you're signed up, you need to get cracking on those if you want to graduate this spring."
"Okay. I have nothing else to do anyways. Might as well do something productive."
"You say that now, but once you get to see what you've got on your plate, you're gonna wish you were never accepted."
Leo chuckles, and then returns to his previous task of folding clothes.
"Here. I just wanted to give you these," Janice says as she places the envelopes on his bed. "It's just information sent to me by the online school, but you should give it a read, too. It has the website where you can look at your schedule, your classes, and your homework and projects."
"Okay. Thanks. I'll get started on it this afternoon."
Janice nods. Then, she says carefully a moment later, "I also wanted to see if you'd be willing to tell me why you left Mission Creek." Seeing the flicker of discomfort on her nephew's face, she adds kindly, "Your mother was really upset when she told me bits and pieces of what happened over the phone two weeks ago, and though I have a vague understanding, I'm left wondering about your side of the story. I'm not asking you to tell me everything, just – give me an idea where you're at and what I can help you with, because that's what I'm ultimately here for."
Leo hesitates to answer at first. "If I tell you, will I be talking to Dr. Janice Dooley the shrink or just normal Aunt Janice?" he asks seriously.
Janice chuckles. "When I'm off the clock, sweetheart, Dr. Dooley doesn't exist," she assures him. "And with you, unless you need professional advice, I'm always going to be Aunt first."
Leo weighs his options for a while. Then, he speaks. "I just needed a new start," he says quietly. "Leaving was the best move for me and everyone else. Things were just…not working out."
"I see," Janice says with a sympathetic nod. "Do you mind if I ask what exactly wasn't working out?"
Leo forces a smile, one that assures his aunt that he doesn't mind the pain even if he really does. "Being in that island," he says.
"The fight, right?"
It was more than the fight. Lately, it's beginning to slowly dawn on him what had really happened. He was cast aside and caged. Three years of loyalty, and his only reward was anger and resentment. He may not have been as important to keeping the world safe as they were, but he certainly didn't deserve that. "It was the disappointment, really," he says as the real reason for his departure finally strikes him, not realizing that what's only meant to be in his mind has come out of his mouth.
Aware of this, Janice says nothing.
Memories of what has happened come back, but Leo refuses to entertain them anymore. He's not here to be bitter and miserable. He's here to start over and prove to himself that he's going to be okay. A smirk stretches across his face as he turns to his aunt. "Did Mom tell you about the abilities?" he asks.
Janice grins. "Yeah, she did," she says. Chuckling, she adds, "She also told me that Grandma freaked out about it."
Leo laughs. "Yes, she did."
"So you're bionic now, too, huh," Janice notes with a nudge. "How come I didn't hear about you on TV?"
Leo shrugs. "I guess no one really needed to know."
"Besides Grandma and Grandpa, is there anyone else outside the family who knows?"
"Janelle."
"Oh. That's your girlfriend, right?"
"No. She's not."
Janice frowns before a look of understanding comes to her features. "Oh. No long distance relationship for you both, then."
"No. She told me the last time I saw her that apparently, we were never really together."
Janice's brows hitch. "Really."
"What a life I've got, right?" Leo says with a grin. Then, he asks excitedly, "Want to see what I can do? It's pretty cool."
"It's not gonna bring down the house, right?" Janice asks cautiously.
"No, no. It's just…" He brings his right hand in front of him and then gradually activates a laser sphere until a small glowing mass of energy sits within his palm.
Janice gasps as she stares at it. "Wow," she says, amazed. She chuckles. "You know how weird this is? I've only seen things like this in comic books."
"Mm-hm."
She grins up at him after he deactivates it. "You know, I can think of two kids, both around your age, who'd freak out if they find out that my nephew's bionic," she says.
"You can't tell anyone, Aunt Janice."
"No, I won't. I won't," Janice says with a smile. "I'm just saying that if they did know, they'll probably think it's the coolest thing in the world. At least Aries would."
"Aries?"
"You'll meet him and other people soon enough, sweetheart," Janice says before giving her nephew a kiss on the forehead then walking out of his room.
Boom!
The loud explosion from next door startles both Janice and Leo, the former much more shaken than the latter. Janice, who's preparing a snack in the kitchen, slowly turns around with her brows slightly knitted and eyes questioning and alert. Meanwhile, Leo, who has been expecting it since they arrived a month and half ago, only looks up pensively from the plethora of worksheets sitting on and around his lap. "You have a fire extinguisher?" he asks his aunt.
Although still lost, Janice opens the door underneath the sink and then unlatches the small red cylinder attached to it.
Leo pushes aside the paper surrounding him, gets up, takes the item from his aunt, and then bundles up before heading over to his step uncle's house.
From the confused look on her face, he guesses his aunt now understands that he wasn't kidding when he told her that she needed to note something about conducting experiments when she drafted the lease for the next door apartment.
Leo stares thoughtfully at the food Janice has put in the table for dinner. He's been exposed to her cooking for many days and nights now, and out of kindness he's never complained or commented about the food before. Tonight, however – tonight is different. She has just presented a family-size bowl nearly filled to the brim with what's supposed to be Mexican food made from ingredients packed together in a box. Straight off the bat, he knows the consistency isn't right. It looks sticky rather than creamy, and the rice and meat have formed clumps of blobs that make it unappetizing. It also has an unhealthy sheen covering it. If that's not enough, he can tell from the way his aunt chews her lips as she watches for his reaction that even she is not sure about her cooking.
There's also that scent, but it's the one that's coming from what's got to be the house next door. The combination of garlic and other spices is very aromatic. It's what's really making him hungry. Douglas must have cooked again, and after restraining himself from walking over several times to spare his aunt's feelings, he decides to break the streak. "I'm going to Douglas' house," he says as he stands up then walks out.
"Oh, come on," Janice says as she follows him to the door. "I'm doing my best to feed you."
Leo pauses, his eyes narrowing and lips pursing as he thinks carefully of how to phrase his reply. "Aunt Janice, it's not the feeding me part that you can't handle," he says as politely as possible. "It's the cooking you're not so good at."
Janice's mouth pops open as her nephew grabs a jacket. As he opens the door, she says, "Leo! You can't just intrude on someone's—"
Both of them stop as they find Douglas standing outside. He's carrying a wide baking dish covered with foil and is staring back at them uncomfortably. "I…cooked too much," he says. "I was wondering if…you both would like to have some for dinner. It's three cheese mac and cheese and bacon-wrapped chicken."
Leo looks back at his aunt pleadingly.
Janice thinks about it for a moment, and then asks, "Would you…like to join us for dinner?"
Douglas steps in after Leo opens the storm door for him. "Thanks," he tells Janice with a small, awkward smile.
Janice nods as a response. She gives him a smile and then heads back to the dining room to clear it out for the food their guest brought.
As the adults leave, Leo locks the door, thankful that he will be able to eat well tonight—and spend time with the small family he has with him.
A few more weeks pass, and soon, it's April.
The weather is definitely much better and is very refreshing. It's still chilly, but it's not as bitter and frigid as it was a few months ago. Spring is definitely evident across town. Leaves are gradually sprouting back on the branches, flowers are peeking from the ground, and color is cautiously rising all around. The sun shines more. Everything is gorgeous and potent with hope.
Though he's neck deep in schoolwork, Leo notices this. He sees that attractive side of the east whenever he takes a break and looks out the window or when he and his aunt go for a drive to the store or to the mall. The landscape takes his breath away, and for stretches of time he allows himself to be lost in these wonders of nature. As he does, he thinks of the changes that had taken place in his life thus far, too.
Like how living with his aunt has been. Not surprisingly, he enjoys it. It takes him back to many years ago when he and his mother used to live in his grandparents' house with her. She pays very keen attention to him as if he's her own son, and, unfortunately at times, she caters to his whims. She's not very strict like his mother, but she does set clear boundaries that, though not very many, she reinforces with an iron fist.
He has no problem with those rules and is happy to oblige.
He's been drawing closer and closer to Douglas, too. Despite living not too far away, he doesn't see him as much as he used to because the inventor has been busy looking for a job. It was difficult for him initially ('Apparently, employment is not for ex-evil masterminds,' Douglas once joked), but two weeks ago he was finally hired at a hospital to work for the IT department. His step-uncle seems to have some reservations about it, but all in all he says he likes it. It gives him something to do.
They spend time when he's off. Sometimes he comes over to his house to look at his new inventions, but often Douglas comes over. They watch TV, and at times Douglas would teach him to play different card games. Usually, though, he's there because he's helping his aunt with her computer or a power switch or something technical around the house. It's convenient, and from time to time it results to his aunt slashing off a few bucks from his rent.
School's been hectic. He barely even has time to think about anything else because day in and day out, he's either filling in homework packets or reviewing for the finals. Admittedly, it's overwhelming, but he prefers it over those moments when he's not doing anything and it's silent around the house.
Because when it's quiet and still, that's when it comes to him that along with the peace and calm that comes with having a simple life, there's sadness and longing underlying it. Outside his aunt and his step-uncle, he has no friends. His mother calls him every week, and Chase texts and calls periodically, but besides them no one else makes contact. He hasn't really met anyone else besides a few older neighbors because kids his age are either in school or at the dormitories at the university. The cold weather keeps them in, too.
Really, his close acquaintances consist of his aunt, his step-uncle, Claire, the old couple that lives across the street, and some of his aunt's colleagues. He does truly enjoy their company, but something else is missing.
He doesn't dwell on these thoughts, though, because then he feels like he's sorely lacking, and he begins missing the people he needs to move on from. He can't feel this way. It will just defeat the purpose of his choice to move away.
So, on those times when he's hit with the shock that he's not in a place he knows and is familiar with, he tells himself over and over again that it's okay. It's alright. It's just starting over, he tries to convince himself. I can do this. I can do this.
"Ugh, this is impossible! How do they expect me to remember these things?"
Janice looks up from the paper she's reading over by the island. Douglas, too, who's been working on replacing a light fixture and is standing on a stepladder, can't help but glance at the clearly frustrated teenager. "Are you still on that Pre-Calc review sheet?" Janice asks.
Leo nods. He sighs as he stares down at it unhappily. "I don't know what I was thinking taking this class. I don't even need it to graduate," he says.
Janice chuckles as she walks over then pulls up a chair beside him. "You were thinking that you would get bored if you don't take all of these classes," she says as she picks up one of the slimmer packets to look over it. "Alright, let's see. Maybe I can help you with this…"
After a long bout of silence, a smirk begins to pull on Leo's lips. "Stumps you, doesn't it?" he asks his aunt.
"No, no, just – give me time to process it," Janice says, not taking her eyes off the slew of symbols and numbers on the page. However, after another minute of coming up with nothing, she's forced to admit defeat.
Leo laughs. "Like I said, it's hopeless," he says. He heaves another breath. "I don't know. Maybe I can just flunk this one. I have all the math credits I need to graduate anyways."
"Alright. Let me see it," Douglas says as he descends the stepladder. He takes the paper from his step-nephew's hand. With a heavy frown, scans the page thoughtfully. When he senses the teenager staring inquisitively at him, he looks back and explains, "I'm a programmer and an engineer. If there's anything I know, it's math." He takes the empty seat on the other side of Leo then picks up one of the mechanical pencils lying on the table. "Okay, which one of these do you need help with?"
As the two work together, Janice discreetly leaves the table to go back to the work she needs to finish. Before resuming her reading, though, she watches them for a little bit longer with a smile.
Her nephew may not know it, but having him there with her along with the other changes he's brought to her life makes her very happy.
Leo doesn't realize how mentally exhausted he is until after his final exams are finished and all he does the next day is binge watch shows on the DVR. He's…tired. He's tired. He must be, because all he can do is stare at the television and do some of the chores he hasn't done since the word 'exam' entered the horizon. He sticks to activities that require the least amount of thinking possible. He does so for a while.
When he's required to think again, it's a couple of days before his graduation, and his aunt is asking him what he wants to do after the ceremony. He looks at her blankly, because he did seriously forget about that, and tells her he doesn't know. When pressed for an explanation, all he says is that his brain is still recovering from the burnout. His aunt laughs, thinking that he's joking, and they move on to something else that's not as serious.
That night, he thinks about the graduation.
The next evening, after his aunt comes home from work with food from a restaurant, he tells her he doesn't want to go to the ceremony. He'll just wait until his diploma comes in the mail.
He doesn't tell her why when she asks. He doesn't tell her that he doesn't want to be in a place where he'll be surrounded with more people he doesn't know, doesn't tell her that he just doesn't want to bother with anything for right now. He doesn't tell her it's because he knows there will be families there, with moms and dads and siblings who will be supporting their graduate, and he'll just again be reminded that he doesn't have those anymore. At least not in the way he had imagined he would when that day comes.
He just shrugs. Then he asks her about her day to change the topic.
Despite his aunt's coaxing and his step-uncle's (admittedly poor) attempt at convincing him to go to the graduation ceremony today, he resolves to stay in bed. He enjoys the decision he had made thus far. He's getting ample rest, and it's so warm and lovely underneath the nest created by his comforter and multitude of pillows. It's the best sleep he's had in a long time.
That is, until Janice pries the curtains apart and destroys the cozy darkness in his room.
He groans as the light strikes his eyes before burying his head into the pillows.
"Breakfast is ready, Leo," Janice tells him with a smile.
"Aw'om ama'ab bek'bat."
"I'm sorry?"
Leo lifts his head slightly. "I don't want to have breakfast," he repeats groggily.
Janice crosses her arms. "Well, you're going to have to. If you're going to sit through a ceremony that will last an hour and a half, you need something in your system," she points out.
"I don't want to go," Leo says, his eyes still closed. "I just want to stay home."
At first, there's silence.
Then—"We didn't come all the way here to watch you sleep, Leo. You're going to have to do something."
Leo's eyes open in surprise. He flips over to his side to look at the person who spoke, and there, standing a distance away from him, is Chase, smirking with his arms crossed. Beside him is his mother, grinning as she watches his reaction.
"Good morning," Tasha tells her son.
Leo jumps up from his bed and then runs to hug them both. Embracing them tightly, he says, "You guys came!"
"Ow, Leo – easy," Chase says, wincing but also grinning. "You're crushing me."
"I'm sorry," Leo says with an excited grin as he disengages. "I didn't know you guys were coming."
"We wanted it to be a surprise," Tasha says. "Today's an important day and, there was no way we were going to miss it."
"Did Douglas know?" Leo asks his aunt.
Janice shakes her head.
"Speaking of Douglas, I haven't seen him in a while," Chase says. "I should probably let him know we're here. He lives next door, right? Is he home?"
"He should be home. He took today off for the graduation," Janice says.
"Alright. I'm gonna go wake him up."
"Wait!" Leo says as his brother turns towards the door. "Give me a few minutes. I want to go with you."
"You boys tell him, too, to come over. I cooked breakfast. …I didn't mess anything up this time," Janice says.
Chase nods. As he, his stepmother and step-aunt head out of the room, he says to his brother, "I'll wait in the living room."
"Okay."
Nearly ten minutes later, he and Chase are standing in front of Douglas' house. After a few knocks, their uncle opens the door. If he's surprised at seeing his son, he doesn't show it. He only frowns at them and then says he will come over after they told him of the breakfast invitation their aunt sent.
Breakfast goes by loudly – and Leo enjoys every second of it. He doesn't even give much thought to the food (it's probably okay because his mom would have joked about it if it isn't). He's too preoccupied with catching up with his mother and his brother and with being with his family that nothing else really mattered. He's happy, and that's all he wants to know.
Not long later, he's forced to decide about the ceremony. Upon the urgings of his mother and his brother, he reluctantly attends. The event is just as he expected. The venue is filled with strangers, but it's not as bad because from where he sits the whole time, he can see the people he cares about.
A long, long time passes and finally, he's walking towards his family with his diploma in his hands. With Claire also there to show support for him (even if she did come a little late), his day gets louder and more exciting. They spend what must have been forever taking pictures and checking to see if they're good. There's also a moment where, as his aunt, Douglas, and Claire figure out where they can go to eat, his mother tells him sincerely, with tears in her eyes, how proud she is of him. Chase tells him the same; he tells him he's proud of him, too.
They go to a steak and seafood restaurant twenty minutes away from home. Claire said it's one of the best places around Burlington, and Leo agrees. The food is really good, and it's very classy in there. It's a bit pricey, but his mother assures him that it's alright – she's prepared for it. They eat and talk, and his mother and Chase are entertained by Claire's stories.
Sadness doesn't strike Leo until he sees the time on his phone and realizes it's late in the afternoon. He had enjoyed that day so much that he forgot that it will eventually end. His mother and Chase will leave, and after that he'll be alone again. "What time's your flight back to California?" he asks his brother clandestinely as his mother and aunt laugh at another one of Claire's work stories.
Hearing the anxiety in his little brother's voice, Chase smiles encouragingly. "We're not leaving until Sunday morning," he says. He takes a sip of his iced tea before adding quietly, "And, uh, we didn't travel by plane. It's more like…by ability."
Leo frowns at first. His eyes widen when he understands. "You got someone to take you here?" he asks in a whisper.
Chase nods. "During class the students asked what I was going to do this weekend, and I told them we were going to visit you. Sebastian came up to me yesterday and volunteered to transport us here, so, he said, we can spend more time with you. He's coming to get us a few days from now."
"Oh."
"Chase?" their mother says with a knowing smile. "You're not telling your brother something you're not supposed to be telling him, right?"
Chase is lost for a moment, but he shakes his head with a grin when he remembers.
"Wait. What is it that I'm not supposed to know?" Leo asks his mother.
The adults, save for Claire, exchange glances. Finally, Janice caves in. "There are gifts waiting for you at home," she admits.
"Gifts? Really?"
She nods, and suddenly the dread of having to watch his mother and brother leave is forgotten.
Claire leaves before they finish dinner, woeful that she wouldn't get to stay due to her having to take her niece to the mall. On her way out, she hands Leo an envelope and tells him she hopes it's enough. Leo thanks her and gives her a hug. Surprisingly, his aunt gets up to head out with her best friend, too. She tells him there's something she needs to pick up. He suspects that it's her gift for him, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he tells her okay and that he will see her later.
Having just his mom, Chase, and Douglas with him there is nice. It's just like old times, or at least a semblance of it. It's somewhat awkward because there are topics that they choose not to go over, even if they are the most important ones, but once they had learned how to redirect the conversation, it becomes easier.
Another forty minutes later, the four of them are sitting in the living room, waiting for Janice so Leo can start opening his gifts. Saying that he doesn't have many is an understatement. If Leo's to be exact, at that moment, he only has two gifts: one from Claire, and one from Chase. From the smirk on Douglas' face, it looks like he has something up his sleeves, but Leo waits, because his uncle is not the type of person who will break his 'no gifts' streak even for a big occasion like this.
Once his aunt arrives, he begins opening his presents. As he suspected, along with a card, Claire has given him money. The amount, though, surprises him: she gave him seventy-five dollars. He hasn't seen this much money since last summer when his grandparents gave him shopping money for new clothes he can wear to school.
"Why do I have a feeling this is gonna be filled with books," he says jokingly towards Chase as he moves on to the next one. He rips the wrap off the sizeable box, and though the logo of the well-known shoe brand doesn't faze him, its contents come as a shock. He takes the pair of shoes out of the box then says, amazed and incredulous, "Where did you get this? And how did you know these are the ones I want? It's not supposed to come out until summer!"
"I have connections," Chase declares with a smile, pleased. When the adults shoot inquisitive looks towards him, he sighs. "Alright, fine. I found someone online who sells these things in advance. I contacted him, and after some negotiations he sold it to me."
"These are awesome, Chase. Thanks," Leo says as he marvels at it.
"You haven't seen the other two yet," Chase prompts, nodding down to the box.
"Other two?" Leo picks up the box to check. He laughs when he sees what was underneath the shoes. "No way! You got me this game, too?"
"Yeah. I figured, if we're gonna play it, you should have the game."
"Oh. And of course, a book," Leo says with a chuckle when he takes the hardbound from the bottom of the box. He softly punches his brother on the shoulder and then tells him sincerely, "Thank you, Chase. These are all great. It's the best."
"I beg to differ." Douglas types in something on his laptop then looks up with a smirk after hitting Enter. "There. My graduation gift to you. A fourth ability. Congratulations."
"Whoa, a new ability?" Leo says as he glances at his hand. "What is it?"
Douglas shrugs as he leans back. "Try it out," he says mysteriously.
"No, no. Please. Not inside the house," Janice says. "Your aunt has no money to replace anything that could be damaged. Maybe try it outside."
Leo looks at his family pensively. He hitches his shoulders. "I guess we can. It's already dark out anyways. No one will see," he says as he gets up, his family following suit.
"Find something to use for target," Douglas says as they head out to the backyard.
"Got one," Chase says as he picks up an empty can from the neat row standing beside the recycling bin. He heads farther down the yard. "This is good, right?"
"Should be. I wouldn't stand anywhere near it, though." As Chase jogs back to them after setting the can a considerable distance, he tells Leo, "Alright. Just aim and fire."
"This is not gonna backfire, right?"
"It shouldn't. I hope not."
Though not very assured with that, Leo holds out his right hand.
"You might want to cover your ears," Douglas tells Tasha, Janice, and Chase. "It's gonna be pretty loud."
After they heed his warning, Leo takes a shot at the aluminum can. A bolt of electricity, potent like white lightning, crackles then charges out of his palm. The sound is disconcerting, and the explosion that results from the electricity hitting the can only adds to it.
"I'm pretty sure someone's gonna call the police because of that," Janice comments as she takes her hands off her ears.
"Lightning fingers?!" Leo excitedly asks Douglas.
"Electrokinesis," Douglas corrects him, "but yeah, sure. Lightning fingers work, too."
"Sweet. Potentially dangerous and very lethal, but sweet," Chase says as he and Leo examine the charred chunk of metal standing at the backyard.
Douglas turns his head towards his sister-in-law then challenges quietly with a smirk, "Top that."
Tasha rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she smiles. "Sweetheart, do you want to see what I got you?" she asks her son. She nods back to the house and then, with her sister, leads her brother-in-law and sons to the front door. Before they walk outside, she tells Leo, "Now, I want you to remember that with this comes a great responsibility, okay? You have to be very, very careful. I got you this because I trust you."
"You didn't get me a Spider-Man costume, did you?" Leo asks, eyes narrowed.
Tasha chuckles. "No," she says. "Alright. Are you ready?"
After stepping outside and seeing his mother's gift to him, Leo gasps. Even Chase, who has known about this, looks at it with approval. Leo gapes at it for a while, and then—"You got me a car?!"
"Like I said, I want you to be very careful with this, alright?" Tasha says. "Not only is this not an inexpensive car, but I don't want to get a call in the middle of the night with your aunt telling me you've gotten into an accident because you've made a bad choice. If I so much hear a bad report, your aunt's gonna confiscate it. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good." Tasha tosses the keys to him, which he catches with no problem. "Now go take it for a test drive." As the boys hurry excitedly towards the car, she tells her half-confused, half-shocked brother-in-law with a pleased smile, "Here's a lesson in teenaged children, Dougie: when it comes to giving gifts, car trumps everything – even superpowers."
Janice chuckles at this then goes back inside, her sister following behind her. Douglas, meanwhile, watches as his step-nephew slowly pulls off, unable to believe what happened.
Meanwhile, Leo drives around the neighborhood, talking animatedly to Chase about the car and, later, about other things. They travel for an hour around the city and at one point even manages to get lost, which doesn't become a big problem since Chase is able to lead them back to where they should be. Soon, they're back at the house, pulling up to the driveway. They sit in comfortable silence for a while, both obviously worn out but content with the day's events.
"I'll be honest, so far I'm enjoying this weekend. Teaching is great and all, but I didn't realize how tiring it is until I get a chance to take a break," Chase says.
"I know. That's a lot of kids to handle," Leo says. Chase responds with a grin and a nod. As a thought occurs to Leo, his smile gradually evaporates. "They're still mad at me, aren't they? That's why they didn't come," he asks.
Chase looks at his brother and there in his face he finds the sadness that he heard from his words. "They just need time," he says. "They're…hurt that you chose to leave. They're still processing everything."
Leo doesn't say anything. Instead, he bears in silence the weight that presses down on him as his heart sinks lower.
Chase nudges him. "Hey. Lighten up. I didn't come here to see you be sad," he tells his brother with a grin. "You were just given money, new stuff, a new ability… You got this nice new car."
"It's used."
"Okay, well, new old car," Chase corrects. "Point is, it's not a night to be sad. At least not until later after you watch me beat you at Velocity X."
Leo laughs. "Oh, you wish," he says, getting out of the car. "Not tonight, Brainiac. Definitely not on my turf."
Chase shrugs slowly after shutting the door behind him. "I don't know. I've had lots of practice, and from what I've heard you haven't played in a while," he says as they jog up the steps to the house.
"Who did you hear that from? Douglas?"
"Aunt Janice."
Leo frowns as he closes the front door behind them. He doesn't have any response to that.
While their mother and aunt catch up upstairs, downstairs in the living room both of the boys camp out and pull an overnight video game match. Hours pass by, and evening turns to midnight which turns to early morning. The progression of time is irrelevant to them, though. It's been months since they last saw each other and spent time together.
To them, sleep is nothing but trivial.
The weekend rolls by faster than they want to, and soon Tasha and Chase are saying their goodbyes. They promise to keep in touch. Chase hugs his brother and tells him that he will log on as frequently as he can so they can finish the game they were playing. Before heading out the front door, Tasha reminds her son again to be careful with the car. She then hugs her son tightly once Sebastian arrives, and she whispers to his ear that everything will be alright.
After a short conversation with Sebastian, who looks genuinely happy to see Leo again, Leo, Janice, and Douglas bid Tasha and Chase farewell. The two wave goodbye, and in a quick burst of dark mist, they're gone.
Afterwards, Leo goes back upstairs to his room, which he barely saw the past few days because he'd been out a lot with his mother and brother. He looks around to take in everything, and he's reminded how empty and quiet it is in there.
He decides then that he was right. He shouldn't have allowed himself to enjoy that visit, because now he's left with memories of what had been and the cold reality of what will never be.
By the beginning of summer, Leo has something new to be occupied with: a job. He likes it. He came across the NOW HIRING sign when he visited the coffee shop with Douglas a few weeks before spring ended. He thought the place is nice and, from the description, the job is something he could qualify for. The pay didn't seem bad, either. Actually, he's been thinking that if he stays in that job long enough and really manages his earnings well, he can use whatever he has saved for college next year.
The owners of the coffee shop, an older couple whose alma mater is the university nearby, are very kind and amicable. They told him during the interview that they needed new employees because the other two graduated and moved to DC. He was worried at first that they wouldn't hire him because he's not a college student like most of their staff, but to his surprise they took him aboard.
A guy with a mustache and a ponytail named Devin trained him, teaching him everything he needed to know in being a barista. The guy's friendly and very patient, which is good because Leo had a tough time in the beginning. Devin seemed to find it very amusing, though, that the 'newbie' actually doesn't like coffee. He got a kick out of that.
Leo didn't mind, though. He just concentrated on what he needed to understand—and just as well. As it turns out, accidentally putting an extra pump of syrup or extra shot of espresso in someone's drink can cause quite a stir—no pun intended.
Two weeks into the job, it dawns on him that he's exhausted. He must be, because he's actually enjoying being home today. There's absolutely nothing to do, and he loves it. He's just sitting at his desk, shuffling through the thin stack of envelopes that are addressed to him. It's great. He's away from demanding, overly stressed clientele and away from the espresso machines and the smoothie blenders. Life's perfect right now as far as he's concerned.
After skimming through a letter that an insurance company sent him, Leo finds a shorter, more compact envelope in the pile. His name and address are written in neat, slightly cursive handwriting. At the top left is the sender's address. The person's name is not there.
He opens the mail with a frown.
As he suspected, it's a small card. There's a cartoon picture of a violin in front, right in the middle, along with the bow, and the picture is bordered by doodles of yellow leaves which contrasts nicely against the powder blue color of the background. It's cute. However, it only leads him to wonder more who sent it to him.
You smiled – and my heart did the impossible.
Your secret admirer—
Below it are four sharp signs arranged methodically.
Leo gazes at it thoughtfully. The message is very sweet, and the thought that someone likes his enough to take the time to write down their feelings for him makes him feel fuzzy but, a secret admirer? Even when he was with Janelle, he's never gotten anything like this. She usually just sent text messages, and even those weren't very warm and genuine. It's usually him who waxes poetic to keep winning her over.
This? This is different.
He ponders over different possibilities (because there's absolutely no way he would have a secret admirer and it not be a joke) when he finally understands. Out of boredom, he started a prank war between him and his aunt last month. She has yet to respond to his most recent one, and it seems like this letter is it.
He heads downstairs and out to the backyard with the card. Currently, both his aunt and his uncle are sitting on the lawn chairs, the former with a book opened on her lap and the latter with his computer. His aunt is also chuckling at something his uncle probably said. "Really, Aunt Janice? A secret admirer? That's the best you got?" Leo asks with a smirk.
"What are you talking about?" his aunt asks him.
Leo holds up the envelope. "This. You sent me a card with the cute little message to get back at me," he says. "No disrespect or anything, but this attempt is weak."
Janice's brows furrow further as she laughs. "Let me see," she says, gesturing for the envelope.
As she examines it, Douglas says, "You guys are still at that prank war, I see."
"Yeah," Leo says. "I'm winning, though."
"Sweetheart, this is not from me," Janice says with a smile as she looks at the message.
"Really. I'm not buying it."
"Believe me or not, it's the truth." Janice chuckles before adding, "Leo, I love you with all my heart, I do. But I want to crush you at this prank war, and this…This is not my style. You come from an intelligent family. You're smart. If I'm going to do something to get back at you, it's gonna be something you're not expecting."
Leo narrows his eyes. "Are you pulling some reverse psychology on me right now?"
Janice laughs. "No," she says. "That would make me a terrible person."
"So you had Douglas do it then."
"Hey, don't get me into this," Douglas says with a frown, deeply offended. "I just came over for a consult."
"Well, if neither of you sent this, then who did?" Leo asks.
"It's in here," Janice says as she checks the card. "Let's see, what is that? Four sharps. A Major?"
Douglas looks at it as Janice shows it to him. "Yeah. A Major," he confirms.
"So my secret admirer's name is A Major."
"Or just A," Douglas says.
"A."
"Yeah."
"So I'm getting dragged into a teenage mystery story, but with a musical twist."
Janice laughs. Douglas, on the other hand, just rolls his eyes. "You know, I think the real issue here is that you don't want to accept the fact that someone likes you enough to share their feelings with you," Janice says as she hands back the envelope to him. "You should take this as a compliment. You've got an admirer who's smart and creative. If anything, this is exciting."
Leo mulls over it. He's not inclined to accept this easily but, what if his aunt is right? What if this isn't a joke? What if somebody out there does like him? He's never had a secret admirer before. What's he supposed to do with the likelihood that he now has one?
He decides that he will keep the card on his desk for the meantime to feed his curiosity – as well as keep his skepticism alive.
to be continued.