I don't own the Secret Saturdays, Jay Stephens does. I only play with the pretty characters.
Zak: This seems like a calm story. Are you alright?
Aw, you noticed? I had a bad stomach bug, and I wasn't feeling too good.
Francis: Idiot, then be more careful about your health.
...That's it. This is turning into a yaoi.
Zak: DANGIT FRANCIS!
Francis: I didn't mean-!
Just. Kidding!
Z+F: WHAT?
STORY!
STARTO!
Zak was snickering to himself, when Francis arrived. That never was a good sign. The fact that he was also holding a piece of paper, while laughing, was doubly bad.
"And, what may I ask, are you giggling about?" The clone asked, brushing his elbow length mint-colored hair off his shoulder, which was dusted with snow.
Zak gave him a lopsided smile that reminded Francis eerily of a cat. "Oh, nothing much. Just...THIS!" He leapt up, flasing the paper at the clone, which he snatched away in agitation. When he examined it, he felt his face heat up. It was of a spiky black shape, with a tiny white star shape on its face, and in childish scrawl at the top were the words: Zak the Porqupine.
'This...is so old.' Francis smirked, as he sat down he heard Zak arguing with Fiskerton, the Lemurian he considered his family. As his eyes closed, Francis remembered that day so clear.
(Four years ago)
"Ugh, I still don't understand why we have to ask them for help." Francis grumbled as both he and Epsilon stood inside the home of the Saturdays. Drew and Doc were conversing quietly in a corner, while Zak pinned the two Greymen agents with an angry stare. Though Francis couldn't really blame the boy, after being hunted by them, he wished Zak would stop already.
"Because, Francis, while preparing for our last test flight of the experimental speeder, we didn't calculate Beeman blowing us out of the sky as a way of greeting." Epsilon muttered out of the corner of his lips. "So, until it is fixed, we cannot return to the base, nor can we contact it in any way. Greymen do not fail."
Zak finally strolled over, his eyes narrowed." Why were you guys flying around Beeman's place anyway? Every scientist knows he shoots first before tea and cookies."
Francis glowered and would've responded if Epsilon hadn't held his arm out to stop the boy. "Actually, little Saturday, we had no interest in Arthur whatsoever. We were merely...running a test."
Zak felt his eye twitch. Before he could say anything, Fiskerton pulled him into the air and away from the two with a calming mumble.
Doc and Drew finally concluded their talk and walked over. "Epsilon, we've come to an agreement that we'll help you-" Epsilon clapped his hands together with a small 'Excellent', when she held up her hand, "-On the condition that you stay. In. Your. Boundaries. Otherwise, you're dragon-chow." She ended pointing at Komodo, who growled visciously.
Epsilon guided Francis away from the cryptid. "Understood, completely, Drew."
It wasn't even a day later that the accident happened.
Francis was exploring the cryptid garden, avoiding the more dangerous ones, when he heard the sound of someone nearby. Parting a bush that looked like it was made of blue feathers, he found himself staring at Zak, who had his back to the clone. He was crying quietly.
"Well..." Francis drawled. Zak jumped, turning around with a startled noise.
"Francis?" Zak quickly cleared his cheeks of tears and glared at the clone. Francis finally allowed his mask to slip, and once again a clone who was tired of his hundred-year destiny was facing a child-called-monster. Zak let the glare drop and patted the ground next to him. Francis sat down and put his hand on Zak's shoulder.
"What's wrong?" The clone let his voice have tone, trying to soothe the once-Kur. "Your powers are gone, the world is safe, so what could possibly the matter?"
Zak was silent, before he sighed. "Too much stuff happened. Way too much. I mean, Van Rook shouldn't have died. None of those cryptids needed to be pulled into the battle. Even Zak Monday was dragged into this!" Zak ended, waving his arms wildly. Having seen first hand what the doppleganger was like, Francis nodded.
"Life has never been fair to anyone, Zak. Death is part of life. You should know that." Zak wrapped his arms around himself.
"I still hate it."
Francis gave the boy a worried look; Zak was never so down on himself, not even when the last time they'd fought. Zak had been full of energy, trying to prove he was good, making sure the family business went on. He reached out and put a gentle hand on the Kur's shoulder, giving Zak a small smile.
"I'm hungry now." Francis snorted and used his hand to swat Zak softly.
"I figured. Everything seems to be random around you." Francis stood and helped up Zak, both of them walking back to the path. Nearby, a spiny plant shuddered and rolled lazily to the side.
The next few moments had never been clear to Francis. One moment he and Zak were walking, the next second he was lying flat on his back, Zak was above him with several huge spines lodged in his back, and one crazy, random, utterly pointless thought ran across the clone's mind: Zak the porcupine. The next moment he remembers slightly more clearly. He screamed and began hollering for someone to comesaveus, ohGodplease,comesaveus! It was Fiskerton who was drawn by the clone's hysterical shrieks, and the Lemurian took off with screams of his own, bringing the entire family to them. Within minutes, the spines were pulled out, Zak was bandaged, and once Francis' head stopped spinning in terror, they were all in the infirmary. Drew was stroking Zak's hair, while the youngest Saturday lay unconscious.
"Francis, are you absolutely sure the plant was purple?" Doc questioned, turning the boy's head to look at him. Francis could only nod numbley, his voice having died long ago. Doc gave him a long look, before guiding the clone to the chair next to Drew, and as he was sat down, the white-haired mother pulled him into a side-hug while leaning forward and putting his hand over Zak's. Francis made a noise, though he no longer remembered if it was a gasp and a whimper, but when Zak's eyes fluttered opened it didn't seem to matter.
"Zak?" Francis managed to say, in an embarrassingly squeaky voice. The boy moaned, trying to move his arms, making several noises of pain. Drew had Francis back away, not wanting to push Zak too much. He seemed to come in and out of sleep, before giving up and sinking into REM sleep. They left Zak to rest, and Fiskerton took Francis to the Kur's room. The clone swore he understood the Lemurian, as when the cryptid made his usual unintelligent mumblings, Francis thought he heard 'Now stay here, and don't touch the games. Zak hates that.' He stood for almost an hour in the same place, before something bright caught his eye. It was a piece of paper, with several colored pencils lying chaotically around it.
Without really thinking, Francis stumbled over to the desk, collapsing into the chair. For a moment he sat there, dazed, before he took a pencil and began scratching a black mass on the paper, before making it spike out. He paused, then scribbled a small star shape, then brought the lines together to connect the shape. He filled in the black body, and after realising what he was drawing, he scribblied a few words at the top and threw the pencil in the air.
(The next morning)
Epsilon bowed. "So sorry about your boy, Drew, but I am thankful that the ship is repaired." Francis stood next to him, his face schooled once again into a calm mask. Zak was in a chair, Komodo pressed against the right wheel, staring at Francis. "Now, I know this would be a bad time, but I'm afraid we must be off."
Francis wanted to stay, to be near Zak until the boy was better, but if he voiced his thoughts there was no telling what his punishment would be. Before his thoughts continued further the Lemurian appeared from the ceiling with something in his hands. He handed the thing to Zak with a grumble, and pointed to the Greymen.
"Francis? What did he-?" Zal began to ask, when his eyes scanned the paper and he froze; Francis also froze, because he realised that it was the paper he'd drawn on. There was a few moments of silence before Zak began laughing. "Dude! You mispelled 'porcupine?' HAHA!"
Zak was laughing to the point Francis thought he'd start coughing, but it didn't matter. He'd started laughing too, and when he felt Epsilon stiffen beside him, he laughed even harder; what did it matter if he showed emotion? He'd already rejected the stupid legacy he was supposed to carry on, and he knew Zak would help him. That was true. Zak would help him no matter what, and Fiskerton too, and Doc and Drew. He had the Saturdays to count on. He was free to do as he pleased, what he wanted, and wouldn't be looked over and written down. He was able to be himself.
(Back to the present)
Francis breathed in the scent of swamp mud and raw fish. He opened his eyes to see the pterosaur, Zon. He reached up and petted her beak, feeling her purr. She screeched and took off down the hall, passing by Drew. She gave the cryptid a gentle pat and a large salmon. Drew continued to the living room, peering in at Francis.
"Dinner's almost ready. Think you can round up the others?" She asked. Francis stood and cracked his neck.
"Doyle may be trouble." Drew held up a finger, then used it to buzz the intercom next to her. Doyle grunted in response to the beeping.
"Yeah?"
"Doyle, dinner."
"Yeah."
Drew rolled her eyes and pressed a second button, and the floor opened up. The next thing they knew, Doyle was flung upwards into am armchair nearby, screaming as he went. He sat there in a daze for a few seconds.
"Oh my God, that was awesome!" He finally uttered, jumping up with a grin. Both Drew and Francis shook their heads. "I gotta get that installed on the airship!" He yelled, sprinting out of the room. Drew was stunned for a moment, before taking off after him.
"Doyle, you touch my ship, you'll be hanging by your boxers out the window next time we take you on a mission!" She yelled. Francis was left to stand alone in the room, when Zak popped his head in.
"Fran?" The clone turned to acknowledge the nickname. "Dinner's ready, and Mom'll be chasing Doyle for a while. Let's eat." Francis smiled and nodded, looking at the picture one last time.
Then, he put it down on the glass table and walked out.
READ AND REVIEW! Secret Saturdays! My most beloved show since it first aired. And I go and write this mushy stuff. Forgive me, other fans of Secret Saturdays! Forgive!