Frequency

by Vanessa S. Quest

Long-haul fanfic involving my OCs in the verse. All is not well in Denmark, the familial strife comes to a head- and GAIA has made a major move, only they grabbed the wrong kid? What's going on! Please R & R!

1. Chapter 1

Frequency by Vanessa S. Quest

1300 EST, September 10, Portland, ME – Quest Compound…

Inside the air-conditioned laboratory, Dr. Quest stared at several read-outs and kept making minute adjustments. The plasma orb smelled of coffee and raspberry, as the theoretical physics had suggested they would. He increased the output of coolant to be safe.

Stabilized at its size, Benton killed the generator and let the orb fizzle back into the steady-state in the room.

"It still needs refinement, but the values that put off are very promising." He dictated to his older son as he assisted.

"Very much so, Dr. Quest," Hadji awed, "Do you believe this will assist in shielding experiments?"

"With time, it very well may…"

"Incoming call, Dr. Quest." IRIS boomed.

Benton smiled, "My work is never done—" he said cheerily, "Hadji, where had your brother gotten off to?"

"I do not know, he had said he would spend the day with his juvenile delinquent friends when I had asked."

"His what?" Benton asked, bemused at the youngest Quest's antics.

"I had said I was schedule to assist you in the lab, I believe he was making a joke."

"Incoming call – Dr. Quest." IRIS reminded.

"Go ahead, IRIS, accept the call…" As he gave the voice command a video file began streaming. "IRIS, is this a conference call?"

"No, Dr. Quest, the caller is streaming a video file. Shall I play it?"

"Before you do, I'd better figure out who's calling…"

"Ah, Dr. Quest, so good of you to pick up! We here at GAIA have been looking forward to your project's latest updates…"

"IRIS, start recording, and tracing this." He commanded quietly, in a booming tone he addressed them, "I believe I've already expressed my disinterest in working with your organization."

"Ah, but your son may convince you otherwise. Play the video-file, Dr. Quest."

The video cued. Hadji and Benton blinked in abject wonder at the image before them.

Clear as day, the blond-haired, blue eyed youth sat immobilized in a chair, rough hands pulling at the mop of short hair and tugging at the mock-turtleneck black t-shirt.

"Please introduce yourself to the camera."

"—Get off of me!" The boy's voice was a touch high, was he panicking? What was he seeing that they weren't?

"Your name—"

"I told you assholes already, it's Jonny Clark—"

A slap echoed in the two adjoined rooms, "If you keep insisting on this little charade I'll be forced to prove your identity by other means."

"Oh riiiiiiight, you need my real name." The bravado was terrifying.

"Cooperate, or we can always escalate."

"It's Jonathon Go-Fuck-Yourself Clark. It's a family name."

The strike was swift, straight in the ear, tilting Jonny's head back.

"Mr. Quest, hasn't your bodyguard taught you better? Foul language, pathetic attempts at subterfuge, and worst still, to not just give the easy information? My, how have you survived so long!"

"Just scrappy, I guess."

Another blow was felled, this to the lip.

"We can of course just take a sample, that'll confirm enough, won't it Dr. Quest?"

"You guys are going to feel real bad when you've realized your mistake…"

"Not as badly as you'll feel. I hate phlebotomy but this does require blood."

The teen spat the red at the man. "There ya go, sample submitted."

"Oh, that's an insufficient volume, I'm afraid." He brandished a knife.

They watched, horrified, as the knife sliced in at his bottom left rib.

"You son of a whore, you've deflated my lung…" There was a struggling sound as the black shirt became sticky with blood. "I'm… going to… flay you alive… when I get outta this…"

The video ended. The caller continued, "Results came back, 13 identical alleles, AB-negative, your little spit-cracker isn't leaving much time for you to work. We'll call back in an hour to hear your proposal."

Hadji pulled up the trace first while Dr. Quest called in Race.

"He is in New York City…"

"He's what?!" Benton was furious, he'd expressly forbade his son from going to that Broadway fieldtrip, precisely because of this active threat. "—You said you saw him this morning?"

The door creaked open.

"Hello…? Hadj? Dad? You still working…?"

Dumb-founded, the older Quests looked at Jonny. The boy had a patina of sweat, a mop of wet hair, and was drenched in river water.

"Jonny—what happened?!" Benton sprang.

"Oh, I fell in the creek trying to fish out the—woah! Dad! What's with the hands—"

Dr. Quest probed his ribcage, nothing—his golden tan a stark contrast to the pallid luster on the screen. "Why did you go to New York—I—"

"Dad! I didn't! I was taking a mountain bike ride and fell into the creek, what the heck is going on?!"

"I'd like to know that too." Race said, starting at the freeze-frame of Jonny, his chest bleeding, lung caving. Jonny gasped as he turned to see what Race was looking at.

"Is… this some sick prank?!" He approached the image, the likeness was uncanny. "Who photoshopped this?" He felt disgusted.

"This is a still from a video file…"

"…Well, apparently even your doppelgangers have awful luck."

-Frequency JQ-

After catching up to speed, Jonny sat in transfixed horror as he watched his likeness be assaulted. Race, on the other hand was taking notes.

"I'm calling this in to Bennett, and Korvin—that poor kid just got roped into wrong time, wrong place, wrong face."

"He even sounds like me, swears way more, though…" Jonny said numbly.

"Let's look into a Jonny Clark—I'm sure his family is—"

"Benton, don't waste your time." Race said, "IRIS, connect Phil Korvin."

"Race, long time no chat…"

"Phil, are any of your wards AWOL?"

Phil clicked his tongue, "You know I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss that."

"A Jonathon Clark, looks uncannily like our Jonny—the doc did a height/weight calculation, 5'7", a buck-fifteen, so a little taller and a little lighter, but…"

"The name doesn't ring a bell. Let me see the image?"

Benton's voice boomed, "We're sharing the video file."

As he listened, he paused then dragged to where the boy had been punched—a small scar was barely visible at his throat.

"I… need to make some calls."

"Phil, you know who this is?"

"They said he had AB-negative blood, and matched thirteen of my alleles." Dr. Quest relayed.

"They must be lying. Keep your noses down, we'll sort this out from here." Phil hung up.

"What in the hell was that?!" Jonny said daftly, "I don't ever remember him being so dismissive."

Race sighed, "…That kid's definitely in his wheel-house."

"Why do you say that?" Dr. Quest asked, his own hunch there.

"The kid's scar—he recognized it. He knows this kid. Also, that kid didn't bat an eye to talking about bodyguards or think of giving up their name, like that was the life-or-death piece…"

"And they have no idea what they've gotten mixed up with. This GAIA group is a deranged cult, and if he thinks this is some other threat…" Benton swept a hand down his beard and eyed his own son, still shell-shocked at the footage.

"Benton, we know they'll call back. Do we play along and buy this kid time or listen to Phil?"

"If Korvin would be so brazen as to throw this boy to the wolves, we have to help."

"He's not throwing them to the wolves." Came a sudden, unexpected voice.

"Dr. Quest, visitor – Agent Bennett, authorization code—"

"We see him." Benton said, shocked.

Race's former 'boss,' with whom he kept clearance stood in the room.

"What in same hill is going on, Bennett?" Race asked.

"Phil called me, I was nearby and know how headstrong the lot of you are, so I swung by."

"Then read us in so we can help." Dr. Quest folded his arms.

"As he said, it's an internal matter. We can hardly risk your family's safety for another protection detail."

"But we're the only direct line, and that boy has no idea what's…"

Bennett blew out a sigh, "With all due respect, doctor, this may well be above even your clearance."

"What about mine, Bennett?" Race asked in a steely voice, crossing his arms. "Phil knows him, and his eyes—when the Doc mentioned the blood…"

"The name they picked was… unfortunate, but I can assure you, GAIA doesn't stand a chance. Sit on back, let this play out." He gave a small shrug, "But if they contact you, pass on the intel, if you'd be so kind."

"That's not going to cut it and you know it, Bennett. You're here because this has to be important…"

"Phil asked, as you said, he recognized the scar."

-Frequency JQ-

The phone was ringing again, off the hook. Darren grabbed it unsure of what the hell his big brother was thinking. He'd been clear, he'd been crystal. Stealth mission, watch the kid, be back when he could…

"Finally! Darren—get your ass to NY—it's bad…"

He dropped but caught his phone. "What is it?!" His anxiety was through the roof.

"Some asshole grabbed Venus—thinks she's someone else—and as she's thinking it's KGB, they're… it's BAD. Get here, we have intel to find her, a ransom was made."

"…Who do they think she is, Phil?"

"A boy, Jonathon Quest, Darren… she looks identical to him."

"Quest as in Doctor Pain In Your Ass Quest?"

"…I've never called him that."

He shook his head, this was rich. "Some creep thinks my daughter's a blank check to a science rat's inventory, huh?"

"Yes. But they're dangerous—the Quests have dealt with these threats, and this group will take counter-measures."

"Not as many as—"

"She called herself Jonny Clark. They think she's the right kid and they will literally torture her to get to Dr. Quest. She doesn't know that. She'll think it's either her or you they're after and do anything to not cooperate…"

"How the hell did she get snatched, Phil? And why was she in disguise?"

He swallowed hard. "…Jenna made an attempt, Venus bugged out to the city. De got her squared at a safe-house and I've dealt with my daughter, but Venus didn't trust that. I don't blame her, but—"

"DAMN IT, PHIL! You promised me…"

"And her mother checked her out."

"Two hours. I'll be there in two hours."

-Frequency JQ-

IRIS played a new video.

"So, Mr. Quest, are you ready to ask your father's advice?"

The tired voice responded, "He'd tell me… to tell you to go fu—" the strike crossed their cheek, painting it red and pulsing. "…You had better be a fast runner… when I get outta here… your life's gonna… depend on it…"

"More bravado? And I'd heard you were a survivor."

"Well, you don't even know my name… so let's go with… you don't know shit about me…"

He grabbed at the mop of blond bangs.

"You really think… I'm that Quest guy, huh? Gonna burst your bubble… I'm not any guy…"

"Oh, so your DNA just happens to match? That's some coincidence."

"Or you're an idiot… who did it wrong… guess what my money's on?"

"You are trying, aren't you?" He cupped the extended jaw, "If this is mistaken identity, what's your name? Are you his illegitimate bastard?"

"I'm legitimately a bastard alright… You'll see that soon enough…" came the rasp.

"Why not just ask your dad, save yourself some pain."

"Ask for what exactly?" Her eyes darkened. He really didn't get it, he was a she, and sure as hell not whatever luck S.O.B. this creep thought he had. "A pony? A car? A Remington pump-action…?"

He slid the knife toward her side, "For his help and cooperation."

"Oh, I don't need that at all… I'll be just fine."

The knife slicked through, she winced, shook her head. As she did so, a long tendril of hair fell from her coifed 'do.

"Huh, so you really are a girl…"

Her eyes narrowed, she hoped he hadn't nicked her hepatic artery or vein for that matter.

"How old are you?"

"Sorry, you're not my type." She gristled.

"My, should I chop your leg and count the rings?"

With a dark laugh she forced out, "You try it… I'm going to feed you your own eyes…" Growling, she was realizing just how much blood she'd lost by now. Staying awake was becoming difficult.

"Don't you want your dad to save you, hm?"

"Nah… I'd never live that down…" She taunted, "We won't be giving… you anything except… a quick end…"

"How old are you? He yanked her hair back, "What's your birthday?"

"Aw, I don't need any presents… but thanks for asking…"

He exposed her neck as he pulled her hair further back, whispering into her ear, "I could play very dirty, young lady…"

Her eyes narrowed to slits, "And I'll feed you that too…"

He walked out of the room, leaving the camera on. Venus looked back and forth, still working on her binds.

"Damn… is this a warehouse…?" She muttered to herself. "C'mon… c'mon…" the rope made a snap sound, she smirked darkly.

Standing proved difficult, she ripped at the compression panel that released her chest. "Finally…" She took a deeper breath before chancing a few steps. The exertion was too much though, she fainted, out cold.

The video cut off.

Benton looked between the screen and his son. It wasn't possible. It wasn't god damned possible…

"…Dad?" Jonny asked, seemed to see what his dad was thinking, "You didn't really cheat on—"

"Of course not!" He softened his tone, "…But your mom did have another baby… a stillborn."

"But you said mom and you tried everything for years and years to even have me?"

"IVF. What finally worked was IVF. They implant multiple embryos…"

"I… have a twin?"

He let out a breath, "It looks like it."

"…Dad, if she was stillborn why would she need protection?" He caught eyes with Hadji, both launched to their laptops as they started a birth record search.

Race gave the boys a strangled look. "Holy guacamole, kid… does that say Kiers?"

"Yeah, it does… A-positive, September 18th, born to one Viktor and Ana Kiers…"

"…" He looked at Benton, "I've met her. That's why she's being mums… her parents, the Kiers that is, they were assassinated by the KGB, they were diplomats that the Kremlin post-cold-war was convinced were spies."

"So she thinks they'd trade her? Why would she be worried if the KGB already killed her parents though…?"

"Because she was the federal witness to their guy, it was a huge PR disaster and a good part of why they imploded on an international stage. A cute little 2 year old fingered the three perps with cooperating security footage nearby…"

"She's a ward of Intelligence One?"

"No. She's not, that's what's strange. As I said, I've met her. I babysat her for 2 months while Phil scrambled to arrange real witness protection, some marshall—De Hallofield or Hawkins… something like that, she replaced me. She said Intelligence One looks after its own, but kids of spooks, nah, they fall right back into the foster system. Diplomats' kids though? Those kids get rushed to some critical adoptions or extended family, real brain trust stuff."

"And you're sure they weren't spies?"

"If they were in-house, as young as she was? She'd have been shuffled into Alpha 1, not witness protection."

"…What's that? I've never heard of Alpha One?" Benton asked.

Race looked at Bennett, fairly certain he was about to lose some of that sec-clear himself.

Bennett dialed Phil. "Korvin here."

"…We found out who they are, does 'Venus Kiers' mean anything to you?"

Phil glowered, "She wouldn't have possibly said her name."

"Oh, she didn't. Dr. Quest's boys routed it out… by looking at Jonny's hospital records and then other records, same day."

"No. You're goddamned wrong."

"Phil, who the hell is this girl? You obviously know something more than what you're telling us."

"She's the diplomats' kid, the witness…"

"Phil stop messing around, she's unconscious in a warehouse bleedin' to death and still sassing them…"

"She's unconscious?" He sounded dazed, "…I have to make a call. Which warehouse?"

"Address is…"

-Frequency JQ-

Venus took a sharp breath, naptime over. That asshole had put her back in the chair, retied her hands, but also patched her side, but not her lung.

Running on half-caf like this was awful.

She looked at the camera, unsure who he was sending this to. Venus started back on her ropes.

"Oh, up and at it already? How industrious of you."

Venus glared at the masked man, he looked like a lame pro-wrestler… except his frame was far too slight for the role. She hated to look so disheveled and was quite angry to have it captured for posterity.

"Dr. Quest wanted to ask you something."

"Sorry, I can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message after the beep—"

"Venus?"

Her eyes shot wide, her pupil shrank to pin-pricks.

"Is your name Venus Ki—Venus?"

"Oh, winner-winner chicken dinne." He laughed, "Called your exes, or…?"

Venus pressed against the ropes urgently, now she was worried.

"My name is Doctor Benton Quest, Venus. Venus, Phil's working on it."

"…Uncle Phil?" Her voice lilted, small.

Dr. Quest and Race glared at Bennett, balked.

"Uncle?"

"…Wow, I really feel bad for you guys now. My dad's going to be pisssssssssed… I was only half-kidding about flaying you." She smiled obstinently, forced a small laugh. Venus toed off her sneakers, the one-inch lifts were well-overdue for a break. "So, Dr. Quest, when'd my uncle get involved, anyway? I'd love to know how much longer someone'll be keeping me waiting."

She stretched her calves.

Jonny was in awe of her bluster, she even put his to shame.

The man watched her legs flex as she kept on the ropes.

"Since the first call."

"Oh, I took a nap, in hours if you'd please."

"Four."

She smiled, "Oh goodness, that's been plenty long enough…" She launched a kick that landed hard into the man's hip, she heard a crack. Venus stood, woozy all the same, took a strong grip of the chair as she sucked in a breath and swung it hard into the man's ear and chintzy mask before taking a knee to gasp.

"You here, then?" She called quietly.

The crack of gunfire echoed, Venus held the damaged chair. There were several bwap-bwap-bwaps of rapid, controlled shots.

She took the phone, "Please tell Uncle Phil my ride's gotten here. He's a boy scout worry-wart." She hung up, turned off the camera.

-Frequency JQ-

When Darren had gotten to the warehouse and run his own recon he'd realized there'd been seven of them, though only one was upstairs where he'd seen his girl.

Her hair was a hot mess, he was sure that put her in a mood, as if being stabbed wasn't enough of a reason for it. The armed lackies buzzed about the ground floor like it was any other day in the office until one spotted him and sent a round.

His draw was smooth and quick, firing his pistol in rapid succession he folded the six employs on the first floor – one, two, headshot, advance, continuing until he was the last man standing.

He switched his extended magazine and took the stairs, now down to half a clip. He finished at the upstairs by emptying his clip into the asshole who stabbed his princess…

"Took you long enough…" Venus sat down hard, she undid her hair to reveal the shoulder-length inverse bob.

"You look like hell." He pet her cheek, "What's this damsel in distress bullshit about, anyway?"

She frowned, held her side over her deflated lung. "Shut up and save me already… can't a girl get a good rescue in… once a blue moon…"

He didn't like how hoarse her voice was. "My pleasure," he kneeled down and took out a pen and bottle of water he'd procured.

"…You're really going to…?"

"Yeah, sorry, it's going to suck." She nodded, he disassembled the pen, cracked open the bottle of water and squeezed some out then left the cap loose. He stabbed the pen shaft into the bottom of the bottle, pulled it out and plugged it with his finger, then came the fun part. He pressed the pen shaft in hard, below the stab wound, and sucked it like a straw to start drawing negative pressure before reinserting it into the bottle of water.

Red cascaded upward as the pressure on her lung reduced, she felt it begin to reflate.

"…I hear sirens…"

"Yeah, well, big brother's a boy-scout worry-wart so…"

She smiled at him, "Did I mess up your work?"

"Fughettaboudit. That's not on you."

She blinked to accept that point, fading fast in her exhaustion, "Some strangers… they knew my name…"

"The Quests?" Her head bobbed, "Phil said that was going to be a cluster fuck."

She leaned her head against his arm, "I really do have bad luck…"

"Just remember, the only thing consistent about your life is that cursed ancient amulet—why do you even have that, anyway." He joked.

"…Why's'it a cluster fuck…?" She said, straining to keep awake, eyelashes already falling to half-lidded.

"I don't know yet, you look spent princess. Take a power nap."

"…Okay." She said, already more than half-way there.

-Frequency JQ-

Inside a large bedroom in a white colonial at Millbrook, NY, Venus opened her eyes, reacquainting to her home.

Dark espresso furniture neatly paired with crisp white satin sheets and a quilted lavender blanket.

In oversized pajamas, which buttoned down the front, she sat up gingerly. Her pajama bottoms were shorts, and the fuzzy, warm socks she preferred whenever it was cold.

"You dug out the winter wardrobe?" She asked her dad as he sat in a bedroom vigil next to her.

"Yeah, well, blood loss… you get cold."

"How much did I lose?"

He shrugged, "They gave you two units. Listen, sweetie… Phil's outside. We have guests… this… it's a lot to take in. I want you to try to take a breath and know I'm not going anywhere. You got that?"

She blinked, "Why would you go anywhere?"

"I wouldn't." Darren pet her face as it soured on him, she forced herself upright.

"I'm on a lot of painkillers, huh…?"

"Yeah, you are. Need a hand?"

Slowly she shook her head, "These guests, they outside?"

He nodded, "They are." He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder anyway.

"Are they in the study or the living room?"

"My study, I figured you didn't need to hit the stairs."

"Much appreciated, that." She leaned in deeper to the hug.

Darren slowly creaked the door open to the study as Phil Korvin, Race, Dr. Quest, Jonny, Hadji, and Jessie were spaced in the room. Jonny studied the various books and art on the walls while Hadji and Jessie looked at various maps under Phil's watchful eye.

Race sat on the sofa, reflective, while Dr. Quest—similarly to Jonny—absorbed the ambience of the room.

Questions like what kind of life she'd led thus far, what her interests were, her values, who she was—all stemmed to clues in this room and others like it in this house.

"Phil, we're coming in." Darren announced.

Benton and Race stood out of politeness.

Darren gave Phil a look.

"Allow me to introduce you, Dr. Quest, this is my baby brother, Darren." Darren gave his older brother a dirty look.

"Nice to make your acquaintance Mr. Korvin—"

"—Kiers, actually." He smiled in full show, "That nonsense that men can't change their last names is archaic."

Venus smiled weakly, hugged her dad a little closer.

"And this is Venus, Venus—say hello?" Phil asked cordially.

She looked at her uncle and the large gathering of people, "Hello…" She crooked her ankle in a mild plié.

"And this is—"

"Roger, I remember." She shrugged.

"I go by Race, but Roger Bannon's the name…" He said evenly.

She looked at Jonny, "I take it you're Jonny not-Clark Quest?" She crossed her arms.

"…Yeah." He said, his eyes honed on hers.

"And you two?" She eyed the other kids in the room in growing disdain.

"Hadji, my adopted brother, and Jessie—Race's daughter."

Venus smiled, "Right, he said something about a daughter…" She recalled, "so is this some wellness check? No flowers?"

"…" Benton steeled himself, "Venus, we found your medical records while trying to find out who GAIA kidnapped…"

Darren cut in, "Princess, these people helped find you."

She uncrossed her arms at that. "Oh good, I'll put them on the x-mas card list… Now if you'll excuse me…"

"We have reason to believe you were switched at birth. You're not really a Kiers." Benton said in a stoic calm.

"Oh, his blood test? I'm A-positive. He was wrong, and so are you. I'm 100% Kiers."

"Sweetie…" Darren said soothingly, "…That bit about your blood-type… it's technically not accurate."

She turned to look at him, gobstruck.

"You are AB-negative." He watched her eyes grow, "We've known for about 5 years… when you cut your arm."

"…" She looked at him in annoyance, "Dad…"

"…You know the rumors about Ana as well as anyone. I didn't tell you because… well, it only would've hurt your feelings."

Jonny turned toward him, "How would that hurt her feelings?"

"Daddy…?" She whispered, "…then Viktor… she really did cheat on him?"

Darren kept a constant hand on her arm, "Well, that's what I'd thought happened… I mean, Ana worked off her back. And you know how she sent Aurora to live with her friend…"

"…But I look like Viktor…"

"You also look like me, and that one over there." He thumbed to Jonny.

"Viktor wasn't my father…?"

Darren squeezed her a little closer, "He lived every day of his life with you knowing he was, princess. Don't go doubting on that. We don't do revisionist history, you're no Mao."

She nodded to herself, he bopped the tip of her nose for good measure.

Dr. Quest folded his hands, studying their behavior, mannerisms.

Darren pulled out his office chair one-handed and guided her down. "Here, sweetie, take a seat. You're sweating sheets."

Before she could object, he was behind her, hands on her shoulders as a show of constance. She looked up at the brunette, "Why are they here, dad?"

Dr. Quest cleared his throat, "As I had said, we'd realized you were switched at—"

Sharp eyes cut across the room to glare him down, "I wasn't talking to you, Dr. Quest. Please forgive me, as I am in a substantial amount of pain and don't feel up to coddling your ego, but I was conferring with my father, Darren Kiers. You've met him, now." The heat behind her eyes was a tight balance between trying to be diplomatic and caustic.

"I don't know either, so we might as well hear them out. Don't worry though, my brother isn't stupid enough to bring someone into our house to make demands. He knows my track record with shooting terrorists." He smiled; Phil slid a hand down his face.

This was off to such a great start.

"We'd like to confirm it, to actually run a paternity test." Dr. Quest continued, ignoring both of their brutish responses, though his own anger was quickly mounting.

"Oh, in that case—since you've asked so nicely… No." Venus said harshly. Phil's cross expression pierced her.

"Venus, why are you acting like this? You're normally such a sweet, amicable, thoughtful girl…"

"Uncle Phil, don't be unfair. I've just had a blood transfusion, these are blood or saliva tests, neither of which do I feel the need to consent to. Or do you not think I'm entitled my own autonomy?"

"…You look so much like my mom…" Jonny said quietly.

"Yeah? Why isn't Carol Brady here then? Divorce? Or does she not give a shit?"

Jonny clenched his jaw and fists. "Son, sit down please." Benton said soothingly, the boy obliged now sandwiched between Race and his father.

"My wife is deceased. And you do take after her, both of you do." He added that last part to Jonny, brushing his arm.

"Venus," Darren whispered suggestively, "If you're not up to this…"

"…When'd that happen?" She asked mildly.

"Almost nine years ago." Jonny said in a hoarse whisper, "She was murdered in front of me when I was 6."

Her eyebrows shrugged. He cleared his throat, "Mom was really amazing, charming, smart, fun—but an introvert. What're your parents like?" Jonny smiled toward her.

Darren's hands squeezed hard into her shoulders unintentionally. Steely blue eyes cut through the room at the older Korvin brother.

"It's just my dad and me. He's the confirmed bachelor type."

"So you never knew your mom?" Jonny continued, not seeing her eyes well.

"If this is a pissing contest for sob stories, let me just say—I'm not in the mood. My dad and I are perfectly happy and have a great thing going. Thanks for caring that your doppelganger got home safe. I'll remember not to use 'John' as an alias going forward, cool?"

"Why did you need an alias?" Race asked, "Why the disguise? Is someone after you again?"

"Uncle Phil, that's your dirty laundry, you air it if you want…" Her voice softened, "I'm sure dad'll love to hear all about it."

He let out a wanton sigh, "…My daughter and my niece do not have a healthy relationship."

"That's a goddamned understatement." Darren hissed, kneading away the tension in his daughter's shoulders, the topic a stressful one for the whole family.

"Daddy, I'm fine…" Venus whispered.

"No, you're not." He retorted dryly.

"Jenna is unstable, she has severe health issues and an obsession with Venus, she's tried to kill her on several occasions."

"…She believes she's supposed to be in this life, that Venus is a body-snatcher. She dresses like her, changes her hair to look like her, adopts my niece's mannerisms, and if when she's in such a fit she sees Venus, she tries to replace her. It's a severe paranoid schizoid disorder, and her mother and I keep her in a state of the art facility, but on occasion my ex-wife checks her out to visit."

Darren's jaw ceased, Claire was such a goddamned bitch.

"She did that while I was watching my niece, and Jenna came over because she wanted to surprise me. It sparked an episode, Venus luckily had an escape route but no idea where she could muster to."

"Jenna was following me before Uncle Phil and Aunt Claire could find her… and it's not safe for me when dad's pursuing certain leads to just be out and about, so I did a gender-swap to get under radar, hopped a bus and got somewhere crowded. I knew where there was a safe-house I could use in the city, if I could just get to it… and well, then this happened."

"Did she hurt you?" Darren asked in a deep voice.

Venus looked toward him, "Not like the time with the screwdriver… I was faster this time."

Dr. Quest locked onto the x-shaped scar on the underside of her jaw.

"She tried to kill you by severing your carotid?"

"…" Venus turned to look at him, "Well, she missed."

Hadji and Jessie were looking at each other, suspicious.

"How'd she miss?" Jessie asked, pointing at the scar's proximal location.

"I moved, do you Quests just let people stab you in the throats?" She asked heatedly, "Damn it, why are we even talking about any of this? You're barking up the wrong tree. That little threat was liquidated, thanks, but we're good. Now please just get out."

"Your legal guardian left you in a highly unsafe environment as your sole temporary housing?" Benton asked dubiously.

Darren's eyes sharpened to blades, "Asshole, her adoption is air-tight, I have protected her and loved her since she came into my life, how dare you insinuate—"

"Darren!" Phil barked.

"Fuck you, Phil! Who the hell is this bastard to come in and question me? Was he just elbow deep in Ivans who'd love nothing more than to kill my princess? Shit, he couldn't even keep those Green Peace ecoterrorist incels from trying to grab his kid, twice. Acting like I don't put her best interest first and foremost… she's my daughter, asshole! Now get your stuck-up ass off my goddamned couch and out of here."

Benton rose, anger eclipsing his own patience.

"Your idea of best interest is for her to be alone, unsupervised in the very city her supposed birth parents were murdered as a backup to—"

Race grabbed Benton's wrist, "Doc, we can't take back some words. I think it's best if we honor his wishes and head out."

Phil tried to manage an appreciative smile, but it was taut. Venus blinked at the yelling adults.

Darren rarely yelled, but he'd been close to decking the man.

"…You were working that case… Dad! Why'd you lie about that?!"

He growled, "Not now, princess."

"No! That's not what we agreed! You promised—hard truths, no lies, no secrets, not on important things!" Her eyes were watering. "What if they'd actually killed you?! You jerk!" She stood up from the chair, teetered.

Without care of time or place, she gave him a heated glare, "You don't even get it do you?!"

"Princess, sit down…" His tone was authoritative.

"No." She backed toward the door, she pointed angrily, "You promised. What the hell am I supposed to do if you go off and get killed?! Becky's dead, you're doing this nihilistic bullshit as a means to vent."

"—Sweetie, I'm not…" he pleaded.

"Do you even care if I go through that, again?"

"Damn it, that's not—"

The room was in silent rapture as the drama unfolded, the volley back and forth. She shoved past the few people standing between she and the door, no one foolish enough to stop her.

Darren, thoroughly admonished, looked at the faces of shocked strangers. "Get out of my house. Phil, you're an ass."

"Explain what she meant, who's Becky?"

Darren glared at the older redhead, "Go fuck your wife." He left the room, slamming the door.

He made fast steps to close the distance between his daughter and himself, getting to her closed bedroom door. He pushed gently on the door.

"Sweetie…" The resistance made him kneel down, she was bracing the door, he could hear her sobbing. "Let me in, sweetie, please…"

"Why'd you lie?! You said your case was about that asshole Allen—" she sniffled, "—and you went alone, after them?!"

"It's not like that, it was Olekski's buddies… I had to go in with a shovel. I can't just let them be. I can't."

"But you lied. To me."

"I'm sorry, I'm an asshole," he softened, "Please let me in princess," he leaned heavily into the door to try to move it.

"No." She sniffled, "Partners aren't supposed to lie to each other, you make me say all those things, talk about my feelings, then you go and…" she hiccupped.

"I'll tell you, I will." He pressed gently on the door, "But you know I'm bullheaded, I wasn't trying to force you about Becky… I was just scared you'd… well, you know."

"…Excuse me," Jonny said softly. "Was Becky your wife or someone similar?"

"He doesn't believe in marriage." Venus bit bitterly through the door. "That was his live in girlfriend…" she swiped her eyes, "She's been around for almost 4 years, until she died."

Jonny sat next to the door, his back against in, like a confessional, ad listening. "So when did you lose your mom?"

"Earlier this year…" Venus glowered. He nodded. "She was killed in a wreck."

"Listen, kid… I'd appreciate a moment with my daughter if you don't mind." Darren said in a weak surrender.

"Oh sure, now you do, huh?!" Venus hissed, "Now that you put your foot in it…"

"I used to get really mad at my dad, too." Jonny interrupted, "You know why?"

"Probably cuz he's an asshole." Venus supplied in monotone.

Jonny laughed, "No comment," he cleared his throat, "No, it was because I was really, really mad at myself and even a little at mom… and, well, he was the easier target. If I yelled at him for not being fast enough, I didn't have to admit I was mad at mom for not surviving. For protecting me even though she knew she'd die for it."

Venus swallowed thickly.

"Damn it." Darren growled, sliding up, "Princess, I'll leave this one here, I'm taking a walk." He said glumly, he returned toward the study getting ready for that crow dinner.

-Frequency JQ-

Darren gave Benton a contentious look, the other man shot arrows with his eyes.

"I've got no issue admitting freely that I'm an asshole. Becs was always good at being amicable… fucking therapists could keep you talking… we weren't married but we should'uh been." He sighed, "She died in January this year."

Benton's jaw unlocked. At least he could sympathize. "Is Jonny talking to her?"

"Yeah, figured I'd leave them be."

Benton nodded.

"Hadji, Jessie, let me give you a tour." Phil said conspiratorially.

"I hear your brother's got a Z3. Any upgrades?" Race said, also excusing himself.

"I dunno, we can take a look."

Darren cast is eyes toward Phil, "Yeah, you can tour the house, but you touch my car and I'll bury you both."

"Uh-huh, baby brother's protective in nature, and possessive." The room emptied out to the two men.

"She's a really good kid. Everything you'd hope for in a daughter, you know? Except for being shit-for-luck…"

"Family trait," Benton said thinly.

"I won't give up custody. No court in the world would side to switch her back, so please—don't do that to us." He considered, "I have lots of political favors and money I can throw at it, but it'd hurt her—every time she's in the lime-light there're dangerous people, you think you know, but you don't."

"I don't want to take her, we want to know her. Our family isn't without risks, and it is hard to see them in danger because of it…"

Darren sighed, "You a bourbon man?"

"Tonight, I can be."

He poured two glasses, "To cluster fucks." Benton eyed him but clinked glasses anyway.

"…I know a bit about you Quests, not a lot, mind you… but you're brand famous."

"Then tell me about yourself?"

"Nah, I can't do that. Benton, mind if I call you Benton?"

He shrugged, "No skin off my nose."

"Well, then. She'll never be free from the red curtain. Your family, your dangers—you can negotiate those away. Fight them back, not hers. They don't want some new tech, or to avenge their hubris, they want her dead. They want their man out, which won't happen with a living witness. The want to topple our hold as a world power, and they aren't the only friends we've made along the way. Please, if you put her in center stage all it does is make it harder to keep her safe." He sipped at the bourbon.

Benton did the same, "The kids aren't in the spotlight, they travel with me sure, but usually it's about the next big thing… if she is my daughter, and I know you realize she is—and I also mean genetically, it's clear you raised and love her, it's… well it's wrong to keep her from her family."

"All due respect, I am her family."

"Yes, you are. But so is my son who's talking to her to calm her down, so am I, Hadji—he's also adopted. We make sure he regularly visits his mother. Just let her know who they are."

Darren brushed back his bangs. "I won't risk her feeling abandoned. She's gone through enough shit already."

Benton shrugged, "Then come too. Visit our home, we'll visit here—and maybe we'll find some happy medium."

"…Yeah, we Kiers' don't really go by the means."

Dr. Quest smiled, "Oh? Common ground already?"

Darren shrugged.

"What are her hobbies, interests?"

Darren laughed darkly to himself, "Small arms, drills, going to museums, languages… she also likes to tinker a bit. She's smart. Tests at the top percentile on the regular."

"What does she tinker in?" He listened, absorbing it all.

"Anything but my car or my coffee… programmed the cameras to have some added features, relay signaling, I've replaced 17 fan motors from various 'experiments' she's done to spring-load glitter bombs, add heating elements—literally, she just likes to take it apart and modify it. Sometimes it's to be bratty. The glitter was a gee-dee nightmare. It's the fourth thing I've ever grounded her for."

Benton laughed, "You mean in a month, or…?"

"…In her life. She's a damn good kid, as I said."

"What were the other three times?"

He smirked, "Lying twice, and one time was her lashing out—which she didn't deserve getting yelled at for. The only other times were sneaking out, safety reasons for that being frowned upon."

"Lying twice?"

He sighed, "When she was 5 she got hurt, awfully. She lied about it trying to minimize it so she could help, yeah, she got in deep trouble for that one."

Benton gave him an asking look.

"Ah, shit…" He sighed, reached into his desk. "You probably know about as much about the Kiers as I know about you personally. The trial transcripts… I keep them so a certain asshole will get his shot."

He looked at the capital punishment verdict, sentenced to death—Olekski—for the car bombing and subsequent murder of three people, two counts witness tampering, an attempted murder.

"He made some really awful friends, they tried to kill her—a few times, he's likeable that way. After I'd just adopted her, ink still drying, he was trying a last ditch effort to keep off death row. He figured no witness or victim impact statement, that it'd make it much more manageable. They smacked her around in a bank robbery, she had really bad internal bleeding and failed to mention getting stomped on the chest. The dislocated should? Came straight away to dismiss that, too… she was grounded for three weeks, about the length it took her to recover anyway. I'm a total push-over with her."

"The other?"

He sighed, miserably, "When Jenna tried to kill her, she tried to downplay it—she'd gotten locked into a trunk for two days before I found her, only to find out her cousin had been ramping up all week. Trying to switch out like I of all people wouldn't fucking notice… I grounded her from space camp. She was so black and blue she couldn't have gone anyway. So your kid's a troublemaker, then?"

Benton shrugged, sipped his glass. "Absolutely. I only punish him so he has to reflect about just how insane his stunts get… he's a really sweet, wonderful boy. He's clever but he dares authority figures, often at inopportune times."

"HA! Well, I'm keeping reigns over her disciplinary actions then… that one would try the patience of mountains if that's your criteria."

"Oh, it gets better. I often make him write a report on complete a project to either justify his actions or realize why they were bullheaded."

"…She's shoot you. I mean, she'd also probably do the paperwork and convince you… why are we trusting both of them together unsupervised, then?"

"We Quests live adventurously."

-Frequency JQ-

Jonny looked at the large bedroom, "Is this Becky?" He asked while holding a worn photo of a green-eyed, tan blond with a healthy smile, Venus and Darren—Venus on Darren's shoulders at a theme park he didn't recognize.

"Mhmm, Universal Studios Tokyo. We went there after… well, after dad got back from a long trip." She glossed over.

"…Did that hurt?" He pointed at his own side to signal her bandaged one.

"Getting stabbed? Of course it hurt, but I've had worse. Truthfully, I only got worried when I realized I was losing too much blood."

He laughed and asked incredulously, "Not the whole getting kidnapped thing?"

She shrugged.

"I'm usually nervous when I get cordoned off alone. That's when the worst stuff happens." He shuttered, thinking back to several particularly violent moments in his life. "Being trapped into a hermetically sealed room like I was buried alive- that was really bad, but so was having my nails avulsed and almost drowning…" He swallowed a lump, "or getting grabbed near my family—and knowing if I screamed they'd get hurt or roped in… I think that might actually be the worst."

Venus sat up on her bed, tired.

"The worst is when you can't get help… when it's a trap and they're using you as bait. Dad's a ham, so he'll play it up and it gets to be terrifying—not because I don't trust him, but because I have to bide time and he takes such stupid risks… it's that calculation of 'what do I need to do to not bleed to death if he gets shot for running his mouth?'"

"Oh wow, that's probably what Race and my dad have to do every time some creep grabs me. 'x distance at y speed over fluid loss average divided by time equals 20 minutes until he gets to the ER if he runs his mouth again, or something."

Venus giggled, leaning into the soft bed. "So they suck at patching you up in the field?"

"Oh no, they're really good at first, second, and even tertiary care—I'm just better at running my mouth."

"But you're so good at surviving…" Venus gibed.

"My dad almost had a coronary infarction thinking I dropped that many swears. He'd have field-dressed my mouth with soap."

Venus shrugged, "He'd've lost fingers if he tried." Jonny eyed her, she seemed serious. "Why did you really come here?" Venus asked after a long moment.

"…To meet you. Wouldn't you be curious if you'd seen me just walk by?"

"…Probably, I guess."

"Did you want to know more about me?" He asked casually.

"Yeah, do you like your family?"

His hand stretched to his ear, scratching his hair behind it, "I think most people like their families, Venus."

She looked down, "…I mean, are they nice to you? Most people are nice to my dad, but not to me unless they're my friends… but dad, he's really, really, really nice. He spoils me and puts up with all sorts of things—even when I'm moody… but he's also embarrassing. He gets matchy-match outfits and makes me wear them when he's being clingy."

"What do you do when you're clingy?" He asked quietly. She blushed, pointed to her stuffed rabbit.

"I usually just carry around Mr. Cottontail if dad's away for too long… I don't think I'm very clingy though."

He grinned lopsided, "You both seem close. Dad isn't like that with me, I just get lectures or stuck helping him in the lab… or pranking him in the lab if he hasn't come out in a while, I dunno. It's different with Jessie in the mix. Hadji and I had a thing going, but that third… it makes it weird sometimes."

"You mean odd man out?" Jonny shrugged. "Are you self-conscious about your dad then?"

He smiled at her, "Probably, I guess. I'm not the studious, smart one, or the teacher's pet… dad gets along with the others really well and kinda gives them lots of attention whereas I'm usually just up to my own devices."

"You get jealous then?"

"Maybe, I don't think I do, per se."

"…I worry dad'll realize I'm not really his kid and that he just doesn't have to deal with it…" she dusted her hands off, "Call it quits. You know? That's why he tries so hard with those hideously cutesy outfits—like he's making it clear we're a set."

"That's cool, in a completely lame way. I dunno, being adopted is like you were picked—being born into it… it's like 'well, you're stuck with the outcome.'"

"Unless you're a hamster."

"Huh?" Jonny asked.

"…They eat their young, especially if stressed."

Jonny cackled at that, "Well, yeah, not a hamster. I'd've been gone years ago if that were the case."

She crossed her arms, "So he isn't nice?"

"No! No- he really is… it's just… well, I've always felt like I was the one switched. I mean, mom—I never felt that way with her, but I'm so different from dad… maybe I just guess he'd be happier with someone like you. You're smart, brave too… and stubborn… you have dad's temper—that's for sure."

She frowned not a fan of the comparison. "…Why were you looking at the paintings in the study?"

"I've never seen a live painting by Maurice Hathaway. Plus your room, you also have some contemporary greats—it's really cool. Dad's not big into the arts."

"…Hathaway doesn't sign the painting face. How'd you know it was his?"

Jonny blushed, "Stylistically, I guess."

"…I think you're smart." She said flatly, "I think you're just not a scientist, or at least not a hard scientist, maybe a people-focused kind like poli-sci or anthropology, or maybe even biology?"

"Those are some of my favorites."

"Do you have a cell phone? Can I give you my number? I think you're really cool."

Jonny smiled, "I think you are too. Do you think you'd be able to visit my place? I'd love to show you around."

"…Maybe, I'd have to ask dad."

"I'd love to show you my room, and mom's pictures. I hope you can."

-Frequency JQ-

A soft knock on the door signaled Darren's return. "Princess, mind if I come in now?"

"No, that's okay." Venus called back as she slid up in the bed. "Dad, I gave Jonny my cellphone number."

"Really? That's great, you two getting along then?" She nodded. Darren extended his hand to the boy, "Darren."

Jonny shook the offered hand, "Jonny-Not-Clark."

Darren cracked half a laugh and a smirk, "He is pretty funny, huh?" Venus nodded emphatically. "You look spent, sweetie. I think it's lights out."

She frowned, "Can they stay over so I can talk more with Jonny?"

"I have to think about it."

"Venus told me how you two go on daddy-daughter dates and how you're really good at DDR but awful at karaoke—"

"Nuh-uh! I said he's a ham at karaoke! He's still good at it." Venus corrected. Darren shot her an appreciative, soft smile.

"Yeah, we can't really go play laser tag though, crushes too many vets' dreams."

"Huh?" Jonny asked confused.

"They try to blossom formation sweep and I snipe them for high-scores anyway."

"—Military veterans, I think that was what he didn't get, sweetie." Darren said in a sing-song tone.

"Ohhh…"

"Yeah, you really need to sleep it off," he sat on the corner of her bed and pet her cheek. "Tell me about what you and your dad are like—what do you two do?"

Jonny shrugged, "Travel, mostly. Dad's work keeps him busy and we go on a lot of trips for research or conferences."

"That's fun." Darren measured, "But what do you and he do to just, y'know, hang out?"

Jonny looked across the room trying to think, "Hadj and Jess help him in the lab…"

Darren gave him a concerned look, "So, is that what you do too?"

"Not really, I'm not big into engineering."

Darren licked his lips, "Do you camp or go to concerts or dinners? Like what does he do with only you that's your special time together?"

Jonny laughed, "Oh, something only he and I do together? That's easy, he lectures me. Dad keeps pretty busy and our interests aren't really intersecting. He gets bored if I talk about the stuff I like too much." Jonny blinked awkwardly.

He… hadn't really realized that before, but that was true, he always found himself compromising to shared interests instead of his interests, especially so now that Jessie and Hadji were always around. He cleared his throat.

"Race is really cool, he shows me a lot of neat stuff."

Darren looked over the kid, "…Yeah, that's trust-formation and survival skills, for the most part."

"Not particularly. Yeah the judo was, but the other stuff like how to fish for salmon or practice German, I think he does that when I look bored or lonely."

"He's a decent guy, Phil likes him." Darren nodded, felt hollow for having to say it though. "Pointe-blanc—is your dad as egocentric as he reads?"

Jonny looked down, "He's not a mean person, but, yeah… he gets off into his own world a lot."

Darren blew out a sigh. "I'm headed outside for a smoke, that one might be faking that she's asleep but she's wide awake. Wanna chat on the balcony?"

"Sure. Good night, Venus. Even if we don't stay over, I'll call you."

"Okay… g'night!" Venus responded.

Darren held the door for Jonny then killed the lights in his daughter's room. "So what do you like?" He asked once they were outside, he glanced into the lawn, he could see the lights from the kitchen suggesting where the others were.

"A few things, language, culture, rules of law- politics and how it affects places… diplomacy is really cool when you think about what it strives to do."

"Yeah? I wouldn't've pegged you for a poli-sci type."

"…No one does." He shrugged, immune to the sting.

"You struck me more as the legal type, you know—legal and economic policy."

Jonny beamed, "Really?! No one's ever picked up on that…"

"Don't they ask?" He eyed the teen, "Like at school—don't they have career days and make you write a report or some shit?"

He shook his head, "If I don't write about NASA or some other impressive topic, well… I mean you've met my dad. They want my dreams to match his opinion."

"That's awful, why the hell would you compromise on that?"

"Home-schooled until last year, I got really good at reporting what my teachers wanted to read." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"…Damn."

"I think you two are really cool. I especially like that you're both really, really close. It's no fun feeling unwanted…"

"Jeez, you are breaking my heart. You already have my permission to stay over, but laying it on thick like that… you know it's only half-truths right?"

"Half-truths?"

"Yeah, when you're working to negotiate—you don't say the subconscious full-truths. You have to guard the vitals."

Jonny blushed.

"…Shit, you really are good at it though." He laughed, "Ya manipulative little scamp."

Jonny laughed, "I didn't think we were negotiating anything?"

"Bullshit. You're always in negotiations, or you're losing."

Somberly, Jonny nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Jonny, why's your dad really being pissy anyway?"

He sighed, "Because someone dared to not fawn all over him when he was ready to dole out attention. Didn't you see that when she cut him off when she addressed you?"

Darren frowned, "Oh, I was just confirming it. Damn, Phil never said your dad was a grade A—never mind. Let me whip up dinner and feed you damned house invaders, then we'll figure out a plan of action."

The boy shrugged, "You really don't have to, I don't really know what dad'll want to do."

"Self-flagellate about how unhealthy my cooking is and how wonderful his recipes are, probably."

"Oh no, definitely not that, dad would burn water unless it was to extract some HPLC curve."

"Well, then, there's hope."

-Frequency JQ-

Phil and Race eyed Darren as Darren returned the dubious looks. Licking his canine tooth, he tugged on his blue and white striped apron.

"I wasn't thinking I'd be cooking for a large group but luckily for you guys I picked up the supplies for some good old comfort food."

"What're you making? Want a hand?" Phil asked, he saw exactly what the plan was—rolled pasta, red sauce, meats and maybe stuffed or filled ravioli or cavaletti.

"Phil, you aren't touching my knives, but you can roll out the pasta. Venus likes ravioli so I'll stick with that. Want the press or the stamp?"

"Press, big group."

He nodded, "Wise choice. Race, where's Benton hiding with the kids?"

"Well, you drank him under the table, so somewhere dim. He's probably hearing about the house tour from Jessie and Hadji."

"…And Jonny?" He asked conspicuously.

"Knowing him, he's busy exploring since he missed out earlier. I could call him back?"

"Nah, he can look around. Venus is resting, you boys know how painkillers are."

"Taking two like that… that hurts like the Dickens." Race agreed sympathetically.

Darren eyed Phil, laying on the guilt. "She still hasn't even told me how she got grabbed, Phil. Any ideas?" He said in veiled threats while chopping up the garlic.

"Don't be like that, you've had eyes on her since she was found, I know I should've done better."

"Claire's a grade-A bitch, Phil."

"Cordially took that title in the divorce, too, but Jenna is my daughter and wants to see me sometimes, and Claire always thought we were just overreacting about their childhood rivalry."

The knife caught in the wood cutting board.

"Overreacting?!" He glared, "That's the third time we know about where she tried to kill her!"

Phil looked down. "I didn't say I agreed with her, now did I?"

"She tried to garrote her." Darren fumed.

"And Claire saw enough where maybe now she'll understand just why we both need to be notified when Jenna is on a day pass."

Race let out a low whistle, "That's what she did?"

"Yeah, so she couldn't scream for help, like my kid would ever ask for help." He said sourly.

"How'd you find that out?"

"By looking at her, she was using make-up to cover the bruising, it's also why she used the Clark sob story…"

"…Sob story?"

Darren rolled his eyes, "You didn't see the medi-lert bracelet? We got it at an estate sale years ago, if she's pale, it's easier to explain 'sick kid' then 'injured kid with PTSD' to keep people away, so a kid with peanut-allergies instead became her cover story of a kid recovering from chemo so people won't touch her."

Race nodded thoughtfully, "If you bought that bracelet, that kid probably did die."

"Yeah, we joke about it being an ancient, cursed object, a lot actually. But he could've just also gotten a new one when his phone number changed, too."

Phil smiled wantonly. "Will she be joining us for dinner?"

"No, I don't want her taking the stairs like that. She can't even feel that she has legs."

"I'd like to dine with her upstairs then, if you'll oblige. I do owe her an apology, and as you said – would like to know how she got picked up."

"Keep it under 30. She really needs to sleep it off."

Phil agreed, "Check in at time?"

"…No, I don't want to overwhelm her, besides, you're good with dealing with PTSD when it crops up. I'm still pissed at you, but I do trust you, bro."

"No small thanks for miracles." Phil acknowledged.

"You might well be bringing up Jonny's dinner too, FYI." Darren rolled his neck, "'Exploring the house' my ass."

"I'll shoo him along, all the same. I'm sure he's behaving but I dp want to talk to her in earnest."

"I don't fully agree. They're taking well to each other. She might not mind him hearing it. Ask her, you know she'll make the call she'll live by."

"If you insist."

-Frequency JQ-

Pasta dropped into the seasoned water, Darren scooped out a medium bowl's worth, a small bowl's work, and another medium bowl's worth then affixed a healthy portion of sauce and meatballs to each.

"Phil, I'll get the tray set, she'll probably want sparkling water, I can't see her being very hungry right now…"

"If she wants more, I'll just bring it up later."

They nodded, Darren added three cups, two shot glasses of a red-tan syrup and a 1-litre of sparkling water.

"Cream soda." Phil nodded.

Plated and covered, he carried the tray up the stairs while Darren pulled out the dishes. "Try to be a gracious host, baby brother."

"Bite me, Phil." Darren responded, "Race, you want to round up the others?"

"Sure."

As the dinner table filled up with Hadji, Jessie, a quasi-drunk Dr. Quest, Race, and himself—Darren made a casual, "Jonny and Phil went upstairs to eat with Venus, I figured no one would mind."

Benton shirked, "It'll give us time to talk about that."

Darren smiled at the challenge issued. "This is homemade Naples-style Italian ravioli and meatballs, bon appétit."

As they served portions, Darren set to work on after-meal espresso and a pot for tea. "I have water, soda, or juice—milk too. Who's drinking what?"

"May I help, Mr. Kiers?" Jessie asked politely.

"Sure, thanks. All the drinks are in the fridge, except the flat water, that's in the garage."

Hadji also moved to assist, carrying over glasses from the table to fill.

Darren and the small entourage returned to the dining room, serving tray of coffee and tea, espresso shots, cream and sugar on his, the kids carrying three glasses each, themselves.

They set the drinks out with sparkling water for Dr. Quest, Darren, and Hadji, a cola for Race, and Jessie had a glass of flat water and milk for herself.

"So… as it is a Friday evening, you're welcome to stay the weekend. My daughter's not going to be up for travel for a bit, but maybe we can do weekends on a schedule—one month here, one month at your place—alternate it. I'd like her here for Halloween and Christmas, but we can do Thanksgiving with your family there if that's amicable."

"By weekends, do you mean each?"

"No. I mean two weekends a month we'll visit or your family can visit. I'm not carting off all her activities into Monday through Friday."

Hadji looked at him perplexed, "Activities?"

"You know, dance lessons, chorus, orchestra, martial arts, sculpting—lessons."

"Is that not a part of her school?" He asked again.

"Not all of them. That didn't even hit her school sports or clubs, and she has those trips too, so that's a whole other matter for coordinating, I do have most of those dates already though." He pulled out his pocket planner.

"Most of our activities are travel related, conferences, dinners—the kids' educational vocations keep into Monday through Friday." Benton said evenly.

"…Well, his triathlon won't, he has that second one coming up." Race reminded.

"Or summer camps, but by then we'd likely have a rhythm."

Dr. Quest added. "We're fortunate that they have shared interests, so it cuts down on the back and forth—except Jonny's triathlon of course."

Darren's eyes focused on that, "Because it has a different drop off area for the runners?"

"No, we have a conference, so Race will drop him off for that, usually our activities are family focused."

"Uh-huh." Darren smiled knives as he took a bite of his dinner. Phil understuffed the damn ravioli, he thought to himself in annoyance. "My girl's run the gauntlet, but that's no triathlon. Pretty impressive for a freshly minted 14 year old to do that."

"The gauntlet?" Jessie asked.

"No, a triathlon. The gauntlet has a junior division for those into artillery clubs and the like, but Venus does do the adult level course. It's longer, and she's nationally ranked."

"Interesting." Benton said in a disinterested voice.

"She was on a group science fair project that won regional for the age group, I wouldn't let her take that further though, what with all the press."

Benton smiled, "What was their topic?"

"GMO root networks and water retention per soil types versus non-GMO root networks by soil type."

"We were in a robotics club and space camp for the last few years." Jessie chimed.

"Really? How was that?" Darren asked sweetly.

"Space camp was really awesome, we even got to do drag calculations for a prototype!"

He nodded along, "What kind of robots did you work on?"

"Our team worked on a deep-sea floor navigation bot last year, and the year before that was the transmitter drone that pairs with it for depth check."

"Jonny really was proud of the repeater he built." Benton added. "He's very mechanically apt, spatially too. They picked up the design for a project to map the sea floor."

"And Hadji's wench design was super light-weight!" Jessie added in filler.

"What about you? Did any of your designs get picked up?" He asked.

"Not in Robotics Camp, but Space Camp did. Jonny modified mine too much." She frowned, annoyed by it.

As dinner carried on, Darren offered seconds, anything to get rid of these subpar ravioli.

-Frequency JQ-

"Venus, I've brought dinner and a guest." Phil knocked. Jonny opened the door for him. The lights were still dimmed. "Are you still asleep?"

Groggily, she edged into a seated position, "Uncle Phil? Jonny?"

"That's us. You don't mind us boys invading, do you?"

"It's okay, if dad said so." She caveated.

Phil smiled, he put a gentle, warm hand on her shoulder, "We brought up dinner. Are you hungry?"

She shrugged, "Not really."

"That's no good, baby brother made one of your favorites…"

Frown laden, she eyed her uncle, "…Are you here to ask me stuff or to tell me stuff?"

"Both, unfortunately, but you do need to eat, so he won't worry."

"Dad's not a worry-wart." She reminded, "Jonny, you can sit on the bed if you want."

Phil smiled at the kids, "I'm definitely in the doghouse, huh?"

She eyed her uncle, "Not particularly, but you like to look at me when talking. So ask away."

He nodded, "Venus, how'd they pick you up?"

She diverted her eyes, "Oh, on that first thing, huh?"

"Afraid so."

Sighing, she looked at him, "My focus was shot. I was too busy looking for her instead of any active threat. I headed to Broadway, saw some school-aged kids and ducked into the periphery. Then some vendor asked me something about a souvenir—I wasn't interested, but then they crowded me in. Then they shoved me into the stall and out the back… One of them had a sleep spray and by time I woke up I was pretty sure I was hosed."

"Did they ask you anything? Say anything specific?"

"Not there, but when I came to they asked my name. I told them it was Jonny Clark, that I was visiting from Lancaster, PA to see a show… and well, they didn't buy it."

"I see… why Lancaster?"

"That school was from Portland, if I was targeted from that saying so seemed like a bad idea."

Venus opened the bowl, "Ravioli? Why'd he use the press?"

"Big crowd," Phil mentioned.

She frowned, "They look under-stuffed."

"Well try it before you complain, little lady."

"Oh, you helped? Sorry. You said dad cooked."

"He did, I just helped."

Venus's eyebrows darted up, she took a brow-fallen bite, "It tastes right, at least. Just not filled enough."

"Are you kidding? These taste great." Jonny said, eating through half his bowl.

Venus smiled at him, "If you want the rest of mine, my stomach's not feeling up for the challenge."

He looked at her, then Phil.

Phil nodded, "If she's not hungry, she's not."

"…Okay, thanks."

"Uncle Phil, what were you going to tell me, then?"

"That I'm very sorry. I didn't know Claire was going to check Jenna out, or I'd have spirited you away before it happened. How's your throat?"

"…Fine."

"Don't lie, please." He said affectless.

"I'm on painkillers, it is fine right now."

"Alright, alright, I surrender. Forgive me?"

He shoulders slumped, "I don't blame you, Uncle Phil. As you said, Aunt Claire took Jenna out. Jenna tried to hurt me… that's not your apology."

"Well, I want to apologize on Jenna's behalf. She doesn't know any better."

Venus glared. "Oh she knows exactly what she's—if you're apologizing for her, no. It's not accepted and never will be."

"Venus…" he said softly, that stung.

"No." She sat up straightly, winced. "She does it on purpose. Whether she thinks it's okay or not doesn't matter to me. She always tries to hurt me. I don't forgive her, so don't ask me to! If she really wanted to apologize, that'd be different, but she doesn't, so I won't forgive her."

"Alright, message received. But I am sorry you felt unsafe with me."

"…That wasn't your fault though."

"I'm still sorry."

"Fine," Venus sighed, "I accept your apology, but it's not exactly an action. It's words. And you know platitudes aren't platforms."

"I accept that. I'll work on something, okay?"

"…Okay… can you take these out? I don't want food in my room."

"Drink your water and take your medicine first."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay… but only if Jonny can stay longer. I want to talk with him."

"For a little bit."

She nodded, Phil policed the tray and headed back downstairs.

Jonny sat next to Venus on the bed. "Dinner was really good…"

She shrugged, "My stomach's too unsettled, it's too heavy for painkillers."

He nodded, "So your dad said we could stay all weekend, if dad's okay with it."

"Really?! Great!" Venus conked her head onto Jonny's shoulder. "Alex and Ian are at the boarding school since dad wasn't due back yet."

"Are they your friends?"

"Yeah, during the school year they live in the house with us… and on weekends they live with their handlers."

"Handlers?"

"Well, yeah—Alpha One… we all have handlers…"

Jonny looked at her in confusion. "They're in protective custody too?"

"…No?" She looked at him equally perplexed, "No, we're in training."

"…Training for Alpha One…"

"No, we're in Alpha One. We're juniors, you have to train up to be a senior agent like daddy or the others."

"You're a federal agent? Like Race is?"

"A junior one, yeah." She shrugged, "We get way less case work, most of its small missions—gather intel, be unobtrusive, get in, get out… not details like protection missions, we're not bodyguards."

"…How long've you been going that?"

She shrugged, "I don't really remember when I switched into the program, since it wasn't really different from all my safety activities, but I've been on missions since I was seven."

Jonny nodded silently.

"Halloween's coming up—are you going to visit for it? We could go trick or treating!"

"Oh… yeah, I'll ask. Maybe we could do a group costume? Wanna be a kid from the Village of the Damned with me?" He smiled.

"That'd be funny… Last year we were all puns—I was a sand-witch, Alex was a cereal killer, and Ian was eyes scream."

"That's pretty funny. I've been 'a scientist' for 5 years. It's so annoying."

"Oh, daddy makes sure Halloween's a big deal. We went as the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood—I was the wolf. Then one year I went as Dr. Frankenstein and he was the monster… we went as the Three Musketeers—Ian, Alex, and I did… and then dad and Becky went as the candy-bars because we wouldn't let them dress like us. Two years ago we went as the Secret Service."

Jonny smiled, "That sounds like fun. I'm just glad I didn't have to draw on a beard."

"Why not go as 'something went awry in the lab'? Like those B-rate movies from the 50s and 60s?"

"He won't let me," Jonny shrugged.

Venus closed her eyes, "That's stupid. My dad would let you do any costume… Halloween's for pretend after all…"

"You falling asleep? I could leave, hit the lights?"

"No way! I… wanna…" she yawned, "talk more… you're fun to talk to…"

"It's nice to feel listened to, I'll give you that." He smiled, "Alright, well, nap and when you wake up we'll talk more."

"…Okay…" She said half asleep.

-Frequency JQ-

"There you are. Come on, she needs her rest Jonny." Benton lectured. Jonny rolled his eyes.

"She is resting, dad. You don't need to yell."

"Get out of her bed, Jonny." He tried another way, "You do understand that is inappropriate, don't you?"

Jonny gave the older man a withered look. "She's my sister, dad. I'm just sitting with her."

Benton rubbed a hand down his face, "So you don't understand—you've just found out you're related, that's not the same – and it doesn't matter, she's injured. You could hurt her, or do you also not grasp that?"

He looked at the older man impatiently, realized his dad was going to be stubborn on this point and probably wake her up in the process. "Yeah, yeah. I'm getting up." He tilted her head, "Careful, my dad's here, I have to get up." He whispered.

She mumbled a groan as she shifted to the vacated warm spot.

He walked to his dad, though he wasn't in the mood for this. With a peaceable smile, he reminded himself how ambassadors often had to deal with unruly, upset people. This was just practice.

"So can we stay this weekend?"

"I'm not sure about that. We're incredibly busy as the lab."

Jonny suppressed an annoyed sigh.

"Well, could I stay then? It's not like I get your project and you did say I could go to New York after the threat was under wraps."

Dr. Quest gave him a hurt look, "Who said it is?"

"…The 6 o'clock news, when they reported on them being wiped out."

"Young man, I don't know where this tone is coming from but it's certainly not helping sway my opinion!"

"Oh come on, dad! You flew us out here—were you really planning to only be here for a few hours?! I want to get a chance to know her."

"And we will, but it's not an instantaneous switch."

"A switch? It's nota switch, she has a great life here, she's not going to just jump into being a Quest if you let her know all nicely that she can be."

"Don't be obtuse, I meant it's not a relationship you build like a flick of a light."

Jonny's jaw clenched, "That's three now."

"Three what, young man? Of you back-talking?" Dr. Quest smiled, "Did you finally realize what you're saying?"

Eyes flinted, Jonny gave his father a dark look, "And that's four. Stop treating me like you think I'm mildly retarded. I, personally, want to stay. If you're too busy, go. I'm sure we can coordinate a ride or I can get a connecting flight, I want to talk to them. They're really nice, they listen to each other and are respectful. It's a breath of fresh air."

"Apologize!" Dr. Quest hissed.

"No, I have nothing to apologize for! I'm tired of you thinking it's always your way or the highway. I don't always have to go with the flow, dad! I want to get to know my sister, I don't have homework to finish, I can train for the triathlon here, I have no reason to rush home. If you're too busy for yet another kid—fine, go."

"I have always made time for you kids! And support your little interests!"

Jonny clicked his tongue, "My little interests." He sighed, "is that because it's not one of the things that interests you too?"

"This is about how we were double-booked for your triathlon, again?"

"That and career day, and any of the innumerable other activities that we couldn't do because you didn't want to schedule or worry about."

"Career day? What about it?" Benton was trying to reel in his frustration, he reminded himself that teenagers did this boundary-pushing BS on occasion. "Where we look at schools your abysmal grades won't qualify you for? That career day?"

"A 3.8 in High Honors is not uncompetitive, dad."

"Only if you're expecting me to personally call Stanford to ask they take you!"

"I don't want to GO to your alma mater! I don't want to go to your top five—I don't want to be a scientist… Do you even know what I want to be?!" Jonny's face contorted painfully at the thought.

"Well, an accomplished pain in the ass, certainly, is in your grasps."

Jonny grit his teeth, shook his head. "You won't even put up a real guess."

"Oh come off it, a robotic engineer." He bit in terse response.

"No, I don't. I'm just good at that, I'm not interested in it." Jonny turned around, his back to his dad to steal a breath. He was going to have it out. With his dad, in a house he's never been to prior to today, diplomacy fail!

"Don't turn your back on me."

Jonny pivoted, "No, only one Quest can do anything derisive like that. My grades are on par for Georgetown. That's the school I want to go to. I want to study law and political theory. I want to do a post at an embassy, I'd love to run one, one day—but you don't even realize why I study all those languages or get really into anthropology or even archaeology and how it matters to me. I wish you would spend time with Darren. At least he studies on how to be a good dad."

Jonny touched his cheek, shocked at the realization his dad had slapped him. Hard.

"In one day you think some cowbird is a great dad because he's filling your head with malarkey about carving time out to go on outings? What exactly do you think normal kids do during the school year? Go meet diplomats in Prague and Tokyo?! No, they stay home or go run or play soccer. How dare you act so entitled and self-aggrandized! You're jealous of tea parties? I don't see how, your boorish manners are appalling!"

Jonny stared unblinking as his dad unloaded, his own emotions cooling rapidly. He'd wait for his dad's temper to fizzle out, he knew how long of a lecture that would be, at a minimum 20 more minutes. His cheek stung, it was probably bright pink.

"And don't think for a minute that your attitude lends itself to diplomats or spies, you can't blend into anywhere you go, you run your mouth faster than your legs and then you squander what actual skills and gifts you have for some mediocre desire to chase after one type of career you're observed and I'm supposed to waste a day of productive research so you can dream about that unrealistic garbage?! You can barely keep yourself from drowning on a bike ride through the woods."

"Are you finished?"

"Hardly!" Dr. Quest seethed, realized a moment too late it wasn't Jonny who'd asked. He gave Darren a dirty look.

Jonny touched his forehead, he felt a migraine coming on from his father's hand-grenade toss into his ambitions and dreams. Really, there were reasons they didn't talk about it. He knew that. It was stupid to think a change in venues would make an impact.

"Let me assure you, Dr. Quest, if you raise a hand to anyone in this house your research will be delayed because I will personally break said hand myself. Now, apologize for hitting your son and take a goddamned walk. My daughter needs her sleep and your son needs a moment, himself."

Darren set down a tray, slid it out from between the three in the hallway.

"…I don't need an apology, sir. Thanks though." Jonny said back to Darren, "Besides, dad's right. I'm awful at diplomacy." Tears pricked in his eyes just thinking that. It had been so stupid of him.

"That's patently false. You just haven't studied up on technique." Darren pulled Jonny to his other side, acting as a physical barricade. "I already told you I think you have a damn good knack, but you gotta read the room, of which there's a bathroom two doors down. Go wash up, if you need some ice, let me know." His voice was gentle but firm, hedged with no space for an argument.

Jonny bowed his head, "…Thanks."

"Go on, then."

Jonny took his leave.

"I didn't dismiss—"

Jonny's eyes trailed up to his dad's, his own anger deflated rapidly at the sight of red-rimmed blue eyes and the pink mark.

"—you're dismissed." He said stoically.

"Good decision." Darren said flatly, "So now we know why you're not a bourbon man…" He gestured to the study. "Let me check on my princess and then you and I will chat. The study's where you left it."

Benton leaned his head into the wall, locking eyes on the ceiling, then headed to the other room.

He felt like a cad, an absolute rake. He let out a slow breath.

Darren put a bowl of soup on the nightstand on the serving tray. In a hushed voice he asked, "Princess, how much of that did you eavesdrop?"

Venus frowned, "…I should've gotten up."

Darren shook his head, "No you shouldn't have because then I'd be spending the rest of my weekend hiding a body instead of coddling you, and you know I prefer to dote."

She wiped at teary eyes, "He tore into him awful."

"Yeah, that looks like a recurrent theme, too. Don't listen, don't listen, don't talk—explode in talk, explode in headstrong ego. You owe him nothing. Jonny's a good kid, and I'll see if I can get his dad to stop pursuing that role on the muppets by dislodging the stick he's got up his ass, but do not engage in that. That's adult talk, if a kid—no matter how mature—talks into that it'll only pull down the levels and devolve it into a pissing contest."

"Yes, daddy."

"Phil said you couldn't eat the ravioli. I made some pea soup. Can you try to eat that all for me?"

She frowned, "Now I really have no stomach."

"Okay, eat half of it anyway. Deal?"

With a weak nod, she pulled it closer to her.

"Sweetie, you're not allowed near him unsupervised. He's a prick."

"Et tu, Brutus?" She smiled, "I figured that out hours ago."

Darren pet her jaw, "Yeah, well, you're plenty smart. I had my hunches, but that took the cake."

"Is Jonny not going to stay, now?"

"Fuck that. I might enroll him in your school if Dr. Quest doesn't turn that bus around."

"Okay… don't hide a body. I'll need more rations before then."

He laughed, booped her nose, "Okay, princess."

-Frequency JQ-

Benton held his head, crestfallen as he replayed the conversation Darren had kindly derailed.

He was right on two counts, he was finished, and not a fan of bourbon. He circled the room, antsy with unspent adrenalin. When had his son viewed him as belittling? When had he started that trend? Patronizing him, undermining his personal development when it didn't align with his own interests? And throwing it in his face… no wonder he wasn't keen to be in the lab with him.

And finally, finally rebuilding his own self-esteem with the athletics and he threw the wrench himself to undercut him so thoroughly.

What was he telling his son in his actions? That he was a hypocrite, that's what. Be yourself, you're a wonderful, kind, compassionate person—oh, but all of your interests are garbage, you can't live up to your own dreams or potential, and I think you're an idiot, why is your self-confidence in tatters?

He let out a groan.

Darren opened the door, entered. "Let me start by saying as a parent, not one for the highlights reel."

Benton's eyebrows shrugged in agreement.

"I also won't judge your worsts as if it's your norms, but you have gotta ask yourself how much of that shit is an easter egg in your norms."

Dr. Quest gave him a puzzled look.

"Actions and words, Dr. Quest. When are your actions and words matching your best self and when are they matching your worst self? What is your norms."

Dr. Quest gave him a puzzled look.

"Actions and words, Dr. Quest. When are your actions and words matching your best self and when are they matching your worst self? What is your kid hearing when you're thinking you're on a normal day? Is he thinking he's stupid and unwanted or is he thinking he's loved and cherished?"

"I'm entirely sure it's quite a mixed bag."

"Yeah, I picked that up too." He eyed the photo of Becky, "Becs would laugh her ass off at me right now."

"How so?"

"Because I'm about to go Child Psych 403 on you and she and I often followed the fourth F as a coping mechanism."

"Fourth F?"

"There's five—fight, flight, faint, fuck, and fabricate. As I'm totally not into redheads, luckily, we'll bypass that one. At least your boy's still an f-one, but given his interests, the fifth is probably a good one to read up on."

Benton gave Darren a petered look.

"Venus and I fought pretty aggressively when our communications broke down like yours clearly is. That's why we have that carved out time. Anything, within reason, she wants to do for a day we do. We spend the whole day gabbing about anything she wants to talk about, even if it boils my blood, because at least she's talking about it. You think you know pain—go to an anime convention with your nerdy kid who's looking for a rare book." He shuddered, "Women with yaoi paddles who shriek out kawaiiiiii and then you'd get it. I go because then at least I know what she likes. Go to a cooking class where they can't make a decent espresso to save their lives and patiently listen to their bullshit about how to store beans for months… May I assure you, after month 1, that storage is the trash can. But I go, because she wants to know the difference between quiche Lorraine and a ham-and-cheese quiche. Shit, even just finding a haunted house that won't trigger PTSD—you have to listen to your kids, and not the average of your kids but each of them. Your boy is not a troublemaker. He's a curious squirt who wants to measure the world, to explore, to do important shit, even if it's not important to you."

"It took a senior level course to say listen actively?"

"Yeah, advanced shit, isn't it."

"At least I don't feel as awful about missing that then."

"My daughter want him to spend time here. And you look like you've got homework. We could keep him here for a weekend, I'll even get him a flight back. And they were talking about Halloween… We could also show you our prep school. It's for smart little shits who get mischievous when bored. The boarding school is boys only, but the prep school is co-ed."

"I'm not shipping him off indefinitely."

"Saying it has online classes, I'd say that's extreme. But it also has accelerated coursework like Poli-Sci. College level work, minimal cost, transfers into your own work. It would be an extracurricular that's his alone."

"Why are you trying to help us?"

"Because, frankly, if you ever treat my kid like that I'd kill you and I'd get away with it. And, as I said, Jonny's a good kid. So are Hadji and Jessie, but they don't look like they're struggling." He smirked, took out a clove cigarette. "Plus, she won't be near you until she's confident about that, and that won't happen before I'm confident about you. And having a backup babysitter who's able to keep up with threats and also doesn't have a homicidal maniac gunning for her? Meh, I can be magnanimous. So what say you? Will you take me up on the offer?"

Benton nodded. "First, I need to patch things up with my son."

"Nah, that's third or fourth. First, you need to let him decompress and unpack all the bullshit you hurled at him, second you let him come up with his rebuttal, then you listen and listen well. Either then you can patch or you fix your own shit then patch, and this place is secure. So what's a good estimate?"

"Broody teen, ass of a dad—it's already October… keep him for a long weekend, he'll be back for Halloween."

[Chapter 1]