A cupcake sat on John's desk. With a single candle –unlit, of course- stuck in it. Who would? John sniffed his new office. (His office where he was employed as a doctor not a Sentinel. The victory over the GRO was not to be forgotten for a moment.) Sarah's unmistakable scent was identified. But why would she?
Sarah approached and John faced her. She looked at his confused face and said, "Your birthday, John? It's in your file. Everyone in the office gets a cupcake on their birthday."
John vaguely remembered that, but had never guessed that they would have included him in the tradition.
In his bemused state, he took too long to reply so Sarah started apologizing. "I'm sorry. You're so normal, I never would have taken you for one of the Sentinels that didn't celebrate."
"No, it's good. I just forgot what today meant. Did you really go all the way to Norris's for my cupcake?" Norris's Bakery was the only Sentinel safe one within ten blocks.
Sarah play-glared at him. "I am a doctor. What's the point of giving food if it's going to make the recipient sick?"
"Well, I appreciate it," John told her honestly. "I'm sure it will be delicious while I finish up my files."
"Don't get any frosting on them," she teased on her way out the door.
John closed the door behind his boss and stared at the cupcake. John had never celebrated his birthday or associated it with fond memories. For a Sentinel, or a possible Sentinel, birthdays were filled with memories of terror, abandonment and hunger. Since scientific study after scientific study agreed that Sentinels activated earlier in life adapted best, the government would come for a child starting at age twelve the day after their birthday. The child would be deliberately frightened by a kidnapping straight out of their bed and dropped in the forest without supplies. They would be observed from a distance, of course, but the goal was to force dire circumstances on the child to activate the Sentinel. If the child didn't activated the first time, the kidnapping and circumstances of their thirteen birthday would be deliberately worse. And the following birthdays worse yet. Before the age of twelve, John's Sentinel mother had ignored any significance with the date.
Officially, John had a cool head and managed to find his way out the mazes. Unofficially, his mother had prepared him, taught him to be steady under pressure and how to escape. She had attempted to teach Harry too, but remaining calm under pressure had never been a talent John's sister had possessed. She became an active Sentinel at age twelve. Officially, John's Sentinel side had been activated at age twenty-two. John had been halfway through medical school and was using the military to pay for it. It was in everyone's best interests to allow it to continue. Unofficially, well…
"Happy birthday to me," John whispered and took his first bite of his first birthday cupcake.