Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long to post this people. I actually has about 70% of this chapter written and saved, and I accidentally saved something else over it. And it was impossible to get it just right from memory, so I started over. Thanks for the patience.

Oh, thanks Joucelin, for helping choose Jackson's house style.

Chapter Seven

The five of them were quiet as they drove to look at the first of the three houses on the list Jackson and Daley had complied the night before, while they ere all at Nathan's house. In the case of the three young men, it was simple; they ere listening to music on their iphone, each had earplugs in and as in their own little world. Jackson was listening to his beloved Samoan rap, Lex as listening to "Miley Freaking Cyrus" as Gabe called the teenaged twangy vocalist , to Lex's inevitable disgust, and Eric, in the most bizarre musical choice of the three, was humming along to Rihanna. Which had raised more than one set of eyebrows.

Mel and Daley were in the front and while she had the chance, Mel decided to ask about her friend. " Well, how did Nathan take the news when you told him?" she asked, hoping to jolt Daley out of the trance she had been in.

Daley reached over and adjusted the temperature as she responded to Mel, " He was stunned, then happy, then, as usual, confused about what to do. A whole lot of that going around today, let me tell you." She ran her hand through her freshly trimmed red hair in a frazzled gesture. " Gwen is cautiously happy for me, Dad surprised me. He was happier that Nathan and I had gotten together than over me being pregnant. He did say that it's a good thing we're still fresh back from "The Great Beyond" and we had some goodwill stored up. Then, he said the goodwill account was closed after this. " She gave a turn signal as they turned off to the right at a four way stop.

Mel adjusted her shades as the sunlight shone directly on her heart shaped face. " How did the McHugh's take it?"

" Nelson was tickled pink, after the shock of finding out I had " deflowered his baby", and I swear, " she had a grin of remembrance on her face, " those were his exact words. Octavia was a lot more reserved about it. She said we had to have another get together about it tonight, just the six of us. That we had a lot of planning and decisions about the future to make. I don't know ho to take her sometimes, it could be bad."

" How did Nathan react? I've been dying to find that out all afternoon, but he and Nelson left for the internship interview so fast all we said was hi and bye." Mel asked. Nathan had been offered an internship at the Federal magistrate's office and he had been forced to rush off as soon as possible. Plus, the judge as a friend of Nelson's from college and they hadn't spoken in years. Mel leaned back, then reached over and patted Daley's hand as she waited for the other young lady to speak.

Daley giggled, " I though he was going to pass out. And I didn't know if it was shock from me being pregnant or from his parents and mine finding out we had slept together in the first place. I had no idea his ears could get so red, " she said with a snicker." But, he was happy. He's scared, just like I am, but , he's happy."

" I'm happy for you guys, but I don't get how it happened. Neither did my mom or aunt. They've decided Nathan got some new drug, like Perversion, but without the fertility damaging side effect. But we know better." Mel said, confusion plain on her face as the GPS announced another turn in eight tenths of a mile.

Daley looked thoughtful for a moment, then slowly spoke:" It's got to have been the scabbard. He had it in his possession when we, you know." she blushed pink , glancing at Mel, who laughed at her discomfort.

" Come clean Day; God knows my sex lives an open book with my men. " she teased gently.

" Twice. OK?! We did it twice in the hour before the battle." She and Mel traded smiles at that news. "Seriously, the sword and scabbard had him in perfect health. It must have , temporarily at least, healed him. It's the only explanation that makes sense." she said, memories of the battle of the uncharted island seeming to hover in the air between the two friends. Suddenly , the GPS told them, " Arrive at destination in fifteen seconds."

" I'd better get them back on Planet Earth while you park, " Mel said, reaching back and slapping first Eric, then Cody on their knees. Both pulled their earphones off as she announced:" we're at the first house guys."

Moments later , the five of them ere standing in the driveway of a two story bungalow style house. It was rather ornate looking, with steep, gabled roofs, a mid sized yards and decidedly tacky red, gold and white paint. It did, however , have big bay windows and at a "mere" three hundred thousand, it was the cheapest of the three properties Daley's aunt had given her the keys too.

Jackson looked at it dubiously. He had been clothes shopping with Nathan and he was dressed in something other than his beloved t shirts and camo pants. He was in blue jeans, the first pair any of them had even seen him in. He had a long sleeved grey shirt with a short sleeved one, with the bizarre name " Fairlene" embroidered on it. Apparently , it was a new band he liked. When Eric had asked about it, he was told to look them up on Facebook or Myspace. " I love their lead singers voice, " Jackson had said, with a odd smile on his face. His freshly trimmed hair lacked the familiar highlight. He had decided to " go native" with it and it suited him.

Eric was looking better sartorially himself. He had a pair of hunter green cargo pants and a plain, tight brown t shirt. And nothing on his body had cost less than four hundred dollars, a fact had been quick to point out. His hair looked different; it's longish length was moussed and slightly spikey looking. His sunglasses slid slightly as he put his phone in his pocket, looking at the house. "Wow, Granny would like this place. If she weren't already dead. "

Lex, in his white shirt and blue Aeropostale shirt and bright silver Nike's looked reasonably ell. He had had his hair cut shorter than before and it suited his face, which had lost the chubbiness it had once had. The adult features that ere slowly forming ere vaguely hawk like, He's going to be a great looking guy in five or six years, Mel thought as the group went up to the door and Daley took them on the tour.

" It was just too small and I don't know, kind of old fashioned, Daley" Jackson said as they pulled into the driveway of the last house on the list. The bungalow has been cheap, but the ten rooms had almost all been on the tiny side. And the dead animal smell coming from the hot water heater had not been pleasant to endure.

The second house had been somewhat smaller , over all, but it had a pool. Eric had declared love at first sight with the pool, Jackson had vetoed it on two reasons. One was the whopping six hundred thousand dollar price tag. The second had been the fact that the front and side yards had been tiny. "I want room for a dog and to be able to chase you with soap on a stick for your semi annual bath." , he'd told Eric. Who had looked affronted at that, until Mel had kissed his cheek.

" We'll only make you bathe once a year, but then, you can't sleep in the bed with us." she had teased.

"I'll shower twice a day then, I'm not going without , " he had retorted, wiggling his eyes and grabbing a butt in each hand. Only to receive two elbows in his ribs.

Shaking his head, Cody went on. "Plus, the house only had to bedrooms. " There's times when we all need privacy . I want you, me and Mel to each have our space when we need it and it's just not here." And so, they had gotten back in and Daley had driven them to the last one.

It was actually the closest one of the three to the general area the McHughs, Wu's and Marins lived in. In fact, it was all of five block from there to Eric's family home. A fact that had Eric looking decidedly nervous. He seemed to be afraid that Roslin , his mother, would appear in a cloud of smoke.

" I think you have to sacrifice a lamb and draw a pentagram to summon her up." Daley had quipped when Mel had said that to Eric. She pointed an arm at the reasonably large ranch style house. It had a average size yard and was only about sixteen years old, relatively young for the area it was in.

" I love the color of it, Me said. And it was nice, a pleasing tannish color with green trim and roofing. There were several hedges nestled in by the house. A small reflecting pool was in the front of the circular driveway. A semidetached garage was colored in the same pattern. There was a small pathway of red and brown cobblestones apparently ringing the house.

" Let's see what we shall see, " Daley said as she opened the door and they all went in.

" I love this place. " Jackson said a half hour later as they ere all gathered in front of the large central living area. He was propped on the mantle of the fireplace, which probably didn't get a lot of use in California, but which looked impressive. The bright wood paneling and red alls went well with the golden wood floor in the main part of the house. Mel had been dubious about that until she had discovered that the bedrooms and the small den had carpeting. " it just has that feel to it. Like it's welcoming you into it."

" I'm going out guys. I like the path and I want to look at the side yard again." Lex announced, heading out of the front door.

" Hmm, could the cute little blonde girl next door have something to do with that?" Daley wondered aloud. Mel laughed at her wry, knowing expression.

" Well, what do the two of your think?" Jackson said, looking at his lovers.

Mel and Eric walked up to him. Mel , in her bright white pants and blouse looked especially radiant, in light of the bad news earlier. They went, as usual, Eric to his left, Mel to his right. And he received a kiss on each cheek.

And the world seemed to explode I their face as a tall, tanned, very pissed off Roslin McGorrill stood in the doorway like the wrath of the Almighty.

" What the fucking Hell is my son doing kissing you, you fucking hood rat?" she howled at them, her ginger hair, identical to her son's without her usual dye job, singing as she walked over and slapped Eric so swiftly no one had a chance to intervene.

" A fucking queer! I raised a goddamn stinking faggot in my own house.!" She slapped him again, then started punching and kicking at him. " I didn't have you so you could be fucked by some thug and a Chink whore!" She drew back again and a vise like hand grabbed her. She whirled around, expecting Jackson.

And Melissa Wu sent her fist right into Roslin McGorrill's wide open mouth. And would have done it again if Daley hadn't frantically pulled her back as Jackson pulled at an enraged Eric.

" Mel, that bitch'll have you arrested! Calm down , please, " urged Daley as she held her back.

" YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER ANYMORE! You killed my dad and you killed any hope of me ever having anything to do with your perverted ass again. Now get the hell outta here!" He had blood dripping from his nose and assaulted lips as he yelled at the mad woman.

" You don't talk to me that way, you ingrate. I'm still your mother even if you're too stupid to realize Mike wasn't your father, your uncle James was!" And with that, she turned and stomped off, Daley in pirsuit.

" You psycho, if you come back, you'll go to jail for trespassing. Bitch!" She went outside, to make certain Lex didn't cross the evil woman's path.

Eric's whole body was shaking. He looked on the verge of passing out. And then, he went from white to green as he went to his knees and threw up on the hard wood floor as Cody and Mel closed in in him..

" She's gone. And she'd have to go through Daley to get back in this time. Damn. She must have seen the Marin's Pathfinder and recognized it. Eric, baby, what's wrong? And why have I never heard you mention an uncle James before?" she asked as she wiped blood from his nose, tilting his head back as Cody spook to him.

" Eric, is he your dad's brother? What's the deal? No, don't get up until I can get something for your nose. Damn, she may have broken it. " He stood and went to the nearby bathroom. He came back with a roll of tissue, which he began using to help clean Eric a Mel helped.

Finally, Eric spoke. " My dad was an only child."

Mel asked, " Then what is James, a good friend , cousin or something." Her confusion was plain on her face as she held the bleeding youth.

Eric went green again as he forced the words out, " He's my mom's half brother." And then he vomited again.

Mel and Jackson traded incredulous, disgusted looks as Eric was sickened mind and soul by the news.