p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"a name="OLE_LINK20"/aa name="OLE_LINK19"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Chapter Nine: Our Boys/span/strong/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Daniel watched as Zale and Johnny walked upstairs and looked over to Jack, tears shimmering on his lashes. Jack smiled back at him, shifting enough to bring Malachi over into Daniel's reach. Their son giggled and clapped when Daniel held him close, they hadn't seen much of each other the past couple of days because of Zale's attacks and as Daniel cuddled the boy he realized how much he'd not only missed Malachi but the rest of their children./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Daddy, are we going home today?" Claire asked and Daniel looked to Jack quickly who nodded, saying nothing./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""We were thinking of staying here a little longer, we've had so little time to be just us and Zale needs this as much as I think the rest of us do. He wanted us to make sure that was okay with you guys but Papa and I pretty much decided before the hallucinations started that we need this."/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""We get to be together?" Janet asked, her fork slipping around her plate in a quiet need to do something in the moment. Daniel could understand that a little, she was his kid biologically speaking anyway and she had to contend with the very loud and chatty version in her twin Claire. He loved learning more about his daughter now that she was starting to learn who she wanted to be, they were still as close as can be but ever since they took on their bio-mom's powers, Janet was coming out a little at a time. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Of course," Jack responded, bringing Daniel out of his sappy reverie. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Zale is going to be okay?" Claire asked. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""We'll get through like we always have," Jack said and Daniel smiled./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Together," a broken chorus of kids' voices finished the sentence and both parents laughed. Daniel finished his breakfast holding his son and speaking different languages with the other children and wondering if Zale and Johnny were doing okay./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"When the food was demolished and the kitchen was clean, Daniel walked into to living room with Janet, Claire and Zada in tow and Malachi in his arms. He sat down on the floor and Jack sat in the couch so Daniel leaned easily against his knees. Daniel watched as Malachi struggled and wriggled down onto the floor and Daniel helped him to stand. The happy little boy looked around, focusing for a second on Daniel's hands under his armpits then grunted while he tried to drop to his knees. Daniel released him gently, having no intention of forcing the little boy to do anything he wasn't ready for, especially since his short life had already been filled with such pain. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Malachi immediately rolled from his knees back onto his butt and leaned down, holding himself in a crouched sitting position. Daniel smiled and pressed a hand over the top of his downy head before he turned and looked over his shoulder to Jack who was staring at the stairs but looked to Daniel quickly like he was embarrassed to be caught wondering the same thing he was. Daniel reached back and rubbed his palm up and down Jack's leg in comfort./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Jack reached forward and pressed his fingers into the back of Daniel's scalp in a comforting caress before they refocused on the kids in front of them. Malachi played with his soft toys, biting into them every once in a while and grinning his toothy grin when Janet or Claire would rub his head or speak to him. Malachi still wasn't talking though he was making sounds and Daniel was happy about the fact that he was still resilient enough to try after his first several months of life had been so weighted in pain./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"He remembered thinking about being a parent more than thirteen years before, taking that leap with Jack and knowing there were going to be hard times and good times but at the time the decision had been considered in the joy he felt when he was around other children or when he saw Jack with children. He couldn't have guessed the life that he would live with Jack and after all these years he's glad for the ignorance. It is quite possible that had he known about the pain his children would struggle with, Johnny with his mutism and the pre-cognition or Zale and Zada with the Magis inside their heads. It's possible that if he had known all the things that he and Jack would go through together, he may have not even been willing to marry or stay with the man. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"But he was glad he did./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Daniel had learned through those hard times, through the fights and pain and the loss that the love he shared with his husband or his children was divine, something of a spiritual awakening. That was something that he'd been so desperate for when he was on Helios and talking to Ernest about meaning of life stuff. At that time the meaning of life stuff was learning about what was plastered all over the ceiling in that room and seeing that knowledge passed on and he was ready to die for it, to make sure that it could be passed on and now he understood with sheepish acceptance how silly it was now to think that was everything to him. Holding Malachi in his arms after the months of demanding that Jack terminate his magical pregnancy was just one more proof that there was something bigger out there, something better than knowledge and more important than power. Malachi was alive because Jack had faith in something, not logic or himself, but something. They had all their children because Jack had faith in something; he'd had faith in them as a couple and that they had a future. All Daniel had to do now was keep believing in something that they had proof of, which was they could get through it all together./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"That was meaning of life stuff and all he had to do was keep loving his family, Daniel figured that was where happiness was anyway. So no matter the pain and concern they would forever be going through with six children, Daniel knew that they were going to be going through it as a team. This time, the parts are bigger than the whole and Zale would need every single one of them./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;" /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"~~~/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;" /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"When Zale closed the door behind himself and Johnny he immediately walked over to the bed and curled into the blankets and pillows there. He breathed in the scent of his father's and looked over as Johnny walked over as well and sat along the bottom of the bed. Zale wondered if he would need to talk about something, if Johnny would just figure it out. He didn't even know why he wanted to see Johnny, except that his little brother was one of the strongest and kindest souls Zale had ever known, much like Daddy. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"'Do you wanna talk or be quiet?' /span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Johnny asked, using his telepathy, it was good to know that he'd learned to use that easily because sometimes it wasn't easy for him. Zale remembered the screaming fits that were meant to warn them of things to come but it wasn't enough before Johnny found a way to speak to them. The scream and the tantrums had looked full of angst instead of reason. Much like the way Zale felt these days./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"It wasn't all that surprising that Zale figured that Johnny would know best how he was feeling. "I don't know anymore, what I need or want. I don't want to watch them die over and over, I don't want to lose myself in what Xylander wants and I can't lose my ability to speak. I don't know how you did it all those years and I don't think I am strong enough to know. I'm not like you."/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Johnny crawled closer to him, wrapping his smaller body around Zale's head, pulling his elder brother so his head rested in Johnny's lap. Zale allowed himself to be moved and looked up where those light brown eyes were shinning back down to him and waited./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"'You will never have to know the hardship that I have faced but I truly believe that this is something you are going to overcome. Zale, you are not me but you are strong and you are Daddy's son. Live up to the hype, let go of Xylander's ideas and accept yourself, he will fall silent in the face of your character.'/span/em/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale shook his head, tear slipping down the side of his face while Johnny slid his fingers down the trail and then did something that was so much like their fathers he couldn't help but close his eyes and sink into the sensation as Johnny ran his fingers through Zale's hair then started slipping his fingers over and around Zale's eyes and face. Daddy used to do that when they were fighting naptime./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"'So we'll be quiet then.'/span/em/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale smiled at the words whispered into his mind and he sank into the feeling of fingers slipping over his face and through his hair and opened his mind to the thoughts and feelings shifting through the skin on skin contact with his brother. He didn't hear Xylander and heaved a sigh of relief; there were no visions and no death. He took a deep breath and focused on the moment and thought about what Johnny told him./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale wasn't Johnny but he could trust his brother, he trusted him when Johnny said that he could live through this. He could silence Xylander if he needed to and right now that's what he needed to do./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"'Do what you must Z.'/span/em/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale nodded and deepened his breathing, allowing each part of his body to relax into the bed. He focused on the warmth of the blankets and Johnny's legs under his head and neck. He breathed in the scent of family and the silence sank into him and there was nothing to stop him from slipping into the mindscape where he met with Xylander more than once since he was very young. It was easier after years of practice, thank Zara for Uncle Teal'c and his meditation techniques that he used even without the symbiot in his stomach. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale opened his eyes to the forest, the trees all around wavering into focus like a dream. This was Xylander's place in Zale's mind, it was knocking on the Magis' door but Zale knew they could no longer play the long game, not if he wanted to maintain sanity. With that in mind, he focused on the center of the open field as he appeared. Xylander looked the same as he always had since he doesn't age as Zale does, his skin a slight greyish tinted brown like he was sick but the skin looked marbled. He had long hair that he wore in long braids down his back and over his shoulder. Zale knew his eyes were brown though he couldn't see them at the moment. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Xylander, I wish I could say it was good to see you but we both know that would be a lie."/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"The Magis just smiled, "You are here anyway Zale and that is already what I want. I would go ahead and tell you my dastardly plan but since you are in my head and vice versa you should know it already right?"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale shook his head, "You know that's not true, you have separation from my mind and I think its time to make that more two-sided. You have no right to dictate to what kind of man I am going to be. You have no right to dictate my life despite the life that we share. I am my father's son and I am not you!"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Xylander chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest, "You believe you are not me but you are only kidding yourself. You were born with me in your head and heart, I am at your core and you are me!"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale settled into a crouch and took a deep breath, "This is always what it is going to come to with you, the fight. Right?"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""It is how we will survive," Xylander responded with one resolute nod./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Then show me why you are going to be the one who decides my life, spar with me and see who is truly at the core of my humanity, the child born to this body or the interloper who hid away inside the child and tried to destroy what he is!"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Xylander shook his head at Zale's angry shout before he released the hold around his body and settled into a crouch for a moment before he came forward quickly. Zale moved forward as well, falling easily into the things that his father taught him, what his Uncle Teal'c and Uncle Adrian taught him. There was nothing Xylander could do to him magically here, they would be pitted against one another physically but in a way it wasn't physical at all. This wasn't a fight that would take place in the physical realm but his mind and so the strength here was one of character and Zale would use the words Johnny shared with him, the knowledge that he could decide what he saw and felt and experienced in the bond he shared with Xylander. /span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"He stopped after a short moment and just waited, there was nothing to stop Xylander from slamming into him except for the fact that when Xylander's flying fist would have crashed into Zale's cheek it slipped ineffectually through him and Zale smiled. He waited while Xylander stared at him in shock; taking another couple shots at him with the same result before he waved his hand and Xylander flew back off his feet and hit the ground./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""You listen now to me Xylander, you can try to keep telling me who to be and what to do and I will box you up! Is that what you want? If you are boxed then I lose most of my powers and you will become nothing more than a voice with no power to do anything in this life. You will be nothing, is that what you waited years for?"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Xylander glared at him, shock still scrawled all over his face./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale just waited, standing his ground and thinking of all the times he'd seen one of his fathers' like this, or Johnny or the twins. He'd grown up knowing he could be strong, that he came from strength and love, Zale just had to remember it./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""You think you can contain me!? I am a God, you stupid little upstart!"/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale chuckled, crossing his arms, "Then do something about it right now, take over or something. Put me in a box if you dare but you know what I think Xy?" he asked as he walked over and crouched down, releasing his arms to press hands into the grass under him. "I think that you can't do anything but make me see things and cut me from some of my power. I was born of magic on my mother's side and believe it or not I would survive without you, my fathers taught me how to but I don't think you can survive without me."/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Xylander scoffed and rose from his place on the floor and Zale did as well, and easily snapped his fingers and Xylander looked around to find himself in a very small cell, the bars tight enough that he couldn't push his face through them, Zale didn't like the idea of leaving him here like this but Xylander had proved more than once that he couldn't be trusted and Zale was done giving the Magis all the chances to hurt him./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"He could see when Xylander realized that he couldn't escape the box he was in, the fear skittering across his features wasn't something Zale had ever seen in all the years he'd had with Xylander. Zale took a deep breath, "I hate that it has come to this but you have only proven to me that you don't care about me and I won't have you hurting me, convincing me that I am bound to harming others especially those I love most in this world."/span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""No, Zale…" he whispered, his voice wavering but there was nothing the Magis could say at this point. Zale turned and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and woke with his head on a pillow, Johnny sitting next to him and Zale looked around and found Papa and Daddy wavering right beyond the bed, Daddy was hugging himself and Papa was pressing an arm around Daddy's shoulders./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""Zale?" Papa asked nervously./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Zale closed his eyes for a second and then looked again over at his parents and just saw their beloved faces. He smiled and snapped up off the bed and threw himself into their arms, listening as Daddy laughed which slipped into a sob as Papa soothed them both gently./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""I found it," he whispered gently./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""What buddy?" Papa asked./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;""My voice," his voice broke on a sob and Daddy's arms tightened around him imperceptibly and he felt when Papa kiss the side of his head and Daddy pressed one to his temple and he pulled himself as close to them as he could./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"For the first time in months, maybe longer, he felt like he was really himself and as he looked back over his head and nodded to his little brother he couldn't stop the smile and the sigh of relief./span/span/span/p
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p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"He was home./span/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;" /p
p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: .5in;"strongspan style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK19;"span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK20;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Cambria;"Author's Note: I am hoping to start another installment very soon but I wanted to go ahead and update this story. I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave reviews, I would love to know what you think. /span/span/span/strong/p