Chapter 9

Year 2000 August

Lot's of things happened to the School over the five years we skipped, but let's catch up.

Wesley, now age five is waiting to begin school in September. Since Bastian came back from College he took a liking to Wes rather then his full name and he's still the baby of the family. One thing to be warned about is his Puppy eyes. They're his secret weapon. No boy or adult can resist his Puppy Eyes. He still calls Mark and Jerry Mama and Papa but Emma will always be his Mommy.

Bastian and Howard Graduated College with Honors and moved into the school to help look after the boys while getting jobs locally. Wes is currently sitting with Bastian showing Howard old Photo albums. "Bas, I don't remember these," Wes said confused.

Bastian chuckled, "that's because you were just a tiny baby. Look, these are your first birthday party, I remember that day well."

"Tell me the story?" He looked up with the eyes and Bastian melted.

Bastian was watching baby Wesley the day before he turned 1 year old. On the TV he was watching The Dinosaurs a TV programme from the 90s he had on tape. Wesley walked over to the shelves and pulled at an album. "You wanna see the pictures Wes?" Wesley nodded and Bastian collected the album and the baby sitting on the bed, Wesley in his lap while they looked through the pictures. "OK this is me, Scott and Joseph the day we came here, here's Mama and Papa too."

"Mama!"

"That's right, here's me and Brad at a soccer game. Isaac as a little kid. OK, who's this?" He asked finding the recent photos.

"Scott."

"Yep, and this?"

"Aus'in."

"That's right and this?"

"Mama and Mommy!" The picture was Emma and Jerry.

"Right and this?" The photo was of Mark.

"Not the Mama!"

"What?"

"Not the Mama." As Wesley said it so did the baby dinosaur on screen.

"I am so gonna get blamed for this." Bastian muttered.

"Did you get the blame?"

"Yes, actually," he said, "I did." He grinned at Wes. "So, are you ready for school? You start in a week?"

"I'm excited, but nervous. What if my teacher's mean?" He asked a little frightened.

"They won't be," Howard came in, "besides, in your class, it's fun. You learn through play," he grinned. Since their first date Howard and Bastian had become more then close. Just a year previous Howard had proposed to Bastian at a family party and Bastian never hesitated in saying 'yes'. Then seven months later they had gone to New York and Married in the presence of their families. Bastian's full family with Scott as his best man and Howard and his whole family. They were happily married and fully in love, each constantly surprising the other with romantic gestures which never failed to make the other adults 'aww' and the kids to be grossed out.

Other big events included the four pre-teens, Austin, Isaac, Nathan and Mitch starting Middle-School. Nathan and Mitch, the orphans Mark had discovered in an Alley several years before had come much out of their shell. In the beginning they stuck together like glue and refused to part, even after the move. They still shared and room but now they had different personalities and likes. They were very much their own persons.

Other celebrations were at large in Dalton. Brad, just a year younger than Bastian was graduating from College. Normally he would not have taken so long but Brad had needed a year out in the middle when his College collapsed under the pressure of an EarthQuake and had to be rebuilt.

The security team, brought in while Mitch and Nathan were young were disbanded to be standard security at the gates of the school. They no longer accompanied them on outings because there was no need.

Dalton was preparing to depart with two of it's boys. Scott and Tom were 18 and ready to go to College. Tom had been accepted to Harvard, Pre-Law and Scott to LA to study Music and composition.

The final update on the school is the arrivals of 9 year old Alexander Dumas and 13 year old Lewis Todd. Alexander arrived first when he was seven years old. His mother had been a single parent while his father was in prison and she had found it all too much so she sent him to bed, telling him that 'mummy always loves you' and sat in the locked car with the engine running. Lewis had been a runaway at age 12. He told them his name but not where he came from. Nobody reported him missing so the Police placed him indefinitely at Dalton.

Lot's of things happened over the five years. But not as new as the event that would happen just two more years down the line...