Chapter 9: Surrogate

So, there you have it Chapter 9. I just wanted to show you that as the book goes on, Douglas becomes something of a second father to all the Lab Rats, including Leo. I want to warn you some characters are going to be changing and I'm really trying to get all these characters right. I just present a more fatherly Douglas coming through and more Dougleo friendship bonding awaits.

Things toned down for the Davenport family after the FBI agents left Mission Creek. The reporters became less frequent and the students kissing up to the Dooley-Davenport siblings had begun to disappear. Now that Agent Graham was out of the way, Leo could actually take deep breaths and focus on his bionic abilities and training with Douglas. To say the training was intense, Leo could say that the least. There's nothing wrong with it, of course, and Douglas was training Leo to the bone but not enough to make Leo want to blast him. (However, Leo could not help but think that his mentor was not going hard on him because Douglas was afraid Leo might intentionally hit him with a laser sphere). Honestly that man was annoying because all he ever did was criticize what Leo did every time, he had screwed something up. He did not even like him on day one when he stormed into the house. On the flipside of things, Leo could actually see Adam, Bree and Chase again. They had been doing everything they could to get their friendly sibling rivalry back on track. Adam and Chase often threw each other around but they had toned it down since Donald had given that speech about them being brothers. Adam almost gave Leo a bionic brother toss he did with Chase but Douglas stopped them because he had to remind his eldest son/nephew that Leo was not fully bionic. Therefore, Adam should not throw him. It even took Chase a bit to tell their brother about that. Meanwhile, Bree and Leo tried doing everything together, at least enough to get away from their two brothers. To Leo's surprise his sister was still working at TechTown. Seriously, what did that place ever do for her? He knew that Bree totally deserved better.

"Eh, don't worry about its bro," Bree said one day when he voiced his opinion of her current employment there. "I'm going to find a job. This one is only temporary, so there is nothing to worry about."

After that, Leo decided to just let it go because his sister promised that she was only staying there because she wanted to have a little bit of her normal life still interfering with her bionic hero life. Leo's surprised the two of them had grown close, but he was guessing it was because Bree knew what it was like to maintain a normal life and keeping your bionics a secret from the rest of the country and the world. Though things have been going smoothly, Janelle had not spoken to her boyfriend got a couple of weeks. In hindsight Leo should know she wouldn't want to talk to him again since he tried to kill her when he burned her stand at the science fair a couple of weeks ago because Leo had everything under control. He had a feeling his girlfriend was going to become his ex-girlfriend. Speaking of Janelle, she quietly walked over to him, but stood there, awkwardly looking at him.

"Um, hey," Janelle said, her arms crossed while Leo was busy putting things away in his locker because Douglas was coming to get him in a couple of minutes because, unfortunately, Donald, Adam, Bree and Chase were on a mission that was far away from Mission Creek.

"Oh, hi Janelle," Leo said. "If you came up here to break up with me can you do it fast because my uncle's coming to get me."

"No, that's not why I'm coming over here, Leo," Janelle said. "Look, I know things haven't been going well for us lately mostly because of your toy malfunctioning," Leo nodded, understanding what she was talking about. "But I think we should give us another chance. If you apologize for that incident."

"Yes, I do!" Leo shouted in desperation mostly because he didn't want to lose his girlfriend. "Uh, I mean, yes I'm sorry Janelle.

"Which is why I'm taking you to Red Lobster, Friday night and promise, No inventions?"

"Yeah, and I promise you no Bionics," Leo said with a smile.

"I figured as much," Janelle said. "So, I'll see you Friday?"

"Yeah, Friday, 6'o clock," Leo said and he was surprised to see her smiling back at him.

"Yes!" Leo said, raising his fists in the air before he looked down and saw the time. His uncle was already there and, knowing not to keep him waiting, rushed out the door.

"No!" Douglas shouted as he and Leo went into the house.

"No? What do you mean no?" Leo asked.

"What do you think it means kid? You're not going on a date with your girlfriend." Douglas said.

"Oh, come on give me one good reason why I can't go!" Leo asked.

"Because Leo, you've got training on Friday night! And then I have to run a diagnostic on your arm to see that everything's in check with your Bionics."

"Okay, that's not fair," Leo said. He didn't like that Douglas was in charge of him when Donald, Adam, Bree and Chase were out. Douglas tried to think of something but he couldn't. When he heard Leo was going out on a date with Janelle, Douglas freaked out, which was something he normally didn't do, but because his nephew and his unintentionally firing a laser sphere. Tasha was stopping her cutting up the vegetables watching the exchange between her brother-in-law and son. This felt a little similar to her remembering how Bree told her what drove her to destroy her chip. She had warned her husband to let the kids be normal once in awhile and look where it got them that time when Donald ignored her? Well, Tasha was not going to let Leo and Douglas make the same mistake. So, she will just mom her way into it.

"Okay, what going on?" Tasha asked.

"I'll tell you what's going on Tasha your son," Douglas stopped and then pointed at his nephew, who just threw his hands up in exasperation, "is going on a date with Janelle even though he tried to burn her alive the last time."

"Oh, come on man that happened nearly two months ago!" Leo snapped. "We've been training for a week and I've not set one thing on fire. Janelle and I, we moved on, sort of. We're teenagers we get angry over stupid things and then get over it overtime. It's what we do!"

Tasha shook her head. "Airtight boys, I believe that's enough out of the two of you!" she looked at Donald's brother with seriousness. "Douglas remember what I told you when you approached me and asked if you could train my son, what did we say?"

Douglas sighed. "That we wouldn't let training get in the way of the kids' personal lives."

"Exactly," Tasha said. "Your daughter destroyed her chip because Donald wouldn't let her go to the concert or let her hand out with her friends. Now, I get it was crucial but the point is training doesn't always have to come before personal lives. You really want my son to feel like that too?" she looked at Leo. "And Leo honey, instead of fighting with your uncle, you both compromise next time."

Leo nodded. "Alright Mom, but only for you." He looked at Douglas, who had his arms crossed. "Douglas, I get that you're trying to look out for me but I really like her. Do you know what it be like to have a girlfriend and then lose her in a heartbeat?"

Douglas sighed. He wished he didn't but he did.

"Yeah, I do," Douglas responded. "She was the perfect woman I could have ever dated! Her name was Giselle but unfortunately, people move on."

"What did this Giselle girl dump you?" Leo said sarcastically.

"Yes, she did!" Douglas shouted, crying. "And! I've been to prison four times!" Leo nodded and he could not help but pat his uncle on the shoulder. "Well Leo, if you think you can handle it, then I'll let you go on the date with Janelle."

Leo nodded. "Thank you." He turned around, missing Douglas' worried look. He's beginning to act more and more like a father/brother figure with this kid for the past several months. Douglas could not help but worry. Guess he could call only one person he knew who handled bionic teenagers before.

"And now, Leo's going on a date with this Janelle girl and I cannot help but feel nervous, why am I nervous?" Douglas asked his brother. He and Donald were video chatting and he told Donald everything that was going on.

"It's called worrying Douglas," Donald answered.

"Pft, me worrying about Leo? He's not my kid!"

"Yeah, but I can see that you care about him."

"Well of course I do! Besides, I don't have any other friends," Douglas said. "You know the more I spend time with the kid, I feel like he's like he is Adam, Bree and Chase. Like he's a fourth, uh, third, sorry third…" He stopped himself before he could say the next words. "Third son to me." However, Douglas almost said 'Four'. Oh, he never told Donald about Daniel but he didn't need to because Douglas doubted that would come to bite him in the butt. He knew that Donald loved Leo like a son too so he couldn't outright say it. But yes, over time, his nephew has been something of a surrogate son to him (like Marcus was) However, Douglas didn't need to say it because Donald was giving his brother a knowing look.

"Okay, I see him as another son," Douglas said. "Even though I've tried to kill him in the past, I've become very fond of our friendship Donnie. That kids suffered enough but deep down; I know that the kid can take care of himself!"

"Then why are you calling me?" Donald asked.

Douglas then stopped when he realized.

"Oh, you are right," Douglas said. He did not realize that until now. "Oh, what am I going to do."

"Stop worrying about Leo, bro, he'll be fine. I mean, it's not like you're going to spy on the kid when he is on his date with her," Donald said sarcastically but then he looked at the smirk on his brother's face.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Douglas said with a smile. "Thanks Donnie."

"No that's not what I..." Donald began but Douglas had already shut off the call. Douglas was definitely spying on that kid's dinner because, it was his specialty after all.