"Kyle!" the jovial voice didn't stop Kyle from snapping to attention.

Glen Chambers might be a mere mortal, but in matters of PR, even Alexandria danced to his tune.

"Hello, Glen," Kyle said. "Nobody's listening so no need to spin it."

"Spin what?"

"The shit-show with—"

"The Ward who left to pursue her future?" Glen didn't even use Sophia's name. "Nobody knows what happened to her, she's not our problem any more."

Kyle glared at the screen. "I—"

"You put a lot of effort into creating the dark, edgy persona, and then we all found out that it was a stupid and crazy persona. It happens. Wait until you have the joy of listening to one of your leading lights sound like an E88 thug when he doesn't know he's being recorded."

"Yah."

"No, I'm here to talk about Claire Nunez and James Lake."

"You mean—"

"No, I mean what I say," Glen frowned for a moment. "Coming in as open capes might be an issue, but equally, it's one I think we shouldn't fight. When they're in the field, or in official AAR's, sure, but I want you to start working as hard as possible on humanizing him."

"I have been," Kyle said. "He's actually making it pretty easy. Did you get the video I sent you?"

Glen laughed. "The one where he went missing for ten minutes and then they found him in the school cafeteria showing some of the younger kids how to cook? It's almost tying Mush getting a shower for views."

"That one." Kyle paused. "He's pretty tongue tied during interviews, and I was thinking of scheduling some lessons… But I'm going to give it a pass."

"Why?" his boss asked.

"Because he comes off as more natural, more real, when he's umming and ahing his way through a conversation." Kyle grinned. "Especially if he's with his girlfriend, because she could give half the protectorate lessons in how to talk." He turned serious, "And it helps people forget that between them, Jim and Claire are pretty damned big heavy hitters. Thank God neither one of them is given me my Vista problem."

"She's been looking good—"

"Oh, in public she's a real pro," Kyle said. "But she wants to be taken seriously so badly it hurts, and she doesn't realize the downside, especially if people start talking about just what her power could do if she used it seriously." He shook his head. "Now that the Merchants really aren't an issue, I want to see if I can bully Piggot into cutting Vista loose for some PR tours with the fire department. It's a win-win, Vista gets to feel like she's actually going something important, because she really will be, and the public doesn't start realizing that the twelve-year-old could take down most of this city if she got angry enough."

"I'll support you." Glen said. "Now, it's still getting processed, but since everyone from the PRT to the CUI already knows where they came from, I'm pushing to bring up the fact that they're from another world."

"That'd make my life easier. The kids are good with secrets but Merlin and Mr. Blinky—well, Merlin doesn't care, and Mr. Blinky sometimes gets over excited about things… Which brings me to another point. I got the memo, and don't try to schedule Merlin for any interviews. He won't show up. Mr. Blinky will, but don't even think of trying to keep him to a script."

"I understand, Glen said. "Now what's this about them getting off base housing?"

"Yeah, that… We're having some Youth Guard issues…"

"And why should I not be their guardian, Madam!" Blinky was doing a good imitation of Gunmar in one of his more annoyed moods, as he glared at the lady in the floral print dress. Sally Days, part of Youth Guard. The other member of the Youth Guard, a much older man with graying hair, wearing a business suit, said nothing.

He hadn't said much at all, letting Ms. Days take the lead.

"You cannot go out in the daytime," Days said. "Not only that, but you… You may not be suited to the needs of two unrelated children…"

"The house the PRT has provided is perfectly suited for us. It includes three bedrooms, a common area, a kitchen, and a passageway to the PRT building, which means that should I need to, I can summon help at any time of the night or day!" Blinky said.

"That's not the problem," Days said. "Shadowdancer and Trollhunter are said to be… romantically involved and I'm not certain that you would provide adequate supervision!" Behind her, the older man rolled his eyes.

"What?" Claire said. "You think I would—we would…" She started turning red.

So was Jim.

Director Piggot lifted her hands and started massaging her forehead. "You have been clogging my inbox with memos demanding that the Wards be allowed to live in "a normal housing setting." I have found a house that suits both their living and security needs, and now you bring this up."

"There are concerns."

"You mean from E88 affiliated papers and commentators." Emily stared at her. "Or are you talking about some other commentators that I don't know about?"

Please let someone burst in through the wall and start attacking us. A resurrected Gunmar… Jim knew that Claire felt the same way he did, which is that he didn't want to be here while people discussed their (non-existent) sex life!

"Are you implying that I would not be an adequate chaperon?" Blinky snapped.

"It is my feeling that their other companion would be better suited to watch them." Days looked up at Merlin.

"You want me to supervise two teenagers? No," Merlin said, looking extremely bored. "But if you are worried about their sex play, I can rest your mind at ease."

Jim whined. The door to freedom was so close and yet so far.

"How, you just sai—"

"A contraceptive spell is an easy work of magic, one that apprentices often made money by, allowing knights to woo their ladies fair without the risk of a sudden marriage due to pregnancy. I will teach her that spell, and your worries are over."

"That's—that's… How could you…"

"Oh, God," Claire moaned, face down on the desk. "Can we talk about anything else, please?"

"Yes," Jim said, faintly. This would be bad enough as it was, but Merlin had brought this up in front of Director Piggot, who looked like she was one step from hitting the M/S button on her desk and foaming them all. At least Armsmaster isn't here. Jim didn't want to imagine what he might say.

"You—you are a terrible human being! Do you know how damaging premarital s—it's not just solved with m-magic!"

"Well, then, I won't, so let us get back to talking about their living arrangements."

"Very well!" Days snapped, face red as a tomato. "You will have to ensure that they continue their schooling and are kept in proper care—"

"I have been doing that for some time," Blinky said. "Not that they need much in terms of that."

"I… Good!" Days said staring up at Merlin. "Horrible man," she muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Though Jim's haze of complete mortification, he suddenly realized something. Days wasn't talking about her concerns, and was just forging ahead, hoping that Merlin wouldn't say anything else.

Did Merlin mean to distract her… They'd probably never know.

"Right, now that we've solved that," the older man said in a businesslike tone, dismissing his younger partner with a glance, "Director Piggot, given the constraints of what you can tell us, I'd like to know about what security measures you've taken. Only an idiot would attack a pair of wards, but…"

"There are always idiots," Piggot said. "Yes, Mr. Samuelson, we've had Armsmaster and Dragon go over the house and add their own improved designs to it, as well as increasing both BBPD and PRT patrols in the region…"

Jim sighed as they got to the not-mortifying part of the conversation.

Later, much later, Jim found himself standing before Merlin and Armsmaster. Merlin held up a gem. "Hold your amulet, Trollhunter."

Jim did so, and Merlin opened it and put a gem into its housing, the crystal glowing like the noonday sun.

"This will protect you from the light of the sun, even if it will be uncomfortable. You may now—"

Armsmaster coughed. "It is 2 PM and the sun will be shining in through this polarized window. Please stand at the painted circle."

"Right, because we have to test something we know is going to work."

"You claim it is going to work. Are you ready, Trollhunter?"

"Y-yeah," Jim said, trying to still his quivering. The few times he'd been in the sun, he'd felt his skin charring. But… nothing.

"We are at 90 percent polarization. Trollhunter, if you feel any discomfort or pain, tell me immediately."

"I'm... I'm good."

"Very well. 80 percent. 70 percent…" At every change, Armsmaster looked up at Jim and Jim nodded.

It didn't hurt. The itching was uncomfortable, but his skin wasn't burning… Jim lifted his hand, marveling at how it was there, in the light. Not burning. Compared to that, the itching wasn't bad at all.

"Zero percent. You are in full sunlight."

"It doesn't hurt…" Jim said. "It… just itches."

Merlin sighed. "That will never go away, Trollhunter."

"I… It doesn't hurt!" Jim repeated. "I… I gotta go!" He ran to the door.

"Wait!" Armsmaster said. "We haven't completed the UV lamp and low powered laser test!"

"I'll do it when I come back! I gotta go!" Jim flew through the door, ran down the hallway, almost running Assault over as he passed him and then burst into the Ward's Quarters.

"Jim!" Claire shouted, looking alarmed. "What's wrong?" She was with Vista.

"No-nothing!" Jim said. "Merlin's gem worked! We can go out for a walk in the"—his voice broke—"daylight! Wanna come with me?"

"I…" Claire reached up and pulled Jim's head down, kissing him. When they broke it. She looked and wiped her eyes. "Yes. I'd love that."

"Heh…" Jim said. "Well for the first time in way too long, I can say that we need to hurry, or we're going to lose the sun!"

"Right."

Moments later, Missy was alone in the Wards Quarters. The phone rang, she picked it up.

"Hello? No, Armsmaster you just missed them. I'll tell Jim to call you so you can yell at him when he gets back."