11th to 23rd Nov 2003
Unwelcome Ties By Western Blakehawke.
Set after LATR. 2021.
Ames meets the first human looking transgenic. Alec is reunited with a sibling and takes a road trip.
Chapter 4
10:35am
Children's Home.
Will and Alec arrived at the home, where Ray had been staying. They were ushered into the office, where they were greeted by a social worker.
"Mrs Stevens I'm Lorna McNeill, I run this facility." The woman stated holding out her hand.
Will took it and gently shook it. "This is my brother Alistair Newman." She introduced Alec.
Alec shook the woman's hand they then sat in the chairs she indicated. Alec shifted his, so that it was abutting Will's.
"We have a few formalities to take care of before I can reunite you with Peter." Ms. McNeill stated immediately getting down to business.
"We understand." Alec replied and handed her the envelope that now only contained Peter's birth certificate as well as Lil Stevens', Lil's Marriage certificate, Lil's husbands death certificate and Lil's national insurance card. There were also some photographs of Will and Ray, Ray, and Will, Ray and Alec.
Will just nodded.
"Peter was here on vacation with his aunt, I understand." Ms. McNeill stated, reading from her notes. "I am so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, it's a huge blow after losing Chris, the only family remaining on his side was Sally." Will replied, her voice trembling slightly. "We were very close…. I."
Alec put his left arm comfortingly around her shoulder, and Will leaned into his embrace.
"We had to identify her remains just before we came here." Alec explained. "It wasn't pretty, and because I'm Lil's brother and not Sally's, I couldn't be the one to identify her. At least they let me accompany Lil."
Will is now softly crying. "Please, I just want to hold my baby, I won't believe he's safe 'til I hold him." She pleaded.
Ms. McNeill swiftly glanced through all the items in the envelope, before replacing them and handing them back to Alec. She then picked up a form. "Please sign these, then I'll take you to Peter, he's been packed and ready to go since half past six this morning." She informed them smiling.
Will quickly signed the forms.
A few moments later, Will, Alec and Ms. McNeill entered the living room, of the facility. Another member of staff had gone to collect Ray.
Will fiddled with her medallion, as if it was a nervous habit, making sure that Ray would spot it the moment he entered the room.
The transgenics could hear the staff member and Ray approaching, the staff member was telling Ray that his Uncle Alistair had accompanied his mother. They entered the room and without a moments hesitation Ray barrelled into a crouching Will's arms.
"Mom!" He yelled as he ran to her.
"Petey!" Will replied sounding ecstatic and relieved, tears streaming down her face.
They hugged fiercely, Alec hunkered down and joined in the embrace.
"Uncle Ali!" Ray yelled as he hugged both of them. "Mom don't cry, I'm okay."
"I'm sorry baby, I've just been going crazy since I got the phone call….." Will tenderly replied, stroking his face, with her right hand, while still hugging him tightly with her left arm.
"Aunt Sally…." Ray started to say and trailed off, snuggling further into the adults embrace.
"She died instantly big guy." Alec tenderly assured Ray. "She didn't feel a thing."
"Ali's right honey, Sally did not feel any pain." Will added her own gentle assurance.
"That's what everyone said, but I didn't believe 'em." Ray confessed. "I'm glad it didn't hurt."
"It didn't." Will reiterated, still stroking him.
Alec straightened up. He looked at Ms. McNeill and the staff member. "Thank you for taking care of Petey." He said smiling and offering them each his hand in turn.
Will and Ray reluctantly broke their embrace and Will straightened, her left arm around Ray's shoulders, as if she could not bear to loose physical contact with him.
Will removed a handkerchief from her pocket and dried her eyes. "Thank you for looking after Petey." She echoed Alec, and extended her right hand to both.
They shook hands with her too. The staff member who had escorted Ray, gave Alec his things, then left to collect the items that had belonged to Rebecca and Ray that the police had given to them since Ray was in their care.
"It was our pleasure to look after such a lovely child." Ms. McNeill replied with a genuine smile. "I just wish that it could have been under different circumstances." She stated with regret.
Will and Alec just nodded.
"Thanks for taking care of me Ms. McNeill!" Ray added. "You're real nice!"
"Why thank you young man." Ms. McNeill smiled down at him.
The staff member returned with a colleague carrying Rebecca and Ray's other belongings. The transgenics took the items from them smiling and nodding their thanks before the two departed.
"I'll walk you out." Ms. McNeill stated smiling. "I know that you must be in a hurry to get home, to get Peter back amongst familiar surroundings and playing with his friends."
"Yes, we thought it best to get home as quickly as possible." Will agreed.
They swiftly put the luggage into the rental car's large trunk and on the back seat, then Alec got in the drivers seat whilst Will and Ray got in the back. Will had her arm around Ray, and he was leaning into her embrace as they drove off. They remained in that position all the way to the airport, as Will told Ray, Alec's real name, that they were transgenics and then basically filled him in on their itinerary, then listened to his adventures since he left Seattle.
11:29am
Just before they got to the airport.
"Ray, as far as everyone is concerned I'm your mom and Alec is you uncle. Your dad died when you were a baby. Our surname after this flight is Wolfe, my first name is Wilhelmina, but I prefer to answer to Will and your new name is James, Jay for short, okay?" Will told him as they drove into the lane that would take them to the car rental garaging area.
"James Wolfe. Jay Wolfe." Ray paused and grinned at her. "I love it, James is way cooler than Peter and my favourite soft toy, that Dad got me when I was a baby, was, is a wolf called Howler. And Jay for short is great 'cause it sounds so like Ray, I won't forget and not answer when you call it!"
Both transgenics grinned back at him, but any further conversation was stopped by the arrival of a rental agency employee, wanting to check the car over and sign it back in.
Forty one minutes later.
12:21pm.
Inside the airport terminal.
After checking in their luggage and paying the extra weight fees Will, Alec and Jay had browsed through the shops, since they had a while to wait for their flight.
Will had decided that Jay might need something more than the games on her laptop, to keep him amused during the short plane journey to Atlanta and long drive to Canada. Alec had also decided to buy a couple of books to read. They had just made their purchases and were leaving the shop when they were accosted by a complete stranger.
"Oh he's adorable!" The woman exclaimed smiling at Jay.
"Thank you." Will responded with a smile as they tried to move off.
"And he looks so like you and your husband!" The woman continued to talk not taking the hint.
"He's not my Dad, he's my Uncle!" Jay corrected her. "My Dad died when I was a baby." He told her in a matter of fact voice, the lie not bothering him in the least.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" The woman replied with genuine remorse.
"Thank you." Will quietly responded. "I'm just glad I have James, I see so much of his father in him!"
"There's not too much I hope!" Alec muttered so that only Will would hear she ignored him by a supreme effort of will.
"I can see the family resemblance between you both now." The woman blithely carried on.
Suddenly a flight was announced over the tannoy system.
"That's our flight." Alec lyingly stated. "We better hurry, don't want to miss it!"
"Nice talking with you." Will said smiling politely.
"You too dear have a nice flight!" The woman cheerfully responded.
"You too." Will replied then began to walk away.
"Bye!" Jay called cheerfully over his shoulder, as he walked away, his hand firmly held by Will's.
Alec swiftly led them away from the mall area to a heavily populated waiting hall where they could hide.
They sat playing games on the laptop; working on the activity books and eating for the next four hours and seven minutes, waiting for their flight to finally be ready and wishing that they had just driven to Atlanta instead because then they would already be on their way to Montreal.
Both transgenics had thought it inadvisable to use the semi hypnotic trick again since they needed to be able to talk with Jay, keep him amused and short replies etcetera would look odd and draw more attention than sarcasm.
16:56pm.
The flight to Atlanta was finally called and with relieved sighs, the two Transgenic adults and one Familiar child swiftly gathered their belongings and rushed to the departure gate.
Onboard an ancient 747 sitting on the runway.
Jay was seated in the window seat, Will was next to him and Alec was in the aisle seat so he could walk about and stretch his long legs every so often.
Alec had decided a few minutes after getting on the plane that he wasn't in a reading mood and had returned to playing computer games with Jay, and helping him with the rest of the activity books that he had chosen.
But those books were now finished and they had played each game at least eight times.
Will was trying to read one of the books that Alec had discarded, being in the middle seat with the two on either side of her playing together, was not helping her concentration, but both refused point blank to swap seats, getting identical pouts whenever she mentioned that swapping was a good idea.
Jay had quickly decided that he wanted to mimic Alec, hence the pouting.
"Honey why don't you draw?" Will suggested in a patient tone.
"Okay!" Jay replied grinning.
"You know, I really wish the pulse hadn't happened, whose dumb idea was it to get rid of stewardesses!" Alec moaned to Will for the fifty seventh time since they left Seattle.
"Like I told you the other times you asked, I don't know and could care less!" Was her aggravated reply.
Alec pouted and turned his attention to Jay pointedly ignoring Will, which suited her fine, since for the last ten minutes or so he'd been complaining that he was bored, having forgotten or just beyond caring that they were not supposed to draw attention to themselves.
Jay was drawing on the laptop, and Alec decided to help. Will did not bother to mention swapping seats.
They had been stuck on the runway for almost an hour before they were eventually given clearance to take off.
Half way to Atlanta.
"Mom I'm bored!" Jay whined.
"Me too!" Alec agreed, forgetting that he was giving Will the silent treatment.
Will rolled her eyes and placed her book in her bag.
"Will we're bored!" Alec whined again, waving his hand in front of her face.
"Hangman!" Will responded grabbing Alec's hand and glaring at him.
"Uh quit glaring at me while you say that!" Alec said retrieving his hand and shifting uncomfortably at the murderous look in his elder sister's eyes.
Jay getting what Alec meant dissolved into a giggling fit.
"Hey thanks for your support buddy!" Alec told him sarcastically. "Instead of giggling you should be telling your mom that you'd hate it if she killed me!" He started pouting as Jay continued to giggle.
Will had quickly removed the laptop from the shelf in front of the giggling child, afraid that it might be accidentally damaged in his fit. She ignored the two males as she typed in a game of hangman. "Ready, if you're both finished with giggling and pouting?" Will queried, her tone amused.
Jay smothered his giggles and grinned at her. "I'm going first!" He cried. "Hmmm I'll have an 'E' please!"
"What's the subject?" Alec asked looking at the laptop in front of Will. "Animal, vegetable, mineral, TV show or film?"
"Animal." Will replied as she entered Jay's pick into the computer.
E _ E _ _ _ _ _
"Okay then I want an 'A'." Alec stated having easily guessed the word, but realising that Will would not make the game impossible for a seven year old, even one as bright as Jay, to win.
Will nodded at Alec, knowing that he had got the answer straight away, but was playing along anyway.
E _ E _ _ A _ _
Jay concentrated on the letters and then yelped. "Elephant! I win!" He then hopped onto Will's lap and began to type in his choice. "Close your eyes please, I wanna write out the word first and spell check it." He pretty much ordered.
"Takes after his daddy." Alec moaned sarcastically in Will's ear.
Will just grinned in reply.
Both adults then obeyed the directive.
"Okay done you can open your eyes!" Ray ordered. "It's a plant."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Will spoke first. "I'll have a 'T' please."
"No 'T' sorry." Jay replied grinning as he typed in a 'T' in the not used section. He was still seated on Will's lap.
"'E' please." Alec asked grinning at Will.
"No 'E' either!" Jay giggled pleased that he had picked a hard answer.
Over the giggling child's head both transgenics mouthed the correct answer to each other….. Poison Ivy. Then used eye and slight hand gestures to indicate that they would both pretend to have trouble with Jay's choices, since it made him happy.
They happily played hangman for the rest of the flight. Jay was loving the fact that he could out smart his two new relatives, both of whom were careful to make their deception look real and not forced sometimes getting a correct letter or two for his games straight away.
Evening.
The plane touched down in Atlanta Georgia.
Alec, Will and Jay took a cab to the address that Logan had supplied and took possession of a medium sized motor home, that Eye's Only had purchased for Will.
"Okay now the vehicle has both a gas and an alcohol tank, plus for the electrics, hot water and appliances, you have the solar panels and mini wind turbine on the roof. I filled up both the gas and alcohol tanks ready for you." The owner of the vehicle lot told them
He also agreed to their staying on the lot overnight, since it was evening and he understood that they would prefer having a goodnights sleep, before they started their journey.
After thanking him they put their belongings onboard and before surveying their new home for the next few days, they went to the neighbouring supermarket to stock up on provisions.
19:59pm.
Motor Home.
They returned to the motor home fully laden, with enough food for ten humans for well over a week, which would hopefully last the two Transgenics and one Familiar until they crossed into Canada and arrived at Montreal.
"This is so cool!" Jay yelled as he explored the vehicle, bouncing on the top bunk bed that he had immediately claimed for his own.
Will and Alec were standing next to the master bedroom, after dumping all their shopping in the kitchen area, they had paused only long enough to put away the frozen and perishable stuff.
The luggage was still piled high in the lounge area.
"So who gets the double bed?" Alec asked retrieving a coin from his pocket. "Heads I get the bed!"
Alec flipped the coin, before Will could respond.
Will deftly grabbed the coin from mid air.
"Hey!" Alec protested pouting.
"If we were going to decide by a coin toss we would most definitely not use your double headed one!" Will sarcastically informed him.
Jay climbed off his bunk bed at this and wandered from his room to investigate.
"Double headed? Cool! Can I see Mom?" He asked holding out his hand.
Will casually dropped the coin onto his outstretched palm.
"C'mon, Will I forgot I had that!" Alec told her trying desperately to look innocent and failing miserably.
"Yeah right!" She replied with a glare "Do I look as if I just got off the bus?"
Jay started laughing as he handed the coin back to Alec, who absently took it.
"You're funny when you fight!" Jay giggled. "This trip is gonna be fun!"
"Oh yeah it'll be real fun, trapped in a motor home together for days!" Will sarcastically replied rolled her eyes and continued to glare at her brother.
"Hey! I don't much care for the idea either ya know!" Alec snapped returning her glare.
Jay convulsed into a bigger giggle fit at their fighting.
Both transgenics looked at him in astonishment, then looked at each other, shrugged and mouthed Familiars, glares where forgotten as they watched the child for almost three minutes, as he continued to giggle helplessly.
Jay eventually straightened up, his giggle fit had subsided into a huge grin. "You can play rock paper scissors!" He suggested.
"Fine by me." Alec responded with a shrug.
"Yep!" Will replied grinning at her son.
Both transgenics stuck out their arms and on the count of three made a shape with their hands. Alec chose scissors and Will chose paper.
"Yay! I win!" Alec yelled in jubilation, bouncing from one foot to the other.
Will narrowed her eyes at him. "How much candy soft drinks have you consumed today?" She asked in an icy voice.
Alec stopped bouncing and looked at her startled. "Not enough for more black coffee treatment. Why?"
"You were bouncing around, a heck of a lot more than winning the double bed required." Will drolly pointed out.
"Oh. Nah I'm just pleased to be off the dang plane!" He replied grinning.
"Good 'cause being stuck on a motor home with a hyper you would lead to murder!" Will responded grinning at him.
"I'm really bad when I O.D on sugar huh?" Alec queried.
Jay, realising that they weren't going to entertain him by arguing some more wandered into the kitchen area and started unloading the rest of the groceries, leaving out the junk food that he wanted to eat for supper.
"Times your normal traits by one hundred and that's you on a sugar high!" Will told him and rolled her eyes. "The normal you can be irritating but the hyped up you….."
Alec held up his hands. "Okay I get your point! I promise not to consume too much sugar okay?"
"Yep!" Will grinned at him. "Speaking of consuming sugar we better go see what Jay's up to!"
They quickly entered the kitchen/lounge area and Will stopped Jay just before he was going to open a packet of fudge pieces.
"Thanks for putting away the shopping kiddo." She said ruffling his hair. She then placed the fudge into a cupboard along with the other junk type food that was still on the counter.
Jay pouted. "Mooommm!" He whined. "That's my supper."
At this Alec burst out laughing and was rewarded by a glare from Will, who then returned a non lethal look to Jay.
"Fudge and other candies are a treat not a meal." She patiently explained.
"But you and Alec are Transgenics, and I'm a Familiar, why do we have to follow stupid Ordinaries rules?" Jay whined.
"He's got a point." Alec agreed, then swiftly retreated at her lethal glare, he grabbed his bag and went to hide in his room, out of range of the knives that the peeved transgenic had to hand.
Blanking her face, Will returned her attention to her newly acquired son. "So would your dad let you eat anything you want?" She casually asked as she started going through the cupboards, looking for things for a proper supper.
"Of course not!" Jay responded automatically, then slapped his hands over his mouth and looked mournfully at her.
"Thought not." Will told the downcast boy, placing bread, cheese, butter and some bags of chips on the counter, then she retrieved a two litre bottle of cherry cola. "Alec, come and make your own sandwiches!" She yelled as she grabbed a plate and a knife and swiftly made up some for Jay and herself.
Jay realising that Will was not going to comment further on his trying to manipulate her, collected three glasses and took the cola and multi pack of chips into the lounge area, dodging the luggage.
Alec passed Jay and grinned at him. "Will chips and cherry cola are considered junk food you know." He told her as he grabbed the bread and began making his own sandwiches.
Will ignored him, and finished making Jay and her sandwiches, before squeezing past Alec and taking a seat opposite Jay, placing the food on the table.
"Hey Jay where'd you put the pickle spread?" Alec asked, slightly aggrieved that Will had failed to rise to his bait.
"Top cupboard, near the door!" Jay responded as he carefully poured out the cola.
Alec retrieved the pickle spread and added some to his sandwiches, then joined the others at the table, he sat down opposite Will, Jay had moved to the seat in front of the window and was hungrily devouring his sandwich and chips, pausing only to slurp cola through a straw.
They ate in silence, all were tired from their long day. They had soon finished their meal.
21:18pm.
"Okay Jay, bedtime." Will told the youngster.
"I don't wanna go to bed!" He replied pouting.
"It's not up for debate soldier!" Will responded unconsciously mimicking Lydecker and stood up to let Jay move past.
Alec looked at her in shock, completely stunned that she would revert to Manticore after being a parent for only one day.
Jay looked at Will and seeing a look similar to one that he had seen many times upon his beloved father's face, knew better than to push his luck, he swiftly slid out from behind the table, grabbed his holdall and entered the shower room, emerging a few minutes later, he went into his room, quickly changed into his pyjamas and climbed into the top bunk.
Neither transgenic had spoken whilst Jay prepared and went to bed, Alec was still in shock.
Will went over to her holdall and retrieved the bear in flying gear, moved into their room and looked up at Jay. "Thank you." She said softly. "Here." She handed him the bear. "You sounded wistful when you spoke of Howler, so I thought you might like Murdoch for company. Snuggle down and I'll tell you a story."
Jay grinned at her. "Thanks Mom! I wish I could have taken Howler to school, but then he wouldn't be with Dad, and Daddy needs the company." Jay got a far away sad, look in his eyes. "Daddy must be lonely, we used to do lots of stuff together, if he was home he always read me to sleep, sometimes he'd read to me over the phone."
Will stood on a bunk ladder rung and gently stroked his hair.
"I miss him." He told her. "Aunt Becky said that I couldn't ever see him again 'cause he killed Mommy and that he was a Familiar and wanted to kill all Ordinaries and that he was bad." He told her his lip trembling. "I'm a Familiar does that make me bad too? Daddy's not bad he only did what he had to do!" He hugged the bear tightly.
Will swiftly climbed onto Jay's bunk and hugged him, he melted into her arms.
"Your Aunt Becky was wrong honey!" She firmly told him. "Familiars are neither bad or good, they just have a different agenda to most people, and deciding if someone is bad or good depends on your view point. Becky as an Ordinary considers Familiars to be bad, you as a Familiar consider them to be good, you're both correct from your own point of view!"
Jay looked at her beseechingly. "Do you think that Daddy's bad?"
"A bad person in general no, a bad person to transgenics yes." Will answered him honestly, feeling that it was the best route. "I know that he was and is an extremely caring father and that he loves you very much and is trying his hardest to find you!"
Jay grinned at her. "He is?"
"Yes honey, but he can't until all this Coming stuff is sorted out, I don't want you getting caught in the middle." Will replied.
"But when it's all sorted and the Conclave realise that transgenics are cool you'll let me see Dad." Jay confidently stated extricating himself from her hug to look into her eyes.
"When it's all sorted out, yes I promise to let you see Ames." Will swore and she meant it.
"Thank you!" He yelled and hugged her around the neck. "You were gonna tell me a story." He reminded her pulling out of the hug.
Will laughed and nodded then swiftly climbed from his bunk. Jay lay down, Murdoch hugged tightly in his arms.
"Now if you're comfortable I'll tell you the story okay?" Will queried grinning up at him.
"That'd be great!" Jay grinned down at her.
"Okay then." She paused and hopped onto her own bunk. "A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, their lived a bounty hunter named Boba Fett……"
Thirty seven minutes later and Will left a peacefully sleeping Jay and rejoined Alec in the lounge, Alec had stored all the luggage, but Will's holdall, whilst she was with Jay.
"Good handling of a tough subject!" Alec complimented her.
Will looked at him and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks I knew it'd come up eventually, but not quite so soon."
"Well you did a good job of being neutral!" Alec replied and seeing that she did not wish to pursue the subject. "Nice story…. Odd choice of hero though." he commented grinning at her.
Will shrugged her shoulder. "What can I say, I've always had a thing for him."
"Wait a minute you called Ames Boba Fett!" Alec accused a shocked expression on his face for the second time in forty odd minutes.
Will rolled her eyes. "And you called me Leia!" She reminded him. "Remember the female you have X rated dreams about!"
Alec blushed scarlet and raised his hands. "Okay point!"
"Alec I'm tired, I'm gonna go to the bat.. shower room then go to bed." She told him wearily as she grabbed her holdall and entered the shower room, returning a few minutes later she walked over to Alec, who was eating another bag of chips, and dropped a kiss on his head. "Good night bro sweet dreams!" she quietly called over her shoulder as she swiftly entered hers and Jay's room.