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 8
A few weeks later.
Ames entered the house put his briefcase down and shrugged off his coat swiftly putting it away.
"Dad!" Ray yelled as he raced down the stairs and launched himself at his father from five stairs up.
Ames easily caught him and hugged him, laughter sounded from behind them, Ames turned as Will walked over to them.
"Hey Will." He greeted her smiling. He put down a wriggling Ray and embraced Will then tenderly kissed her on the lips.
"Dad I'm working on a rocket, I'll show you it after you've had supper." Ray told him then knowing that he had lost his father's attention for the moment raced back upstairs.
Will grinned at Ames. "Better let me go, unless you want to eat burnt food."
Ames reluctantly released her and they entered the kitchen, Will went back to cooking and Ames came and stood behind her and nuzzled her neck. "I'm hungry, but not for food." He whispered throatily and suggestively in her ear.
"Food first, fun later." Will replied laughing.
Later
Bedroom.
Ames and Will had just made love and had fallen into an exhausted sleep, Will was lying half covering Ames, her head rested upon his chest, he was holding her possessively.
Morning.
Will and Ames were awakened by Ray's ecstatic yell and excited chatter, they looked at each other and swiftly hauled on their night clothes, Will grabbed Ames dark green silk pyjama jacket, quickly buttoning it, while Ames hauled on the bottoms, they then both dove back into their warm super king size bed. Just in time as Alec stormed into the room.
"Will how could you! Sleeping with the enemy!"
"Sleep? We don't sleep much!" Ames replied smiling smugly.
Ray had followed Alec into his parent's bedroom.
"Ray go and get your breakfast." Will ordered him.
"But……" Ray started to argue.
Ames cut him off. "Ray do as you mother says."
Phone rings.
Ames awoke momentarily disoriented he looked around his bed and was incredibly relieved to see that the only wolf in it was Howler, Ray's soft toy. "Dreaming about me and that freak……… us……… Never happen!" He snarled at himself then finally grabbed the cell phone from the nightstand and answered it.
"White!" He snapped. I need a shower! Damn timing! Couldn't have woken me before I dreamt I slept with 378!
"Dad!"
"Ray?!" Ames said in astonishment. I'm still dreaming!
A short time earlier.
2:47am New Brunswick.
23:47pm Seattle.
Wolfe household.
Family room.
Will had allowed the children to stay up, they were having a slumber party, they had pumped up the air mattresses and converted the sofas into beds all so that a phone call could be made on the stroke of midnight Seattle time.
The kids and Will had all taken a nap for two hours that afternoon to be prepared for the long night ahead.
There was a real log fire burning in the huge fireplace in the huge room.
Will was also at the party, they had snacks and had been watching all the Indiana Jones films back to back, the last film would finish in eleven minutes, giving Will a couple minutes to get the kids ready then dial the number.
Will was seated next to Jay, they had the satellite phone between them on a sofa bed, the other kids were laying on the mattresses and sofas, accompanied by soft toys and all the dogs and cats.
The films end credits began to roll and Cooper since he was nearest turned the DVD off and also the huge widescreen television. The kids all turned to look at Jay and Will, with a minute to go Will dialled the number and when it began to ring handed the phone to Jay. The other kids were quite willing to only hear Jay's side of the conversation.
Ames had finally picked up the phone.
"Dad!" Jay yelled as soon as his father answered White.
Midnight in Seattle.
"Happy birthday Daddy!" Ray yelled. "Everyone wants to say happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday!" Eight voices chorused over the phone.
Ames glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. 00:00am.
"Ray?" Ames is stunned. I've got to still be dreaming Ray and eight strangers calling me up on the stroke of midnight to wish me a happy birthday.
"Yes Dad."
"Who just wished me a happy birthday?" Ames asked. The answer will tell me if I'm dreaming or not! No way would a freak if that's who 452 gave my son to or Rebecca would let Ray call me! Not even on my birthday!
"That was Mom and my siblings." Ray replied. "Uh don't be mad but they're transgenics and they're cool and I love them."
"Okay that's nice." Ames replied. I'm definitely dreaming.
"I told Mom you'd be cool!"
"Mom?" Ames queried. I hope I'm dreaming!
"Yeah she let us stay up so I could call you! She said that Aunt Becky was wrong, that I'm not allowed to see you, but I can talk to you on the phone whenever I like!" Ray told him.
"Mom?" Ames repeated. Am I awake or dreaming, I don't feel pain so pinching myself is out.
"Yeah she came and got me after Aunt Becky was killed in a car crash!" Ray told him.
It's Ray! "Are you okay?" Ames asked concerned.
"I'm fine Daddy I wasn't in the car, I'd just got out." Ray replied. "Mom wants to speak to you!"
"Designation!" Ames snapped as soon as he heard different breathing on the phone line. Who are you?
"You know Agent White being polite wouldn't kill you." A female told him obviously amused.
"3 7 8." He ground out recognizing her voice instantly.
Ames involuntarily flashed to his dream of him and Will in bed together just after they had obviously fallen asleep after sex and to what his dream self had said to 494 and his calling 378 Ray's mother. Damn it! Why did I have to dream of her, not of killing her which is normal but…… Why do I have to have a blasted eidetic memory!
"Yes." 378 replied still sounding amused. "Before you yell at me Agent White, I had to make the local authorities believe that I was Ray's mother for them to hand him over to me."
Silence
The only way Will knew that Ames was still there was because she could hear his breathing.
I don't believe it! The dream she had Ray and she's got him for real! Ames thought shocked.
"Ray's fine, he's safe and happy." 378 carried on speaking. "I'll raise him with full knowledge of his Familiar heritage, of the Transgenics and the man who created us, you'll have to relate your family history in your phone conversations since I only know you and Ray and nothing about your family."
Still silence.
Wait she does know my family? Heck she calls C.J her brother! She's not going to tell Ray that his grandfather created her and the others? Why?
"I won't sway his opinion either way, just teach him the facts, he can make up his own mind." 378 informed him, obviously meaning every word.
Still silence
She means it! She means everything she's saying! Was Ames incredulous thought.
"Agent White! Ames! Say something! Yell something!" 378 ordered. "Damn it! Are you okay you seem to be taking the fact that I've got Ray and he calls me Mom and has transgenic siblings incredibly well, too well in fact, what have you done with the real Ames White?"
"You let Ray call me! You said he can call me anytime!" Ames paused. "'Til tonight I only had my belief in Ray's strength to convince me he was alive. You allowed him to call me!" He's alive! Thank the Goddess! He's alive!
"How could I refuse him……" 378 told him, she paused. "When this business is sorted either way, I'll let you have him back!"
"Thank you." Ames quietly replied true sincerity in his voice. He's safe! He's alive!
Sounds of the phone changing hands.
"Dad I've got an uncle too!" Ray told him ecstatically.
"Uncle?" Ames repeated narrowing his eyes as he thought of the other sort of uncle. She's exposing my son to her fancy man!
"Yep Alec Mom's younger brother! He came with Mom to collect me, he's really cool, he went back to Seattle though and hasn't been able to visit." Ray told him obviously downcast at not seeing this uncle.
"What's his number?" Ames asked with a sinking feeling. Please don't let it be 494!
"Um, 494, Dad can you talk to Mom, tell her it's okay for me to imitate Uncle Alec, she told me to quit pouting last week, that she was fed up of me copying Uncle Alec, that one of him is more than enough and she threatened to take away my new bike!" Ray whined. "She said that you'd also find it annoying! Dad tell her she's wrong!"
Sounds of the phone changing hands again.
Ames is shocked to silence again. My son's copying 494!
"Ames don't worry threatening to take away the bike curbed his enthusiasm for copying Alec." 378 calmly stated.
"Good I'll back you to the hilt on this, put Ray back on!" Ames ordered rolling his eyes. Kids!
"Dad did you…"
"Sorry Ray 378's….." Ames started.
"Who's 378?" Ray interrupted confused.
"Uh….. Will." Ames said forcing himself not to snap the name. I am not going to call her your mother! Don't ask me for more clarification!
"Oh Mom." Ray replied.
"Well she's right, Ray I'm sorry but you have to quit acting like 494…..Alec!" Ames spoke quickly hating having to side with a transgenic against his son.
"But Daaaaad!" Ray whined.
"No buts!" Ames sternly cut off the rest of the protest that he knew was coming, he could hear the sounds of someone probably 378, breathing, along with Ray.
"Hey pouting." 378's amused voice came over the phone. "Better! Now you look just like your dad, you definitely inherited his cute glare!"
Cute glare? She finds my glare cute! It's supposed to be intimidating! Ames glared at the stuffed wolf on his bed.
"Daaaaad!" Ray whined. "You want to kill transgenics! Why are you siding with one!"
Good point! "Yes I want to kill transgenics that's why I don't want you imitating one." Ames patiently told his son.
"Be right back kids." Ames heard 378 say in the background then he heard a door close.
"Oh right I hadn't thought of that." Ray replied downcast then brightened. "Hey you didn't get mad when you heard I had a transgenic Mom, siblings and uncle."
Ames was silent wondering what new shock his son had in store for him. What now!
"Well Uncle Alec made a joke when we asked Mom to sing for us like Maria in the Sound of Music, we watched it the night before. Anyway Uncle Alec said that if Mom's Maria, and us kids are the Von Trapp children, that that makes you Captain Von Trapp and that Mom and you should get married to get you off the transgenics backs! We, us kids all thought it was and is a great idea!" Ray enthusiastically told his father. "
Ames is shell shocked at the idea. That's it 494 dies slow!
"Dad?"
Shocked silence.
"Daddy?"
"What's wrong honey?" Ames heard 378 enter the room and ask his son.
"Dad went silent."
"He's still there I can hear his breathing." 378 stated. "What did you say to him?"
"I only told him about Uncle Alec's cool suggestion, that he and you should get married." Ray replied.
"I told you not to tell him after Alec made that dumb joke and you wanted to call Ames and ask him!" 378 told his son agitated. "Damn it! Why'd I ignore my instincts! They told me you guys were lying when you said you'd drop the subject! Idiot! I was so happy you dropped the preposterous idea that I ignored my instinct for when I'm being conned!" She yelled at his son and her children.
"But you said that you would marry him if Dad agreed!" Ray stubbornly yelled back.
Seven voices yelled their agreement with his son's statement.
Ames just listened too shocked even to think.
"I was still shell shocked." 378 replied icily, she had gotten a hold of her temper. "I would probably have agreed to marry Jabba the Hutt, just to shut you up!"
"But like I said before you and Dad have so much in common you bo…." Ray started to wheedle.
"I remember what you said, eidetic memory remember. I also remember telling you that neither myself or your father is suicidal and not to mention the stupid idea to him because that coupled with you having and loving having transgenic kin would probably kill him!" 378 growled.
"I told him and he's not dead you said you could hear him breathing!" Ray pointed out.
"Bed time!" 378 ordered losing patience.
"But Moooom!" Ray whined.
"Don't push me Ray, I am very seriously thinking of sending you all to boarding schools in England!" 378 growled. "Trust me I was sent to one as part of a dumb assignment and it was bad!"
Sounds of grumbling and children leaving the room.
Ames shifted position, 378 heard.
"You okay?" 378 asked concern evident in her voice.
"I want to talk to Daddy!" Ray said he had stubbornly refused to budge. "Dad Mom…."
Ames finally recovered enough to speak. "She's right on the marriage front Ray it wouldn't work. She's also right on it being time for you to be in bed." His tone clearly said that he would brook no arguments.
"Dad can you tell us a story, Mom tells really cool ones about Boba Fett, but I want to hear one of yours!" Ray pleaded.
"Well okay….." Ames started to reply.
"Go to the bathroom first kiddo." 378 interrupted him.
"Great! Thanks Mom Dad!" Ray called and hurried to the bathroom.
"Why?" Ames asked. Why let me have phone time with Ray? Why agree to my telling him a story?
"Because he misses your stories." 378 softly replied. "Ames do you mind if I stay and listen?"
"Why you think I'm going to fill Ray's head with anti freak propaganda and persuade your kids to turn themselves in?" He asked sarcastically. Reading bedtime stories to freaks? Damn! But Ray's formed an attachment to them and it'd upset him if I excluded them. With an effort Ames stopped himself from sighing.
"No I've just never been told a bedtime story is all." Was 378's quiet and bitingly honest reply.
Sounds of footsteps and excited chatter as eight children rushed into the room and got back into their beds.
"Oh." Ames said startled at her simple and honest reply. "Sure you can stay." She's odd even for a freak. Other transgenics try to hide their thoughts, feelings from me but she doesn't seem to care what she tells me!
"Thanks!" 378 replied a smile evident in her voice. "Okay you're on speaker now."
"Mom you can share our mattress." A pair young female voices offered.
"Thanks but no sugas, I'll take an armchair I don't want to wake you when I leave." 378 gently replied and settled herself onto an armchair.
"Alright if you're ready I'll begin." Ames told them. I can't believe I'm doing this!
Thirty seven minutes later.
Ames finished the story that he had made up and within moments the younger children were asleep, he could tell from the change in their breathing, he could also discern that their must be three others youngsters besides Ray, so that would make them X8's and the other four children must be X6s.
The older children each quietly thanked Ames for the story with no prompting from 378, then settled down to sleep.
378 turned the phone off speaker and silently and swiftly exited the room, she carried the phone with her to her room.
She flopped onto her bed and got under the covers. "What are you wearing?" 378 casually asked.
"Black silk pyjama bot….. What?!" Ames answered automatically then realised what he was saying and is incredulous at her question. Why'd I reply! Idiot!
378 dissolved into uncontrollable giggles.
"Damn it! 378 pull yourself together! …….. This isn't a sex line!" Ames snapped at her. She's insane! My son is being mothered by a crazy person! No wonder she got on so well with C.J.! Wait a minute I'm calling her insane 'cause she's flirting with me…..
378 stifled her giggle fit by a supreme effort of will. "Ah sorry Ames, I uh think I might have had too much sugar today."
"Sugar?" Ames asked in confusion. What the hell has sugar got to do with acting crazy?
"Yeah, don't the records say, X series go a bit loopy hyper if they consume too much in a day." 378 explained.
"No that was not mentioned in the records that I've seen." Ames replied as he automatically filed away this new piece of data. Interesting.
378 gently snorted. "It should have been! Blasted things a blinking pain!" She growled. "Sandemann definitely knew, he tested me to see how much I could consume before it turned me loopy!"
"But you still adore him anyway!" Ames replied sarcastically. Stupid freak.
"No! The only one of my adult kin who loves Sandemann is Joshua!" 378 archly informed him. "Even though he deserted him sixteen years ago! Is C.J still as enamoured?"
"Yes!" Ames grouched. "That's why he tasered me and freed 452!" He snarled. Stupid idiot, Ray could be safely in school instead of with 378!
"He tasered you and he's still breathing?" 378 asked in shock.
"You said you knew our ways, you should know that we're not even allowed to kill the defectives!" Ames grumbled. "I shot him in the shoulder."
"I remember that rule." 378 replied. "I'm surprised you didn't shoot him in the heart and say that one of the ordinaries jostled you, when you aimed for his shoulder, just as you squeezed the trigger, no way you could have changed the bullet's trajectory once it was fired."
"Damn! You're right I could have said that and been believed!" Ames replied. "Damn I was so mad at him I wasn't thinking straight!"
"Never mind, I'm sure you'll get another chance to accidentally kill him." 378 sincerely and non sarcastically comforted him.
"Wait a minute aren't you supposed to protect C.J?" Ames suddenly recalled. What's she up to?
"Well yeah, but I've got a downer on all younger brothers at the minute, cause I know that the kids are going to keep bugging me about Alec's stupid joke. It's all right for you, you'll only get it over the phone a few times a week from Ray, but I've got the eight brats living with me and I can't hang up on 'em!" 378 moaned. "You can guess how close I came to snapping Alec's neck!"
"What stopped you?" Ames asked. I'll kill him and enjoy doing so! Married!
"I'd never hear the end of it from the kin!" 378 groused. "We're not allowed to kill each other either, not even idiot siblings."
"Yeah some rules are just plain dumb." Ames agreed. Least Ray's with an intelligent freak!
"Ames, do you know if De.. Lydecker is alive?" 378 suddenly changed the subject.
"Why?" Ames asked. What does she want with Lydecker she'll be asking about fa.. Sandemann next!
"Remember I told you that I didn't have a parental bond with Sandemann…." 378 started to say.
"You see Lydecker as your father." Ames finished quickly getting the idea.
"Yep, so did the Familiars kill him because of all the digging he was doing into their business?" 378 asked then realising added. "Ooops bad choice of terminology considering he went to archaeological digs."
"They tried, whether he died is unknown, his car was forced off the road, driven into a river and his body was never found. His status is unknown." Ames replied. Why did I tell her that? I could have lied said I didn't know!
"Thanks for the info." 378 replied genuinely appreciative that he had given her the data he had. "I never actually thanked him for punching Sandemann, on my behalf when I was two." She unthinkingly added.
Ames sat up in bed at this. "He punched my father?"
"What? Oh yeah, I knew the fight was about me but did not fully understand until a few years later." 378 distractedly replied. "I need coffee." She muttered. "Blasted sugar!"
"3 7 8 why did Lydecker punch Sandemann?" Ames slowly ground out. Tell me! I hate not knowing stuff!
"Oh uh, he got back from a trip to another base, I was two, I lived with him when I didn't travel with Sandemann, anyways Sandemann was waiting for him when he got home, I woke up at their arguing, and went to see what was happening, I hid and watched, Sandemann informed Deck that he had sterilised me, Deck was furious and threw a punch, it connected he moved in for the kill, didn't recognize that look until years later and Sandemann knocked him out. Their relationship never recovered Deck never completely trusted him again." 378 quickly replied as ordered, mind obviously not on the phone conversation.
Ames is stunned by the answer, nowhere in her records was the fact that she had been sterilised mentioned. That's why she's letting me have contact with Ray even if it is only by phone! Why she said she would return him after the situation had been sorted one way or the other! Because my father had robbed her of the ability to have children, she won't keep my son from me even if it means her own death when the Coming happens.
"You should know that I didn't believe in love at first sight until I met your son." 378 spoke when Ames remained silent.
"What?!" Ames cried misinterpreting her meaning, because his mind was still on what she had just told him.
"Relax Ames I meant maternal love! I'll protect him with my life because I want to not because I was made too!" 378 fiercely him.
The truth of her words was obvious to Ames.
"You won't try and turn him against me?" Ames couldn't stop himself from asking.
"Ames I'm not your ex why would I want to bad mouth you?" 378 asked in genuine surprise.
"Because I'm trying to kill you and all your kin and because of what my father did to you!" Ames replied. Why wouldn't you hate me?
"I don't blame you for what Sandemann did to me!" 378 stated. "And as for killing my kin, I don't like you for doing so, but it's your job……."
"What?" Ames was astounded yet again by the tiny transgenic.
"C'mon Ames I was an assassin for sixteen years! I'm not a hypocrite!" 378 blunty informed him.
"Yeah you would have been active for sixteen years if you started at thirteen." Ames stated recalling what Otto had told him. She's been active longer than I have.
"Yep! Heck I can even understand your killing Wendy." 378 unthinkingly added, her mind more on needing to drink a load of black coffee to curb her sugar cravings than on the conversation.
"What do you mean you can understand my killing Wendy?" Ames snapped. What would you know about killing someone you had grown to love!
"What?" 378 asked him. "Did I say that? Damn! I can't concentrate blasted sugar!"
"Answer me!" Ames ordered.
"Eighteen assignment date C.I.A operative see if double agent, ended up in our getting married, only got concrete proof seventeen months ago then I had to kill him." 378 blandly informed him, her mind was obviously elsewhere. "Oh yeah I was dumb enough to fall for him!"
Silence
Ray was right we do have a lot in common…. Don't go there! Damn these dream flashbacks! I am not going to marry her! Let alone bed her!
"Hey Ames if you find Sandemann, let me know okay I want to yell at him. I'll return the favour." 378 vowed.
"What makes you think I want to yell at him?" Ames asked. Dumb question!
"You want a list?" 378 replied sarcastically.
"No!" Ames snapped. Why am I having a relatively civil conversation with a freak?
"Ame…" 378 started to speak.
"I don't want to discuss the subject of my father with anyone and most certainly not with one of his freaks! One of the reasons why he left me!" He bitingly interrupted her.
"Ames look at it this way, if he'd taken you with him, you'd either be in an asylum like C.J or, since you would have fought the Phalanx dead!" 378 told him.
"This subject is closed!" Ames snarled.
"Not yet it isn't I left the best point 'til last!" 378 snarled back. "Ray!"
Ames was about to slam the phone down but stopped at the mention of his son.
"What about him!" He demanded. "If you're gonna renege on your word just because I snarled at you…..!"
"Ames I'm part wolf snarling is normal!" 378 sarcastically replied.
"I don't appreciate being called Jabba the Hutt!" Ames yelled still sore about that from weeks ago.
"I have never called you Jabba the Hutt, I said you were Boba Fett!" 378 yelled.
"With Ray you said you would have agreed to marry Jabba the Hutt if it would have shut them up!" Ames snarled at her.
"Right you idiot! I did not say you were Jabba!" 378 snarled back.
"Yes you did you compared marrying me to marrying a huge slug!" He yelled indignantly.
"Fine! See a perfectly reasonable comment in that context!" 378 growled at him.
"It was not a perfectly reasonable comment!" Ames retorted not willing to let the subject drop.
"Ames the only Star Wars character I have ever compared you with is Boba Fett, the guy I like enough to tell the kids stories about!" 378 yelled at him, and continued to growl.
"Another thing I don't recall giving you permission to use my name!" He snapped.
"What if I use your name I have power over you?" 378 burst out laughing at the notion.
"You're impossible!" Ames yelled.
378 quit laughing. "So are you!"
"What about Ray!" Ames pretty much thundered down the phone.
"Geeez Ames could you yell a little louder I don't think I quite caught that!" 378 told him sarcastically.
Ames growled.
"Sexy growl!" 378 told him. She then sighed and reined in her temper. "All I was going to add was that if Sandemann had taken you with him, then Ray would not have been born." She told him quietly.
"Oh!" Ames uttered temper evaporating. "I'd actually never thought of that." He stated honestly. She's right!
"Yeah sometimes it takes an outsider to point out the obvious and I definitely think that Ray is worth far more than your father." 378 calmly replied.
"That he is." Ames quietly yet intensely agreed. He's my life!
"Ray knows he can call you whenever he wants, so let us know before you change your number." 378 reminded him.
"Will do." Ames replied.
"Good night Ames. Happy birthday! Fe'nos tol!" 378 said then she hung up.
Ames looked at his cell phone for a few moments before putting it down. He pondered this new and totally unexpected development.
"After the Coming could I let her and her transgenic kids live?" He found himself thinking aloud. "No the Conclave would never allow even one transgenic to live let alone eight. Even the fact that 378 passed the test at six and is fully instructed in our ways and will have taught them to her children….."
Paused deep in thought. She's protecting Ray, allowing me contact even if only by phone…………I owe her! I'll make sure that I'm the one to kill her and her children! I'll make their deaths quick and clean, as painless as possible, it's the only thing that I can do……..I'll take the Conclave's annoyance if they even care!
With that decided Ames shimmied under his covers and looked at Howler, Ray's stuffed wolf on the pillow next to his head.
A wolf…. we both chose a wolf! He thought shaking his head and grinning. I chose Howler to keep Ray company to be his confident, Sandemann chose a wolf to protect his sons and grandchildren. Paused and thought. I never thought I'd grin when I said thought his name after he betrayed me, but 378 was right, if I'd gone with him Ray would not exist, I'd rather have my son than my father any day.
He closed his eyes and pictured 378. And thanks to father's wolf I know my son is alive! I have contact with him. 378's face morphed to Ray's and Ames fell asleep, his first truly restful sleep since Ray's kidnapping.
The End.