Stone Court

"Miro, it's your girlfriend." Creah called through the hallway.

Victor looked to his wife. "Since when does our son have a girlfriend?"

"Since this summer. He met her at the beach. She goes to Gotham City High and lives on Leap Island."

Victor raised his brow. "And her name is…"

"Nova Harper."

"Why didn't I know about this?"

Karen shrugged.

"Better yet, how do you?"

"Creah of course."

"Hmmm… what else is going on that I don't know about?"

Karen drew in a breath. "Chance has been accepted in to Science Olympia. Creah is trying out for the city's youth basketball team and Jade has been picked for one of the leads in the kindergarten play at school."

Victor looked to his wife again. "Why am I always the last to know about my family's activities?"

Karen stopped folding the towels and faced him. "Because you don't take the time to ask." She returned to her towels. "Which reminds me. You need to speak to Chance about his temper, Jade about not making the other girls in class cry because they are feminine and Miro turns fifteen next month. You need to have the talk with him."

"What talk?" He asked absentmindedly, reading the newspaper.

"The talk."

Victor looked to her once again. "I'm sure he knows how it's done, Karen. It's a little late for the birds and the bees."

She sighed. "Yes, dear. I am more than sure he does. I was more leaning towards the responsibility end of it. I would, but I figured it would be less embarrassing to talk to his father than his mother about it. Don't you?"

Victor groaned.

"AAHHH!" A small girlish scream invaded their ears. "Leave me alone Chance." The littlest (and only) girl in the family (not including their mother, of course) came flying in through the air above Victor's head. He reached up and grabbed her.

"What's wrong?"

"Chance wont stop chasing me and spraying me with the water gun."

Now that she mentioned it, he noticed she was dripping wet from head to toe. "Chance!" His voice boomed throughout the house.

A young boy came tip toeing around the corner with his hands behind his back and head hung.

Victor held the girl out in front of him. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I just wanted to see if she'd shrink if I got her wet." He explained.

"How old are you?"

"Eight." He whimpered.

"Is this something and eight-year-old would do?"

Chance shook his head.

"Bring the water gun to your mother. You may have it back this summer if you're good from now until then." Victor's voice was always stern, but he always tried not to yell. Besides, the children knew not to mess with him.

Chance ran off.

Victor threw Jade into the air and she spun around in a 180 before she fell back into his hands. She laughed as he swung her over his shoulder.

"Let's get you out of these wet cloths before you catch a cold."

"Vic." Karen hummed.

He turned.

"Make your rounds please."

"I will." He kissed her cheek before leaving the room.

He started his way up the stairs heading towards Jade's room.

"What did I hear about you making others cry?"

"I didn't mean to daddy. They were just being babies."

"Was it fair when Chance got you wet?"

"No."

"Then is it fair for you to make them cry?"

"No." Jade was quiet while her father helped her change into dry bed cloths. "I'll be nice." She said at last.

"Good." He rubbed her head before heading to the room Chance and Creah shared.

Creah was sitting on the floor playing with his Connex set. He was building a car, Victor guessed. That's my boy! He thought to himself proudly.

Chance was sitting on his bed watching his father enter the room. Victor guessed Karen had sent him there to wait.

He made his way over to Chance's bed and sat.

"So, what are we going to do about you?"

Chance shrugged timidly.

"It seems to me you need some kind of anger management. A way to channel your anger into something positive."

"How about boxing?"

Victor looked to Creah from which the suggestion had been made. Creah didn't look up. He was tightening a screw at the moment. Victor looked back to Chance.

"Does boxing sound like something you'd be interested in?"

Chance grinned and nodded rapidly.

Victor mirrored the motion slowly. "One condition. Every time you misbehave, you'll be worked harder. More running, more sit-ups, more push ups, longer training. Deal?"

"Yes."

"And if I hear of anymore bullying, you will be taking ballet instead. Understood?"

Chance looked horrified but complied all the same.

"Alright." Victor looked back towards Creah. "What about you?"

Creah looked to his father. "I don't have a temper problem." He stated half-heartedly.

"No. Is there something you would like to further better yourself?"

Creah thought for a moment before answering. "May I get back to you on that?"

"Of course." Victor smiled as he watched his middle son turn back to his car. Creah was quite a but like his father. Very intelligent and obsessed with mechanical things- cars in particular.

Chance on the other hand is rather a hellion. He's got quite the temper and the muscle to back it.

Creah and Chance go at it often. Creah may be laid back but he wont let someone get the best of him. He analyzes everything and makes an educated decision. Chance doesn't think most things through. He may have the muscle to out do Creah, but rarely will he come out victorious. Creah outsmarts him.

Victor left the boys' room and crossed the hall to his first -born son's room. He knocked.

"It's open."

Victor opened the door and stepped in. The room reminded him of a bedroom in which he would have loved to have as a teenager. Miro had a large bed, drum set, computer and a Game Station XL on which he was playing now. Miro is pretty tall, for being a freshman in high school. And very well built. A typical jock. He resembled Victor, when he was that age, a lot.

Victor shut the door and made his way to the moon chair in which Miro sat. On the way he rolled the computer chair and placed it next to Miro. He sat. Miro restarted the game and handed his father a second controller.

They began. They talked about nothing really. Side comments on the game. How Miro's football team was doing. School. Nova.

Victor won the first round in the combat game.

"OK, dad. I know there's something you came in here for. Ask me. Tell me. Command me. Just out with it. I hate it when you make small talk."

"You don't want my company?" Victor teased.

"You know you're welcome to play GS with me as long as you want. But you never relax until you tell me what you came to."

Victor chuckled. Miro was right. He was feeling tense at having to discuss this with his son. "Alright… first I want you to know… I trust you… Your mother and I both do."

"Uh huh." Miro's character just dropkicked his fathers.

It was for these conversations that Victor was glad they played a game while talking. They wouldn't have to face the awkwardness that came with them.

"Responsibility for your actions…" He decided to try a new approach. Hopefully an easier one. "I hope I've raised you right… so far… that you know better than to… hid when things get… tough." He broke every few words to concentrate on the game a bit better.

"Responsibility for what exactly? What have I done?"

"Well… Nova."

"What have I done to Nova?" Miro was thinking about what his father might be referring to. Nothing really came to mind that his father might be concerned about.

"I don't know. What have you… done to her?"

Miro won the second round. "That depends on what we're talking about. My responsibility to Nova would be loyalty and keeping her happy."

Victor smiled at that. At least he wasn't a pig about girls yet. Hopefully he wouldn't be ever. But that wasn't what he was aiming for. His character punched his son's in the gut. "Well good… but what have you… done… to her?"

Miro said nothing. Done to her? "Be more specific. To her? Meaning what?" What are you getting at? Who have you been talking to?

Obviously Miro wasn't fallowing. Although he wasn't being exactly helpful. His anxiety about talking about this with him was making him beat around the subject instead of just saying it. "OK… With her." Clear enough?

Miro paused the game quickly and looked to his father. Victor watched the still screen for a minute before looking to his son.

"Why do you ask?"

Victor could hear the curiosity in his voice and the surprise as well.

Victor turned back to the game and unpaused it. Miro turned back as well.

"I just want to know… you are being… responsible. That's all." Victor could see Miro smiling out of the corner of his eye.

"What do you think I've done?"

Miro was clearly amused. "I don't know. I remember being 15."

Miro laughed. "I thought you said you trust me."

"I do."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

Victor sighed. "Your mother."

Miro shook his head as he won the third round, still laughing under his breath. "You want to know what I've done. Ok. I've held her hand. I've hugged her. I've kissed her… more than once… on her cheek, lips and neck. I have not slept with her. Nor do I plan to in the near future. Maybe next month, but not next week."

Victor knew the last part was a joke and laughed at himself. "That's not exactly what I was aiming for… I would rather… have heard… you say…"

"Yes, I'll use a condom when we do. I have no plans on being a father until way later in life after I've accomplished all I want to."

"When?"

"Do you prefer if?"

"Not sure if I'd rather be kept in the dark or light?"

"Ok." Miro chuckled. "Truth or sugar-coated?"

"Truth."

Miro laughed again. "Then 'when' it is."

Victor gave a small smile. He could see the grin on Miro's face. It hadn't left since Miro had realized what his father was talking about. After he had gotten over the initial shock anyways. "I guess I should be thankful you don't lie to me."

"And that I talk to you about this at all. But why shouldn't I? I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of what I have and have not done… Most guys would rather die than talk to their parents."

"Well don't think that parents have this easy. We dread this conversation just as much as you do."

"I can see that."

"I never had to have this talk."

"Bummer." Miro laughed noiselessly.

Victor laughed as well. "Alright Miro. Keep talking to me… But when we talk in the future… cliff notes would be good. You can leave out the details… ok?"

"You sure? I could give you some pointers?" Miro's smile still danced.

Victor grinned at this. "I'm sure… I have four kids, don't I?"

Thank you for my one review...

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