"Suzy! Randy!" Mary called, saving some toast from being burnt and putting it on plates. "Come get your breakfast. And bring your book bags."

She could hear their twin feet racing downstairs and they ran into the kitchen. They climbed onto the kitchen island stools and started to wolf down their food. Mary had fixed them eggs, toast, and orange juice, though she'd also added coffee for herself. She saw that Suzy had a scrunchie on her wrist and smiled.

"Want me to do your braid?" she asked. The girl nodded, her mouth full of food. Mary took the hair tie and stood behind her sister, pulling the hair back. After a quick finger comb, she worked it into a French brain and secured it at the end. It worked well with Suzy's dress. Good outfit for the first day of school.

Mary, though, had chosen something different for the beginning of high school. She'd chosen her handmade black leather jacket with red embroidered flames up to the elbows and a corset lacing in the back. It matched her black leather pants, black boots, and blood red tank top. Her black satchel was sitting on the counter top, holding her materials for the first day of school. The entire outfit worked with her fire blue highlights that made her eyes pop. She'd had them in for a few weeks and was pleased that they had stayed bright after so long.

The clock chimed the time and Mary swallowed the rest of her coffee. "Ok, you two," she said, putting the dishes in the sink. "Grab your things. Your bus will be here soon."

"Where's Dad?" Randy asked.

Mary paused in reaching for her camera. "Dad had to work another shift. He said he'd try to make it. So, go. Get your bags." They ran off, she slipped her bag onto her shoulder, grabbed their lunches from the fridge, and they left the house to walk to the corner. It was the closest bus stop and a few younger kids were already there, talking among themselves. Only two parents were there to see their kids off.

Suzy and Randy ran to talk to kids their own age, leaving Mary to stand by herself after greeting the parents. The teenagers that would be attending Sky High had a few more minutes to get here for their own bus, so it was just her for a bit. Mary was happy to see her siblings getting along with others. She took her Nikon camera out of her bag and started to take pictures of them. They noticed.

"Mary," Randy whined.

"Do you have to do that?" Suzy asked.

Mary smiled. "Yup. I'm supposed to embarrass you guys. It's my job."

The parents chuckled and the twins shook their head. The other kids, though, wanted their pictures taken, so Mary spent a few minutes playing photographer. The twins joined in a bit later, glad to see that no one thought their older sister was weird or embarrassing.

The bus for the kids arrived and they started to get on. Mary handed Suzy and Randy their lunches, giving them hugs before they got on with their new friends. She waved to them as the bus drove off for more stops. With nothing else to keep them there, the adults walked off, smiling at Mary and wishing her a good morning. Now it was just her there. Dad hadn't showed up. Good thing she'd taken enough pictures for Mom. She didn't like missing important things.

"Hey, stranger," a red head said, appearing beside Mary. "Long time no see."

"Layla," Mary said, giving the red head a hug. The plant powered teen was a sight for sore eyes. Mary pulled back and looked her friend over. "Great outfit." True to her nature, Layla was wearing green and other flora related pieces. It made her look sort of like a hippie, but it was truly Layla.

"Thanks. Chose a different style this year, I see. Is that what they're wearing in France? "

Mary laughed. "I thought I'd go for a new look." She looked at the boy next to Layla and smiled again. "Will." She opened her arms for a hug.

"Mary." Will returned her hug. Despite his dad being Commander, Will's grip didn't threaten to break her back.

She pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't get your powers yet?"

"No," Will said, shaking his head.

"I'm guessing your parents don't know?"

He gave mirthless chuckle. "Yeah, right. Can't wait for that talk."

"Hey, if you need a place to hide out, you can come to my house. The twins miss you."

He smiled a little. "I'll keep that in mind. How's your mom?"

Though it had been years since Mom's arrest, it still ached a bit whenever she was mentioned. "She's doing fine. Wishes we could still spend more time together, but I took enough pictures so she'll be happy about my first day. Speaking of which, smile." She raised the camera and snapped a few pictures of her friends.

She lowered the camera just as a school bus pulled up to their stop. It looked like any other school bus, but it was probably the one to take them to Sky High, a school for super powered kids. The doors opened and they stepped on board.

"Is this the bus for Sky High," Will asked.

"Shh," the driver said. He pulled the doors closed, making Mary moved forward or get caught in them. "You want every villain knowing we're here? What's your name, freshman?"

"Will Stronghold."

Mary hid her smile as the driver instantly switched to hero worship. His name was Ron Wilson, Bus Driver, it seemed. The three teens moved to the back of the bus. Zach, always dressed in bright colors to match his bright blond hair, stood up and slapped Will's hand.

"Hey, man," he said, then smiled at Layla. He spotted Mary and grinned. "Mary, you're back! Digging the look. I missed my main Lamb." He offered his fist.

Mary laughed and bumped his with hers. "That joke's getting old, Zach. Couldn't you use something else? What about 'Mary, quite contrary'?"

"It was the only rhyme I knew when I gave it to you. It's a Zach original."

Mary sank into the seat across the aisle and Layla sat down next to her. Zach turned to Will and began to discuss powers. Apparently he'd recently gotten his. He wouldn't tell, but made it seem like it was the perfect power. As long as he thought so, that's all that really mattered.

"How was France?" Layla asked.

"Amazing. Suzy and Randy made a lot of friends and loved going to the park. You would not believe how many crepes they made me buy. I swear it must have been enough to feed an army and they just packed it away like nothing."

"What about school? Did you meet any cute guys?"

Mary laughed. "A ton. Their girlfriends loved me, too. They were all interested in the new American girl. I became their dress up doll, really, but I'm not complaining. Everything in my closet is from them." Handmade originals from the future top designers. They were a big influence on her new style.

Layla leaned close and lowered her voice. "Any boyfriend, then?"

"Like I have time with the twins to take care of."

"Are you telling me you were in the city of love and you didn't meet one guy that made your heart skip a beat?"

"Sorry. Not a one. But everyone was pretty nice to me over there." Mary smiled softly, remembering her old school. Even though she had only been there for a year, she'd felt accepted. The school had focused on a person's talents in the arts and she'd thrived there with her photography and digital skills. She hoped Sky High might be a little bit the same, but she doubted it. In France, they didn't know she was a super and they definitely didn't know who her mother was.

The sudden clicking and attachment of crisscrossing seat belts over her chest brought Mary back to her surroundings. She looked around and found a hand bar in front of her a few moments before the bus started to fall. Her hands grabbed the bar, her knuckles turning white. What kind of bus was this? There was a sharp jerk and large rocket boosters were suddenly propelling them through the sky. The vehicle looped up and over, coming back to an upright stable position. Mary's head swam for a bit but she laughed with Layla once everything stopped spinning.

"There she is," Ron Wilson said from the front. "Kept up with the latest in anti-gravity technology, Sky High is in constant motion as a precaution against those who would have more nefarious plans for it. Its location is entrusted to only a handful of people. Like me; Ron Wilson, Bus Driver."

Mary looked down and saw a large school floating in the sky. Her eyes widened. That was Sky High. Amazing. If only Suzy and Randy could see it. They'd love it.

They landed with a bump and the doors opened. Everyone departed, a few tripping over themselves and a few that looked a bit sick from the ride. Mary stepped off the bus and looked around at the students. The group of freshmen started to the school and, while they were walking, Mary saw two girls flying down from the sky, a girl freeze two guys after they shot eye beams at her skirt, and a cheerleading squad that turned out to be just one girl that could replicate herself. This place was fascinating.

A breezy blur pushed her back against the Will as it rounded up all of the first years. Mary watched the blur until it stopped to reveal it as a stocky boy with a baseball cap and a smirk. Another boy joined him, doing a sort of stretch cartwheel down the main stairs.

"I'm Lash," the stretching boy said. He patted the other boy's shoulder. "This is Speed. As representatives of the welcoming committee-"

"We'd be happy to collect that 15 dollar new student fee," Speed finished as Lash extended his arm out.

"There was nothing about a new student fee in the handbook," a boy in orange said. Mary rolled her eyes. Didn't he get that they were trying to take his money?

"Very funny, guys," a girl in a very pink outfit said, walking up to them. "I'll take it from here." She turned to face the group as the boys walked away. "Hey, everyone. I'm Gwen Greyson, your student body president."

Mary wanted to listen to the rest of the speech, but Lash was staring at her and making faces. Was he trying to charm her? That or he was sick.

"If you keep those tips in mind, I promise you won't fall off the edge of the school," Gwen said.

Mary looked at her. What tips? She didn't have time to ask what the tips were, because they were all being led into the high school. They passed Lash and Speed. Lash gave Mary a look and she leaned toward him. "Maybe you should see the nurse," she said. "You look a bit ill." Speed's laughter followed the freshmen to the gym, where they received nametags.

A woman in white stood on a platform and smiled. "Good morning. I am Principal Powers. On behalf of all the faculty and staff, welcome to Sky High." Zach cheered and clapped, but was silenced by Powers' look. "In just a few short moments, you will go through power placement and your own heroic journey will begin."

"What's power placement?" Will asked softly.

"It's to determine if you'll be on the Hero track or the loser track," an Asian girl with purple highlights and purple and black clothes, said.

"Loser track?" Will asked.

"I believe the preferred term is Hero Support," the boy in orange said. His tag said Ethan.

"For now, good deeds and good luck. Let the adventure begin," Powers finished. She stepped to the side and raised her arms dramatically. "Comets away!" She turned into a sparkling white ball and left the gym.

"All right, listen up. My name is Coach Boomer," a male voice said, making them turn around. A man in white shorts and gym jacket stood on a rising platform. "You may know me as Sonic Boom. I'll be calling your name and you will show me your powers. Yes, in front of everyone. I will determine where you will be assigned; Hero or Sidekick. Now, every year, there are a few, as I like to call them, whiner babies. There will be no whiner babies. My word is law. Are we clear?" A few students nodded. "I said are we CLEAR!" The last word was like a blast, the pressure making Mary take a step back.

"Yes, Coach Boomer!"

"You," he pointed to a smallish boy with brown curly hair, glasses, and wearing a sweater vest. "Front and center."

The boy climbed up onto the platform, looking slightly nervous. He took his glasses off and stuck them in his pocket before flexing. Instantly, his body turned to rock and he became a bolder like creature. Mary smiled. That was one impressive ability.

"Hero," Boomer said. "Next."

"Watch this," Zach said, tapping Mary's shoulder with the back of his hand. "I'm gonna blow your mind."

Mary watched as he walked up to the platform. Turned out that, when he clapped his hands, nothing happened. Well, not nothing. He said he could glow. Boomer called him a sidekick. When Zach argued, Boomer blasted him off the stage and the next person came up. The placement went on for a while. Magenta could turn into a guinea pig, Ethan could melt, and Layla refused to show her powers. All three of them made sidekick.

The bell rang for lunch and Boomer released them. "We'll pick this up later," he said. "Starting with you, Stronghold."

••••

"Aren't you getting lunch?" Will asked.

Mary held up her bagged lunch. "I got it covered. How about I grab us a table?" The others nodded and went to the lunch line while Mary looked around. There was one by the windows and she started over to it.

A blur and a sudden breeze gave her the only warning before Speed stopped in front of her. Mary raised an eyebrow at his crossed arms and started to move around him, only to find Lash standing in her way. She looked at him. "I see you're feeling better. Did you see the nurse?"

"Oh, you're funny, freshman," Lash said, smiling.

"I didn't know being sick was funny. But I assume you're feeling well enough to let me pass?"

"This table is for Speed and myself. But we'd be happy to let you join us."

Mary bit her cheek at his attempt at flirting. His looks really did make him look sick. "Thank you, no. I'm eating with friends."

"We could be your friends," Lash said.

"I don't think so. Bye."

She turned on her heel and walked away before they could react. She saw that the others had already gotten their food and were looking for her. By this time, though, most of the tables were already filled. She saw one open and dropped her things on the top, claiming it before anyone else could. She raised a hand and waved it at Will, calling the others over. They sat down and Mary pulled out her peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich. She'd missed the combination. It wasn't exactly as popular in France as it was in America.

"What did Lash and Speed want?" Ethan asked.

"They wanted to be friends. I turned them down."

"What if they come after you?" he asked, sounding frightened. He was probably the usual target for bullies.

"I think Lash is trying to flirt with me. But I can't really tell. Whenever he tries to pull a move, he looks like he's sick."

"Yo, he needs a few lessons from the love doctor," Zach said, giving a flirtatious grin and leaning on the table close to Magenta.

She looked up from her sandwich. "If you're him, I think Lash is better off."

Mary covered her mouth to hide her grin, but the rest of the table started laughing.

"Okay, am I crazy, or is that guy really looking at me?" Will asked when the laughter had died down. Everyone turned to see that Will wasn't crazy; there was someone looking at him. What was interesting was that Mary knew him. It was the guy from the Paper Lantern. His hair wasn't pulled back in a ponytail and fell to his shoulders and he was dressed in a black leather jacket, fingerless gloves, a red shirt, and black jeans. It was a bit like Mary's own style. The boy didn't notice that everyone was staring at him; he only glared at the back of Will's head.

"Dude," Zach said.

"What?" Will asked.

"That's Warren Peace."

Mary blinked. Warren Peace? Interesting name. Better than hers. But it sounded familiar.

"That's Warren Peace? I've heard of him," Layla said. "His mom's a superhero and his dad's a villain. Barron Battle"

"What does that have to do with me?" Will asked.

"Your dad put his dad away for life," Ethan said. "Quadruple life sentence."

"No chance of parol until after his third life," Magenta finished.

Mary sank a little inside. That was tough.

"That's great," Will said. "It's my first day of Sky High and I already have an archenemy." He put his apple juice down on his tray. "Is he still staring?"

Layla shook her head. "No."

"No?"

"No."

Will turned around and found Warren still staring. "I thought you said he wasn't looking," he said, looking back at his tray.

"Well, look on the bright side," Magenta said. "At least it's not Nightmare's kid."

Mary stiffened, her sandwich halfway to her mouth.

"Nightmare?" Will asked, both he and Layla shooting a quick look at Mary.

"Barron Battle use to work with another super villain for a time. Her name was Nightmare," Magenta said.

"I know her," Ethan said. "She has the ability to use your dreams against you. They say she enjoyed playing with people before she attacked them in person. The Dreamer busted her a few years back. Can't remember what she got, but at least it wasn't your dad who took her down or her kid might have teamed up with Warren in hating you."

"Mary?" Magenta asked. "Are you alright?"

Mary looked down at her sandwich in her hands, which she managed to crush until it was a mass of bread and goop. Marshmallow fluff was all over her hands and she dropped it back into the plastic bag she'd wrapped it in that morning. "Fine," she said. "Interesting topic, is all."

"You've had a run in with Nightmare?" Ethan asked. "And lived?" His eyes widened in awe.

"Something like that," Mary said before grabbing her apple and biting off a chunk.

••••

Back in the gym, Will stood on the platform, looking nervous. He turned to Boomer and whispered something in his ear.

"What do you mean you don't know what you power is?" Boomer asked. Will gave a sheepish laugh, looking over the whispering crowd. "Oh, I get it," Boomer said. "You're messing with the coach. Just like your old man. Car." He pushed a button on a device and a car fell from the ceiling. Will managed to get on the ground before it could crush him. Mary winced. That could have been messy.

"Are you crazy!?" Will crawled to the side of the car, looking up at the coach. "I don't have super strength."

"You don't?" Coach said, pushing a button to take the car back into the ceiling. "Oh, you're a flyer, like your mom. Why didn't you say so?" He pushed another button and Will was thrown into the air. He hit a steel column and fell down the bleachers. Mary hissed at that one. "Look, Stronghold, I don't have all day. What's you're power."

"I don't have one," Will said, sitting up.

"Stronghold," Coach said. He pointed with his hand and boomed out, "SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDKICK!" It made the whole school shake and Mary wobbled, trying to stay on her feet.

When the shaking had stopped, Layla went over to help Will. Boomer shook his head. "Take him to the nurse," he said. "You, Blue Streaks. You're next." Mary slipped her bag off her shoulders and walked up the platform. "Tell me you actually have a power."

"Yes, sir. Force fields and I feel no pain."

"Car," he said, pushing the device again. Mary crouched down, forming a force field over her body. The car hit her barrier and crumbled around her. Once each piece had fallen to the platform, she stood up and dropped the field. "Hero," Boomer said. He looked at his clipboard. "Name."

"Mary Lamb."

Boomer looked up at her, lowering the clipboard. "I was wondering when I would be getting Nightmare's kid in my school." The crowd went overtime with gossip and whispering. Boomer allowed it. "Next," he called.

Mary stepped off the platform, walking to where her bag was. The students parted out of her way, watching her with trepidation and concern. What? Did they think she was going to kill them all? She wasn't a villain and had no plan on being one. She picked up her bag and turned. Ethan and Magenta were staring at her. Zach gave a slight comforting smile.

"Sorry about what I said about your mom," Ethan said. He sounded a bit scared, but at least he was trying not to be and he seemed to be genuinely sorry.

"It's fine," she said. "You didn't know."

"You made Hero, though," Zach said, offering his fist. She smiled and bumped it. "Your parents are going to be so psyched."

She nodded. "Still friends, though?"

"Are you kidding? I've been making you cool since kindergarten. You're a long-term investment, girl. I'm not quitting now."

"I've already decided that you don't annoy me," Magenta said with an uncaring shrug.

Mary smiled. Everyone else was going to know who she was by tomorrow, so knowing who her friends were now helped. She reached into her bag and pulled out a camera. Zach pulled Magenta and Ethan in for a picture, smiling brightly. Ethan looked a little timid and Magenta gave a bored roll of her eyes before giving a slight smile. Mary took the picture.

Power Placement finished up by the end of the day. During that time, only Magenta, Ethan, and Zach were brave enough to come near her. Even the other Heroes didn't dare come close. When they were released to the busses, Mary kept to her group. They met up with Layla and Will at the bottom of the main stairs.

"How'd it go?" Layla asked.

"Made Hero," Mary said. "But now everyone knows who my mom is."

"Oh," Will said. "That's going to get weird."

Mary nodded. "At least these guys didn't jump ship." She smiled at the others. They grinned as they got on the bus. "How did it go with the nurse?"

Will sighed and told her what Nurse Spex had said about his powers maybe never coming. The ride home wasn't as dramatic as the ride to the school and they came to Mary's stop. She got off with Will and Layla.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Mary said as the other two walked off. She had to wait for Suzy and Randy's bus, so she took out her camera and leaned against a light post, deciding to kill time by looking through her pictures. She smiled at a few ridiculous ones of Zach. He really hadn't changed much since grade school.

She flipped through more and stopped on one. It was a tilted picture she'd been trying to take a picture of Will when she'd turned around in the hallway, but got more of the person behind him. It wasn't a bad picture, but the subject of it wasn't what she had been expecting. Warren Peace was glaring at Will, but Mary stared. He really was attractive. He'd be a perfect model for some of her friends' designs.

Warren Peace. The name was interesting. She wondered what he was like. She remembered a little bit about his father, Barron Battle. He'd come to the house a handful of times to talk to her mom. He'd seemed like a nice guy and had been really nice to her, even though she had only been about four at the time. When he'd stopped coming around, she just thought he was busy. It wasn't until later that she'd learned that the Commander had sent him to jail. She hadn't really thought about him until today. Maybe he was locked up with her mom? Though it was an odd thought to be giving her comfort, Mary couldn't help but smile. At least Mom would have a friend in prison.

She was jerked out of her thoughts as the twins' school bus pulled up. She looked up and lifted the camera as the doors opened. Her brother and sister got off the bus and she started snapping pictures.

"Mary," Randy said. "You're embarrassing us."

She stuck her tongue out him as Suzy waved goodbye to her new friends. "I'm your big sister. It's my job. How was school?"

"Awesome," Suzy said, grabbing her hand as they walked home. "We made a lot of friends and your lunch was great and my teacher's so cool. She has a pet rat in the class and his name's Squeaky. Mrs. Jen let me hold him."

"Great," Mary said. She looked at her brother. "What about you?"

"Nothing."

"Randy got into a fight," Suzy said.

"What?" Mary said, stopping to look at her brother. He bowed his head, using his long hair to hide his face. "Randy, what happened?"

"He made fun of Mandy Barker's last name and she punched him."

"Tattle tale!" Randy yelled at his sister.

Mary knelt down on the sidewalk, looking at her brother. "Randy, are you hurt?" He shrugged, looking anywhere but at her. "Randy."

"I wasn't trying to be mean. I just thought her name was funny. She thought mine was, too, but I didn't punch her when she said that."

"Why did she punch you? Was it because of you making fun of her name?"

Randy was quiet for a moment. "I said I liked her and she punched me." Suzy started to laugh. "It's not funny!"

Mary bit her lip and quickly schooled her expression. "Randy." He looked at her and she put her hands on his shoulders. "I think I know what's going on with Mandy."

"You do?" Randy asked.

"Yup," she said, nodding. "She likes you."

He stared at her. "She punched me!"

"And with grade schoolers, punching or annoying someone sometimes means she likes you. Just ask her if she likes you, too."

"What if she doesn't like me?"

"Then don't worry about it. You're a young and handsome guy. There will be others out there."

Randy paused, then shrugged. "I guess."

Mary smiled at her brother. "Hey, how about we reheat some Chinese and watch a movie before doing some homework?"

"I pick the movie," Suzy said.

"I do," Randy said.

"First one back gets to pick," Suzy said before dropping her backpack and racing toward the house.

"No fair!" Randy said, dropping his own bag and racing after his twin.

"Guys!" Mary said, but they ignored her. Sighing, she picked up their bags and followed. Mary stopped by their mailbox as her siblings fought over who had touched the door first. There were a few bills and magazines. She tucked them under her arm and turned, stopping when she saw Warren Peace walking up their sidewalk. He had his head down and didn't see her.

"Mary!" Suzy yelled, bringing her attention to her front yard. Randy was growing red in the face. This wouldn't be out of place on an average kid, but Mary had seen something similar with Suzy. Randy was getting his powers. Being teased by his twin was probably what triggered the change.

Mary dropped her things on the sidewalk and raced to her brother. "Suzy, get inside," she said as she grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face her. "Randy. Take deep breaths. Calm down. It's alright."

"She keeps making fun of me," Randy said, his face growing redder and his body warmer. "It's not funny."

"I know, baby. I'll talk to her. But you need to calm down. Can you do that for me?"

He grew hotter under her hands, but Mary didn't let go. She kept constant eye contact with him. Randy suddenly had flames covering his body. A hand reached out and grabbed the boy's wrist. Mary was about to pull her brother away from the stranger until the flames vanished and Randy fell into her arms.

Mary caught him and pulled him to her chest, checking for a pulse. It was steady and he gave a slight snore. She sighed in relief; he was only asleep. She looked at the owner of the hand to thank him and found Warren Peace standing beside her.

"He'll be out for a while," he said, looking at the boy. "The first fire up is always the most tiring."

"What did you do?" Mary asked, pulling off her jacket and wrapping it around Randy as she stood up.

"I forced his flames out." Warren looked at her hands. "You're burned."

She looked down and saw the blackened blisters covering her hands. Mary turned them over and shook her head. "It's fine. I can't feel pain." She looked at Warren. "Thanks for helping my brother. I didn't expect him to get his powers so early."

Warren gave a slight nod and Mary shifted Randy so his head was on her shoulder. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. It was broken when the front door opened and Suzy popped her head out. "Is he okay?" she asked in a small voice, her worried eyes trained on Randy.

Mary turned to her sister and smiled softly. "He's just asleep."

"I didn't mean to," Suzy said, tears rolling down her cheek. "I was just playing and then he started to get red and-"

"I know, honey. You didn't mean to."

Suzy sniffed and looked at Warren. Instantly, she ran behind Mary's legs, grabbing her sister's burnt hand. Warren frowned slightly at her reaction. "Sorry," Mary said. "She's shy around new people." She looked at him. "I'm so sorry. You were probably heading home."

"Work."

There was another pause.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Suzy asked from behind her legs. Mary blushed and wished her sister was back inside.

Warren raised an eyebrow as he looked at the little girl. "No."

Suzy nodded. "Would you like to be?"

"Suzy, could you pick up the book bags and mail and take them inside, please?" Mary asked quickly. "I'll be in to start dinner soon."

The little girl looked at her big sister before grabbing the things in her small arms and walking into the house. She turned around in the doorway. "Mary would make a good girlfriend," she said before closing the door.

Mary turned to Warren and cleared her throat. "Sorry about that. She means well."

He shrugged, looking awkward again. He waved a hand at Randy's sleeping form. "He'll need to sleep for a while and will have a slight fever when he wakes up. Give him something easy on his stomach, like soup or toast, and a cold shower will help bring his temperature down. He'll be good as new in the morning."

Mary smiled. "Thanks. Again. Anything else I should look out for?"

"He might set his bed on fire a time or two. Best to keep water or an extinguisher nearby."

"Will do."

"Get that looked at, too," Warren said, nodding toward her hands. He looked confused at her suddenly healed hands. There wasn't a single blister or blemish.

"Suzy has the ability to heal other people's wounds," Mary said, noticing his confusion. She flexed her fingers. "Good as new."

Warren raised an eyebrow before turning and walking back down the street.

"Thanks, Warren," she called. It made him pause a step, but he kept walking.

Mary turned and carried Randy into the house. Suzy was sitting in the hallway. She looked up, her eyes watering. "I'm sorry."

"I know, sweetie," Mary said. "Give me a hand getting your brother to bed?"