TOMMY

We enter the kitchen and I inhale the aroma of what Jason and Andros have made. My mouth waters at the smell of chili - something I haven't had homemade in a very long time. "God, Jase, that smells great."

"I remembered that dad's chili was one of your favorites when we were in high school," he grins at me and I grin back. "Thankfully you guys seem to be pretty well stocked on any and all ingredients that I needed."

"We only make supply runs once a month or so, and with Thomas here now, Dar got enough his last time out to accommodate the added person and then some."

"Makes sense, especially with how Tommy can eat." Ignoring Jason's comment in favor of stealing a taste of the still cooking chili, I only give him any mind when he takes the wooden spoon back from me with a shake of his head. "Give it another fifteen minutes Tommy, you can wait that long." Not with the appetite I've worked up. "Oh, by the way, I do have a couple other things for you, I just didn't get a chance to give them to you before you started hauling boxes up to your room."

"You do? Yeah, sorry about that. I really am fine, Jase. I just needed a few minutes is all." He nods and pulls something out of his back pocket and hands it to me. It's about the size of a deck of cards and wrapped in colorful paper. "What's this for?"

"Happy birthday, bro."

I look up at him, startled. "What?"

"Well, tomorrow, actually."

Looking surprised himself, Zedd turns his attention to me. "Tomorrow is your birthday?" Apparently so. Wow, how out of it have I been to forget my own birthday. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I honestly didn't realize it" I admit with a slight shrug. "Besides, I haven't really celebrated my birthday since I left Angel Grove."

"Why?"

"I don't know, no one to celebrate with." Not seeing the big deal really or why Zedd seems slightly upset by this, I look at the present in my hands again.

"Well at the very least you should have a present" Jason insists, urging me to open it. Damn it, present, not only did I forget my own birthday, but apparently Jason's too.

Dismayed, I say, "But I don't have anything for you."

He smiles. "Tommy, you're getting better. I don't need any other gift, believe me. Besides, that's not from me. Open it." Slowly, I do. It's an arrowhead on a strip of leather. I look at him questioningly. "I got it from Sam and David. I had to tell them what happened since Hayley had no way to contact them. They wanted you to have a reminder until you could see them again."

I frown in confusion. I can hear the tinge of jealousy in Zedd's voice when he says, "Who are Sam and David, love?"

"No idea." I look up at Jason. "Bro?"

Slowly, he says, "Tommy, they're your family - your biological grandfather and brother. The Olivers adopted you when you were a baby. Sam and David Trueheart are your family by blood." Okay, I guess that explains it a little bit, but still, as far as presents go, this is a bit of an odd one.

"But why an arrowhead?"

"To remind you of your Native American heritage."

Sudden pain envelopes my head as a surge of memories return. I can only hope that Zedd's not feeling this like I am. Recalling once more just who Sam and David are, and just why they would in fact find this a suitable gift, I swear these episodes better start getting easier or I'm going to bash my head into a wall myself pretty soon. Several minutes pass before finally it fades. "Damn that hurts!" I wipe my eyes and look at Zedd, who is on the floor beside me looking more worried than before. "I'm okay."

Wordlessly, he helps me to my feet, but I can feel his irritation just as plainly as I can see that Jason looks anxious. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I didn't know-"

I wave this away. "I know you didn't. It's okay. Is there anything else you have to give me that's going to trigger more memories?" He hesitates and I sigh. "I was kidding, bro. If it does, it does."

He pulls something else out of a pocket. "Here. This is from me and Andros."

It's a new communicator. I smile as I put it on. "Thanks, Jase. This'll come in handy if you guys need more help."

"Or, you know, if you just want to talk or something." I look up at a tone in his voice I can't identify. "As soon as I get home, I'm going to make sure I'm not unreachable anymore."

I sigh. "Let it go, bro. I'm over it."

Before anyone can say anything else, we hear the echo of a door slam. A couple minutes later, Goldar walks into the kitchen. By the look of him, his talk with Pina didn't go well at all. "Dar?" Zedd questions. "What happened?"

He shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. I tried to talk to her, but- well I'm sure you heard her leave as clearly as I did when she slammed the door on me."

Impulsively, I find myself saying, "Let me go talk to her." At the surprised and confused looks I'm getting, I continue. "I'm not Eltarian, remember? Whatever's bothering her has to do with that and, since I'm not familiar with much of anything Eltar related, she might talk to me. With what I don't know, I'm - I don't know - a safe pair of ears and I can't judge what I don't know." At the look on Dar's face, I point out, "I think that that's what she's worried about."

"Why do you think that?"

Looking at Zedd in surprise at his question, I shake my head when I see he seriously doesn't know. "Because of you."

"Me?" Looking surprised himself now, he glances to Dar for help only to get a shrug in response. "How me?"

"Seriously? You're so worried about what I'll think of you in your other form that you won't even let me look at you." At his shocked reaction I continue in a rather 'duh' manner. "I can feel what you're feeling you know. So if you're that paranoid about what I'll think of you, just because of what you look like when you have to change into your other form, even though I know that's not who you are anymore, think how paranoid she must be over whatever stigma or past troubles she's had to deal with before becoming who she is now."

"He's right." With a heavy sigh, Dar nods in reluctant agreement. "Go ahead. I doubt you can do any more damage than I have."

"I'll do my best not to make it worse." I give Zedd a quick kiss and head for the door before he can stop me. I have the feeling that she went into the woods and I snatch up Pina's pack as I go by. "I'll be back as soon as I can."