ZEDD

The talk with my father has gone better than I expected it would - except for the moment when he all but accused me of mating with Thomas back when he was still a child in green. Father or not, he almost died then. Apparently, my upset and rage must have showed on my face as he was very quick to retract the statement. Once I managed to get control of myself, I clarified a few things all the while making sure that he understood just how distasteful I found such behavior and accusations.

Beyond that, he actually seems to have listened to me - or at least pretended well. Finally, I stop speaking and wait for his judgment - not that it'll matter all that much. But at least I'll know how hard a time he intends to put Thomas through or in fairness if I should even allow him around my mate. He's been making notes while I was talking - probably questions he has or things he wants to accuse me of or yell at me for. Not that I very likely haven't heard it all before, but still.

Taking a moment to check on my mate, I find he seems fairly content at the moment, but I am aware of how quickly that can change as during my rehashing of the past few months I'd gotten distracted a few times by Thomas' emotions through the bond. Stress, embarrassment, upset, amusement, shock, shame, major embarrassment - what the hell is my mother doing? My attention snaps back to my father as he finally speaks again. "I feel like you aren't telling me everything, Zeddic."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. However, I will ask, why?" Especially since I actually have pretty much filled him in on all, or at least mostly all that's occurred since I rescued Thomas.

"Aside the fact that every time I inquired about how far along your relationship and the bond has progressed you change the subject to some pointless anecdote about something the human has said or done or that you found 'cute'." I knew that slip up was going to come back and bite me in the ass. "You also never did clarify why you felt the need to remove him immediately from this medical facility that the other humans felt would benefit his recovery, not to mention certain events don't link up very well, as if parts of the story are being left out."

"First of all, his raiding the fridge for a midnight snack and eating all of the filling out of Goldar's pie was 'cute' as is his talking in his sleep. Second, I told you why I took him before knowing about the bond. The humans are incompetent as you yourself have pointed out on several occasions and I knew he would be better off with me. As for anything else I'm sure you'll want to speak to Thomas to get his version of things, however I am telling you now that if you upset him by pushing him as you did me earlier, it won't be him that you'll have to deal with. That in mind though, I will say one more thing and it's that quite frankly, Father, if there's anything that we don't tell you, then it's quite likely none of your business or not very important."

He sighs heavily. "Zeddic, just because something doesn't seem important to you doesn't mean that it isn't. Also, I need all the information if I'm going to have to defend what you've done-"

"Defend what I've done? Father, while I haven't adhered to the rules of our culture, I've not done anything that needs defending, especially considering the fact that not only does even Lord Trey of Triforia and Thomas' own team of Rangers approve of me being with him, so do Zordon and Dulcea of all people. Not to mention, as you pointed out when I came in here, I'm not a youngling anymore. Therefore you are not responsible for my decisions or actions and don't need to defend them."

"First of all Lord Trey is still a youngling in his own right and not one of the rulers of Eltar. Second, Dulcea and Zordon do not have any pull in political or legal matters relating to our species or planet either, the most they can do is approve of one of their power holders being with you and not stripping him of said power in order to prevent you from gaining access to it. Zeddic-"

"Wait."

"No I will not-"

"Something's wrong." I hold up a hand to stop him as I feel something strange through the bond. It's an odd mix of shock, confusion, and curiosity. "Thomas." I rise and head for the door. "We'll have to finish this some other time, Father."

"Zeddic wait."

Ignoring him, Thomas my main focus now, I leave the room, using the bond to guide me.

Somehow, I'm not surprised when Father follows me, clearly not happy, but also knowing he's not going to stop me at the moment. Thankfully the closer I get the more the odd sensations are fading, but slowly. What has my mother done to cause this? Following the bond has me by his side quickly, in one of the sitting rooms in front of the portrait of my grandmother. "Thomas?"

My mother speaks quickly. "I don't know what happened, Zeddic. I only brought him in here to show him the picture of your father's mother and then - this." She waves her hand, indicating my stunned mate.

Moving to him and checking to make certain he's not lapsed into an episode like the ones he'd had when still healing, I'm pleased to see he's at least aware of his surrondings, even if his focus still is on the painting. "Thomas, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Zedd, I-" He shakes his head. "I just- I don't believe it."

I pull him over to the couch and sit him down, taking his hands as I do. "Talk to me, love. What is it?"

He blinks at me for a minute, draws a deep breath and says, "Do you remember when I had my accident at the reservation?"

I nod even as my father says, "Accident?"

I shoot him a look that clearly says 'shut up' before I return my attention to Thomas. "What about it?"

"When you left me to sleep so that the powers could heal me, I had a dream. I saw my parents - both sets."

"I know. I heard you tell Sam about it while David and I were outside. What about it?"

"Well I- wait, you what?" Giving me a look as he pauses in his explanation, I realize I've basically just told on myself.

"Before you get mad, it was David's idea that we easedrop. I was purely an innocent bystander."

"Uh huh, because you're always so innocent."

"Exactly."

Shaking his head, but still smiling slightly, he heaves a sigh. "Whatever, I shouldn't be surprised by this point. Anyways, about my dream, after I saw my parents there was another woman there too. She was, I don't know, studying me, I guess. Like she was watching me and waiting to pass judgment on me."

Suddenly, I think I know what he's going to say next. "It was her, wasn't it?"

He nods. "I obviously didn't know it at the time, but when your mother showed me the painting, it just - clicked."

"You're okay though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just took me off guard. Are you done talking to your father?"

"No, I felt you through the bond when things 'clicked' as you say. I couldn't pinpoint what you were feeling exactly and I wanted to make certain you were all right."

Catching my father shaking his head slightly at my concern, his next words make my blood boil. "You baby him."

"What?"

"You baby him. He clearly wasn't in any actual danger, there was no threat to his life or wellbeing, yet you abruptly leave in the middle of our meeting to come coddle him when you feel the slightest hint of upset through the bond."

"Now look here you-"

"Don't." Hand on my arm, Thomas shakes his head slowly, still seeming far to calm considering the accusation that's just been thrown at us. "Take a breath, Zedd. It's fine, I'm fine, however if you try and kill your father for doing no more than voicing his opinion I'm fairly certain your mother will not invite us back." And the problem with that is?

That said though he seems to abruptly remember there is at least one other person in the room that he's forgotten about. He looks at her. "Oh, Mara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blank out like that."

"Of course you didn't" she assures him. "Are you all right now?"

He nods even as my father looks displeased. "He calls you by name?"

"Hush, Kerch. I invited him to do so. He's not broken any rules and further more I'll thank you not to start a fight with Zeddic over his concern for him." A bit surprised myself that she has told him to forgo formalities, I however am at the very least relieved things have seemingly gone well between them in my absence.

"Humph. We'll see."

My mother narrows her eyes at him. As a child, I'd have never seen the message there as clearly as I can now - behave and we'll talk later. I bite my tongue to keep from laughing at him. Mother's voice drips sweetness as she suggests, "Perhaps, if Tommy is all right now, we can trade the boys. I'd like very much to talk to my son and you should certainly get to know his mate." She switches languages to one I don't know and says something to my father. I feel a surge of mirth from Thomas and look at him curiously.

In English he says quietly, "Later." He stands, pulling his hands from mine after a quick squeeze. He bows formally to my father and greets him as, I'm sure, Dar and Pina taught him. Still under the impression that Thomas doesn't understand Eltarian, he responds in the agreed upon language.

"Come and we'll talk in my office, Thomas."

Before I can comment on the hint of derision in his voice, Mother says something that sounds like she's scolding him before switching to something more easily understood. "Call him Tommy. The only one he allows to call him Thomas is Zeddic."

Thomas shoots a smile at my mother before following my grumbling other parent from the room. The door barely closes behind them when Mother turns to me. "He'll be fine, Zeddic."

"He better be or you yourself are going to need a new mate when I'm through with Father."

Smiling, she shakes her head. "I wouldn't have suggested he go with him if I didn't think it would be fine, besides as you just demonstrated you are well aware of when he is distressed and do not hesitate to come to his aid." True. "On another note, however, humans embarrass easily over the oddest things, don't they?"

Her voice is innocent, but there's a gleam in her eyes that makes me groan. "Mother, please tell me you didn't embarrass him deliberately."

"Of course not." Thank the powers. "At least not at first." Oh hells. "He's quite adorable when he blushes, Zeddic."

Not sure where this conversation is going to go, I agree. "I think so. He's equally adorable when he first wakes up in the morning as well, however I'll thank you not to surprise him with a wakeup call just to see it."

"I make no promises."

"Hm, well other than your amusement at making him blush, what do you think of him?"

"For someone so young, he's extremely intelligent. He seems remarkably resilient too."

I nod. "But he can be stubborn as all hell."

She smiles widely. "So can you, Zeddic. And by the way, I've told Thomas not to keep fretting over how he treated you while under that spell. I told him you're due more than a black eye or two just for the things you did as a child alone." Oh hell.

Head in hand now, I groan. "Mother, what exactly did you tell him? For that matter, what exactly did he tell you?"

"I didn't tell him anything that he wouldn't have eventually found out from your siblings. As for what he told me, well he told me enough to know that he still feels guilt over what he did to you at that time."

"I thought we were past that."

"Apparently, my son, he's better at deceiving you than you thought."

Or distracting me - whatever. I sigh. "I'll have to talk to him about that."

She smiles. "In the meantime, I'd like to hear about your mate and your relationship from your perspective."