ZEDD - THE FOLLOWING FEBRUARY - BEGINNING OF THE MONTH

Thomas and I are both at the table waiting for the kids to come home. He's on his laptop and I'm reading the paper. Hayley offered to pick them up since she was going past their school anyway. Of course, that became an invitation for the kids to stay for dinner and a movie. We agreed and immediately went out for dinner, the impromptu alone time quickly converted into a date - kind of. More like dinner and a rather intense mating session, but I'm not complaining.

We hear the front door open and close and the children calling out for us. "In the kitchen!" Thomas calls back. "Bring me your schoolbags!"

Every school night, Thomas takes their bags and sorts through the contents, separating finished, graded homework from homework to be turned in and that from notes and notices from the teachers and school and district. Jacob bounces in first, followed more slowly by his sister. "We already did our homework, Daddy. Aunt Hayley made sure of it."

"I know, but I've done this every night for years now. You know I like to go through the papers. Why? Is there something in here that you don't want me to see?"

She looks at him like he's, well, stupid. I had hoped she'd have a few more years yet before we had to deal with the attitude, but apparently this is - developmentally - one of those areas where she's going to take after Thomas' human genetics. "No."

"Okay then. Hand it over, kiddo." She rolls her eyes and does. "Now, you two get ready for bed and you can watch television for a bit before you have to go to bed."

They head out. Thomas moves his computer so that he has room. Due to years of practice, he quickly sorts through the papers and returns the newly finished homework to the appropriate bags. He scans their completed work, watching for any learning issues so that he can address them before they get out of hand. When he gets to the pile of notices, he's reading them through and stops suddenly. "What is it, Thomas?"

"Looks like the school is having a Father Daughter Date Night."

"A what now?" And they better not mean it the way it sounds…

"It's a dinner and dance so that fathers and daughters can have special bonding time together. Nothing weird, Zedd." Thank the powers for that. Smirking slightly at my muttering, he shakes his head. "Seriously Zedd, sometimes the ideas you get about things…"

"In fairness I'm not always that far off the mark."

"You called the kissing booth at the high school carnival Jimmy went to a month ago a form of underage prostitution" he points out wearily.

"They were paying young girls to kiss them" I point back seriously, still feeling I'm at least partly right in my assessment of the bizarre arrangement.

"Whatever you say, Zedd." Rolling his eyes and returning his focus to the tasks at hand, he pauses as Mara Jane comes in the kitchen, ready for bed, though still looking more aggravated than tired as I'd think she should be after such a long day.

"Did you set your alarm?" Thomas questions, the inquiry a nightly routine just like checking their bags and homework.

"Yes."

"Set your clothes out for tomorrow?" he adds.

"Yes."

"Did you remember to brush your hair?" I ask. I can't help but remember how bad the tangles were when she didn't brush it before bed one night. She was in tears the next day when we tried to fix it, Thomas and I having to take turns working them out because neither one of us could stand her sobs for any length of time. Finally we'd called Hayley in desperation. She came right over and helped out, thankfully showing us several little tricks to make the job easier for the future.

"Yes, Papa." She heads for the refrigerator and looks for a drink, her response given in a rather put-upon sigh.

Thomas holds up the dance flier. "So who do you want to take you shopping for a dress for this? Hayley? Kira? Lisa and Amy?"

She glances over her shoulder at it. "Nobody."

"Nobody?" I repeat raising a curious brow at my mate who only shrugs in response. "You want to wear a dress you already have?"

"No."

"You want to go with your friends" Thomas surmises, making me cringe inwardly as the last time she wished to go shopping with that gaggle of idiotic female children she came home asking about wearing makeup and wanting to borrow one of Kira's bras, despite still having no real clue what purpose it would serve.

"No, I don't want to go shopping, I don't want to wear any dress, and I don't want to talk about it anymore because it's stupid and I'm not going."

Thomas and I exchange looks. It's more than a little odd since she's never turned down any other school related activities before. She's not - embarrassed or ashamed of us. Is she? "Seriously, honey? You've never turned something like this down before. Why don't you want to go?"

We're both startled when she suddenly slams the door shut. "I told you I just don't want to go! It's stupid!"

She storms out of the room, leaving Thomas and I behind, more than a little stunned. We hear her bedroom door slam shut, which breaks us out of our stupor. "What the hell was that about?"

"I don't know." Thomas pulls out his phone. "I'll call Hayley though and see if she knows what's going on. Maybe Mara Jane said something while she was there."

"I'll get Jacob to bed." Still worried about what has my darling daughter so upset, I put on a smile for my beloved son. "Come on, little man. Time for bed." I pick him up, turn him over and sling him over my shoulder, making him laugh. Retaining my playful demeanor, I get him to his room and into bed. A short story later and he happily settles in for sleep. I return to the kitchen to find out what Thomas has discovered.

He shakes his head when he sees me. "She has no idea and neither does Jimmy."

"Let's talk to her and see what we can find out, I guess. I'm still not a mind reader in spite of all my other amazing qualities." He shakes his head, amused and we head for the stairs.

I tap on the door and open it. She's lying face down on her bed and I can smell her tears. Instantly, I want to fight, tear something apart to stop her misery, but without knowing what the cause of it is, there's actually little I can do at the moment but try and keep it together. At least until I find out who or what my target should be. "What's wrong, princess?"

"Nothing!"

"Doesn't look like nothing" Thomas protests gently. "Is this about the dance?"

She sniffles. "It's a stupid thing and I don't want to go!" Well that at least answers that question. Now again, it's just a matter of why said dance has her so worked up.

We sit on either side of her on the bed. "We won't make you go, honey" Thomas assures her. "But we would really like to know why you don't want to go. Turn over and talk to us please."

She does, looking very upset. "I just don't want to!"

"Because?" Thomas prompts her.

Tears begin to flow again. "Because I can only take one of you and I don't want to have to choose and it's not fair and neither of you can even dance and-"

"I can too!" we protest simultaneously.

I blink at Thomas, surprised. "You can?"

"Yes. I didn't know that you could."

"Excuse you, I'll remind you Thomas that I am a lord by breeding and upbringing. I might have rebelled against my responsibilities as such when younger, but I can assure you I can certainly teach you more than a thing or two about proper dancing."

"We'll talk about that later." He turns back to Mara Jane. "Who said that you can only take one of us?"

"One of the girls said that she's been to things like that before and each girl is only allowed to bring one father because a girl only has one real father."

"Well, that's not true. We've talked about that kind of thing before, remember?"

"I guess." Something's still wrong.

Gently, I caress her cheek. "What else is wrong, baby?"

She finally says, "Some of the kids said that you both couldn't be my father. When I said that you were and I have genes from both of you they called me a freak. Said I was a lab experiment."

"You know that's not true, angel." Thomas says. "Just because I didn't carry you and Zedd did doesn't mean you aren't a part of both of us. As for an experiment, you were no such thing, you were a blessing that we are so grateful for. Honey you know how things work on Earth aren't how they work other places. You know yourself that one of your friends on Eltar along with two of your cousins were birthed the same way you and your brother were."

"Stop lying to me!" she shouts at him. "I wasn't 'birthed' you have to have a female for that, human or not! You didn't get me the same way a male and a female do!" The tears start again as she vents her fear and frustration. "You said that Aunt Pina helped you with Jacob! You said that it was the same way with me! You said she had to do things like that in her lab at the castle!"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Everybody always says how much like Papa I am! How can you be my father too when it's obvious that I'm his!" And oh, god I can feel his pain, sharp as a knife.

"Mara Jane-" I start to chastise her but Thomas stops me.

"No, Zedd." He looks her in the eyes, his own hurt masked to deal with hers. "It may be true that we're not genetically related. I don't know. I've never really questioned Pina that far. She explained things in general and the way I understand it, it's basically gene splicing on a level far beyond what Earth has even dreamed of so far. But even if there is no genetic link between us, Mara Jane, I have still loved you and cared for you and protected you every bit as much as Papa has. I've still done everything for you that a real parent does for a child - regardless of gender and genetics." He takes a breath. "Now, if you want to go with Papa to the dance, I promise that it'll be fine. If you want both of us to go, I'll see what I can do about that." He stands and kisses her gently on the forehead. "I love you, Mara Jane. I always have and I always will."

"Thomas-"

He shakes his head at me. "Take care of her and help her, mate. I'm going to go make some phone calls."

I wait, not very patiently, for him to get out of hearing range. Softly, I ask, "What was that all about? How we had you has nothing to do with the event in question."

"I know. I'm just tired of hearing those stupid kids say mean things all the time and then this stupid dance had to come up and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I don't see why everything has to be such a complicated issue on this stupid planet." And wow, she is definitely my daughter all right. Practically hearing my own voice come out of her mouth as she spits nearly identical words at me that I've used myself in the past when near my snapping point over one thing or another concerning this planet, I have to take a minute to remind myself her issues are not the same as my own, nor can I expect her to just suck it up like I need to do at times.

Taking a breath and with a good bit of effort pushing my concern for Thomas aside for just a moment, I try to focus on our child and her most immediate problem. "Okay, I can understand that. I know you don't think I can, but believe me I can and have dealt with those same feelings about nearly identical things here. So, that in mind, let's deal with one issue at a time shall we. The dance - do you really want to go or not?"

She looks at me unhappily. "I don't want to have to choose between you. It's not fair."

"If you want both of us to go, then we'll find a way to make that happen, but I need to know if you actually want to go or not."

Eventually she says, "I only want to go if both of you can go."

I nod and move on. "Fine, done. Now, next thing. You are not a 'lab experiment'. Remember, Eltar and Eltarians have been around far longer than Earth and humans. Our medical sciences and research are thousands of years ahead of Earth, so the procedure that was used to get you is firmly established and has been done successfully for a very, very long time. You have genetics from both Thomas and myself, and yes you do look much more like me, and yes it is much more obvious that I am one of your parents, but that is very likely because my genetics as a full blooded Eltarian as well as my dark power outmatches his mixed DNA." Taking a breath and debating my next statement for a moment, I in the end, decide it's very likely something she will eventually come to find out even if I don't tell her now. "And really, if you truly wish to get technical about it, you honestly don't resemble me so completely, at least not how I would naturally look."

"What do you mean?"

"I carried you my darling, you fed off my power and that alone is going to alter your appearance, just as it did mine. If you truly looked like me, as I naturally am, or at least would have been, you would not have black hair and such a toned healthy build. You ask why you never see pictures of me as a child when we visit your grandparents, well you have. The rather sickly, scrawny looking boy with blonde hair isn't one of your uncles or relatives, but me. The only reason I look as I do now is because acquiring and holding so much dark power for as long as I did altered me inside and out. It's not my genetics that make you look so identical to how I do now, but your power."

"But Jacob looks just like Daddy and he doesn't have power."

"Not like yours, no, but I have a feeling his came into play somewhere as well. Especially with how he still talks to that blasted bird every time we return home." I let her think about this for a minute before returning her focus back to her situation. "Also, you are not a freak either. This sort of thing happens all the time in other parts of the universe, sweetie. Just like some parts of the universe are even less evolved than Earth is. However, Earth as a whole is going to have to grow up and fast, what with more and more aliens arriving every day."

"But right now, all I want to do is get into fights about it and you and Daddy both said that I'm never to start a fight."

"That's right, we did, but I understand. I really do. In the meantime, let Daddy see what he can do about the dance and don't worry about what the other kids have to say. They don't know what they're talking about. Okay?"

"Okay." I hug her tightly. "I hurt Daddy, didn't I?"

"He knows you didn't mean to" I reassure her. "He knows that you're a bit confused and upset."

"Can I tell him I'm sorry before I go to bed?"

"Of course you can. Come on." She scrambles out of bed and takes my hand, something she hasn't done in a long time. When we get to the bottom of the stairs, I pull her to my side and wrap my arm around her as we head for the kitchen. We catch the end of Thomas' call as we step into the room.

"No, I really can't see your point. Well what about the single mothers that have to function as both mother and father? Please tell me you realize how that just sounded - and I remind you that I'm recording this call and you agreed to that stipulation at the beginning." He listens and then grins evilly. "So that's your final word on the matter then? That's fine. I'm sure that there are plenty of parents that will be more than offended by your statements and decision. Now I have some other calls to make. Goodbye." He snaps the phone shut and turns, stopping short at the sight of us. Another surge of pain in him, but he keeps it off his face. Calmly, he says, "Ready for bed?"

"Almost" I answer him. I nod to our daughter.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I know that you're my father every bit as much as Papa is but those kids were just mean and it's every day and there's nothing I can do about it and it just makes me so mad!" She takes a breath to calm herself before we have to remind her. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Daddy. I promise."

I can still feel his pain, but he holds his arms out to her and she's quickly in his embrace. His mask cracks for a minute and what I can see matches what he's feeling. Pain - both his and for her. "It's all right, darling girl. I forgive you." He squeezes her one last time. "Go on to bed now, okay?"

She nods and, with one last hug for me, heads quickly upstairs. I turn to my husband, determined to deal with his pain next. He's flipping through the phone book. "Thomas, are you all right?"

"I really need to deal with this first, Zedd. I - can't handle that and this too right now."

"Thomas, love-"

He spins on me and hisses, "Not while she's awake, Zedd. She'll hear."

"Maybe she should. Lashing out at us-"

"Is all part of being a parent. It doesn't hurt any less, but at least we're safe targets because we won't strike back." The intense desire to hurt someone returns, but I see his point. I can't and won't strike out at my daughter for hurting my mate. Especially since she's not my real problem. It's whoever has been tormenting her for days on end.

"No I won't strike back, but I also won't allow her to hurt you like that." When he opens his mouth to protest once more I hold up a hand and quickly continue. "Can you honestly say that if it was Jacob and not her right now, if he was the one in her position and he lashed out at me like she did you, that you wouldn't instantly want to reprimand him? Especially if he was old enough - as she is - to know better and know how much it would hurt."

"Zedd, I can't be mad at her for being upset and expressing herself as we taught her to do."

Taking a breath I give a nod before admitting something I thought I never would. "I agree, we can't fault her for how she's feeling, however, again hurting you because she was hurt is unacceptable on all levels. Thomas, you told me once that you felt like she deserved to be spanked when she had me in tears at the age of five."

"I remember."

"Well, despite all my talk and protests over it, I will tell you now, the amount of pain I felt from you when she tonight, at thirteen, dared to purposefully hurt you, it's honestly the first time I've ever been okay with the thought of punishing her in such a manner, despite how much I love her."

His mouth falls open and he stares at me like I've grown another head. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. If she had just vented her anger, that would have been fine, but that's not what she did. She attacked you verbally as surely as I did you physically when you were young and that's - again - just not acceptable."

It takes him a few minutes, but when he finally speaks there is a teasing note to his words in spite of his still present hurt. "Well, it took you long enough to understand."

I shrug and pull him into my arms. "You know how stubborn I can be, love, but I do learn. Eventually."

"Speaking of that, there are some other people in dire need of a lesson. Let me make a few more calls before it gets too late and then we can talk."

"Trust me, love. Talking isn't all we'll be doing."

"I hope not."