TOMMY - SOME HOURS LATER

It's things like this that really make me rethink the whole having more kids thing. I don't think I've ever been more frightened in my entire life and that includes being in rehab. I still don't know what to say to Jacob, either. We've spent his whole life teaching him to be careful and one damn squirrel - well, two actually - blows that all to hell and back.

I'm still really angry, but not just at him. I have to get control of this before I talk to him or I'll end up taking it out on him and that's not fair. Zedd, Dar and that driver have all contributed to my rage. Even Mara Jane to a small degree. I mean, yes she saved her little brother, but risked herself doing it. I sigh, frustrated. If that doesn't just prove she's my daughter…

I emerge from the woods around the house into the backyard. I've been wandering around for hours now, trying to decide what to do about Jacob's punishment. Based on the example I gave Zedd years ago, this certainly would be a situation where spanking is warranted. Maybe a few swats and then grounding?

I make my way into the house, dreading the conversation I have to have with my son. Zedd enters the kitchen at the same time from the other direction. "Mara Jane is still sleeping" he informs me. "Pina says that we should get her up for dinner and see how she's doing then."

I'm still mad at him for bringing up the bear thing - even though it wasn't the same thing at all. Pushing that away for now, I nod. "I'm going up to deal with Jacob."

"What did you decide?"

"Spanking and grounding."

He looks uncomfortable and I understand why. After all, he'd never even heard of the concept before Mara Jane mentioned it - well, not outside sex play at least. "Thomas-"

"I know you aren't comfortable with it, but we talked about this years ago, Zedd. He has to understand exactly how serious this was." Before he can protest it any more, I head up to Jacob's room.

Twenty minutes later, I gently close the door behind me. My son's sobs following me, I go to my room. Once the door is closed, I slide down the wall to sit on the floor, head on my knees. Praying to the powers that I never have to ever do that again, I let my own silent tears fall.

When I was young, I'd heard "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you" but I didn't believe it for a minute. Now I understand. Finally, I climb wearily to my feet, go wash my face and brace myself. I knock on his door once again. "Jacob, it's time for dinner."

There's no answer, but after a minute the door opens and he heads downstairs without looking at or speaking to me. Heartbroken, I follow him down. I'm relieved to find Mara Jane down here and looking much better than before, although not her normal self.

I'm shocked when she greets me with, "Hi, Daddy. What's my punishment?"

"What?"

She takes the plate that Dar hands her before she answers. "Well, I was in the road and put myself in danger, so I just wanted to know what my punishment was."

"Nice try, Mara Jane. You were trying to save your brother. He wasn't paying attention."

"Hm." The unconvinced noise has me on high alert. It doesn't take me long to find out what she's up to. "So I save a life and I'm off the hook, but he saves one life if not two and he's in trouble."

"They were squirrels, Mara Jane. It's not the same."

"It is to him." She pauses and then says something that makes me mad. "You always said that all life is precious, Daddy. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me."

"Careful, young lady" Zedd cautions her. "You are dangerously close to being disrespectful to your father."

She pushes her plate back and folds her hands on the table. "I'm not trying to be, Papa. I guess I just don't understand. What difference does it make if it's Jacob or a couple of squirrels?"

"Well for starters, one is our child" Zedd replies with a raised brow.

"But both are living creatures, that to anyone else would be of equal importance."

"They aren't the same thing!" I protest.

"Why? Because they're just animals?"

"Again, one is our child" I state in disbelief, much as Zedd had done a moment ago.

"If that's all that matters then it should have been all right for Papa to take over the planet all those years ago, right? After all, as far as Eltarians are concerned, humans are pretty much just animals - just pets, and at the none of them would have been his child."

I know she doesn't realize that some Eltarians use their 'pets' in a rather non traditional fashion, but I flinch at the term all the same. "Again, not the same. And I told you not to call anyone a pet for any reason. Besides there is a world of difference, literally, between a world of people and two squirrels."

She gestures to her brother. "Again, not to him. Daddy, for him, there is no real difference. They are intelligent in their own way. They communicate with him. They have families - parents, children, siblings. It's no different to him than if one of the neighbors came over and needed help to save the life of their mate."

"I know what you're saying, but it still isn't the same." Although I'm starting to feel rather guilty now…

"And I know what you're saying, but again, to him, it is. Besides, I was watching him, I saw him follow that squirrel around the house and made sure to go check on him. I saved him, no one got hurt, and he understands to be more careful."

"What if you hadn't saved him?"

"What?"

Mara Jane and I both turning to Zedd now, I look at my mate curiously as he continues. "What if you hadn't seen him in the road when you did and didn't get to him in time?"

Looking upset, my daughter shakes her head. "But I did-"

"But what if you didn't." Sighing and looking rather unhappy himself, Zedd however comes to my aid despite his reservations about the whole matter. "He could have died Mara Jane. And to follow up on your other comparison to those squirrels being like our neighbors, yes, you're right they are. And if it came down to saving them, or making certain you and your brother stayed alive, I would instantly choose you without a shred of guilt or second thought to what happened to any other humans, animals, or planets. I know you're just trying to defend your brother, and despite the rather disrespectful way you're doing it, I think it's wonderful, however while you're trying to defend him, your father and I are trying to keep him alive."

"I just thought-"

"You thought wrong, my dear. And what's more the next time you think to challenge either one of us like you just did, and in such an openly disrespectful way, you will be punished." Looking all the more unhappy he shakes his head slowly, voice far more serious than I can recall ever hearing him use with our daughter in the past. "I let the first time go because you were so upset, this time I'll grant you leeway due to the situation, however I promise you there will not be a third time. I love you with all my heart, Mara Jane, but you are severely mistaken if you think I will sit back and let you purposefully hurt my mate for doing nothing more than loving and protecting you and your brother."

"I just don't think he should be punished for being who he is."

"He's not being punished for being who he is, he's being punished for being careless. Being who we all are, none of us can afford to be careless as it could end up getting all of us or innocent people killed." Taking a breath, his next words take not only her, but also myself by surprise. "And just so we're clear, if you ever speak to your father in such a way again as you did when you first sat down, you won't be sitting down for a good while afterwards. Am I understood?"

And I can see Zedd's temper in our daughter - especially when she lets it rule her mouth. "So just because I don't agree with you, I'm being disrespectful? So I'm only allowed to speak my mind as long as it's in agreement with what you think?"

Instantly, I see the problem and set my hand on Zedd's shoulder as he starts to rise to stop him from following through on his promise. "Wait a minute, Mara Jane. Take a breath and calm down." I wait for her to do as I've instructed before I continue. "Mara Jane, you've misunderstood. Yes, you are allowed your own opinions even if they are contrary to ours. Yes, you are allowed to speak your mind. However, the tone and attitude you're using to express those opinions is the disrespectful part. You and I have had many debates in the past when you've challenged my opinions and it was great fun. The difference between those and what's happening now is you are getting angry and sassy about it. While neither Papa nor I have any problem with you challenging ideas, challenging our authority is not something we'll stand for."

She takes a breath and continues in a much calmer tone. "As I said before, I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I really don't understand. And, no offence Papa, but your analogy doesn't fit the situation. It wasn't a situation where Jacob had to choose between the squirrels and us. It was more like - if Uncle Jason needed help to save Aunt Hayley, but you had to put yourself at risk to help them. That's what Jacob did - put himself at risk to save Fred and Ginger. Friends, by the way, not an entire planet of strangers like Daddy did all those years ago."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pina and Dar bow their heads quickly to hide their smiles. "But Jacob's only eight" Zedd says firmly. "He needs to learn and remember to keep himself safe before he worries about saving others. Or at least trying to do it alone. And your father was much older when he took on that responsibility."

I nod. "Compassion and caring are fine, but in this case, he should have called me - if not Aunt Pina - to help him. Especially once he realized that Fred was leading him somewhere. What if the squirrel had led him into the woods across the street and so far in that Jacob couldn't find his way out? What if he got hurt trying to help them and we couldn't find him?"

"But-"

I hold up my hand to stop her. "The base argument is not that he saved the animals, Mara Jane. It's the carelessness that he showed with himself that's the real problem that we're trying to address."

She opens her mouth but Jacob interrupts. "Stop, Sissy. It's okay. And I'm sorry. Because I wasn't paying attention, it put you in danger. If you had gotten hurt because of me - because I wasn't careful…" He shakes his head. "It's bad enough that you had to force yourself to use your powers to the point that it made you so sick, but if you'd been hurt or died, I can't imagine how bad I'd feel then."

"I didn't get sick" she argues. "Just really tired. It would have helped if I'd let it go as soon as I realized that we were safe instead of holding it."

"It still wouldn't have happened at all if I'd just thought about where I was."

"All right, that's enough" Zedd commands, shaking his head. He looks at me. "Your children are arguing over who made the bigger mistake."

"And both of your children are too stubborn to give in" I shoot back. "Look, you two. You both screwed up and, while your hearts were in the right places, you obviously left your brains in your rooms. So - Jacob, your grounding is reduced to two weeks and you can thank your sister for that. Mara Jane - whether you meant to be or not, you were very disrespectful to both of us. You now have a two week grounding to remind you to watch how you express yourself. Happy now?"

Meant sarcastically, I'm still not all that surprised when they both nod and turn their attention to their plates. I give Zedd's shoulder a quick squeeze and take my own seat at the table. When they're old enough to present logical, thought out arguments - Zedd and I are screwed.