ZEDD - WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

Thomas taps on my office door. "Hey, I just got a call from Gina. She thinks that her and the kids leaving the planet for a while is a good idea."

"She does, does she? Any particular reason she came around?"

"Not sure, but we have other matters to focus on than her reasoning at the moment."

"I don't really think explaining who I actually am so soon in advance is the best idea, love. I know we need to before we haul them off, however there is still plenty of time and it's not really needed yet."

"It's not that, and I do agree that can wait until arrangements are actually finalized."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"Mike's refusing to cooperate. Apparently, if I understood her right, he's not happy we offered and he's definitely not happy she seems to want to accept. I'm going to go have a talk with him."

"Better you than me, love. At this point, I think I'd probably be far too tempted to just beat the hell out of him until he saw things her way."

"And that's exactly why I'm going alone. I want to try and get him to see reason without having to resort to our normal methods of persuasion. I'll be back soon - I hope."

He turns to leave and I say pitifully, "What? No goodbye kiss?"

He comes over to me with a smile. "Just one. Otherwise I won't get out of here until the kids come home and I'm hoping to be done with this conversation before that."

One loving, lingering kiss later and he's gone. I get back to my work, knowing that time will pass faster if I'm busy.

A few hours later, the children have come home, but Thomas still has not. Are things going that badly or that well? Either way, I'm starting to worry a bit since he's not contacted me either way. Sighing heavily, I stretch and leave my office. The kids' bags are awaiting Thomas' inspection in the kitchen and neither of my children are in sight. They both came to greet me when they arrived home before heading to their rooms, citing homework that needed to be done. I can't help but wonder if we're putting too much on them, given that they're doing work from two planets, but I remind myself that - as our children - they have Thomas' intellect and my impatience and if they couldn't handle it, they'd certainly speak up.

Looking around the kitchen, I can't help but wonder how in the hell Thomas planned to make dinner around all the baked goods he has cooling on nearly every available surface. Snagging a cookie, I rummage around in the refrigerator and freezer, trying to figure out what he even was planning. Sighing again, I'm seriously thinking about ordering pizza if he isn't home soon to deal with this.

Still debating the pizza option, I'm startled when the front door slams shut with enough force to shake the entire house. Certain that it's Thomas, I check the bond even as I start to move in that direction. He's trying to block me somewhat, but his rage is fairly high. I'm guessing that things didn't go well. I hear him head upstairs and am quick to follow. Both children poke their heads out of their respective rooms as I reach the top of the stairs and I shrug at their questioning looks.

I find Thomas in our bathroom, shirt off and leaning over the sink with the water running. "Thomas-"

He cuts me off. "Not now, Zedd. Keep the kids away from me for a while. I'm in no mood to deal with anybody or anything right now."

I've not seen him like this before, nor have I felt this level of anger from him in some time. Without argument, I leave the room and head for the children's rooms to warn them. I think that I'm going to have to risk his wrath and order pizza, not knowing how long it'll be before he gets himself together.

A couple hours later, the children are fed, baked goods are wrapped up - thanks to Mara Jane - and kitchen cleaned. Thomas finally comes into the kitchen as I'm putting the last dish in the cabinet. "Better now, love?"

"Not really." He grabs a cup of coffee and turns to the schoolbags awaiting his attention. He was in a fight - that much is obvious due to the cuts around one eye and the other assorted bruises. I frown. Those cuts… It reminds me of a time that Dar and I got in a bar fight and Dar was hit in the face with a bottle that subsequently shattered. I refill my own cup and sit down, determined not to lose my own temper at his injuries until I'm positive who is responsible. His tones are very measured and controlled when he says, "Thank you for doing as I asked as well as dealing with dinner and putting up the baking."

"You're welcome. I got your favorite pizza."

"I know. I smelled it when it got here."

"Want me to fix you a plate?"

"Not hungry right now, mate."

"Want to talk about what happened?"

"Not until after the kids are in bed."

"That bad?"

"Bad or not, I don't want little Miss Observant overhearing and accidentally saying something to Megan" he answers tersely.

"I see." Studying him carefully, I reach out and gently touch just under his damaged eye. "Just so I know, glass?"

"Yep."

"In your eye?"

"No."

"Okay." He looks at me oddly, but doesn't comment on my calm response. It takes him another hour or so, but Thomas calms himself enough to trust himself around the children. Once they're in bed, Thomas and I settle in the living room where he curls up gingerly into my side. "Ready to talk about it now, love?"

"Well, I finally got him to agree to at least think about giving Gina permission to take the kids off planet."

I'm confused. "But they are her children too. Why couldn't she take them?"

"Because they're divorced, mate." Thomas continues with a sigh. "Remember we've discussed in the past - several times actually - how families are different here?"

"Yes, most recently after my accident when you were concerned I would abandon you and the children for Trey's annoying pet, as I recall."

Looking somewhat pleased that I didn't refer to Annwyl as my ex-mate but rather as his new position, Thomas continues with a nod, "Right, and after explaining how insane that would be, you told me that even if Eltarian mates decide they don't want to be together anymore that they'll take new mates, but continue raising the children together. Well, it doesn't always happen that way on Earth. Sometimes a parent will take the children and take off with them so that the other parent can't see them anymore. Sometimes there's good reason and sometimes not, but either way it's considered kidnapping. In this case, though, I was trying to be nice and work things out in a way that was manageable for everybody what with Mike's scheduled visitations and such."

"I take it he wasn't receptive."

"Well, I tried to explain why we were leaving without giving too much information away. I let him know our sources, some of which are Ranger related have warned us trouble is coming and we need to take the kids back to a safer location due to what we do and who we know."

"Reasonable explanation."

"I thought so. However what I said and what he heard apparently differed greatly as he seemed to jump to the conclusion that we were part of said threat. However, once I explained it again and he realized that I wasn't personally threatening him or the kids with harm, but rather offering safety and protection for them, he settled down a bit. At least enough to listen."

I'm still confused. "So you offered to protect his children in a way he clearly cannot and he still has to think about it?"

"As Dar has pointed out on more than one occasion, humans in general are self centered creatures. While he understands that they would be safe, his next focus is himself. How much he'll miss them while they're gone, what were we going to do to keep him safe for them, that sort of thing."

"Well, of course he'd miss them and he can certainly call them - wait, what?" I'm suddenly aware of the rest of Thomas' statement and am quite taken aback. "What are we going to do to keep him safe?"

"That's what I said."

"What exactly was he wanting? Because I'm fairly certain I wouldn't trust him with any weapon more dangerous or expensive than a spoon, and I sure as hell am not wasting resources by assigning him a personal guard."

"Essentially he wanted to come with us."

"Come- Is he insane? We certainly can't take him with us. His attitude alone would have him dead in a week on Eltar! Very likely by my own hand at that."

"And that's where things turned really ugly. I tried to explain to him that a relationship like ours isn't all that unusual in other parts of the galaxy and he certainly couldn't avoid it like he tries to do here so there was no way he could go with us and there really wasn't any other way we could guarantee his safety. He took offense to that, saying that if we could keep the rest of his family safe, then we could do it for him too. I pointed out once more that we were leaving the damn planet to make sure the kids were safe and since he wouldn't do well where we're going, he had to stay here. At that point, he lost his damn mind and started throwing things and, when I didn't react to that except to dodge what he was throwing, he attacked me."

Once again, I gently touch near his eye. "Bottle?"

He nods. "Should have seen it coming, but I didn't."

"I hope you shoved the rest of it up his ass. Or did you want me to go over there and do it?" Because I'd be more than happy to do so…

"Neither. There wasn't much left to even try with it shattered so completely. But by then I'd had enough and pinned him to the floor until he calmed the hell down. Once he did, I practically threw him into a chair and started over. I spoke very quietly and calmly so that he had to really listen to me. I went over the proposal again, the changes that would have to be made, what we were willing to do for his family and reminded him that it could very well only be for a year or two and we aren't leaving for at least another year. He finally agreed to think about it and I came home."

I feel like there are parts of the story he's not telling me - most likely so I don't end up in a rage similar to what he was when he arrived home. I take a breath. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"I didn't say this to him, but I was thinking that if he does come around - in spite of his attitude - we could have him work for us here while we're gone. Another informant could come in handy."

"I suppose so, but can we trust him?"

Thomas considers this for a good minute, which concerns me. "I think we could. After all, even if we'd never harm Gina or her kids, he'd know that they're with us. The way he thinks, he'd be concerned that if he betrayed us, we would take it out on them."

"Is that a good idea to let him think that way? I mean, if you're trying to portray us as the 'good guys' saving his family and all-"

"Even if he didn't think we'd hurt them, we're their transportation home. If he sells us out, he'd never see them again because they'd have no way back. Either way, I think that he'd behave for his children's sake. Not to mention that we'd pay him and we are rather generous with those that we trust." Maybe, though given the condition of my mate I'd much rather be 'generous' with the sharp end of my staff right now.

"I've bought the loyalty of less trustworthy beings" I agree. "However, given what occurred today, I'm much more tempted to simply go over there and show him just who it is he will be answering to if he dares betray us."

"Believe me the thought actually crossed my mind more than once while I was there."

"How long did you give him to decide?"

"I didn't put a time limit on it, but I did remind him that it takes time to get things through the courts so he should decide fairly soon."

"The sooner the better, love. If they're going to live on Eltar, they need to start learning the language."

"They might as well start learning it now anyway. Besides, I've already given Gina the language disks that I learned it from so that they can get started."

Just then, his phone rings. He grunts in discomfort as he shifts to pull it out of his pocket. Seeing who it is, he answers it on speaker. "Hi, Gina. What's up?"

"Dylan said something today that I think was Eltarian, but I don't know what it means. I haven't come across it yet in the lessons. I mean, the kids are both a lot further along than I am, but neither of them will tell me what it means, which as a parent yourself, you know must be for a reason."

"What did he say?" I ask. She says it and I suck in a breath. Thomas moves off of me and I'm on my feet instantly moving for the stairs. "Mara Jane Elizabeth Anise! Get down here right now!"

Thomas addresses Gina. "Gina, did Dylan learn that from Megan?"

We hear her forwarding the question even as Mara Jane comes to the top of the stairs, confused. "What did I do, Papa?"

At that moment, Gina says, "Apparently, both my children have heard it from both of your children."

I'm shocked that such a thing would come out of Jacob's mouth, but summon him as well. "Jacob Samuel Benjamin Kerch! You get down here too!"

I hear Thomas tell Gina. "Essentially, they're swearing, Gina. That is absolutely not language they want to use on Eltar. Ever."

"Uh huh. Thanks, Tommy. I'll deal with this on my end. You go handle yours." She hangs up as my children follow me into the living room.

I am absolutely furious at both my children for using that kind of language, as Thomas and I have both stressed that it is highly inappropriate. Thomas apparently catches my mood. "Sit down, mate. I've got this." I perch on the edge of the couch and wait. He looks at the children who are fidgeting before us. "I believe we've had conversations before - several times - about things that are okay and not okay for children to say, haven't we?"

The pair exchange guilty looks before nodding at their father. He nods in return before he continues. "And still both of you saw fit to ignore us and our rules and use some of that language anyway, correct?"

They both nod again, gazes on the floor at their feet. Thomas goes on, "I can't tell you how disappointed I am in you both. Papa and I are both very upset that you still haven't seemed to have learned your lesson about minding what we tell you." I know he realizes the impact of his softly spoken words as both children start sniffling. "Do you even really know what any of those words mean? Are you just saying them because we've forbidden you to do it?"

They both shrug. Thomas' voice turns harsh. "A shrug isn't an answer."

Softly, Mara Jane says, "No, Daddy."

"No what?"

"No, I don't know what they mean and no, I'm not saying them just because you said not to. I just - didn't think."

Thomas' voice grows quiet again. "I think you didn't believe you'd get caught." She doesn't disagree. "We're going to have to come up with a punishment so that you understand how serious this is. When we're on Eltar, you absolutely cannot use that language given your positions. Outside our home - especially as you get older - you'll be expected to behave certain ways. We've told you this. Papa and I have to talk. Go to bed."

Sniffling, the children make their escape. Once they're out of hearing range, I turn on Thomas, still angry. "So that's it?"

"For tonight" he agrees. "We're both angry and we don't need to be trying to make a decision right now."

"But-"

"Zedd" he says firmly "they aren't going to get away with it, but the punishment needs to be reasonable or they won't learn."

"They're too damn stubborn to learn anyway" I mutter.

Thomas glares at me. "Backyard, Zedd" he hisses through his teeth. "Right now."

"Definitely" I agree. In a couple of minutes, we're in the backyard and I turn on him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I didn't bring you out here to talk" he snaps back. He sets for sparring. "Come on."

Oh, he thinks he wants to do this, does he? "Fine." It's only a moment and we're going at it pretty hard. Truly, neither one of us is at our best, both of us so angry that we're making mistakes and shots are getting through. Finally, we stop panting for air. I'm still angry - as he is - but neither of us is on the verge of losing control anymore. "Done?"

"Done" he nods. We go in. I grab a shower while he locks and shuts down the rest of the house. While he gets his shower, I double check the doors and windows and check on the kids. We're both finally in bed and I start to say something, but Thomas stops me. "Tomorrow, Zedd." Reluctantly, I agree and, after a long time, I finally fall into a restless sleep.