TOMMY - ONE WEEK LATER

I'm not looking forward to shopping with Mara tomorrow. I'm fairly certain that most of the day is going to be minor arguments and bullying. Never mind that she's already trying to convince us to take some of her staff to help around the house when we move, being nearly as over protective as Zedd about how little I should do during the last few months of my pregnancy.

Sighing, I push it aside for now, determined to enjoy our outing today. Right now, I practically have Dylan glued to my side as we walk through the museum. He and I are much more interested in the ancient civilizations and prehistoric sections than the others are. Back when I was working on my degree, I was interested in this stuff too before I settled on dinosaurs.

Dylan's interest has made him quite knowledgeable and he and I have had some rather intense discussions comparing and contrasting Eltar's ancient civilizations with our own. "Don't you think so, Dr. Oliver?"

Realizing I unintentionally tuned him out while worrying over tomorrow I return my focus where it should be. "Sorry, I was thinking about something else. What?"

"I was saying that many of these eras are similar to our own history so maybe one day Earth will get to the point that Eltar is now."

I glance at the display that we're standing next to. It depicts a time in their history - that well predates even Zedd's grandparents being on the planet - that is extremely similar to our Vikings. "That's very possible, Dylan."

We move on, still debating the possibility in light of where our own history is in relation to this planet's. The discussion is interrupted when my cuff goes off. Dylan wanders toward a nearby display as I answer it. "What's up?"

"The others have had about enough for today, love. What say we go somewhere and have some lunch before we go home?"

"But-"

"You and Dylan can come back the day after tomorrow and get the bad taste of shopping with my mother out of your mouth." Tempting.

"All right. Where are we meeting?"

"Front doors say about five minutes?"

I agree and end the call. I look up to call for Dylan when I realize that he's surrounded by Eltarians. I move closer and listen, ready to jump in but letting the boy handle it for now.

"Yeah, Earth's not as advanced as Eltar is, but we're getting there" Dylan says.

"Your kind is barely worthy to be pets" one of them snarls. "Not even really good pets at that."

"Come on, Elon. Leave him alone. He was minding his own business before you started in on him."

The boy ignores the girl tugging at his arm. "If you're here, then you're somebody's pet. Who did you escape from?"

"I'm not a pet" Dylan answers evenly. I can tell he's a bit nervous, though and if I can so can they. "I'm here as a guest."

"Sure you are. What kind of pet are you anyways? Comfort, play, sex - what?" Uh oh.

I start to move forward. "I'm not a pet" he repeats firmly. "I am a guest and under the protection of Lord Zedd and Lord Thomas."

Obviously refusing to believe the human, the other boy demands, "Did your master teach you that lie? Because everybody knows that they don't have pets."

"Still not a pet" the human insists. "Not to mention I'm here with them, their children, my mother and my sister."

"Prove it" the boy demands.

Dylan pulls up his sleeve to reveal his token. "I believe you should recognize Lord Zedd's symbol."

To underscore the truth of his statements, I step in. "Dylan, the others are tired of the museum so we're going to go get some lunch before we go home. You and I can come back in a couple of days." I level a look at the others. "Is there a problem here?"

The boy with the big mouth speaks. "He claims that he's not a pet and that he's a guest of Lord Zedd. What are you teaching your property?"

The others are backing away slowly and nervously, not about to get in the middle of this. "Do you know who I am?" I growl, much like Zedd does. "I am Lord Thomas, Lord Zedd's mate and this boy is under our protection. He is no pet, nor are any of his family."

Before any more can be said, security approaches us. "Is something wrong, my lord?"

"Nothing aside some of your patrons having absolutely no manners. He's making your whole species look bad" I inform him coldly.

"I apologize for the trouble and assure you it will be dealt with, Lord Thomas. Have a nice day."

I signal Dylan to come with me. He's at my side in a moment, putting his sleeve back in place as he does. Once I'm sure we're out of earshot, I ask, "Are you okay?"

To his credit, he nods firmly. "I knew you were close by and wouldn't let anything happen to me."

As much as I don't want to, if they are going to be moving here, we may have to allow Mara her party fairly soon to get word out. Although I have no doubt that this particular boy was simply an idiot, I don't want Gina or the kids to feel like they always have to be chaperoned anytime they want to go out. Granted, this is the first step in making it known that they're with us - outings like this - but still it may take far longer than is safe for the humans.

We arrive to the meeting place several minutes behind the others. I hear Gina comment amused, "Do you think they got lost in time?"

Zedd smiles. "Knowing Thomas, it really wouldn't surprise me."

"Not this time, mate" I speak up. "We did get a little sidetracked, though."

"Oh really?"

Dylan points to the boy now being led to the doors by security, his little friends following quietly. "He didn't believe that I was here as a guest of yours."

"Is that so? Excuse me." Before I can stop him, Zedd crosses over to the boy. The noise of the busy museum prevents me from making out what my husband is saying, but it's apparently effective as the boy pales and the guard looks over at our group, studying us all closely. A brief exchange with the guard and Zedd returns to us. "So, lunch then?"

We all head out. Once outside, Gina asks, "What did you say to them?"

"I simply informed the boy of the error of his ways and made certain that the guard understood that you all are to have the same run of the museum that Thomas and myself have. The same as any other patron, really."

"Uh huh, now what did you actually say?" I question, knowing by the look on the boy's face and how Zedd reacts to anyone going after a child or someone he perceives as friend or family, it was anything but that simple.

"I told you, I simply explained to him who our guests were and that he was to show them the same respect he would show you and I." At my doubtful look he sighs and continues with a shrug. "There may have also been mention of removing organs, possibly a tongue, or spleen. I can't keep track of every threat I make, love. You know that." Looking to Dylan he gives a slight frown. "By the way what did he say to you anyways?"

"Not too much, he just didn't believe I was here with you and asked what kind of pet I was" Dylan responds calmly, though not without making me cringe as I feel Zedd's temper flare.

Quickly placing my hand on his arm I explain in Triforian, "Before I could step in they questioned if he was a pet for comfort, mating, or play. He calmly restated he was no pet and that he was with us. Once the rest of his friends saw his arm band as proof and I stepped in all backed down aside the leader."

"You should have told me that before I let him walk away intact" Zedd informs me, clearly unhappy now with not making good on his threats.

Continuing in Triforian as we still have the others too close by I do my best to make him see my logic in the matter. "I couldn't with the children there, they still don't know exactly what pets are for here and given the amount of people that have referred to me as such over the years Mara Jane is likely to go postal. I mean do you really want now to be the time that she learns your brother considers me nothing more than a sex slave? Or that that's what your father originally thought our relationship was?"

Sighing but at least conceding to my point he shakes his head, "Fine, but I get to kill the next one."

"Deal."

After lunch, we head for home. Once there, the kids are set loose and Gina decides she wants to read in the back yard. I'm debating between taking a walk on the property, working out, reading or just spending some time with Zedd. I look at my husband. "What do you want to do now?"

He smiles in a way that makes it all too clear what he's thinking. "Well, since the children are old enough not to need constant supervision, we could go to the bedroom for a bit."

I slide my arms around his waist. "I don't know, mate. Do you think that 'a bit' will be long enough?" I tease lightly.

"Well, it'll do for now" he teases back. "Although I have been thinking about perhaps seeing if Gina would watch the kids one night and we could go out. We could go back to that nice restaurant downtown you liked so much the last time we were here."

"That would be nice" I admit. "But it's supposed to be Gina's vacation too. It wouldn't be fair to ask her to watch all the kids."

"I suppose not" he concedes. "However, I thought that the better idea than sending ours to my parents' house for the night and leaving her and her kids with nothing to do."

"True. I don't know. We'll have to think about it and see if we can come up with a better solution."

"So would you rather pass on the bedroom for now or see if we can-"

"Not really in the mood for a quick one right now, Zedd." I can tell he's disappointed so I make a counter offer. "But I could take care of you."

He shakes his head. "Thomas, you know I would rather wait if you're not in the mood. In that case, what would you rather do?"

I tell him the other things I was debating and he frowns. "Didn't you work out this morning? Why would you want to do it again?"

"Yes I did, but I need to make sure I stay in the best shape I can for as long as I can. Once I have the baby, I don't want to be as far out of shape as I was the last time."

"Love, there were extenuating circumstances."

"I know, but-"

"We'll be safe here."

"It's not just that. I just want to make sure I recover as fast as possible too."

Zedd thinks on this before nodding slowly. "You're worried about not being able to bond with this baby like with Jacob."

"Yeah. And I know that it turned out all right, but-"

Tenderly, Zedd kisses me to shut me up. "I understand, Thomas."

"Mr. Oliver! Dr. Oliver!"

Jerked out of our pleasant moment as we hear both Megan and Dylan yell for us, followed closely by Jacob we both instantly take off in the direction of their rooms, both our staffs appearing in our hands as we take the stairs two and three at a time, sheer panic leading us at their cries.

Reaching Mara Jane's room first and seeing Jacob trying desperately to calm his sister, her eyes nearly black with rage, and fists clenched tightly at her sides, we look for any sign of an attack or trouble but find none aside out own daughter.

"Mara Jane, baby, calm down. Breathe sweetheart, breathe for me and calm down" Zedd coaxes, approaching our seething child cautiously and carefully.

"What the hell happened?" I ask the three other children who have wisely moved over to me and out of her immediate strike zone.

"We were just talking" Megan starts, looking more concerned about her friend than anything else. "She asked Dylan about what happened today and what was said by that boy. He told her and then..."

"And then what?" I insist, already having a very heavy and sinking feeling I know.

"I just told her he asked about what kind of pet I was."

"You didn't."

"I didn't think it was a big deal, but when she questioned it more and I told her the categories he listed- I didn't know she'd lose it like this, I swear."

"It's not your fault." Looking back at Zedd who is still trying to help her ground herself and remain in control I turn back to the other children as calmly as I can. "Go downstairs and out into the backyard where your mother is. All of you stay outside until we come let you know it's okay." At their worried looks, I continue seriously. "You didn't do anything wrong, it's just we don't know how long it will take us to help her right now and we don't want her to accidentally have a power surge and you all get hurt." Or find out just why she is in such a rage to start with.

The children leave the room as Zedd keeps trying to calm our daughter down. I see him swallow hard and I know that so much raw power so close is starting to get to him. While he can suppress the urge to take it from her, it still tempts him - either to take some of it or to throw around his own. I move closer, intending to take over when she turns on me.

"Why?" she snarls through her teeth. "Why do you put up with it?"

I know what she's asking, but I nudge her anyway, hoping that in her rage she won't edit herself and we can get at all the possible issues related to this subject once and for all. "Put up with what, honey?"

"With people calling you a damn pet!"

Calmly, I answer, "Because I know that I'm not. I know it, Papa knows it - everyone that matters knows it, honey."

"Grandfather thought you were a pet! Uncle Jax thinks so!"

"Your grandfather thought I was a pet or a slave, Mara Jane. But as he told us all a week ago, that didn't last very long, as I proved him wrong. He apologized for it long ago and I'm not going to keep holding it against him. He made a mistake - that's all."

I can hear her racing heart start to slow a bit, her fists loosen slightly as she takes this in. I continue. "As for Uncle Jax, well, honey, we all know that he's an idiot."

She snarls, "And yet, you were pretty pissed off when he called you a pet that day in the park."

I remember that day - far too well. "Of course I was, Mara Jane. His perception of me as a pet made things dangerous for you and your brother. Although I really can't understand how it never occurred to him that you might have power like Papa."

"As you said, love, he's an idiot."

Mara Jane speaks up again. "Is that why to you told me never to call anyone a pet? Because of what people thought of you?"

"Partly. Not to mention that it's just - rude. It's name calling, sweetie."

Zedd steps in and I question the wisdom of what he says next. "On Eltar, some do keep pets. Some are nothing more than loved companions - much like dogs or cats on Earth. Others use their pets in entirely other ways - and some of them are not kind to their pets at all. Either way, they have no more rights than pets on Earth have."

Her rage has backed down somewhat and she looks horrified. "How-but, how can you be okay with that? I've heard you talk about people before who have pets, how can you do business, be friends, or associate with those kind of people?!"

At Zedd's somewhat upset look, I pick up the conversation once more. "Mara Jane I understand your anger, I do, but not everyone who has pets is a bad person or treats them as some bedroom plaything."

"How can you possibly say that?! You have told me countless times how bad calling someone a pet is, how viewed as some lesser creature, and now this!"

"I know, but at the time, given your age that was the easiest way to explain it. It's like when we tried to explain to you about there being grey areas in things-"

"There is no grey area in taking another person against their will and using them for THAT."

"No, there isn't, but again not all people who take pets do that. Some actually take them for their own protection."

"How can you say that?"

Stepping in again, much to my surprise, Zedd lets her in in the one other bit of information we've been keeping from her. "Because it's what I would have done to your father if he hadn't recovered as well as he did when younger."

"What?"

Looking at our daughter seriously, Zedd continues despite her shock. "Mara Jane, you have no idea how badly he was hurt at the time and given the fact no one on Earth seemed able to protect him it was decided that if we couldn't help him recover fully, where he could protect himself again, I would keep him as a pet to keep him safe. That doesn't mean I would have used him for my wants, or mated with him against his will, it just means he would have resided with me where he would have been safe and taken care of."

"But you- how can you possibly- Daddy?" Turning to look at me in disbelief, she only seems all the more taken aback as I give a nod.

"It would have been the only way, honey. I was- bad off really doesn't even begin to cover it. I know you've seen what happens when I have a flashback, even after all these years they still hit me at times, however when your father rescued me not only was I so physical damaged that I couldn't even wash my back by myself, I was in a mental state that even a stern tone would have sent me cowering in a full blown panic attack. With the amount of enemies I had made over the years, it would have taken nothing for them to get hold of me while in that condition."

"But you got better."

"I did, thankfully. However there was always the concern that I might not. And with me and your father bonded, if a former enemy did get ahold of me, it wouldn't have just been me that would have suffered. He would have had little to no choice but to keep me as pretty much a pet to protect us both."

"Again, it wouldn't have been to hurt or use him, and I would have allowed him as much freedom as I could, but- okay, you know Lord Trey, you've seen him and his companions when they visit us, correct?" At her reluctant nod he continues. "Right well, those companions are not all guards my dear. About three of them are typically very high ranking pets of his. He doesn't treat them badly, and gives them a good bit of freedom to do as they please, however they are still considered his pets."

"But - how is that okay?"

Zedd sighs. "Honey, at least one of them was, well, bred for that purpose - to be a pet. The species that she comes from is actually less intelligent than humans. Smarter than a dog or cat, but still not all that smart. Trey has taught her to play some rather advanced games for her species, and - as far as I know - he doesn't use her for anything more than companionship. Like a dog, being bred the way she was and the way he treats her, she is loyal in a way that more intelligent species rarely are."

"But Daddy wouldn't have been bred for that purpose."

"No, he wouldn't have" Zedd agrees, exchanging a look with me that means we both are well aware she is headed somewhere with this. "If he hadn't recovered it would have been more of a circumstantial situation, not because I specifically wished for him to be a kept companion."

"Would you have still married?"

"What?"

"Would you and Daddy still have gotten married and had me and Jacob if he hadn't recovered?"

"I-" Taking a breath and running a hand through his hair, Zedd is taking a bit long to answer even for my liking now. "I don't know. If he'd still have accepted my proposal, then yes, I would have wed him as I already loved him long before he recovered. However, given my focus would have been more on protecting and taking care of him, no, we very likely wouldn't have had you and Jacob, or at least not until much later down the line when I was certain he would have been safe with my attention divided between him and a child."

"We've tried to prepare you for living off Earth, Mara Jane, but there are many things that - given your age - are still very difficult to explain. While Papa and I don't believe in taking pets of that sort, it's not illegal in some places and we have no right to tell people that they can't have pets any more than they have the right to make us have them. Quite frankly, it's also part of the reason that we don't keep ANY sort of pets - even on Earth."

"Papa calls the falcon your and Jacob's pet bird."

I see Zedd cringe slightly as I glare at him. "Thomas, the main reason for that was simply because he is - in a word - tame enough."

I grit my teeth for a minute. "Mara Jane, Papa is wrong. The falcon isn't our pet any more than those damn squirrels are Jacob's pets. They act that way with us because of our connection to nature. You've done it yourself when you were little. You just grew out of it while your brother seems to thrive on it."

"But-"

I sigh. Since she's calmed down considerably, I suggest, "Look. Papa knows way more about this sort of thing here than I do. Why don't you talk to him and get your questions answered and then think about it?"

At her nod, I leave the room. Suddenly realizing that this particular conversation with Gina is actually long overdue, I head for the backyard. This won't be fun, I'm sure.