Author's Notes - Only 3 more parts? Maybe 4. Then it's done.
Summary – Zedd, Tommy, and Kerch spend some quality time together.
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Family Reunion
Zedd
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"I don't care what you have to do just find him!" Pacing the floor as I've already destroyed a good portion of the items in the living room, I look at the too calm Zordon, debating on hurling one of the few remaining in tact vases at his head for his lack of compliance.
"I am doing my best Zedd, but the last thing we need is to put out an all points bulletin on a power holding halfbreed. Do you know how many people will be after him, and not for the purpose of returning him either." Flipping through the service book and looking for who knows what sort of service he adds in a final jab sealing his fate where this too expensive vase is concerned. "Not to mention the fact he doesn't have his vaccinations or tags that go with them. The catchers will love that."
Vase up and in hand I take aim, only to stopping short as the phone suddenly rings, causing me to instantly drop my ceramic weapon and grab the handset from Zordon's reaching fingers. "Thomas?"
"Hello to you as well Zedd."
Feeling the blood drain from my face at the familiar voice I take just a bit too long to respond as I hear him say something to someone on his end of the line about breaking my mental capacity with a simple greeting.
"Zedd are you there?"
"I'm here." Clearing my throat and regaining focus I make certain to keep the correct, in control tone, not about to waver in front of my father of all people. "But not for long. I have to keep the phone line open incase an important call comes through. So you'll just have to talk to your best friend Zordon later."
Rolling his eyes and most likely knowing who it is on the line now, Zordon continues to flip through the service book, now checking under pet finders it would seem.
"Alright I'll tell Thomas to wait than." Yes, yes tell him to wait and I'll get back to him- what?!
"Did you tell him that I'm still not speaking to him?" As the voice of my mate is clearly heard in the background, I find myself caught between a wave of intense relief and a typhoon of rage.
"He's still not speaking to you, but he is eating and looking at your baby pictures, so that's good. Anyway, seeing as how you're waiting for an important call I suppose I will let you go. I just thought I would inform you that I have your wayward mate and while a bit angry with you and chilled- did I not tell you to wear a cloak this time of year -he is relatively unharmed and comfortable." I need to go out and kill things I think.
Pushing aside my agitation at both his location and present activities I refocus on the more important aspects of my father's statement. "What do you mean relatively unharmed? What happened to him? Let me talk to him."
Listening to the slight exchange of words between the two, I tighten my grip on the phone as the negative response is given after a moment. "He says that if you wish to talk to him like the power holder he is that you may come over here and apologize for your earlier distasteful behavior, the same as Zordon." Apologize for my- "I have to go now Zedd lunch is nearly ready; I'll speak with you later, good-bye."
Looking at the phone in disbelief I remain standing where I am for a good moment after his initial hang-up trying to grasp just what has happened.
"I'll assume he's found Tommy." Taking the phone from me and placing it back into the charger, Zordon grabs his white cloak and my specially made black one.
Taking mine from his hand I head for the door, tossing my parting order behind me as I go. "You stay I don't need any witnesses."
"Like father like son." I heard that.
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(20 min later…)
Standing outside my father's door, his own penthouse on its own floor of his high rise just as Zordon's and all of the Council members are, I look at the door willing it to dissolve under my glare so I will not have to actually knock.
So far though it does not seem to be working.
Heaving a sigh and knowing I need to get this over with I knock sternly on the door smiling in satisfaction as I hear it echoing on the other side. Good. Let them know how angry I am. Let them hear my power. Let them-
"Zeddic." Stop drinking hot chocolate and hug me. Well than. As the door is slid open and my father steps out, I haven't time to move away as he squeezes me tightly, his mug held safely to the side so as not to splash my cloak. Trying my best to regain my evil angry composure as the older version of me finally pulls back I don't think I succeed all too well as honestly I am just too exhausted and what does Thomas say- stressed out? -to keep up the facade perfectly well. "It's good to see you."
"Yes, yes, must do it more often I'm certain." Moving past him and into the slightly more inviting looking penthouse, you can tell his age compared to Zordon's as the decorating always changes to slightly more personal in ones later years. Clean lines and modern style giving way to pictures, creature comforts, and more interesting items. Still though I am not here for a visit or critique of his décor. "Where is he?"
"Who?"
Turning slowly to look at him I do hope he sees the murder in my gaze and realizes just what I am capable of at this point, promises or not to Thomas and Zordon. "The one person aside you and Zordon who is going to cut my life short due to stress and anger inducing behavior."
"Zordon's father? He's not allowed here." Breathe, must breathe Zedd. Smiling as he moves past me, his white mug set down on the black coffee table, he gestures to the comfortable looking sofa calmly. "Have a seat Zedd; let me make you a drink. Your mate showed me how to make something called hot chocolate, it's actually quite good when you add a bit of what do you call it on Earth, alcohol?" Oh for crying out loud. Shaking his head as he gives up trying to decide if that's the correct word or not, he sits down casually and without real concern. "Well regardless it's fairly good."
"Speaking of my mate, where is he?"
"Resting. After I spoke with you on the phone I gave him some lunch, which he seemed to greatly enjoy by the way- are you not feeding him? -before going off to rest for a bit in the spare room."
"You fed him normal food? You can't do that, he's a halfbreed."
"Normal food is not going to kill him Zedd." Tone gentle but firm, he gives me a chastising look. "Neither is taking him out every once in a while. He came to Eltar because of you Zeddic, not because he particularly wanted to. I think you should be a bit more understanding of that fact and show him some leeway. Especially since he is your mate and a rather patient one at that, as most would have left you for good after being put through all he's told me of."
Fist clenched I give him a look, my own tone rising far above his. "No he came here because you and those other morons on the High Council didn't do what you said you had where Zarek was concerned. If you hadn't lied and actually done your job we'd both still be on Earth making wedding arrangements right now instead of here arguing over pet food, halfbreed status, and animal healers."
"I still can't believe you took him to an animal healer." Head in hand and looking to be holding back chiding remarks mingled with laughter he is really pushing it.
"What choice did I have? You tell me, what? No healer would see him. He needed the vaccinations, which by the way you ordered."
"I ordered the vaccinations because it was the only way I could get the other Council members to agree to allow him to stay here where he'd be safe. However I did not tell you to take him to an animal healer. All you had to do was call me Zedd, I would have made a respectable healer see him. One that would not make him get down on all fours and have a thermometer placed up his backside." Geez he just had to tell him that didn't he.
"And how would you have done that? Zordon couldn't, and according to him he now holds more power than any of you."
"More raw power Zedd, the same as you only different in type and origin. Status and title though those would be what he is lacking. Those would be what you both seem to forget I have." Not as much as you could have though with your hair colored like that of a defect.
"Fine so next time we let you make the appointment for him." Anger cooling a bit and really not left with much to do now as waking Thomas to leave will probably result in another fight between us, I in the end sink down into the nearby black chair heaving a weary sigh. "I hate this place."
"Oh you do not, you just hate the fact you failed to enslave it." Well yeah. "You never were one to accept failure in yourself, regardless of it just being a part of life." And here we go.
"I don't need a lecture."
Smiling slightly he shakes his head. "According to your mate you need a kick in the ass."
"He's one to talk. Storming out of there like he did, going off by himself after I specifically told him not to, not to mention worrying me half to death. You'd think I was the damn consort in the relationship with how much mind he pays me." Snarling and rather put out by the fact he is in bonding species terms the more submissive partner, the consort if you will, but yet behaves nothing like it, I cross my arms trying to wrangle in my annoyance. "Damn temperamental human."
"Zedd he wasn't bred to be a consort, I've spent all of two hours with him and even I can see that. He's too independent, too self assured. It doesn't matter that he's physically the weaker species, mentally he's damn well determined to do things for himself, his way, your wants and concerns on the matter be damned."
"I know." My anger giving slight way to exhaustion, I give my father what I know is a near pleading look. "I don't know what to do about it though. He's so… I don't even know what he is! He's just frustrating and aggressive and I can't handle that, especially not when I'm…"
"The same way." Finishing for me, he looks thoughtful for a moment before giving the matter a few moments thought. "I'm not so certain you need to do anything about it persay, he's not rebelling against you or your love for him, he's just rebelling against the situation that's currently at hand. He doesn't want to be treated like a pet Zedd, like something that needs constant protection from the world and matters concerning his wellbeing. Such things that, according to him, you didn't start doing until you both arrived here."
"Because here isn't Earth, things are different, he's vulnerable here."
"But treating him in that way isn't helpful. He knows he's vulnerable Zedd. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, he knows it." Sighing and giving me a small smile and shake of his head his next observation is one I could do without. "I swear Zedd he's just like you."
"So what should I do, ship him off to the academy and then let you tell him I was killed by the Council?" Tone less biting than I would have liked, I am however just too tired to be perfectly snappy today.
"Ouch, how long have you been saving those up?" The comment coming from the entrance way leading back to the bedrooms rather than my father, I look up to see Thomas leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and a rather chastising look on his face.
"Long enough. Talking to me again are you?"
"Feeling sorry for yourself again are you?" Moving into the room and sitting down next to my father rather than me, I must say I do not like the way the cards are staking up here. "Honestly Zedd I have never in my life seen someone hold a grudge as long as you. And against such a nice person too." It's official he's switched sides.
"You've known him all of two hours Thomas, as he himself has just observed. So do tell how exactly it comes to pass that you can make the assumption that you know his personality better than myself?"
Exchanging looks with the man, Thomas gives a small smile which is returned in full, before turning back to me and in a much too certain tone responding. "Because he's got your eyes."
"Because he's got my eyes. That is what you're basing this all on?" Giving him a bit of a look, I raise a brow when he simply shakes his head, smile only growing at what he has to say next.
"No. He also promised to take me to the zoo."
To be continued….
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Sorry it's kinda short, it's more or less a set up for the next chapter.