Happy Passover and Happy Easter! I hope everyone is doing well. Prayers got out to those that suffer on this Holy Day, especially those in Kenya after what happened.

Challenge King: Marissa could be gripped with shock and not fully processing the news yet. I hope you like this one.

Twilight Warrior 627: I hope you like this one then.

Rating: T, Language

Chapter 16

Punchy's Gym
Venice, CA
Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Freddie was one to take full advantage of the gym at UCLA to keep up his workout routine started after his literal run-in with a taco truck, but it lacked the atmosphere and real facilities to keep one's physical fitness for fighting shape in his opinion; so after his classes for the day, he was at the local favorite gym for fighters, be they amateur boxers or MMA fighters.

At the moment, he was standing in front of the punching bag delivering a jab combination with a familiar (in many ways) face holding the other side to keep it steady.

Shelby Marx, the CFC strawweight female champion, was holding the bag and critiquing his punches as she was in the habit of doing when they worked out together when she was in town. She had only half-joked with him that if he wanted, he could have a career in the CFC with his skill and able to take a punch—multiple punches without notice. Short of that suggestion, he could do a few exhibition fights and make enough to pay for his college degree and not use the royalties to his 3D camera from Pear. It was something that he had thought about on more than one occasion.

The lovely brunette fighter asked, "So you have a brother?"

He huffed out as he finished his combination, "It turns out that way."

The professional fighter smirked with a raised eyebrow and asked with a false sense of innocence, "Is he single?"

Freddie stopped midway through another combination and gave his onetime crush a questioning and disbelieving gaze.

Shelby sweetly smiled and answered innocently, "What? I'm just asking."

The former tech-producer held the other side of the bag and questioned, "Why?"

She shrugged her bare shoulder and conversationally asked, "I was hoping the good looks ran in the family."

Freddie sighed and rolled his eyes. After reacquainting with one another over the last year and Shelby seeing him in a different light then her initial assumptions about him when they met at fifteen, he had picked up subtle hints that she was mildly interested in him. "There is a resemblance and they are saying he's handsome, nice and has some musical talent."

The brunette fighter leaned around the bag to bring her face closer to Freddie and asked, "Do you mind giving me his number?"

Freddie snorted out and half-grinned at his friend before taking a step back from the bag.

Shelby understood the signal and took a step back to brace the bag for him.

He threw another quick combination that would have been devastated against any opponent, focusing on his left and answered between breaths, "I don't know. I don't actually have it. Tori might have it and I do have my sister's number, but I'm not sure how she would react to trying to set our brother up on a date."

"I guess I will have to call Tori."

"I'm not sure about that."

She laughed while bracing against the bag, "You don't want me to get your brother to ask me out?"

"It's not that, it's just… he might like Tori."

"Really? Doesn't he realize that she's with Beck?"

"Yeah he knows and he might not actually like her that way. I could be easily… misjudging him as he's only being friendly."

Shelby teased with a playful look in her eyes, "He's not sniffing her hair is he?"

Freddie stopped another combination against the bag and raised his right eyebrow.

The fighter innocently asked with a half smirk and bat of her eyes, "What?"

The college sophomore quipped in return with an easygoing smile, "My nose just happened to be in your hair during the hug. Wasn't my fault you smelled so good… frankly, it is intentional on your part. You're a very attractive woman and you take the time to make sure the world sees—and smells that at times."

He leaned forward, bracing against the bag to bring his face just be a few inches from her face and take a sniff. "Just like I can smell the hint of perfume dabbed behind each ear."

Shelby half smirked and shook her head, admitting that he had guessed so correctly about her. The self-confidence that emanated from him was a particular turn-on and if Jade was ever foolish enough to let him go, she'd have no problem making a move on him.

Freddie finished his routine then switched with her to hold the bag. Shelby threw accurate and power punches and shin kicks against the bag, showing why she was still number one in her weight class and ever decided to gain a few more pounds would dominate the other weight class. If Sam could put down Rita Rooney, the current bantamweight champion, in one punch then he was quite sure Shelby could put her down without any problem.

After the champion finished her workout while a few eyes around the gym were drawn to her more than just her skill (without the courage to approach her), the pair walked away from the punching bag to take a seat on the bench parallel to the bag. Freddie took a water bottle and gulped down a few swallows while Shelby took a few sips from her bottle. After she finished, she asked, "How does it feel to find out you have other family?"

Freddie picked up a towel and patted around his neck with it and answered, "I'm still trying to figure that out. My sister—who could pass as a twin for Cat—really wants to establish the whole sibling relationship. She even wants me to come to New York for a visit."

"Wow, she's really throwing out the welcome mat for you, but can you tell that she's your sister? You never thought Cat could be related to you with her appearance."

"I really don't have to tell since I know her father is my father, but we do have our geeky similarities and we both love Galaxy Wars."

"So you have someone now to talk to about that stuff other than Robbie?"

He rolled his eyes. "True."

"What about your brother?"

Freddie leaned back against the metal railing behind them, slightly turning his head so he could see her and sighed, "Jon is taking his father side and saying that I'm just the bastard child of the man my mother cheated with on his father."

"Wow, that's pretty brutal."

He cocked his head over a fraction of an inch and flicked an eyebrow. "I've avoided punching him for saying such a thing about my mother. My dad left after I confronted him with being my father in the hospital when we were checking on Tori, so I didn't get a chance to punch my father."

"I'm not sure I want to meet him now."

Freddie reassuringly smiled to the champ and patted her on her bare knee. "I obviously don't like what he said, but I don't blame him from his loyalty to his dad. I'm taking my mother's word about what happened. He's not setting off any warning bells with Jade or Tori."

"So you're giving me your blessing to look him up?"

Freddie half smirked, thinking on her question. "Fine, if you want to. I'm sure you can handle yourself with him."

Shelby laughed while patting the side of her neck with her towel. "I might look him up. What about your sister? If she and Cat look alike, does that mean you're related to Cat?"

Freddie shrugged a shoulder and flippantly answered, "Maybe as much as you're related to Tori and Trina?"

"Point, how is Tori by the way? I tried stopping by, but her sister said she had already left for New York."

"Well she's well enough to take off this morning to New York, so that says something,"

"Physically yeah, but I read some of her tweets. She's really defensive to some of her fans that wanted to reassure her that the accident wasn't her fault.

"Survivor's guilt. Since little Grace and her mother are alright, she's feeling a lot better, but there is still some blame she's holding on to."

"It was some miracle about the little girl though."

"Yes it was."

"It seems you guys have a guardian angel hanging around you guys."

Freddie licked his lips and knowingly smiled. "You could say that."

Shelby got up from her seat and spoke, "I think I'll hit the showers." She looked over her shoulder and gave him a teasing look, "You could join me if you don't think Jade would mind."

Freddie just let out a good chuckle as he got up from his seat then swatted her backside with a towel as payback for the remark. He joked, "You have fifteen minutes or I'm not giving you a ride."

The professional fighter snorted out laugh, covering just a hint of regret that she hadn't seen that spark in him earlier, but that's a story written for another life.

Jonathan Benson Apartment
Just off the UCLA Campus
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Jon was relaxing on his couch watching television as he halfheartedly worked on an assignment with his PearBook on his lap. The television program in the background wasn't the source of his distraction. His thoughts were caught up with the idea that despite everything his father had said, he may have a brother—one that Amanda was entirely convinced was true—and what it meant to him, especially since they were going to the same school.

He retrieved a minor reprieve from his thoughts when his Samsun rang on the coffee table. He pulled his feet from the table and the laptop off his lap to set it on the table the picked his phone off. He glanced at the caller ID and seeing that it was his sister's, he answered it, "Hello?"

Amanda happily answered, "Hey, I got you on speaker. We're in New York."

Tori happily shouted on the phone, "Hey Jon."

The college freshman smiled hearing his sister's voice and smiled just a little bigger at hearing Tori's voice. "I'm glad you made it safely."

Amanda continued in a teasing voice, "I know you hate flying… but it was fantastic. When you get famous, you have to get one of these and let me get to use it."

The older brother teased in return, "Only if I get to use yours if you're the one that gets famous."

He heard his distinct laugh of his younger sister before she answered, "Deal."

Jon continued, "Tori, thanks again for giving her a ride. I know she's thrilled about it with that voice. I can't thank you enough."

"Not a problem. I enjoyed the company—I enjoy Stacy's company too, but it was fun to have her along. When I'm done next month, she can fly back with me for a visit unless you're flying back for Thanksgiving here. I should be done the week before."

The Benson second son could hear her sister's joyful and her speaking with Tori, "I don't know what our parents have planned for Thanksgiving. I'll have to check."

Amanda's voice became clearer with her turning her attention back to the phone, "There's our car, sorry, we got to go. I got to get started catching up on my work and Tori needs to settle in for tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you and talk to you soon."

Tori teasingly answered, "Throwing out the 'I love you' already? I'm flattered."

Jon felt a rush of heat to his cheeks and his mouth started opening and closing like a gulping fish. Several seconds later he was knocked out of his daze from the laughs of his sister and Tori and thankful that neither of them could see his face.

Amanda commented with a lighthearted voice, "I think he was talking to me."

Tori laughed, "Oh sorry. I thought it was a Benson trait."

The Benson daughter joined her in a laugh, possibly at Jon's expense as they couldn't see his reaction.

Jon cleared his throat and struggled to calmly wish them farewell, "Stay safe, later."

The dark redhead on the other end replied with a soft laugh in her voice, "Later, Jon."

The call ended and Jon blew out a breath. He shook his head and turned to his work and hoped it would clear his mind from his embarrassment and the sweet voice of the starlet.

West Residence
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, October 15, 2013

At seven o'clock on the dot, the doorbell rang to signal the arrival of their guest for dinner. Jade walked to the door and after taking a quick peek through the peephole to confirm it was their guest, she opened the door for Dusty.

He was dressed as usual with his beaten up and still un-repaired jacket, a navy Henley with the top button undone and blue jeans. He held a bouquet of purple tulips to her and remarked with a charming smile, "For the ladies of the house."

Jade rolled her eyes and licked her bottom lip before taking the flowers. "Thank you. I'm sure my mother will appreciate them." She stepped aside and let him inside.

"I'm glad. I know purple's her favorite color."

"How did you know that?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Because you know that."

"Ah," she answered then awkwardly smiled, remembering that he unintentionally did know everything about her.

Jade led him further into the house and headed for the kitchen to find a vase to place the flowers.

Dusty stopped in the living room and glanced around and into the dining room to look for the others, expecting to be emotionally ambushed at any moment. He knew of course that they were genuine people deep down and that Jade hadn't become fake in the limelight, so he didn't put it past them not to try something to help 'fix' things with him.

Jade noticed that he stopped behind her and looked over her shoulder. She reassured to lessen his hesitation, "It's just me, Freddie and my mom and Colonel Shay."

Dusty glanced around to be sure then answered, "I only sense the four of you. It had crossed my mind that this was some kind of ambush to see Heather."

"That seemed too much out of a teenage sitcom."

"But it would be something your gang would pull. Man did you guys get into some things back at Arts that would be in a TV show."

"That would be a plan Tori would come up with, but if I knew it had a chance in working, I would try it."

The Southern teenager raised an eyebrow, not surprised at all that she would try given half the chance.

The pair continued to the dinning room where they found Mrs. West and Colonel Shay sitting on one side of the table at one end. Jade directed him to have a seat at the head of the table while there was a pair of places set on either side of the end of the table where the older couple already had taken their seats, "You can have a seat. I'm just going to get some water for these."

Jade continued, her way out of the dinning room and to the kitchen, leaving him with her mother and future stepfather. He politely smiled and greeted them, "Mrs. West, Colonel Shay."

Dusty took off his jacket and hung it across the top of the chair's backrest then took a seat.

The former flyer offered his hand to Dusty and returned the greeting, "Mister Hale."

The teenager returned the handshake as Mrs. West spoke up and questioned at seeing the flowers, "Tulips?"

"As I told your daughter, flowers for the ladies of the home. If you're invited for dinner, you bring a gift. I did think about bringing pie though."

The Colonel raised a finger and commented, "Pie is good. Pie is very good when it is good. They have this little place by my apartment in Seattle and Spencer and Carly loves their pies."

Dusty cocked his head slightly and glanced at the ceiling, trying to recall something before replying with a grin, "Ah, Galini's coconut pie. Freddie really loves it."

Shay slightly shook his head and flippantly replied, "I was never was too impressed with them."

"Blasphemy!" Freddie could be heard shouting in laughter from the kitchen.

The Colonel snorted a soft breath and rolled his eyes.

Mrs. West continued with her original point, "Thank you for the flowers."

"Thank you for having me over for dinner."

"You're welcome. Jade wanted to welcome you home, so a dinner is the least that could be done."

Dusty tightened his smile, a little suspicious if that was Jade's only reason. "Maybe, I've been gone too long."

Jade returned to the dinning room and announced, "Freddie's almost done, so we can have a seat." She walked down the opposite side of the table to her mother and Shay and took her place to the cattycorner right of end of table. Colonel Shay took his seat at the end of the side, opposite of Jade, and Mrs. West took her seat next to him.

Almost immediately after taking their seats, Freddie brought a plate in each of his hands and set them in front of the older couple then returned to the kitchen to grab two more plates for Jade and Dusty. He made one more trip to bring a pitcher of iced tea and plate for himself. He poured some into each of the offered glasses before taking a seat next to Jade.

Dusty smirked at the plate filled with some sliced chicken, a portion of smash potatoes, sliced vegetables and a biscuit. "You're going all out. I would have settled for some pizza and Doritos."

"That's not exactly a home cooked meal."

"I wouldn't be home cooked, but it would be food from home."

The dinner guest poked his fork into the sliced pieces of chicken and brought a piece to his mouth. He chewed it for a few seconds before swallowing then commented, "This is really good Freddie."

"Thanks. I've had a lot of practice since moving to L.A."

Dusty glanced to Jade yet commented to Freddie, "Then you can put your skills back to use since Jade's home."

"Absolutely. I can make sure she's getting some real food instead of what she had to eat on the road. I've worried about how healthy she's eaten."

The dinner guest held his tongue about noticing that Jade had dropped a few pounds from her tour, but looked like Freddie's cooking has gotten her back on track.

Jade remarked between bites of her food, "As long as it's not your mother's recipes, I'm good with whatever you give me."

Freddie playfully grinned. "Actually…"

The dark haired musician raised her pierced eyebrow while Shay immediately dropped his fork and pushed the plate away from him.

Mrs. West raised an eyebrow, questioning if he was serious with his reaction.

Shay shook his head and answered her unasked question, "What? That was child abuse what she would feed him."

Freddie sighed and explained, "Trina and I have been sharing and modifying recipes. No one's noticed."

Dusty slightly tilted his head and softly smacked his lips. "I don't taste any GMOs, any soy or tofu. This is good."

The West Matriarch questioned incredulously, "You can taste that?"

"I can distinguish individual molecules if I wanted, but I ignore it or I wouldn't be able to enjoy any food—when I eat." He shrugged a shoulder and scooped up some potatoes with his chicken. After eating that portion on his fork, Dusty looked to Jade and asked, "I really didn't ask you this yesterday, but how does it feel to be back home after the tour?"

"Good actually. I enjoyed it of course. The performances and meeting the fans was exhilarating and getting to travel all over the world, but I'm happy to be home with everyone."

Dusty carefully eyed the singer, gauging her emotional response.

The dark haired singer slightly lifted her chin and narrowed her gaze on him. "What?"

"Nothing, so jumping right into classes been keeping you busy?"

"Not too much. It's just two classes and it gives me most of the week off. I'm enjoying the time off. It gets me the chance to work on my writing."

"Jumping on another album?"

"That and I'm working on a screenplay or two and reading over some scripts. I want to do some acting. It's been awhile."

"So you'll be in L.A. for a while?"

"Hopefully, unless I'm having to film on location."

"Canada," he joked between a sip of his drink.

The corners of Jade's lips turned downward, not liking the idea. "I was thinking New York."

He glanced to Freddie. "I know you must be happy she's home and not eager for her to go anytime soon."

Freddie leaned over and wrapped an arm around Jade's shoulders and pulled her close. "I'm thrilled that Jade's home. I'm glad her next tour isn't for months. If she has to go to New York to film then she has to go. I'm certainly not one to hold her back."

Jade tightly smiled and looked to her plate, but Dusty could tell that she was feeling guilty hiding something from her boyfriend. He wasn't going to take a deeper look and he didn't like her feeling that way, so he attempted to change the subject, "I met your brother. He seemed like a nice guy. I saw a little bit of resemblance."

"Yeah, Jade told us. You said that you confirmed that we're brothers."

Dusty corrected with a raised eyebrow, "I confirmed that you share DNA, not that you're necessarily brothers. It's not the same thing with all the doubles we've met."

Jade licked her lips and asked, "Did you get a chance to see Freddie's father?"

Freddie turned a surprised look to Jade, unaware of such a possibility.

"Ah, no… I made another stop before picking you up from class that day and I've been busy today. I've been taking care of some business and catching up with Ava." He chuckled, "And I thought being chewed out by my dad was an earful."

"She cares about you and has been defending you while you were gone."

"Yeah, I know and Beck can run his mouth until he looks like a Smurf… or I just loose the last of my patience with him and knock out some of his teeth."

"That's not funny."

"Well I don't appreciate him implying I'm a murderer. Like I told you earlier, it must be nice being rich and held up in Hollywood where you can ignore the problems in the rest of the world while swimming in your money like Scrooge McDuck."

Shay took a sip of his drink, intending to stay out of it though he was thinking even less of the long haired actor than before.

Freddie raised hand and interrupted, "I've watched plenty of arguments between him and Ava. She's made your case fine and there's no need to rehash it here."

Jade smiled and agreed, "You're right." She looked back to Dusty and continued, "It's a shame that you didn't get to meet his sister. I think that would have been an interesting meeting."

Dusty turned a curious eyebrow to the singer. "What's special about his sister?"

"She's a doppelganger of Cat."

"You're kidding?"

Shay casually remarked, "I hope she's not."

Mrs. West passed a sympathetic look Shay. She had dealt with the eerily similar years ago, but he still was uncomfortable.

Dusty barely nodded his head to the side. "Huh, would explain why some of Freddie and Cat's DNA have a few odd matching. I never gave it much thought." He met Freddie's eyes and added, "So… I guess it goes without saying that I think your sister's hot?"

Freddie nearly dropped his fork and stared at him wide-eyed.

The fellow young man grinned. "What? I'm practically obligated to say such a thing as your friend and knowing it has to be true because of my history with Cat."

Freddie raised a finger, wanting to counter but he couldn't think of a comeback.

Shay pointed out, "He's got you there Freddie."

The former tech-producer relented and started back on his food.

"So, what's she like?" the dinner guest questioned to partially prevent Freddie from making a comeback joke.

"She's nice, sweet, intelligent and we're both into Sci-Fi fantasy."

"That's a plus."

"And she wants to have that brother/sister relationship with me."

"That's going to be kind of hard to do with her across the country."

Freddie softly sighed, "I know, but she wants to try."

"You sound like you have your doubts," Dusty remarked before taking a sip from his drink.

The former tech-producer idly pushed around some of his food on his plate and answered, "I have a healthy concern about her motivation. There are plenty of money grubbers that have come out of the works since Jade has made it big. You wouldn't believe how many of my mother's side of the family suddenly wanted to be nice to me."

Dusty sat his glass down and remarked to Freddie, "If she wants to have a genuine relationship with you, you should take the chance even with the actions of your family. Your sister didn't get a choice in the matter and I saw the fallout of what happens when a father purposely undermined a relationship between siblings while I was gone. It wasn't pretty and frankly tragic, but hopefully they have a chance for it to work out. It's going to be an uphill battle for them, but not an insurmountable one. Don't fall into that trap."

Freddie thought on his friend's advice, hearing in his voice that it was hard earned experience in reaching his conclusion then cautiously questioned, "Sounds like you had a hand in it?"

The former Northridge student half-smirked while he answered, "Maybe… it is part of my family's business after all, helping people that is."

Jade finished a morsel of her potatoes and asked, "Do you care to share? It sounds interesting and it would be nice to know what else you've been up to."

Dusty politely smiled and answered, "It's not my story to tell, but I will say that it had the best happy ending under the circumstances." He looked to his food and finished with a lace of threat, "Callie should be alright… for her father's sake."

Shay understood the underlining threat in the young man's voice.

Jade curiously asked, concerned that there could be another girl in the picture for Dusty that might be explanation for his behavior. "Who's Callie?"

The Southern teenager paused midway with bringing the piece of chicken to his mouth. He lowered his clenched hand to rest on the table then glanced to Jade and answered, "Just someone that turned out to need my help."

Jade questioned with a falsely innocent voice, "Is that it?"

"What else is there?"

"You are free after all…"

Dusty smirked, seeing her plan in an instant, something he originally expected. "So you really do want to talk about Heather, is that it?"

Jade smirked, confident in her own belief to stand her ground in the conversation, "It's a natural progression of the conversation."

"We already talked about this; what is it going to take for you to just accept my word on what happened?"

Jade leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table. "We don't know what happened. Heather doesn't have a clue why you broke up with her. What we all would accept would be the truth."

"I'm just an asshole? How is that not explanation enough for you?"

"Because we know that's not the truth about you. There has to be a real reason you would break up with her, something that is tearing you apart inside and causing you to leave and jump all around the planet."

Dusty returned with an impassive expression.

Mrs. West spoke up with a firm voice, one she hadn't used for a long time with her daughter, "Jade, enough. He's given his reasons, so you should just accept them."

Jade gave her mother a challenging expression and answered in a slow and deliberate voice, "Being an asshole is not an explanation. If that was the case he wouldn't have shown up with her praying to her. He would have ignored her."

"It worked for Glenn," Shay muttered before taking a sip from his drink.

Mrs. West turned her gaze from her child to the former flyer, no less yielding.

Shay looked innocently back at the dark headed woman. "What?"

Dusty leaned back in his seat and spoke up, interrupting any potential conflict between mother and daughter, "Would just some other explanation give you piece of mind?"

"The truth. The real reason you broke up with her."

"No."

"No?"

Dusty flicked his head to the left and flippantly answered, "No. I told you yesterday, I appreciate the concern, I really do, but this is my business. I've given you all the explanation you're going to get from me right now. Accept it or don't, it's your choice."

Jade frowned at seeing that she would accomplish more banging her head against a wall though she gave him a good stare that quickly turned into a brief staring contest.

Dusty broke it off first in mere seconds and looked to the Colonel and asked, "May I ask you Colonel what you've been up to since… that piece of crap forced you out?"

Shay cracked a half smile and slightly shook his head. Ruby wasn't as G-rated in her language about the situation or who she blamed for forcing Shay out of the service. "I've been volunteering at the local VA and some private organizations to help out returning veterans."

"That's right. I thought I saw you on a few commercials before I left. Was that Gary Sinise in one?"

"Yeah, that was him. Old Lieutenant Dan himself. He's a really nice guy."

Dusty hesitated taking a sip from his drink then sat the glass down. He stared at the former Special Forces Operator and stated, "If I could Colonel, I'd walk right in there and heal every one of them, but I can't. It would raise too many questions that couldn't be answered and where would I stop? Every VA hospital? What about the children's hospitals? There are just too many, but I am working on other alternatives."

"It wasn't a judgment on you young man. I know that even you have your limitations."

Dusty raised his glass in thanks then took a sip. "With your experiences, you would know."

Mrs. West glanced to her future husband and asked, "And what experiences would those be?"

Shay lazily shrugged a shoulder. "Nothing that could be discussed without committing treason."

The older West rolled her eyes at the classified excuse.

The group wrapped up their meals over the next few minutes then Freddie went about clearing the table and returning with desserts. He brought chocolate cake for Jade and the older couple and himself, but he sat a small plate with a piece of angel food cake with some Cool Whip and a few sliced strawberries on the top in front of Dusty.

The former Slap webmaster grinned, seeing his favorite kind of cake. He didn't hesitate in digging into it with his fork or spare a thought on how they remembered from offhanded comments.

"You're really enjoying that cake."

After swallowing a few pieces, he answered, "Dad has his pie, mom has her chocolate and I have my cake. I haven't had it since…" His content expression slightly waned, but pushed it aside and tried to enjoy the sweet treat.

Jade saw the opening, but remained quiet. Her goal was to help him, not hurt him.

The Colonel idly commented between bites of his dessert, "I saw your… 'handiwork' on the news. You have them frightened of their own shadow it looks like."

"Yes well… I wouldn't think it would be polite conversation for the dinner table for me to bring up."

Shay cracked a smile, recalling the times his late father-in-law pulled back from telling some war stories during the Second World War… recalling how he planned to never tell his stories to his children… "You're right, but… it is something you carry."

"Frankly, the only thing I carry is not being able to save more of them."

"That is something you never shake."

Dusty nodded his head and avoided the veteran's eyes. He took a deep breath then looked up to meet his eyes. "I do have a question though Colonel."

"Oh, and what's that?" he idly asked before taking a bite from his cake.

"How do you deal with the fact that knowing that the last twelve years has been a complete waste of your life?"

"Excuse me?" the former flyer asked and nearly dropped his fork.

Dusty casually carried on between bites of his cake, "That giving up all that time and facing all that danger… knowing it was all for nothing and that we're going to lose the war anyway?"

Shay clenched his jaw tightly as he continued to listen to the teenager, "I mean, you gave up raising Carly… your little girl for nothing. What would the late Taylor Shay say if she knowing that in the end her little girl knelt like everyone else because her daddy failed to prote—"

Dusty didn't get to finish his remark as Shay got up from his seat, grabbed him by the collar with both hands and lifted the teenager out of his seat and off his feet.

The others looked on in nearly dumbfounded shock at hearing Dusty's words and Shay's actions. Mrs. West was the first to respond by cautiously placing a soft hand on Shay's right arm and whispered, "Steven."

Shay spat in disgust and lacked any fear, "What? You think I'm afraid of him? The big bad ascended being that could swat me away? Hardly."

Dusty looked down coldly at the Colonel's equally cold furious and answered in a slow, deliberate tone as if he was the one that had been insulted by the former officer's words, "I was born a partial celestial being, not something that was able to latch onto the bottom rung to shed a mortal coil like your colleague Doctor Jackson or Doctor Mckay in the 'program' you were in for so many years managed to do a few times. I know you're not afraid of me. You've faced your share of scary things that would make everyone in this room crap themselves: Goa'uld, the Replicators, the Wraith… the Ori?"

There was just a hint of a twitch in the muscles around his eyes, giving away that Dusty had hit a corneal of truth.

The Nephil continued with dread lacing his voice, "They're organizing… into something bigger. I've seen it. They will tear a path of destruction across the Middle East then move on to Europe then… can you say 'Boston Marathon bombings'? 'Fort Hood'? 'Nine-Eleven'? What are you going to do about it… Mister President?"

Shay's cold fury expression slowly shifted into regretful acceptance then slowly lowered the teenager back on his feet.

The pair stared at one another, two strong willed individuals troubled by the words that had to be spoken, one regretting that they had to be said, the other feeling the weight of them upon his shoulders. The former flyer let go of Dusty's shirt collar and turned and silently started making his way through the dinning room and back of the house.

Mrs. West looked to him with a near murderous gaze.

"That was uncalled for," Mrs. West sternly chided the young man that she owed a great deal, which meant very little to her at the moment.

Dusty bowed his head and slightly glanced away, "The world is ablaze Mrs. West and it is just getting worst. He might be the only one that can stop it."

The lovely pale beauty replied with a finality to her tone in that she was absolutely right in her next words, "He's given enough."

The former webmaster sadly shook his head and answered in a regretful tone, "He's going to have to give a little more to save us all."

The three looked to him with a mix of surprise and disbelief.

Dusty regretfully smiled. "Jade, you had an agenda to get me here and I brought one of my own. Thank you again for the dinner, but it's time I left. I'll see you later." He grabbed his jacket off the chair and pulled it on before heading to the front door.

Mrs. West turned to catch up with Shay, leaving her daughter and future son-in-law dumbfounded at what they had witnessed.

The front door clicked shut Jade muttered in disgust, "Ah shit…"

Author's Note: Another familiar, developing feelings from another Benson, and what a way to end dinner? I hope you enjoyed it and hope to have another chapter done soon.