Chapter Twelve

The welcome home was just as Ty expected. Pa jumped out of the Slicky as fast as humanly possible to tell Ma the good news. Ty was barely on the edge of the moon pool when Ma burst in and enveloped him with hugs and kisses. Zoe came running in next and hugged him around the waist.

"Let me breathe, Ma," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Ma pulled away, eyes brimming with tears. "Sorry, sweety, it's just been such a long time." She straightened his jacket and licked one of her fingers to rub off a smudge of dirt on his face.

"Ma, please, I'm fine," he said.

Ma pulled her hands away. Ty took her in his arms and held her tightly. "I missed you."

She returned the pressure and kissed him on the cheek. "I missed you too. Now come inside and get yourself all cleaned up."

"We have a lot of questions for you, son," Pa said and clapped him on the back.

"I'm sure you do," Ty said and followed his parents into his house.

After taking a nice, long, hot shower for one of the first times in weeks, he felt much better. Sure he cleaned up on the Specter, but they didn't have the luxury of hot running water all day. Dressed in his own clothes once again, he took in a deep breath. His room was just the way he left it, cluttered with precious artefacts.

Ma served him food first, the kind of food he's been missing for three weeks. He looked back in the living room and noted that the couch had a pillow and blanket on it. Someone was staying here, but he was too occupied by actually good food to care.

"We've been so worried about you, Ty," Ma said. Pa placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "What happened to you?"

"I didn't listen to you, that's what happened," he said. "At the Peavey's place when the outlaws attacked, Shade took aim at me with a harpoon. And he shot it, right through my shoulder." He tapped the very spot where the harpoon ripped through him. "I'm fine now," he said quickly when Ma turned pale. "He hauled me onto the Specter. I was there for a few days before they dropped me off with a few other outlaws," he lied. "Don't bother getting Ranger Grimes to talk to me. I didn't see much of the hideout. They kept me locked up in a room." So far his parents haven't questioned him about anything. They were eating up his lie and that's the way he wanted to keep it.

"They fed me and stuff and stitched up my shoulder. They just wouldn't let me out of the room. After three weeks, the outlaws blindfolded me and took me to the Trade Station. And now I'm here. Nothing dramatic happened. No one harmed me or threatened me. Well maybe one or two threats, but other than that, they left me alone."

Ma reached out her hand. Ty took it and squeezed it gently. He was here to stay.

Ma called many people that night. She told the neighbours that Ty was found and called Ranger Grimes as well to put off the search. When she called Doc, he said he would drop by the next day to give him a check-up. Ty looked at Ma. Their eyes met and he shook his head. He mouthed the words 'I'm fine.' Ma winked at him and relayed the message to Doc that Ty was fine and with a good night's rest, he would be back to normal by tomorrow. Thank you, Ma.

Later in the evening, Ty finally took up the courage to talk to his parents about his Gift. He's been hiding it for too long and if he's learned anything from the Seablite Gang, is that he was to be proud of his Dark Gift, not ashamed, no matter what other people told him."

"Ma, Pa, there's something else I need to tell you," he said. They looked concerned, like he was the bearer of bad news.

Pa gripped Ma's hand. "What is it, son?"

"I've been lying to you for six years," he said. "The Gift I have? The biosonar? It's still with me. It never went away. I only said it went away to get out of the hospital." He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "It won't go away. It's always a part of me. I was ashamed of it and kept it a secret since I knew that you and Ma would move the family Topside. I want you to accept me for what I am, what I have. I don't want to move Topside. It won't fix anything. It's with me forever."

"Why are you telling us this now?" Ma asked. "If you told us sooner we could've-"

Ty shook his head. "You wouldn't be able to do anything. If I go Topside, those doctors will come after me. My Gift won't go away. The last time I went up there I came back with a scar." He pulled down the collar of his shirt and showed his parents the scar for the first time. "I'm perfectly healthy. Can't you see that?"

"We only want what's best for you, Ty," Pa said.

"What's best for me is to stay in the ocean. This is my home. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else in the world." He looked to both his parents. They looked guilty like all of this was their fault. "I'm almost sixteen. I can take care of myself."

"We know, Ty," Ma said. "We know it's just a lot to take in."

He fell into his mother's embrace. "I know it is but I can't get rid of it and I wouldn't change anything for the world." He pulled away and looked to Pa. "And that's what I had to tell you."

Pa smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you could tell us the truth."

Ty nodded and began to walk back towards his room. "By the way," he said over his shoulder, "Zoe has a Dark Gift as well, as does every child in Benthic Territory. Just thought I'd let you know."

He passed by Zoe's room and heard two voices coming from her room. The mysterious person who slept on the couch perhaps? Zoe's door was open a smidge so he pushed it open the rest of the way and stepped inside.

Zoe's room was very different from his room. She kept sea creatures in tanks all along her walls. Mostly the vicious and man eating kind. The two girls in the room were playing cards. Zoe looked up from her hand and smiled up at Ty. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm glad you're home," she said.

"I'm glad I am too," he said and looked up. The other girl was staring at him. Her hair was decorated with light strips of hair from too much sun. Freckles were splashed across her face. A Topsider girl, no doubt. "Hey, Zoe, can I borrow your friend for a minute?"

"Why?"

"I need to talk to her… alone." Zoe shrugged and walked off to feed her pets. She relayed Ty's message to the girl and she stood up and followed Ty into his room.

Gemma stood there, holding her arms close to her chest. She had a guilty look on her face. Ty smiled at her sweetly but her shoulders remained tense.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

He nodded in the direction of the bed. "Do you want to sit down or-"

"Sure." She walked over and sat down at the foot of the bed. He joined her. She turned to him so quickly and said, "I'm so sorry about leaving you behind. I didn't mean for you to get captured. I swear. I thought you were following me on the mantaboard and when I came back here, you weren't anywhere to be found."

"Gemma, I'm fine," he said and held up his hands to stop her chattering. "Can't you see? I'm not hurt."

Gemma swallowed hard and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I just felt so guilty about it. And your parents have been so nice to me since that day. They let me sleep on the couch until the spare room was finished. My very own room," she said dreamily. "It's almost too good to be true."

Ty smiled. "I'm glad you're enjoying your time here."

She smiled back at him. "I am. I only wish I could find Richard. I just wish I could know where he is."

Ty was quiet. He knew what Richard had become, but he wasn't sure if he should share the news with Gemma. What would break her heart more? Never to find Richard or finding out the Shade was her brother? He wouldn't tell her now, not until he was sure they were both ready.

He offered a smile and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'm sure he's out there somewhere. You'll find him."

Gemma smiled up at him. She looked down at their clasped hands. "Uh, Ty?"

He quickly let go and felt his face heat up. "Sorry."

She laughed. "It's okay. You're glowing by the way."

"I don't glow."

"Yes you do," she sang and laughed again. "Well, if that's all you want to talk to me about, I should go back to Zoe's room. She'll want to finish our game." Gemma stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey, Gemma." He was at her side in a moment. "Mind if I join you?"

She smiled at him. "Sure. The more the merrier."

It was the start of a new life for Ty. He could be the person he was born to be and be no longer a person full of shame. The life on the farm continued as it always should. The Seablite Gang never terrorized Benthic Territory again. That meant his message got through to them. He looked at Gemma swimming alongside him and smiled. Perhaps one day he would tell her the true story of his time aboard the Specter, the true identity of Richard, and show off his true feelings towards her. But for now it was one step at a time.

The End