Mindwalk

Last time we left out heroes, Jared had just rescued Chris from an attic full of potential pep talks. Now the two were proceeding onward to their respective destinations: Chris to Riley's room, and Jared to Lee's thinking spot, the kitchen table.

The line between empathy and sympathy is pretty hard to draw. Some people want both; some want neither. And some... Well, let's just say that some don't know what they want.

Some people only desire sympathy in certain situations. In some, these situations are easy to detect; in others, they're darn near impossible. Fact: Some people are better 'detectors' than others. So, I think we can all be thankful that there were enough halls and stairs to accommodate a brother-to-brother conversation; but mostly, thank goodness for Mister Jared Phinias Halliwell: Empathy Expert.

Jared's very presence was a sort of empathy in itself: gentle but sturdy, graceful but solid, fluid but strong. Plus, he came with several guarantees: You wouldn't be judged; he'd proven countless times. You'd have his full attention; that was historical fact. His honesty was always respectful; that was a universal truth.

The truth is often hard to hear; that's life.

"You're not really angry at Shane, are you?" Jared asked with a knowing grin.

Chris shook his head. "...but now I've got someone to yell at when Rider crashes into somebody's mailbox."

Jared's hopeful, unassuming nature took over. "Who knows? Maybe he won't cr-"

"Trust me," Chris interrupted. "I know my kid; it will happen."

When you think about it, it is an easy scene to imagine: Rider sheepishly apologizing to some unfortunate neighbor, holding the remains of their mailbox in his hands, and Shane, looking like a helpless little biker boy, as Chris gave him verbal Hell.
"Poor Shane," said Jared, "He won't even see it comin'."

"You gotta admit," said Chris, "It's a brilliant plan."

"Listen, you," said Jared in a seemlessly teasing tone, "I will not be wrapped up in your little web of lies and deceit."

"Don't worry, Jared," said Chris, "I'd never do anything to tarnish your little halo."

"Halo? Me?" Jared casually scoffed. "I am dark, and mysterious..."

"...as a merry-go-round," Chris finished. (Dammit, the dork made me smile!)

Jared offered no resistance, but enjoyed the moment. More than anything, he was glad that he'd managed to bring Chris up out of the depths of his own head.

Knowing his nephew would be perfectly safe from fatherly scorn, Jared said, "So then, to actually yell at Rider would be..."

"Damn near impossible." (Where did that come from?)

"No kidding?" said Jared. (Well what d'ya know. He actually said it!)

"Have you seen those pretty green eyes of his?" (Damn! I did it again!) "You try yellin' at that boy sometime; see how far you get." (What is it about Jared that makes people say this crap?)

Jared tightened his lips to hide his grin. "So, that's an official 'no' then?"

Chris sighed as he gave in. "Well, if Rider didn't have somewhere for all that spaz energy to go, he'd be a danger to society and himself... So, no, I'm not mad."

"Good," Jared let slip. (Oops!... Maybe he didn't catch that.)

"What was that?"

(Or maybe he did.) "What was what?" asked Jared, unable to pass off his tiny fib.

Chris decided to push his brother's buttons. "Gee," he said woodenly, "I don't know what I'm gon-na do a-bout get-ting him a mo-tor-cy-cle." He blatantly tilted his head to get a perfect view of Jared's face. "I don't know who's worse at lying, you or Lee."

Jared kept his gaze fixed squarely forward, knowing he'd laugh if his eyes met his brother's. "But don't I at least add some young-adult angst to the mix?"

"When you find some angst, maybe," Chris grumbled. "Your cheerful disposition sickens me."

"Well Chris," Jared said lightheartedly, "in the immortal words of what's-his-name... Deal with it."

(Okay, Pretty Boy. I'll break you yet.) "Bobby bought Rider a motorcycle, didn't he?"

"I didn't say that." (Let's face it, I'm toast.)

"Do you deny it?"

(Buttery, crispy toast.) "Do I deny that, for Rider's 18th Birthday, Bobby bought him the motorcycle that Rider just happened to mention was his dream bike if he could ever own one?" Jared sped through. "Yes, in fact, I do deny it." (Toast, toast, toast.)

Chris let out his 'grumpy parent' sigh. "Does Rider know?"

"If...repeat...If he bought Rider a motorcycle, Rider wouldn't know anything about it because Bobby would wanna talk to you first."

Chris asked smugly, "So then, 'Sea Breeze', how is it that you knew and I didn't?"

(So it's official, I'm face cleanser. Oh well, things could be worse.) "I think I'm gonna have to plead the 5th," said Jared, taking the only way out he could find.

Chris kept on. "The whole family knows, don't they?"

"Ya really gotta love the 5th amendment, don't ya?"

"I'll bet Shane even told Bobby I said it was okay."

"Still sittin' pretty on number 5."

By that point, Chris knew all he needed to know about Rider's motorbiking future. "Thanks, Jared" he said. "Pleasure doin' business with ya."

Though Jared wasn't much of a competitive person, he felt that Chris was having a little too much fun with his supposed victory. "And, as a matter of fact, I HAVE seen Rider's pretty green eyes," (Take this, Mister Cranky.) "I see them on your bright, smiling face every single day." (Score one for the toast!)

Chris' look of 'please-don't-start' was met with Jared's expression of 'sorry-but-you-know-I'm-right'. And he was. Indeed, if you lengthened Rider's chin and made his nose just a bit pointier, you'd have a second Chris. Physically speaking, that is. To be sure, there was plenty of Chris in Rider, personalitywise, but those similarities ran far deeper than their social selves. They may have 'packaged and marketed' themselves differently, but it was the same nervous energy that made them both tick.

"Why weren't you the parent of two boys from the future?" said Chris, sounding surprisingly serious. "It'd make more sense, you being the 'easy-going' one at all."

(Man, I wish he wouldn't do this to himself.) "Are you serious? Those two would eat me alive," said Jared. "Not to mention that I'm only about 3 years older than they are."

"So (censored)in' what?" Chris replied. "3 years, 7 years... It's all (censored)ed up if you asked me!"

"Alright, Captain Consequences," Jared said casually, "What's all this really about?"

Chris didn't even hear him. "I've had five years to get ready for this," he said, "Five years, and I'm not even close."

For his brother's sake, Jared kept his gaze lazily forward, and his tone of voice carried no expectation, only genuine curiosity. "Get ready for what?"

That, Chris heard. "Hell if I know," he said with a shrug.

"Well, I'm no Nancy Drew but... I think you might've just found the problem."

"They're both gonna be getting their first charges soon," said Chris, drifting back into his own mechanical mind. "Can you imagine Rider with a charge?" The very thought gave Chris chills. "He might as well just drive the witch to the demon's doorstep and say, 'I thought I'd save you the trouble. I won't tell if you won't'.

"Whoa!" Jared put a steady hand on Chris' shoulder, bringing them both to a halt.

"What?" Chris said impatiently.

Jared carefully replied, "That's my nephew you're talkin' about there."

Chris rolled his eyes.

(No way I'm gonna let him go see his boys like this.) "Do you realize that, if you heard anyone else say that about Rider, they'd be in somebody's dust pan by now?"

(He's right, I don't know what the hell my problem is.)

Knowing that he was treading on thin ice, but feeling that the truth was worth the risk, Jared cautiously asked, "Do you mind if I answer a question you haven't asked?"

Though the color was different, Chris could see his mother's friendly yet no-nonsense eyes staring back at him. (I shoulda known.) "Ya might as well. You're going to anyway, right?"

There was a mildly hurt look in Jared's eyes. They both knew he'd done nothing to deserve that.

"Sorry," Chris said flatly. "Fine, go ahead."

Jared suddenly questioned his decision. "You're probably not gonna like it."

(Yeah, what else is new?) Chris gave a subtle nod, reluctantly telling Jared to keep going.

"Those two boys of yours... There will never come a day when they don't need you."

Chris allowed his somber gaze to sink towards the ground.

"Whether they're 18, 25, or even 50 years old... Rider and Riley will never outgrow the need for their father."

His gaze still toward the ground, Chris nodded.

Jared grinned warmly. "The worst is over; that's all I'm gonna say... I won't even make you do the hugging thing." he said. "I won't like it, but I'll deal with it."

Chris let his ice thaw. He twitched his head to the side several times.

(I hope I'm not supposed to know what that means.)

When Jared didn't respond, Chris twitched his head again, but bigger.

"Uh... Is it a book or a film?"

Chris twitched yet again, mumbling under his breath. "Jssst pt yrrr g'dd'm rrrms out."

A baffled confusion riddled Jared's face. "One more time?"

"pttt yrrr g'dd'mmm rrrms awt!"

"Sorry, still not fol-"

"Just put your goddam arms out already!"

"Ohhhh!" Jared said with a jolly smile. "Well, that I can do!"