The three of us are only one world away from my campsite when Selene's body just doesn't turn up. Until that point, I'm not sure that I quite believed her about the body. However, I'm now looking at her ghost and trying not to tear up.
On the other side of her, dad sighs, "I guess this is as far as you go."
Selene shrugs, "Sort of. I had hoped to make it to this world with a body, but beggars cannot be choosers too. This is certainly the last world where I can manifest without damaging the world around me. Danny, remember to take your time to ensure your magic is fully under control as you get closer to the mortal world. It will be harder for you to adjust than it was for Taylor, as you stayed near the sea while your magic developed."
I laugh, "I don't know about that. Every time I head home it feels like I'm trying to stuff myself into a dress that's two sizes too small for me."
Selene nods, "Indeed, however, you are already used to that sensation so after you have finished stuffing your discomfort passes quickly. Your father is not yet used to that feeling, and so his magic will seek to expand unless he keeps it under control. Now go, and remember to practice your teleportation. While you're gone I'll make myself a new body and find a suitable place for a campsite in the next world."
As I start to cry, I smile at Selene, "Are you sure I can't stay for longer?"
Selene reaches out as if to touch my face, "Yes I'm sure. Same as your father and I both agree that you shouldn't spend more than seven days here for every day you spend in the mortal world. Unless, and until, the way your mind works changes, staying away for longer will harm your ability to relate to people."
"But…"
Selene shakes her head, "But nothing. Your father has spoken to me about your recent experiences in education. While your home schooling is a better alternative to your previous educational establishment, it is hardly conducive to learning to relate to your peers. Indeed, this challenge I give to you. You are to find sufficient friends that you have an active social life before your father is capable of learning a spell to find precious metals. If you can not, then I will teach him this spell and instruct him to enroll you in another educational establishment."
My face must have shown something, as dad bursts out laughing while Selene adds, "Is the thought of making true friends really that offensive to you?"
I swallow and shake my head, "No, it's just, my last attempt didn't go that well."
"Indeed, and we will visit those memories in due time. However, remember that this time you are not alone. If you have trouble with the mortals, I will be here to help you with your feelings, as I have already been doing for your father."
I look at dad in surprise, "She has?"
Dad nods, "When I took her mark, it was to be her 'eyes, ears, and hands in the world'. It was a little weird to start with, but Selene's been talking to me whenever my thoughts turn to dark places."
Selene nods, "Indeed, but we will have plenty of time to talk about such matters. Instead, you should both return to your home and prepare for your day tomorrow."
Before either of us can respond, Selene fades out of sight, so the two of us make our way back home.
Once we reach Earth Bet it takes me nearly 30 seconds to teleport the two of us back home.
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The next morning I wake up to the sound of Dad yelping. Almost before I'm fully awake I've rolled out of bed while scanning the room for danger while Spike yowls from the floor where I dumped him. After a couple of seconds to get my bearings I open the door to the hall at around the same time Dad opens his door.
When he spots me standing there in my PJ's he rather sheepishly says, "Sorry Taylor, I wasn't expecting my alarm to wake me up."
I snigger and managed to say, "Well don't use all the hot water, as I want a shower before we leave."
Dad looks at me blankly for a few seconds before I close my door. I'm sure he'll figure it out.
While I'm waiting for Dad to finish in the bathroom I check through my wardrobe and desk drawers to see if I've got any blank notebooks, only to groan when I come up empty. Oh, right, I was going to buy more after I got money from the bank… Oh, right, that's when I got punched and ended up at the PRT. I hold my hand out, half expecting my backpack to already be there. When it isn't I look up with a frown until I remember what Selene was getting me to practice. Absent conscious control. Well, I guess all that sewing and practice has got me to the conscious control part already.
I frown with concentration as I grab my backpack and pull it upstairs. I suppose that the self help book did say that it takes 30 days to build a habit, and we were there for over three months.
Once my backpack arrives, I quickly unpack it and frown when I can't find my savings book. After double checking the pockets on my bag I find a scrap of paper in my drawer and make a note to check at the bank to see if it was handed in.
By the time I've finished packing my books for today, Dad has finished in the bathroom. As I'm walking into the bathroom, dad walks out of his room and says, "Taylor, if you want a ride with me you'll need to be quick, as I want to double check my diary and paperwork before the job hall opens. I can't remember if I had any jobs available today or not."
I nod back at dad, "Sure, I've already packed my books."
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Half an hour later, Dad pulls into one of the parking bays outside the union building as Lacey is unlocking the front doors. At the sound of the engine I see her look back before she steps inside to disable the alarm, and then comes back and holds the door for us.
When we walk in, Lacey looks dad up and down before focusing on his beard and hair, "Well, this'll be good. Well, when did you get a makeover? For that matter, when did you decide to grow a beard?"
I hear dad mumble, "Selene likes it" as I slide past him and head for the stairs.
"Selene huh, I don't know a Selene, does she know anyone I know?"
I'm halfway across the room when I hear dad say my name, so I call back, "You're on your own with that one Dad, I'll be upstairs studying."
A few minutes later I can hear Lacey shouting at dad through the closed door, so I'm not sure he got the chance to look at his diary.
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Once we get home, dad takes some steaks out of the fridge and starts to marinade them while I grab some potatoes to peel them.
Before I can start, dad waves at a bag on the table and says, "Don't bother, just put them in a bag for later."
I look up at dad in surprise, "Oh?"
Dad looks back down at the herbs he's chopping as he says, "It's just Selene's been cooking for us the entire time we were there, so I figured the least we could do is return the favor. Oh, and Lacey had to go to Costco at lunch time, so I gave her twenty and asked her to get you some more notebooks. They should be in the bag too."
I pick out a couple more potatoes than we'd normally use and poke my head into the bag as I'm putting them in it. As I lift out a shrink wrapped pack of half a dozen junior legal spiral bound notebooks I smile as I say, "So, dad, cookies and chocolates?"
Dad ducks his head by the chopping board, "That was Lacey's idea after she weaseled out of me the fact that we were going to see Selene tonight. I swear she's trying to set me up."
Using my cutting power I remove the plastic from the notebooks and frown once more when I have to actually focus on my notebook and pen in order to have them float beside me and start writing. As I'm doing that I allow a little sarcasm into my voice as I say, "Well, everyone knows you like older women."
Dad grunts in annoyance, "Annette was only three months older than me."
I hug dad from behind, "I know she was. I was just teasing you. Honestly, I'm just happy to see you so much more…" I trail off as my brain tries to find the right word.
Dad asks, "Alive?" His hands still and he looks out into the back yard, "I suppose I am. I think I needed that break where I didn't have any responsibilities and could just relax."
As we're not cooking, I instead gather up my clothes and put them on to wash.
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The grandfather clock in the lounge says it's just gone half past eight when we decide that it's time to leave, as it's now unlikely that any of our neighbors would knock.
Just as we've gathered all our bags together, and I'm looking for a crack in the world, the doorbell rings. Dad and I share a glance before I walk out of the lounge while dad takes the bags back through to the kitchen.
As I open the door I see a nervous young woman gently rocking a stroller backwards and forwards. A second later she looks up at me, "Sorry to bother you, but does Taylor Hebert live here?"
I stand there for a couple of seconds as I process the question, "Um, yes, I'm Taylor."
The woman sags with relief, "Oh thank god, you dropped your savings book at the bank, and I didn't want to hand it to the PRT in case they used it against you."
As the woman fumbles with her purse I step down onto the garden path. As I do, the light from the house reflects off a shopping cart that was hidden on the street, because the city hasn't fixed the street lights after my accident. I frown as I realize that it's full of clothes and personal effects haphazardly stuffed into carrier bags. As the woman hands me my savings book, I point at the cart and say, "Is that yours?"
The woman nods nervously, "Don't worry, I'm taking it with me, I just wanted to give you your book before I go to a shelter, as things often go missing in those places."
I search my memory, trying to remember the woman, in order to buy time I rather tactlessly ask, "Why are you going to a shelter?"
Morosely, the woman looks back at the shopping cart as she says, "You were right. In the bank I mean. I don't know if you remember as Glory Girl hit you pretty hard, but I was there to get my rent. It was due today, and I tried to get the money this morning, but they bank's closed for repairs for the next week. And a machine swallowed my card last year…"
As the woman bursts into tears, I do the only thing I can think of and call out, "Dad!"
Unsurprisingly, it only takes a few seconds for dad to get here from the kitchen, and I can hear the concern in his voice as he asks, "What's wrong?"
I point out at the road, where the shopping cart is now barely visible, "She brought my savings book back, but she's now homeless because of the bank."
The woman shakes her head and starts to walk back to the cart with her stroller, "I'm sorry to bother you, I'm just glad I was able to find the right Hebert's tonight."
She's almost got to the cart when dad says, "You should at least come in and have something to eat and drink. It's the least we can do given you had to go out of your way to bring Taylor's book back."
The woman shake her head once more and grabs the cart, "No, it's fine, I've already interrupted your evening."
Dad looks down at himself and the door before stepping out of the house and sitting on the steps. Tiredly he calls out, "Wait! I'm not trying to pressure you into anything. The offer is genuine, I just don't think a young woman should be sleeping on the streets, especially with a child."
I blink a few times as the woman seems to relax a bit now that dad's not standing in the doorway. Now that he's no longer blocking the light I can also see the indecision on her face. Just as she's turning back to the street again, I blurt, "Mr Person across the road has a spare room, if dad's ok with you sleeping on the couch tonight, I could introduce you in the morning. I'm sure he'd appreciate having someone around to with his heart condition."
Warningly, dad says, "Taylor."
So I look back at him, "What? Mr Person's been retired my whole life, and I'm at least partly responsible for her situation."
As I turn back to look at the woman, she's turned her stroller back towards the garden path, "Do you mean that? About the spare room?"
I nod, "Sure, the worst that can happen is that he says no."
Hesitantly the woman walks up the path dragging the shopping cart behind her. While she's doing that, dad says, "Taylor, why don't you take the cart round to the yard while I help…"
The woman hurriedly says, "Catlin, I'm Catlin, and this is Connor."
Dad smoothly continues, "Catlin get the stroller inside. I think we've got a tarp in the basement that will protect the contents if it rains overnight."
I nod and take the shopping cart round to the back, using my power, magic, to open the side gate. While I'm doing that, I hear Connor start to cry at the same time I hear the step crack. I really should have used my repair power on that step already.
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A couple of minutes later I walk into the kitchen after repairing the step, only to stop as I spot dad bouncing Connor on his knee with one hand, while the other hand is wiggling a bright green soft toy while he makes funny noises. Catlin seems to be more relaxed, even though she's holding a bag of frozen peas on her ankle.
Walking around the table I fill the kettle with water before putting it on the stove. Then I grab the cookie tin from the top of the fridge and take the lid off as I put it on the table with a smile, "Help yourself to cookies while I'm getting the tarp and the kettle's boiling. We've got tea and instant coffee, or…"
I trail off as Connor start to reach for the cookie tin and cries, "Coookie! Cookie!"
Catlin leans forward shaking her head, "No Connor, you can't have any cookies. You'll have some milk in a bit."
Connor, like most toddlers, completely ignores Catlin and continues to scream and reach for the cookie tin. Catlin turns to the table and reluctantly starts to put the lid on the cookie tin. As she does, Connor reaches out and screams "Nooo! Cookie!" and one of the cookies flips out of the tin and flies straight into his hands.
While Connor is busy trying to stuff the cookie into his mouth, the rest of us just stare at each other.
Eventually dad deadpans, "Right, well, that happened. Taylor, Selene would like to talk to Catlin about what happened in the bank."
Catlin looks at dad with a confused expression, "Wait, what?" then her mouth drops open as the basement door swings open as a heavy plastic tarp floats up the stairs, across the kitchen, and out the back door.
Dad chuckles at her expression, "I'd imagine I had the same expression on my face when I first found out Taylor has powers. Selene can explain more, and she thinks she knows why Connor has powers despite being younger than any parahuman I've ever heard of."
Catlin's mouth opens a couple of times as she tries to find the right words, eventually she says, "Right, sure, whatever. It's not like this can get any weirder."
Dad smiles, "Go on, I'll look after Connor. I'm sure I can still change a diaper if needed, even if Taylor grew out of them 13 years ago. Oh, and Taylor, take the food with you, Selene says she can preserve it so that we can share a meal once the two of you get back. Oh, and Taylor, if Catlin shows any signs of discomfort, bring her back here immediately."
Holding out my hand I say, "Sure. Take my hand and we'll be off."