Your Future Hasn't Been Written Yet
by K. Stonham
first released 5th September 2021
Jim wasn't expecting much from his sixteenth birthday. Inedible pancakes, a cooking gadget, and as always, the reminder of his father walking out on Jim and his mom. Probably not a vintage Vespa to fix up with Blinky, given that his mentor was focusing on Toby this time around.
On the other hand, no heart attack inducing "surprise party" in Trollmarket, and hopefully not a stalkling attack either.
He waited for a few minutes after he woke, but his mother didn't come in bearing a breakfast tray. Why not?
But then the walkie-talkie burst out with Toby's voice, so at least that was the same. Though Toby's birthday cake sign didn't have a bite taken out of it. Jim guessed Draal was less inclined to taste-biting than Aaarrrgghh. Still, it was enough to lift Jim's spirits as he dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Halfway down the steps, he got a surprise. Voices in the kitchen, speaking lowly. Sneaking quietly, he discovered his mother and Douxie clustered at the stove, with Archie on the counter near them. Something was sizzling, and Jim could smell bacon.
"These are looking much better than when I make them," his mom said.
"It's all in paying attention," Douxie replied.
"And yet your potions continue to explode," Archie cut in.
"Pancakes are easier than potions," Douxie shot back, as Jim walked silently closer, watching. Archie noticed him, raising an eyebrow and smirking directly at Jim before turning his attention back to the conversation. He did not alert the other two.
"So potions are a real thing, huh?" Jim's mom asked.
Douxie sighed. "Unfortunately."
She was silent for a minute, then said, "I know you two were keeping things from me the other night. If you won't tell me what, will you at least tell me why?"
Jim sat down at the table, wondering what answer Douxie would give.
The wizard flipped a pancake onto a plate, ladled another one onto the pan before answering. "What Jim and I were avoiding was talk of a personal relationship of yours. There's... a fine line between doing something because you want to, and doing something because you feel you ought to. And I think neither of us wanted you to feel coerced into a future that might not come about."
"It's Walter, isn't it?" she asked, deadpan.
Douxie didn't answer.
Jim's mom sighed. "Can you at least tell me if it went well?"
"I will say you were happy," he allowed. "But don't mistake choice for destiny."
"Choice for destiny?"
"The bacon's ready," Archie reported. "You'd best take it off before it burns." Jim's mom rushed to do that.
"Blinky," Douxie said, "Jim's mentor before and Toby's now, has a speech about destiny being a gift. And I quite like it. But destiny isn't set in stone. It's also what we choose and choose again, every day."
"So... you weren't destined to become a wizard?" she asked.
"Douxie was born with the gift of wizardry," Archie replied. "He chose to develop it, though, to seek out spells and mentors and not give up on it."
"Were you destined to become a doctor?" Douxie asked Jim's mom. "If you look at it one way, yes, because you are who you are, so you couldn't be anything else. But if you look at it another way, it's solely the result of your choices. Destiny is an opportunity - me having wizardry, and Jim and Toby being chosen by the amulet, for example. It is a gift, Blinky's right about that, but it's a gift that requires hard work. Jim being a hero is what he chooses, each and every time. And that's what makes us all what we are - destiny by choice. The amulet chose him because he had that potential... but he chose to live up to it. I understand not all Trollhunters have."
His mom sighed. "I can't believe my baby's sixteen already," she said, "and saving the world. It's like he grew up while I wasn't looking."
"I'm afraid children do that," said Archie. "Speaking of which..."
Jim's mom noticed him sitting at the table and jumped. "Jim! You're up! We were going to surprise you."
Jim smiled. "Count me as surprised. Especially if those taste as good as they smell."
"I can cook, you know," Douxie said, plating breakfast. "Not as well as you, but."
"Oh, wait!" Jim's mom fumbled through a drawer and pulled out a birthday candle, stuck it into one stack of pancakes. "Where'd the lighter go-"
Douxie snapped his fingers; the candle lit.
"Or we could do that," Jim's mom said after a beat.
"Better me than Archie," Douxie said, carrying plates to the table. "He can't do anything smaller than a campfire."
"I'm a dragon," Archie replied. "I'm not meant to do microscopic flames. Happy birthday, Jim." This was followed by birthday wishes from Jim's mom and Douxie, and breakfast all around.
And Jim hated to admit it, but Douxie's pancakes were just a tiny bit better than his own. The wizard laughed when Jim told him that. "Longer practice," he cheerfully said.
When breakfast was over, Jim got his presents. His mother stopped mid-talk, though, and said, "You already know what it is, don't you?"
"Sorry?" Jim said sheepishly.
She sighed. "Well, it's not like you peeked," she said reasonably. "And I know you had your heart set on a Vespa, but... I just can't. Not yet."
"I know, Mom. It's okay." He gave her a big hug, because it felt like things were already better between them than they'd been the first time around. He should have told her sooner the first time. He should have trusted her more. "And, believe me," he promised, "I am going to make good use of the Food Magic."
She laughed. "All right. If you're sure."
"I'm sure."
"Jim." He turned. "This is from Archie and me." Douxie held out a small wrapped package.
Jim took it, carefully opened it. Four necklaces slid out into his hand, simple quartz pendants braided into cord. He looked up at Douxie. "What are they?"
"Panic buttons," Douxie said. He lifted a matching cord around his own neck, revealing a crystal hanging right next to his skull pendant. "One for you, one for Barbara, one for Claire, one for Toby. I can add more in to the set later, if necessary." His glance slid to Barbara, then back to Jim. "I'm hoping they're never going to be needed, but in case any of us gets into more trouble than we can handle, the crystals smash easily, which will alert all the other wearers. They'll flare white for you, red for Barbara, purple for Claire, gold for Toby, blue for me. They've also got built-in homing signals so we'll all know where to go in case of emergency."
"Not the cheeriest of birthday presents," Archie admitted, "but something we thought was practical."
Jim was speechless for a second, then hugged Douxie tight. "This is perfect. Thank you."
Douxie breathed a laugh and gave him a light hug back. "We'll try for something less depressing next year," he promised.
"Or perhaps Christmas," Archie said, leaning into the skritches Jim knelt to give him.
"Just smash it?" Jim's mom asked as he stood and untangled one of the necklaces, handing it to her. She examined the crystal even as Jim slid his own over his head and tucked it under his shirt.
"Just smash it," Douxie confirmed.
"All right," she said, putting the necklace on. "As long as all of you understand that 'emergency' includes 'needs medical care.' I may not be part of the magic end of things, but I am good at what I do."
Jim thought about it, and waited to give Toby his necklace until they were at school and he could give Claire hers too.
"Wait, why's Claire get one?" Toby asked even as Claire put the necklace on, crystal resting right next to her shadow ring on its chain.
"I have a little bit of shadow magic," Claire explained. "It's not much yet, but Douxie's been teaching me. Who knows, it could come in handy."
Toby gaped. "Wait, you've got shadow magic?" he demanded.
Steve sauntered nearby. "Handing out friendship necklaces, Loser Lake? Isn't that a little lame?"
Jim's eyes narrowed. He'd been mostly avoiding dealing with Steve this year, but suddenly he really didn't want to.
"Jim-" said Claire, but he ignored her.
"You know, just because your dad walked out on you doesn't mean you should take it out on everyone else, Steve," Jim said clearly, going for the low blow. Because he knew exactly what Steve's problem was. "My dad did too. I get that it hurts, but it doesn't mean you have to be a jerk."
Steve's face had shock written all over it, which changed just as quickly to anger. "Shut your face, Lake!" he yelled, and swung.
Jim leaned easily to the side-Steve really telegraphed his moves-and the fist aimed at him slammed into the locker door instead, denting it. He grabbed Steve's wrist, stopping him from pulling away. "You can be a really great guy, Steve, when you're not stewing in how much he hurt you and spewing it back out all over the place."
"Shut up!"
"If you want to talk," Jim said quietly, "I know what it feels like." And screw his dad, screw Steve's dad too, for doing this to them. Dads weren't supposed to walk out on their kids.
Steve wrenched his fist away. "Why would I ever want to talk to someone like you?"
"Because it hurts," Jim replied, "and we both want it to stop." And he hated his birthday, really hated it for just a minute, hated his dad-
He breathed, and let the hurt and hate drop away into that place where he never had to think about it. He didn't need James Lake, Senior. Hadn't needed him since he was five. There were other, better, father-candidates out there.
(He had the passing thought that even if Steve didn't want to talk to him, Jim should probably take Douxie up on his offer and let the two of them spill all their poison bare before each other, talk it out and maybe each heal up just a tiny bit more.)
"Screw you, Lake," Steve snarled, but his expression revealed his pain even as he stalked away, pushing through the small crowd that had gathered around them.
"Wow, Jim, that was incredible!" cheered Eli.
"Huh. Who knew Lake had it in him?" Jim heard someone-maybe Seamus-say as the crowd slowly dispersed.
Toby was blinking. "Wow, Jimbo, didn't think you had a death wish."
"Nah." Jim ran his fingers over the dented locker door. "I knew what I was doing."
"If you say so." Toby's face and voice were both dubious.
The five-minute bell rang. "Hey, I've gotta run, I've got class on the other side of campus, but you guys want to sit together at lunch?" Claire asked, looking at both Jim and Toby.
"Sure," Jim said. "See you then?"
"You got it." She pecked him on the cheek and turned away.
"Hey, look at us, coming up in the world and sitting with the cool kids!" Toby said as he and Jim turned to walk to class together.
"Toby, we are the cool kids," Jim said. "We've just gotta wait for the world to recognize that."
"Shyeah!" Toby gave Jim a fist-bump.
At lunch, Claire slipped Jim a birthday card. Inside it was a handmade coupon for One (1) Perfect Date, To Include Dinner at Benoit's, Maybe a Movie, and Romantic Dancing at the Overlook. Redeemable on Day of Bearer's Choice.
"Ugh, gag me," complained Mary even as Jim beamed.
"I think it's romantic," Darci said.
"I think it's perfect," said Jim, and kissed Claire.
The rest of his birthday went more or less as Jim expected: the test-drive at the Vespa dealership, and Steve's ego (and hurt, Jim could admit that) getting them into a battle of the bikes. This time, though, Jim didn't also have a stalkling to deal with, so managed to get the Vespa back to the store without a scratch. Steve, on the other hand...
Jim sighed when he got the call from his mom about an idiot who had crashed his Vespa and needed x-rays.
Biking home, he settled in for a bittersweet end to yet another birthday. It wasn't that he hated having been born, but couldn't his dad have thought about something other than himself and waited one more day to leave, instead of wrecking Jim's birthday forever?
Some men were never meant to be fathers, and Jim renewed his vow of eleven years as he opened the garage door: I will never be like my father. Never.
The house was quiet as Jim walked inside. Not a surprise, with his mom still working at the clinic (thanks, Steve) and Douxie having closing shift at the cafe again. Though the wizard had left a note on the kitchen counter: Birthday present #2: finished the wards on the house. Be careful who you invite in.
Something thumped in the basement.
Jim's heart jumped into his throat, adrenaline kicking in. No one was home except him. The house was warded. What, or who, had gotten inside before Douxie finished the wards?
Summoning Excalibur to his hand, Jim crept toward the basement door. Eased it open, thankful that he'd oiled the lock and hinges only a few weeks before; the creak that had been growing worse in the last year was gone.
Slowly, one step at a time, he eased his way down, testing each tread and avoiding the three that always groaned.
Someone was in his house, and Jim didn't like it.
All that evaporated as soon as he saw who it was. "Blinky?"
The troll spun to face him even as Excalibur vanished from Jim's hand. "Master Jim! I was not expecting you home so soon!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Draal, Aaarrrgghh, and myself have taken the liberty of providing your home, as well as Master Toby's, with a 'back door' exit to Trollmarket in case of emergencies." Blinky gestured grandly at the new but oh-so-familiar hole in the basement wall that led to the network of tunnels under Arcadia Oaks.
"That's great, Blinky. Thanks." Jim wondered briefly if Douxie's wards covered the tunnel-doors as well as the upstairs ones, and made a note to check about it.
"And also, Toby let us know that today was the anniversary of your natal day, and that the thing you most desired in the world was a means of transportation."
Jim was suddenly speechless. It couldn't be happening the same way in this timeline, could it? It wasn't possible - his relationship with Blinky wasn't the same.
"I realize that the loss of our previous relationship must have left an emotional hole in you that I can only hope to fill in time," Blinky continued, "but I would be most honored if you would accept this gift as... a project we could work on together, and get to know one another better."
Jim touched the pieces of the 1955 Vespa with a shaky hand.
"Master Jim?" Blinky suddenly sounded unsure.
Jim flung himself at Blinky, hugging him hard. "Thank you," he choked.
It was a second, but then four arms closed around him, warm, solid, familiar.
In that moment, James Lake, Senior might as well never have existed.
"It is my pleasure, Jim," murmured Blinky. "Though," he said as Jim straightened, wiping at his eyes, "I must depend on you to tell me what would be an appropriate gift for Master Toby's birthing day."
Jim laughed a little. "You're going to have to wait a while for that, Blinky. Toby's two months older than me, so his birthday's not until next year."
"All the more time to consider and plan, then," said Blinky contentedly.
Author's Note: I am totally not doing all the episodes. But Jim's birthday had enough important themes in it that it was one I couldn't just gloss over. Plus I finally got to start working Steve (who really is Jim's literary foil) into the story! My Wonderful Husband helped me with the debate of choice versus destiny. And Douxie's "panic button" necklaces are heavily inspired by the ones in inexplicific's "I Have Heartfire and Singing To Give" over on AO3. Seriously, go read her whole The Accidental Warlord and His Pack series - they're so good, and I'm not even in The Witcher fandom!