"Jim."
For a minute, it sounded like his mother was beside him. Warm, comforting, like when he was a child trying to deny his father had left again.
But it wasn't his mother. It couldn't be. He wasn't a child, his father was long gone, and this loss somehow hurt more.
"Jim. Look at me."
Slowly Jim obeyed, raising his head to meet the eyes of the woman that soothed his reluctance to accept what he'd been told.
Mrs Parr smiled. Sad, but full of love. "There you go. Breathe in. You're going to be okay." Her accent was thicker, a familiar comfort he instantly recognized without ever having heard it before.
"Did he mean it?"
Mrs Parr hesitated. She'd never run into this situation before. Her children had had their share of relationships and breakups, and lord knew she'd had no small number of her own. Even her marriage wasn't always perfect, no matter how much love was there. "I don't know. What do you think?"
"Yes." Jim deflated before her eyes. "Well. He was. Not him. I think he meant it, but I don't think he did. He's bluffing. Not him, you know, him."
"No, I don't know. Take me with you, kid. I'm not on board your train of thought."
Jim managed a small smile. "Sorry. I think the admiral was serious and meant what he said. I don't think Sy did. I think he had to say it."
Mrs Parr stroked Jim's hair gently. "I suppose only D'nahsy could say for certain. But I'm not so sure he's going to change his mind. He's in a tough spot. It's not easy to date someone that you don't have approval to." She chuckled, the far away look of memories in her eyes. "I would know."
Hope sparked. "What happened?"
"Oh, not much. Just the involvement of the government, a supervillain trying to use our family against us, a few erased memories, a couple of epic fights..."
Jim blinked, the smallest of frowns upon his lips. "I honestly can not tell if you're being serious or not."
"Does it matter?" Mrs Parr smiled as she stroked his cheek. "What matters is that you do what's best for you. And, just as importantly, what's best for D'nahsy. Would pursuing a relationship with him cause him more pain than would be worth it?"
"I... don't know. But how can I ask him? He's never left alone."
"If he wants you to know, he'll find a way to tell you. Until he reaches out, give him space, dear."
Jim's shoulders drooped. "Space. I'll have plenty of that soon if the admiral has his way. Can he really expel me?"
"No. He can't. Not for this."
"Hellen? Honey?" Mr. Parr's deep voice interrupted the tranquility of their shared space. Somehow, though, Jim didn't mind.
"Bob." Mrs Parr - Hellen - greeted her husband in the sort of way that communicated volumes to the one you'd been married to for decades, but nothing to those who knew you less well. Whatever it was she was telling him, Mr Parr seemed to pick up on it immediately.
"Kids, it's alright. Someone just needs a friend right now. Slowly, Dash!"
"What's wrong, how can we help?" Unexpectedly a teen boy was on Jim's left. Where he'd come from was anyone's guess. Or, at least, was Jim's guess. Everyone else seemed to be perfectly able to track where he'd come from. And apparently where he was going. In the blink of an eye the young teen was on Jim's right, facing him this time instead. "What happened? We need to fight someone?"
"Dash!" Mrs Parr was every inch the disappointed mother that Sarah had once been around Jim.
"Fighting isn't the first option. We have to try at least six useless things first." A girl about Jim's age drawled from against the wall. She sounded just like a more sarcastic version of Mrs Parr. "That's why I hung up the suit."
"Violet!" Now Mrs Parr was turning her exasperation on the young woman. She got little more than a smirk from her son and an eye roll from her daughter in return.
"Yeah, except for when you get it out." Her brother shot back. He was beside her now, though it wasn't humanly possible for him to be there that fast.
"Don't you two start." Mrs Parr warned them sharply.
"Yeah, Dash, you're setting a bad example for Jack-Jack." Violet taunted.
"Bob!"
"Violet, don't aggravate your brother." Mr Parr reprimanded her, though the effect was lessened by the five year old riding on his shoulders and pulling faces at his siblings from where dad couldn't see.
"I'm not aggravating him, I'm just talking." Violet protested.
"Could you two please behave?" Mrs Parr sighed. "Jim needs comfort right now, not infighting."
"Actually," Jim spoke up for the first time since the unusual crew had appeared. "This is kind of helping. It was just me and my mom growing up, but…this is nice. It kinda feels like family."
"That's because we are family, genius." It seemed Dash had gained the sarcastic gene like his sister. He was right up against Jim again, just on the edge of uncomfortably close.
Jim smiled. "So how come I haven't seen you around base before?"
Dash scoffed. "Dad says we're supposed to stay away from you recruits so we don't distract you. Also we're expected to do our boring school work. Violet goes and watches you guys allllll the time though."
"Dash!" Violet was-invisible? Her clothes were still there, standing upright in the shape of a body, but Jim couldn't see her at all. Her voice continued from about where her mouth would be. "I do not!"
"Then why'd you go invisible?" Dash taunted. "You only do that when you're embarrassed."
"Because you're embarrassing!"
"Kids." Mrs. Parr cut through the arguing before it could get any worse.
Whatever it was they were doing, it was working. Jim was starting to feel like he could tackle this head on now. "You're certain the admiral can't expel me?"
"Positive." This time Mr. Parr was the one to confirm it. "Now I don't know all the details, but it sounds like you've gotten into a bit of a sticky relationship. Unless that relationship is unsafe for you or another soldier, he's got no grounds to remove you on."
Jim nodded once. "Thank you. I should go get back to my friends. Maybe they'll have some ideas about how to handle this."
"Give him space, Jim." Mrs. Parr reminded him again. "Forcing the issue won't help."
"I will." Jim promised. He turned to go, but thought better of it just before he left. Turning back, he threw his arms around Mrs. Parr and squeezed tightly. For just a moment she didn't react, but then her hand settled on his back and she pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder, hugging him the way only a mother could.
"You're a good kid, Jim." She said softly. "Your mother is proud of you. Go get some rest. Things will feel easier in the morning."