Life Renewed - Revised

All of the boys but Tommy had made their way to the hospital cafeteria after the young boy woke up. Jack smiled as he cuddled the little five-year-old on his lap. "Are you still hungry, Jasper?"

Jasper shook his head, holding on to Jack's arms to make sure that he didn't let go.

"Remember, if you feel hungry, just ask," Jack said softly. "My Dad gets sad if we don't eat when our bodies say to eat."

"Okay," Jasper whispered. "Do I gotta go back there?"

"I'm not going to let that happen," Jack stated. "You're never going back there, little guy."

"You could say that," Cory stated as he joined them. "Tommy and JJ are grabbing showers; they needed to wash the blood off."

"Where are Jasper's former parents?" Jack asked, more for Jasper than himself.

"They didn't survive the beating that Tommy and JJ gave them," Cory replied. "They were found guilty of attempted murder, and were terminated in the same manner as how they treated Jasper."

"But Tommy doesn't like to fight," Jack noted.

"Neither does JJ," Cory replied. "That changes when someone who can't defend themselves gets attacked, though. Don't hurt a kid around either of them; they won't hold back."

"Is that why Daddy and Uncle JJ got so mad at my old family?" Taz asked.

"Yes," Cory replied. "Your new little brother was hurt like you were at his age."

"Poppa Jack, you gonna 'dopt him?" Taz asked hopefully.

"I don't even know who to ask about how to start," Jack admitted.

"You just found him," Cory grinned. "You might be getting a second one, though. His brother, Rich, is being looked at up in South Carolina. He just turned eight, and I'm pretty sure he's gonna join Taz in the android limbs club."

"Go ahead," Roy said as he saw the look on Jack's face. "You're not alone; you've got four other future husbands who have your back."

"I'll help too, Poppa Jack," Taz offered. "Daddy helped me, so I gotta help my brother."

"I think that means you have family support," Cory quipped.

Nelson's voice came over Jack's badge. "Jack; both Regan and Val state that you have their support as well. Do not worry, as your parents are looking forward to joining the grandparent club."

"Jack," Tommy's voice added over the badge, "Rich says whatever his brother decides, he's good with. You got this; Taz is proof of that."

Jack finally smiled at Tommy's support. "Okay, Tommy; if you say I can do it, I'm willing to try."

"I'll be there soon; I'm just waiting for Rich to be ready for our Archnania trip to get his new leg and arm online." Tommy stated.

"Tell the fish I said Hi!" Jack responded with a giggle.

"Will do; I'll see you in a few minutes," Tommy laughed.

As the conversation finished, Jack looked at Cory. "What now?"

"Jasper?" Cory asked softly, "Do you want Jack to be your new Daddy forever?"

"Really?" Jasper asked suspiciously. "Can big kids be daddies?"

"The Federation says that if I say that someone is a Daddy, then nobody can argue with me," Cory explained. "Jack is a really important kid, so I trust him to be a good Daddy for you if you want him to do it."

Jasper turned to look at Jack. "Are you gonna hurt us?"

Jack shook his head. "Not only won't I hurt you, but you'll get four Poppas that are going to protect you, too."

"Would you really be my Daddy?" Jasper asked with a glimmer of hope.

"I'll be your Daddy forever," Jack assured him.

Jasper stared into Jack's eyes for just over a minute, then turned back to Cory. "Please?" he asked softly.

"George, open log," Cory ordered.

"Proceed, Patriarch," George stated.

"This is Patriarch Short of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the planet Vulcan. In accordance with standard protocols. I have witnessed the declaration of Director Thomas Benton of the Arizona Extension of the AI Annex of the AI Division of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan that Rich Harris Thomas, brother of Jasper Terrence Thomas, has declared that decisions of Jasper regarding family association are to be determined to apply to himself as well. I have approved the preceding statement as applied to the following."

"I have witnessed the request of Jasper Terrence Thomas for Jack Charles Frost to adopt himself and his brother Rich Harris Thomas. The pending parental spouses have given their consent to the adoption, as has their son Taz Thomas Benton. Jasper Terrence Thomas, you have requested to be adopted by Jack Frost; could you please confirm your request, and tell me any changes that you want to your name?"

"I wanna be Jasper Jack Frost, like my brother did for his daddy,"

Cory smiled, "That answered both questions at once. Jack, Jasper has requested that you adopt him, and wishes to take parts of your name as part of his own. Are you willing to accept his declaration of family with yourself and your pending spouses, with the understanding that his older brother Rich will be joining your family as well, with any changes to his name pending his medical recovery?"

"I accept all of it," Jack replied.

"Do you swear to raise both brothers as appropriate for their ages, consulting with parents and Clan resources as necessary to assist with things that you are not prepared for?"

"Yes," Jack stated.

"As Patriarch of Family Clan Short of the House of Surak of the Planet Vulcan, I find this placement logical. I approve this adoption, and authorize the change to Jasper Terrence Thomas's name to Jasper Jack Frost. I also approve any pending changes to the name of Rich Harris Thomas once recovered from his current medical procedures. The placement of both subjects is permanent; any and all claims by persons or authorities stating otherwise are hereby nullified. My Word is Given."

"That means you're really my son now, Jasper," Jack translated as he gave Jasper a squeeze.

"Yeah!" Jasper exclaimed as he managed to twist around and latch onto Jack.

"Did we miss the fun?" Tommy asked as him and an older version of Jasper appeared next to Cory.

Once Cory's feet touched the floor again, he quipped "Which Mikyvis helped you plan your arrival?"

"Aldrich!" Tommy grinned. "Having a little brother who is telepath-proof is a bonus!"

"Aldrich?" Cory asked, "I thought he was only part-Mikyvis!"

"I ain't tellin' what parts, Grandpa!" Aldrich giggled. "You gotta figure it out!"

"I'm not telling either, bro!" Kyle's voice announced over Cory's commbadge.

Cory shook his head with a grin. "I can tell this will either be fun or put us all in the nuthouse!"

"Both!" Tommy laughed. "Rich, that's your Daddy over there being choked by your brother's hug; you better go help, and let your Grandpa Cory know what you want your name to be."

Rich made his way over, joining Jasper in torturing Jack. "Rich Benton Frost!" he called out.

"George, did you get that?" Cory asked.

"I passed it to Justy," George replied.

"Thanks!" Cory stated. Turning to Tommy, Cory asked seriously "How are you holding up, Tommy?"

"Better," Tommy admitted. "Grandpa Spock and Joel helped a lot with my panic. Joel also explained to me that if things are crazy, I'm supposed to blame you. I'm still feeling the same stuff I was feeling, but now I can decide if I need to listen to it based on who it's caused by."

Cory nodded. "I think I know why Dad and my little brother did that. This way, you can learn to listen and make choices; if they'd blocked them, you'd never learn how to trust the feelings when you need them."

Tommy gave a small smile. "They helped me understand what Don was still feeling, too. CJ got Grandpa to help while I was trying to figure out how to get Don to trust me about it; once CJ got him to consider a Sharing, I was able to tell Don how it helped me, so he agreed to it."

"Good," Cory smiled. "You don't always have to be the one that helps, sometimes it works better if someone assists you. You and Roy are doing great, but so you know, Nelson and his AI brothers watch all of the directors, and they'll call in help if they think any of you need it. It's not that you're not trusted; if you were not trusted, you wouldn't have the positions. They watch all the leadership, even me, because none of us are really ready for everything we need to do."

Tommy visually relaxed. "Thanks, that makes it better. I'm kinda afraid to ask for help; I don't want to look like I'm not ready for my job that CJ and Chad gave me."

"Don't worry," Cory assured him. "CJ and Chad ask Danny if they are not sure, Danny asks me if he's not sure, and I ask Grandfather Sarek if I'm not sure. Don't think that you have to go through CJ and Chad; you can ask anyone, and if it's something that Grandfather Sarek needs to be consulted about, just ask Justy and he'll get the answer for you. Don't worry about bugging anyone; Grandfather Sarek has told Justy that if nobody's asking questions, then someone needs to find out why."

Tommy nodded. "Should I have asked someone before I did this stuff for Jasper and Rich?"

"You asked right when you should have," Cory explained. "You asking JJ to join you was the exact right thing to do. That was you saying that you were not comfortable deciding the fate of someone who had violated Federation laws, so you needed the person that you trusted to help you to be there. JJ and me have talked after he helped you with Taz; he thinks you're a great guy, and he's hoping that you become a friend as well as being a brother. I'll put it this way; he's told every AI that if you request help with anything security related, he's the first person they're supposed to call. I can count the people he's got on that list with my hands and still have fingers left, that's how much of an impression you've made with him."

"Why?" Tommy asked, confused.

"Because when it counts, you protect kids with the same intensity that he does," Cory explained. "Him and me have the absolute trust of Kyle; that's because neither one of us would back down when Kyle needed us."

Kyle appeared behind Cory, tapping him on the shoulder. Once again, Cory found himself jumping from shock. As he landed and spun around, he exclaimed "KYLE!"

"Gotcha!" Kyle giggled. "I can't let Aldrich have ALL the fun!"

"You're weird, lil' bro!" Cory grinned as he gave Kyle a quick hug. 

"I learned from you and JJ!" Kyle grinned as he returned the hug. "Hey Aldrich, pop on over here!"

Grinning, Aldrich did exactly what Kyle asked. "You rang, Your Highness?" he quipped as he appeared next to Kyle.

 "Watch it, I know your tickle spots!" Kyle grinned. "Tommy? There's one thing that Aldrich can't do, yet. Me, JJ, and Cory have talked it over in our heads, and we all agree that you and Roy have earned something that Mikyvis can do. If it was anyone else, one of my kids would have helped, but since you've done so much already and impressed my big bro JJ enough that he wants to be your friend, I'm gonna do it myself." Turning to where they were being watched, Kyle called "Roy? Could you join us?  Jack? You might want to drag your cuddle monsters over here and join us to!"

"Whats up?" Roy asked as he walked over, Jack following with his new sons.

Kyle smiled, "Normally, one of us Mikyvis makes what we call a 'room' in the heads of Directors; usually only asking after we did it. I call them rooms because we're not actually watching your thoughts unless you either ask us to, or think something hard enough that we'd hear it anyway. Cory, Danny, and JJ all have special rooms where we're always talking to each other. The rest of the directors have to think to meet us in their rooms, then it's just like we are their with them."

"Okay, so even more crazy voices in our heads?" Roy quipped, trying to figure out where this was going.

Kyle smiled. "I know that Taz is creating a family link. I already asked him if he minded, and he said it was okay. I've got a room in his head already; one like the other Directors have, because we share a lot of things in our past. If you're both okay with it, I'd like to make a link like I have with my brothers, one where we can talk without you having to consciously ask. With that kind of link, I could add Aldrich and Vance; that way they can be the kind of help that they're really able to be."

"Usually, Kyle's husband Tyler tags along," Cory added. "Something about how they changed into what they are now; if one has access, both of them do. The rest of the Mikyvis have sworn to never access minds that Kyle or Tyler have joined with; Aldrich would be the very first magic universe person that is in a link that Kyle or Tyler created."

Roy looked at Aldrich. "What do you think, bro?"

Aldrich smiled. "That would make it so I can help both of you even if I'm somewhere else. The Guardian told me that I was going to be a special kind of help to my new big brothers; this sounds like part of it."

"Who is this Guardian everyone keeps talking about?" Roy asked, obviously irritated. "Every time I've asked, someone changes the subject!"

 "That's because it's a subject that is classified by the Federation and Vulcan." Kyle stated. "I put us in a Time Bubble as soon as you, Vance, and Jack joined us, Roy, so now I can talk about it. Dylan and Thomas knew it wasn't the right time to tell you before, that's why they did that."

Roy nodded, "Why didn't they say that?"

"Sometimes any kind of acknowledgement changes the future," Kyle explained. "Their son Jimmy is a result of unintended consequences, so they're more careful than anyone else. Out in public, we just call the Guardian 'Uncle G'; those who don't know who he is just assume that he's a real uncle."

Roy nodded. "Okay, but why does this feel like you're changing the subject again?"

"I'm not," Kyle grinned, "I'm just doing things in the order my tummy tells me to! First, you have to understand about the different levels of power in the Universes."

"That makes sense," Tommy nodded. "Give him a chance, bro; if he chickens out, we tickle him until he pees."

Roy nodded, "Okay, bro."

Kyle grinned. "You gotta catch me first! Anyway, most of the people you know are standard people; that's who forms the baseline. Every variation starts from there; even the normal telepaths and other types of powers are still normal, just at the higher end of it. You'll hear some of the guys calling themselves or someone else 'N-Gen'; that's people who have a special level naturally of special skills, and their level is Intermediate Middle. That means there's a chance their descendants might become Middle Race."

"A Middle Race person could possibly be able to affect Time, do various mental stuff, and even bounce between and interact with other timelines. The thing is, they can only do SOME of that stuff, not all of it, but the stuff they can do is far above the levels normal people can do. Usually, their bodies can be energy based, and they'll either live a really long time naturally, or won't die of old age at all."

"You call them middle," Roy sputtered, "you mean there's higher than that!"

"Yep," Kyle grinned, "and the higher you go, the cuter we are!"

"And the more conceited!" Cory added with a grin.

"You're just jealous!" Kyle laughed. "Now, we get to Aldrich. He's an example of an Intermediate High Race. He's not energy based, yet, and he still has some limits on Time stuff. He's got cute covered, though!"

"Hey!" Aldrich blushed.

"Don't argue; he's right little brother!" Roy grinned.

"Now we get into the real fun!" Kyle grinned. "That's the group all of the Mikyvis are in. High Race beings are energy based in one way or another. All of us are able to travel and modify Time in almost all Universes and the multiple timelines within those Universes. Only God can absolutely block us from a timeline or Universe. We either don't age, control how we age, or regenerate if we die - or a combination of the above. Any mental powers that we have are over and above what even Aldrich could possibly do. For Mikyvis, we actually are in all universes and all timelines at once, we just choose where and when we want our bodies to be. High race is the highest anyone can be without Divine Intervention."

As he tried not to giggle at the stunned faces, Kyle moved on to the next level. "Now we reach the Guardians," Kyle smiled. "There are only two, no more, and no less. The one we call Uncle G is officially the Guardian of Forever. Think of him as Time in person; I live within Time, and am subject to Time's laws. As he puts it, he's all that was, is, and will ever be. He's existed through all of Time since the creation of the first Universe."

"The second Guardian is unique, because he was inactive, but existed through the same events that Uncle G did. You'll probably meet him pretty soon, knowing him. He's now the Guardian of Destiny, and he replaced the old Guardian who went bad. That one is my brother Joel, or Sar'en when he's feeling Vulcan. Like us, he has a body; but it's not the half-Vulcan body he was born with, even though it looks the same."

"Either one of them can do things by themselves that no one High Race member could do alone, and either of them can temporarily give someone power that they normally wouldn't have so that they can do something that Needs to Happen. They also train High Race members on the Laws of Creation."

"Shit!" both Roy and Tommy exclaimed in unison. 

Jack grinned as he told his boys, "Told you your Poppas have potty mouths!"

"Next up are the Angels," Kyle giggled. "You've got normal Angels, Guardian Angels, Saints, the Archangels, and then God Himself, who is known by more Names than anyone can count!" 

Pausing to make sure everyone was still breathing, Kyle then added "Don't forget the Spirit Guardians and Spirit Helpers! Think of them as the Hands of the Great Spirit when an Angel isn't the right one to do something. Technically, they're below the Archangels when they're doing Mandates, but sometimes they get their Mandate from the Great Spirit himself. We have a few of them running around the Clan, all of them little kids. Timmy and Ricky merged with their respective partner Spirit Guardians, and now they are ageless and immune to everything. Both of them have banished Demons until the final Judgement Day."

Cory nodded. "Now do you guys see why everyone changed the subject?"

"Yeah," Roy admitted. "How come you didn't even blink?"

Cory sighed. "Saint Mikey of Urbandale is my big brother; he was killed on his way to pick up Sean and me from the mall. Saint Pablito saved Mike Reynolds life and was killed doing it. Saint Davie is the brother of Jerry over in AI Division, who is my brother now. Saint Candy is the mother of my little brother Pat; Mikey is the father. All four of them are also the Guardian Angels of the entire Clan, including all of you, and like to appear and talk to any of us as family. Timmy is my very first son; I saved his life by disarming a bomb six seconds before it went off."

Looking them in the eyes, Cory continued. "I have watched Kyle go from being a normal kid to becoming the first Mikyvis, and also watched as Tyler became the second. Both of them are brothers in my family. Joel is also my brother, as is Galli, who is a Time Lord and High Race. Another one of my brothers is Quint; both him and Galli are older than any of you would believe."

"I have family that is in every level that Kyle just listed up to and including Saints. I have family that swung by the Pearly Gates to chat with Saint Peter; not because they died, but because they just wanted to chat. I have family that has met Jesus in person, while He was alive, and they actually talked to Him. I have reports that during the Battle of Earth, Jesus took the form of a child and visited Divisions to give them Hope. We have a few Clan members who are Masters of Fate; they can affect events just by being at the right place at the right time and caring what happens. There are five of them; I call two of them my sons, since they are sons of Clan Short."

Kyle took over. "You guys are not just kids that needed help. None of us are. We've figured out from things we were told that those of us in the Clan were brought together to move the Universes to the next stage, one person at a time."

"Even though you don't hear it, what we've seen points to all of us are being Guided to do the right thing without it being obvious. Uncle Walter coming to Mom at the exact moment it would save your life, Tommy. Roy, you bonded with Tommy in a way that's not normal, and in the process caused your Dad to hunt down where he was being held. Aldrich was brought into the family to give you help that nobody else can do by themselves. Tommy, you most likely saved five lives today; there's no telling why they were needed, but they're here for a reason."

"I think Taz is the glue that's going to hold all five of us together," Roy observed.

"I'm not saying either way," Kyle smiled. "We accept all of this because it would drive us crazy trying to understand all of it. Now that you understand, you can just shrug your shoulders and keep on doing whatever you feel is needed when weird crap happens."

"That is the best idea I've heard all day," Tommy agreed.

"Back on topic," Cory grinned, "That link Kyle is talking about is actually pretty awesome. While we're talking, him and me are building a Lego castle in our room in my head. Think of it like your closest friend coming over to visit and never having to leave. Kyle and Aldrich will be able to call for help for you when you have no other way to do it. They'll be there when you need to talk but don't want anyone to overhear you. They'll help you distract yourself when things get too serious for you."

"Tommy, since you and JJ are becoming friends, Kyle can take any thought that you need to send to JJ and transfer it instantly; JJ will be able to do the same for you. The same goes for me or Danny; both of you get instant access. Jack, you should be able to talk to us with your bond to Tommy and Roy. Vance, Danny says he needs help with designing a leech filter; the positronic brain thinks Kyle and Ty are data drives, and Danny's getting tired of learning what eight-year-old spouses do for fun at night!"

"OH MY GOD!" Kyle exclaimed as he broke into a glowing Mikyvis full-body blush.

Roy nodded, purposely ignoring the glowing munchkin. "So if none of us are sure about something, we can ask without anyone knowing?"

"Yes, and if one of us doesn't know, we can find someone who does," Cory agreed. "Danny is onboard already, so if you have AI needs, he'll know about it. CJ and Chad are just about stable enough to have someone move into their heads; you two settled in faster than they are doing."

"Do they know that we're doing this?" Tommy asked. "I don't want them getting mad because we did it first."

Tyler popped in with CJ and Chad. "I filled them in, guys. They wanted to join in the conversation. Cory, you're gonna pay for making my cuddlebunny blush, bro!"

"We're not mad, guys," Chad stated. "You've done things today that we're not ready for. The only reason we wasn't scared rescuing the Min-Marcs was Dad was there."

CJ nodded. "We can fix people, but we can't really trust people. Tommy, even you can trust someone faster than we can. I was able to help you with Don because you trusted him and there were a lot of kids here that I know; if it was just me, I would have panicked!"

Chad took over. "We understand if you call Danny and then he calls us; we promise that once we know and trust Kyle and Tyler better that we'll join in."

"I learned something today," Tommy stated softly. "I'm doing better trusting because of the link that Taz made for him, me, Jack, and Roy. I think it's helping Taz too, because he's asking us a lot about the same thing. I'm willing to take the chance on it with Kyle, Vance, and Aldie because having people that you can ask makes it a lot easier."

"If you trust Cory, shouldn't you trust the person Cory lets hear his thoughts?" Roy added.

CJ and Chad exchanged looks. "You really think it might help?" Chad asked.

Roy nodded. "Decisions are a lot easier when you have people that can tell you what they think."

"Dad's always told me to let people help me," Jack pointed out. "He says that nobody can do it alone; our brains ain't wired that way."

"Why won't you do what you did for everyone else?" Vance asked. "You've been there for everyone, let someone be there for you."

"Me and Taz talking in our heads is helping both of us with what we each lived through," Tommy added. "Having someone who understands right there with you when you need it helps a lot."

Kyle nodded. "Taz and me have a private room where just the two of us can talk about stuff we lived through that would make most of you sick." He paused, then added "The only other people that know everything are Cory, Danny, and JJ ... and I only told JJ everything because Cory and Danny told me to."

"I don't know all of it," Tyler added, "because I can barely handle what I do know. Maybe one day I'll be able to handle the rest of it, but I can't right now. People think I do; I even thought I did a few times. Kyle's kept the worst of it safe from me because he loves me too much to let the really bad stuff mess me up. I can't choose to not think about it like Cory, Danny, and JJ can; it comes with being Mikyvis."

"But since Taz and Kyle have been through the same kind of stuff," CJ asked, "does that mean they can talk to each other about it?"

"Yes," Tyler nodded, "they can talk, and talking helps them with not letting it ruin their lives."

"It's only broke once," Kyle explained, "during the Battle of Earth. It broke because some high-ranking beings were involved, and they disrupted telepathy around London."

After considering what they'd heard, CJ asked "What would we have to do?"

"Just relax," Kyle smiled. "I'll do both of you first, then Tommy and Roy, then Vance and Aldrich, since my tummy says they need to be part of it now. That way it'll be in order, and Tommy won't need to worry."

Ten minutes later, all four Directors were done, then Vance and Aldrich were added to the network for Roy and Tommy; after a little experimentation, Vance, Aldrich and Kyle were also added to the twinlink of CJ and Chad, along with the link that Taz was forming with his parental group.

"Why did you jump on the links and add rooms there, bro?" Cory asked.

"Taz suggested it," Kyle grinned. "He thought it would be kewl to have a place that all of us can hang out. When he adds Val and Regan, they'll automatically be part of it, and this way CJ and Chad can visit with the guys on the link over here. Since Jack's here, we had a good test to make sure it worked."

"What would you guys think about adding me and Danny?" Cory asked. "That would make things easier for you guys, because we could be there with you if you need us."

"You're easy," Kyle grinned, "I just have to tie our twinlink in. Danny's on obsolete programming, so he might take a bit."

"I heard that, Leech!" Danny announced over Kyle's badge.

"See, his privacy protocol is even broke!" Kyle giggled.

"You do know he's going to dunk you when he catches you," Cory laughed.

"Yeah," Kyle smiled, "I'm not worried though; his wheelchair batteries are as old as he is!"

Getting serious, Cory said, "Guys, I know that you're feeling like less than the rest of the Directors since you are not full Divisions. I'll tell you right now, you're equal to every other Director; the only difference is that I'm not making you have to figure out the big stuff, instead I want you to concentrate on what you're best at. Danny heads the first Division that we added to the Clan, and he's one of a very short list of people that is allowed to step in as a temporary Patriarch if I'm not available."

"What do we do?" Jack asked.

"You guys are the eyes and ears for CJ and Chad," Cory explained. "No matter how much they argue, they're doctors; they are not ever going to be comfortable doing things like you guys have done today. Don's an example; you guys saved him, but then CJ took care of his mental health."

Roy and Tommy nodded. "So we get the kids out of trouble, then CJ and Chad make sure they are healthy?" Roy asked.

Cory nodded. "Exactly. While the AI Annex guys CAN do rescues, they really need someone to help when there's someone that needs their medical skills instead of them going out to rescue someone. That's you guys, and you've already proven that you can do it."

"Taz thinks it's a good idea," Jack stated. "He likes having more help to keep his Daddy and Poppas safe."

Cory smiled. "Tommy, ask me later to tell you about Timmy; I think Taz is bonding to you the same way Timmy's bonded to me. I watched him vaporize someone that was trying to kill me; you've got someone that's going to do whatever is needed to protect the Daddy that saved him."

"I think Jasper's gonna be the same way with me," Jack stated as he gave his youngest a squeeze. "As soon as he woke up and found me cuddling him, he latched on and won't let go."

Tyler grinned. "I can tell you this for once! All five of you are going to end up with a son that bonds with you like that; it'll just happen without trying. CJ and Chad will get someone too when the time is right."

"Yeah, with that many Timmy clones wandering around, you guys are going to need all the help you can get!" Cory grinned. "Seriously, guys - the setup that you have is unique in the Clan, and not just because you have five equal Directors. The five Director thing is the Great Sprit's idea, so I'm just rolling with it. We're figuring everything out while you are, so there's no rules about who does what. Just let things happen naturally; Tommy's decision to work with JJ is a perfect example; Tommy's learning from the guy who figured out all of the procedures, and the two of them together make a great team for taking care of serious violations of the SHA."

"JJ and Adam are going to bring their kids over to visit tomorrow," Kyle added. "They want to just spend time meeting the rest of the family. Adam even made JJ promise not to cuss!"

"But we're still working on Tesnian!" Tommy play-pouted.

"Not at home, bro," Roy grinned. "At least not unless Dad gets to learn, too!"

"I'll ask him," Tommy grinned. "I bet he'll want to join us for the Klingon next week!"

"The worst part is I'm learning what Tommy knows," Jack stated. "Dad's gonna lose his mind if he ever catches me!"

"Me too!" Roy grinned. "I bet that means Taz will keep up with his Daddy!"

Seeing the confused look on Cory's face, Kyle stated "Youth-initiated Human family bond ... just like Conner did, but the kid starts it, not the parents."

Cory nodded. "As soon as Taz is done, all of you older guys are legally married by Vulcan law; Dad just needs to verify it. One thing; no long trips unless everyone in the bond is together - it can make you really sick."

"We need to figure out something," Jack stated. "Right now, our families are spread out; I think all of us need a place of our own, with doors to our families."

"Petey's talking with Chief Silverhawk," Tyler smiled. "You'll have a place by tomorrow morning; it will be considered the Headquarters for the Extension."

"I keep hearing that he's either done stuff, is planning to do stuff last week, or is doing stuff," Roy stated. "Does that kid ever sleep?"

"You forgot has already did something next month. Petey almost died from a type of cancer that you can't recover from using normal methods," Cory stated. "Kyle and Ty's first natural-born son, Levi, got together with Antonio and they started looking into options that the rest of the world doesn't have. The three of them settled on the most extreme option, despite Levi trying to talk Petey out of it. Petey is the very first person who was physically healed and then converted to Mikyvis by a natural-born Mikyvis."

"After that," Tyler took over, "he inherited a construction company up in Maine - a really big one. He uses his Time skills to get his crews more hours in a day than they could get in a week anyplace else, then makes sure they have at least four days of family time at home. Any construction project in the Clan is done by him and his crews."

"So the answer is no," Roy quipped. 

"Hey! I take a month off on Archnania every week or so!" Peter giggled as he popped in to join the crowd. "I'm the infamous Petey!" he added as he caused trumpets to sound from thin air.

"Showoff!" Cory laughed.

Peter bowed, then became serious. "Guys, your compound is going to be the safe house if there are ever any issues here. It has doors to every Clan command center, and secured areas for any family or friends that you need to shelter. It is on Navajo land, so it's like an embassy inside an embassy. I designed it with enough rooms to handle your family growth for at least a year, unless you sneak something by me that I should have caught."

"Did you remember the doors for our families?" Jack asked.

"Of course!" Peter giggled. "Everyone's bedroom door doubles as a dimensional door; if you tell it a location, it'll take you there, otherwise it is a normal door. Nobody without a commbadge can use it; that means if someone is chasing you, you'll go to wherever, while their faces will get to meet reinforced teak."

"What about a pool for my semi-fish husbands?" Tommy joked.

"I gave you an indoor one with imported Archnanian water," Peter smiled. "No pool chemicals, and since it is enclosed, both Nigel and Nelson can enforce the rules that you set for the little guys."

"Why Nigel?" CJ asked.

"It's a common pool for all of you," Peter explained. "It has dedicated lanes for swim team members to practice, a partitioned area that's shallow for the little kids, and a separate diving well. I added a large whirlpool too; that way you guys can relax and talk."

"We've got an outdoor one," CJ noted, "so if you want to play in the sun over in Montana, we've got it covered. Chances are, it won't be raining in both places."

 Obviously nervous, Rich softly spoke from his spot under Jack's arms. "Sirs? Why did you ask Dad to bring us with him? He's really important, we're just kids."

Cory noticed immediately that even speaking to them was stressing Rich. "Take a couple of deep breaths and relax, Rich. Do you really understand what a Patriarch is?"

"No, Sir," Rich answered carefully, even after following Cory's advice.

"I'm the father of a very big family called Family Clan Short of Vulcan," Cory explained. "Someone in my position is called a Patriarch. You're part of my family now, so that makes me your Grandpa. Roy and Tommy are two of your Poppas, and everyone else are your Uncles. Jack is your Daddy, obviously. Even though it probably doesn't all make sense right now, you just got to watch how your new family does things."

"We fix kids that are hurt, and we help each other become better people; your Uncle CJ and Uncle Chad are special Doctors that can fix Androids, and they are the Directors that gave your Daddy and Poppas the authority to save you and Jasper. You're not just kids, you're the sons of the five most powerful people in Arizona. Your Daddy was the smartest kid in his school, and he accepted you because his heart told him that you needed him. Talk with your brother Taz; now that you've seen how your new family takes care of each other, you and him can discuss the new body parts that you have in common."

"But you were talking about secret stuff, Sir," Rich risked.

"You guys can just call me Grandpa Cory," Cory smiled. "When you call me sir, it makes me feel like you are afraid to ask me questions. That stuff is secret outside my family, but it's important for the officers of the Clan to be aware of. Taz knows it because he's listening in your Daddy and Poppa's heads; since you guys are not part of that yet, you got to hear it while everyone else did."

"That means that you two and Taz will be able to help any other new family understand," Jack added. "My Dad, your Grandpa Charles, is a psychologist for kids. He's helping your Poppa Roy and Poppa Tommy when their heads get stuff tangled up. He's probably going to talk to you guys to help you understand stuff, and he'll tell me if there's something I need to do to help you adjust to your new lives."

"My Dad does the same thing for me and Cory," Kyle added. "It don't mean there's anything wrong with you, it just means that you need help catching up when things move too fast."

"He also is going to help you with stuff stupid adults put in your head that ain't supposed to be there," Tyler added. "You've already talked with your Poppa Tommy, so you know just what I mean."

Rich just nodded with a small smile, his conversations with Tommy while recovering on Archnania being validated.

Tyler had been watching Jasper, and decided that it was time to intervene. He walked over, kneeling to be at Jasper's height. "Hey Jasper, I'm your Uncle Tyler. I can see what you're trying to do with your new Daddy, would you like some help?"

"You ain't hurtin' Daddy," Jasper stated protectively.

"People in our family get in big trouble if they hurt other family," Tyler explained softly. "I ain't gonna hurt anyone; your head is trying to do something special so that you and him become really close. Your new brother Taz has done the same thing, you just need a little help tuning into the channel he's set up already."

"You can help?" Jasper asked warily.

"Yes," Tyler smiled. "One of my nephews has the type of bond that you're trying to make, so I learned about it from him. It's easy once you know how; you're learning about real family now, so you just need a little help."

"Okay, you can help," Jasper replied.

Tyler smiled as he hopped into Jasper's head and helped him sync with the link that Taz had already established. Everyone on the link felt it strengthen once Jasper was tuned in, with Taz giving his new little brother a mental welcome hug.

Once they were done, Tyler turned to Rich. "Rich? Jasper and Taz said to tell you to give them a day to make sure everything's stable, then they'll add you and your other two Poppas. Jasper wants me to hang out in his head, so I'll be part of the loop too."

"What does that mean?" Rich asked.

Tyler grinned. "Humans can do a Family Bond something like Vulcans do. We've always been able to do it, but nobody ever really paid attention to it. Now that we understand it, we're able to make use of all of the stuff that is part of it, things like being able to talk in your head to the other people on your family bond."

"So if someone tries to hurt Jasper, he can yell for help in his head and we'll all hear him?" Rich asked.

"Exactly," Ty nodded. "If that ever happens, someone is going to have a really bad day, because it won't just be your Poppa Tommy responding."

"Yeah," Kyle grinned, "there's a bunch of furry Security guys that like to play with their food!"

"Huh?" Rich said in confusion.

Cory shook his head. "Kyle's talking about one of the groups that joined the Clan. They were an experiment that was being done by a very sick person, mixing predator animal genes with human genes. The look like a cross between animals and humans. Two of my brothers are Lion hybrids, and they protect me with their lives because they want to. If Jasper or anyone else on the link calls for help, they're going to have a room full of pissed-off lions, tigers, gorillas, ferrets, and a few other types that are coming in to protect them."

"Whoa!" Rich exclaimed.

Kyle started laughing, then asked "Hey guys? How would you feel about a few chimps joining you? Jory offered; he says that they looked at your files and decided that you guys would be great partners in their projects. They're super-intelligent; they do a lot of the Clan's research and development. They're real chimps, but their brains are as smart as Jack is capable of. Most of them already spoke six languages before we even met them!"

"Mom's gonna kill us!" Roy groaned.

"She's used to you, so how's a few chimps going to change things?" Tommy quipped.

Roy looked at Tommy in shock, sudden tears rolling down his face. "You ... You haven't done that since you vanished," Roy whispered.

"I'm sorry, I was too scared to make jokes," Tommy replied softly as he pulled Roy into a hug. "I promise I'll start being my old self a little more each day."

Seeing the confused looks from Jasper and Rich, Tyler offered "I'll explain the basics in your heads, guys. This is something good, you'll understand once you see why."

After an involved kiss initiated by Roy, the two boys broke their embrace. "I love you, Tommy," Roy whispered.

"I love you too, Roy," Tommy whispered back.

"Okay, time to go back to reality," Kyle grinned. "Jory says the chimps will meet you guys back at the creek; when you guys finally decide to go home, everyone else is going to meet you there to welcome the new family members."

Everybody acknowledged Kyle's announcement, and seconds later they found themselves watching Taz and Damon playing Uno.

"You guys get bored or something?" Roy asked with a grin.

Taz giggled. "Uno just sounded fun, Poppa Roy."

"Why don't you guys make the rounds to give your uncles and grandpas hugs to thank them for helping Jasper and Rich, then we'll go back to the creek and try to relax again."

"Okay, Poppa!" Taz replied, "C'mon Uncle Damon!"

Once hugs were completed, everyone but Kyle went back to when they were. Seeing the curious looks, Kyle grinned "I get to help you freak out parents! Besides, I want to meet those fish that Roy keeps talking about!"

"You're funny, Uncle Kyle!" Taz giggled.

"Everyone ready?" Kyle asked. At the nods in response, Kyle took everyone to the creek.

***********

 

To Be Continued ...