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Chapter 146: Jeff Visits His Hero

Ciaran had manifested near the big bag of vacuum dust. He radiated a good amount of energy, somewhere between Geoff's level outside at night and Dirk's in his full armour. Aoife had manifested, too, and was torn between staring at Liam laid out on the couch and the pots of roses. She was showing power a bit below Faelen's when he was in the gym showers.

She whispered and leant over to gently rub one of the rose leaves. "What are these? I'm no botanist, but I'm certain these aren't normal roses. I know for a fact that we don't have _anything_like these in the gardens. Didn't Nathanial say he got them from Geoff?"

Ciaran shrugged. "He did. I was there when Geoff picked them. They were ordinary red roses from Ruarc's garden." He smiled faintly. "Geoff almost had more holes in his paw pads than actual pad by the time he de-thorned them. The whole affair was rather sweet." He chuckled. "Young love. It's something I wish I never lost." He shook his head wistfully. "Perhaps I don't need to."

Aoife's sighed morosely before adding a chipper note to her voice; Ciaran certainly noticed it and glanced obliquely at her as she spoke. "I don't think you do, Ciaran. I'm positive the spark is still there, despite the last two days. I saw it when you promised to do whatever Liam needed so you and Eirne would have a better chance at having another pup."

Ciaran squeezed her shoulder. "And with this fight gearing up, I think you might be able to find -- and proclaim -- your love before much longer." A lightly teasing tone followed. "So, is it just the proclaiming that needs to be done? Is there a lady you fancy already?"

Her large ears turned bright pink. "None of your business; um, not yet, anyway. I'll be pestering you for advice when the time comes, er, if I find someone."

"So you do fancy a lass. Who is she?"

Aoife merely shook her head before returning the subject to the matter at paw. "What happened to the roses? Geoff's blood shouldn't have done this to them, but I feel..." She traced her fingers over another leaf. _"...something_in here." She plucked a small, wilted leaf from further down a stem and held it in the centre of her paw. She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled. On the exhale, the leaf danced about above her paw. "It reminds me of Geoff." The leaf drifted back to rest on her pads. She shook her head before opening her eyes. "I just can't put my finger on it; it may just be my imagination, knowing the story behind the roses." Aoife carefully tucked the leaf in the pocket of her blouse. "I can safely say that there's more power in this tiny leaf than in a whole normal rose bush. More even than in a leaf from a Dryad tree, and that's saying something."

Ciaran studied his sister, trying to guess who she might like, as he continued to tease her. "Maybe you should pick some roses of your own to give to your lass. If you bleed over them for the sake of romance they might change, too. Fill the flowers with the strength of your love." Her ears, which had just started to return to their normal colour, swiftly turned bright pink again.

She rubbed the fur on Liam's forehead. "At least he looks more peaceful than..." Aoife shook her head. "It's been a century, Ciaran. Why does it still hurt so much?" She didn't wait for an answer to the rhetorical question, instead fingering the porcupine quills comprising the wide band around Liam's neck. "What's with the choker? I keep meaning to ask about it."

Ciaran smiled faintly, pleased to be moving away from Lowell's death. "You can ask, but you won't get an answer."

Aoife frowned at her brother. "So, do you know what it is?"

Ciaran's shrug barely moved his shoulders. "No, but neither does Da. He wears it because it's somehow important to him. If he knew why it was important, he wouldn't wear it because he doesn't like attracting much attention, which I bet that does. He also doesn't keep material objects around as mementoes, as we found out when Da died last time. So, it stands to reason he wears it in order to find out why it means something to him, but he hasn't discovered the answer."

The Leaf Spirit wasn't mollified. "Why is it you know so much about Da? Things we don't know?"

"I know things you don't because Da showed me a side to him he normally kept hidden. You probably know a side I rarely, if ever, saw." A trace of sadness entered Ciaran's voice. "He didn't take me on walks through the forest, or spend hours quietly painting with me, or teach me how to act as his heir."

Aoife took Liam's paw and placed it on the back of Ciaran's. The assassin rolled his paw over to hold the small tan paw in the palm of his. Aoife quietly asked, "So who did you see?"

"A teacher. A mentor. Later, a team mate or supervisor as we worked for the clan. I loved him, but I don't think we really had much of a father-child relationship, not like he had with you three. Even when he returned, he gave me a tool, not something filled with meaning."

Aoife didn't answer; she placed her paw over Liam's and Ciaran's, and sat quietly with them.

---

Upstairs, Nathanial struggled to focus on his surroundings; his consciousness kept bouncing around uncomfortably. It was probably a lingering side effect of that concussion, but it was still rather annoying. He'd caught part of Ciaran's and Aoife's conversation, despite his best efforts, as well as bits of the private -- very_private -- lives of his neighbours. He did _not want to see Mr. and Mrs. Bertrand like, um, that; the Naked Mole Rats were nice people but not_the most attractive couple. His mind shifted toward their house and Nathanial pressed his paws together tightly. _'No, here. _What is Conor doing?'_His mind flicked over to the door of the ballroom. The abrupt shift left his stomach hanging somewhere out in the aether.

Conor turned the handle of the door and walked in. He paused by Geoff's seat and put his paw on his son's shoulder. "Switch seats with Garret, Geoff. I need to talk to him."

Geoff stood up. "Sure, Da."

Conor smiled apologetically at Dad. "Sorry to pull you away from your boys so soon after getting home, but I need to fill you in. And welcome home, by the by."

Dad rose and squeezed Nathanial's shoulder as he switched spots with Geoff. "No problem, Conor. It sounds like it's been far more exciting here than I hoped."

Lorena frowned as she looked around. "Where are the others? Ciaran was just supposed to tell you supper was ready." The Spirits all fell silent.

Nathanial sighed and rose to his hindpaws. "All those who are coming up to supper are here, so please eat. Liam overworked himself and passed out." He raised his paws to stop any exclamations. "He's in no danger, but he needs rest. Ciaran and Aoife are sitting with him so he can draw on their energy to recover faster."

Mr. Doull seemed a little perplexed by the obvious alarm amongst the Spirits, but Jay leant over and whispered, "The pup's a healer. Spirits value healers, too, especially since they often can't get care at a hospital."

The Walrus frowned. "Most Spirits regenerate, Jay, and they very rarely get sick. They value healers a lot less than almost every other group. They can also get treatment at hospitals for normal issues like broken bones, if they want, but it's just not necessary."

Faeden's eyes widened. "You're sure he's all right? Should more of us go sit with him, then?"

Faelen answered his grandfather, letting Nathanial sit back down. "No, Poppy. Part of what knocked him out was the sheer amount of energy in the room when Nathanial opened a portal. It took a lot of energy, and in order to resist the pressure, most of the other people in the room had to push back against it. Liam was weakened enough that that helped tip him over. Having too many manifested Spirits around him might slow his recovery. We'll check on him after supper and see how he's doing."

Jay looked like his mind was racing. "Well, _this_healer has been helping Geoff out a bunch. Any friend of Geoff's is a friend of theirs."

Mr. Doull peered at Jay dubiously. "I see."

Faelen talked loudly enough to be heard across the space between their tables. "It's true, Mr. Doull; Liam has helped protect Geoff from the Hunters and Demons on more than one occasion. Our clan is very grateful for that, and we don't forget debts of honour."

Mr. Doull shrugged. "All right." He glanced at Jay. "You could've just said it was a debt of honour; I'm not some isolated bureaucrat that knows nothing of Spirit culture." Jay smiled a little sheepishly and lowered his head to begin wolfing down his food. Nathanial noted Mr. Doull studied Jay for a second longer before turning to his own food.

At Conor's table, the Water Elemental began filling Garret in on all that happened. Nathanial had sent Dad e-mails about a lot of it, but Conor had his own view on things. A view that seemed to be based on Faelen's experiences in many ways. It made sense; Conor would talk to Geoff, of course, but Faelen worked for the McDougals. It'd be his duty to report on things as impartially as possible even if it got him into trouble -- at least, Nathanial bet that's how Faelen would see it. There was a lot_that had happened this week. The blood tests leading into the theory that Nick's magical immune system could be boosted to suppress the changes Beriatana made. The fight with the Balor Grimoire. Nathanial's experiments with enchanting objects. The funeral for Donny Markham and finding out that Liam's mom was dating a Hunter. Aoife being pregnant. Then...the airport. Dad did _not like hearing about that. The way Conor relayed it made the reason for Nathanial's involvement hard to deny, particularly how close any fighting would be to the Markses, but the execution -- as shown in the news and told from Dirk's viewpoint -- really upset him. Fortunately, sort of, Conor went on to talk about Nathanial being arrested, the creepy arm, Zeus, and Lily. Of course that also included Nathanial's heart attack. How Nathanial had no heartbeat and didn't breathe for almost two minutes.

Dad stood up so fiercely that his chair slid back and clattered loudly when it fell backwards. He strode over to Nathanial and hauled him up into a suffocating hug. The tears leaking from Garret's eyes soaked the fur of his face, and Nathanial found himself crying, too, overcome by how afraid his father was of losing him. How loved he felt.

"I love you too, Dad."

"You aren't going to school tomorrow."

The departure from the expected response threw Nathanial for a loop. Did he hear that right? "Um, what?"

Garret's voice was still choked by emotion, but there was no doubt he was very sincere. "You aren't going to school tomorrow. I don't care how miraculous Sensei's potions are, or how you can channel energy from planes halfway across the universe or wherever they are, you had a heart attack and a concussion. You are staying home and_resting._ Since I'm currently on a plane flying home, I'll be here, too, to make sure you rest." Dad pushed him back and held him almost painfully by the upper arms. "Do you understand?" Nathanial nodded quickly and was hauled back into a hug.

Nick tipped his chair back onto two legs. "Since Sensei isn't here, I'll just remind everyone that the other planes aren't actually anywhere in this universe, but--"

Garret let Nathanial go. "I know, Nick; I just don't give a damn right now." Nick smirked and stuck his tongue out at his father. Garret playfully swatted Nick's shoulder. "Brat. Put the chair down on all four legs before you break it."

The chair clunked when Nick leant forward to right it.

---

Faelen honoured Liam's request as best he could after supper and sat on a chair in Micah's bedroom to keep an eye on Agent Hugh. The sight of the bulky Badger lying in a small bed covered by a Super Mario bedspread and with a plush Goomba tucked into the crook of his bare arm made it_very_ hard to keep from laughing.

Jay and Mr. Doull sat a short distance outside the room. Jay was unwilling to go far from his boss, but he wanted to talk to Mr. Doull about Nathanial's portal -- a topic Mr. Doull seemed very keen on, too -- despite knowing their presence made the Spirits sitting with Liam uncomfortable. The two had a spell going to muffle their voices, making it hard to decipher what they said, but they didn't mute the words for some reason, probably figuring it'd offend the Spirits, so Faelen could hear some of it. Hearing didn't equate understanding; so much of it was full of magic-speak that he only got the gist of it.

The amount of magic Nathanial pulled in astounded them, all the more considering his heritage, and Mr. Doull compared it to several presumably famous Mages including himself. Faelen wasn't sure if that was ego on Mr. Doull's part or as a means of relating it to someone Jay would have had direct experience with. There appeared to be some sort of measuring system for magic, and Jay said this was higher than what the Society recorded from the portal that Nathanial opened in the offices in Taipei, but it was understandable, considering Hong Kong was farther away.

Mr. Doull spent a lot of time talking about some family called 'Belagosi,' people Jay didn't approve of. Faelen made a mental note to ask Liam about them. The portal seemed to remind Mr. Doull of their studies on Demon portals, plus some other arcane stuff. The scent Faelen detected indicated Mr. Doull was very intrigued by whatever theories he concocted.

Lastly, there was some sort of anomaly they detected, one the Society's machines or whatever didn't pick up in Taipei -- those machines weren't as sensitive as the glasses Jay and Mr. Doull had. Their tones spoke of deep concern and confusion. The concern didn't override the curiosity Faelen still smelt.

The teen Wolf closed his German text book with a sigh and stretched. Faelen wasn't sure how useful his attempts at studying were. He was trying to do better at school in case Geoff wanted to go to university, and to make it easier to stay in the same classes here, but he just didn't care about most of the subjects. Knowing what job he'd have for the rest of his life -- one that school had no bearing on whatsoever -- made all this work just seem so pointless. German was probably the only class he had today that might have some bearing on his life in the future. Computer sciences? Eh. Gym? He knew more about healthy diets, exercise, and all that than the text books went into.

Faelen shook his head. 'Irrelevant. My duty is to Geoff, and that duty requires me to keep my grades up. The utility of the subject matter has no bearing on it.' His ears flicked away from the door toward the bed. Agent Hugh's scent changed; his body was warming up and his body chemistry was gearing up, too. If he was actually close to waking his breathing should -- ah, there it was. The Badger should be awake shortly.

Agent Hugh opened his eyes and blinked a few times against the light shining down on him. The unfamiliar light fixture above him confused the Badger, and he turned his head to look around. The sight of a Link statue on the combination headboard and shelf above him created a spike in the scent of confusion, one that increased even more when he ran his paw over the Super Mario bedspread. Then, Agent Hugh noted his arms were bare. The Badger's eyes widened and he lifted the covers to look underneath. Faelen knew the older Mage still wore underpants despite Micah's later protestations. Faelen also knew Hugh wouldn't miss the bandages around his chest or arms even when he was this groggy.

Hugh stretched. The motion caused the Goomba to tumble sideways over the rumpled cover. Hugh picked it up, still perplexed, and was about to throw it aside, but he stopped mid-throw. His expression softened as he stared into the fabric eyes. The Badger hugged it for a second and then carefully put it on the shelf above his head. It was as he looked back down that he saw Faelen seated on the far side of the room.

"Spirit, where in the hells...?" A few pieces clicked together. "You're that O'Conall that protects the Dark Elemental. So that means... Why am I at the Markses'? Why aren't I in my apartment, or in a hospital bed, if I'm injured? What happened?"

Faelen didn't react to the rather rude address or the barrage of questions. "I don't know everything that happened at your offices, but you were injured. Jay is nearby and can give you a briefing on that. Liam was treating you, but there was an emergency here, too, so Jay brought you and Mr. Doull over to treat all of you together." The Badger flipped the covers back; Nick would probably appreciate the view of the bulky Badger's nearly bare body. "Stay in bed. You were badly hurt. You've been unconscious for over three hours." The voices outside the door stopped; Jay must've heard them talking.

"Fuck that. I've got work to do. Do you know--?" Agent Hugh stopped talking when the door swung open.

Agent Jay stood there radiating relief. "Boss!"

"You're on duty, Jay. Act like it."

The pain on Jay's face stung Faelen. The Spirit coolly interjected, "You aren't on duty, Hugh. You don't have the authority to scold anyone. If you're this cranky all the time, maybe I should get Liam to put you on indefinite stress leave on top of your injury leave." Faelen raised his voice to talk over the expected verbal explosion. "It sounds like your boss was already informed you're off duty for an undetermined amount of time."

The explosion came. "What!? There's no way I'll sit still for this!" The Badger swung his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to stand up. Faelen could smell the intense nausea overtaking Agent Hugh less than a second before the Badger heaved up a bit of acid. He must've missed lunch and hadn't had supper for obvious reasons.

Jay ran over and helped his boss lie back down. "Come on, boss. You really cracked your skull when the creepy rebounded all our spells back at us. You and John were out for hours, but Sensei seemed to be a lot more worried about you. He worked himself into unconsciousness tending to you three."

Hugh pressed his paws to his stomach. "Three? Arrie is out, too?"

Jay waved his paw, and a damp cloth appeared in it. He carefully patted his boss's forehead. "Nah, man, Sis is just fine. It's Nate that was in trouble. He had a heart attack."

Hugh closed his eyes. "Fuck." His scent showed he actually was troubled by the news. Why? Faelen was pretty sure Hugh didn't like Nathanial and found the pup caused almost more trouble than he was worth. Hugh irately batted Jay's paw away. "Piss off. This is no time to be playing nursemaid. We have a shitload of work to do." The Badger flicked his paw and frowned. "Concussion. Dammit. Call Ella, Jay. I want a full update."

Jay glanced back at Faelen. He drew himself up to his full height and barked, "Sir! No, sir! You're off duty, sir, and on sick leave. Article 7.2.12 states no agent relieved of duty for health, discipline, or other reasons shall be included in any briefings. The relieved agent is to be treated as any other Mage with no special access to confidential information."

Proverbial thunderclouds gathered over Hugh's face, and he rumbled warningly, "Jay." The Jackal almost cringed but he remained in his 'military' pose.

Faelen sighed. Maybe it was a good thing Hugh stayed unconscious this long; if Liam was still conscious when this occurred, then the two of them would almost be guaranteed to explode violently. "Jay, Liam left some notes on Hugh's condition, didn't he? You were here when Liam treated him, so they aren't exactly confidential material on your part. Why don't you read them to Hugh so he understands how hurt he was? After that, call Ella and let her decide what to do, even if it's just running this up the chain to Hugh's boss."

Mr. Doull poked his head into the room. "It's not my place to interfere in official business--" The two agents rolled their eyes at that. "--but if Smith did state you're too injured to perform your duties, then there's no way you can protest, Hugh. Any_healer recognised by the Society has full authority to pull an agent off duty, and Smith _is recognised by the Society, however recently it may be."

Hugh finally looked like he was about to relent. He grumbled and shifted on the bed. "Fucking fine time to get hurt. Fiasco at the airport, treason in the ranks, Hunters and Knights gearing up for war, and--" He glared at Faelen. "--foreign Spirits ready to retaliate at the slightest provocation. Don't even get me started about that damned Nathanial. Fuck the gods and their petty squabbles, if that was what was behind the arm. I still think it was Nathanial."

Mr. Doull walked fully into the room with a heavy sigh. "Hugh, calm down." Faelen took the opportunity to grab his books and leave the room. Let the Mages deal with the problem Mage. As the door closed, Mr. Doull and Jay continued to try placating a very grumpy Agent Hugh.

'Thank the Fates Liam wasn't there.'

---

Nathanial watched Faelen leave Micah's room from a loveseat up in the sitting room. Micah stood in the centre of the room regaling Dad with some stories of his school; being Micah-stories, they involved a _lot_of exclamations and wild gestures. Nathanial snuggled a bit more into Geoff, who responded by sliding his paw lower on Nathanial's hip.

Nick sat by Dad on a couch opposite them. Normally, Nick sat well over a paw span away and leant against the arm of the couch -- an attempt to look aloof and distant -- but right now he was barely a few centimetres from Dad. Garret's arm lay on the back of the couch behind Nick, and Nick kept his head tipped back to 'accidentally' keep in contact. This whole affair obviously spooked Nick a lot, especially the thought that Zeus might destroy Dad's plane. Garret laughed and slid his arm down to rest on Nick's shoulder. The teen didn't seem to really notice until his father leant over to nuzzle his ear and whisper, "I love you, son."

Nick's ears turned crimson. He muttered, "Yeah, whatever. Uh, you, too. I guess." He shifted over so his side was in full contact with the older Akita.

Nathanial almost reflexively looked around his house and the surrounding area. Liam still lay on the couch but with Lorena, Conor, Dirk, and Walter watching over him. Aedan, Faeden, Ciaran, and Aoife were in the music room. Aoife was idly playing a tune on the piano with Ciaran accompanying her on the violin. The 'wives' -- Tuathla, Eirne, and Sorcha -- took it upon themselves to clean; Nathanial insisted he could do it, but Sorcha refused. Aedan's wife was quite adamant that he sit with his father and rest. When Aedan offered to help, her tone was quite different, almost alarmed. It seemed Aedan had a habit of breaking dishes and pretty much anything else he got his paws on that could be broken. Ainbertach was lifting weights in the gym.

Outside, Jeff Walker, that chubby Chocolate Labrador Retriever in his class, plodded up the road toward Nathanial's house. He wore jeans -- ones frayed at the cuffs, as if he wasn't careful with his claws when pulling them on -- a t-shirt with Batman's symbol on it, and a thick, woollen trench coat. To ward against the growing evening chill, he had an overlong knitted scarf around his neck. Jeff sang something in German as he glanced at the wall surrounding Nathanial's property.

Nathanial wondered where he was off to. It wasn't like Jeff to just go for a walk...unless he was trying to get into shape. That could be it.

Jeff stopped in front of his gates and looked at the intercom. A broad smile lit up the cute face, and the whip-like tail wagged rapidly. "Maybe I need some sort of passphrase, like a superhero code to enter his secret base." The Lab raised his fist and pointed it at the gate. "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight!" Nathanial chuckled and opened the gate. Jeff's jaw dropped and his tail paused before wagging even faster. "Cool!"

Nathanial tapped Geoff's knee as he stood. "Jeff Walker is here. I'm not sure why."

Faelen called out from the stairs. "He's here for the biwa Mr. Chan brought by. It's in the music room."

Nathanial trotted toward the kitchen. "I'll bring him there, then. Your grandfathers and Ciaran are there with Aoife."

Nick bounced up even before Dad could nudge him. "I'll do it, Nats. You're supposed to be resting." Garret nodded in agreement and gave Nathanial a stern look.

Nathanial sighed. "I'm just walking to the front door."

Nick walked up to him. "Right. It's just going to the front door to bring some guy an instrument. There's no reason that _you_have to do it." Faelen shook his head in amusement and walked down the hall.

Micah clapped his paws. "Yeah! Yeah! I gots to tell you--"

Nathanial automatically turned and interrupted. "'I have to tell you.'" Nick took the opportunity to follow after Faelen.

Micah rolled his eyes. "I have to tell you about my Hallowe'en plans. We's gonna--"

"'We're going to.'"

Micah's eyes danced and his rump wiggled as he tried to keep from laughing. He'd purposely mangled his grammar to distract Nathanial. Nick had just turned around the corner by the music room. Nathanial sighed in defeat and took his seat by Geoff. The Wolf wrapped him back up in his arms. "Isn't this more comfortable, anyway?" His absolutely handsome boyfriend tipped Nathanial's head back to lightly kiss him. "Hmm?" No argument there.

Micah began excitedly talking about his plans to turn the front yard into Wonderland. It'd rely heavily on magic, but it seemed Micah had thought of ways to keep the magic nature of the displays hidden.

On the other side of the house, Faelen walked into the music room while Nick continued down the hall. Ciaran lowered the violin and flexed his fingers. "I haven't played much in a few years. Da wouldn't be too pleased about that. I hope he wakes up before long; I wanted to play for him."

Faelen picked up the biwa case. "He's mostly recovered. I expect he'll wake up in ten to twenty minutes." Nathanial noticed tension leeching out of the older Spirits' muscles.

Ciaran nodded. "Good to hear."

Aedan tipped his chair back a bit to rest his head against the wall behind him. "Da never did teach you to play any instruments, did he, Ciaran?" Faelen lingered at the door.

Ciaran shook his head. "No. He didn't teach me how to paint, either. That was all Muireann's time. I suppose he taught me calligraphy as an art, but..." he sighed as he trailed off. Nathanial figured Ciaran thought that wasn't 'art' since it was to be used to make those ofuda scrolls.

Aoife smiled sadly. "True. It was Mama who taught me how to play the piano. I don't think Da could actually play it; at least I never saw him play one."

Faelen shook his head. "They don't have a piano at their house. I'd guess he can't. Pianos were only around during Lowell's and Liam's lives anyway."

Ciaran tipped his head a few degrees to the right. "Maybe I could convince him to sing that song... The... Damn it. I can't remember what it's called. I haven't heard it since he passed."

Faeden asked, "Do you remember the tune or lyrics, at all? I used to sing with Poppy Lowell, and he liked singing _for_me, too."

The assassin sighed, "Huh... It was an opera. German, so I never knew what it meant. It mentioned Hades a lot, though." Aedan smiled and began to sing. Ciaran's eyes closed halfway as he listened intently with a sentimental expression. Aedan must've picked the right one.

At the front door, Nick opened it just as Jeff raised his paw to knock. "Hey. You must be Jeff." The Lab nodded and opened his mouth to answer. Nick turned away. "Come on in."

Jeff closed his mouth with a click and studied the retreating form with obvious interest. He hastily wiped his hindpaws and trotted after the slowly wagging tail in front of him.

As they passed the door to the ball room, Nick idly said, "I'm Nick, by the way, and yeah, I'm Nathanial's brother. Not like it's hard to tell, eh?"

Jeff's eyes travelled down Nick's back to watch the curly tail sway back and forth. "N-No, not at all. You look a lot alike."

Nick looked back over his shoulder and caught Jeff appraising his rump. A seductive smile grew on his face. "Yeah, we do. I'm guessing you like the way his ass looks as much as you seem to like _mine."_Jeff didn't notice the smile or the tone. He stammered incoherently. Nick turned and grabbed Jeff's lapels in one paw. "Maybe I don't like being ogled by strangers, so now you're going to have to make it up to me." Jeff's embarrassment turned to fear. Nick pulled the terrified Lab closer. "I think a kiss is a good apology, yeah?"

Jeff must've only heard 'apology.' "I-I'm sorry! I di--!" He couldn't say anything else since Nick put his free paw on the back of Jeff's head and gave him a very heated kiss. Nathanial noted it took _very_little time before Jeff was a willing participant.

Nick let him go and stepped away from the panting Fur. "You need to practice more." He began walking down the hall again, leaving the flabbergasted Jeff behind. He flicked his paw over his shoulder in a dismissive manner. "I might be willing to help, if you have the balls to make me."

Hunger lit up Jeff's eyes -- whether it was due to the words or the pheromones, Nathanial couldn't say -- as he hurried to catch back up. Nathanial wasn't sure if he should scold Nick or what.

---

Faelen listened intently to Aedan sing the song Ciaran was looking for. He wasn't surprised at the quality of his great-grandfather's voice -- it seemed all of his male ancestors could sing well -- but the intensity of Ciaran's emotions caused by something as simple as a song was another matter. Of course Ciaran didn't let much of them show.

Aedan stopped after singing several lines. "The translated title is Hades and Persephone. Da liked it because it's one of the few operas that didn't paint Hades as a villain and showed the love the two had for each other. He didn't teach me how to sing -- I don't think he was ever taught himself -- but we sang together a lot, particularly in London."

Ciaran nodded shortly. "Yes, I remember. He really enjoyed it. He was disappointed when you didn't want to take lessons with anyone during the Season."

Faeden frowned. "Is that why you insisted I take singing lessons while I was in Cork for school, Da?"

Aedan sighed and fiddled with a button on his shirt. It popped off after a few twists, changing Aedan's morose look to one of annoyance. "Yes."

Faelen shifted his weight. The tangle of emotions his family felt when discussing Lowell was...heavy. There was so much good _and_bad that he couldn't decide if it stank or smelt nice. Or whether he should try to divert the conversation or let it keep going. "What part of the opera did you two sing together the most?"

"The scene where Orpheus and Hades sing about their respective loves." Aedan pocketed the stray button and turned his head to look at his son. "You want Orpheus's role?"

Faeden quietly snorted. "Of course. I can't sing bass any more than you can sing tenor." He looked over at Aoife. "C3, please." She plunked a key and let the string vibrate while the two singers matched the low sound.

Faelen felt Liam wake up. A surge of fond feelings made Faelen feel warm down to his toes. Seeing Lorena and/or Walter sitting by him must've really touched him.

Aedan started out with a deep, rolling, wordless note just as Faelen heard Nick and Jeff rounding the first corner in the hall. Jeff stopped walking while Aedan sang a couple lines. It wasn't until Faeden took over before Jeff began moving again. By this time Nick stood by the door to the room behind Faelen; he smelt like Jeff; Faelen could even smell the other Dog on Nick's breath. They must've been kissing. That was...unexpected. Nick's pheromones weren't too strong, so Jeff shouldn't have lost control, but Nick _did_look a lot like Nathanial. If Nick came onto Jeff, would Jeff have gone along because of that?

Jeff unobtrusively moved up beside Nick. All the other Spirits' noses twitched, and they looked toward the door. Faelen motioned for the two to stand inside the room. Nick slid in beside Faelen, while Jeff moved to the other side of the door, closer to the singers. The four older Spirits nodded to him but paid him no more mind.

Aedan and Faeden took turns singing for two minutes before they joined in a duet, agreeing that both of their loves shared many desirable qualities. Jeff clapped when they stopped. "I love that song! My favourite line is when Hades sings, 'My spring arrives in autumn/ My heart blooms when the world begins to die.' It's so romantic. I'd love to perform the opera sometime, but it doesn't seem to be a popular one." He smiled at Faeden. "You did well, but I think you aren't best suited for tenor; you had trouble on the higher notes. You obviously have training, though."

Faeden chuckled. "Yeah, my instructor said I was a 'Verdi baritone,' and I do have a pretty good upper register, just not good enough for a true tenor role. I'm guessing you sing?"

Jeff's fur fluffed and he nodded shyly. "Yes. I'm actually going to be performing with Smith at the auction." He looked at Faelen and then back to Faeden. "So you're Faelen's family? You must've heard about the art auction."

Nick leant against the doorframe. "If you're singing with Sensei, then I guess you sing classical stuff. Knowing what song that was gives it away, too." Jeff almost cringed away, as if he was expecting grief for it. Nick snorted. "Chill. Nathanial is my brother. Do you think I don't get my dose of geeky and nerdy stuff? If you like it, have at 'er. Or him. Whatever."

Jeff smiled and he looked fondly at the Akita; he was _definitely_attracted to Nick. He opened his mouth to say something, but Aoife beat him to it. "I wouldn't call opera geeky or nerdy, but yes, sing what you like, pup. Would you be Nick's boyfriend?" Jeff's mouth closed with a click, and his fur -- which had just started to settle -- fluffed back up. His tail even curled up between his legs.

Nick laughed, not unkindly but still a laugh that hurt Jeff's feelings. "Hardly. I just met him. He's cute and all, but I don't usually go for cute."

Aedan shook his head and held up his paws. "I don't want to know what you go for."

Aoife smiled evilly at her oldest brother. "No? I do."

Nick mirrored her smile. "Older guys. Nicely muscled. Gruff looking. Canids with a Bear's build." He met Aedan's eyes. "Maybe even a hot--"

Aedan clapped his paws over his ears. "La-la-la-la! I'm not listening!" Aoife punched his arm. Aedan dropped his paws and exclaimed, "Ow! That hurt!"

She rolled her eyes. "Grow up." Jeff's tail uncurled and his fur settled.

Ciaran glanced side-long at Aedan. "Sounds like Luke would be right up yo--" Aedan's paws went back over his ears, and he clenched his eyes tightly shut at Nick's huge grin.

Faelen prodded Jeff with the biwa case. "You came for this?" It'd be best to get him to leave before someone let something slip that they shouldn't. Faelen could feel Liam approaching, and seeing him may cause one of his children, or even Poppy Faeden, to do just that.

Jeff nodded and reached for it, opening his mouth to say something, but Faeden asked, "So, what is it? We saw the case but didn't open it. I'm guessing a mandolin."

Faelen went to answer, but he decided to let Jeff do it. The Lab seemed to have thought along similar lines, but he spoke after Faelen motioned for him to. "Close. It's a biwa, which is a related instrument from Japan. I play the lute, so I thought I might be able to learn a song on this in time for the auction. It's one that means a lot to Smith..." He looked at Nick and added, with a smile, "...sensei." Faelen smelt Jeff become a little more aroused as he looked back through the doorway behind him. "I should go and see if I can meet Smith-sensei this evening to start learning the biwa, but um, is...Nathanial around? I saw the news, and--"

Nick cut in. "He's resting." Jeff deflated. "He's in the sitting room with Geoff, so I could see if he wants company, but..." The Akita trailed off, obviously meaning Nathanial would almost certainly not want company, since he was with his boyfriend.

That was definitely how the Lab took it. "Oh. Um, okay. Is he all right, though? He got clocked something fierce, and when he dropped like that, I was afraid he mightn't get up." Jeff chuckled sadly. "I guess being a superhero has its perks." Nick looked uncomfortable, and Faelen could smell everyone else felt the same way. Faelen knew he_was thinking about the heart attack and how close Nathanial came to dying. Jeff almost panicked. "He _isn't? Why is he here if he's not all right? Shouldn't he be at the hospital? They could treat him. His augmentation was done at the Q.E. II so they'd know how to help him, right?"

'Augmentation?'_Did Jeff think Nathanial was some sort of cyborg? _'He automatically assumed it_was done at the Queen Elizabeth Health Sciences Centre, too. I know it's a research hospital, but what exactly does he think they_ do _there?'_Still, Faelen tried to calm Jeff down. "He'll be fine. He merely had a close call, and will be watched closely for the next bit to make sure he's recovering properly."

Nick snorted. "Not like he isn't watched closely any other time, but today might actually turn out for the best. His medicine is finally working the way it's supposed to."

Faelen also decided to let Jeff know Liam wouldn't be available, either. "And Liam isn't going to be able to talk to you much, if at all. You may or may not have known he has an extremely rare condition that occasionally causes him to become weakened. It's why he sometimes had to suddenly go to the nurse's office at school. If he takes the hint and _rests_when it happens, then it usually doesn't amount to much. He felt he was too busy to rest this evening when he had an episode and passed out. So Nathanial _and_Liam won't be at school tomorrow."

Jeff shook his head. "Jesus Christ. Poor guys. It's pizza day tomorrow, too, and the cafeteria makes great pizza. I guess I'll--"

Faeden intentionally cut in. "Ah, before you go, I want to hear you sing. Let's run through that piece Da and I just sang."

Jeff's eyes almost popped out of his head. _"'Da'!?_He looks the same age as you! I thought you were brothers!" He stared at Aedan. "You're, what, forty at most? You got to be."

Aedan laughed and stepped over to clap Jeff on the shoulder. "Thanks for the compliment, pup, but I'm a lot older than forty." Aedan tapped the side of his nose and winked. "I'm not saying_how_ old, though; us old farts need to keep a few secrets, you know. Still, I was pretty young when Faeden was born."

Liam stopped just around the corner by the dining rooms. Ciaran's ears twitched toward the door, and his nose vibrated for a split second. It was obvious he knew Liam was there. Ciaran leant over to whisper in Aoife's ear. "Liam's awake and close by. Mind your tongue if he comes in." Aedan and then Faeden perked up, as if someone whispered to them, too. Nathanial must've repeated the warning.

Faeden's eyes drifted toward the doorway before he caught himself and met Jeff's somewhat perplexed gaze. "C3, Aoife." The large-eared Wolf plunked the note, letting the two singers tune themselves. Then Jeff began to sing. Faelen closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose; the scent evoked by the rich voice was the emotional equivalent of a large family dinner being prepared. Da and Faelen cooking in the kitchen while the McDougals kept them company and helped out when they could. Love, warmth, and anticipation for the meal to come.

Faelen felt the moment Liam recognised the song. Surprise quickly turned to reminiscing, and a lot of anticipation for the next singer to take over. Faeden began his solo. The ache in Liam's heart transferred through to Faelen. The pride, the love, the regret, and the joy all worked together to bring tears to his eyes -- their eyes, for Faelen was certain Liam's sight was just as blurred.

They sang back and forth, but when the duet came up, Liam quietly joined in with the voice of Lowell. Like Faeden, he sounded like he normally sang baritone, but he transitioned into the higher tenor register with relative ease. Ciaran heard him, and Faelen saw the reserved assassin swallow past a lump in his throat and blink away his tears.