Meanwhile on the JSA Porch

[green_shield]

With Canary back Tara was given the all clear to come to the JSA/JLA Thanksgiving. A year ago, she made an excuse not to come home for the holidays. This last year though had been nothing short of a gift from God. Quite possibly a gag gift from God at times. Much of the time, the gift was defending people from what she thought was the

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[blind_will]

Cue the boy.

He's been out in the middle of the universe, trying to train, and keep out of the way of Tara and Mar'i both until things blew over- he doesn't mind doing completely brinless things that put himself at risk for the right cause - but not her.
A green glow appears outside, and he levitates down to the door... realizes he's forgotten something, uses a fit of FTL travel to go pick exotic... but non-allergenic and safe... flowers off a distant planet... safe to say, Tara will be the only one getting these, then reappears at the door by the time anyone short of Jay could have answered his knock, flowers in hand.

[green_shield]

Tara looks up. The flowers are barly noticed. Travis has her undivided attention as soon as he appears. Arms go around him immediately. Wordlessly, she starts kissing him - a mixture of "i've missed you," and "Thank You, God."

[blind_will]

Thank goodness for multi-tasking. An almost featureless green vase appears on a table, and the flowers get levitated over into it so Tara doesn't get flower bits down the back of her pants when he wraps his arms around her tight and kisses her back, which is exactly what comes next.

[jla_extras]

And that's when the car pulls up.

Tara's mother looks out the window at the Brownstone. "No, this is the wrong address. You've..."

"No," her father insists, "this is the address she gave me..."

"No, look, it's the..." and as she looks back, she sees Tara.

Tara's father sees her too. "No, you see? There's Tara."

Her mother stares, unmoving, while her father parks the car, gets out, and goes around to the trunk to pull out her mother's jello salad.

Tara's mother stares at Tara in shock,occasionally glancing at Travis.

[green_shield]

Tara at first doesn't hear her family. She's that happy to see Travis.

She steps a little back from her boyfriend. "Sorry about this," she murmurs to him. to her mom and dad. "Hi, mom. Hi Dad." She waves weakly, cheeks more red than the jolly old fat man's.

To Travis. "Travis, this is Eric and Lala Strong. Um...my folks."

[blind_will]

Well, that answers his question... yeah, the parents. He taps his cane as he moves over a little closer, giving them a wide smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Strong... Tara has said so many good things about you. Its a pleasure."

[blind_will]

Timing is /everything/, and it seems to hold true. Travis picks up the car through his radarsense, and quickly gets some idea who this has to be, due to the cosmic rule of irony.
So he goes into save-the-girlfriend mode. As he turns to face the car, a white cane, hastily created, snaps into his hand, using it to work his way a little closer, acting like he just heard the car. "Hey Tara, sounds like more guests. Anyone we know?"

[jla_extras]

Mr. Strong puts the salad down on a bench, and he offers his hand to Travis. "Hi, there. Nice to meet you..." He drops off, expecting a name in return.

Mrs. Strong continues to sit in the passenger seat.

[green_shield]

"Travis..." Tara offers. she swallows. "He's...my boyfriend," she replies lamely (and belatedly).

[blind_will]

Travis shifts his cane into his other hand, and extends his own hand in turn, letting the other guy find his hand, not using the ring's guidance for now to make the blind act not so much an act.
"Travis Grey."

[jla_extras]

Her father's handshake falters for a moment, and Travis can feel his pulse quicken a moment.

Then he stops to regard the youth in front of him, for the first time noticing the ring and the costume.

He turns to his daughter... stares a moment... then turns back to the car.

"Dear? Dear, you might want to come up here... you need to meet Tara's new Green Lantern boyfriend."

[jla_extras2]

He could be any civilian walking past the Brownstone - he even put in a glass eye just for that extra touch - but he's not, is he?

He raises his comm as he rounds the corner.

All units, we have civilians inside the building. Do not take action against them. They can be allowed to flee. Cross me on this and you face my displeasure, are we clear?