Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #24: Air, T)
Whoo! Two chapters in one day! -Grins- I love creative streaks.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #24: Air
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non - cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means
Author's Notes/: I have decided that when they finally cooperate, writing the B Squad Midgets is a total blast. I also have a question: does anyone know if Syd ever calls Bridge 'Bridgey' in cannon? I think I've just seen it in fanfiction, but at the same time I could *swear* she does. Oh, and love for Rosa, because she declared that MiniJack should be poked into an apology. ^_~
"You look funny."
Wes fought to hide a smile. It wasn't funny - really, it wasn't. But the look on his son's face was adorably scandalized as he stared at the other boy.
Jackson Zhane Johnson - Jaz for short - gazed back at Sky with a puzzled frown, as if trying to decide what to make of him. "You're all pale," Jaz continued. "Don' you ever play in the sun? An' wha's wrong with your face?"
"There's nothin' wrong with his face!" Elizabeth shot back hotly. Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe there's somethin' wrong with *your* face."
Jaz glared at her. "I wasn't even talkin' t' you. You're just a stupid *girl* anyway."
"Don't call Bethie stupid!" Sky shouted at him.
"What's wrong with girls?" Sydney demanded.
Jaz rolled his eyes with the sort of superiority only a three-year-old could muster. "'Cause girls have cooties. Duh. Ev'ryone knows that."
"They do not!" Sydney cried indignantly.
"Do so!" Jaz shot back. "Sophie Hartford's a girl, an' they have t' give her special doctor stuff t' keep the cooties under control."
Wes shot an alarmed look at T.J. The other man shook his head, gesturing for later. Wes nodded slowly, trying to push down his sudden anxiety.
"That doesn't mean girls have cooties, it means she's sick," Elizabeth retorted.
"'Cause she's a *girl*!" Jaz insisted.
"Oh, yeah? Have some cooties, then!"
Faster than Wes and T.J. could blink, Elizabeth Stewart-Ortiz had launched herself at Jaz and was proceeding to beat at him with her tiny fists. Jaz yelled in outrage and yanked on her ponytail, making her squeal, and suddenly Sky and Sydney were involved and there was a mini-brawl.
"Hey, hey, hey!" T.J. cried, grabbing for the pile.
"Ow!" Wes yelped as someone bit him.
"Don't bite my daddy!" Sky hollered.
"It wasn't me!" Jaz shrieked.
Wes finally managed to get hold of Sky, hoisting him up and away from the fight, and reached out to snag Elizabeth at the same time as T.J. caught Jaz. "Come on guys, break it up!" he said sharply.
"That's not how you're gonna make friends here, Jaz," T.J. lectured.
"Sydney!" Wes snapped as finding herself no longer in the middle of the fight, the little girl turned and swiftly kicked Jaz in the shin.
She humphed and tossed her hair. "That's for saying girls have cooties."
Everyone froze as they heard a small sniffle.
Sky twisted in Wes' arms, dropping down and hurrying to Bridge's side. "You okay, Bridge?" he asked anxiously, frowning.
Bridge slowly shook his head, sniffling again and hugging himself tightly. "Everybody's red." he whispered, shivering. "An' not the good red, like Uncle Wes an' Daddy."
Before Wes could figure out a way to keep Elizabeth away from Jaz long enough to help Bridge, as she was still glaring furiously at him, Sky had wrapped Bridge up in a tight hug and erected a shimmering blue wall around them both. Bridge instantly sighed in relief, snuggling against the older boy. "Thanks, Sky," he murmured.
"Better?" Sky asked softly, giving Bridge a squeeze.
"Mmm," Bridge sighed, smiling contentedly.
Wes frowned at the two boys, trying to smother a sudden surge of nervousness. Sky had been way too efficient about what he'd done; this was not the first time it had happened. And judging by Bridge's lack of protest, nor was it the first time Sky had tried.
" ... Wha's wrong with him?" Jaz asked hesitantly, frowning at the other boys. "He sick?"
"No," Z snapped back.
"Bridgey has special powers, just like the rest o' us," Sydney informed him haughtily. "He gets upset when people around him feel bad things." She moved closer to poke him in the chest. "So you halfta 'pologize, 'cause you started it!"
For a moment, Jaz seemed to puff up with indignation. But then Bridge sniffled again, and he visibly debated. "I ... I’m sorry, Bridgey," he muttered. "Don' cry."
Bridge scrubbed at his eyes and tried to give Jaz a smile. "S'okay," he hiccupped. "M'just weird."
One of Elizabeth's clones appeared at his side in instant, and whichever Elizabeth Wes was holding vanished a moment later. "You are not!" she told him insistently, hovering just outside Sky's shield. "You're special, just like the rest o' us. Your power's just ... harder than ours."
"Which just means you're even *more* special, Bridgey!" chirped Sydney.
"I know," Bridge mumbled, now starting to look a little embarrassed by all the attention.
"Hey, Bridgey!"
The group of children turned at Jaz's call to find him waving at them all. "Watch this!" he told them confidently. With that, he turned and walked straight into the wall.
And went through it.
Wes stared, turning to look at T.J. in surprise. "I thought you said Jaz didn't have any abilities."
T.J. shrugged, giving him a sheepish smile. "That's pretty recent, actually. We only found out about a month ago, and I haven't had the chance to pass along the news."
Jaz emerged from the wall suddenly, walking over to the other kids with a bright grin. "Ta da!" he declared triumphantly, presenting a large chocolate chip cookie. "For you, Bridgey."
Bridge lit up instantly. "That's so cool!" he gasped, reaching for the cookie. Sky hastily dropped the shield with a wince, and Bridge stared at his new present for a moment, frowning. "Uncle Wes?" he asked suddenly. "C'n you break this t' pieces for me?"
"Sure, kiddo," Wes assured him, coming over to take the cookie. "But we'd better not tell your mom about this, okay?" he cautioned, giving the group a wink. Heaven help him if Aisha found out he was spoiling Bridge's appetite, but anything to keep the tentative peace the kids seemed to have established.
"Five pieces, please," Bridge told him.
"But it's your cookie, Bridge," Elizabeth protested.
"It’s mine t' share," Bridge said firmly. He distributed the pieces Wes offered him quickly, flashing the other four the brightest smile he'd managed yet. "Now we c'n be all be friends, right? No more fighting?"
Sky and Elizabeth exchanged guilty looks at his hopeful expression. "Sure, Bridge," she told him, Sky nodding along in agreement.
"I won' fight if Jaz doesn' insult girls 'gain," Sydney sniffed.
Jaz stared down at his piece of cookie for a long moment. "Will you still be my friends when I go home after the wedding?" he asked suddenly, his voice very soft. " ... The only friends I got at home are Ran and Garrett, an' they started school already. An' Sora an' Keri' an' Sophie are all too small to play with."
The other four stared at him in surprise, and Wes saw T.J. wince out of the corner of his eye.
"Course we will!"
To Wes' surprise, Sydney was the first to reassure him, leaning over to give Jaz a hug. "We'll all be your bestest friends ever!"
"Forever an' ever!" Bridge agreed instantly, smiling happily at Jaz.
Sky and Elizabeth exchanged glances. "Well ... You can always have more than one bestest friend ... right?" Elizabeth said hesitantly.
Sky frowned slightly. "I guess so."
"Course you can!" Bridge told them cheerfully. "Mama an' Daddy an' Daddy are all bestest friends. An' Daddy says he has *five* bestest friends."
Wes grinned at T.J.'s puzzled looked as the other man stared at Bridge. Later, he gestured.
T.J. rolled his eyes, looking amused.
"Which Daddy 's that?" Elizabeth wondered with a frown.
"All-Black Daddy," Bridge returned immediately. "He says his bestest friends are the most important peoples in his life, 'cept for me and Mama."
"Why’d you call him that?" Jaz asked, tilting his head curiously as he munched on his cookie with a much lighter expression than before.
Bridge blinked. "'Cause he's only black. Daddy's red and blue, and then Daddy's black and green. Mama's all yellow, though. She's *real* pretty." He paused, a dreamy expression coming across his face.
"Bridge sees people in colors," Sky explained to Jaz, who looked back in wide-eyed awe.
"Awesome!" Jaz cried, looking at Bridge eagerly. "What color am I?"
Bridge smiled tentatively. "Red, with orange sparklies in it. Uncle Cam says it means courage an' joy." He paused, wrinkling his nose. "Well actually, he said red meant 'stupidly brave' an' bein' a mar ... mar-tire? But Mama said it means courage."
"What colors are ev'ryone else?" Jaz wanted to know.
Wes noticed T.J. frowning at the kids again. "What?"
"There's five of them," T.J. muttered.
"Don't even think about it," Wes advised. "If we don't think about it, it can't happen." He glanced at the group of kids, who were still giggling together despite the fact that they'd all finished off their cookie. "You think it's safe to leave them alone yet?"
T.J. shrugged. "One way to find out. Jaz!" he called loudly.
His son glanced up. "Yeah, Papa?"
"Don't do anything that's gonna get you an Uncle Cam Lecture, understood?"
Jaz shuddered. "Yes, Papa."
Wes raised an eyebrow. "Be good, Sky."
Sky looked over at him with an exasperated look that he knew he had to be getting from Vanessa. "Yes, Daddy."
The last thing Wes heard as he and T.J. headed for the door was Sydney squealing "Say somethin' Japanese!"
"I think they might be friends now," he commented wryly.
T.J. laughed. "That's good; Jaz can always use more friends."
Wes glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "So he walks through walls?"
"Yeah," T.J. sighed, reaching up rub a hand over his face. "Dana calls it 'phasing', something about molecular shifting or something. We're pretty sure Keri has it too; she's just not old enough to use it yet. Now that he's got the hang of it, he loves to appear out of thin air and scare people."
Wes frowned. So far all of the kids born after the accident were only children; until Keri, no one had any idea of what would happen if they had more than one. "So we know it's us now, not just the kids?" he asked quietly.
T.J. nodded, giving him an understanding look of misery. "Whatever happened in the lab that day affected all of us enough to pass it down to any of our children. Sydney wasn't a fluke after everything Ryan went through; between Jaz and Keri, we can definitely say it's something in the people involved."
Wes leaned back against the wall of the hallway, pinching his nose. "So Sophie is from Tyzonn trying to stop it?"
There was an awkward pause, and he glanced up to find T.J. looking uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"Sophie's problems aren't a result of the accident," he said quietly. "You remember that Tyzonn's a Mercurian, right?"
Wes nodded warily.
T.J. cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Mercury is poisonous to humans." he reminded him.
Wes went white. "Oh, no ... And Sophie was a genetic baby .... "
T.J. nodded. "Andrew's been working with Dana on some treatments for her to keep her from getting sick. So far they've been able to keep her blood fairly balanced, but every once in awhile she has fits."
"I thought they made sure this wouldn't happen before Mack and Tyzonn went through with it," Wes protested weakly.
T.J. shrugged. "Andrew warned them they couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but ... "
"Mack wanted a child so badly, and they decided to do it anyway," Wes murmured, feeling sick. He'd been the one who Mack had come to with questions about the process: how much did it cost, how reliable was it, how safe for the baby, what exactly did they need to have it done ...
A hand squeezed his shoulder, and he glanced up into T.J.'s concerned gaze. "She'll be okay, Wes. Andrew, Katherine, Dana, even Cam, they're all working together to help her. And if they can't do it, no one can."
Wes took a deep breath, nodding slowly.
After a moment, he pushed himself up off the wall and managed to give T.J. a smile that didn't seem completely fake. "Coffee?"
"Only if there's donuts," T.J. asserted. He made a face. "I still can't get Litania to appreciate sweets."
"Not a problem," Wes grinned.
As they headed in search of the lounge, T.J. glanced over at him again. "All-Black Daddy?" he asked skeptically.
Wes laughed.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #24: Air
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non - cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means
Author's Notes/: I have decided that when they finally cooperate, writing the B Squad Midgets is a total blast. I also have a question: does anyone know if Syd ever calls Bridge 'Bridgey' in cannon? I think I've just seen it in fanfiction, but at the same time I could *swear* she does. Oh, and love for Rosa, because she declared that MiniJack should be poked into an apology. ^_~
"You look funny."
Wes fought to hide a smile. It wasn't funny - really, it wasn't. But the look on his son's face was adorably scandalized as he stared at the other boy.
Jackson Zhane Johnson - Jaz for short - gazed back at Sky with a puzzled frown, as if trying to decide what to make of him. "You're all pale," Jaz continued. "Don' you ever play in the sun? An' wha's wrong with your face?"
"There's nothin' wrong with his face!" Elizabeth shot back hotly. Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe there's somethin' wrong with *your* face."
Jaz glared at her. "I wasn't even talkin' t' you. You're just a stupid *girl* anyway."
"Don't call Bethie stupid!" Sky shouted at him.
"What's wrong with girls?" Sydney demanded.
Jaz rolled his eyes with the sort of superiority only a three-year-old could muster. "'Cause girls have cooties. Duh. Ev'ryone knows that."
"They do not!" Sydney cried indignantly.
"Do so!" Jaz shot back. "Sophie Hartford's a girl, an' they have t' give her special doctor stuff t' keep the cooties under control."
Wes shot an alarmed look at T.J. The other man shook his head, gesturing for later. Wes nodded slowly, trying to push down his sudden anxiety.
"That doesn't mean girls have cooties, it means she's sick," Elizabeth retorted.
"'Cause she's a *girl*!" Jaz insisted.
"Oh, yeah? Have some cooties, then!"
Faster than Wes and T.J. could blink, Elizabeth Stewart-Ortiz had launched herself at Jaz and was proceeding to beat at him with her tiny fists. Jaz yelled in outrage and yanked on her ponytail, making her squeal, and suddenly Sky and Sydney were involved and there was a mini-brawl.
"Hey, hey, hey!" T.J. cried, grabbing for the pile.
"Ow!" Wes yelped as someone bit him.
"Don't bite my daddy!" Sky hollered.
"It wasn't me!" Jaz shrieked.
Wes finally managed to get hold of Sky, hoisting him up and away from the fight, and reached out to snag Elizabeth at the same time as T.J. caught Jaz. "Come on guys, break it up!" he said sharply.
"That's not how you're gonna make friends here, Jaz," T.J. lectured.
"Sydney!" Wes snapped as finding herself no longer in the middle of the fight, the little girl turned and swiftly kicked Jaz in the shin.
She humphed and tossed her hair. "That's for saying girls have cooties."
Everyone froze as they heard a small sniffle.
Sky twisted in Wes' arms, dropping down and hurrying to Bridge's side. "You okay, Bridge?" he asked anxiously, frowning.
Bridge slowly shook his head, sniffling again and hugging himself tightly. "Everybody's red." he whispered, shivering. "An' not the good red, like Uncle Wes an' Daddy."
Before Wes could figure out a way to keep Elizabeth away from Jaz long enough to help Bridge, as she was still glaring furiously at him, Sky had wrapped Bridge up in a tight hug and erected a shimmering blue wall around them both. Bridge instantly sighed in relief, snuggling against the older boy. "Thanks, Sky," he murmured.
"Better?" Sky asked softly, giving Bridge a squeeze.
"Mmm," Bridge sighed, smiling contentedly.
Wes frowned at the two boys, trying to smother a sudden surge of nervousness. Sky had been way too efficient about what he'd done; this was not the first time it had happened. And judging by Bridge's lack of protest, nor was it the first time Sky had tried.
" ... Wha's wrong with him?" Jaz asked hesitantly, frowning at the other boys. "He sick?"
"No," Z snapped back.
"Bridgey has special powers, just like the rest o' us," Sydney informed him haughtily. "He gets upset when people around him feel bad things." She moved closer to poke him in the chest. "So you halfta 'pologize, 'cause you started it!"
For a moment, Jaz seemed to puff up with indignation. But then Bridge sniffled again, and he visibly debated. "I ... I’m sorry, Bridgey," he muttered. "Don' cry."
Bridge scrubbed at his eyes and tried to give Jaz a smile. "S'okay," he hiccupped. "M'just weird."
One of Elizabeth's clones appeared at his side in instant, and whichever Elizabeth Wes was holding vanished a moment later. "You are not!" she told him insistently, hovering just outside Sky's shield. "You're special, just like the rest o' us. Your power's just ... harder than ours."
"Which just means you're even *more* special, Bridgey!" chirped Sydney.
"I know," Bridge mumbled, now starting to look a little embarrassed by all the attention.
"Hey, Bridgey!"
The group of children turned at Jaz's call to find him waving at them all. "Watch this!" he told them confidently. With that, he turned and walked straight into the wall.
And went through it.
Wes stared, turning to look at T.J. in surprise. "I thought you said Jaz didn't have any abilities."
T.J. shrugged, giving him a sheepish smile. "That's pretty recent, actually. We only found out about a month ago, and I haven't had the chance to pass along the news."
Jaz emerged from the wall suddenly, walking over to the other kids with a bright grin. "Ta da!" he declared triumphantly, presenting a large chocolate chip cookie. "For you, Bridgey."
Bridge lit up instantly. "That's so cool!" he gasped, reaching for the cookie. Sky hastily dropped the shield with a wince, and Bridge stared at his new present for a moment, frowning. "Uncle Wes?" he asked suddenly. "C'n you break this t' pieces for me?"
"Sure, kiddo," Wes assured him, coming over to take the cookie. "But we'd better not tell your mom about this, okay?" he cautioned, giving the group a wink. Heaven help him if Aisha found out he was spoiling Bridge's appetite, but anything to keep the tentative peace the kids seemed to have established.
"Five pieces, please," Bridge told him.
"But it's your cookie, Bridge," Elizabeth protested.
"It’s mine t' share," Bridge said firmly. He distributed the pieces Wes offered him quickly, flashing the other four the brightest smile he'd managed yet. "Now we c'n be all be friends, right? No more fighting?"
Sky and Elizabeth exchanged guilty looks at his hopeful expression. "Sure, Bridge," she told him, Sky nodding along in agreement.
"I won' fight if Jaz doesn' insult girls 'gain," Sydney sniffed.
Jaz stared down at his piece of cookie for a long moment. "Will you still be my friends when I go home after the wedding?" he asked suddenly, his voice very soft. " ... The only friends I got at home are Ran and Garrett, an' they started school already. An' Sora an' Keri' an' Sophie are all too small to play with."
The other four stared at him in surprise, and Wes saw T.J. wince out of the corner of his eye.
"Course we will!"
To Wes' surprise, Sydney was the first to reassure him, leaning over to give Jaz a hug. "We'll all be your bestest friends ever!"
"Forever an' ever!" Bridge agreed instantly, smiling happily at Jaz.
Sky and Elizabeth exchanged glances. "Well ... You can always have more than one bestest friend ... right?" Elizabeth said hesitantly.
Sky frowned slightly. "I guess so."
"Course you can!" Bridge told them cheerfully. "Mama an' Daddy an' Daddy are all bestest friends. An' Daddy says he has *five* bestest friends."
Wes grinned at T.J.'s puzzled looked as the other man stared at Bridge. Later, he gestured.
T.J. rolled his eyes, looking amused.
"Which Daddy 's that?" Elizabeth wondered with a frown.
"All-Black Daddy," Bridge returned immediately. "He says his bestest friends are the most important peoples in his life, 'cept for me and Mama."
"Why’d you call him that?" Jaz asked, tilting his head curiously as he munched on his cookie with a much lighter expression than before.
Bridge blinked. "'Cause he's only black. Daddy's red and blue, and then Daddy's black and green. Mama's all yellow, though. She's *real* pretty." He paused, a dreamy expression coming across his face.
"Bridge sees people in colors," Sky explained to Jaz, who looked back in wide-eyed awe.
"Awesome!" Jaz cried, looking at Bridge eagerly. "What color am I?"
Bridge smiled tentatively. "Red, with orange sparklies in it. Uncle Cam says it means courage an' joy." He paused, wrinkling his nose. "Well actually, he said red meant 'stupidly brave' an' bein' a mar ... mar-tire? But Mama said it means courage."
"What colors are ev'ryone else?" Jaz wanted to know.
Wes noticed T.J. frowning at the kids again. "What?"
"There's five of them," T.J. muttered.
"Don't even think about it," Wes advised. "If we don't think about it, it can't happen." He glanced at the group of kids, who were still giggling together despite the fact that they'd all finished off their cookie. "You think it's safe to leave them alone yet?"
T.J. shrugged. "One way to find out. Jaz!" he called loudly.
His son glanced up. "Yeah, Papa?"
"Don't do anything that's gonna get you an Uncle Cam Lecture, understood?"
Jaz shuddered. "Yes, Papa."
Wes raised an eyebrow. "Be good, Sky."
Sky looked over at him with an exasperated look that he knew he had to be getting from Vanessa. "Yes, Daddy."
The last thing Wes heard as he and T.J. headed for the door was Sydney squealing "Say somethin' Japanese!"
"I think they might be friends now," he commented wryly.
T.J. laughed. "That's good; Jaz can always use more friends."
Wes glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "So he walks through walls?"
"Yeah," T.J. sighed, reaching up rub a hand over his face. "Dana calls it 'phasing', something about molecular shifting or something. We're pretty sure Keri has it too; she's just not old enough to use it yet. Now that he's got the hang of it, he loves to appear out of thin air and scare people."
Wes frowned. So far all of the kids born after the accident were only children; until Keri, no one had any idea of what would happen if they had more than one. "So we know it's us now, not just the kids?" he asked quietly.
T.J. nodded, giving him an understanding look of misery. "Whatever happened in the lab that day affected all of us enough to pass it down to any of our children. Sydney wasn't a fluke after everything Ryan went through; between Jaz and Keri, we can definitely say it's something in the people involved."
Wes leaned back against the wall of the hallway, pinching his nose. "So Sophie is from Tyzonn trying to stop it?"
There was an awkward pause, and he glanced up to find T.J. looking uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"Sophie's problems aren't a result of the accident," he said quietly. "You remember that Tyzonn's a Mercurian, right?"
Wes nodded warily.
T.J. cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Mercury is poisonous to humans." he reminded him.
Wes went white. "Oh, no ... And Sophie was a genetic baby .... "
T.J. nodded. "Andrew's been working with Dana on some treatments for her to keep her from getting sick. So far they've been able to keep her blood fairly balanced, but every once in awhile she has fits."
"I thought they made sure this wouldn't happen before Mack and Tyzonn went through with it," Wes protested weakly.
T.J. shrugged. "Andrew warned them they couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but ... "
"Mack wanted a child so badly, and they decided to do it anyway," Wes murmured, feeling sick. He'd been the one who Mack had come to with questions about the process: how much did it cost, how reliable was it, how safe for the baby, what exactly did they need to have it done ...
A hand squeezed his shoulder, and he glanced up into T.J.'s concerned gaze. "She'll be okay, Wes. Andrew, Katherine, Dana, even Cam, they're all working together to help her. And if they can't do it, no one can."
Wes took a deep breath, nodding slowly.
After a moment, he pushed himself up off the wall and managed to give T.J. a smile that didn't seem completely fake. "Coffee?"
"Only if there's donuts," T.J. asserted. He made a face. "I still can't get Litania to appreciate sweets."
"Not a problem," Wes grinned.
As they headed in search of the lounge, T.J. glanced over at him again. "All-Black Daddy?" he asked skeptically.
Wes laughed.