MMM-20


ONE YEAR</b>



“It was just like that comic book you write.” Michael leaned forward, his eyes piercing Justin’s. “I’m not kidding. I mean the guy was built just like Rage, your superhero.”

“Did he wear a costume?” Justin asked, eating another French fry, dipping it in plenty of ketchup.

“How do I know?” Michael said. “It was dark, all I could see was his silhouette, but I’m telling you it was just like out of the comic book.” 

“Hey Mikey.” Brian said as he slipped into the seat beside Justin. “What’s got you frothing at the mouth?” He reached for Justin’s fries, only to have the blond slap his fingers. 

“I saw him, I saw Rage, like Justin’s comic book hero.” Michael spluttered out, his words rushed. 

“You don’t say.” Brian signaled for service. “Was he hot?” 

“I don’t know, I couldn’t actually see him.” 

“I thought you said you saw him.” Brian looked at Justin who shrugged.

“I did see him, he made two bashers run naked down Liberty Avenue, but I was too far away to get a really good look at him. I talked to Jinny Sue, you know her, she does drag on Saturdays at Fly. She said that these guys were hitting her with bottles and this guy, dressed in like tight shorts and a tee shirt, came out of nowhere and before you know it the bashers were running down Liberty, stark naked and the hero was gone. Vanished, you know like he does in the comic.” 

“Sounds like your workout clothes Brian.” Justin snickered. “Are you secretly Rage? You know like Clark Kent and Superman?”

“I’m a lot hotter than Clark Kent.” Brian smirked. 

“You guys can joke all you want. I know what I saw and so does Jinny Sue.” Michael glared at the two of them before leaving the diner. 

“Fuck Brian,” Justin elbowed him in the ribs, “Now look what you’ve done. The fag express will have Rage showing up everywhere saving kittens from trees and walking old ladies across the street.”

"It's what I do best."  Brian laughed. "I had to do something. I couldn't let them kill the guy."

"But to use Wahjee magic?" Justin shook his head.

"I know it's magic and you know it is, but Mikey thinks it's all Rage and his super powers. Hey, maybe I should have a costume made."

"That would be a no." Justin couldn't help but think that Brian would be more than hot dressed in tights. He was hard just thinking about it. "Well, maybe just to wear in the loft." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down making Brian laugh.

Kiki placed a salad in front of Brian as well as a bottle of Evian. "Here you go sweetness. Did you guys hear the latest? We have our very own super hero down on Liberty. He's called Rage, just like the comic book. He's supposed to be on the watch at night, protecting gays from harm."

"Oh puuuleeeze." Justin rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly believe that shit?"

"It's true, I'm telling you. I heard that he's to die for handsome and that he's ever so polite. Sandi was telling us that he actually dusted him off with his own hands."

"Feeling him up more likely." Justin deadpanned, jumping back when Brian kicked him under the table.

“I’d like to meet this handsome gay savior.” Brian said. 

“I bet he’s full of himself.” Justin said. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
<B> THREE YEARS </B>

“I won’t allow Jenny Rebecca to spend the night there.” Melanie’s lips were firmly clenched in a tight line. “I certainly won’t allow her to spend the weekend.”  Melanie wasn’t a protective mother in any way, unless it came to her daughter spending any time at all with her father and his partner. She had never liked Brian Kinney and time hadn’t changed anything. 

“Then what do you expect us to do?” Lindsay was losing patience. “My mother is ill and she needs me. You won’t consider taking any kind of leave from your precious job and you know JR’s daycare will not allow late pickups.”

“Debbie can watch the two of them.” Melanie turned away from Lindsay.

“Debbie is terrified of being left with Gus and JR, between Gus calling her Phoebe and JR refusing to answer unless she’s called Phoebe and the weird things that always seem to happen when the two of them are together. Well let’s just say that the last time was just that; the last time.” 

“The children had nothing to do with Debbie’s wig going up in smoke.” 

“I’m sure they didn’t, but when the wig incident followed so quickly on the heels of the three days of Debbie only being able to speak Hungarian and that in a whisper. Well it was too much.” 

“Michael blew that all out of proportion. He wouldn’t know Hungarian from Swahili.” Melanie still didn’t believe the story, though Michael never tired of repeating it. 

“It doesn’t matter, she said she can’t watch the children any more and Carl backs her up.”

“Fine, let Brian and Justin have them for three days. I just hope that they don’t warp their little minds.” 

Gus and Phoebe had been listening to their mother’s argue. “I guess we’re going to the dads’.” Phoebe laughed. She was three and more than precocious. It took all Gus’ time and most of his powers to keep her in control. She feared no one.  Doug groaned and rolled over on her back.  She was beginning to dread any time spent with Ty and Killer, not to mention Gus and Phoebe. It seems that whenever they were all together in the same space, trouble happened. 

“You have to be good.” Gus ruffled his best friend’s hair. It was almost white blonde, finer than the finest silk and always in a tangled mass of curls no matter what Melanie did to attempt to tame it. Phoebe refused to allow her hair to be cut so at three it hung down past her shoulders. Gus thought of it as a halo for a rather naughty angel. He was forever saving her butt from one thing or another. 

“I’m always good. Daddy said he was going to let me paint.” 

Gus groaned. Phoebe had from the very first, been enthralled with color. She’d turned Killer every color in the rainbow from time to time, much to Brian’s disgust and Justin’s amusement. She didn’t like the color black. “He said only if you leave Killer alone.” 

“No, he said if I don’t color Killer.” She smiled. “I’m not going to color him, I promised.” 

“Okay.” Gus was satisfied. If Phoebe promised something, she never broke the promise. 

The three days ended with Killer remaining black, but that was only because Phoebe had changed Brian’s Porsche Boxter into a rainbow. And to make matters worse, had made sure that no one Wahjee could see the car, Brian’s pride and joy, as anything but black. It was the human factor in Pittsburgh who watched in wonder as Brian Kinney drove around the city for more than a week in a rainbow colored car. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Emmett, thanks for watching the kids tonight.” Melanie pulled on a jacket. “I’m so tired of staying in and for some reason we can never get a sitter back for the second time.”

“I adore these guys. Of course I’ll sit with them.” Emmett kissed Phoebe, holding her close. “I have their number.” He blew bubbles in the baby’s neck making her laugh. 

“Auntie Em, come play with me.” Gus tugged on Emmett’s pant legs. 

“Sure baby, let me say goodnight to your mommies.” 

In a few minutes Emmett and the two children were sitting on the carpet in the living room. The children loved to have Emmett visit with them. Because it was one of the few times they could be themselves. Emmett didn’t mind anything they did and they never scared him like they scared other humans. Though they didn’t mean to. It just happened. 

Doug lolled on top of the television. She liked the warmth and it gave her a good spot to watch over the children. She liked the tall brightly dressed human too. 

“Now I’ve read Georgie’s journals and he says that you two should be able to bring things to you. Gus, let’s see if you can bring that book over here.”

The book in question flew through the room to land on the floor in front of the three of them. Pages turned with a wave of Phoebe’s small hand and instantly the characters on the page sprang to life. 

“Phoebe dear, you can’t do that yet. Georgie said animation of pictures shouldn’t be a skill you have until you are at least ten.” Emmett was frantically trying to keep the animated characters on the page but they were running all over the room. Joining in the fun, Gus livened up yet another page, this time it was Noah’s arc. The room filled with miniature pairs of animals. They were climbing on the furniture and swinging on the drapes. The room began to smell like a badly used barn. 

Emmett was picking up small animals and throwing them in a garbage can only to have Pheobe pick another page to animate, this time Mickey Mouse and friends joined the party. “Please, children, please, oh my sainted aunt, make them stop.”

He didn’t notice that Doug had disappeared, only to return with Ty and a few seconds later, Brian and Justin. 

“Emmett, having fun yet? Brian drawled from his place on the bottom step of the staircase leading up to the bedrooms. 

“Brian, thank gawd you’re here. Make them stop.” Emmett waved his hands at the melee going on in the living room. 

“Daddy Jus.” Gus laughed. “Phoebe made a big mess.” 

“And you Gus, did you have anything to do with this?” Justin asked. 

“Maybe.”

“Well fix it and do it quickly. You know better.” Justin’s arms were crossed as he surveyed the damage. 

“Okay.” Gus giggled and began to wave his arms and mutter a few words of a spell Justin had long ago buried in his memory. Everything was back to normal in seconds. “We were just having fun.”

“You were being brats and you know it.” Emmett glared at Gus. 

“Weren’t you scared?” Phoebe asked.

“No, only annoyed.” Emmett tweaked her curls. 

“Auntie Em.” She protested.

“Emmett, what’s going on?” Brian asked, his voice was serious as he looked from Emmett to the two children.

“The children need to have a chance to practice their skills. I let them do little things when I sit for them. Tonight the two of them were a tad carried away. You might want to have a chat with Gus, he’s very advanced for his age.”

“So you know about the kids?” Brian asked, he knew the answer, but still he had to ask. 

“I’ve always known.” 

“You’ve never said anything.”

“It wasn’t my place to say anything. Georgie put his trust in me.” 

“You’re a good friend, but you have to know that it’s against Wahjee law for you to know the things you do.”

“Brian, you don’t need to lecture me. Georgie was very honest about his life. He and I might not have been the same, I mean I am human and he was Wahjee. But we loved each other in a way that meant we should be together forever.”

“I trust you Emmett, but there are rules for a reason.” Brian began.

“Brian Kinney, don’t you dare take my memories of Georgie away from me.” There were tears in the flaming gay man’s eyes that replaced the laughter that usually showed. 

“Brian, you have to let Emmett alone.” Justin began. 

“Justin, I’m not heartless.” Brian sighed. 

“Daddy.” Gus tugged on Brian’s shirt. He was tall for his age. “You can’t take Auntie Em’s memories away. He’s the bestest ever and he makes us do our lessons. We’re sorry we teased him with the animation spell. Doug was scared of the elephants, that’s why he popped to get Ty. We weren’t going to make it last long.” 

“Daddy,” Phoebe laughed up at Brian, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “Me make you teeny tiny like doll if you be mean.” 

“Sugar Puss, don’t threaten your daddy.” Brian scooped her up and swung her in the air, making the young girl laugh.

“I could do it.” She whispered in his ear. “I made daddy little when he was sleeping. I was practicing making little. He didn’t wake up, just disappeared into the covers.” She giggled. “It was funny.”

“Your daddy sleeps through anything.” Brian shook his head. “Don’t do it again. I like him the size he is.”

“Okay, but if he was little I could play with him the whole day.” Her bottom lip quivered and Brian leaned over and bit it gently. 

“That won’t work with me Sugar.” He laughed. “If anybody gets to play with your daddy all day, it’s going to be me.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

At age six, Phoebe began to attend Saint James Academy. Joan Kinney made sure she had a job in the school office, all the better to keep an eye on her granddaughter. Gus at nine was busy with school, but he still did his best to also reign in JR as she was called now by everyone in the family other than Gus. It confused things, but their family was strange enough that it wasn’t noticed as being a problem. 

Gus carried around a backpack that occasionally meowed when thrown on the floor of the classroom too hard. And Phoebe, or JR, continued to walk around with her mane of white blonde curls barely tamed by a velvet ribbon that was supposed to be black but changed color throughout the day. She also refused to speak to anyone other than Gus or her grandmother, even when threatened with expulsion. She was an excellent, if silent, student who was at the top of every class she took that didn’t involve speaking. She entered the school able to read and write, so spent any spare time learning new languages, something she found fascinating. Phoebe had decided that she would only speak to Gus until she was ten. It was a test of wills for both her and her family, but one she was destined to win.

“Why won’t she speak?” Melanie asked Gus for the umpteenth time. The family was sitting at the dinner table. “We should take her to a doctor.” 

“A psychiatrist.” Lindsay mumbled, thoroughly frustrated having spent the last hour attempting to get the child to answer some questions.

“I told you. She needs the discipline.” Gus reached for a piece of bread. “It’s not that she can’t speak. Hell, she never shuts up sometimes when we’re alone. But she’s decided that she’ll only speak to you guys or at school when she’s ten and then, only if she’s learned to read and write at least one ancient language and three modern ones.” 

“Gus, don’t swear at the table.” Melanie said automatically. 

“Hell isn’t a swear word, it’s a place.” He grinned at his mother.  

“You were not using the word as a place name.” she chided before turning to her daughter. “JR, this is silly, you’re six years old. How do you expect to learn any language, including English, if you refuse to speak.” 

“She said she’d learn Hebrew if you’d stop bugging her.” Gus volunteered, earning him a glare from Phoebe who had said no such thing. 

“Oh.” Melanie smiled, pleased with the knowledge. “How lovely, perhaps she’ll become a female Rabbi.”

Gus snorted. “Yeah, that sounds like something Phoebe will do.” 

“Your sister’s name is JR.” Again an automatic rebuke. 

“Actually it’s Phoebe, but you guys keep insisting on calling her JR. Hey, maybe that’s why she won’t talk.” He snickered, sounding a great deal like his father. Lindsay winced, knowing that Melanie wasn’t going to like his smart mouth. 

Melanie stood up to chastise Gus, but instead of standing, found herself slipping to the floor, her feet sliding out from under her. “Lindsay, I told you not to wax this tile.” 

Phoebe and Gus high fived one another unnoticed by both women as Lindsay helped her wife up off the floor.

“May we be excused.” Gus asked.

“Just go.” Lindsay waved her hand before Melanie could comment. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
<B>NINE YEARS</B>

“Why can’t I go with Gus?” Phoebe asked for the tenth time that morning. “I’m nine years old and very responsible.” 

“Because no matter how many times you promise to behave, things always seem to happen around you.” Lindsay was doing her best to brush the knots out of the tangle of blond curls that hadn’t darkened with age. 

“I can’t help it if stuff happens.” She looked at Lindsay, her eyes sparkling with mischief and not the innocence she was trying for. “Gus is always going somewhere with the daddies. I want to go too.”

“They take you lots of times.” Lindsay laughed. “I thought you’d like to have a day with your moms. 

“Daddy Jus said he was taking Gus shopping for school clothes. We wear uniforms, why does he need school clothes?” 


Phoebe had refused to come out of her room for three days. She was nine years old and more stubborn than her father had ever thought of being. Gus, her brother, not that he really was her brother she was quick to point out, had refused to attend Saint James for his middle school years and was heading off to boarding school three states away. Phoebe was well aware that it was a Wahjee school, and very difficult to be accepted. Only the most talented of Wahjee were allowed to attend. It was known in the human world as a school with such stringent rules and regulations that few humans even attempted to enroll. Which was just fine with the Wahjee, as it was a pain in the ass to keep them out when they were determined. Somewhat like rats, never let one in the door. 

Melanie and Lindsay had been pleased when their son had been granted a place in the school, Wahren Prep. They hadn’t even known Gus had applied. He hadn’t. It had been his right as Brian’s son to attend and a spot had been reserved since the night of his birth. Joan had seen to that. She knew power when she saw it and like the witches in fairy tales, she’d been there for his first 24 hours a day. His mother’s unwittingly went along with their son and his accomplishments, making sure he had the proper uniforms as well as everything else on the list they’d received. Brian had also received a list, a list different from Lindsay’s. He too made sure Gus had all that was on it, as well as a few things he knew his son might like. All work and study needed to be broken by play.

Not content with just sulking, Phoebe spent her time practicing things she shouldn’t have even known about, let alone have the ability to do. She was perilously close to making the fatal move to the dark side. And no one knew it, so great was her ability to conceal. No one with the exception of Killer, who was now nine and in his senior years for a standard poodle. He had no agenda. No reason to know what he knew. He thought as dog he had perhaps somehow absorbed things from his long time friends Ty and Doug. 

He knew even though he lived blocks away in his tower high above the city street. Too far to jump even if he was filled with the recklessness of a puppy. Instead he did what all dogs do when they are upset, he paced. Back and forth across the hardwood. Up and down the stairs to the roof top to look longingly in the direction of Phoebe’s house. He didn’t care that his legs were stiff and tired or that he’d gained some weight over the last nine years, now almost 90 pounds of dog. 

Ty wasn’t any help. He’d decided lately that it was beneath him to even speak to Killer, preferring to spend his afternoons in the company of other Wah cats who popped in and out at random when Brian and Justin weren’t home. 

Killer bided his time. It was only time after all and he knew that in the way of humans, something would eventually happen and he’d be free to find Phoebe and keep her safely in the light. On the morning of an especially bad day he could smell evil, even taste it, and the smell was so strong, Killer made a decision. He was getting out of the loft somehow. Phoebe needed him whether she knew it or not. In the end it was easier than he’d thought it would be. His man opened the loft door and then turned to say something to the small one. In no time at all the smell of their bodies told Killer they were going to breed. They were worse than cats. No one noticed that he slipped out the partially open door and down the stairs. Pushing open the closing security door just before it locked. He was, after all, a very large and heavy dog, not to mention determined. 

Killer didn’t lose anytime making his way to where Gus and Phoebe lived. If he wasn’t worried before, the swirling black clouds that hung low over the house made sure that he knew he had little time. He bounded to the house and around to the rear door. It was usually left ajar as it was hard to close. Sure enough he was able to get in and run up the stairs. The two women in the living room who were arguing about what Gus should have with him at Wahren, didn’t register Killer as he took the stairs three at a time. 

Gus was out of the house visiting with Debbie, helping her in the garden, so he had no idea something was going on. His absence had allowed Phoebe’s distance spell to work and he had no idea that she was in danger. 

His nose wrinkled from the acrid smell seeping under her door. Something or someone was in there with his Phoebe. It was something steeped in evil and darkness. He wanted to whine, but knew he had to be silent if he was going to save her. He was dog, but she was Wahjee and not to be trifled with lightly. 

One large paw reached up and pulled down on the handle of the bedroom door. Phoebe’s spell to keep it locked worked only on humans, she hadn’t thought of dogs. He grinned to himself, humans were so predictable, even ones in Wahjee form. The door opened slowly, Phoebe’s eyes were black, no hint of the young girl Killer knew showed as she stared into a small hand held mirror and muttered the words of an ancient spell to increase her power by aligning with the darker side of Wahjee. 

She was surrounded by small shapes, blacker than black, writhing and moving, forming into the shape of people and animals, teeth flashed, multiple eyes blinked and watered, long fingers flicked. Killer didn’t hesitate. He leapt onto the mirror smashing it into a hundred shards and then one by one, he began to devour the black monstrosities that had held Phoebe in thrall, and with each one, he grew in size until he was almost as big as a horse. Phoebe watched in horror, the realization of what was happening and why, slowly sunk in. 

Killer looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. As dog he knew that he’d destroyed the evil, but he also knew that he had destroyed himself in doing so. He wasn’t frightened. All dogs were bred to protect their people without thought to themselves. It was a dog thing, an ageless pack lesson that transcended time. He’d done his job. One of his pack had been in danger and was now safe. 

Slowly Killer sank to his knees, his size returning to what it had been and he lay with his big shaggy head in Phoebe’s lap. Tears from the child dripped on his fur and Killer was happy that the child lived to mourn, her heart still pure. The evil that had tried to turn her, slowly dying in his belly. 

Racing into her room, Melanie and Lindsay looked with horror at the dying dog. They couldn’t comprehend why he was in their house, let alone why he was dying. And it was apparent that he was. “We have to call Brian.” Lindsay almost whispered. “He loves Killer, though he says he doesn’t do love.”

“Call him.” Melanie caressed the thick black curls on Killer’s head and neck. She squatted down beside her daughter, kissing Phoebe’s forehead. “What happened Jenny R?” she asked, her voice quiet. 

“Something bad was in my room.” Her voice shook. “I.. I think it was going to hurt me. Killer saved me. He saved me and now he’s going to die and it’s all my fault.” There was no inflection in her words. It was as if all the life had also gone out of the child in her sorrow over Killer’s plight.

Killer knew what she was feeling and he couldn’t leave her with her thoughts in such turmoil. So one black paw, larger than her hand, was placed on a thin leg. Phoebe looked down into brown eyes that were filled with love and forgiveness, if any was really needed, for he’d done his job as dog. It was what his life had been meant for, this time of rescue. 

Brian and Justin walked in, followed by Ty and Doug. “Brian, how did you…..” Melanie’s voice trailed off. 

“Killer, I’m proud of you.” Brian sank to his knees beside the dog. “Phoebe, it’s over, you have to accept what you can’t change. You know that when you reach Gus’ age you’ll be accepted into the Wahren school. Gus needs this time to become the man he was meant to become.”

“I’m sorry daddies.” Phoebe sobbed, her fingers opening and closing in Killer’s fur. “I didn’t mean to. I was scared about Gus leaving me all alone here. Even Doug was going with Gus. I’d be all by myself.” 

“If you’ve learned a lesson from what’s happened, then Killer’s death wasn’t in vain.” Justin said, gathering his daughter in his arms. 

“What the fuck has happened?” Melanie asked, her mind having difficulty getting around the scene before her. 

“Killer is dying.” Justin whispered.

“I can see that.” She spit out. “But why here? For that matter, what’s he doing here?”

Brian stood up, Killer in his arms. “Jus, forgetting time.” He muttered before popping out of the room. 

Justin sighed, why was it always up to him to tidy up after Brian he wondered.  “We’ll be back to pick you up for your weekend at our place. But now we need to make sure that all of this is only a dream in your mommies minds.” He whispered in Phoebe’s ear. 

“Okay daddy.” She sniffed and kissed him. “See you later.” And with that, the room cleared. Lindsay and Melanie were back downstairs in the middle of the argument. Leaving only Phoebe with Ty and Doug. She climbed up on her bed, not minding that the two cats wrapped themselves around her, their purrs filling the room. Slowly she fell into an exhausted sleep.

<i> “How did we let this happen?” </i>  Ty asked Doug. <i>  “I feel like we are failures as Wah cats.” </i>

Doug leaned over and began to wash Ty’s ear, while purring and keeping up the façade that she was just a regular cat. It helped. Finally Doug paused long enough to say. <i> “What happened today was meant to happen. There was nothing we could do to stop it. Phoebe needed to learn where her strength was and where her weakness lies. She will become a great leader someday, for she’ll never forget today.”

“But the dog, he was a friend.” 

“He was dog.” </i>  Doug sighed. <i>  “It was his place to protect a member of his pack. He died well and will be remembered always by all Wah cats until time ends.” </i>

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Justin waited by the window for Brian to return. He knew his partner’s heart had been hurt by the loss of his friend. They’d grown close over the past few years, closer than Brian liked to admit. It was lonely and the big room seemed somehow empty without Ty sprawled on one of the rafters and Killer’s nails click clicking on the hardwood. Justin shuddered, thinking of what could have happened had the dog not stepped in. It just went to show, that no matter how many precautions or spells or controlled forces that he and Brian and the rest of the family had, the two children were much stronger than they’d known and like a lot of kids, able to hide things too well from those who loved them. 

A soft knock on the door took Justin’s attention away from his thoughts. He knew it was Gus, though why he was there he didn’t know. “Hey Gus.” Justin said as he opened the door. “Your dad isn’t here.” 

“I know, he’s saying goodbye to Killer.” Gus walked in, his head bent. “Phoebe didn’t know what she was doing.” He began.

“Yes, she did know.” Justin’s voice was gentle. “And we both are well aware of it.” 

“I guess.” Gus looked up at Justin, his eyes pleading for understanding. “I don’t want her hurt.”

“No one is going to hurt her.” Justin put his arms around the boy and hugged him. He silently marveled at how tall Gus was, almost as tall as he was. 

“But dad, Killer…” Gus’ voice trailed off.

“Your dad understands how mistakes can happen. He’s made enough of them himself over the years.” Justin walked over to the sofa and sat down.  “If you want a soda, there’s one in the fridge.”

“No thanks.” Gus had followed him. “The mom’s, will they know what happened?” 

“No.” Justin sighed. “We can’t have that, now can we?”

Gus shook his head no. “It’s all because I’m going away to school. She thought I’d forget her. That I wouldn’t love her anymore. That’s just stupid. I told her so too.” 

“She’s young, you both are. There’s time to discuss love later.” But Justin had to wonder if too much pressure was being put on the two children. They were well aware of their part that was to be played in the unification of Wahjee and human. Maybe it was too much for ones so young. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Gus’ years at the Wahren school seemed to pass in a blur. He was busier than most of the students, not because he didn’t have the talent to make an impression and score high on his tests. But rather because he did score so high, he needed to learn temperance. After what had happened to Phoebe years before, Gus was always alert to the dark forces and how insidious they could be in working their way into one filled with white light. 

Phoebe had joined him at the school when she reached her twelfth birthday. It was only some fine manipulation by Brian and Justin, as well as Phoebe’s grandmother Jen, that had let Melanie and Lindsay relinquish their hold on the young girl. Neither of them had ever planned on their daughter attending a boarding school so far away. 

For Gus, the years apart from Phoebe were stomach churning and filled with anguish. His only respite, the late night cuddles from midnight until one, when he was able to pop into her room. It was when he turned sixteen that he realized he loved the girl he thought of as his sister. Loved her with much more than sisterly love. 

It was also when he began to distance himself from her. For like his father and his father’s father, he didn’t feel he was able to be loved just for himself and not for who he was and what he would become. 

A great deal happened from the moment he turned sixteen. Phoebe became bathed in a white glow, whenever he saw her. Doug left him to join his fellow elder Wah cats on an island on the west coast of British Columbia where the mice were plentiful and the stories long and bold as old Wah cats sat on warm rocks in the sunshine and watched and listened as a certain tiny fiddler, who had also taken up residence on the island, played his music. His mother, Lindsay died from a human disease, and his other mother Melanie, remarried. 

The only constant in his young life was that of his fathers. For Brian and Justin continued to live and love, and bicker and love some more. All the while, quietly and patiently guiding both Gus and Phoebe in the ways of the Wahjee and the positions the two young ones would have in the High Council. 

For one day Gus would join his bride, Phoebe, at the head of the council and so the beginning of the enlightenment between human and Wahjee would begin. 

The journey though, wouldn’t be an easy one. But it would be filled with love.