The Link Pt. 02: The Hunted

We parted company so that Jerry could prepare for a meeting with prospective clients. They were the reason for the gray suit. I moved to my office, about half the size of Jerry's. That I had an office at all was a small miracle. I smiled when I remembered Rose, Natalie's mother. She had always seen me sitting in an office like this and had faith I would achieve it. A giant leap from hauling pot for a meager living.

I moved Natalie's picture from the middle of the desk to the corner. I always, before leaving my office, move her picture to the center to remind me of why I work. Even today that woman earns more than me, but I am no longer a slouch. It's petty of me to think I still need to earn her love, but it's there, and I have long admitted it to myself. I smiled at her image, remembering how sexy she was last night. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. It also spices up the bedroom and proves we are still young at heart.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and found Hank's number. The government was a small nuisance, but this time, they might be helpful. I felt a little guilt when I hit connect. It didn't feel wholly right to spy on Teagan even if it was in my power, but a father should always use what's at his disposal to protect his children.

"Morning, Hank," I said when he answered.

"Morning, Sam. Something up?"

"Well, nothing earth shattering. Teegan's got a date," I chuckled.

"She's dated before," Hank said, "nothing strange for her age. In fact, I would say she's a little behind the curve. Something, I find more than surprising." I let my anger at the thought that Teegan was less than average on the desirability chart pass. It wasn't what Hank intended when he spoke.

"This time, she's lying to herself," I said. "She's adamant it's not a date, yet she fought with Natalie about not being able to go. Cut us all off when she didn't get her way."

"She's done that before," Hank pointed out.

"She did it in anger this time," I clarified, "to punish Natalie, I believe."

"Did it work?" Hank asked.

"Not in the way she expected," I replied, "I had to play peacemaker, and she relented, but we gave a little as well."

"She is 18," Hank said. "Can't expect her not to have a mind of her own. I'm just surprised she hasn't used her power more."

"It's not as strong as it was," I explained. "It never was as powerful for her as it was for me. Then again, we haven't needed it. That time she broke her arm, what was it, six years ago, that was the last time I ever accessed her bond like before." I had to chuckle, "Damn thing hurt like hell, and she was sitting under the tree crying for me. Now it's nothing but shared feelings, though they are kind of nice."

"You know I'm coming out there in a couple of weeks," Hank said, "Is there another reason for the call?"

"I'd like the military to look into this non-date of hers," I said. "If I'm right, and she has feelings for him, they should be as interested as I am." Hank laughed.

"You want the US Government to check up on your daughter's date?"

"We've been good," I said, trying to keep the humor out of my voice. "They can work for us for once."

"You do know their interest has waned," Hanks said, once his breathing had returned. He found the situation especially humorous. "I'll see what I can do, but be warned, they're beginning to think she's harmless and not the weapon they expected."

"She is harmless," I said, "we both know that. She hasn't bonded with anyone new in years. If her life continues at its current pace, I doubt she ever will again."

"We'll just keep that to ourselves right now," Hank said, "There are still crazies out there, and the military has been invaluable at keeping your family hidden. It may just be that there's been no need for her abilities. I've always suspected it's more of a survival response."

"I think she's just getting older," I said, "and her brain is no longer free to galavant where it will. It's been cluttered with experiences."

"Maybe," Hank conditionally agreed. I could tell he wasn't telling me everything. He never did, and we kept some things from him as well. I suspect the military was even more in the dark. "What is this guy's name?"

"Caleb McGuire," I replied, "from here in town. I never met him before. Some new friend outside of her normal acquaintances."

"It's a total misuse of government assets," Hank laughed, "but I'll see what I can do."

"I just want to make sure he's not an ax murderer or something," I said.

"Just make sure Teegan never finds out," Hank said. "It won't go well for you if she discovers the breach of trust."

"Well, I'd rather have her hate me than date a crook," I said.

"What if Rose had felt that way?" Hank said as he stifled a laugh.

"I thought you were on my side."

"I'm on Teegan's side," Hank chuckled, "then Natalie's and Zane's. You're fourth or so down the list."

"Okay, then do it for Teegan," I said.

"Of course," Hank replied with additional humor. "By the way, I got one of those mini-drones for Zane. I hope Natalie won't think it's too much."

"Hell, I don't care if she does," I said excitedly. "I was eyeing one of those at the mall last Christmas. We'll have a lot of fun with it. I'm sure Zane will find all sorts of ways to cause trouble." I had been trying to think of a way to push one of them through Natalie's wall of no-more-frivolous-things in the house.

"Good," Hank said, "I've always wanted to give one a go. Zane's a good excuse." Hank had the same problem as I did. Women were too practical sometimes. "I'll call you if I find out anything about Caleb."

"Thanks," I added before we ended the call. I knew it was risky not to accept Teegan's judgment, but I was a father. We use all the tools we have to secure the welfare of their children. At least, I hoped I wasn't an aberration.

Chapter 7 - Teegan

"Grandma's coming around 11," Mom shouted from the kitchen. My breath caught at the thought. Was this lunch or an interrogation? I couldn't remember the last time we all had Saturday lunch together. This wasn't supposed to be a special event. I moved to the kitchen.

"Grandma?"

"She wants to meet him too," Mom said as she continued to toss the salad in a bowl. I didn't know how to stop the boulder running down the hill. It had all gotten blown out of proportion. Mom was making a feast and Dad was cleaning up the yard. It was like they were trying to make a good impression. They never went this far for any of my other friends.

"You're not planning on embarrassing me, are you?" I pleaded.

"He's just joining us for a family lunch," Mom said with a smile, "and we'll act like it happens all the time."

"I'm not dating the guy," I argued. "Why did you call Grandma?"

"This is the price you have to pay," Mom chuckled, "for having a family that loves you." She looked me up and down and added, "Is that what you're planning to wear?" Jeans and a cotton pullover were what I normally wore. I looked down at myself and saw nothing worth changing.

"It's a concert," I insisted, "not a date."

"I just thought you'd want to get more dressed up to go downtown," Mom commented as she covered the salad bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. "You have those nice skirts. The black one you wore to Grandma's birthday looks so cute on you."

"I'm not trying for cute," I sighed. I was suddenly self-conscious of my appearance. Mom had a way of confusing my mind with her suggestions. I pushed the thought away and filled it with my stubbornness. Changing now would be a defeat. I almost blocked the family, then thought better of it. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't make this more than it is," I pleaded. I was worried that Caleb would run for the hills from my insane family. This was becoming the worst favor I had ever done for anyone. I had to stop volunteering for things.

"A friend's coming over for lunch," Mom said as she opened the oven to see how the macaroni casserole was doing. "Nothing more and nothing less." I rolled my eyes. Normally, we're lucky to have cold cuts for lunch. I left her there with her crazed meal plans and moved to the family room and plopped myself on the couch next to Zane.

"Mom overdoing it?" Zane asked. He thought it was funny.

"He's just a friend," I stated strongly.

"They like him," Zane said. I looked at him with some confusion. "Mom and Dad," he clarified. "I heard them talking last night. They think he's son-in-law material."

"They've never even met him," I said with some surprise. Zane shrugged. He wasn't playing with me. I could usually tell when he spoke the truth. Anger leaked from me which raised Zane's eyebrows.

"It won't be that bad," Zane said.

"It's not a date!" I announced as I stood. I moved as both Mom and Dad tried to comfort me from afar. I was out the door and moving directly toward Dad. There were no directions necessary with him. With the bond active, we always knew where each of us was.

"How do you know Caleb?" I demanded as Dad raked some of last year's leaves out of the shrubbery.

"What are you so angry about?" Dad asked, ignoring my question. He kept raking, so I put up my walls, blocking our music from merging. This time, I shut out the world. He stopped raking and turned to me.

"I was concerned," Dad said calmly, "so I checked up on him."

"And now you and Mom think you found me a future husband," I said loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Dad dropped the rake and opened his arms. I stood firm for a few moments, then the stress of it got to me. I opened my mind and entered his arms. Both Mom and Dad filled me with love. I wanted my anger again.

"I'm sorry," Dad said sincerely and hugged me closer.

"You shouldn't have checked on him," I said. "He's just a friend. You should trust me."

"I don't always think straight when I worry about you," Dad whispered. "You're right; I shouldn't have checked. I can't promise I won't be stupid again, though." How I hated liking the security blanket of his arms and the one he forged in my mind. I was too old to need it so badly.

"He's just a friend," I said, then the tears started. The stress of the coming lunch overwhelmed me, and the sanctuary of Dad's arms made me lose it.

"I'm sorry," Dad kept repeating softly as he let me cry on his shoulder. I needed to get away from all of this. I needed a life of my own. Graduation couldn't come soon enough.

It took a moment before I trusted my voice again. I wiped my eyes and straightened up, out of Dad's arms. I could see his eyes weren't dry either. He knew and felt that he had hurt me. Now I felt bad that I hurt him as well. The link was such a nuisance.

"I admit,' Dad confessed, "we got a little excited. He has a full-ride to MIT. They don't give those to just anyone." I looked at his eyes, the way they looked all puppy dog desperate for my future. I couldn't help myself, I laughed.

"I'm not marrying him," I said between chuckles.

"We just wanted to make a good impression," Dad said with a smile.

"You're going to scare him away," I said. "He's a nice guy out of his comfort zone. I'm just making sure he has a friend at the concert."

"Okay, okay," Dad capitulated, "we'll tone it down a bit." I hugged him hard before I headed back into the house. I was no less apprehensive about lunch, but at least Dad understood me better. Hopefully, he'd talk with Mom before Caleb ran for the hills. Damn, a full-ride he said.

Warning - Parents going overboard

I texted Caleb in hopes of him not flipping out when he got here. My family is a bit strange, but they are mine, and from what I understood I chose them.

Mine thought I should wear a suit

LOL, Mom was pushing a skirt

There was no response to that so I began to wonder if he thought I should dress up for the concert. I wished Mom never put the idea in my head.

Jeans OK?

Hope so, that's what I'm wearing

The relief was overwhelming. I don't think I would have been comfortable in a skirt. On a date, maybe, but not at a casual concert with a friend. Mom might be disappointed, but she didn't understand that comfort was fashion today. I went upstairs and changed into a brighter shirt. My other one was a little dowdy.

"There's my favorite granddaughter," Grandma said as she saw me walking down the stairs. I moved into her arms and suffered a kiss on my cheek. She is exactly what anyone would envision a grandmother to be. Gray curls and an unending smile. A little shorter than me, but seemed to have more energy. It was like she was trying to cram more life into the end of her years, making up for some lack of it in the beginning.

"Hi, Grandma," I returned.

"MeMaw!" Zane shouted from the top of the stairs. Grandma smiled and waved him into her arms. Though she was getting on in years, she still worked full time at the library. She enjoyed reading to the preschoolers and greeting the town as they passed through. Zane always acted younger around her, and it cost him extra kisses. His cheek had little red marks from her lipstick. I wiped mine, thinking I bore the same scars.

"Hello, Mother," Dad said, coming when he heard Zane's yell. Dad received a kiss as well, though the hug was less mushy.

"Sammy, where's Natalie?" Grandma asked.

"In the kitchen," Dad replied, "getting everything ready." Grandma grabbed my hand and pulled me along toward the kitchen. I always felt ten years old in her presence. She was our main babysitter growing up. Zane and I spent as much time with her as we did with Mom and Dad. Before kindergarten, she even lived with us, giving Dad time to go to school and Mom to work. She made a mean toasted cheese, one of the few things I would eat back then.

"Natalie," Grandma exclaimed when we entered the kitchen.

"Hi, Mary," Mom said warmly as she lifted the casserole out of the oven. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Grandma said turning to me, "Your first real date."

"It's not a date!" I said in unison with Mom. Grandma pursed her lips in surprise. "And it wouldn't be my first if it was," I added a little quieter. I've had a couple of dates and even one second date. It wasn't my fault that they were boring.

"He's just a friend," Mom took up my cause. "Caleb McGuire is playing with a real band in the city. Teegan is going to support him. It will be his first time in front of an audience." There was some awfully suspicious eye contact between Grandma and Mom. It was almost like they didn't believe me.

"Not the first time," I said, defending Caleb. It's not like he was afraid or anything. "He's played at weddings and things. Also with the orchestra at school."

"Has he?" Grandma prompted. "What instrument does he play?"

"Violin," I answered. "This will be the first time that I've heard him play outside of the orchestra. One the guys in the band, the saxophonist, asked him to play on stage. I have no idea how he can just get up in front of all those people."

"He must have a lot of confidence," Grandma continued. "It will be nice to have a friend in the audience."

"Yeah," I agreed, "that's what I thought when he asked."

"So he asked you?" Grandma inquired. Mom stopped pulling plates out of the cupboard and waited for my response.

"It's not a date," I sighed, rolling my eyes, "He's just a friend and we were talking. I mentioned I've never heard him play, and he offered a ticket."

"He's very smart," Mom added. Then she returned to pulling plates when I scowled.

"Is he?" Grandma continued.

"Yes," I said, not wanting to add to the interrogation with a long answer.

"Scholarship to MIT," Mom said when I was silent for too long.

"Oh, you mean REALLY smart," Grandma chuckled. She saw the look on my face and lost her smile. "We're just teasing," she said, then pulled me into another hug. "We'll treat him like a friend, no worries."

"Thank you, Grandma," I said honestly. She figured it out quicker than Mom and Dad. Though my bond with her isn't as strong as the rest of the family, it was still warm and comfortable. I let my appreciation leak and received her love in return.

"Sax and violin," Grandma pointed out, "I don't think I've ever heard those two together." The conversation thankfully drifted away from the date issue and became pleasant. Grandma and I helped Mom set the table as we discussed how music had changed over the years. I was surprised to hear about some of the concerts Grandma had gone to when she was young. I got the sense that she embraced the 60's with gusto. At least, they sounded like fond memories.

Caleb arrived at noon. I watched him straighten his clothes three times and bend down to look in the side view mirror on his car to correct his hair. He was terrified, but he came forward nonetheless. Somehow, his reaction eased my fear. I couldn't bear to watch him struggle to ring the doorbell, so I went outside to greet him on the front walk.

"Hi," I said as brightly as I could. Caleb slowed and smiled. I could see it was the right idea to meet him out front. A little ice breaker before my family crashed down on him.

"Hi," Caleb returned, "it's noon." I smiled at Mr. Obvious. I could almost see him shaking.

"Nervous?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered while shaking his head no. I stopped his approach and let him catch his collective breath.

"About lunch or the concert?" I asked calmly. Why did I enjoy the fact that he was nervous? It was comforting in some way and totally inappropriate to extract pleasure from it.

"Lunch," Caleb replied, and dropped his eyes. I ceased enjoying it. Now he was embarrassed. I wanted the confident Caleb of a few days ago. I did something I didn't expect, I took his hand in mine, blocking his song, therefore, the link before it began.

"You don't need to impress anyone," I told Caleb. "I want to see you play, and my parents want to know who to hunt down if I don't return. Nothing more." Caleb laughed at the last part and held my hand firmly, with more courage.

"I was afraid of an interrogation," Caleb admitted, his smile returning.

"Oh, there will be that," I chuckled. "There's just no way to fail. I'm the only judge who counts." His eyes sharpened, and he seemed taller. I was strangely proud of myself. "Come on in and we'll see if we can't escape early." I tried to retract my hand as I turned. Gently, he kept it in his as we started toward the door. I was slightly uncomfortable with how comfortable it was. It felt better than I expected, almost as if they were molded to be together.

"It can't be worse than a math test," Caleb joked. I laughed and felt better that his confidence was somewhat restored. I swung our joined hands together as we climbed the porch steps. We didn't let go of each other until we walked through the door.

"Caleb, these are my parents and my Grandma," I introduced him.

"Mr. Fuller, " Caleb said strongly, holding out his hand, "Thank you for inviting me for lunch." He had hidden all his apprehension and was standing tall when my Dad shook his hand.

"Call me Sam, Caleb," Dad said, seemingly more interested in him than me. Mom and Grandma both insisted on a hug which added more color to Caleb's cheeks.

"Hey, Caleb," Zane said from the couch, barely looking up. He was working on a game on his tablet.

"Hi, Zane," Caleb returned. For a second I feared we were all going to sit in the family room to talk, but Mom wasn't going to make us suffer through that much.

"Lunch is ready," Mom said. "Zane, put up the game and join us." Zane gave a grunt as he put the tablet down and moved slowly. We all moved into the dining room where Mom sat Caleb next to Dad and me next to Caleb. Mom sat across from Caleb with Grandma next to her. Zane shrugged his shoulders and sat across the table from Dad, normally Mom's seat. I'm sure Caleb felt surrounded, but it didn't show.