****
The trip through the doorway and to Earth in the time of the Federation was rather short. Athena's world was very near it, as he thought of it. But when he got there, he ran into unexpected difficulty. He tried to remember the man across the desk wasn't just being difficult, but it wasn't easy.
"He's my son and I want him!"
"He's a Federation ward, Mr. Gallant, and you will have to prove your status."
"Dad, get Telas. He's expecting it. You set it up years ago. Remember?"
"Oh. All right, Lane. Anything has to be easier than this."
Gallant stormed out of the office and down the steps. Clete was having a bit of difficulty not kicking something in response to what he was feeling. What he got from Lane was too mixed to define, but it was predominantly anticipation, so strong it was a hunger. It was almost as strong as his father's frustration.
"Why, after all these years, did they make him a ward of the state?! Lane, when did I set this up with Telas?"
"I don't know. Just that you do."
"Why don't you know and why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"There he is. Right on time."
"Telas! It's good to see you!"
"Hi, Gallant. Hello, Clete, Lane. Let's see, you're here to pick up Roberrin. That means this is the first time my godsons have met me."
"You mean I'm your godson too?"
"You are now, Clete, but not yet. That even confuses me. Let's see... Your dad asked me a long time ago, but he hasn't... The simple answer is: Yes, and now that he knows, he will. I have a file on the duties and, more relevant, the privileges of my duty station. I believe this is the time to invoke my hugging privilege. I've watched over your son, Gallant. I gave him his first hug. Lynn Marsh states she was not really hugging him when she handed him to me. We were there. The Pauling was Athena's ship and they loved him too. We're quite smug. Athena trusted us to build her son into the person he could be. It's time he knew his father and his brothers."
"Telas, I can't prove I'm a Fed citizen. I'm not. They refuse to take straight paternity without a long involved court proceeding. I'm... two steps from just grabbing him."
"That's what I'm here to help you do. You want him to disappear from this time period. There are others helping. Lynn Marsh is Fleet Chief Med Officer. She's just had all his medical records put in a coded file and sealed under Fleet Med Command. The captain of the Pauling just 'lost' all his records at Admiral Merris' request. The only one left to 'hit' is Social."
"There's a sweet little old lady who will help at the school. Dad will charm her socks off and she'll 'forget' to refile Dutch's records. She thinks it's dumb to put a kid with an obviously caring parent in an institution. Clete and I will get him. It'll take him all of ten seconds to figure out who we are. It'll take us about two hours to convince him he doesn't need to say good-by to about forty girls. Come on, Clete. He'll be on the field for track practice by the time we get there. Dad, remember to tell me about sweet little old Ms. Brown."
"Telas, they're going to drive me crazy."
"You're going to turn them into outstanding young men and it'll break your heart to part with them."
"That too. I can already see it coming and I haven't even met Roberrin. Three sons, Telas. Three beautiful women gave me sons. And I already ache to hold... Lane calls him Dutch. His eyes light when he says it. I would have gone anywhere and done nearly anything to see... Telas, Social? I want my son."
"Back to the office you just left. You get that man to get into Dutch's file. As soon as he does, I'll key in an erase command from the outer office. I've got the Fed's pri-one override command. As soon as he closes the file, it will cease to have ever existed."
"Pri-one? Override?"
"You have friends in high places. So will the boys when they reach this time. Gallant, you put them in the academy sixteen years ago."
"Wait! Don't tell me any more. I don't want to know the future, but I do want to know what happened to Athena."
"She saved a world and lost her life. Highest commendation the Fed can give. One of six ever awarded. She stopped a war. No one knows how she did it. The defense shield she threw up around a defenseless world fused into a lump of metal. It lasted just long enough to deflect the incomings. When it blew, she died. She was the only one who didn't live through the attack. Nearly two billion people owe her their lives. Every city on that planet has an Athena Boulevard or Athena Duchelle park. Half the girls under ten are named Athena. She's one of the Federation's greatest heroes."
"Sounds like the girl I knew."
"Ooh, it hasn't been very long, has it?"
"No. Not long enough to forget the fragrance she wore or the way she felt in my arms. A minute, Telas. I need a minute."
"Gallant, she loved you. You were the last man she invited 'in' for dinner."
"Telas, there are four Athenas."
"I'd say the explanation lies in your future and in those three boys."
"I'll wait for it. There are three girls too, but Lane says they're close to each other, but not to him or me. Family, but not really friends. I don't understand it, but I don't think he does either. It may be the only thing that confuses him. I may have to do something about that. I'm not sure it's healthy. Teenage boys are supposed to be a bit confused."
"The only thing that confuses Dutch is girls. He never forgets a comm number, but he gets the names that go with them mixed up."
"Lane says he doesn't understand why they think he should choose between them either. He loves him incredibly, like he's been waiting for this moment his whole life, living for it. Let's go. I want my son."
He insisted the man check the files to make sure he wasn't named as father, all files. He wasn't, just unspecified non-human. He made a hasty exit. He'd made such a fuss the man was going to go through them again.
Telas led him to the school and he almost collapsed in mirth. He set about charming Ms. Brown and charmed himself right into trouble.
Lane was near giggles before they got to the field. Clete wasn't far behind. He had no idea what was so funny to Lane, but he'd never felt anyone as strongly as he did him and his near giggly mood felt wonderful. He could have found his brother on the field with his eyes closed. It didn't take him long to notice them.
He watched him come across the field and made an estimate from the ease and speed at which he did it. He could see Lane's description of 'fast' was an understatement. Lane's intense surge of excitement when he ran up to them didn't at all agree with his casual posture, but he didn't say anything, just stood and smiled.
"Hi, Dutch."
"Who are you?"
"You've already figured out the answer. Come on, we're breaking you out of this place. Dad's finishing off your computer tracks now. He's Lane. I'm Clete. Apollo Avelaine and Pericles Buchannon. Our dad's Gallant. So's yours. Let's go."
"I need to say good-by to some people. I can't leave without telling them."
"Dutch, the important ones are helping. We haven't time for farewells to every girl in a ten kilometer radius."
"Just Rosalind and Jackie. Oh, and Carol and Diane. How did you know I wanted to say good-by to girls?"
"He remembers the future. Pretty strange, but I'm starting to get used to it. Dutch, relax. You're starting to make me tense."
"He's wondering why Dad didn't come for him before, Clete. It's worrying him."
"Exactly. Well, why didn't he?"
"Because, until I told him eighteen days ago, he didn't know either one of you existed. He didn't know I did until I walked up and introduced myself. NO! You can't tell her good-by."
"But she's right across... You really do know what's going to happen. Wow! That must be great."
"Dutch, you're not dense. Think about it a minute. Lane will never have a surprise, not even a happy one. Yeah, better. You're still doing dips emotionally, but your
brain's getting back in gear. Oh, I'm an empath."
"A big one."
"Yes, and he'll get bigger, but so will we. Primarily because he makes us work at it. Yes, we're all the same age. You need to know Dad, so you understand who you are, Dutch."
"We're all the same age? Dumb question. You just said that."
"Not dumb. I wouldn't have known what you were going to ask if you didn't ask it. That's how it works. Dad's going to tell us how 'little old Ms. Brown' helped clear your files later."
"Little!? Old!? Corinne Brown may be the most beautiful redhead who ever walked a planet!"
"Yeah. Make sure you don't let on you knew it. I worked very hard setting him up for it."
"Ooh. Does he do this often, Clete?"
"I haven't been around him long enough to know, but from the way he's enjoying it, I'd say as often as he thinks he can get away with it."
"Ms. Brown. Our dad must really be something."
Gallant got back to Alice quite late. He very carefully told Lane about 'sweet little old Ms. Brown' helping get rid of Dutch's files. He could have cheerfully strangled Telas when he added, "Yes, your dad charmed her socks off." He began to realize he'd been had when the three boys collapsed in giggles in a corridor just beyond the main control room.