Near Collision

"Near Collision"

By Lael Stalnaker

Chapter 10: Exploring Possibilities

Skyler opened his eyes and turned his head. He could just make out the top of Bryce's head from where it nestled into his shoulder. The glossy waves of hair appeared tangled, as if from high winds blowing through it. Skyler's eyes widened as he remembered the night just past. A smile of contentment touched the corners of his lips with the thought. He wondered how they would top that Dream Realm experience. He doubted they could.

He listened to the quiet breathing of the man next to him. Something seemed off, somehow. Every few breaths, a hitch in the pattern sounded. Almost as if he were gasping for air. Skyler shifted his position enough to listen more carefully to his beloved's breathing. He gently placed a hand onto Bryce's chest and nearly choked at how fast the heart raced under his fingertips. Something was very wrong. Bryce seemed to be dreaming and it was not a good dream, if these signs were any indication.

Skyler debated on whether to wake Bryce or not. After minutes of tormenting himself, the point was moot. Bryce's eyes flew open and he started upright. His powerful body was sweat slicked and obviously overheated. Skyler held his shoulders to steady him until he blinked the sleep from his eyes. Once they were clear, Skyler looked into them carefully. He knew from his expression that Bryce felt incredibly disturbed by whatever the dream meant.

Bryce shook the last of his befuddlement out of his mind and looked over at Skyler. A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. Then he leaned over and kissed him. It always brought him joy to wake to the sight of his beloved. He had missed the presence of another, especially with centuries of being on his own alone. Joy welled up within him. Despite the nature and ever rising frequency of his dreams, that joy kept him from the paths of insanity.

They untangled themselves from the sheet and headed for the shower. This was their daily ritual, inaugurated since Skyler had invited the two immortals to stay with Ethan and him. Quick caresses, delighted laughter and plenty of soap dropping marked the course of the event. They toweled each other off with all of the delicacy of two rams butting heads. They loved the feel of the hard toned muscles under their hands. The roughness wasn't so much a dominance thing as it was a reaffirmation of individual power.

As Skyler dressed, he watched Bryce covertly. It still amazed him that he was the choice of company that the immortal had made. Billions now in the world and he had the undivided attention of this wonderful immortal of legend. He smiled to himself as Bryce finished tying a shoelace. It had taken a while to get Bryce to agree that they couldn't spend all of their time romping in bed, now that Skyler was finished with school. He appreciated the free time, but wanted to get started on the problem that Bryce had originally brought with him. Bryce rose from the bed and looked down at his feet in semi-disgust.

"What's wrong, love?" asked Skyler as he ran a comb through his tousled damp hair.

"I would rather go barefoot. Civilization has not improved with the necessity of trapping your feet in unyielding artificial footwear. It pinches the toes, rubs the heel raw and makes the foot ache. I owe a mortal an arrow, in sight of a diseased leech, for the invention of this monstrosity," came the disgruntled answer, along with a finger pointing at his feet. "Too bad that they are probably already dead! No satisfaction to have there."

Suppressing a chuckle, Skyler asked, "Well, is there anything modern that you do like?"

"Well, I guess the sheer luxury. You do not have to lug water in from a well or stream. You do not have to bring in wood for cooking or warmth. You do not have to go hunt or farm your food. You become nearly anything you want. You do not have to make your own clothes. You can speak with someone you do not know on the other side of the world. Even your healers rarely lose in the fight with death. All of this is miraculous to see on such a scale that has never before happened. Yes, a true luxury that any can partake of. It leaves the mind free to create the wonders around you."

Skyler was stunned with that answer. He had never really considered all that Eros would have seen through the centuries of interaction with mortals. Skyler was further amazed that he would be impressed in the social impact of change. He knew from his studies that most of the Greek gods were what could only be designated as, in human terms, callous. It gave him a large measure of pride that his beloved transcended that image with his reality.

Bryce quit staring at his feet and moved to Skyler's side. He wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled into his neck. Bryce gave an embarrassed start as his stomach rumbled loudly into the comfortable silence. Skyler laughed and tugged Bryce out of the room. Food was definitely in order. Maybe afterwards they could get down to the real business that had been left unattended for so long.

They trudged through some minor morning chores and then finally got around to making breakfast. Bryce always sampled things carefully first before throwing his full enjoyment behind anything he ate. He still nearly retched at the memory of chocolate covered pickles. He shook his head in disgust as the memory of the taste washed back through his mouth. He washed it away with two glasses of water.

By the time they had finished an already late breakfast, Ethan and Josh had joined them. Things went smoothly and soon the four sat in the living room, paired as always. Ethan sat in Josh's lap on the recliner. Josh always sat there, claiming it from his first day in the house. Bryce was on the couch with Skyler perched on the armrest and wrapped around him over the backrest. Skyler played with the back of his dark hair as they talked.

"Well, what now?" Skyler started off. "We've finished school as planned and now we can focus on the problem you came with."

Josh glanced at Bryce and shrugged. As far as Josh was concerned, this was Bryce's show. He had just shown up for the sightseeing and a bit of business. Josh frowned as he remembered why he had come here in the first place. He began to tune the others out. Bryce didn't notice as he started to go over the problems again. He knew that this would be the first time Ethan had heard any of it, so he tried to be complete.

"There is something wrong. Each night that I enter the Dream Realm from here, without going there in more than spirit, I dream of something horrific. It chills the soul and quells the mind. I wake with only badly remembered fragments, disjointed, never clear enough to place. The feeling of terror grows stronger each time. I know that we must find the others to stop something. I just do not know what it is we are to stop. I know that I cannot do it alone, nor with just a few. It will take all we can find to stop whatever is coming . . . And it must be stopped."

"But you can't be sure of what it is?" questioned Ethan.

"No."

"But how do you know that it is something real and not just something from your own mind?" inquired Skyler.

"Immortals do not dream in the same way that mortals do. Normally, our sleep is dreamless, unless messages come to us from another immortal. Morpheus sends these, but I have searched for months to find him. He is not making himself available to clearly find out what he knows. He does know all that happens in the Dream Realm. It is his, after all. The dreams of mortals shape it and he simply governs the encounters within it. Perhaps . . . " Bryce grew thoughtful and his voice trailed off abruptly.

"Perhaps I should search also," Josh put in. He had jerked his attention back to the conversation in time to catch most of it.

"Do you have any idea what the others might choose to do, if they are material in our world?" asked Ethan. He had his own ideas for a search parameter.

"They might stick close to their concept. What I mean is, wherever their concept is most likely to manifest. Mostly to encourage it to grow. As our concepts grow, so follows our available power. The more people we can get using our concept, the more energy is generated for our use. Some of us are lucky enough to have concepts that are self-generating. Others, like Ares, have to nudge it along every now and then to keep it rolling. It could get difficult with immortals that encompass several concepts, especially if they hope to get them all going at the same time at top efficiency. Locating these immortals will cause a lot of headache, but they will have the power we will require," explained Bryce.

"That is true. However, there are many variables. We do not know that they will help or join us even if we find them," put in Joshua.

"Have you ever come across any other immortals over the centuries?" asked Ethan.

"Only a couple and we parted ways quickly enough. I have never looked for anyone who might be outside our family though, if that is what you were really asking. I can see your point though. We have no way of knowing if the threat might be coming from an entirely other group of immortals."

"I, for one, have never encountered another immortal since leaving Olympus. But then, I am hardly the best one to ask either. I have not exactly been in the thick of things," admitted Joshua.

"How can you be sure that the other Olympians will be able to help?" asked Ethan. "I don't mean to sound negative, but I think it is a question that needs to be asked."

"The feelings in the dreams tell me that it will take all of us to stop whatever is coming. I feel death, so much death that it shrivels my soul. Death in many guises. All over the world, not just here. It wounds the soul, it kills the body, shatters the mind. With each death, more follow. Soon it will be a wave that cannot be stopped. This is why I sought an anchor here. The deaths will over take our ability to stay on our own as we weaken," clarified Bryce. Joshua stared at him in horror. The twins sat in shocked silence as they absorbed the meaning of the words just uttered.

"I have not had any dreams of that kind. Are you sure, brother? Could it not be a trick or misreading of what you are seeing the Dream Realm?" asked Joshua uncertainly. "We all know that things of the Dream Realm can mislead as often as they show truth."

"True. But I know. The dreams have come too many times not to be a warning. Only a fool or madman ignores a plain warning of danger. I am neither. It is coming. Something monstrous and beyond our experience. I see people falling in droves, fire crisping their skins from their flesh. Still others starve and collapse where they fall. Then there are those who sicken and waste away, the lucky ones. Still others fall dead, no rhyme or reason to their death. They happen in waves, each one different but overwhelming in the sheer number of deaths. Each wave must be stopped separately from the others. So it feels. Perhaps stopping one stops the later ones. I just do not know for sure. Nothing is clear.

"I do know that these deaths will impact everyone, immortal or not. I just do not know when. I also do not understand how Morpheus knows what he knows. Where is his information coming from? Why did he choose to send it on to me? These questions plague my waking and sleeping. This is why I still search the Dream Realm for Morpheus. I have had no luck. I know that if I can find him, much will become clear in the talk we will have. Until then, I can only piece it together slowly and with many mistakes," finished Bryce.

The others sat stunned. Bryce was so emphatic about the dire danger down the road. It appalled them. It sounded too much like the end of the world. They stared at each other, looking for the same shock in the faces of others that they knew showed on their own. It changed everything. So much that they could almost feel the change surrounding them. How does someone assimilate something like this?

"So, what should we do?" Ethan asked into the granite thick silence.

"I do not know. Perhaps an idea will appear."

"Well, I have an idea or two. First, Ethan and I will set up a computer program to help us find the likely places your fellow immortals would have planted themselves. After all, they need to stick close to the site of their best concept building areas. Once we have something up and running on that type of search, Bryce and I can try hunting for Morpheus together in the Dream Realm. Maybe I'm being to simplistic and hopeful, but it's a logical start, isn't it Ethan?" Skyler challenged his twin.

Ethan brightened and nodded briskly, "Sure, as good a place to start as any. Might even work. Josh can keep us straight on the power bases while you two are off on your hunt." Ethan's eyes flickered to Josh and then back to Skyler. Another blush crept across his face, giving away other plans unvoiced.

Bryce rose from the couch and began to pace. His agitation translated into quick steps back and forth along the couch. Skyler rose also, getting his feet under him in time to get knocked back onto the couch as Bryce turned to go back the other way. Skyler let the air return to his lungs after having it knocked out of him so suddenly. Ethan stared at the pacing immortal in concern. Something was obviously up.

Skyler got back to his feet and nimbly jumped over the coffee table to avoid another trip back onto the couch. Once out of the way, he glanced at Ethan and shrugged. Ethan got up and headed for Skyler. He waved toward his room and started down the hall.

"We're gonna go get started on the computer search part of this," he called over his shoulder to the two immortals. Skyler followed him, avoiding Bryce on his swing through that end of the floor space.

Ethan set up a database and the parameters of the search. Once he had things to his satisfaction, he turned to Skyler for information on what they should cut out and what to keep for the web search. If they needed to go beyond the web, Ethan knew how. He just hoped that it would not come to that. It was chancy and likely to be illegal as well. It went against his ethics to break into anyone's system uninvited.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Ethan asked.

"Well, I think we should start with identifying places where immortals are likely to keep close to. Places that would boost an immortals power. Uh, say... Paris for beauty... Aphrodite might hang out in a place where the standards of beauty are set. Let's check out companies that are based there. We should look at who the owners are. I'll give you a list to put into the search parameters."

"Geez Sky, this could take months!" yelped Ethan minutes later when Skyler handed him a half-inch of paper closely filled with information to track down.

"Well, Ether, no one said this would be easy or done by tonight. Do you realize how many immortals there are in just the newer Greek family? I am not including the Titans. Their locked away anyway. Still in Tartarus for all I know," admonished Skyler. "I should ask Bryce about that."

"Fine, it'll take me a couple of days to enter all of this. Anything have priority?"

"Mmmm, no, not that I know of. I'll try to be back as often as I can to help you sort through the information that comes out of that hell box you call a computer," Skyler teased Ethan.

"Yeah, well, ya better! I wouldn't really know what to look for. I doubt Josh would either."

"I'm worried, Ether. Really worried. I didn't know why he came. Now... I almost wish it was for just me. He needs us, but I don't think he knows why. For that matter, neither do I! Am I just over-reacting?"

"No... I don't think so. He's describing the end of the world, or at least something that sounds like its close cousin! I'm scared too, Sky. More than I could ever admit. What on earth have we gotten into?"

"I don't know. I just don't know," Skyler whispered.

"So, do you agree with my reasoning, Brother?" asked a pensive Bryce.

"Concerning the dreams? Certainly. Dragging Skyler through the Dream Realm with you? Not in the least. What are you thinking? The danger to him is immense. Does he know what could happen to him there? The power you have given him will not matter in the slightest way. Dead is dead, no matter how you fight it. The dangers there are just as real as any here. Do you want to lose your bonded to some of the depraved malignant creations that wander unchecked there?" an incredulous Joshua pointedly asked. Bryce's anguished face spoke volumes.

"I feel we have no choice. Too long we left mortals out of the decisions concerning their destiny. We need them and they cannot be left out once more. I have to believe that I have made the right choice. More is leveled at us than I have said. I suspect that, though we will fight for humanity, it is humanity that we fight," offered Bryce. Joshua sat up suddenly. He stared at Bryce, his mouth dropping open.

"By Gaia, what do you mean?! Do you know what that implies? And you gave a portion of your power to a mortal?" Joshua had risen from his seat in a surge. He stalked over the carpet to Bryce, his eyes locked to his twin's. Bryce stopped his pacing and sank back onto the couch. Dejection clearly outlined his features. His broke off the staring contest and shrugged his uncertainty.

"I saw no other choice. I still do not. These mortals think in ways that we do not begin to comprehend. They no longer startle in the night, thinking ghosts lurk in wait for their blood. They have gone to their moon, Joshua. Would any of the peasants of our past dared dream such? Would even our nobility? They went and they came back. They speak with each other as quickly as ever we contrived, Hermes not withstanding.

"Can we say that we are still their superiors? Are we truly any better than the least of their people now? Yes, we can do many things that are beyond their current dreams, much less understanding. How long will it remain so? Look at Sky. He has already surpassed many of the made immortals in his acceptance of his new power. Did any of the others take less than a century? Yet, this mortal has managed so much in a month.

"I feel, in time, these new mortals will not only understand themselves, but will be able to understand us. What we are. How we do what we do. Do we have the right to continue to play gods over them? Must we always make the same mistakes that have ever plagued our stupid follies?

"Tell me that I truly error. Tell me that I have sinned. That I have destroyed us all with my choice. Do you not think that I have not already considered all of that? That I have doomed us? I know what I know. I felt I must risk the worst, with a view to the best before me," Bryce looked up as he finished. Joshua was still, absorbing the words, taming them from their frenzy. He had never heard his twin speak with such conviction. Passion yes, but not exactly certainty.

"I can only hope you are right, Brother. It is far too late to go back. The only other course is to end his life and I am unwilling to take that step. For all we know, you have saved everyone. Only Kronos knows. Time will tell, eventually, if he ever opens his damned mouth!"

"We may have to go to him to find out." As the words left Bryce's mouth, they both felt pole-axed. They stared at each other in the new silence. A shudder passed through Joshua. He knew what such a journey would entail. It was not one he cared to make. Nor did Bryce. The implications of the statement were almost as bad as the ones about Skyler.

"Well, the one thing that was not mentioned was you passing on any more dreams that come. If they are truly signs in the desert, we need all of us to think on what you are shown. The more minds at this, the better. I hate to think that we might miss something important."

"I think there is something else that needs to be done as well. I agree about telling the dreams. I also think that Ethan should be brought up to Skyler's level. He is vulnerable as he is now. Should something happen when all of us are away, he is in danger. Do I need to argue the point?" demanded Bryce.

Joshua stiffened and then slowly relaxed as he thought through Bryce's words. He went back to the armchair and levered himself down into it, his joints nearly rigid in protest of the thought of harm to his bonded. He stared off into space, trying to find a way around Bryce's suggestion. In the end, he could find no better solution. His heart pounded so hard that he thought surely the mortals could hear it from down the hall.

Bryce waited Joshua out. It was too important to leave unaddressed. He was concerned on a number of levels, for multiple reasons. He knew that Skyler would lose his mind if his twin were harmed. He did not want to think what havoc might be loosed if Ethan were to die due to some foul design. His head shook slowly as he went over the possibilities in his mind. He looked over at Joshua and stilled his mind. The power would have to come from him. After all, Ethan was HIS bonded, not Bryce's.

Joshua let the fear tear around his mind until it became a whirlwind. He could not bear the thought of Ethan coming to any harm at all, much less because he had withheld the means of his defense. As that surfaced, he glared at Bryce. He knew what had happened. Bryce's points had wormed their way straight to the heart. There was no honorable way to withhold or even stall the granting of power to Ethan. Bryce has seen to that with purest cunning.

He felt uneasy about it, all the same. It was rare enough that one mortal came into the fold, but two from the same family? At nearly the same time? Unheard of! A clear and dangerous departure from tradition. Joshua listened to his arguments with himself and then stilled them. Tradition had fallen to the side with the dispersal of the family centuries ago. He almost smiled. A huge change of attitude, especially about who was in charge.

Now that he had seen the stupidity of falling back on old outdated ways, he could examine the reality of the situation. Bryce had seen more clearly than he had. It irked him in that way only brothers can. Ethan really needed the protection. With all the visions of death Bryce was seeing, Joshua could all too easily see Ethan as a victim out of those dreams. It scared and angered him more than he had thought possible.

He came to a decision far quicker than usual. The old ways had little meaning now. This was a different age, a different place. The older ingrained rules and traditions had no basis. They only served to tie him to a time and place that lived in memory. Why? It was not as if those memories were all that wonderful. He recognized the interdependence with humanity. They were as deserving of the right to evolve as the immortals had. He nodded sharply.

Joshua looked up and smiled. Bryce blew his breath out sharply. He had not realized that he was holding it. It was a relief. There was a chance now that the two mortals would make it through whatever was coming. He had doubted that Skyler would, if Ethan did not. He still did not understand why he knew they had a part to play, but he did not doubt it. There is always symmetry to the Fates workings. He only hoped that they had done enough.

"I hope what we do is the right course, Brother. We will not know until the bitter end. All is clouded." Joshua said quietly into the deepening silence between them.

"True. We will only know at the end, but we will have done what we know to be right."

Ethan set aside the pen he had nibbled on for the last hour. All of the programming for his initial search for the missing immortals was now in his computer. All he could do was wait for results to come in. The magnitude of the requirements meant long hours or even days waiting for data to correlate into a usable picture. Ethan began to cuss as the pen flooded ink over the computer desk. He hadn't noticed chewing through the chamber into the ink compartment.

He then noticed the black stains on his fingers. Ethan groaned as he realized that he probably had ink on his face too. He turned to Skyler and started to open his mouth. Skyler saw his face and began laughing with amusement at his brother's plight. With the seriousness of everything else that had gone on so far that day, this was the pinprick to the water balloon. He fell onto Ethan's bed, clutching his sides in a vain attempt to keep breathing. Ethan's new scowl did nothing to help the situation.

Ethan stalked into the bathroom to get a better idea of the liquid damage to his face. His dignity took a hit at the expense of the stain on his lips and chin. He immediately attempted a rescue, but the ink had set in too deeply into his pores. His muttered curses on all manufacturers of disposable pens brought fresh howls from the direction of his bed. Ethan growled as he slammed the door to the bedroom. Leave it to his brother to find the humor in a deadly serious situation. Ethan sighed as he began to scrub determinedly at the ink.

Skyler knew he shouldn't laugh, but once the gasps of air escaped as giggles, he knew there was no hope. He let loose and laughed until he thought his sides would cave in. The pain became intense with each new spell of laughter. He knew it would take a massive apology, maybe even some groveling to make it up to Ethan, but this kind of laugh came along only so many times during one's life. He wiped the tears from his face. Skyler then rolled off the bed. He went to the bathroom door and knocked softly. It wouldn't do to bring the others in before Ethan's face was fixed.

Ethan let Skyler in and continued to stare into the mirror. He simply could not allow himself to believe that he was stuck with the shadow of the remaining ink until the skin cells let go. The indignity of it was too much. He turned to Skyler and stared him down. Skyler managed, barely, not to smile. He took the mirror of his own face in his hands and tilted it from side to side. An idea formed as he examined Ethan.

"Say, Ether, I think I can get it off. Wanna let me try?" asked Skyler.

"Ummmm, I don't know, Sky. You might turn me into something gross and then I would have to kill you. Not that you don't already deserve death for laughing at me..."

"I'll be careful. Just had this nifty idea. Remember watching Roswell?"

"Yeah, so what? What does that have to do with ink on my face?"

"Just hold still. It won't hurt. I'm not going to touch you, just the ink."

"Sky! I don..."

Skyler held Ethan's face with one hand and moved the other one to the ink stain. Ethan had done a pretty good job of rubbing it deep into his skin. Skyler moved closer and stared at the ink. He looked around and snagged a piece of toilet paper from the roll. He held it to the corner of Ethan's lip and stepped closer yet. Ethan's eyes started to get bigger as he watched Skyler's eyes start to glow with that intense light.

Ink flowed from Ethan's skin to the piece of paper tucked near his lip. Soon, it was as black as the splotch on the desk, rather than the faded gray it had been in Ethan's skin. Skyler carefully tossed it into the toilet and flushed the evidence away. He let go of Ethan's face and took a step back. Ethan turned quickly to the mirror and gaped. All of the ink was gone. The only thing left was a bright red area where he had scrubbed so furiously to remove it. He warily sneaked a look at Skyler.

"My skin isn't going to fall off, right?" he demanded.

"Not that I know of. I've never done that before..." Skyler purposely let his voice trail off. Ethan's eyes widened in horror. He turned back to the mirror and stared hard at his face. Skyler couldn't help but let a giggle escape. Ethan let out an outraged growl and tackled Skyler, shoving him back through the bedroom door.

They landed in their usual tangle, already struggling to see who ended up on top. Tickling and pinching, they thrashed about, giggling inanely. All of the prior stress dissipated with the rough and tumble affection that kept them together past their childhoods. Skyler, in a rarely used licking move, ended up on top, pinning Ethan to the floor. They laughed themselves out and helped each other up. Ethan hugged Skyler briefly and went to clean up his desk.

As he got to it, he turned to Skyler and lifted an eyebrow. Skyler could hear the question in the air before anything left Ethan's mouth. He grinned and shrugged his acceptance. He took a piece of computer paper from the printer and placed in on the desk near the puddle. The ink crept onto the paper and pooled. Ethan stared in fascination the whole time. Once all of the ink had collected, Skyler carefully picked up the paper and took it out to the kitchen trash. Ethan followed him shortly after.

Joshua froze and stared wide-eyed at the hallway leading to the twins' rooms. The sounds of a battlefield echoed from the walls, and then laughter that was totally out of place with the sound of furniture toppling. Joshua turned to Bryce and let his jaw fall open. Bryce was sitting calmly on the couch, ignoring the sounds entirely. It puzzled Joshua almost as much as the sounds themselves.

"Umm, what is going on Brother?" Joshua finally asked when he got his voice back.

"What? Oh that?" asked Bryce as another crash rumbled down the hall. When Joshua nodded, he grinned. "That would be Sky and Ethan settling a dispute. It IS rather startling the first time. It appears that they wrestle out their dissatisfaction with each other. They always end up laughing with each other by the end of it."

"They what?!?" Joshua was incredulous.

"It is true. They fight as dirty as a couple of dogs over the same bitch. And yet... by the end of it they are as close and loving as any other siblings you would ever meet. It is beyond me," Bryce laughed. Then an evil sparkle gleamed. "Care to try it their way next time you and I disagree on something?"

"I do not think so... I do not think the apartment would survive our clash! We would bring it down around our ears. I think that our lovers might get more than a little upset over that," replied Joshua, throwing his hands into the air in a surrender gesture. Bryce laughed.

Skyler came through shortly after that holding a piece of paper out in front of him. He walked as if the paper were nitroglycerin. Joshua and Bryce stared in bafflement at the odd behavior. Skyler disappeared into the kitchen. Ethan came down the hall and planted himself into the armchair. He didn't mind at all that it was already occupied. Joshua grinned from behind Ethan's back and laughed when Ethan suddenly blushed and got up in a hurry. Joshua nonchalantly adjusted himself into a more comfortable position within his pants. Ethan sat down again, more carefully this time, across Joshua's thighs.

Skyler came back into the living room and sat on the couch without explaining what had just happened with the paper. He snuggled into Bryce's side and smiled contentedly. Bryce stared at Joshua and then jerked his head toward Ethan. Joshua looked puzzled as Bryce's motion became more emphatic. Then sudden comprehension lit across his features. He sighed and nodded back to Bryce.

"We have reached a decision that you both need to understand and accept. It means your safety, Ethan love," Joshua started off with. "We have come to the conclusion that you are not safe. You are a target and there may be a time when we are gone for whatever reason and Skyler with us. That would leave you alone, defenseless. We could not bear the thought of harm coming to you. Or to Skyler for that matter."

"Oh... umm, I hadn't really thought about it," Ethan replied. His brow furrowed as he began to. "We have already reached a conclusion about what to do. In a way, it is appropriate that it should be so. You should be equal and as safe as your brother."

Ethan struggled to absorb what Joshua was telling him. It made no sense, at least at first. Once his logical brain tackled it full on, he got it fast. His face went blank and then rebounded with shock. He turned his head to see Joshua more clearly. There was no sign of joking or deceit anywhere in the handsome face inches from his own. He looked deeply into Joshua's eyes and saw the genuine concern for him there. He cleared his throat to speak and found it locked tight. He tried again and finally managed to croak something out.

"Are you sure? I know it takes away from your own available power. I wouldn't want YOU to come to harm because you had given me something you needed. It would kill me almost as much as losing Sky."

"We are sure, best beloved. My heart would fail in my chest were you to come to harm. We already know that you would perish without your twin. Who would know better?!" Joshua laughed. "But think of what Skyler would go through without you. This is the only way. I might selfishly wish otherwise, but in the end the more selfish thing is to give you power. That way I know you will survive what comes, though we know not what form."

"Do I have a choice?" asked Ethan, somewhat belligerently. He looked over at Bryce meaningfully.

"Of course you do. I have already explained to Skyler why I did what I did. Your situation is similar but hardly the same. We worry that you could come to harm or even be used against us or your brother. With the power granted, that becomes far harder to do. We hope that you accept. In token of this, we ask." Explained Bryce, choosing his words carefully.

"I can see where they're coming from, Ether. It would devastate me if something happened to you. The visions, dreams, whatever..., they are too real. If this gives us all an advantage in stopping it, don't we have to take it?" added Skyler.

Ethan let his chin rest on his chest as he thought. It had to be, was his final thought on the matter. The arguments were persuasive and made sense. He also appreciated the fact that he was being asked, rather than having it dumped on him. Though it felt like an ambush, it looked like an ambush, it wasn't. He was logical enough to see past the obvious to the heart of their reasons. Concern and love for him and Skyler.

"Alright. Let's get this over with. Does it hurt?"

"No of course not! I would do nothing to harm or hurt you. It might tingle and feel strange at first. It becomes a part of you."

"Well, if we are gonna do this, let's get it over with. This creeps me out enough as it is without having to drag it out." grumbled Ethan.

"As you wish. It might be best if Skyler and Bryce left the room. This is rather personal."

"But.. but... I saw Bryce doing it. What is the big deal?" insisted Ethan.

"That was not the gifting. That was a testing. Shades of degree but not really the same thing in the end. I personally would prefer privacy," Joshua said quietly, his eyes on Ethan's.

Ethan sighed and nodded. Bryce and Skyler got up hurriedly and went to Skyler's room. Ethan got up off of Joshua and stood near the couch. A look of apprehension clouded his face. Joshua smiled, hoping to reassure him that everything was ok. Ethan smiled back, but it was a sickly looking one.

Joshua took his hands in his, after standing himself. He led them to the center of the living room and pulled them both down so that they were sitting. Ethan dropped gracefully into a sitting position, as did Joshua. Ethan nearly clutched at the hands holding his. He really didn't like his orderly world getting turned upside down so often. He took a deep breath and waited for whatever would come next.

Joshua inhaled deeply and smiled again for Ethan. He took a moment to appreciate the man in front of him. The sparkling hazel eyes. The sun bleached hair. The line of his jaw, so often set stubbornly. The tight muscular body, graceful yet strong. The deep tanned skin without blemish. His mind's eye supplied other details that made his smile broader. A truly handsome man, by many standards.

"Ok, this will be relatively simple, though I have no idea how long. Be still within yourself, let your mind drift without thought. It would be easier if you were asleep, as Skyler was. Then your mind is at rest, not active and seeking differences. I am going on memory for this and have never done it before. Be patient," Joshua instructed. He put Ethan's hands into Ethan's lap. Then he reached up and placed one hand on Ethan's heart and the other at Ethan's right temple.

"Free all thought from this mind. Open this heart to hear new words. Still my mind to speak my heart," Joshua began.

"Love rejected, love returned,

these are mine, these I know.

My heart is thine

As yours is mine.

All I have is ours

All power shared

All feelings bared

All time, now together

All time, past as one

All time, future ours," Joshua intoned. His voice started low and rose with each word. Soon the room vibrated with the power of sound. Ethan thought his skull would shatter with the strength of Joshua's voice ringing there.

"A third is granted

By ancient Law

Bonded first

Not love lost

Power turned

From me

To thee

Any time

Any where

Any reason;

It is yours."

Joshua froze, light streaming from his hands into Ethan. Blue light turned to gold as it entered Ethan, spilling back as a nimbus of glorious light around his form. His mouth was open, sending back echoes of the sounds and crystalline tones. His body was as rigid as Joshua's, though not painfully so. Joshua slumped forward, his hands slipping from Ethan's body. He landed face first in Ethan's lap. Ethan sat still, listening to the fading echoes of power. Then he passed out.

Bryce and Skyler finally came back out. They had gotten too hungry and hoped to slip by. They stood stunned at the sight that met them. Josh and Ethan were tangled together on the floor. Both were out cold and barely breathing. Bryce knelt near them and checked something that Skyler couldn't figure out. He nodded to himself and got back up. He motioned Skyler into the kitchen and set about raiding the fridge. Skyler stared at him, not believing that he hadn't said what was going on out in the living room.

He cleared his throat loudly to get Bryce's attention. When Bryce clearly ignored him, he popped a leg up and knocked the bottle of mustard out of Bryce's hand. Skyler full on glared him into place before bending to retrieve the fortunately plastic bottle. Bryce raised an eyebrow and then grinned. Skyler hauled back his arm, quite prepared to hurl the mustard into Bryce's face. Bryce mock cringed.

"Ok, ok, they will wake up in a while, none the worse for the experience. It was silly to do it with Ethan awake. It wings back on them both. Please, desist with threatening me with the precious mustard," Bryce murmured.

Skyler tossed the bottle to Bryce and went back into the living room. He sat on the edge of the couch and waited. Bryce came in munching something or other that he had cobbled together. Skyler didn't look up for his vigil over Ethan. Bryce plopped himself onto the couch and kept eating.

Minutes later Joshua groaned and tried to sit back up. He found it hard to do with Ethan still crumpled on his back. Slithering out to the side, he cradled Ethan in his arms while he waited for his head to clear. He finally noticed the pair sitting on the couch staring at him and Ethan. Joshua grimaced, his head splitting.

"Well Brother, you did not ask how it felt. I would have warned you if you had only asked," Bryce volunteered innocently.

"I will kill you later this century, once my head stops hurting. So, this happened to you too then?" he asked. He winced as Bryce nodded his head vigorously. His eyes tracked the movement, making his wish his head would just fall off and be done with it.

"Yes, it did. Not as bad though. And I had the sense to make sure Skyler slept, thereby lessening the resistance. That is what hurts. No matter how willing, the waking mind fights to keep you out. Why do you think there are not more mortals that were given power? It hurt too much!"

Skyler finally had enough and went to his collapsed brother. He carefully untangled the two bodies, Joshua attempting to help as much as he could. Not that it really helped much at all. He was too disoriented to do anything useful. Skyler cradled Ethan's head in his own and looked over at Bryce.

"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Skyler requested, compassion coloring his voice.

"Not that I know of. Now that the power is within him, he will fight off any outside power that comes into him. It is up to him now." Bryce shrugged.

"I can feel such a difference in myself. I am not all here any more," Joshua noted absently. His eyes were glued to Ethan's still face. The only real sign of life was the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

"Of course not, idiot Brother. You have given a sizable piece of your soul to him."

"I what?!?" Joshua's head whipped around to stare at Bryce, much to his immediate regret. His hands flew to his temples as he continued to visually pierce Bryce.

"Well, what on earth did you think you gave him. That is what our power is, our soul, our spirit, whatever you want to call it. That is why it is a major sacrifice for us to give our power to a mortal or even another immortal. It is that much a part of us. And the giving is forever. That means it is no longer ours. You can be such a simple idiot, Joshua. I thought you understood all of it. You did this without knowing? No wonder you both ended up knocked flat. I am just glad you did not kill him accidentally."

Joshua's color drained from his face. Skyler's head whipped around and his eyes blazed with rage. Bryce continued to munch on his snack, unconcerned with the results of his statements. Joshua looked back at Skyler and blanched. Skyler ignored him and continues to glare at Bryce. Bryce calmly ate and then raised an eyebrow. Skyler finally reached a inner decision and snorted his frustration. He couldn't really lay all of this on Bryce and he knew it. He would however nail him later for risking Ethan by not making sure that Joshua knew the real possibilities inherent to the process. He began to smile as he thought of ways to get back at Bryce for his neglect. Joshua didn't like the look of that smile and was glad it wasn't for him.

Ethan moaned, clutched his head and tried to sit up. Skyler pulled Ethan's head back into his lap and held it there. Ethan gratefully went with it. He couldn't believe the pain that was coursing through his temples. Still, he was grateful he didn't hurt anywhere else on his body. Then again, it might have been a relief. Joshua leaned forward and kissed Ethan's forehead. Joshua lifted Ethan into his arms and staggered to his feet. Then he carried him down the hall to his room, leaving Bryce to deal with the angry Skyler.

Joshua carefully laid Ethan onto the bed and stripped him of his clothes. He rid himself of his by the simple expedience of ripping them off and climbed in next to him. Friskiness was the farthest thing from his mind at this point. He wrapped himself around Ethan and let his mind go. Within seconds, both slept as peacefully as they were going to. Skyler looked in briefly on his way to his own bed. Bryce sat stunned on the couch still. He was puzzled with the command to sleep on the couch or be castrati by morning.

Well, so ends Chapter 10 guys. Heh, hope that clues you in on some of the future plans for the storyline. It is a long way off, but needed to happen. This is also the midpoint for this book. Yes, book. After all, this makes about 200 pages so far. Hard to believe, but true. Let's see if I can get the next chapter out as equally fast. I seem to be picking up steam.

Tons of thanks for those that send in their comments. They are the life's blood of any author, letting them know their personal baby has been looked at. As always, drop me a line on how you felt about this chapter and/or the entire story so far. I can be reached one of 3 ways: vanyelashkev@pacbell.net , ICQ #11938988 , or through AOL Instant Messenger at Screenname VanyelAshkev.