Nat finished off the second burger as the phone in the kitchen rang.  Setting the plate in the sink he carefully lifted the handset from the wall mounted device.

“Hello?” he said.

There was a sound like a hand covering the phone and through the muffling effect he heard “Do I have to invite him?”

There was an indistinguishable reply and he nearly hung up.

“Hey, Nat,” a male voice said.

“Who's this?” Nat said suspiciously.

“It’s me, Matt,” came the reply.  “I'm at the Beach. I would like to go swimming but the surf it too big.”

“And?”  Nat kept his voice neutral.

“Do you want to come?”

Matt knew the right thing to say, that was for sure.

“How big?”  Nat said carefully, interest peaked.

“I don't know, ten twelve feet,”  Nat could hear the shrug in Matt’s response.

“Where are you?” Nat quickly flipped through his mental Rolodex for places with that kind of surf.

“You can get Spock to ‘port you here,” Matt suggested.

“Where is 'here'?” Nat was leery.  “And Jessy with you?”

“Yeah, she is.” His voice sounded distant like he’d moved his head away from the phone.  When he came back he said “Santa Cruz.”

               That WAS one place you could find some hella waves.  “Okay, I'll get my board.”

               “Cool, See you soon,” Matt clicked off.

               Glancing around the kitchen first to make sure he hadn’t left anything out Nat started for the door then stopped as something occurred to him.

               “Umm . . . Spock?” he said.

               “Yes?” the computer replied.

               “Wren in the dance studio?”

               “Follow the green lights.” The computer instructed and a line of tiny green dots appeared at Nat’s feet.

               “You couldn’t make them yellow and brick shaped?” Nat grinned.

               “If you wish.” 

               The series of lights changed and became a narrow path of what looked exactly like yellow brick.  Nat chuckled and followed them to a set of double doors.  Pushing them open a couple of inches he peered into a brightly lit room.  One wall, opposite the doors, was covered in floor to ceiling mirrors with a wooden bar mounted about thigh high to Nat.

Wren Collins, dressed in a black Danskin, leg warmers and toe shoes, did some kind of spin then launched herself into the air, her legs parallel to the floor.  At the peak of her leap she spotted Nat and for a brief second she was suspended, weightless before landing silently.

“Umm . . . Wren?” he ventured.

“Nathaniel."

“Umm . . . would you like to go down to Santa Cruz with me?”

Lifting one leg to a right angle from her body, she rotated the ankle in small circles.  Her arms bowed to form a circle around her head and she did a little hop to the other foot.  She looked at Nat and she slowly raised her leg until it was parallel to the floor.

“Is it safe?” she asked, rolling her ankle.

Nat shrugged.  “I guess, Stitch and Jessy got to go."

Wren froze, holding the pose for several long seconds then said  “Well, I suppose so, then."

“Cool!”  Nat caught the note of relief and excitement in his own voice.  Wren gave him a queer look and he quickly added, “Wanna surf?”

“I haven't had many chances to try.” She said, a hint of humor in her words.

“With your balance, it'll be cake.” Nat assured her.  “I'll ask Spock to get you a board too.”

Wren smiled slightly, “And people say the British have funny sayings."

Nat grinned.

“I say, top drawer!" he said in a horrible English accent then reverted to San Diego-ese.  “Meet you in the common room!”

“All right then.” Wren bent and scooped a towel from the floor then patted her forehead to remove non-existent beads of perspiration.

Nat backed out the door, watching her the whole way.  Though she apparently paid him no heed, her eyes followed him in the mirror.  As the door quietly clicked shut he gave a fist pumping tiny leap.

In his room he paused then spoke to the air.

“Spock, is it possible to get another board, a short board for Wren?”

There was no reaction from the computer but a second board materialized beside his own long board.  Grinning, he took both and hurried to the common room.

A few minutes later, Wren appeared in Navy blue shorts with white pin-striping and a unbleached cotton tunic that looked like gauze.  She regarded him from under a wide brimmed straw hat, sunglasses held in one hand in preparation to donning them.  Over one shoulder were the handles of a straw bag that matched her hat.

“Umm . . . “ Nat bit his lip, trying not to stare.  “Santa Cruz  has some pretty cold water . . . you have a problem with that?”

“No, not at all.” She replied, putting on the sunglasses.

“Cool . . . “ Nat thought he could feel her eyes on him.  “Now . . . how do we get Spock to send us to Matt and Jessy?”

“Ask, perhaps?” Wren suggested.

“That is sufficient.” The computer said.

Nat watched Wren dematerialize and with no apparent time lapse, rematerialize within a few feet of Jessy.  They were at the end of a pier and Jessy was drinking a soda from a straw wearing only a bikini and flip-flops.  Nat found that with her newly blonde hair she was stunningly beautiful and wearing that bikini, she was doubly so.  Beside him, Wren struggled with a smile.

“Hullo,” she said.

“Hey,” Jessy said, sucking on her straw.

A dolphin leaped as high as the handrail, laughing at them as it did so and fell back into the sea with a huge splash that didn’t quite reach the trio on the pier.  When it leaped a second time it changed into Stitch.  He caught railing and pulled himself over.  Nat scowled looking out at the surf.

“Those aren’t ten feet!”

“Who said they were?” Jessy looked at Nat across the top of her soda, the straw poised at her lips.

Nat eyed Stitch malignantly.

The little blue koala shrugged, “They look twelve foot to me.”  Blue fur faded and the body grew to human height.  Matt brushed back his hair with a hand and looked out at the ocean.  “OH!  They ARE small, aren’t they?”

“Oh, well,” Nat said dismissively.  “Prolly better . . . you wanna try a ride, Wren.”  He looked at her shyly.

Wren pulled her sunglasses down a little and gave Nat a confused look.  “Ride?”

“Surf,” Nat said.

He didn’t see the flash of fire in Jessy’s eyes but Wren caught it.  She pulled off the glasses completely and offered them to Jessy.  “Would you like to borrow them?"

               “Nah, it's okay but thanks for the offer,” Jessy replied.

               Wren nodded and tucked the sunglasses into her bag, then pulled off her hat and added it to the jumble. Nat leaned the two boards against the pier railing and noted the slight nervous look in Wren’s eyes.  He decided not to push the ride idea.

               “I think I'm going to go out there and catch a wave,” Jessy said, dropping the soda cup in the garbage.

               “Or I can give you a ride on my back,” Matt suggested. “Either of you to girls want a ride?”

               “It is kind of fun to ride a dolphin,” Jessy admitted.  “But I am going on a board.”

               Further down the pier was a surf shop that rented boards and Jessy headed for it.

               “Well, if Jessy wants to use my board, that's . . . fine."  Wren started then watched Jessy walk away.  “Or not."

               Matt looked from Wren to Jessy’s back.  “I’m sorry Wren.  You know two foxes after the same mouse.”

               Jessy muttered something none of them caught.

  “Do you want some cheese, Nat?” Matt suggested.

Wren turned suddenly to Matt.  "I'd like to try my hand at surfing, but would greatly enjoy your company.  Especially if you'd promise to make sure I don't break anything too badly."

“I'll stay close you have no reason to worry,” Matt assured her.

Grabbing up both boards Nat shrugged.  “Everybody surf, I guess.”

By the time the trio has walked to the head of the pier, Jessy had rented a board and was already paddling out.  Nat paused near the water and stabbed Wren’s board into the sand while Matt charged the next wave.  Just before it reached him, he changed and as a dolphin disappeared into the sea.

   Out at the surf line, Jessy lay on her belly maintaining position by paddling with both hands and legs.  She watched Nat grip his board by the edge and stride toward the waterline.  She saw him turn and walk backward then heard him call back to Wren.

“Let’s hit the water!”

Wren nodded and pulled the gauze tunic off over her head.  Nat smiled appreciatively at the modest t-back one piece Wren had chosen, black of course.  She left her shorts on and pulled the short board free of the sand and followed Nat.

"Let's just get you on balance before we do anything serious,” Nat called to her then turned out to sea and dropped his board on the next wave.  Falling forward he bellied down and paddled over the next breaker.

“Sounds good,”  Wren’s voice trembled just a tiny bit.

Between the two and Jessy, the dolphin erupted, coming down on his side and throwing a plume of water over Nat.

“Water’s got a nasty undertow,” Nat called back to Wren.  “If you go under, swim WITH the current!”

He was watching her more than where he was going and occasionally paying for it with a face full of wave front but he didn’t seem to notice.  Wren got her board down and on it.  Copying Nat, she used her hands and arms to plow through the waves in pursuit of him.

“The current’ll let you loose when you get out far enough,” he advised.  He knew there was no way he’d let her get pulled out, not while he was in the water.

Matt dolphin shimmied by on his tail, chattering at them.

They cleared the breakers and paddled into deeper water allowing them to ride over the tops of the waves rather than through them.  Nat slowed to let Wren catch up to him and side by side they continued out.  Nat pointed ahead to a spot beside Jessy.

“We’ll aim for there,” he said.  Nat almost smiled at the look of grim determination on Wren’s beautiful face.  She was obviously a little scared but about to let it show.

The reach their position a few moments later and Nat sat up on the board, balancing himself effortlessly.  Jessy had moved off a little, giving them room.  Wren glided up so close to Nat her board almost bumped his, then emulated Nat and sat up on the body, her balance every bit as confident as his.

Again the dolphin danced by on his tail and Nat saw Wren smile a little.  She gave the shape-shifter a controlled wave.

“These waves are in sets, usually three,” Nat said.  “Never take the first two, the last is always the biggest.”

“Good to know,” Wren said wryly.

“When we start, lay out and paddle with your hands, ya gotta drop down the face of the wave and ride in the middle of the face,” Nat explained with appropriate hand gestures.  “We don't have any curl here so you aren't gonna get snuffed.”

Both boards rose on a wave.

“Okay,” he said, watching Wren’s face.  “There's the first . . . “

He turned his board a little and Wren copied him with her hands and kicks of her legs.

“Lay out after the next one,” Nat instructed and both did so as the second wave receded.  Several meters away, Jessy did the same.

The third wave headed toward them.

“When I say go, paddle like hell!” He said.

Wren caught a glint of what could only be insanity in his eyes as the tail of her board started up.

Nat yelled “Ready!”

Just as Wren thought she’d be tossed head over heels Nat yelled. “GO!”

All three began to paddled like mad, the boards accelerating instantly.  Nat dropped down the face of the wave between the two girls and glanced left and right to make sure they had enough room.

Looking at Wren, he yelled over the growing roar of the surf, “Hold on and ride it!!"

Smoothly the tall young man came to his feet and adjusted the board to stay between the two.  Laughing he watched Wren’s eyes grow big as the water flashed under the nose of her board.

Suddenly, Nat vaulted over the nose of his board, his momentum snapping the leash taut and pulling the stick after him.  He landed with a huge splash flat on his back and disappeared under the breaking wave.  Wren’s surprise nearly dumped her but Jessy slide over beside her.

“You better hang on, Wren,” she advised then called to the dolphin.  “Matt go save Nat!”

The dolphin shot toward the fallen surfer only to find him sitting on the bottom reeling in the leash of his board.  As Matt approached, Nat lifted a finger at him and then released the board and let it shoot to the surface.  With a lazy kick he followed it.

Popping to the surface, the dolphin laughed and danced back on his tail.  Smoothly Nat pulled himself up onto the board and nosed it toward shore letting the next wave carry him in.  Wren nearly jumped at his sudden appearance and shifted uncomfortably on her board.  Like Jessy, she’d turned when Nat fell and was behind the breakers. 

“You made it okay?”  He said to her, pointedly.

The dolphin popped up to laugh again.

“I’m fine,” she assured him.

Suddenly it was Matt in the water beside them.

“Everyone okay?” he said.

“Yeah,” sneered Jessy, “Like anyone really cares.”

“Nat, did you have a nice swim?” Matt said with a huge grin.

“First time I ever eaten sand in 40 feet of water . . . “ he said, looking directly at Jessy.  “Wonder how that happened?"

“Not a clue,” she said, innocently.

“I think I'll move up the beach a few hundred yards . . . “ Nat said.

“I'll go with you,” Jessy offered.

“I was looking for clearer water . . . “ Nat said.

Wren looked over at Jessy with an odd expression on her face then nodded.  "I think I'll leave you two alone and go dry off."

“Wren?” Matt said.  “Wanna boost?”

“No,” she assured him.  “But a companion would be nice.”

Nat dropped onto his stomach and began to paddle back out and down the beach.  Jessy fell in behind Nat, struggling to keep up as the young giant’s powerful arms propelled him into deeper water.   Wren let the next wave carry her toward shore as Matt body surfed along beside her.

“Nat!” Jessy called.  The young man stopped paddling.

“What?”  He didn’t glance back at her.

“Why the clearer water?” she asked.

“I don't wanna run into another rogue sand wave,” he growled.

“What do you mean?” Jessy said.  “Are you accusing me of something?”

“I been on boards most of my life,” Nat told her.  “Sand doesn’t rise up and slap you down.

“And you SAW this?”  Jessy said.

“The water was full of sand,” Nat growled.

“So?”

“TONS of it!” Nat snapped.

“Well, it IS the ocean!”

“Sand don’t come up like that on its own!” Nat snarled.

Jessy dug in and pulled away from him.  “It’s your own fault!”

“Oh?” Nat said.  “I thought I was just the big dumb surfer.  Never knew I had powers like that . . .”

“Who called you dumb?” Jessy said hotly.  “I will bean them!”

“You seem to think so,” Nat returned.  “If you think I'd believe that crap about that sand being 'natural'.”

“Well you where showing off to her . . . “ Jessy accused.  “You won’t teach me but you jump at HER!”

Nat turned his board to face the shore.

“I know I am not as pretty,” she began.  “But I am sturdy . . . forget it!”

Nat laid out on his board and started paddling, catching the incoming wave just right.

Behind him a wall of sand rose up, topping the waves by several feet, and lifted Jessy on her board.  Coming to her feet she rode high over Nat, easily keeping pace and her balance.  Feeling the looming behind him, Nat glanced back and saw what was coming.  Rather than ending up in shallow water under an avalanche of sand, he turned out and rolled off the board, diving for clear water.  The ‘wave’ passed by and carried Jessy to shore.  As Nat popped to the surface Jessy hit the beach, leaned down, grabbed the board and tried to stomp up to the boardwalk.

Pulling his board under him, Nat bellied in on the next wave arriving on shore as Jessy slammed the board against the wall of the surf shop.  Tucking the board under his arm, he followed her.  She reached a towel and scooped it up, ignoring the sand.  Two beach bums sauntered up to her, one to either side.  She tried to move by one but he put a hand out to stop her.

“Yeah?” she snarled.

Wren caught sight of Jessy and with Matt tagging along, approached her.

“Jessy?” she said.  “Would you care to join us?  Matthew and I are considering going dancing.”

“HALT AND ACCEPT YOUR FATE, MUTANT!”

Nat spun around and looked up at the fifty foot tall metal monster hovering just off shore.

“SHIT!” Jessy said, paling.

Wren, beside Matt, froze, a cold shiver running down her spine.

Pushing the beach bum’s hand away, Jessy said “Excuse me, creeps.”

Nat whipped the surf board from under his hand and hurled it like a spear at the robot.  It struck dead center of the chest and shattered, doing little more than denting the metal.  Jessy’s skin turned to speckled grey as a wall of sand rose under her feet and carried her toward Nat and the robot.

“Party time,” Matt said with glee and shifted into a four hundred pound Bengal tiger.

The robot brought one huge fist down on Nat and the young man disappeared like a tent spike.  Before it could stand up  straight, a huge cat hit it from the side without damage or even moving it.  As she reached the site, Jessy dove from her wave and vanished in the sand.

“Damn!” the tiger snarled.

Beneath the robotic fist, Jessy found Nat and tried to pull him free.

“Come ON, Nat!” she said.  “You weigh a ton!”

What she didn’t see was the young giant’s grip on the monster’s fist.  Inexorably the metal fingers began to crumple.  With a sudden jerk, Nat ripped the hand free of the arm and heaved the three ton mass back at the robot’s head.  Jessy, seeing an opening into the robot, flooded the opening with sand.

Wren Collins swallowed hard, staring at the robot with the expression of a frightened deer.  Frozen at the sight of the monster that had nearly killed her she could only stand by as watch as Nat’s improvised missile stuck the robot’s head with a resounding clang.

The tiger leaped, landing on the monster’s back.  He slapped the metal neck repeatedly, seeking to claw through a little at a time if necessary.  Jessy, meanwhile, shifted tactics and volcano of sand rose from the seabed and captured the robot’s jet boot, extinguishing them and causing the metal thing to crash to earth.

The robot was not static but it concentrated on ridding itself of the tiger so precariously perched on its back.  With its remaining hand it tried to grab Matt, a maneuver that would allow it to crush the life out of the cat if it succeeded. 

“You are not going to touch my man!”  Jessy yelled as the robot’s jet boots reignited and lifted it high into the air and away from two of its attackers.

Finding himself suddenly the lone attacker of the fifty ton monster sobered Matt somewhat and not wanting to be carried too high, he leapt from the back of the monster and dropped toward the water below.  A mound of water sand rose and caught him as softly as a feather pillow then lowered him to sea level.

Nat growled in frustration.  Not being able to fly SUCKED!  Crossing the few sandy meters of beach to the seawall, Nat ripped free a huge length of steel re-enforced concrete and like an ancient Greek hammer thrower, he spun and hurled the twenty plus tons of wall at the robot.

“Want a boost Nat?” Jessy offered as the robot climbed higher.  “I can try to ride you up on a sand wall.”

Above them, the robot raised its undamaged arm, targeting Nat and Jessy.  Sand rose up to block the attack but it tore through it like tissue, hitting Nat square in the chest.  The young giant was hurled nearly straight down, burying him once more in the beach.

               “You leave MY GUY alone!” she screamed at it.

               The robot plummeted to earth, the jet boots suddenly off again.  Jessy, so involved in attack never considered a defense so that when the thing crashed down atop her, she, like Nat, was driven into the sand. 

               Matt-tiger leaped onto the machine’s back again, clawing at any little seam or wrinkle in the armor.  Beneath the thing, Jessy’s body melded with the earth and she found Nat with ease.  He was holding the robot’s foot and crushing it.

               Nat heaved, picking the robot up off the ground as if it were a feather then with a quick movement, he toppled the monster into breakers.  It landed flat on its face, water surging into the damaged arm.

“Good, salt water and wires,” Jessy chortled.  “Fry, baby, fry.”

In response, the robot sizzled and popped, sparks flying everywhere.

Shaking himself off, tiger Matt circled the fallen monster, ready to attack or dodge.  Jessy turned suddenly and grabbed Nat by the neck, pulled herself up and kissed him quickly on the lips.

Everything vanished.  Robot, sand, beach, ocean . . . leaving the four young people standing in a vast open room.  Behind them they heard a slow echoing clap.

“Not bad, not bad,” Ghost Archer said walking up to the group.

Matt tiger growled and shook, tossing sand and water everywhere.

Nat glared down at Jessy for a moment the looked at Archer, more than a little stunned.  Jessy’s attention once more turned to her feet.

“Did anyone check on Wren?”  Ghost Archer turned to the silent, white-faced girl.

“Guess it scared her,” Jessy said smugly.

“I was beside her then I wasn't,” Matt started

Jessy folds her arms across her chest and ran her foot up and down her leg.

“Spock, common room.” Archer said.  When they’d materialized he added “Have a seat.”

Jessy plopped down and pulled her knees up to her chin.  Her hair fell forward, hiding her face.  Nat dropped heavily into his chair and Wren perched on the edge of the couch, staring at the wall.

“That was a Minuteman Mk 1 . . . “ Archer said.  “They've been obsolete for 20 years.  If that had been a Mk 8 or 9, things would have been very different.

Nat rested his chin on his hand and glanced between Wren and Jessy.

“Don't worry about Jessy,” Matt said.  “She's alright but has rotten taste in guys.”

“SHUT UP MATT!” Jessy bounced to her feet and stormed out of the room.

“What?  What did i say?” Matt sputtered.   “Nat was supposed to snap at me!”

“Isn't worth it, Matt,” Nat said dryly.

“Today combat school started,” Archer told them, then stopped and squatted at Wren’s knee, his hand resting on her arm.  “You okay?”

Wren stared at him blankly, her eyes wide and dark.  She trembled under his hand.  “No.  Just get this over with, please,” she said.

“Okay GA, what where you going to school us about? Our Tactics?  Or going off alone?”  Matt growled.

Archer glanced at the boy.  "Neither." He said.  “You beat the robot.  You have to be ready for something like that ALL the TIME.  Even when playing.”

“I'm just glad Nat slammed the thing face down or I'd be learning about your regen chambers from the inside,” Matt said.

Ghost Archer looked back at Wren  "I am sorry but you have to know what's out there waiting for you, waiting for all of us."

The girl was silent but Nat could see her terror slowly shift to a cold fury.  

“Its fine,” she said at least, her voice tightly controlled.  “I think you need to go after your daughter."

The bowman stood.

"I'm sorry, Wren, but it's going to happen at some point and you need to be ready for it." He said and then turned to the young giant.  “You okay, Nat?”

“Yeah . . . “

“I'll leave you now,” Archer said.

Nat stared at him as he left the room then he fall back in the huge chair with a deep sigh.

“Damn,” he said.  “That sucked.”

Wren stood and brushed sand from her shorts.  Picking up her hat and sunglasses, she stuffed them into her bag.

“What sucked?” Matt asked.

“I didn’t have anything good to throw!”  Nat came to his feet and began pacing.  “God I wish I could fly!”

He stopped beside Wren and his whole demeanor changed.

“Sorry I got you into that, Wren,” he said.

She made a little gesture and Nat felt himself suddenly weightless.  He looked down and was hovering a few inches from the floor.  Then his weight returned gradually until he was once more firmly on the ground.

“Its fine, Nathaniel,” she said wearily.  “I’m fine.  Stupid, but fine.”

“Why stupid?” He said, he brow knitted.

Wren shook her head hard enough to make her curls bounce and sand to cascade to the floor.

“Because you could have flown if I had any mind,” she said.

 “We don't know what we can do . . . “ Nat said.  “I just have my strength . . . I can jump a bit . . . “

“What your problem is all you have to do is get a planner so you can keep all your groupies straight,” Matt said.

Wren flinched as if she were holding herself back from wheeling on Matt, instead she turned slowly, deliberately, something in her eyes deadly serious.

“Matthew.  Enough.  Please.  Let's be productive tonight, or if we are going to attack something, let it not be each other."  Then her demeanor changed again and she offered him a small smile as if to sooth her words.  Matt mentally backed down.

“Yeah,” he said.  “That's what team work is for.  Cool.  Wren, you can get us to the fight like Jessy can.”

“No, I cannot,” she admitted. “I can only alter gravity, which is up and down.  Nothing horizontal, I'm afraid.”

“That will still be very useful,” Matt continued.  “I'm sure me and Nat can make it the rest of the way if you and Jessy get us close.”

Nat looked at Wren, his mouth open.

“No kidding?” he said to her.  “Can you like stop a falling body?”

Wren looked somewhat surprised at both their comments.

"Yes, yes I can," she assured Nat.

“Wow!” he whispered, his mind obviously on the hundred ways that kind of power could help.  “Does it have to be people you catch?”

Wren thought for a second. “No.”

“Cool . . . “ Nat breathed.  “How much can you catch?  Like a falling car?”

There was an enthusiasm in his voice.

“Nat we can ride surf boards held aloft by the girls to get to any fight,” Matt suggested.

“I haven't exactly tried to catch a falling car, but I suspect with training, much more than just that.” Wren said, considering.

Nat looked over at Matt.

“And you can be anything?” he asked.

Matt shrugged.  “Just mammals between about 25 and 400 pounds.  Stitch is a blue koala.”

“You’d be a great scout,” Nat said slowly.  “Who looks twice at a dog?”

Jessy peeked around the corner into the room.  She’d thrown on a man’s shirt and only buttoned two buttons so it was possible to catch a glimpse of her bikinied body through the gap.  Nat was still up and pacing, obviously thinking hard.  Wren was perched on the edge of the couch once more, watching him.  Only Matt noted her reappearance and he was busy mulling over her in that bikini.

“Wren can save people . . . “ Nat said.  “Catch falling stuff.  Matt can sneak into any place!  As a cat or a dog.”

Jessy stood silently beside the door, arms across her chest.

“Yeah, but a 25 pound cat is a big cat,” Matt observed.

“Be a spoiled fat cat,” Nat suggested.  “Or is that playing to type?”

“That can jump forty feet!” Matt put in. His eyes strayed to Jessy’s legs and he blushed.

Nat looked over at her and said quietly, “The wall of earth worked pretty good, Jess, thanks.”

Her voice was almost inaudible.

“It was nothing.”

Wren surprised them all and beckoned to Jessy.  “Come, sit.” She said.

Shyly, Jessy moved to the couch and sat near Wren.  The other girl leaned toward her and whispered near Jessy’s ear.  “You all right?”

Jessy nodded slightly and stared at the carpet.  “I’ll be okay,” she replied in a whisper.

“Jess, I appreciate you comin' after me . . . but I'm hard to hurt . . . you need to worry about yourself first,” Nat said.

She halfway looked up at Nat then back at the floor without a word.

“Come, Nathaniel,” Wren said sternly.  “Lecture later, even a kind lecture.”

“Wren do you think you could help me pack?” Jessy said suddenly.

Nat blinked.  "Not a lecture . . . just seeing things that will work . . . sorry . . . I'll shut up."

“You were ALL very impressive out there,” Wren said.  “I will feel very safe with you in the future.”  Then she returned to Jessy.  “Of course, Jessy.”

“I haven't been able to get it packed up to move to the school,” Jessy said.

“Pack?  Are you leaving?”  Matt said, suddenly sounding worried.

Nat stopped his pacing and dropped back in his chair.  It creaked under his weight.

“No, I have to move out of the Manor into the school with the rest of you,” she said.  “I haven’t found any help in moving my stuff or packing and I can't use Spock.”

“If you need muscle, I'll help . . . just as long as it's not too fragile,” Nat offered.

“It's all right, Jessica,” Wren said.  “This school just seems to lack manners is all.  Would you like to get started now?  I'm sure we could finish before lights out.”

“I'll help,” said Matt.  “I've been known to make a good pack mule.”

Wren smiled slightly.  "I stand corrected."

“Sure that would be great,” Jessy said.

Nat smirked at the 'pack mule' comment, “You gonna be a jackass, Matt?”

“Nat, I have broke everything fragile a few minutes ago,” Jessy assured him.

“Your bed?  TV?” Nat suggested.

“Come on I will show you my room,” Jessy offered.  “No, my doll house.”