Nat looked down at Jessy, suddenly very serious.  "Why did he bring me here?"

“Cause your special like us,” she said.  “He brings a lot of kids here to the school and so does my mom and both teams but they well all grow up and move on.

Nat sat down on the edge of the pond.  "I don't know what he said to my mom."  He drew a line in the water with a fingertip watching the huge gold fish follow the ripple.

“Something nice I am sure.” Jessy assured him.

“I guess . . .”

“I kind of remember my real dad,” Jessy blurted.

“Real dad?”

Jessy stretched out on the grass at Nat’s feet one hand under her head, the other on her tummy.  He wondered if the bikini had somehow gotten smaller.

“He's my real dad now,” she said.

“Where's your real dad?”

Shading her eyes with a hand she looked up at him “Dead I think.”

“You don't know?”

“I was only 6 when I became a Fireoak,” she sounded defensive.  “I just have sorta memories of then but if you do a DNA on me I am 100% mom's and dad's.”

Nat frowned “What do you mean?"

“Super long story and really dull,” she said.  “But I've lived here my whole life.”

“Where is 'here'?”

“I told you, the Hunt Valley, I think it's in California.

“You never did tell me how I got here.”  Nat reminded her.

“Spock is the house computer and can teleport like in Star Trek,” she told him.  “Real sci-fi stuff around here.  Dad has the corner on the market of good gadgets.”

“Do we ever get to leave?”

Jessy sighed “You will.”

“You don't?” Nat looked down at her in surprise.

“I get to go on field trips to the outside with enough protection,” she said sourly.  “Like the whole Hunt watching me.”

She let her hand fall to cover her eyes.

“But I got to go to Paris with Marie, once,” she added.  “And I get to tag along with Mark sometimes . . . but . . . “

“I don't go too many places . . .” Nat said.  “'cept the beach.”  He shifted on the stones.  “I sorta stand out.”

Jessy’s hand came up and she regarded him.  “No you don’t!”

Nat stood and loomed over her.

“I’m 7’ 2”.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Aren’t many BASKETBALL players my height!”

               In a fluid move she came to her feet, only an inch or two separating them.

               “I know,” she said, grabbing his hand.  “Come with me!”

               Nat let her pull him along, careful not to close his hand on her fingers.

               “We are going to see the triplets!”

“Why?  They tall too?” Nat said.

“I just don't want to bug Dad,” she said, looking back over her shoulder at him.  “And no, they are short.”

Nat frowned but Jessy tugged him into the main house and through a series of corridors until they arrived in a room scattered with toys, computers and books.  In the center of the disaster three identical children sat.

“Hello,” Nat offered.  He prayed then that he wouldn’t have to touch one of them.  It would be bad enough to damage a girl his own age but to hurt a little kid would be more then he could stand.

“Luthien I have a job for you three,” Jessy said in the tone of a big sister ordering her younger siblings around.

The little girl stood as gracefully as Jessy and came to stand before Nat, her huge green eyes seeming to penetrate straight to his heart.

“Hello,” she said in a soft, melodious voice.

One of the boys leapt to his feet almost rubbing his hands together like a old silent film villain.  “Fresh MEAT!” He said with a glint of mischief in his green eyes.

“I'm pretty tough 'meat' little guy,” he warned.  “I'm Nathaniel, call me Nat.”

The other boy rolled his eyes and stood.

“I am Aaron,” he said, sticking out his hand.  “And that’s Nicky and she’s our sister, Luthien.

               Nat didn’t take the boy’s hand but explained “Sorry, I’d rather not, I might hurt you.”

               “It's okay, we are tough,” the boy assured him.  “I might hurt YOU!”

               Nat said nothing but didn’t look in the least convinced.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jessy said in big-sister mode.  “I want you to take us to dad’s home planet

“Yes, we can do that,” Luthien said then she looked up.  “Do you have any metal on you, Nat?”  Then she eyed the swimming trunks.  “Guess not.”

“Hey what do we get out of this?” Nicky demanded.

“You OWE me,” Jessy glared at him.  The boy growled.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” he said then to Luthien.  “Can we ditch them there?”

“No,” the tiny girl said in a tone that brooked no argument.   “Nat, please hold hands with Jessy and Aaron,” she commanded.

The girl took the hands of her brothers.

“How about YOU hold MY hands,” he offered his hands to Jessy and Aaron.  “I don’t want to break a finger or something.

“Like Nicky hasn’t broken mine a few times!”  Aaron snorted and grabbed Nat’s hand.   “They are easy to fix!”  He grinned.

“I'd crush the bone to powder . . ." Nat warned in an apologetic tone

“Come on!”  Jessy said, impatiently.  “I want to show him what tall is!”

The little girl, Luthien closed her eyes as did the boys.  Nat watched the three for a second the closed his eyes as well.  He never felt a thing.

“Okay!” the little girl chirped.  “Open them!”

Nat’s mouth dropped open as he found himself in the middle of an unearthly forest of tremendous white trees just like the one in the Valley.  Looking up into the high branches he saw houses and bridges built around and between branches.  Great ramps spiral up the trunks to vanish into the bottom of the first levels of buildings.  Everything was alight with color.

“Wow!” was all he could say.

“See dad is a shorty here!”  Jessy said her voice drawing Nat’s upward gaze down and to the dozens of tall slender people moving around the forest floor.  “See?”  Jessy said, gesturing to the people.  “You’re not that tall!”

Blinking, Nat realized most of the people in sight were eye level to him, in fact more than a few were actually taller.

“Are they all tall like me?” he whispered.

“If not taller,” Jessy said smugly.  “WE are shrimps here.”

A stunning girl in flowing grey robes that flashed silver as it caught the light glided up to them.  Golden hair fall to her knees, as straight as falling water, while slanted green eyes seemed both ancient and young regarded the group.  She was just a faction of an inch shorter than Nat.

“I am Elwin,” she said, her voice a mixture of song and strange accent.  “Greetings.”

Jessy’s eyes flashed hard and she growled “Yeah, well he’s Nat and he’s with me!”

The girl was unfazed by Jessy’s reaction and kept her attention on Nat.

“Welcome, Nat,” she said with a warm smile.  “You are human?”

“Sorta,” Nat was flustered.  Every other girl he’d ever met had been tiny to him and here was this lovely vision his own height.

“What is ‘sorta’?”  She asked with a slight tilt of her head.  The golden hair ripped like a wave.

“HEY!” snapped Jessy.   “That means he is human with a plus!”

Nat blinked and looked down at Jessy.

“Yeah, sorta . . . “ he turned his attention to Elwin.  “I’ve never seen a girl my own size before.”  There was awe in his voice as he stared at the timeless beauty before him.

Jessy grabbed his hand and tugged, hard. Nat didn’t move.  “Come ON, NAT!”  She pulled harder.  “Later Elwin.”

“I am sure you will,” Elwin said in a tone laced with promise.  “Please, join me for a meal . . . all of you.”

“Um . . . “ Nat began.

“NAT!” Jessy tugged with both hands.  It was like trying to pull a battleship.  “Come ON!”

Frowning, Nat looked down at the triplets then at Jessy pulling on his arm.

“Where are we going?” he said, puzzled.  “We just got here.”

One of Jessy’s tugs made his rock a little.

“Come ON,” she said, urging him to move with a series of outright yanks.  “I have stuff to show you!”

Elwin tucked her arm in Nat’s.  “Perhaps I shall accompany you.  After all, this is my home.”

Nat’s moved along with Jessy pulling and Elwin at his side.

“Um . . . “ he said for the second time.

“I don’t THINK so!” Jessy stopped pulling and confronted the two.  “Come on, Nat!  You are with ME!”

Confusion clouded the young man’s features and he looked from Jessy to Elwin and back.  Jessy growled.

“Ahhh . . .” drawled the tall blonde.  “You are lovers!”

Nat’s face flushed red and he blurted “NO!”  Elwin smiled.

Jessy grabbed Nicky’s hand “Come on guys!”

“Perhaps you are looking for one then?” Elwin offered.

“TAKE US HOME!” Jessy screamed.

Nat didn’t notice the little girl taking his hand.  Luthien giggled.

Nat sputtered  "Ah . . um. . that is . . ."

They were back in the room of clutter.  Throwing Nicky’s hand down, Jessy stomped around the room in a rage, smashing anything that got in the way.  Her eyes flashed in fury as she spun on Nat and slugged him in the stomach then fled the room.

Nat didn’t even flinch.

“I have to teach her how to hit,” Nicky said then looked up at the tall surfer.  “YOU are a goof!”

“What's she mad about?” Nat said, bewildered.

The boy burst out in peals of laughter and fell down holding his stomach.  Nat stood over him, glaring.  Aaron shrugged.

“Don’t look at me,” he said, “I am clueless!”

“You got her upset flirting with Elwin,” came the quiet words from Luthien.

“Flirting?”  Nat scowled at the little girl.

“Jessy likes you,” she said.

“But I just met her!” he barked.  “Like a couple hours ago!”

“So,” said Luthien.  “Mother fell in love with father the moment there eyes met.”

“That elf girl was MY height!” Nat snapped.

Luthien shrugged “They all are there.  No biggie . . . “

“Oh, God,” Nat growled.  “I'll see you guys later . . . “

As he stepped through the door the little girl dropped to the floor between her brothers, Nicky still in the throes of the laughing fit.

“You will learn,” he heard her say, Nicky’s laughter echoing through the halls.