And then there were five For Amethyst Part 7 Eight months later, David finally found another candidate thanks to expanded testing among Intergalactic Security personnel's children. Another child of tragedy, Jason's parents were Intergalactic Security agents, both murdered while investigating the Spectran threat. They'd left their son behind with a nanny, a decision that surely saved the boy's life. Even better, from David's standpoint, was that they'd requested to have Jason evaluated. They'd wanted him in the program. At first, he'd planned to send an assistant to Jason and his nanny up at the airport. Then Celia had expressed concern that Mark remained withdrawn, only playing with other children when coerced, and then half-heartedly. So here he waited for a four-year-old boy, while another one stayed plastered to the airport's huge windows. "Maybe my papa's on one," said Mark, eyes wide as he watched the planes taxi, take off, and land. David bit back a sigh. How could a being with the attention span of a fruit fly fixate on one thing so thoroughly? "No, Mark. We're here to pick up Jason." "He's flying?" The question was spoken in awe, with a dash of jealousy. Looking over the handprints and face smudges along the glass, David realized with a start that he'd just found an easy solution to one of his dilemmas. Mark's birthday was only three weeks away. Every time David asked him what he wanted, Mark would look toward his mother's room, letting out a perfect copy of an adult sigh. Or, he'd say he wanted his father to visit. For some reason, the idea of disappointing Mark on his first birthday without his parents had filled David with an odd anxiety. So simple. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? David took a seat, helping Mark up when the boy predictably tried to clamber into his lap. "Would you like to go flying for your birthday?" The boy turned, his eyes somehow opening even wider than before. "Really?" "Yes." David made use of the opportunity to try to tame Mark's flyaway hair. As usual, the result of his efforts lasted about three seconds. "I'll make the arrangements." For a moment Mark just sat and stared at him. Then he burst off of David's lap and into a run, arms out, mock flying all over the waiting area. "I'm gonna fly!" Frankly, David feared he'd get run over first. A new group of passengers was coming through, and he did his best to keep one eye on Mark, while also watching for Jason and Isabelle, the nanny. He finally spotted them as Mark began yet another meandering, high speed lap. His first thought was relief. First thing tomorrow, he'd complete the final portions of the evaluation. If all went well, Jason would become the first child in the project. Isabelle had even made noises that she might be willing to stay on with the boy, at least for a while, so he had something familiar in his life. David's second thought, though, was that maybe he didn't need to create super beings. At first glance, Isabelle and Jason looked fresh and pristine, despite a cross-country flight. He'd love to know how she managed that. Yet, upon closer inspection, he noticed her tight grip on Jason's hand. From the stubborn set to the boy's jaw, and his occasional attempt to dart off this way and that, David actually recognized a child at the end of their "best behavior" tether. Maybe his time with Mark would be useful for the project, after all. That sign of human weariness made him feel better. He caught Isabelle's attention and then looked for Mark, who was looping past for another lap. By some miracle he caught the boy's eye, gesturing for him to return, and Mark "banked" and "flew" his way to David's side just as Isabelle and Jason stepped up to join them. "Welcome to San Diego," said David, offering to shake hands. "Thank you, Dr. Anderson." The nanny smiled, shaking hands then looking down at her charge. "Jason, say hello." Now that they were closer, David could see fine lines at the corners of her eyes. He turned to Jason, who stared at him with the bold, unashamed assessment of a child. From the lingering suspicion that remained on the new boy's face, David assumed he was found wanting. "Hello," Jason finally said. "And this is Mark." David gestured to his shadow. Isabelle crouched, somehow managing to look elegant in the process. "It's nice to meet you, Mark." "Hi. I'm gonna fly." "We just did," muttered Jason. "Are you?" Isabelle smiled, ignoring her charge's remark. "How wonderful." Mark nodded at her in agreement, his unruly hair bobbing with the movement. Then he looked up at David, who was noting Isabelle's single, small carry-on. "Baggage check is this way." He still hadn't mastered holding a small hand as he walked. When Mark took his, emulating Jason and the nanny, David was forced to shorten his usually long stride. Maintaining small-talk with Isabelle felt natural, though. Her demeanour was just as pleasant in person as it was on the phone. Despite all the storm-clouds on the horizon, his spirits were cautiously lifting. He'd finally found a cloud among them with a silver lining. # David stared at Jason's scores. He'd sailed through the evaluations, doing easily as well as Mark. Only one area showed cause for concern, but David was sure that a tendency toward impulsiveness could be curbed with the right team balance. Now he just had to quell the other concerns. Eyebrows had been raised at the fact that Jason was part Spectran, through his father. David didn't see the harm in that. Given that the team was expected to run infiltrations as well as head-on fighting, that factor might even turn into an asset. Fortunately, he had time. They weren't ready to begin human implantation. Training, though, could start as soon as Jason settled in. Unfortunately, the question remained on what to do with Mark. Promises aside, he may not end up with a choice, not with the safety of the Federation at sake. Security Chief Paulson's argument ultimately decided it. Jason needed someone his size and age to train against. Learning how to fight wouldn't irrevocably commit Mark to the program. Only implantation did that. Plus, if he was to raise Mark as his own, the boy might become a target in the future. He had to know how to defend himself. So David prepared his report for Paulson. With Isabelle staying on, the immediate need was to determine where within the project confines she and Jason would live, and make the necessary arrangements. Then maybe he'd see about a nanny for Mark. # Working in security, David had plenty of experience with betrayal. Throughout life it came in many forms. There were the small betrayals, the forgivable things that resulted in slaps on the wrist and a warning, like losing one's keycard. As long as it was duly reported, such an act was inconvenient, but not the end of the world. Then there were the big ones. Selling information to a hostile planet. Murder. Handing someone over to be harmed. Staring into astonished blue eyes, David had the feeling that he'd just crossed the line into becoming the enemy. This wasn't his fault. Chief Paulson had insisted. "Mark, it's been eight months. We need the room. I won't get rid of any of your mother's things." "No!" Mark screeched, running into his mother's room. David sighed. "That went well." As he pondered what kind of bribery might be necessary, and which of the boy's parents he should blame for this particular difficulty, there was a knock at the door. He knew why Paulson was doing this. The man wanted Mark for the program. If Mark and Jason became friends, it would be harder to separate them when the time came. Clever bastard. David answered the door, greeting Isabelle with a smile he hoped looked genuine. Beside her, Jason looked around David's legs and into the apartment. "How did he take it?" Isabelle flashed a knowing smile. "Heard it from the hall, did you?" He stepped aside, letting them in. "No," she admitted, "but he's obviously not dealt with it yet." In their three days of visits, discussions, and negotiations, David had noticed her quietly observing Mark. Especially the boy's tendency to play quietly in his mother's room, along with Mark's reluctance to let Isabelle or Jason go in. David supposed the fact that she hadn't called child services meant that he hadn't completely blundered things, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was silently making notes on where he could improve. He had to admit that might not be a bad thing, though. Especially since she'd agreed to caring for both boys once the living arrangements were decided. As he led Isabelle and Jason further into the apartment, David could hear Mark crying even through the closed bedroom door. "Yeesh, what's his problem?" Jason huffed. "He's such a baby." "Jason," Isabelle chided, "he misses his mother." "I miss mine too! But I'm not bawling all over the place!" Taking in the boy's crossed arms and pinched expression -- so serious for a four-year-old -- David wondered if he should take another run at changing Paulson's mind. What if Jason's attitude caused Mark to retreat into himself again? Or just wreaked more havoc in David's increasingly upside-down household? Not to mention the fact that even after nine months, David in no way felt like a competent parent. Raising one bereaved boy was hard enough. Raising two? He considered adding extra benefits to Isabelle's compensation package. Jason continued grumbling. Isabelle sat on the couch, patting it for him to sit next to her. Once he'd scrambled onto the cushion, she said, "Of course you miss your parents. But Mark's mother was very sick and that's the room where she stayed. To him, letting someone else have that room means she's really gone." The tawny-haired boy wrinkled his nose. "So where's his dad? Did he get tired of all the crying?" David blink