Chapter 21: Papers and Pain

"Good Morning, Johnson, Jackson and Hayes. How may I direct your call?" The voice was pleasant and female.

"I'm not sure. I'm looking at some old acquisition papers from about nineteen years ago. They're on your firm's letterhead. I need to talk to someone regarding what these papers involve. My name is all over them, and I was an infant when they were drawn up."

"Okay, are there any signatures on the papers?"

Of course there were. "Yes: Garret Setton and Ronald Johnson."

"Excellent. Hold one moment while I transfer you to his office." Then there was soft music.

It didn't take long for someone to pick up. This time it was a man. "This is Ronald Johnson, how can I help you, Mr. Setton?"

"Mr. Johnson, this is Ral calling, not Garret. I'm calling regarding the documents your firm handled almost twenty years ago with my name on them. I'd like to talk to you in person if possible; I need to know what these papers detail and they are a bit confusing."

"I see. Well, Ral," he emphasized my name as if I were some child he was speaking to, "If you have a way of getting to my office, I'll be more than happy to see you. With the blizzard hitting last night, many of my clients have rescheduled their appointments."

"How long will you be there today, Mr. Johnson?"

"I can stay as late as necessary."

"That's very generous. I'll try not to make you stay too late. I'll be there just as soon as possible."

I thought I heard him chuckle. "And that's very generous of you, Ral."

We hung up and I looked over the papers again. Dad's name was on all of them but there was nothing regarding my real parents. Michael had said that I hadn't been adopted through a normal agency. Were these papers actually regarding my adoption, or something else altogether? There was a man waiting to answer that question and I needed a way to get to him.

While putting the papers back into the folder, a note slipped out of the folder. There was a number scribbled on it, but it didn't make any sense. It wasn't a date or a phone number. I put it back in and closed up the folder. I would need a car.

Mom was in her room. She was sitting on the side of her bed and it looked like tears had been streaming down her face for a while.

I sat next to her, just as she had with me on the couch the night before, leaving no room between us. "What's wrong?"

She wiped her face with the back of her hands. "I'm ... I'm just..." She was holding a framed picture in her other hand. It was of her and Dad.

"You're worried what he'll think?"

Mom nodded. "God, we've had fights and one of us would end up on the couch, but nothing like this has ever happened. I've never wanted anyone else."

I hugged her, but I could feel that burning desire right there, ready for the slightest opportunity. I pulled away but didn't jump back. I wasn't afraid of a desire, I had them all the time, but hers had a way of making you forget that other things were more important. "Remember, Mom, this isn't you. Someone is doing this to you. You can beat this thing, Mom. I'll help you, okay?"

She nodded.

"I'm going to head into town. The law firm is right here and the road should have been cleared by now."

"I don't know. You might have to borrow Monique and Ryan's SUV to get through. That snow piled up pretty high last night."

It was my turn to nod. "Okay, I'll ask him about it." I took her hand and squeezed it. She took the opportunity to kiss my hand. I let her, but when that fire started to push past her will, I pulled firmly away. "You have to hold on, please. I'll be back soon, hopefully with answers and a way to help you."

She nodded again and the look in her eyes told me she would probably stay in her room crying.

I didn't like it. Not at all. If I somehow broke the bond between Mom and this Mind Magi, then Monique and whoever else was bound to him ... or her ... might suffer for it. I had to find out who it was.

I ran upstairs to my room to get my coat and gloves. Ryan was outside shoveling snow, something I should be helping him with...

I realized that I hadn't really talked to Ryan. I didn't know what he was like, other than what I had assumed from his appearance and Mom's impression of him. He might be a nice guy, he might be a total ass. I wouldn't know until I found out.

Outside, the front sidewalk had already been finished and I found him working on the driveway. He was obviously in good shape, throwing snow to the side with an efficient rhythm. Then I realized he was wearing headphones and listening to music.

I stood behind him for a moment watching. Ryan had been password protected in Master PC too. That either meant he was either bound to the same Mind Magi, or maybe he was the Mind Magi responsible. The scarf he wore kept me from seeing whether he had the same mark as Mom and Monique. Then it dawned on me, even if he did have a mark, he could still be either Mind Magi or Schiavi. My girls had my mark and there was no difference between what hovered over their chests and the one hovering over mine. How could I tell? Well, if I could see the connections, I would see if he had one connection, multiple connections, or if he had any at all.

There was also the fact that Ryan hadn't done anything to make me suspect him, except maybe by his inaction. Well, there were the incidents with Mandy, but her memories showed him benign and passive. I guess I would be a bit shocked and inactive too if my girlfriend's sister kissed me unexpectedly and then ran off. Otherwise, he hadn't come to me, either to greet, to shun, or to offer something bizarre because he was compelled to. If he were a Mind Magi, I would think my being condemned would have him calling for reinforcements or a team to help remove my powers or some such. Something should have happened, but, as far as I could tell with Ryan, nothing had.

Well, he might be just a normal, pleasant human being. He hadn't shown himself to be anything else. "Hey, Ryan!"

He turned and saw me. Immediately he plucked the earphones out and smiled. "Hey!" He was breathing heavily from the exertion. A twang of guilt hit me for not being out here with him. Growing up, this had been my chore.

"I've got to run into town. Something's come up at the store I work at back in Texas and I need to speak with a lawyer. I was hoping I could borrow your SUV."

"Oh, well ... um, actually the SUV belongs to Monique. It's her baby." He shrugged. "I don't have a problem but you'll have to ask her for the keys."

I nodded, not perturbed but dreading that request.

I looked around at his work. "Good job out here. I'm usually the one doing the shoveling."

Ryan grinned. I could see why the girls found him charming. He was handsome. Not that his looks affected me one way or the other. "It's good exercise." He gave me a quick once-over but my bulky coat didn't allow for a reasonable estimation to what my health was. I had lost most of my fat when my powers had awakened and maintained the trim body with my only exercise being walking to classes and sex. However, I knew what he meant. I was usually worn out by the time I finished shoveling the driveway clear.

I nodded in agreement but didn't have anything else to talk to him about. Maybe, if he didn't turn out to be the one causing all the trouble and I got everything resolved, I'd chat with him, get to know him. After all, he was supposed to be my future brother-in-law.

{hr}

I went to the great room but only Yvonne and Chloe were there. Mom was still in her room, curled up on her bed. Upstairs, Monique wasn't in the bathroom, or, thankfully, my room. I was fairly certain that she wasn't in Mandy's room, but I decided to check anyway.

Knocking softly, I pushed Mandy's door open a crack. She was lying on her bed staring out of her window, simply ignoring whoever had just knocked. I could feel her sorrow. She felt helpless.

I went in, closing the door softly, and sat next to her on the bed. Her face was wet from tears just like Mom's had been.

"What are we going to do for her, Ral?"

"I'm not sure yet. I want to break the bond between her and whoever has her, but that might put Monique in further jeopardy."

"So Mo' has a mark too?"

I nodded.

"Oh, God! Why did they have to pick my family? Why?"

I laid my hand on her arm, a soft comforting touch. She grasped my hand in hers immediately and she pulled my palm to her face. She sniffed and licked me. For her it was the most comforting thing she ever did for herself.

"I'm going into town to talk to this lawyer. Mom gave me all of the papers she could find that had my name on them. There are no actual adoption papers, so I have to find out what the papers mean. Do you want to go or stay?"

"I'll stay. I don't want to leave Mom."

"Well, she's down in her room, crying. She's pretty messed up about this, but she's fighting it."

"Ral, could you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"About you and me? Please?" she added quickly, looking up at me. When I took in a breath to retort, she continued, "You've already explained to her how you know what's happening. Maybe she won't be so mad about it?"

"I'll tell her that I've told you what's happening, but the less trauma she goes through at one time, the better."

Mandy nodded and sat up. "Let's go then. I can't stand the idea of her being alone right now."

I followed Mandy downstairs and into Mom's room.

"Mom..." She was balled up on her bed. When Mandy and I stepped in, she stayed still. She was having difficulty holding on.

Mandy went to the bed and curled up behind her. She stroked Mom's hair and started whispering to her. I went over and sat on the edge of the bed where Mom could see me. Apparently, Mandy's presence was helping her. She relaxed before my eyes.

"Hey, I told Mandy what was going on. She's worried and wants to help, even if it means just staying with you until I can figure out what to do. Okay?"

Mom smiled and nodded, kissing Mandy's hand but otherwise remaining as still as possible.

I got up and left them in the quiet. There wasn't a lot that could happen. Worst case scenario would probably be the two of them going at it as Mandy tried to help Mom's urges calm down. I hoped not. If Mandy became excited on and shifted ... Oh, her claws might bring on some of the pain Mom and Monique had been asking for. I crossed my fingers. Here's hoping Mom didn't have any lesbian tendencies.