Jakub's appointment with the Psych Diver was this afternoon. Timmy decided he was going to distract him from thinking about it by taking us out for lunch to another iconic New York City restaurant. This one was in Harlem. Sylvia's Queen of Soul Food Restaurant opened in 1962 and quickly became 'the' place to go for soul food, he told us.

"You simply can not come to New York and miss out on some of the best soul food in the city. They have chicken and waffles that'll knock your socks off. The chicken is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside and the waffles are light and fluffy. We gotta go. Right now. I'm hungry." Jakub scratched his head.

"What's soul food exactly?"

"Oh, you deprived child. Soul food? It's southern cooking. It's food they cook in the south." Jakub continued to look confused. "Okay, it's recipes that started back in the slave days. The food is cooked to fill you up and keep you going all day long. It's full of hearty flavor. Just trust me. You're gonna love it."

"What's the best way to get there?" I asked.

"We'll take the subway. That's something else you have to do in New York. We'll just ride down to the 125th Street Station and walk the half block to the restaurant."

The subway experience was unique for Jakub as he had never been on Earth before, let alone a subway. It seemed intimidating at first.

"So it's basically a train that goes underground?" he asked as we made our way toward the station.

"Got it in one," Timmy said with a smile.

"Why in world would you want to go underground?"

"You don't have to go around things like giant buildings. You just go underneath. Plus you don't have to deal with traffic and pedestrians."

"I guess that makes some kind of sense." We walked down the seemingly endless steps to the platform and waited for the next subway. We didn't have to wait long. It arrived in a rush of noise and wind. The doors swooshed open and people crowded in and out at the same time.

"Come on! Follow me," Timmy instructed all of us. We followed him, weaving in and out of throngs of people until we were safely inside. "Grab on to something and hold on!" The doors swooshed closed and the subway took off, surprising Jakub, who quickly grabbed on to Timmy. As the train stopped at each station, it was another exercise in grabbing on to something. Finally, we made it to the 125th Street Station. We all followed Timmy up the stairs to the sidewalk.

"Not one of my preferred methods of travel. Definitely not," exclaimed Jakub.

"It takes some getting used to, but I like it. It's efficient," Timmy said as he started down the sidewalk with us all following.

"I prefer to teleport."

"I prefer to teleport too, but popping into existence in front of a crowd of us mere Earthlings would cause a riot. Or applause. Depends on the crowd. They may think it's a magic trick," Timmy said with a laugh.

As we approached the restaurant, I looked up and saw the huge 'Slyvia's' sign hanging from the side of the building. You certainly couldn't miss that and the smells coming out on the sidewalk were heavenly. Timmy was bouncing up and down with excitement and chanting 'chicken and waffles.' We went inside and had soul food from the Queen of Soul Food, Sylvia. Chicken, black eyed peas, mac and cheese, collards and corn bread. Did I mention corn bread? They must put sugar in the cornbread. It was awesome especially when slathered with butter. That was some good eating. Thanks Timmy! That certainly gave Jakub a big tasty distraction from his doctor's appointment.

We took the subway back to Timmy's apartment. He directed us where to go and we got off at the 86th Street Station. It was a short walk to his apartment. We teleported to the Watcher Complex from there. We split up with Jakub and Timmy. They headed for the medical center for Jakub's appointment and we headed to the Shack to wait.

We all knew what was going to happen, not the particulars, but in general. If I had the memory of someone's last moments alive stuck in my head, I would want it out too. Especially if I thought it was me doing the killing. I can't even imagine what Jakub is going through. I know we'll all be happy once the memory is gone.

We busied ourselves with Swampwater Sodas and 3D Interactive Holodeck games. If some of my Earth school classmates could experience the advanced gaming technology the Watchers had to offer, it would blow their minds. I grinned to myself as I blasted another "alien ship" to pieces mere feet from my head. The resulting explosion showered me in multi-colored animated sparks while camouflaging another ship as it swooped in and blasted me right between the eyes. I grinned again. Sixth level. That was better than the last game.

*    *    *    *    *

Jakub met with the Psych Diver who explained what he was going to do and what Jakub could expect after the procedure. Timmy was fascinated with the explanation, but was very worried about Jakub and how the procedure would affect him.

Jakub would be hypnotized prior to the procedure. Once Jakub was hypnotized and stable, the doctor would 'dive' into Jakub's memories. He explained that memories were stored like folders in a filing cabinet. He just had to choose the right 'file' and delete it. Finding and identifying the memory was where the doctor's expertise came in. The doctor had already examined Alexandr and knew what memory needed to be removed. Once removed, there would be a 'blank space' left in the filing cabinet. Since that 'file' was forced into the cabinet to begin with, the files in the cabinet would return to their original position, returning the file cabinet to its original condition. All that would require a day or two of recovery time.

The doctor explained that Timmy would have to wait outside while the actual procedure was done. That didn't please our resident tour guide, who proceeded to give Jakub a smoldering kiss. Then he gave his best death glare at the doctor before walking out of the room with an exaggerated sway of his hips, limp wrists on full display.

Timmy paced back and forth in the waiting room. He didn't like being separated from Jakub, but he understood why. That last thing he wanted to be, was a distraction. That certainly didn't mean he couldn't worry and worry he did. Timmy and Jakub had been through a lot in the short time they'd been together. Once Timmy learned about the Kelmar connection, all the strange goings on suddenly made sense. Accepting that you've fallen for an alien from a distant planet was a huge step for Timmy, who up to this point worried mainly about maintaining his flawless complexion and, well, paying the rent. He really didn't see it coming, the falling for Jakub part. It just happened and Timmy couldn't be happier. Right now, he was worried that this Psych Diver was going to fuck up his boyfriend's mind. He was worried Jakub wouldn't remember him. He was worried Jakub wouldn't be the boy he fell in love with. He was just plain worried.

When the doctor finally came out of the room, he smiled at Timmy.

"Everything went well. The memory has been removed. Jakub is resting now. You can go in and see him, but let him rest. The removal will cause a headache and some disorientation, but both will ease up in the next hour."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. Getting rid of that awful memory is what he wanted more than anything. I'm glad it's gone. Thank you." Timmy walked into the room. Jakub seemed asleep on the hospital bed. His face was peaceful. Timmy quietly went to the bedside and gently took Jakub's hand. Timmy sat down in the chair by the bed and settled in to wait for Jakub to wake up.

Timmy was sleeping softly when he heard his name. He quickly opened his eyes and looked at a smiling Jakub.

"How do you feel?" Timmy whispered worriedly.

"Other than a slight headache, I feel fine." Timmy stood up and ran his fingers through Jakub's long blond hair, gently examining the scalp.

"I don't see any stitches. What did he do? Is he some kind of witch doctor?" Jakub laughed.

"No, no. He's trained to enter my mind with his mind. Remember, we Kelmarians use one hundred percent of our minds. We travel with sheer mind power. Jevic uses his mind to be invisible and I use mine to become totally silent," Jakub explained.

"I guess when you put it like that, it makes sense. It's just that when I think of doctors and procedures, I think about blood and stitches." It was that moment that the doctor walked in the room.

"Blood and stitches? No, no. We're way beyond that. You must be Jakub's friend from Earth." Timmy nodded. "If you stay long enough, you'll find our medical field is far advanced from Earth based medicine. That's something we are quite proud of." Timmy smiled and nodded. The Psych Doctor turned his attention to his patient.

"Jakub, how are you feeling?"

"I had a headache when I woke up, but it's almost gone now."

"Perfect. Everything went well and the memory has been successfully removed. I recommend not trying to think about that specific memory. That will cause some mild discomfort and confusion. There will be 'echoes' of the memory for a few days, but that will go away. My prognosis is a for complete recovery with minimal side effects in two to three days."

"Thank you. That memory was horrible."

"I want to emphasize that the memory was not yours. It was Alexandr's. It in no way reflects on you."

"I tried to think about the memory of strangling Alesky, but there was only a fuzzy outline of … something … a nagging sensation that something had been there."

"That's normal, Jakub, but that feeling will go away in a few days. I want you to consciously not try to think about it. I know that's a tall order, but necessary for your complete recovery. Thinking about it will only cause frustration and possibly a mild headache. If you need a prescription for the discomfort, I'll be glad to give you one. Once again, that memory was not yours."

"I know that, but it was something I became very familiar with and I played it back in my mind over and over again. It's missing now and when I try to think about it there's only a blurred ghost of it, but no specifics. It's a nagging sensation. At least the specifics of the last minutes of Alesky's life no longer haunt me in their horrible detail."

"That's what we hoped to accomplish and it's normal. The uncomfortable sensation will go away. Just give it a day or two. If the sensation persists, I want you to call me."

Jakub thanked the doctor and assured him that he would call if any problems came up. Timmy gave the doctor a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

The memory had been Alexandr's. That point had been emphasized by the doctor. Jakub's mind had been assaulted. That assault left bruises. Bruises take time to heal. In addition to those bruises, the mental surgery would leave bruises as well. The doctor assured Jakub that he would heal. It would just take time and patience.

Timmy crossed his arms across his chest as soon as the doctor left the room.

"What?"

"You are to follow the doctor's orders. I'll help you. I'll encourage you and, if necessary, I'll make you. Do we understand?"

"Yes sir," Jakub said with a grin.

"And, if necessary, I'll provide a distraction. In fact, I think a distraction is definitely necessary," Timmy said while waging his eyebrows suggestively. "But you're in your recovery bed, so distractions will have to wait." Jakub rolled out his bottom lip.

"But I need a distraction."

*    *    *    *    *

Alexandr was officially charged with the murder of Alesky, attempted murder of Jakub, rape of Jakub's mind and assault on Jevic. He pled guilty to all charges but had little remorse for killing Alesky, instead blaming his uncontrollable desire for revenge and his intense anger at Kibbeth as the reason for the murder.

All the physical evidence had been presented. There was no jury in the case since Alexandr pled guilty to all charges. I was pleased that Joel presented the evidence I uncovered, especially the manipulation of the video surveillance footage. Elvin and the Psych Diver testified about the memory implant and the subsequent dismissal of charges against Jakub. The pathologist testified about the DNA evidence. When it was all said and done and all the evidence had been presented, Alexandr hung his head. He knew the case against him was overwhelming.

The sentencing hearing came and we all gathered in the administrative section of the Watcher Complex where the courtroom was located. The room was packed. A murder trial was something very rarely held at the Complex and people were naturally curious.

The judge offered Alesky's family the opportunity to make a statement prior to sentencing. Their statement would be taken into consideration by the judge as he determined the sentence, based on what the law prescribed, that Alexandr would receive. They had the right to speak to describe how the accused had affected their lives, but they declined. They were too deep in their grief to speak publicly.

The judge also offered Jakub the opportunity to speak. Jakub considered it for only a moment, but his mind was still healing. Just looking at Alexandr caused his head to hurt. Finally, he looked at me and asked me to testify on his behalf, saying I was much better spoken than him. I looked at Alexandr and saw the rage in his body language as he sat shackled behind the defense table. He was tense, but my tingling told me it was not from the court proceedings, but from pent up anger. The expression on his face was murderous.

I accepted Jakub's offer and took my indicated place at the podium.

"Your honor, my name is Cameron. Jakub has asked me to speak on his behalf," I said clearly. The judge looked past me to Jakub who nodded his agreement.

"Very well, Cameron. You are known to this court and we look forward to what you have to say." I nodded to the judge, then turned my attention to Alexandr.

"Alexandr, you are guilty of the same crime as Kibbeth!" I fired that shot right at Alexandr and he visibly recoiled from the unexpected accusation. My voice carried clearly across the room. With my opening statement, a hush came over the room. I gathered my determination and continued. "Your crime is anger. You've allowed it to control and consume you, just as Kibbeth did. What is really sad is that you once were a compassionate, caring person. You were kind and helpful. You've thrown away all the good in you and let the lust of revenge and the power of anger consume you through and through. And that is the same thing Kibbeth was guilty of. I'm sorry that he unleased his hate on you, Alexandr." I paused and took a breath. "But you took all that hate inside you and let it fester in blame and revenge. You never once considered forgiveness. You never once considered the good inside you." I took another breath. This was hard to do. The room was still deafeningly silent.

"The problem, Alexandr, is that you let all that hate out and you hurt innocent people. You were once innocent yourself … until Kibbeth unleashed his anger on you. Now, you have unleashed that same anger and have taken a life. You took an innocent boy's life. Alesky! That is his name. Alesky! A lot of people refer to him as the victim when they should refer to him as Alesky. He was an innocent boy with a life that was filled with hopes and dreams. He had a life where people loved him. Alesky had people he loved.

Through your actions, you have left a mother and father devastated. And you left a younger brother to grow up without his hero. You left friends lonely. You brought grief into all their lives. And for what reason, Alexandr?" I watched as my words hammered down on him.

"You are no better than Kibbeth. He was a calloused, mean man who didn't care about anyone else but himself and enjoyed his lust for lashing out with anger. You may have been a victim of that anger, but you also grew into that anger. You let it consume you and now you are just like Kibbeth. You have become exactly the person you hate so much." I looked him straight in the eye. "May somebody better than me have mercy on your soul." There wasn't a sound in the courtroom.

Alexandr appeared beaten. I watched remorse wash over him to the point of almost drowning him. I was done. I was done with Alexandr. I left the podium and walked back to my seat beside Jakub. On my way, I was stopped by Alesky's parents and his little brother. They all gave me a hug. Words were not necessary. The courtroom remained silent.

Jevic stood and waited for me to slide into my seat. He slid in beside me and put his arm around my shoulders. In that moment, finally, hushed mummers could be heard. There must have been at least eighty people crammed into the small courtroom to witness the proceedings. Their expressions varied from concerned to anger and from sadness to compassion. As I said, a murder trial at the Complex was very rare. In fact, thinking back on my time reading about the history of The Watchers, I could only recall two other murder trials, both of which took place well over two hundred years ago.

I glanced at Jakub. He was seated next to me. I noticed the tears in his eyes. Thinking back on my words, I was pretty harsh, no I was brutal when speaking about Jakub's father. I told the truth, but I also opened fragile wounds. Kibbeth had just died and here I was not only speaking ill of the dead, I was boldly trashing his memory, even if it was the truth.

"I'm sorry," I spoke quietly to Jakub. "I shouldn't have been so insensitive about your father." Timmy gave me a few death glares for my comments about Jakub's father.

"You did nothing but tell the truth, Cameron. My father was a cruel man," he said softly.

"That he was," I softly agreed. "But it's important to remember, Jakub," I started, but paused until he looked at me. "You are nothing like your father. You remember that." Jakub nodded slightly, wiped his tears away and gave me a small smile.

Timmy attended the court proceedings and was seated next to Jakub. He held Jakub's hand throughout the tense atmosphere in the courtroom. His face was full of concern. It was a testament to how far they had come in their relationship. Timmy was steadfast in his support of Jakub. It was obvious to anyone that they were smitten for each other. I was happy for them both.

Jevic offered his love and support. He knew this would be hard on me and his cousin. The animosity he held for Jakub had dissolved into genuine care and concern. Jevic was finally able to get past the fact that Jakub was Kibbeth's son and accept him as part of the family. He had come a long way since that initial meeting in the restaurant when he accused Jakub of murder. He even went so far as to apologize for not believing in me and my tingling.

Joel and Paulik were in the courtroom too. Joel had testified earlier in the trail about the evidence presented. He made no mention of my contribution to that evidence, and I was thankful for that. I was involved enough and didn't need my name added to the witness list. In retrospect, I understood that any mention of me in the investigation would make Joel and his team look bad. I didn't crave the attention and I knew that Joel and his team grew from this experience would be more effective in the future.

Paulik was stoic during my testimony. My words about this brother caused no visible reaction. I knew he didn't get along at all with his brother, but still, Kibbeth was his identical twin brother. My testimony had to cause him some sadness and regret. The sadness for the loss of his brother and the regret that the disagreement with his brother was never resolved. It wasn't for a lack of trying on Paulik's part. Kibbeth's belief in what he believed in was just too strong, but he was still Paulik's brother. He could not understand why they both turned out to be polar opposites, especially where humans were involved.

Scott and Brandon attended and their celebrity status was on full display as Watcher after Watcher came up to them and thanked them for saving their lives during the battle with the Talons. They took the praise with a smile, a nod of appreciation and a small dose of embarrassment for all the attention since the battle had been so long ago. Jakub noticed their celebrity status and smiled in approval.

The judge in the case pronounced sentence. Alexandr was to be incarcerated in prison on Kelmar for the rest of his life. There was no long term facility on Earth. He would be transported to Kelmar on the next available ship. I was sad to see his life ruined, not once but twice. Kibbeth, through his callous, hateful actions had condemned Alexandr to a life filled with hate and a lust for revenge. Alexander condemned himself to that life by failing to embrace compassion and forgiveness. Alesky, through no fault of his own, got caught up in it as well and paid the price with his life. It was another death directly attributed to Kibbeth's hate.

We all gathered in the back of courtroom as Alexandr was led out. He didn't look up but just stared at the floor in resignation of his fate. Kibbeth had wrecked Alexandr's life. Alexandr had destroyed Alesky's life. The court ended Alexandr's freedom. It was a sad thing to see. There were no winners in this. Only losers. Sadness seeped its way into all of us.

It was Timmy who saved us from the gloom.

"I want to go back to the Shack. I need to have another Swampwater Soda, you know where they combine all the sodas together. I take mine with a twist of lemon please. And when do I get a wrist com? Everybody has one but me. It's not fair. If I need to pay for it, I will, but at least make it available. You guys are being rude to this poor Earthling. Good speech by the way, Cameron. Now are we going or not? If we're not going to the Shack, then we need to go somewhere that serves food. I treated you to Katz's Delicatessen and Sylvia's Soul Food. The least you could do is treat me to a special place here. You do have restaurants, don't you? I haven't seen one and I'm not too sure. You're under water, so I expect you have fabulous seafood." Paulik suddenly stepped forward.

"Timmy, you'll need to be fitted for a wrist com. They have to be programmed for you and you alone. It's almost a biological connection. I'll arrange you for a fitting," said Paulik. "And I think it's an excellent idea that you guys head to the Shack. Go and blow off a little steam." Timmy was shocked into blissful silence, but just for a moment.

"What does that mean?" Jakub whispered to Jevic. "Blow steam? Who's steam?"

"It's a reference to a nineteenth century Earth railroad steam engine." Jakub nodded. He remembered classes on Earth History. Even though the instructor was broad stroked and didn't go into that much detail, at least Jakub knew what a train was.

"Okay, the Shack or seafood. Either one is fine, but a decision needs to be made. I'm hungry," Timmy said as he crossed his arms across his chest. He looked at me expectantly.

"Timmy, most Watchers are vegan. I'm not too sure about most Kelmarians. Scott and Brandon like their hamburgers but they're kind of hard to come by around here." Timmy turned quickly to Jevic.

"I saw you eating a pastrami sandwich at Katz's. You cheated!" Paulik and Joel looked at Jevic too. Both had identical raised right eyebrows. They were obviously waiting for an explanation.

"Okay, okay. I ate pastrami for Triton's sake. It was delicious. Ground me or something."

"Who's Triton?" Timmy chimed in.

"He's a merman and son of Poseidon," answered Jevic. Timmy looked confused. "We're underwater. You know, surrounded by water and Neptune was the king of the Ocean."

"Merman?" asked Timmy.

"Yeah, you know a mermaid is a woman? Well, a merman is a man."

"Well, duh? I thought it was more complicated than that. Now, come on. Tell me about your restaurants. I'm hungry," Timmy complained.

"You want seafood?" asked Jevic. Timmy nodded. "Okay, the best is Finn's."

"Finn's?" I asked Jevic. He nodded, put an arm around Timmy's shoulders and started walking. "This way my culinary deprived friend. You haven't eaten until you eaten food prepared with the original recipes from the lost City of Atlantis." Timmy's eyes bugged out. "This Complex was once above ground. We called it Atlantis."

"No fuckin' way," Timmy said.

"Yes, fuckin' way. Watchers have been here since before you humans look anything like you do today. And, yes, all the rumors about Atlantis were about the Watcher Complex. You do realize we're in the Bermuda Triangle?" explained Jevic. Timmy's mouth dropped open. "We're just off North Bimini. The ocean depth drops off quickly like a cliff just off Bimini. Our Complex is tucked up near the bottom of the cliff. Have you heard of the Bimini Road?"

"Some kind of underwater road?" Timmy offered. "I remember some teacher talking about it in school."

"It's what left of the road from Atlantis to Bimini. We were going to move it, but decided it would be a cool dive spot for humans. We observe the divers and make notes on dive equipment advances over the years."

"This sounds so much like bullshit," Timmy said with a grin. "Now tell me where this Lost City of Atlantis culinary experience is."

"Right here," Jevic said as they rounded the corner and were looking at an ocean blue luminescent glass door with a large fin moving slowly inside the door. Finns was spelled out vertically beside the door made entirely from iridescent fish scales.

"Is that a fish tank?" asked an excited Timmy, pointing to the wall beside the door.

"No, Timmy. That's a window," Jevic said with a grin.

"That's so cool," he said as he walked over to the window. "Oooh, they're almost too pretty to eat, but I am hungry."

"You can have anything you wish," Jakub said. Timmy smiled and nodded. We all entered a restaurant I didn't even know about. Jevic and I always ate in our quarters. The setting was awesome with all the windows and the fish swimming by, but I was going to wring Jevic's neck for not letting me know about this place.

"Gentlemen, good evening," the maître said.

"Docta!" I cried out, recognizing my brother and immediately wrapping him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm working the host station," he said with a funny smile.

"Really?"

"Actually, I bought this place just after the Complex was rebuilt. You know I've always enjoyed cooking. This place became available and the rest is history."

"I'm so proud of you," exclaimed and gave him another hug.

"I see you're still with Jevic. It's good to see you." Jevic gave him a hug too. "Scott. Brandon. How are you two?"

"We're great," Scott said. "The last time I remember seeing you we were on the bridge of an attack ship."

"That's right. Seems like that was ages ago."

"Docta, this is Jakub and our resident tour guide straight from New York City, Timmy." We all caught up with my brother, whom I hadn't seen since the end of the Talen War. He gave us the tour of his restaurant then treated us to dinner. Timmy was impressed to meet my brother and even more impressed with his dinner.

*    *    *    *    *

Alexandr was a complicated person. Before his encounter with Kibbeth, he was kind, caring and loyal almost to a fault. He was a decorated military man with an exemplary service record. He's joined right out of school and made the military his career. He advanced through the ranks until he commanded a squadron of fifty men. He looked after those in his military command and made sure they were okay and that their families were okay. He knew their birthdays. He knew their kids' names. He was well respected and liked by everyone that served with him.

Alexandr volunteered at the after school activity center at the military base. He enjoyed working with the kids in their athletics as much as he enjoyed helping them with their academics. He would visit his men that were sick in the infirmary. Always impeccably dressed in his uniform, Alexander was admired by his commanding officer.

His elderly parents were well cared for. Their every need was filled. They enjoyed their last years being taken care of. It was all paid for by Alexandr. He visited them often and lavished them with gifts and love. Alexandr stayed and cooked his parents homemade meals, which they loved. His cooking was much better than the meals provided by the facility they lived in. He was the perfect only child.

Alexandr had time for everybody but himself. He didn't date but had many friends. He enjoyed his bachelor's life despite his friends trying to fix him up on dates. After a while, they gave up and embraced his single status. He enjoyed his life. Alexandr was just reaching middle age and had his whole life in front of him.

Then Kibbeth happened.

All the good that resided inside Alexandr evaporated. He could not control the ugly rage that started to grow within him. He slowly closed off his friends. He stopped visiting his parents. The military put him on disability due to his injuries and he was discharged with prejudice, meaning he could never serve in the miliary again. All thanks to Kibbeth's retribution for the delivery of news that didn't please Kibbeth.

Alexandr stayed at home recovering, alone with his pain while his anger continued to grow unchecked.

Being caught and jailed didn't slow the rage. It spurred it on to a dizzying intensity. It consumed him, but the rage turned after being caught. Instead of longing to lash out, it turned inward on Alexandr and sank its hungry teeth into his soul.

When the door of steel bars slammed closed, reality set in. Alexandr sat on his cot and wept. The rage finally flowed out of him. The anger slowly went away and hopelessness crept in and took its place. He remained quiet and withdrawn. His depression was almost clinical. Alexandr had always lived his life alone, a certified bachelor. He enjoyed that lifestyle. This alone feeling was different. There was nothing to give him joy and he desperately missed that.

It took a month for him to regain some semblance of a real person. In the days and weeks that followed, the repressed goodness slowly came out. When he'd first been jailed, the other prisoners avoided him. They knew was he was in for. Murder was rare on Kelmar. Murderers were considered the worst of the worst. It was number one of the big three. Any offense against a child was always number two and rape was number three.

Despite the ostracization, Alexandr enjoyed the isolation. It gave him time to reflect on what had happened and what he did to end up in prison. The good part of Alexandr slowly took over the bad part. Another month passed before he accepted and reconciled with what he had done. He didn't feel good about it, but he told himself he would make the best of his situation.

Alexandr became a model prisoner. He was friendly and outgoing. The other prisoners slowly accepted him. Before his first year was up, he was teaching his fellow prisoners how to read and write. He petitioned the warden for more nutritious meals. Alexandr's goodness ended up prevailing over the darkness of rage and anger. He wrote letters of apology to Alesky's family, Jakub and Cameron. They were heartfelt.

He received a letter back from Alesky's family. They forgave him for taking their son and wished only good things for Alexandr. They had done what Alexandr could not. They forgave and moved on with their lives, not forgetting Alesky, but remembering the joy he brought to their lives during his short life.

Alexandr finally healed from the evil that was Kibbeth. The only thing Alexandr could not forgive himself for was taking Alesky's life. There was no undoing that. It was permanent.

Alexandr was never released from his incarceration. He was big brother to some, father to others and confidant to those that needed it. He made life behind bars bearable for many prisoners.

He lived to be an old man and died alone in prison. He had taken a hard turn in the middle of his life but eventually turned back on course. Yes, he committed a horrible act but was truly remorseful. At his end, he was at peace with himself. The guards that found his body could not explain the smile on his face.

*    *    *    *    *

When Jakub left Kelmar, he had a bag packed with his toiletries and a change of underwear. Nothing else. That bag was long gone, lost somewhere along the way. He didn't expect to be away for more than a day or two at most. Once more, blind obsession didn't allow him to really think it though. He didn't even have a change of clothes until Timmy shared his closet, for which Jakub was very grateful. Timmy even gave Jakub a spare toothbrush and shared his deodorant. Jakub knew he smelled like hotel soap and shampoo, but after a quick wash at Timmy's, he found he now smelled like his favorite person, Timmy.

He knew he had to return to school. There were only a few weeks left before final examinations, and he was determined to finish school and graduate. Timmy was the only bump in the road to that conclusion. Jakub knew what he wanted to happen. It was only a matter of convincing Timmy.

They were relaxing in Timmy's small apartment. It wasn't a luxurious hotel suite by any stretch of the imagination, but it was Timmy's. The lavish hotel room had been abandoned when Jakub's human currency ran dry. Timmy's roommate was at work.

"I have to leave," Jakub said while they both sat on the couch.

"You just got here and you've not even been in my bed yet," complained Timmy.

"I mean I have to leave, leave. I have to go back to school."

"But, but, we've only started to get to know each other. I don't want you to leave Jakub. I want you to stay here and be my boyfriend." Jakub was shocked. He'd never even dreamed of having a boyfriend. The very thought of it was foreign to his way of thinking. The emotions coursing through Jakub's body were unfamiliar, but in this case they were comforting. As these thoughts swirled around in his head, Timmy took the hesitation as a no.

"Jakub? Please say yes," Timmy whispered.

"You want me to be your boyfriend?" Timmy nodded and Jakub smiled. "Timmy, I want you to be my boyfriend too." Timmy wrapped his arms around Jakub and let out a sob.

"I thought you were going to leave me," Timmy whispered.

"I have to go back to school. I'm only a few weeks from graduation. And, Timmy, school is on Kelmar." Timmy's mouth dropped open.

"You're, you're really leaving me?" Timmy asked softly.

"No, but I'm going to Kelmar and I want you to come with me," Jakub said hopefully. Timmy just stared at him. "Please say you'll come with me." Timmy just continued to stare.

"You want me to come with you? To another planet?" Jakub nodded. "What about my job? And what about my apartment? What about my roommate?"

"Timmy, I want you to listen to me carefully."

"All I've ever known is New York. My parents live in Brooklyn. My brother lives in Brooklyn too. What about them?"

"Timmy, listen please." Timmy nodded slowly. "I live in a mansion. The third floor is my own suite. I go to an exclusive private school from which I'm about to graduate. I have millions and millions of credits in a Kelmarian National Nostro account. And that doesn't count the millions more that I'll inherit from my father." Timmy just continued to stare at him. "And we don't have to stay there. I just thought you might like to experience life on another planet. The blank expression continued to look Jakub in the face. "Timmy, I am positively swimming in wealth. I have more of what you Earthlings call currency than you could ever dream of." Timmy slowly started to smile.

"I don't know, Jakub. I can dream mighty big," Timmy said with a smile.

"Does that mean yes?" Timmy nodded excitedly. Jakub launched himself on top of Timmy and hugged him, tightly. "I would give up all my credits to be with you."

"Don't you dare!"

*    *    *    *    *

Ten years had passed since the trial for Alexandr. Word had just reached us that he had died in prison. Thus, another chapter of our lives was finally closed. We traveled to Kelmar quite often to visit with Aaron and his friends and family. He was the proud father of two teenagers. We visited Alesky's grave when we were there. It seemed the grave always was adorned with fresh flowers. I had a sneaking suspicion that Jakub was responsible for that. Alesky was one of many who died. The memories of those that died deep them alive in our hearts. So much potential was lost with each one. I can't help but think back and remember Greg, Scott's boyfriend that was killed by men with hate in their hearts. Pelma, with his shape shifting ability, was cut down by the Talons. Aaron lost Cody in an ambush on Bahar's forces. Aaron was Cody's hero and he died in his hero's arms. So many lost.

After graduation, Jakub finally received his inheritance from his father. His bank account swelled to obscene proportions. He and Timmy moved back to New York City and lived in an extravagant penthouse on the Upper East Side. Jakub bought the hotel where Timmy worked. Timmy served as the general manager. Jakub even bought The Tool Box. Trevor was the manager and Matt was still the bartender. Jakub was slowly becoming familiar with the stock market. He'd already invested millions.

Dominik, Jakub's roommate, became an advocate for sexual abuse. He'd finished his formal training and became a Clinical Psychologist. Jakub gave him the funds to start his own clinic. Dominik was a success in his field and was on a routine talk circuit to high schools advocating for safe sex and no means no. He was in high demand.

Brandon and Scott built their own house. Brandon got a job coaching football at the same high school we graduated from. Scott managed the mall, including the game shack, which had been renamed in Greg's honor.

Paulik retired from his position as the Supreme Council Liaison. Jevic was contacted by both Aaron and Radlouf, both serving on the Supreme Council, and asked him to serve in his father's place. He gladly accepted.

Joel missed having Paulik around and decided to retire was well. That opened the Head of Security position at the Watcher Complex. It seemed appropriate for me to take over that position.

Life for Jevic and me was good. We met Jakub and Timmy weekly at the Tool Box for blue Shirly Temples and to yell at Matt. Brandon and Scott joined us more often than not.

It all started when I found out I had a mother from a different planet that endowed me with incredible powers. People were out to kill me and there were people who welcomed me with open arms, I even found a brother I didn't even know about. Throughout it all, I made lifelong friends. I hope the wild adventures of my youth have been left behind. Jevic and I are happy. We take each day and enjoy it to the fullest. Life is good.

The End

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"Forensic Analysis"
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I'd love to hear what you think!
Email me at jevic@tarheelwriter.com