Miette
A couple of days after Miette returned home, it was quiet in the house. Jason was at work and her mother was dropping off Duke at his drama class, then going to do some grocery shopping while she waited for the class to be over.
Miette had been doing some studying, and at oen point decided to go downstairs to get a drink and something to eat. She had been a little edgy lately. The YIRAAS things she had received she had been keeping in a file labeled "Hair Dye", but when she went to that file the other day it had been empty. Miette had been too afraid to ask anyone if they knew anything about it.
She pulled a glass out of the cupboard and opened the fridge. She took out the orange juice, poured it into her glass, and then put it back. She took a couple of sips and then went hunting for buscuits.
"Miette?"
She jumped and then spotted her father at the dining room table.
"Oh, Dad," she said. "You startled me."
"Come here."
Miette put down her glass and walked over curiously.
"Something wrong?"
"You could say that," he answered coldly, moving his hands.
Miette gasped. Under his hands on the table was all the stuff YIRAAS had sent her when it had notified her of her membership.
"You know how I feel about this... this alien crap."
Miette said nothing.
"I will have none of it under this roof, understand me? None of it!"
Still she did not reply.
"It's very simple, Miette, I will forget about this if you destroy it. Now."
Sam threw his daughter a lighter.
"I said 'now'."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"No," Miette said louder. "No, Dad. Just because you want to deny your heritage doesn't me I do. I know you don't like it, but I do have these powers. And I do want to - "
Sam slammed his fist down on the table.
"If you won't destroy it, then I will!" he shreiked. "Aliens are dangerous -"
"So are humans -"
"And there are a lot more humans than aliens on this planet! If they find out about aliens, then all aliens are dead. Dead. Dead. Dead! I will have none of this in my house."
"Then I'll leave," Miette replied with tight lips. "I'll miss you all terribly but -"
"So, you'll run off just like Oliver! I suppose that's where you've been on holiday! Hanging around with your ungrateful brother."
"He was burning things down uncontrollably! You should have taught him control. One of these days he was bound to be marked as an arsonist! Is that what you want?"
Sam slapped her. Miette started in shock. Sam took advantage of the situation to snatch the lighter from her hands and began to turn back to the table to light her YIRRAS things.
"No!" Miette cried, lunging forward.
A bright light filled the room. Sam cried out, and the light dimmed. Miette stood, breathing heavily, her father clutching at his eyes and on the floor.
"What have you done to me?" he gasped. "I'm blind! I'm blind!"
The doorbell rang and Miette hurried to answer it. There was a strange man on the other side of the door.
"Spencer Morris?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes," he nodded. "Miette Braddock?"
Miette nodded nervously and opened the door so he could come in.
"Thanks for coming so soon."
"No problem."
Miette showed Spencer to the dining room. Sam was sitting at the table, his head in his hands.
"Dad?" she said quietly. "I brought someone to check your eyes out."
"Rack off," Sam replied rudely.
Spencer sat down on a chair next to Sam and put his hands on Sam's to move them. Sam jerked away, his hands moving from his face.
"Sam?" Spencer asked, a noteable tone of surprise in his voice. "Sam Brown?"
"My last name is Braddock," Sam answered coldly.
Spencer stared. Then he laughed.
"My goodness! I didn't think anyone would find you Sam. You know, after awhile everyone but Leroy gave upo looking for you -"
"I wish he had given up too!"
Spencer grinned. Then he looked at a confused Miette, but before he could open his mouth to explain, the door opened again. Rowena and Duke had returned.
"Mi?" Rowena said, spotting Spencer. "Who's this?"
"Spencer Morris," Spencer replied cheerfully. "I'm an alien. Grew up with Sam here, as a matter of fact. The best friend he ever had."
Sam growlled. Rowena raised an eyebrow.
"And look at the greeting I get," Spencer grinned. "Like I said, best friend."
He laughed.
"You grew up with Dad," Miette asked.
"Sure did," Spencer replied, then turned back to Rowena. "Miette got my number from Leroy. It seems there's been a slight argument between father and daughter, and father has been blinded."
"Blinded!" Rowena gasped.
"It was an accident."
"You can be sure that it was," Spencer said. "My son is a light manipulator too. Producing a blinding light like that is a defence mechanisim. And judging from the red mark on Miette's face, I'd say there was a definite need."
Miette put her hand to her face.
"Don't worry, sweetie. I'm a healer - well, you know that already," he put his hand on Miette's face and soon the red was gone. "See? All better. Sam'll be okay too, if he'll let me get near him."
"Dont'touch me," Sam warned.
Spencer suddenly smirked.
"Why?" he grinned. "Whatcha gonna do if I restore your sight huh? You can't do a darn thing to me and you know it."
Sam said nothing.
"I have the distinct feeling I'm missing something," Rowena said, sitting down with them.
"Tell, me, Mrs Braddock -"
"Rowena will do."
"Rowena then. Tell me, how much has Sam told you about beign alien?"
Rowena paused for a moment.
"I didn't even know he was alien until Miette started using her powers an an infant. I was concerned and wanted to see someone, but Sam told me not to, and why. I know that you can manipulate atoms and have a specialty power. Beyond that, not much. I could see that he hated to talk about it, so I never pushed it. I know it had to do with the Roswell crash. And I also know that after it was apparent that Mi had powers, I had a bit of a hard time convincing Sam to have any more kids," Rowena smiled at Duke. "But obviously, we did."
"Manipulative woman," Sam growled.
"I see," and Spencer rubbed his chin. "Well, then, you should know that Sam's specialty power is Radiation. A very rare and dangerous power. Especially with someone who tended to lose control of his power the moment he lost his temper."
"Oh really? Now, who does that remind me of?" Rowena asked pointedly.
Spencer was confused.
"My brother Oliver is a pyrokinetic," Miette explained. "When Uncle Leroy caught up with us, Oliver went with him when he left, on account of lighting fires every time he lost his temper."
"Ahh," and Spencer smiled at the irony. "Well, when Sam lost his temper, he used to flood the area with radiation. People were known to die. Naturally enough, Sam always felt guilty about this."
"Shut up."
"Even I was effected. I mean, look at me. You'd never pick I was younger than Sam, would you? My Healing power was what has kept me alive, but I have also used it to heal one or two other people during a few of Sam's little temper tantrums, and because during those times I was never completely covered, I have been affected," Spencer smiled wryly. "Once I tried three people and ended up in a coma for six months. I've aged faster and had some cancers, as have some others as a result too. The cancers we can heal, but sometime - the faster aging for example - we can't do anything about."
There was quiet for a moment.
"What happened?" Rowena asked.
"Sam found out that one of our friend's younger sisters - a telepath - had learned how to block powers. Sam provoked her into blocking his and then threatened to kill her if she told anyone - I'm sorry to say that Sam's temper made him into a rather fearsome personage amongst the little kiddies. Poor girl. It was two days before she got the nerve to tell anyone but by then it was too late. Sam had already run away. And we could tell running away was something he had been thinking about for a long time."
"I wish you had never come here. I wish that -"
"I'm surprised you settled down - and had kids! But I suppose you thought that having your powers blocked would mean your kids wouldn't have any, huh? That would be typical of you. You can't argue with genetics, you know. Oh, and by the way Sam," Spencer reached over and grabbed Sam's face, "you can't convince me to let you stay blind just so you can convince yourself you were right."
Sam struggled but it was too late.
"Stay away from my family! And Miette! Get out! I never want to see you in this house again!" Sam bellowed.
"Sam? Shut up," Rowena said, somewhat annoyed. "I will not have you pull my family apart. Oliver is my son too, and you drove him away. You will not drive my daughter away either."
Sam made as if to argue, but Rowena stared him down. Sam stormed off.
"Hmm, looks like marriage has mellowed him," Spencer observed.