Taylor, Christian and Kirk
Taylor was quiet as he looked through the drawers in his desk. It was early morning, and both Mouse and the animals were still asleep. He'd woken Fafnir up earlier, but soon convinced the wolf to sleep again.
He hesitated as he came across an unfamiliar folder. He pulled it out, closed the drawer, and set it on his desk before opening it.
"Woah..."
His eyes scanned the page. It had to be one of the best drawings of a dragon he'd ever seen. Fit-for-an-art-contest kind of thing.
He turned the page. There was another one. And another, and another. Squinting as he looked them over, he caught sight of the signature.
"Christian," he frowned a little, "but man these are good."
He looked through the folder until he'd seen every drawing, then closed it. He hesitated thoughtfully.
He got up and made his way over to Mouse, knelt down to kiss her forehead, then headed for the door.
*****
"He's alive you know."
"God damn! Stop doing that!"
Kirk laughed as Christian jumped and turned around.
"Who's alive?" he huffed.
"Taylor."
"Bullshit. He's dead. He died in Canada."
"No, he didn't," Kirk rolled his eyes, "unless you've been back to the Hanson house within the past week or so."
"Get real."
"That's what I thought. He's alive."
Christian hesitated.
"Give me proof."
"Like what?"
Christian stood up from where he'd been sitting on a park bench.
"Show me he's alive."
Kirk hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"Ok, follow me."
Kirk was just about to lead Christian toward the Hanson's street when he caught sight of someone walking down the footpath. He grinned.
"There's ya proof," he chuckled as Christian looked up.
He shook his head disbelievingly.
"No, it can't be..."
"Wanna take a closer look?"
Kirk looked both ways then then took off over the street.
"Hey! You!"
Taylor looked up nervously.
"Steel?"
Kirk grinned as he came to rest in front of him and made him turn around.
"Hey man, I heard you were dead."
"From who?" Taylor frowned, wondering why he'd shown up all of a sudden.
"Well you know, can't help overhearing sometimes," Kirk chuckled, picking the dirt out form underneath his nails, "also noticed you haven't been driving your car..."
"Maybe because I don't want to."
"Hey, hey..." Kirk began as Christian slowly made his way over, "no need to get negative, ok? It was simply conversational."
"Well if you don't mind, I have..."
Christian tapped him on the shoulder.
Taylor spun around.
His mouth suddenly dropped open and he took a few steps back, almost falling over, as Christian gulped.
"Hello Taylor."
"Christian," Taylor returned, not taking his eyes off him.
Kirk grinned. This was too amazing. The only difference he could see between them were the clothes they were wearing, and that Christian was wearing sunglasses. Taylor's were on his head.
"Ah," Taylor fumbled with the folder he held in his hands and held it out to Christian, "I uh, think you left this."
Christian's eyes fell to the folder, and he took it. Opening it, he realized it was his drawings. His eyes widened.
"Oh..." he began, then shut it, "thanks."
Taylor nodded.
Kirk jumped up and down on the spot.
"Isn't this too cool guys?" he chuckled, "well, two cool."
He looked between them.
"Taylor, you guys were the ones I was searching for. I told you when we were a the hospital and your damn girlfriend wouldn't let me go. I was looking for a guy about twenty with blonde hair and blue eyes who had a twin. You two look way too much alike for it to be a coincidence."
Taylor glanced at Kirk, before looking back at Christian. His hand balled into a fist thinking of Mouse.
"My 'damn girlfriend' who almost succeeded in killing herself last night."
"Yeah well..." Kirk began, before stopping himself.
"I thought you'd like to know you're gonna be a father," Taylor glared suddenly.
Kirk froze. Christian snorted.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. I know you slept with that damn stalker girl. Now she thinks the kids mine."
Christian laughed.
"Oh man that's funny," he chuckled.
"To you maybe."
"Woah, woah, wait," Kirk stopped them as Christian sobered.
He put a hand on each of their chests holding them apart, as if breaking up a fight. He looked at Taylor.
"Christian got someone pregnant?"
"I still don't see how you fit into the picture here," Taylor frowned, annoyed.
Kirk chuckled.
"I think I told you at the hospital."
"Well if you did it must have slipped my mind," Taylor folded his arms.
"Well," Kirk's face suddenly fell as he stepped back.
Taylor and Christian stood so they were in front of him, Taylor with his arms still crossed. Kirk looked around nervously.
"Well, as I told Christian. When I was little, I was experimenting with my duplication power. I... wanted to see if I could duplicate, or clone, a human baby."
Taylor's eyebrows rose.
"And well, it worked. I gave the baby away to a couple who wanted a kid."
"But how do you know that this, is us? I mean out of all the people in the world, how would you know?" Taylor shook his head.
"I just know, ok? And you fit the criteria. When you were only a baby your mother and father took you and your older brother down to a park one afternoon. I was there. They left you alone for a moment and I stepped in and started cloning. Your ratbag brother came running over when he saw me and bumped into me while my power was being used so part of the clone," he looked at Christian, "took on the form of your brother. I found out it was his power of telekinesis."
Taylor covered his mouth, realizing what he was saying had total grounds to be true.
"I took Christian away and gave him to a friend of a friend who couldn't have kids. But I tried to make sure they stayed in Tulsa. They left for a while, the father got killed, and the mother went missing. Then I lost track of you," he looked at Christian.
"That was when Craig took me in," Christian looked to the ground.
"Exactly," Kirk snapped his fingers.
Taylor stepped back suddenly, the sudden reference of the Spider putting him on guard.
"So, let me get this straight... you..." he pointed at Christian, "are... you're me. You're made from me. You're a clone."
"Thanks for making me sound like the leftovers," Christian pulled a face.
"And, and... and you never told us until now," Taylor looked at Kirk.
He shrugged.
"I only found Christian after you went missing and he'd taken over. Thought you were dead man."
"You knew Christian was impersonating me and you didn't tell anyone?!" Taylor flared up.
"Hey man, it's not like I'm gonna go up to one of your parents and say, 'hey, you're son's an imposter'."
"You could have tried!"
"Look, I had a cause..." Christian began to defend.
"Yeah to kill my brother!" Taylor yelled.
Kirk cringed.
"Maybe. I was also doing what I was told."
Christian pointed at Taylor suddenly.
"If you're alive, then Craig must have got you out of there, huh? Where is he?"
"I don't know and I don't care. I bloody well wish he'd been killed."
Christian glared.
"Don't look at me like that! You have no idea what the hell he put me through! Yes, he is alive. As far as I know."
Christian bit his lip as Taylor shook his head.
"This is... this is way... Christian, let me just get this straight. You're the father of that stalker's kid. Not me. I hope you get that cleared up."
And with that, he began to walk back down the street.
"I hope you know..." Kirk began, "if they do a DNA test they're gonna think it's yours."
Taylor froze.