Taylor and Walker
Taylor heard his father come home late that night, and as usual have a late dinner. His mother always waited up for him so they could talk without the younger kids around.
He played with Xanthe, Mya and Flavian until he heard his father coming upstairs and heading for his bedroom.
"I'll be back later guys," Taylor whispered, knowing many of the other members of his family were asleep already.
He stood from the bed and carefully made his way out of the room and towards his parent's room. He could hear his father getting changed into something more comfortable as he softly knocked on the door.
"Yes?" came his voice.
Taylor gulped a little as he pushed the door open.
"Dad?"
"Taylor?" he looked up in surprise, "what are you doing up?"
Taylor came into the room as closed the door behind him.
"I haven't been sleeping a whole night for a while Dad."
"Oh."
Taylor hesitated as his father threw some clothes into the wash basket and began to take his tie off.
"You wanted something?" he questioned.
"Um... yeah. But this might not be the place."
Walker sighed.
"Ok. Meet me in my office in a few minutes."
Taylor hesitated, nodded, and quietly left the room.
Taylor's knee was bouncing as he waited nervously in the office. It wasn't long before his father joined him, and closed the door behind him.
"It's not something like Zac brought me here for, is it?" he asked tiredly as he sat at his desk and picked up a pen to fiddle with.
"No, no, no..." Taylor shook his head, "but... it's about me and Mouse."
"Jane."
"Yeah."
Walker shrugged.
"Shoot."
"Well..." Taylor looked around the office nervously, "I was thinking that... I'm sure we really are the right, I mean, you know. I think we're really right for each other. We've had plenty of hurtles and overcome them easily enough..."
"You plan to propose?" Walker raised his eyebrows.
"No," Taylor replied straight away, "I mean, yeah. But, not yet. I don't want to rush into anything, and you know Mouse. There's only so much she can take at one time. I just wanna go slow. I don't wanna lose her."
Walker nodded.
"So what is it?"
Taylor sighed and scratched his forehead.
"I wanna move out," he blurted suddenly, "I think... I think we're ready for it. I can't stand not being with her 24/7. I'm so scared that she's going to try and hurt herself again, and I think you and Mom could do with less people here to worry about anyway."
He paused to take a deep breath, looking up hopefully.
Walker tapped his pen on the desk thoughtfully.
"Taylor..." he began, leaning forward, "you have to understand that your mother and I are... to put it lightly, extremely worried about each of you at the moment. We've all been through alot in the past few months alone..."
"I know that," Taylor interrupted, "and I know Mom wants to watch me like a hawk. But Dad, I'm twenty. I probably should have left home ages ago, and I like to think that by now I can look after myself. I've never been targeted by an alien hunter yet, and I don't see why I should be. No one's got anything against me."
"Not even Christian? Or the Eye?" Walker raised an eyebrow.
"Christian is harmless. Now, anyway. The whole thing with the Eye was... I don't know. I've done what he wanted me to do. I'll probably never see him again."
"And what if he wanted something else translated?"
"But that could happen years from now!" Taylor exclaimed, "I can't stay here and be protected my entire life. You have to know that even when you and Mom go we'll still be here. People will still be after us no matter what we do. it comes with being famous. It comes with being aliens. It comes with being who we are."
There was a moment of silence.
"You have to understand my position on this," Walker insisted a while later, "we can't watch all you kids at the same time, and every one of you has a lot of problems at the moment."
"Avie's getting on well..."
"...Because you've helped her. And so have the others. But how long is she going to stay like that if you go?"
"We're not always going to be around as it is," Taylor shrugged, "we still have the album we're in the middle of recording... a possible tour coming up..."
"Speaking of the tour, do you guys know what you want to do yet?" Walker tapped his pen as he raised his eyebrows.
The question caught Taylor off guard.
"Umm... I guess we haven't really talked about it. But we don't want to go too far. Just acoustic around the states or something. Underneath acoustic."
"Well, don't forget you guys are booked in at The Church for July 6th. Think you can get the CD done in one night?"
"It's kinda live. I think we can handle it. But this isn't what I'm here to talk about, Dad."
Walker sighed.
"Let me sleep on it Taylor. I will get back to you. Just don't go making any big plans yet, ok?"
Taylor nodded.
"Ok Dad."
And he left the office.