Taylor thanked Tony for bringing him home, before making his way inside.
When he closed the door behind him, he nervously started biting his nails as he headed for the kitchen to get a drink of water.
Isaac
Isaac was making "uhh huh, that's interesting" type noises on the phone, when he wasn't quietly listening. He was writing things down in a notebook when he spotted Taylor. He waved at him, and gave him a smile, before getting back to his call.
"No kidding? That's quite a talent... yeah, cool."
Isaac had been working on his power researching project.
Taylor
Taylor somewhat ignored Isaac as he got his drink.
He settled down at the kitchen bench, tapping his finegrs nervously as he waited for Isaac to finish the call.
Isaac
"Uh huh... yeah, cool. Okay, thanks," Isaac listened for a moment. "Yeah, thanks for talking with me, I really appreciate it. .. Yeah, I will... Yep... Okay see you later... bye."
Isaac hung up and jotted down a few more notes.
"Hey Tay."
Taylor
"Hey," Taylor said quietly, nodding his head a little.
"Ah... research, huh?"
Isaac
"Yep," Isaac replied. "I kinda wish I had a recorder for the phone, but I'll have to make do with jotting down notes instead. Oooh, I wonder if Hunter can fix me up something..."
He lifted his head, musing over this, and his eyes flickered over to Taylor.
"You okay?" he asked. "You seem a little skittish..."
Taylor
Taylor stared at him for a moment, before looking away.
"I don't know," he shook his head.
"Something kinda happened..."
Isaac
"At Nat's place?" Isaac asked. "Like what?
He finished writing his notes and closed his notebook.
Taylor
"Like..." Taylor trailed off, finding the opposite side of the room very interesting all of a sudden.
"Like meeting her parents. Like taking my shirt off. Like getting in a deep discussion. Like kissing her and finding out I get healed ten times faster when we do..." his voice got softer at every point.
Isaac
Isaac's eyebrows raised.
"You guys kissed? And it healed you even faster? Dude!"
Taylor
Taylor's face went red.
"Apparently one kiss equals a week's treatment," he shrugged awkwardly.
"She said two more and I'd be done."
Isaac
"Oooh waaaa," Isaac teased. "So, is that all the kissing is? Method by which you're going to heal faster? Or something else, eh?"
He waggled his eyebrows at him.
Taylor
"Well it didn't start off as that of course," Taylor rubbed the back of his neck.
"But after the first one she realised this huge chunk of me had been healed, and when we did it the second time she worked it out, and I felt dizzy..."
Isaac
Isaac nodded.
"Cool," he said. "So, obviously, two more kisses and you're healed... plan on kissing any more after that?"
Taylor
"Don't taunt me!" Taylor insisted dramatically.
"And I don't know. I'm worried. I'm really worried."
Isaac
Isaac sat down, the teasing older brother swapping places with the concerned one.
"Why are you worried?"
Taylor
Taylor leant his head in his hand, his elbow on the table as he traced the patterns on the tablecloth with his other.
"Because I don't want her to be the next Jane," he admitted softly.
Isaac
"Ahh," Isaac nodded.
He was quiet for a moment, and then continued:
"Well, I think firstly, you have experience on your side. Secondly, a contributing factor to your problems was Blakesley, and he's gone now. Thirdly, Zac is unlikely to have the same effect on Nat as he did on Mouse. So just take things slowly, for now, and see how things go."
Taylor
"You don't know that, Zac hasn't spent much time with Nat. I've kept them apart for a reason," Taylor pointed out.
"And just because Blakesley's not around it doesn't mean I'm not thinking about him constantly."
Isaac
"Zac also has experience," Isaac pointed out. "I sincerely doubt that he's going to go through another messy divorce and go running to Nat. And even if he did, I doubt that Nat would sleep with him. He power is empathic healing, not empathy. And even if he did, Nat would be far more likely to use her power on him than to sleep with him. And I know I said two 'even if he did's in that, but I'm allowing for all possibilities here."
He grinned at Taylor, then sobered as he continued:
"As for Blakesley... thinking about him and him actually being there are two different things. He's not stalking you any more. He can't kidnap you any more. He can't torture and experiement on you any more. And he was the primary culprit! I sincerely doubt that's going to happen to you any more. And getting back to thinking about him - I bet Nat knows even better than I do just how much of an impact he's had on your life. She healed you! I'm sure that she of all people will understand."
Taylor
Taylor just shook his head absently.
"I just don't know how to trust Zac anymore," he admitted, stopping himself from getting over emotional.
"My heart tells me he's my brother, and that he wouldn't do it. But I just can't trust it. Not yet. And I think I'll always be afraid of Blakesley coming back... I think he got to me more than I thought in the beginning."
He closed his eyes and put his head in his hands.
Isaac
"Tay... I really don't know what else to say," Isaac said. "I think what your real problem is a case of paranoia, in which case nothing I say is going to help. You may just have to work through it on your own."
Taylor
"I want to trust him again so badly Ike," Taylor shook his head.
"After all, he's started trusting me again. I should be able to just let go."
He rubbed his eyes.
"The Blakesley thing is definitely paranoia. I'll agree to that. And sorry if it sounds like I want you to do something you can't."
Isaac
"Weeeellll..." Isaac said slowly. "You could always start spending more time with Zac - just you two. Try, I dunno, going bowling, or sky diving or something."
Taylor
Taylor couldn't help but smile.
"He offered to teach me to drive again actually," he said, lifting his head again.
"It's a start."
Isaac
Isaac smiled back.
"That's great," he said. "Just the thing, in fact. Watch out pedestrians everywhere!"
He gave a mock evil laugh.
Taylor
"I know," Taylor chuckled.
"As if I wasn't bad enough before, now I don't actually remember how to. It'll be interesting, that's for sure."
Isaac
Isaac nodded in agreement.
"Very interesting. And you're both going to have to trust each other. You're going to have to trust that Zac won't make you do anything you're not ready for, and Zac's going to have to trust that you're not going to get anyone... uhh, in an accident."
He was going to say 'killed' but decided against it.
Taylor
Taylor shrugged uneasily.
"Yeah, we will," he agreed.
"Though at least I'll be in control of the car."
He grinned at the thought.
"And at least we'll be alone."
Isaac
"Very true," Isaac said. "Plus, he'll be in a very dangerous position if he ever did anything to upset you, know wouldn't he?"
Isaac waggled his eyebrows.
Taylor
"Exactly," Taylor smiled.
"Although he might bring Dee Dee as an incentive to not do anything. He knows how much I love her."
Isaac
"Hmm, there's an intriguing idea..." Isaac mused. "Would he bring Dee Dee in as an incentive? Or would he choose not to risk her to your bad driving, even knowing that you'd be even more careful?"
Taylor
"He probably wouldn't," Taylor shrugged.
"I guess it's more wishful thinking."
Isaac
"Ahh, you want to see the little dumpling again, huh?" Isaac smiled. "Hey, I'm sure that Zac will be happy for you to visit."
He stood then, and started for the fridge.
"Did you want another drink, or are you right?"
Taylor
"I'd like to know how she is and to see her, yes," Taylor agreed.
"She is my neice after all. And I'm fine thanks."
Isaac
Isaac smiled as he organised a drink for himself.
"Yeah... it'll be nice when we have children of our own, huh?" he said. "Y'know, ones with our respective future wives. I'm rather looking forward to having a little Isaac running around."
Taylor
"A scary thought," Taylor's eyebrows.
"But I wouldn't mind waiting for now."
His face fell a little as he thought of Natalia, and to an extent Mouse.
Isaac
"Oh, sure, I'm not interested in rushing into anything at the moment. But I am looking forward to that eventuality," Isaac said.
He sat back down again, suddenly realising he must have hit a sore point.
"But anyway..." he said, looking for a way to change the subject.
Taylor
"Her Dad interrogated me the moment I walked through the door," Taylor couldn't help but chuckle.
"Almost as if I already was her boyfriend."
Isaac
Isaac grinned.
"Ahh, he probably knew, just as Zac and I did, that you and Nat getting together was inevitable," he teased. "Whoever said that men couldn't be intuitive too?"
Taylor
Taylor rolled his eyes.
"It was still an accident," he insisted.
"We're still not officially a couple as it is."
Isaac
Isaac rolled his eyes.
"Tay, my brother, let me put things in perspective for you. Zac and I are male and we can see that you guys are crazy about each other. Usually that kind of thing is the female of the species' domain. If you were to ask her on a date, right now, she'll say yes without even having to think about it."
Taylor
Taylor looked up hopefully.
"You think so?" he asked carefully, before his face went red for the hundredth time that day.
He laughed at himself.
"I know," he said finally, "I know what she thinks of me. I can read it."
Isaac
Isaac laughed.
"There, you see?" he said. "You don't need me to say anything. You know it yourself."
He leant over.
"Trust me, Tay. Go for it. I know you're worried, but every happy moment you spend with her will be worth all the bad ones and more. Unless of course, she doesn't turn out to be your soulmate after all. But there's only one way to figure that out."
Taylor
"I guess I just need the reassurance sometimes," Taylor shook his head.
"Thanks. And I'll... I'll see how things go. I mean... two more kisses and I'll need an excuse to see her more often after all."
Isaac
Isaac chuckled.
"Yes, yes you will. The whole sick excuse is starting to lose it's effectiveness," he grinned at his brother. "Speaking of which, you remember Zac's friend Nikki?"
Taylor
Taylor chuckled.
"Yeah I remember her. She showed up on the doorstep with fake blood all over her, it's hard to forget. And we almost got in trouble for plotting to kill the fake guy who supposedly did it to her. If you've forgotten that is."
Isaac
Isaac chuckled.
"Nope, I've definitely not forgotten," he said. "I've actually started seeing her."
Taylor
"You've started..." Taylor trailed off, as if trying to comprehend it.
He shifted so he was sitting up straight with his eyes on his brother.
"You actually have a girlfriend?" he found it hard to hide the smile.
"One that isn't out to kill you?"
Isaac
Isaac laughed.
"Yes, Tay, one that isn't out to kill me," he said, grinning, "least not as far as I know. I didn't mention it when we first started, because I didn't know where it was going, but yeah, all official like now. Yay me."
Taylor
"How old is she?" Taylor asked.
"And for that matter, who was your last girlfriend? Was it Miette, or was she before Chrissy and Madison?"
Isaac
"Madison was the last one," Isaac replied. "Since Myra, I went out with Ashley, Miette, Isis, Chrissy and Madison. Nikki is twenty-four."
A smile crossed his face.
"She's also an underwear model."
Taylor
Taylor froze.
"An underwear model?" he repeated, before whistling.
"Take my advice? Don't tell Mom yet."
Isaac
Isaac laughed.
"Yeah, I might hold off until it comes up in conversation and I can't possibly avoid telling her without her figuring out I'm hiding something."
Taylor
"Preferably not over dinner," Taylor added.
"Don't need her choking on anything."
Isaac
Isaac laughed again.
"No, no," he agreed. "Don't need that. But Nikki is really amazing, Tay. She's amazingly cool to hang around, and has this whole other perspective on the world."
He paused for a moment.
"She's also human."
It was never far from his mind that if things got serious between them, he'd have to tell her he was an alien.
Taylor
Taylor hesitated, then bit his lip.
"Does she... know?" he frowned.
Isaac
"Not as far as I know," Isaac shook his head. "Zac doesn't believe that she knows, anyway, and she's never given me reason to believe otherwise. So, basically, it means that if we ever get really serious, I'll have to tell her."
Taylor
"Ouch," Taylor grinned.
"But at least there's no real worry about her using powers against you. I really have this idea of every single girl you have an interest in being out to get you don't I?"
Isaac
"Umm, yes," Isaac nodded. "I was beginning to get that impression."
He paused, considering.
"I suppose it's not entirely unfounded."
Taylor
Taylor shrugged.
"Two out of five. There we go. As long as she doesn't end up infatuated with you and turn evil like Miette did, all will be good."
Isaac
Isaac grinned.
"Yeah, but given that Craig is dead, I doubt that Nikki will be turning evil somehow."
Taylor
"Hey, there's always Guffery now," Taylor joked.
"Or... I've lost track of who we've had run-ins with that's actually still alive.."
Isaac
Isaac chuckled, a little amazed to hear Taylor joke about it.
"This is true," he said. "I think I've lost track too... well, anyway, they had better start leaving us alone, or I'm going to have to kick their butts."
Taylor
"And hey, you can now!" Taylor pointed out.
"You have your telekinesis back. And well, now I have sonics. It would be kind of hard for anyone to come after us now."
Isaac
Isaac nodded.
"We're a lean, mean butt-kicking team," he said. "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us, baby!"
He pounded his hand into his fist.
Taylor
"And that goes for record executives too," Taylor chuckled.
"Or anyone for that matter."
Isaac
"Yeah!" Isaac proclaimed enthusiastically.
He banged his hand on the table as emphasis.
"Speaking of which," he said, his tone completely changing. "I can't wait for Zac to get here tomorrow so we can do some more recording. I'm itching to get back to playing."
Taylor
Taylor rolled his eyes.
"We could always start now. We don't need him for everything," he pointed out, standing up and pushing his chair in.
Isaac
"This is true," Isaac said. "Hurrah! Hey, let's do a whole song with Zac."
He stood and grinned at Taylor.
"I can see the chargin on his face now..."
Taylor
Taylor laughed a little.
"It's either that or being bored or talking about girls. I think music wins right now."
Isaac
"Agreed," Isaac replied.
And they headed towards the music room to make beautiful music together. Literally.