Avery had left a note on the bench for her parents - "Gone to see an old friend, will be back later tonight. Love you, Avie..." - and she had called Bill, her faithful slave/friend/teleporter/driver.
He was the one who took her to and from the Space Station, and quite nicely too. She'd bought him a few presents over the months she'd known him, and they'd ended up getting along really well, despite the 30 year age gap. And he never seemed to question any of her activities. Avery supposed that he was probably in awe of her - and she was right.
"Hey Bill," Avery greeted, closing the door quietly behind her. The sun had only just come up, and Bill looked weary.
"Hey Avie," the older man replied.
"Sorry to get you up this early, but I need to see Tanya," she said apologetically.
"It's no hassle," Bill told her.
Avery smiled gratefully and took his hand.
~*~*~*~
Not long after, she was back at the Space Station. It felt strange being back, even though she'd been gone for less than a month. Maybe she was just scared of running into Dan, though she was anxious to see him, and Libby and the others. Anxious scared and anxious excited, it was all mixed together.
Avery walked the familiar corridor to Libby's room, deciding to see Tanya after, so they'd have a lot more time together without Avery having to say "sorry, I'm gonna duck out and see Libby".
She stopped in front of Libby's door and checked her watch. Probably still early, but she knew Libby had to be getting up to get ready for school soon anyway. She raised her hand and knocked the secret and complicated knock that she and Libby had come up with within the first few hours of their friendship.
Then she waited for the door to open.
Libby
Yawning a little, Libby wandered over to the door, wondering who could be visiting them at this time in the morning. Thus, instead of getting breakfast like she intended, Libby opened the door.
"Avie?" she exclaimed.
Avery
Avery grinned.
"Yo."
She hugged Libby.
"Miss me?
Libby
"O'course," Libby replied, then moved out of the way to let Avery in. "How are you? I was worried about you after... y'know... what happened with Dan and all..."
Libby trailed off into silence and chewed her bottom lip.
Avery
"It's cool..."
Avery paused and followed Libby in.
"Well not cool that, you know, I almost killed him, because despite his annoyingness, he's an alright kid."
She paused again.
"I know I should've talked to you, or Tanya, but I just needed to get away from here to think... and I kinda moved to London."
Libby
"London," Libby repeated. "Wow, that's a big of a change."
She shook her head as she sat down on the lounge and gestured for Avery to join her.
"It's all cool, though," she went on. "Well, okay, not completely cool. I'm not sure how receptive Dan's going to be to you. He gets nervous whenever we mention you. Of course, he's a guy and he pretends not to be freaked out, but yeah. And now I'm babbling, but I'm sooooo glad that you're okay. You are okay, right?"
Avery
"I didn't mean to do it," Avery said quietly. "And when I realised what I was going to do, I freaked out."
She sat down next to Libby.
"But yeah, I'm ok. I actually wound up working for a Dath family, and now I'm living with them and stuff. How's life here?"
Libby
"Okay, cool, well, I'm glad you're okay," Libby said, putting her hand on Avery's shoulder. "Life here is good. We slaughtered the Reds on the court again. Mwahaha, you'd think they'd give up. And Matt's still determined to give us a name. He was on a mythical creatures kick until recently when I put the spanner in his works by suggesting 'the harpies', 'the mermaids' and 'the nymphs'. Of course, suggesting nymphs proved to be a bad idea because the boys started on about nymphomania and well, you can imagine where that went."
Libby rolled her eyes.
Avery
Avery laughed.
"It's nice to see that they haven't changed really."
She paused.
"Hey, don't you have classes today? And incidentally, do we have a piercing parlour up here? I wanna get my nose done."
Libby
"Oh, umm, yeah..." Libby said. "I should probably get ready. Umm... I think there's place near the hairdresser."
She got up and headed for the screen in the wall. She tapped a few buttons.
"Aha," she said. "If in doubt, try the directory. There you go."
Avery
"K, thanks. You go get ready, I'm gonna go get a piercing."
Avery grinned.
"I'll meet you for breakfast, usual spot?"
Libby
"Okay, cool," Libby said.
She gave Avery another hug.
"See you there."
Avery
Avery hugged her back and waved, then headed off to the piercing parlour.
She rounded the corner from Libby's and ran into... Dan. And Josh.
"Hey!" Josh said, pulling her in for a hug.
"Hey," Avery replied, hugging him back. She looked at Dan, who looked away. "Dan..."
Dan turned away and walked off, muttering a "I'll meet you later Josh."
"He hates me, not that I blame him," Avery said.
"He's just a bit rattled, you guys'll be right when you come back... have you come back?" Josh asked.
"Not exactly. Walk me to the piercing parlour?"
"Sure."
Libby
Libby got dressed in record speed, grabbed her bag and zipped off to the eatery to join her friends.
"Hi Dan, hi Trent," she said, joining them at the table.
"Hey," Trent replied.
Libby eyed Dan.
"Something amiss?" she inquired.
Dan shrugged.
"Avie's here," Trent explained.
"Ahh... yes... I saw her this morning. You okay?" Libby asked of Dan.
Avery
Avery and Josh (after getting Avery's nose and belly button pierced), walked in the direction of the caf.
"I can't believe you got TWO piercings, and I can't believe you're not whinging about the pain," Josh said.
Avery laughed. "Well, they did numb it. It just kinda aches right now. It'll start hurting hardcore later, but then I'll just block myself from thinking about the pain and keep myself busy."
"All thought out, huh?" Josh laughed. "So... you and Dan, you think there's gonna be a scene?"
Avery shrugged. "I need to talk to him in private so we can work it out... but the chances of him wanting to be alone with me are fairly slim, although when you think about it, that's kinda dumb, because I can attack him in front of people anyway..."
Josh stared at Avie and stopped walking. "You're scary."
"I know," she grinned. "I'm not going to attack him. Or you. I was actually hoping not to run into him today, but I kinda see how that was redundant...?"
Josh laughed. "Yeah, I guess we're all always together."
They headed into the caf and joined the others at the table, Dan glancing at Avery warily, then quickly looking away.
Libby
"Ooh," said Libby, looking at Avery's new nose ring. "Awesome."
"Hey the gang's all here," Matt grinned, the last to join them. "Even Avie-wavy."
Avery
"Lookit," Avie said, pulling her shirt up to show her belly button ring.
"Oh dude! It's... a hole... IN YOUR STOMACH!" Josh protested, sliding into a chair so as not to pass out. "Man, watching that was like one of the grossest things I have ever seen... including that video we watched in health class. Now, they prepare us for what childbirth looks like, but they don't prepare us for piercings!"
Avie high fived Matt, who was giggling over Josh's dramatic entrance.
Libby
"Double awesome," Libby said. "I wish I could get one... but my Mom would kill me. Ears the limit."
She gave a melodramatic sigh.
"Did it hurt?" Trent asked Avery, well accustomed to his cousins' antics.
Avery
"I didn't exactly have permission," Avie grinned. "Tay gave me the go ahead for my nose though."
She made a "sorta" hand gesture to Trent. "They numbed it first, so the pain will kick in later, I think."
Josh made a horrified noise.
"Josh, you'd look awesome with an eyebrow ring," Avie started. "Just think, they shove a needle through your face."
"Donnnnn't... AVIEEEEE!" Josh groaned.
Libby
Libby giggled.
"Aww... can't Joshy-poo handle it?"
"Josh always hated that kinda stuff," Trent said with a smirk.
"Doesn't bother me," Matt beamed.
"But you have healing, Matt. You can just excesice your power and not have to worry about wounds lasting very long," Libby pointed out. "Don't think I haven't seen your scrapes heal themselves up in ten seconds flat."
Avery
Avery giggled, then caught Dan's eye and jerked her head.
Dan looked uneasy, but got up and followed her away from the table to talk.
Libby
"Oh wah... Avie and Danny-boy going off to talk in pri-vate..." Matt mocked.
Libby poked him.
"Ow!" he complained.
"You're just sore because you can't heal a poke in the ribs," Trent joked.
"Be nice," Libby commanded Matt. "You know how Dan's been since... well, that. They need a chance to make peace, and you making comments like that is not going to help anyone."
Avery
Avie and Dan went off and sat at a table together.
Dan fidgeted with a napkin, refusing to meet Avery's eyes.
"Dan, I know I can't say anything to make it ok," she said.
"It's ok," Dan said softly. "I know you didn't mean... it was just... it freaked me out."
"I'm really sorry."
Libby
"But they can't even hear me now," Matt objected.
"But I can. Mores the pity," Libby said.
Josh chuckled.
"Yeah. We'd all be better off if we couldn't hear you."
Matt poked his tongue out at them.
Avery
After a bit of a chat, Dan and Avie came wandering back over to the group.
"Everything ok?" Josh asked Dan tentatively.
"Yeah, it's cool," Dan replied softly.
"Right, well, my next order of business is to get breakfast," Avery announced. "I feel like... fruit. Or maybe pancakes. Or fruit WITH pancakes."
Libby
"Ooh, go Avie the Adventurer. Fruit and pancakes," Trent teased.
"A very brave woman," Matt nodded. "I hate fruit."
Libby poked Matt.
"You're the healer. Shouldn't you be telling us how important fruit is?"
"What do I care about nutrition? And stop poking me."
Libby chuckled.
"I think I'll join you in your adventure to have fruit and pancakes," Libby said to Avery.
Avery
Avery stood and nodded decisively.
"Fruit and pancakes AHOY!" she exclaimed, before rushing off to join the line.
Libby
Libby giggled and jumped up.
"Anyone else coming?" she asked.
Without waiting for an answer, she joined Avery in the line.
"So... what fruit do we want on our pancakes?"
Avery
Avery cocked her head to the side, contemplating.
"I'm gonna have strawberries with mine. Oh and whipped cream!"
Libby
"Mmm, whipped cream," Libby sighed. "I love whipped cream. And strawberries. Oooh, and I might have some kiwi fruit."
She giggled.
"Kiwi fruit. Kiwi. Kiwi is a funny word."
Avery
"Dude, we should so give someone the nickname Kiwi. It's awesome!" Avery proclaimed, scooping strawberries onto her plate.
"At my cafe, I eat strawberries and whipped cream pretty much as often as I can... so like... all the time."
Libby
Libby began filling up her plate well.
"That's so cool," she said. "So what's your cafe like? That's where you're working, right?"
Avery
Avery nodded, scooping more strawberries onto her plate.
"It's just a little diner type thing. I'm staying with the family that own it. It's so cool."
Libby
"Cool," Libby replied. "Do you get to wear a cute little waitress uniform? What are the tips like? Do people mock your American accent?"
She looked inquiringly at Avery.
Avery
"Yeah, it's a cute little like blue dress with a white apron," Avery grinned.
"And everyone loves the accent, I lay it on thick and add a lot of "y'alls"."
Avery took her plate and started back for their table.
"And then JD and Rara usually take me out on the weekends, so it's pretty cool."
Libby
Libby giggled.
"Who are JD and Rara? Interesting names, by the way."
Her plate now full, she waited for Avery to finish with hers before turning to return to their table.
Avery
Avery grabbed a juice with her free hand and followed Libby.
"Rara is short for Rachel, and JD is short for John Dorian," she grinned. "They're the kids of the lady who owns the cafe. Both cool."
Libby
"Okay, cool," Libby said.
"Well, well, looks who's back," Trent said. "About time someone returned. Why do I always get left to mind the table?"
"Because you're the new recruit."
"Libby-baby, I find it very unlikely that anyone else is going to join our little group of friends."
"Then you have plenty of time to get used to it. And don't call me 'Libby-baby'," Libby said, sitting down.
"Aww," Trent said, standing, "but it has such a nice ring to it."
Avery
"Trent, you should just admit you like Libby because it's really obvious with your deeply repressed feelings written all over your face."
Avery smiled innocently as she sat down, then forked a strawberry into her mouth.
Libby
Libby giggled and fluttered her eyelids at Trent.
"I'm getting breakfast now," Trent announced, evading the accusation.
He departed as Matt and Josh returned.
"Oh, you did get fruit on your pancakes after all," Josh mused.
"Pah! Says I to your fruit!" Matt declared. "I eat the oh so yummy rice bubbles with extra sugar."
"Extra sugar? Rice bubbles don't need more sugar. Heck, you don't even need more sugar," Libby said.
Avery
Avery burst out laughing. "Trent loves Libby."
"Really?" Josh asked, his eyebrows going up in curiousity. "And how did we find this out?"
Avery just smiled and ate another strawberry.
Libby
"Well, he can't have her," Matt joked. "Libby's mine."
"Aww," said Libby. "I feel so loved... wait..."
"Yeah... I don't think being the object of Matt's affections is something to be happy about," Josh grinned.
"Hey!" Matt objected.
Avery
Avery snorted. "I always thought Matt had a crush on Dan."
Dan made a face. "Ew. No. Don't go there."
Libby
Libby chuckled.
"I do not have a crush on Dan," Matt said. "I have better taste than that."
"What?" Libby asked. "You think that the only person who could ever have a crush on Dan is someone with bad taste? Dan, I think you've just be insulted."
Avery
"Besides, Lisa, that girl in our Maths class, the one you said was so hot she would make the sun feel cold, Matt, has a crush on Dan," Avery offered.
"... She does? Really? How do you know?" Dan asked excitedly.
"She told me," Avery replied.
Libby
"Ooo wahh..." Libby teased. "And does little Danny-wanny reciprocate?"
"I'd say he does," Josh nodded.
"Hey guys, what's happening?" Trent asked, returning with breakfast in hand.
"Lisa has a crush on Dan, apparently. Yes, Lisa is the one with the bad taste, not me!" Matt nodded.
"You just keep telling yourself that, Matt," Libby advised.
Avery
Dan put his head down and rather determinedly ate his breakfast.
Avery snorted and finished the last of her pancakes. "Well, I should head off to see Tanya, always a pleasure seeing you idiots and Libby."
"Wait, why isn't Libby an idiot?" Josh asked. "She's more so, if anything!"
Libby
"Yes," Libby agreed. "I have more brains than any of you idiots. Therefore, I am not an idiot."
She grinned at him, then waved to Avery.
"Bye Avie," she said. "Don't be a stranger. Visit us again soon, 'kay?"
Avery
"Catch ya's on the flip side," Avery called, waving.
She headed in the direction of Tanya's room, rather nervously.
Once she'd reached the door, she lifted her hand to knock.
Tanya
Tanya opened the door in response to the knock she had heard.
"Avery!" she exclaimed. "It's good to see you. Come on in."
Avery
"Hey," Avery replied, walking into Tanya's room.
"It's good to see you too."
Tanya
She closed the door behind Avery and followed her into the lounge.
"Have a seat," Tanya invited, sitting down herself. "My, this is a pleasant surprise. What's new?"
Avery
"Well..."
Avery sat down across from Tanya and made a face, trying to explain.
"Well... I think... I think my capabilities are expanding. But before we jump into all that, how have you been?"
Tanya
Tanya's eyebrows raised.
"Well," she said in response to Avery's question. "Not much is new. Just the usual, teaching, working on the amplifiers, trying to spend as much time with Kit as I can before he grows up thinking his mother doesn't love him. Same old, same old."
Other than the whole thing with Christian, but enough people knew about that as it was.
Avery
"Nice to see that not much has changed," Avery grinned.
She leant back against the chair.
"It feels really weird being back here."
Tanya
Tanya smiled.
"Plan on staying long?" she inquired, knowing Avery's history of coming and going from the station.
Avery
Avery shook her head.
"This is just a flying visit to see... well to see you mainly, but I did stop off to see Libby and the boys first."
She fidgeted slightly.
Tanya
"Ahh," Tanya nodded. "Would you like a drink or anything?"
She was most intrigued by this visit.
Avery
"No thanks, I'm good, just had breakfast."
Avery scratched her ear absently.
Tanya
Tanya nodded again.
"Well, then. What can I do for you?"
Avery
Avery took a deep breath.
"Ok, well... you know how last time we had lessons, I was able to make telepathic objects that already existed?"
She rubbed her eye.
"I can... I can create new ones now. Like ones that don't exist."
Tanya
"Ornamental or functional?" was Tanya's immediate question. "That is, do they just 'sit there and look pretty', or do they actually do something?"
Avery
"Functional."
Avery rubbed some sleep from her eye.
"I made this... Sun Star thing, is what I call it, and it kinda cures my headaches, and then... I've made like a security system for my mind."
Tanya
Tanya raised her eyebrows.
"I see," she said, consideringly. "The reason I ask is that many telepaths in the stronger capcities can create objects, but if they're not followed a predetermind pattern, they're usually ornamental - despite the best intensions of some. Most of the patterns we have today were created by Experts and Masters. And probably a Grandmaster whenever we had one last."
Tanya said this last remark with a smile.
"Now, I have never heard of someone making themselves a security system for their mind before," she admitted. "But about this Sun Star... we do have telepathic path killers, but they specialise more in telepathic pain."
Avery
"It just seemed like... I don't know, something I should do, especially after what happened with... yeah."
Avery scratched her nose.
"It's not like a pain killer really... I guess it's more... a boost? When I'm feeling down or I can't focus, it clears my mind for me."
She paused.
"And I can hear more now. Like... right now, I never used to be able to hear people on Earth, but I can now. I can hear my family faintly. And when I was in Tulsa, I could hear people I'd just met in England."
Tanya
Tanyas' eyebrows went up.
"You can hear people on Earth, from here?" she asked, incredulous. "I can't even do that. And I don't think that Karl - the other master, even in his prime could hear that distance."
Avery
"Just my family," Avery clarified.
She paused.
"Is that good? What does it mean?"
Tanya
"I think it pretty much confirms that you're a Grandmaster," Tanya replied. "It also means that I can train you up to a point, but past Master level, you're going to have to train yourself."
Avery
Avery just stared at Tanya.
"I thought they didn't exist."
Tanya
"Just because we've never heard of one before doesn't mean they don't exist," Tanya pointed out. "There are enough stories to support the idea. And, as I just pointed out, it appears that you have a significantly larger range than I do. Grandmaster telepathic ability simply falls into the 'ultra rare' range of powers - although I suspect that it may be more than simply 'a few generations' between grandmasters."
Avery
"But I can't be, I'm only 13."
Avery looked at her in confusion.
"Maybe it's a mistake."
Tanya
"Age is no indication of power, only experience," Tanya replied.
Then she shook her head and sighed.
"Avery... is being a Grandmaster that much harder to swallow than being a Master? Okay... I know that in our culture they're fabled at best, but the title doesn't change who you are, as a person, does it?"
Avery
"No, it's just... I didn't even believe they existed."
Avery tucked some hair behind her ears.
"I guess it scares me. Having all this power, and not knowing if I'll use it for the right reasons. I don't want to hurt people. Not again. I didn't want to kill Craig, you know. I know we never talked about it because I just didn't open up. But... I didn't mean to kill him."
Tanya
Tanya nodded sympathetically.
"I know," she said softly. "I... I killed my first person by accident as well. Even to this day I still feel horrible, although the pain has lessened with time."
Avery
Avery was silent for a moment.
"I keep thinking about it, like... I mean looking back at it, I guess I did mean to kill him, because what would the outcome have been? One of us would've died in that fight. That's just what I think."
She fell silent again.
Tanya
"And I think you're right," Tanya affirmed. "Craig was a very dangerous man. He had killed many people before then. He was stalking your family, as you well know. He had a number of... unsavoury habits involving his telepathy, which I will not go into. I don't know what his intensions were that day, but I do not doubt that once that fight started, he intended to kill you."
It seemed like such a harsh thing to say to a barely teenage girl, but the truth was the best thing she could offer her.
Avery
"I know that it was stupid of me to enter his mind to fight him, or to even fight him at all."
Avery folded her arms over her chest.
"I just... it didn't occur to me at the time, I was just protecting Zac... my whole family, and now that I think about it... get revenge."
She refused to meet Tanya's eyes as she said this.
"He took Taylor and I, and then made me get that collar off, and then he kept Tay and sent Christian back in his place. It was my fault that he was back, I got the collar off him. And then... I wanted him to die, Tanya... but not because of me. I never wanted to be the one to do it, even though I had every reason to want it. I just didn't."
Tanya
"These feelings are perfectly natural," Tanya replied. "And it doesn't matter if going into the Eye's mind was stupid or not - you were trying to protect your family, and protecting people we love tends to take away from the need for our own persoanl safely."
She paused for a moment, before continuing:
"And the desire for revenge tends to blur the line where stupidity starts."
Avery
Avery hesitated.
"Do you think it was the wrong thing to do, what I did?"
Tanya
Tanya shook her head.
"Given the situation, it was the best thing you could do," she said. "I probably would have done the same thing. We don't know what his agenda was that day, and he could have quite easily have killed your brother. He had to be stopped."
Avery
Avery rubbed her eye.
"So... being a GrandMaster. I guess I should tell my family, right?"
Tanya
Tanya shrugged.
"That's completely up to you. I imagine they might appreciate knowing, though. I'd recommend some discression when telling your friends though, at least for the next few years while you're still training yourself. I wouldn't want someone like Craig to find out and well..." she trailed off with a shrug.
Avery
Avery nodded.
"So, with training... how is that going to work? The same as we did before?"
Tanya
Tanya nodded.
"No need to change a perfectly good routine," she said. "But as I said, I can train you up to the Master level, after that, you're on your own. But that training should be able to teach you some techniques that should be able to help you after that."
Avery
Avery thought about that for a moment.
"So, basically training for Grandmaster is going to be fairly the same, just a little more hardcore?"
Tanya
"Pretty much," Tanya replied. "Not being a grandmaster myself, I have no idea what you'll be capable of. I've been trying to find more information in the old files, but if we ever had anything, I suspect it was amongst those files that got corrupted or destoryed by the crash."
Avery
Avery thought for a moment.
"Is there anyone who'd know about it?"
Tanya
"I asked Karl," Tanya replied. "He doesn't know anything. He thought the master who had trained him might have known something, but he's long dead by now, so that doesn't do us any good. He told me he'd let me know if he remembered anything, but he doesn't think he knows anything to remember. The only other person who might know anything is The Elder, seeing as he's three and a half hundred years old. Getting an audience with him is another matter entirely. He tends to be rather reclusive beyond his duties on the YIRAAS Council, and doesn't like to be bother with trivialities. I would hope that he wouldn't consider this trivial... but you never know."
Avery
Avery nodded slowly.
"I just want to find out everything I can about the whole thing."
Tanya
"As do I," Tanya agreed. "This is why I'm trying to exhaust all other avenues before I go to the big guy. Because I will definitely feel his wrath if I don't."
Avery
"So... with Tay's telepathy, he's told me about that... will he be very strong, or is it unlikely?"
Avery was curious, after all, it was like he was invading her turf.
Tanya
Tanya shook her head.
"His power is Tongue," she said, "and his newfound telepathy will be limited to the function of telepathic communication. He won't be able to make objects or anything of the more technical stuff."
Avery
Avery smiled in almost satisfaction.
It wasn't that she didn't want Taylor to be good at what he did, it was just all her life he'd been BETTER than her at whatever they did.
"He's asked for my help with it, but I'm kinda... kinda scared."
Tanya
Tanya nodded.
"Teaching someone else is a good way of reaffirming the lessons in your own mind," she said. "Just remember that he'll probably move at a different pace from you, so don't get frustrated with him if he doesn't get something. And, well, as for the fear, that is something you're going to have to figure out on your own, but it strikes me the best way to overcome fear is to face it."
Avery
Avery looked at Tanya for a long moment.
"Has anyone ever mentioned to you that you're quite wise?"
Tanya
Tanya laughed.
"I don't think so, now," she replied, smiling. "They've called me a few other things, but I haven't heard 'wise' before."
Avery
Avery smiled.
"Well you are."
She paused for a moment.
"So... could I ask for a lesson or do you have other things to do apart from teaching your most favourite Hanson the ways of telepathy. Yes, I am your favourite, you don't have to admit it, I see it in your eyes."
Tanya
Tanya laughed again.
"I feel like I am always busy," she admitted. "But I'll always have time to give you - my favourite Hanson - a lesson."
She grinned at Avery.
Avery
"I knew it," Avery grinned, her eyes sprakling cheekily.
"Ok, so pick up where we left off?"
Tanya
Tanya nodded.
"Sounds like a good starting space to me."
And so the lesson began.