The Good Samaritan

Chapter 9: The Fish Caught

The following week was very busy for us, getting the new house ready to move in. It had four bedrooms, each much bigger than what we had in our old apartment. Mom and Bobby of coarse took the master suite, I got the biggest of the remainders as my own room.

The house was kind of a split ranch style, with different levels, but not separated as much as a normal multi floor plan. Our rooms where on the highest of the levels, while the other two bedrooms where a half floor down. They decided to make one the nursery and the other one a hobby room for Bobby and me.

After painting and arranging the furniture in my room, the twins and MJ were a great help to us, I decided that my room was big enough to put the crib dresser from the nursery as well.

Zoe thought it was cute enough that I wanted the baby close to me, that she gave me a sweet kiss. We didn't go out of our way to demonstrate PDA's, but we weren't hiding it from them either. With her folks helping us too, it was soon obvious to them all that we were kind of an item.

Our two families were spending a lot of time together too, so it wasn't too long before the families had a joint talk. Both sets of parents were worried that we were too young to take things seriously. I explained that, for Zoe and me, that we felt much the same way, but still were attracted to one another enough that it was a consideration.

We explained to them that though we had strong feelings for one another, we realized they were right that we were young and didn't know where our lives would go. We also made it plain to them that we are a couple and PDA's would happen, going further than that was not in our immediate future plans. Which made them all feel at ease.

The hobby room was on the main floor of the house so it was very easy for me to just roll my race bag into the house and set up my stuff. Setting up my in home work area, I had MJ's help, as well as Bobby's. With MJ's help, we sorted out everything I had, things that would be nice to have, and of coarse those things that were a must to have.

At times when we were talking about nothing specific, I would find myself rubbing my baby bump and thinking how much my life had changed. As an older man, I really had no friends or a life for that matter, I was pretty much just passing the days and waiting for my eventual death. Now my life was vastly different.

It was one of those moments that MJ broke my concentration saying, "You've been doing that a lot lately." Seeing my confusion, he adds, "You rub your tummy when you think. Connie would do that at the track too."

I thought, "Yeah, you're right. But it's comforting for the baby and the mother. It's a way to connect to Wallis, before she comes into this world. Later, when she kicks, it will become a way to let her know that everything will be alright."

MJ says, "I can see that, it makes sense. So you've picked out the name already? Wallis is not very common, I like it." He looked a little unsure about saying anything else before he asked, "Doesn't it scare you? To become a mother at such a young age?"

"Yes and no." Knowing that he wouldn't realize the full duality of such a statement. "I think it's like everything in life when something comes up unexpectedly, you learn what to do. And you learn who you can trust."

MJ shook his head, "Sometimes you act so much older than you are. I hope you know that you can trust me, like an older brother, if not a friend."

I told him that I did to both.

It turns out that in the new stuff that Jack had, for the car, was a motor that had not been used before that MJ said was one of the best on the market. I knew I wasn't ready for something so fast right now, but that he could, "MJ, I'll trade you this motor for the one I drove in your car Sunday so that you can maybe beat those other guys at the track."

He got very excited, "You'ld really do that for me?"

"Of coarse," I said, "For my big brother!"

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Later after the others went home, Bobby came in to talk to me as I cleaned things on my car.

With a smile on his face, Bobby said, "That was very nice of you to do for Marty, I'm very proud of you Vicky! You surprise me sometimes when you act so mature."

My face blushed red, and I said, "Thanks Bobby."

Bobby smiled again, "You know how much I love your mom, and we will be married soon. You can call me dad, if you wanted to."

I knew it meant a lot to him, I answered, "I know that Bobby, and I want to. You are so good for mom and me. But I still feel uncomfortable saying that yet. But I know the time will come. Soon!"

Hanging his head a little, "I'll just have to work harder then!" Smiling back up at me. Then he really surprised me, "I know, since you're racing on Sunday, let's go fishing on Saturday, okay?"

One of the things that surprised me when I had the run of Vic's memories, is that she loved to go fishing. Her best memory of her dad was fishing with him at a local lake. It was something I missed from my youth. But the way he said it was such that he knew I would say yes, there was no question in his tone.

After he assured me that it would just be the three of us I agreed, and now I couldn't wait for the weekend.

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The rest of the week flew by so fast that I can hardly remember classes and kisses with Zoe. But Saturday morning came and I got up, eager to start the day. I dressed in some khaki Capri shorts and a light green blouse and some boots.

Coming down into the kitchen, mom was finishing up packing a picnic basket while Bobby was fixing breakfast. It was nice to see how mom and Bobby worked together on just about everything. As I ate my breakfast and answered their questions, I realized that mom somehow acted like she had just found Bobby and couldn't bear to be separated from him.

The drive to the lake was quiet and didn't take very long. When we got there, it was the same lake as from Vic's memories, right down to the little dock that she would cool her feet from in the water when the temperature was nice like today was.

The place was empty and we had it to ourselves. I was a short walk from the parking down the path in the grass to the dock at the water's edge. It was more like a large pond than a lake, seeing it through Vic's memory made it look smaller than before. But it was a nice park setting out on the edge of town. It had the look of not being in much use, which made it nicer and more rustic.

I was looking back on Vic's memory of sitting on the end of this very dock, holding a plain bamboo pole with a length of line tied to the pole at one end and a hook at the other with a bobber a short distance up.

Bobby walks passed me onto the dock carrying a couple folding chairs, a tackle box, a bait box of worms and some bamboo poles. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end in a De Ja vu moment. I followed him to the end of the thirty foot dock.

After Bobby set up the chairs, he placed a blanket on the edge of the dock, "In case you want to cool your feet without worrying about the splinters in the old wood." Another shiver down my spine. I looked back at mom, she was setting up the picnic table near the water's edge. She had the biggest smile on her face.

I sat in a chair to take my boots off first, then sat on the edge with my feet dangling in the water, it felt very nice. Bobby handed me a pole and the worm box. I took out a worm and stuck it on the hook, set the bobber about 18 inches above that and flipped it onto the water.

This was all exactly like Vic's memory of the last time she fished with her dad, the only thing missing was the bite of a medium sized golden trout in the first five minutes. After a few minutes, her bobber ducked under the water's surface. She set the hook, and watched as the beautiful fish leapt into the air.

She let the fish tire itself before she raised it up from the water to remove the hook. Before Bobby could ask if she needed any help, she had the hook out and was slipping it back into the water.

As I watched the fish swim away, a great many things started to add up together and pieces fit tight. Suddenly I was very angry for Vicky and her mom. I stood up and turned around to face Bobby, Vicky's dad, long thought dead.

The smile on his face turned pale as the bamboo pole in my hand became a wisp of ash from the blazing fire from my hand. The only thing I managed to say before I fell unconscious was, "WHY?"

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When I came to, not much time could have passed, though, I was laying on a blanket in the grass under a great tree. Mom looked with worry into my eyes, relieved I was awake. Before I could speak, she said, "He had a good reason for leaving us, Sweetie, Please give your dad a chance to explain first! Will you promise me that?"

I nodded my head, feeling a very bad headache coming on.

Quietly Bobby says, "Bad headache huh, I'm not surprised after what you did on the dock. That much water should have suppressed your ability to work fire, you shouldn't have been able to do that. You are a very strong magic user."

Groaning, "What do yo mean by magic user?"

He smiled, "That is a very big question, one I plan to answer to both you and your mother as you both need to know everything now. It will explain why I had to do the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, leaving behind the two things I hold most dear in my life, you and your mother."

We sat at the picnic table drinking water as Bobby explained. "I had no intention of leaving the two of you, but ultimately my parents were not to be denied, they never approved of your mother. Saying she had poor blood, even for one not of the Blood Royale. The Royal's were the last of the people to carry any of the bloodlines from the fairy clans, out of the long past."

Mom says, "That explains why they treated me like a commoner, too far beneath them to notice. I always wondered why you stayed with me after the first time I met them."

Bobby smiled radiantly at mom, "That's easy, anyone willing to look you in the eyes would see you have a great heart. The first time I looked in your eyes, I knew I was going to marry you. I loved you that much." Continuing, "Then something happened that forced me to leave you. Someone tried to kill me. There are parts of the magical realm that thought I believed as my parents do, hence, they tried to assassinate me."

I felt it was time for me to ask a question, "So what changed to bring you out of hiding?"

He took my hand, sincerely, "You did, more than anything. You see, I've been hiding from everyone, including fellow magic users. Even my own parents think that I'm dead. The department I work for, investigates strange or unusual occurrences as part of a crime. Frank being fried after raping you led me back to you and your mom. If you knew how hard it was to not go crazy protective over you both when I first saw you."

Mom already knew some of this and she already accepted it as he said. For me it was harder, since down deep, I was still a little bit Walter in a sea of Victoria. Never had my emotions been in so much turmoil since I was left in this body to deal as best I could. Jesus Vic, I could really use a friend that I didn't have to hide things from.

"I can understand what you are saying, but given everything that has happened, it will take a while before I can start calling you dad."

He says, "I understand that. But I want the two of you to know, my job is to find people like you and turn them into my agency. I am doing all I can, to hide you from them. At some point, we're going to have to rejoin with the magic community for greater protection. That was why we needed to move from that apartment as soon as we could."

Mom asks, "Why?"

Bobby's answer brought chills to me again.

"Before the incident with Frank happened, that building was one we were watching because of two very low level users. One was Vicky and the other was Walter. Their powers we so low that they would normally never manifest them. But when Walter tried to intervene when Frank attacked Vicky, once they could see each other. They each wanted the other to feel better, that the part of Walter's soul that held his magical potential was pulled into Vicky, magnifying her potential to the point that she 'ashed' Frank on the spot."

I said, "Well, that explains a lot." Thinking, if you had any idea.

"And your only going to grow stronger."

Bobby spent the greater part of the morning as we continued to fish, telling us a lot about magic in the world. He explained that the average person like mom had zero magic potential, made up 99% of the human race. Of the remaining 1%, most people would only learn to use a single element to one degree or another, but never when surrounded by a second element.

He said it was rare to be able to use a second element in the best of circumstances, such as at least having an active element in the proximity of another. But to do what I did, calling fire while on the water, meant that I had the potential to use all five elements. Something that had never even been considered possible.

He made one thing absolutely crystal clear to both mom and I. And that was, if anyone on either side, the government or the magic users, my life would essentially be over. After that point, I would be little more than a lab rat fought over by the both of them. Not something I would relish.

Mom suggested making a run for it, but Bobby and I both knew that would only spotlight our family to both sides. The only way to survive was to hide in plain sight. We all made a promise to act out our lives like it looked to outsiders, that being that Bobby was a great guy, a cop that met my mom under bad conditions and turned it around for better lives for all of us.

Leaving the lakeside park was more morose than our arrival had been.

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When we got home,MJ was waiting to see what we had caught. I teased him that there was nothing to show since we released everthing we caught. He followed me to the hobby room and we were checking on my stuff when he asked if I was racing tomorrow. Feeling a pasion for something I needed so much right now, I said, "Yes, sir!"

After working a little on my car, we quickly packed up my bag and had everything ready for the morning. MJ tells Bobby, "Dad said to let you know, if you want, he can take us in the morning and you can bring us home."

Bobby say, "Sounds like I get to sleep in!" Making lecherous eyes at mom.

Mom laughs, "Have you seen the list of 'Honey Do's' for the house mister. All of that has to get done before we can have the wedding here in the yard."

He hangs his head, "Yes, Mistress! To hear is to obey."

We all were laughing after that.

End of Chapter 9

Thanks for Reading!

Goddess Blessings!

Mopar