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Chapter 133: Deidre's Message

Liam sat in his desk in Integrated Sciences 10, only paying scant attention to the droning of the teacher. To his left sat Geoff, behind Geoff sat Faelen, and behind Liam was the empty desk normally occupied by Nathanial. Liam's and Faelen's positions had been reversed at the start of the year, but the teacher moved them when he saw Liam sit behind Geoff. The Rottie vanished quite thoroughly. Now Liam was forced to sit in the front row. It proved problematic at times, as this teacher believed in student participation; this was one such time as Liam had something far more interesting to study -- the notes of the Demon Mage -- and he cared little for what went on around him. They still had to analyse Garret's blood, and that female had to cast her spells on Nathanial's blood several more times, but the initial notes proved to be quite fascinating.

Mr. Chopra snorted as only Water Buffalo can...though if truth be told, that was not accurate, as most Bovines could snort in a similarly impressive manner. "Smith." The Indian gentleman had a very thick accent, one that many students complained about, but Liam rarely had trouble understanding him. One might argue that it was because he very rarely deviated from the text book, and Liam had already read it. "Define it for me please."

The Buffalo frequently sought to catch his students off guard in this manner, but Liam heard all Mr. Chopra said and thus remembered it. "Ecosystem. The complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit. For our purposes, we will be analysing various areas of our province where Furs and wilderness come into contact -- primarily the intersection of agriculture and forest, as well as aquaculture and ocean. The overarching theme will be how a seemingly simple change of Fur habits can cause great change around us; how a percentile change in the ratio of phosphorous to nitrogen in fertilizers can cause lethal algae blooms in lakes downstream, or how the diversion of a creek can devastate a huge swath of a forest." Liam turned back to the notes he'd printed off.

Mr. Chopra snorted again and took Liam's binder. "What is this? It doesn't look like notes from my class."

Liam kept his expression passive and merely looked up in idle curiosity. "That is because they are not from your class."

"They look like medical notes, on blood if I read this right, but I don't understand half of these symbols."

Small wonder, since much of it was in Society glyphs and abbreviations, while much more was in that female's own shorthand. She included a decode key in her electronic mail, which Liam had read and not printed off. "It is an interesting case study."

The Buffalo dropped the binder back onto Liam's desk. "It's not pertinent to this class. You should be paying attention, there will be tests on this, and it'll also be on the exam."

Liam straightened out the rudely treated notes. "As demonstrated, I am fully capable of studying these and hearing what you say. I could also take the exam right now and achieve over 95%; my complete attention is not required."

Mr. Chopra moved back toward the whiteboard. "It's required for the marks allocated to student participation. I know very well you'd rather just write the year's exams right now like you did for your grade nine year, but the Department of Education already forbade that." The class buzzed over the news revealed by the teacher's egregious disregard for Liam's privacy. If the school paper's editor, Ahjeet Jhansi, had not already uncovered that story, he would know of it by day's end. Liam was rather put out by this matter. But the Buffalo kept talking. "So, you'll need to work for your grades, just like everyone else."

Liam arched an eyebrow and drily remarked, "One would assume that studying the entirety of the grade nine curriculum on their own, while maintaining exemplary marks during grade eight, would qualify as 'work.' One would also assume writing two sets of final exams within a week of each other would also meet that criterion. However, this has nothing to do with the subject matter. Time is wasting, and the rest of the class needs to hear today's lesson."

The glower the Rottie received would indicate he could say farewell to those five points reserved for student participation right now, not that Liam would allow them to vanish without a fight. Fortunately, Mr. Chopra turned his attention elsewhere. "Betty, turn off that phone. If I see it out again, I'll confiscate it. Now, give me an example of a simple ecosystem and some organisms you'd find in it."

Geoff glanced over at Liam in amusement and shook his head, not that getting called out in this manner was all that unusual, but it was rare that a teacher made such an issue of it when Liam answered the question. It must be aggravating Mr. Chopra quite a bit, or the teacher was having an 'off-day,' as he had heard it called. The impression Liam felt through his link was that Faelen did not find it amusing, nor did he approve.

As for the blood tests... Liam quickly returned his primary focus to the complex set of printouts.

Liam grumbled under his breath as the three teens loped through the open gates on Nathanial's property. The school day had not been one he cared for. Jordan's condition was scarcely improved, yet she had still come in today. She was forced to spend most of it on the cot in the conference room by her office or in a bed in Nurse Neuranski's office. At least that ensured she ate and could easily be monitored. The downside was that her condition meant Jon Drake, the temporary administrative assistant, had to do all of the work normally split between three people again; Liam may have to 'suggest' to the Monks sitting on the board of governors that they hire some more people to temporarily fill in. He truly disliked using his influence in such a manner, but at times he felt it necessary.

At lunch, Liam held a quick discussion with his chosen musicians while Geoff represented him at a nearly spontaneous council meeting. Liam required a few hours with his musicians this week to hammer out the list of music to be performed at the auction, but it appeared only tonight would work. Tomorrow would have, except his family was arriving right after kung fu. Finding time around the blood tests, homework, and preparing for tomorrow would be difficult. He felt fortunate he did not require much sleep.

Geoff muttered angrily but too quietly for Liam to catch the words. Faelen suppressed a sigh; it appeared he felt put upon acting as mediator between his boss and his love when both became short of temper. "Sir, I know you don't like it that football practice is cancelled, but you should have read the e-mail. Even then, it'd be hard to have it when Garret is in Asia and Ms. Paul is unofficially escorting a bunch of the residential students to the funeral."

The Elemental's hackles bristled. "Stop with the sir, and I don't get all the fuss about this kid's funeral. Yeah, it sucks, but he's hardly the only kid to commit suicide -- gay or straight."

Liam agreed but he also knew the likely reason. "It suits the agenda of those making the fuss. This is being set up as an anti-bullying, pro-diversity...event." Creating a 'show' around a funeral for political purposes raised the ire of Timeus, which did not help Liam's mood. "The province, if not the federal government, is working with the media and various NGO's to promote this in an attempt to put a face on the messages they have been trying to advance for many years. Bullying is not harmless 'kids-will-be-kids' banter in the school yard, suicide can reach into any family, and gay people are people. We are no different than heterosexuals excepting the gender to which we are attracted. We are young teens smiling as we enjoy a barbeque with family. We are parents comforting a crying child. We are brothers or sisters watching out for our younger siblings. We are anyone."

And that, Liam supposed, was Nathanial's problem. This Markham child was_anyone in a very real sense. Nathanial looked at his brothers and saw how easily _they could become prey for the Bettys of the world. He saw Geoff suffering for years in the homophobic climate of the Hidden World before reaching for the one escape left to him. He saw himself Hades knew _how_many times over except for small chances or interventions from the Fates.

The swirl of Geoff's chi would indicate his thoughts ran down the same vein Liam's just had. Faelen clapped his paws on both of their backs just above their book bags. "Come on, you two. Let's go inside and see how he's doing."

Geoff trotted ahead and opened the door as he wiped his hindpaws on the mat. He glanced back at Liam as he scraped his claws on the coarse material in an attempt to remove a dried leaf impaled on them. "I don't know if I want_him to go or not. I think putting a _face to all of this may help him separate fact from fantasy, but...he sees differently. It's like his imagination takes reality and changes it to suit its own purposes. I don't know if he'll see Donny when he looks at the pictures around the coffin or if he'll see Nick again. If he does see Nick, then I...I don't know if he could take it."

Liam felt Nathanial's chi just inside the open doorway. The pup was looking at him remotely and thinking of the Rottie; he did not know how long Nathanial was watching, as he could barely sense the pup's energy when the Mage's attention was on others. "We will join you shortly, Nathanial. No, I have not made up my mind yet; I will examine you and speak to Conor." He began to clean his hindpaws and soon followed Geoff into the large entryway.

The achromatic Wolf did not perk up at the prospect of Nathanial being in his arms soon. The amorous, playful tone that oh-so-frequently coloured his initial greeting was most notably absent; worry tinted it instead. "Hey, Pup. How are you feeling?"

The sense of Nathanial's presence faded as the majority of his attention turned to Geoff, but now that Liam was aware of it, he could sense the Akita preceding them down the hallway. Liam paused by one of the displays of bright, if artificial, flowers that resided in some beautiful vases along the hallway for a moment. Would these normally be switched out for more seasonal arrangements had the lady of the house still been here? They looked uncomfortably inappropriate, considering the weather outside. Aoife would have gathered materials from the forest by now, and Muireann would have used them to make stunning displays with bits of fabric, string, and other cast-off materials. It was one of the few projects the girls could cooperate on with few squabbles. He quickened his pace for a couple of strides to fall back into place beside Faelen.

Liam sensed Nathanial's presence strengthen moments before the Akita's voice echoed in his mind. *U-Um, i-is something wrong?*

Liam shook his head and spoke aloud for the benefit of the others. "No, nothing is wrong. I had merely wondered in idle thought if you would normally have a more autumnal display in your hallway. The brightness of the flowers inside does not mesh well with the skeletal trees out of doors, the skittering of fallen leaves, or the traceries of frost we see each morning." Realizing such a statement may be perceived as a chastisement when Liam's family was to be invading the house tomorrow, he hastened to add, "I do mean to stress it is an idle thought and of absolutely no_import. The current displays are quite lovely. I just assumed that--" It would not do well to bring Lily into this when his friend was fragile already. He sighed. "Muireann, when I was living as Lowell, always ensured to decorate with the seasons. Lorie found it to be an unnecessary hassle and preferred a more neutral motif -- if still pleasing to the eye -- but the flowers caught me today as most summery. I apologise for the sudden fit of nostalgia, and I apologise for any offence I may have caused." Muireann's taste in décor _certainly suffered after his death.

Being this far away from the physical body -- though they drew rapidly closer -- Liam could not determine the meaning behind the fluctuations in his friend's energy. He could not even properly judge by the tone of Nathanial's voice. *I-I... We n-normally change the d-décor in the entryway and the hallway to the s-stairs, but I-I, well, it didn't seem important this last month.* Was Nathanial feeling guilt for failing to maintain things as he would have in prior years? Grief over his mother's death? Worry over the pending visit?

They rounded the corner by the formal dining room and could now see along the more heavily trafficked hallway to the kitchen; Liam could see scratches in some of the floor tiles, wear on the door into the informal dining room, and several places the paint on the wall had been scuffed as if by a small body falling into it on multiple occasions or where a piece of ornamental furniture had been forcefully been knocked against it. Nathanial stepped out from behind the island to watch them approach. His posture, corroborated by his now clearly felt chi, seemed to indicate he caught every time Liam had subconsciously picked out an imperfection. The Akita was mortified with shame. If he did not speak through telepathy as well as his voice, then Liam would have heard none of what he said. "I-I'm sorry. I'll f-f-fix it righ--"

Liam cut his protestations off with a sharp slice of his paw while Geoff, surprisingly unaroused despite the sight of such a vulnerable and adorable-looking Nathanial, dashed forward to comfort the pup. "Shush." Liam pointed sternly when the Mage opened his mouth. "Say no more. First, no magic." Was he speaking too forcefully? Why did the pup cringe so? He seemed afraid, once more, and the fear piqued Liam's still restive insecurities. The Ancient One pushed them aside, though he did speak more softly and changed his approach. "Second, this is your house, yes? The house you and your family live in, hmm?" The pup timidly peeked around the engulfing hug of his beau, nodding. "Yes, it is. It is not the house of the dead -- a mausoleum, no -- that sees none but the caretaker and very few living guests. No, no. It is the house of wonderful friends -- living, vibrant people -- who move about with laughter, and some tripping, too, hmm?" He chuckled at his own joke, hoping to provoke a similar response from the dear child. Youth was not a thing to be wasted on such silly things, or lived through with such unhappy faces. He was gratified to see the quivering mouth turn upward, and the tearful eyes turn aside to complete the bashful smile. "Good, good." He waved his paw behind him dismissively. "Such things are not marks of shame." He thought of all the scuffs, dings, dents, stains...shattered lamps, broken vases, cracked railings.... Of all the things his children did to their house growing up. "No, lad, they're stories." He laughed now that he could look back on them from this vantage point. "And stories are meant to be told and treasured. Ah, the things I could tell you about all the signs of life my house accumulated over the years." He did not realize he'd stopped and gazed off into the past. "Little Danny," he sighed fondly. "My little Danny. What a whirlwind of disaster he was. Did I ever tell you of the time--"

Den poked him in the ribs. He sounded oddly vexed; strange, the lad almost never spoke to him in that tone. "Liam." Faelen continued, though Lowell had retreated back to the shadows of Liam's soul. "Mind your chi. You nearly passed out last night, and I can tell you're still weakened."

Nathanial suddenly stiffened against Geoff and looked toward the front of the house; Nick must be approaching. "U-Um, let's, uh, talk by the pool." The other two immediately understood, and they passed through the sitting room, dropping off their bags as they did so. Liam noted some odd cloudy spheres forming a pattern on the counter; they were resting on a towel to keep their position. It looked like they were prepared for some magic, but Nathanial would not do such a thing after being told not to.

They stood in the sun, behind the privacy wall to cut the chill wind, and Liam passed his paws over Nathanial's body to look for the slight variations in chi. It was most remarkable how resilient the pup proved to be. He fared better than Liam did in the energy department despite Nathanial's inability to meditate and coax out more production. On the other paw, the pup remained highly stressed and frail of heart. Today was to be a day of rest, but it seemed it accomplished little... Still, 'accomplished little' was better than 'became worse.'

Liam peered into Nathanial's eyes, noting the pup looked away in guilt. Perhaps the spheres were for arcane purposes. The Ancient One felt a pang of betrayal. Did Nathanial not trust him? Was a single day of normal life too difficult to ask for? Did not Conor and Dirk remain so they might care for Nathanial in the event he required assistance? Liam knew no answers would be forthcoming if no questions were asked. He tried to keep his voice neutral, but he feared the pain he felt coloured it. "Why?"

Nathanial latched on, wrapping his arms tightly around Liam. "I'm sorry!_I-I felt fine, so I _forgot!" The pup sniffled and ignored Geoff's whimpers and attempts to comfort. "I'm just so used to it that I start without realizing it, a-and it's become such a part of my life that it's hard _not_to!"

Geoff snickered, though his ears remained pinned back in concern. "Are we talking about wanking or something? I don't think that is something to get so worked up over." His poor jest caused Nathanial's ears to turn a dainty coral-pink. Geoff's ears pitched forward and his tail wagged slowly behind him; he appeared pleased. The Wolf leant forward so his breath might caress the cute ears of his lover. "If you needed it that bad, I could've helped before school."

The ears deepened in colour, and Nathanial shook his head. The pup took a deep breath and steadied himself; the deep breath may have worked remarkably well, or it may have been the scent of Liam's fur. The thought of his fur being like aromatherapy, as always, struck the Ancient One as most amusing, and he chuckled.

Nathanial obviously thought the laugh was due to his embarrassment. He released Liam, stepped away, and scuffed the concrete with a hindpaw. His paws were clasped behind him. "Aww, come on, guys." Even Faelen could not help but smile in fond amusement. The Akita could not look up and meet their eyes. "I-I used, um, magic without thinking. I'm so sorry, Liam. I _tried_to listen, I really did! I just... I felt bad making everyone worry and work hard to help me, so I started studying the books on the teleporter. I got wrapped up in what I was doing, and...forgot." His tail curled down, and he looked about fearfully. He whispered, "I broke the server in Ottawa. If Marcia and Ella find out I did it, they're going to be pissed."

Liam exchanged glances with Faelen, and the Mist Spirit was about to speak when Nathanial exploded. "Gods! Don't you two start that! Marcia and Zelda, the two Mages who did the test at the Ottawa offices, did that constantly! Do you know how annoying that got?" Apparently, most annoying. This time Faelen and Geoff exchanged glances, though Geoff could not keep a smile from quirking the corners of his mouth. Nathanial swung jokingly at him, yelling, "Argh!" The pup laughed right after, and collapsed into his lover's arms to be smothered in playful kisses. There must have been much good within the day if such humour remained near the surface, despite his obvious fear of trouble.

The look Faelen shot at Liam said what the Rottie thought. 'How could Nathanial break the Society's server? If he did, would it not almost guarantee some trouble?' Liam did not truly understand computers; it was why his computer sciences class at school was the most difficult for him, but he believed they were not all that fragile. Liam knew he could be wrong, though, and this was Nathanial. A sentient device may have a number of peculiarities that would baffle Liam beyond what these machines already did.

Nathanial's cry of, "Kyahh!" caused Liam and Faelen to jump. Geoff had moved from just play-kissing and nipping to tickling as well. Liam saw Nick peer through the kitchen window with a smile before hastening away. It would be safe to enter the house before long if Nick ensured to close the doors on his way down.

Faelen, once more, seemed to follow Liam's thoughts. "You'll be talking to Conor soon? We'll have to run if we want to get changed at our homes." Liam nodded.

The Akita pushed against his playful swain, panting with a broad smile; the sight warmed Liam to his core. "G-Geoff." The Elemental aided the Mage in achieving an upright, stable, position. The pup lowered his eyes. "Um, Faelen, I was making something for you before I remembered that I wasn't allowed to use magic." Nathanial cast an apologetic glance to his healer. "It was both a practical lesson for me and...a-a gift isn't the right word, but I can't really think of a proper one. It's not a gift if _I_benefit from it. It'll be a tool to keep you safe, and to keep Geoff safe for me, too."

The three other teens looked at the Mage curiously, though the Mist Spirit's ears took their turn to colour in embarrassment. Faelen scratched the back of his neck in a gesture most reminiscent of his boss. "I, well, thanks for thinking of me, but I don't know how well I can really protect Geoff. His powers are a lot more useful than mine." Geoff scowled, but he merely opened his mouth a few times. He seemed so torn over what to argue about that he could not formulate a response.

Nathanial met Faelen's eyes squarely and emphasized his words with stern gestures, starting with a jab of his finger at the sun. His chi indicated Faelen's self-depreciation really annoyed him. "Like now? How useful are Geoff's powers in bright sunlight? I was making fog bombs, Faelen. They're something you could use at almost any time without getting the Society after you, unlike Geoff's constructs, and no matter the conditions...well, except strong winds." Nathanial stepped toward his friend and planted his paws on his hips. "Now, I've talked to Conor, and you are going to be taking lessons in developing your powers." The other three expressed surprise in various non-vocal ways: Geoff's jaw dropped, Faelen stepped hastily away from the bundle of righteous fury before him, and Liam felt his own eyes widen and back stiffen. Nathanial chopped diagonally through the air between him and his physically oldest friend. "No. You aren't getting out of this one, Faelen. You'll still be taking kung fu with Si Jo Liam, but you have a potent -- even if it's not a martial -- power languishing there, and it's high time you started taking it seriously. I lectured Geoff about his_before; hells, I lectured _you, too, but I don't remember you ever approaching me to request some fog to practice in." He stabbed the palm of his left paw with his right index finger. "That's over with, starting Sunday an hour before kung fu. We'll work out when to schedule the rest later."

Comprehension dawned on Faelen's face moments before Liam caught the significance of Nathanial's wording. "You're teaching me?"

The Mage glared defiantly up at the Mist Spirit. "Yeah. Got a problem with it, student?" Nathanial grinned impishly at Faelen's rapid head shake. "Good. Conor started making all sorts of excuses why none of the Spirits around could help before saying I'd be the best coach for you. Since you aren't taking the initiative, it looks like you need to be pushed."_The 'imp' within the smile became much more sinister; it now looked truly diabolical. The fur on Faelen's throat rippled when he gulped. Nathanial nodded in approval. "Look forward to rogue's boot camp, rookie. I know _I am."

Liam swallowed his laughter when he felt Faelen's apprehension deepen. When Nathanial truly got into his roles, he could play a most convincing character. "Nathanial, I must speak to Conor. Where might he be?"

The Mage deflated as he was brought back to reality. "Upstairs in his suite. Both adults thought it best to hide up there until Nick, um, was done. We went out this afternoon and picked up your suits on the way back; they're down in my room."

That would save some time. "You have sufficient energy that I permit you to use your magic on small things. I...ask that you take care and be judicious in your uses. If you believe that you can make these 'fog bombs' for my love without taxing yourself, do so, but please remember that tomorrow will take much energy. I do not wish for you to strain yourself further."

Nathanial's commanding presence completely faded away. The timid pup paused before nodding. "Yeah... I'll be careful. Um, s-send Conor down when you're done; I wanted to finish enchanting these before you went, but I won't have time. It..." Nathanial sighed and grasped the end of his tail in both paws. "...felt important. I don't know why."

"I shall. I shall also take a few minutes to pray to Master Apollo about your intuition; he may grant some insight into this matter." Liam bowed shallowly, spun on a hindpaw, and trotted off. He chuckled again as he thought of Faelen's fearful face staring down at the smaller Mage.

Liam sat on the most uncomfortable, and distastefully aromatic, seat he had ever had the misfortune to perch upon. It did not improve his already foul temper. He knew there would be a long line to enter the facility and so arranged with Hao and Betty Chan to meet early -- Hao would not be in attendance, but by informing him Liam knew Betty could not 'forget' to show -- but the...child walked up to them a mere fifteen minutes prior to the service. The doors had been open for a like time at that point. Liam had called Hao before she showed to ask where she was, and was informed she had been dropped off six minutes before the prearranged time. She walked off and had been deliberately late! She had the audacity to say she did not wish to wait around and went shopping! She even claimed to not understand the fuss, as she was still early for the service! Thus, they were stuck with seats a great distance away. She would be unable to personally see the pictures arranged around the stage, or the faces of those who grieved. Liam was so very tempted to express his displeasure in a way that could not be ignored, and might have done so had Faelen not intervened. Their location also meant they were not amongst those genuinely grieved, but amongst the carrion seekers who flocked to scenes of death and sorrow for their despicable entertainment...just like the 'reporters' who sought to shove cameras into the faces of any who showed a tear outside. To show such disrespect for the dead was--!

Faelen suddenly nudged Liam with his elbow and leant over to whisper, "You're losing control again, Liam. I can hear Timeus clearly."

Liam nodded and forced his muscles to relax. His anger not only caused Timeus to stir, it also caused his chi to surge, and the weight of it proved too much for many. No one sat within ten seats of the trio any longer; some moved away without truly understanding why, others left feeling weak and ill, while the most perceptive fled, casting fearful glances at the slight Rottweiler. Betty, the principle cause of his fury, spent much of her time quivering in her seat like some debutante's pet chihuahua. This was _not_the lesson he wished her to be receiving!

A couple rose eleven rows down, holding paws to their heads, and complained of headaches as they left upon unsteady legs. The Ancient One closed his eyes and began to breathe slowly and deeply. He paid attention to the service with part of his mind as he quickly cast his mind back to search for something tickling at his subconscious.

Conor had agreed with Liam when they spoke an hour ago, and Nathanial was denied permission to be in attendance or listen in. Master Apollo did not give any sign as to whether the Mage's apprehension was mere nerves or a foretelling, but Liam felt it prudent to wait for Nathanial to finish the magic spheres. Oddly, Conor also insisted Faelen wear his new ballistic vest 'to see how practical they are.' Faelen now wore the vest under his shirt and carried three of the so-called bombs in his coat pocket.

Liam's father had borrowed Conor's car to drive them to the rendezvous point, where they had then waited for Betty. It was there the 'tickle' occurred. He took some more minutes to scan that time frame, though it was a struggle to divorce himself from the powerful emotions he felt at that point. Ah! The Ancient One's eyes snapped open. He scanned the crowd as he leant over to whisper to Faelen, "The Hunters from Ireland. Do you see or smell them?" Faelen's back stiffened, and he, too, began unobtrusively looking about. When they were outside waiting for Betty, he had seen them for a split second when the crowd swirled to let her pass. They had been watching her. Was that a mere coincidence? She was considered beautiful by those who found Pekinese Dogs -- and females -- attractive. Had she spoken to them? Did they watch her because she was Hao Chan's daughter? Did they even know who Hao Chan was?

The crowd rose when a British Blue Cat took the stage and began singing a hymn. They rose, too, though only Betty joined the others in song.

Faelen put his paw in front of his muzzle and whispered back, "No, not yet. Why?" The paw served to deflect some of the sound toward Liam and kept anyone observing from reading his lips.

Liam copied the act and responded. "I saw them outside. I just realized why I recognised them, as my mind was clouded with anger at the time."

They did not find the Hunters, though they looked through this song, a short message from a pastor from an Anglican church, and another song. It was when Scott Brison -- a local gay Member of Parliament -- took the stage that Betty turned to Liam. "Who are you two looking for?"

The Ancient One broke off his scan; if they hadn't seen the Hunters by now it was unlikely they would be found or that they were here. "When you joined us outside, did you speak to two middle-aged men? They wore long, black leather coats and would have had Irish accents. One was a fawn Bulldog, the other a grey Shire Horse."

She turned up her nose and sniffed dismissively. "Those creeps? Hardly. I'm not interested in old geezers. They tried to talk to me, but I told the perverts to fuck off."

Liam found that gratifying yet perplexing. "Why? Did they address you inappropriately?"

"Men like that only want one thing. They start out polite so you let your guard down. Fucking creeps."

Liam was at an utter loss. "In their case, it is far safer to _not_speak to them, yes, but..." He shook his head. "Never mind."

She crossed her arms and scowled at him. "Who were they?"

Liam idly answered her and paid more attention to the speaker; Mr. Brison spoke of his own time as a gay youth and the trials he faced when coming out as a politician. "Comrades of those who sought to shoot down the plane last week."

Betty whirled so quickly she banged against the arm of the chair. _"Ah!_Fucking shit, that hurt. Why haven't they been arrested? How do you know?"

Liam looked at her flatly. "One cannot be arrested for guilt by association, and Nathanial identified them when we saw them a few days later. I will not say more than that."

Her eyes narrowed. "And how does he know? Don't bother trying to tell me all that 'superhero' shit is true."

"We are here to see the results of your crimes, not discuss Nathanial's hobbies." Liam could strongly feel Faelen's amusement at his wording. It was a surprise the Wolf did not chortle at the very least. "Listen to the speaker and hear how you and those like you make others suffer."

She turned back to face forward. "You fags are destroying our country, you more than deserve it."

A faint growl escaped from Faelen. He leant forward to speak past Liam. "And why is it the more homophobic the country is the worse it's doing? Look what the Tea Party is doing in the States; how they're collapsing in on themselves and dragging the rest of the world with them. Look around the world and see how the more conservative and theocratic a country is the worse off the general population is."

Liam held his paw up between them. "This is not the place for political discussions. Chan, listen to the speeches. See the grief on people's faces. Feel the pain you caused. Donald Markham was not some crusader for a cause you oppose, he was a kid. He was someone just beginning his life, who likely thought of little more than hanging out with his friends and having a good time. It is doubtful he even had his first kiss before you crushed his spirit and drove him off the bridge."

They sat in silence for many more minutes while two more songs and speeches passed. Then Mrs. Markham took the stage flanked by her husband. Liam could tell, looking at her face on the big screens, that she had lost a lot of weight very quickly and recently. Her fur had that brittle, dull, quality brought on by poor nutrition, and her face sagged around her jaw-line where the underlying fat had been lost faster than the skin could recover. She stopped at the podium and placed some cue cards on it. The frail-looking Weasel braced herself against it with both paws, smiled weakly at her husband when he squeezed her shoulder -- though it looked like he needed the support more -- and took a deep breath. "Hello, my name is Deidre Markham, though most of you best know me as Donny's mom." She looked over her shoulder at the large picture of her son beyond her husband. Mrs. Markham bit her lower lip to try to keep her jaw from quivering, and turned back. "Before I talk about the short life my little baby had, and all the joy he brought into our lives, I want to address his killers." Liam poked Chan in the side while the distraught mother scanned the crowd. "I know you're there. I don't know what justification you think you have, what lies you tell yourself before you go to bed each night. Whether it was a cruel prank carried too far. Whether it was something born out of your own traumas. Whether you were bullied yourself and sought to feel better by hurting someone else. Whether you feel he somehow deserved to die because he'd find love where you don't approve of it. In the end all of that doesn't really matter; my son is dead.

"I wanted to put a picture up on the screen of how Donny looked the last time we saw him. It was in the morgue when we went to identify him. I wanted you to see what you did to my baby. How a month in the water affects someone -- not a body, but a person. The soul of my son was long gone, but he-he was still my child lying on that exam table.

"I wanted to somehow give you a sense of how long that month was, how long he was down there in the dark and cold, while we -- his family -- searched for him. How long a month is when you don't know where your baby went. Where you pray for the best with every waking moment, but as soon as the lights go out at night, the fears close in and nearly suffocate you. How every phone call tears you between that hope and fear, how every pawstep outside is your son coming home or the police coming to bring you bad news. How you start to resent the laughter of others like they're mocking your grief.

"I wanted to give you some sense of the permanence of your actions. I will never hold him again in this life. He'll never_wish me good night and tell me he loves me again. I'll never see him grow up. I'll never see him graduate. I'll never see him fall in love and marry. I won't find out what sort of man he'd become or who the man that'd fill his life with joy would be. Donny's life is over. There is no reset button. There's no 'reload' option in life. No 'saved games.' Donny was stolen from me, and all I got back was a waterlogged, chewed on corpse. He's gone. My little baby is _gone!

"I wanted you to understand." The words seemed to be reaching their target; Chan's breath quivered as she fought to hold back tears.

"I couldn't do that, though. I couldn't let people's last memory of him be...that. I want the world to remember his smile, the smile that lit up my life and the lives of everyone around him. The smile you_extinguished." She whirled and pointed at the photograph of the smiling child. _"Look at him! That's all I have left! A picture!" She turned back to the podium, unable to see the cringing, weeping Fur sitting next to Liam. "What you've done goes beyond the computer screen you faced, beyond the school yard, beyond the moment. It's forever.

Deidre Markham sagged as her remaining strength left her as it had left her husband. He knelt on the stage with his arms wrapped around himself, sobbing uncontrollably. A pastor quickly came up and helped him to a chair. The mother of Donny raised her eyes and looked straight into the camera. "I have one message for you. You, the murderer of my child. I forgive you." Betty stared at the screen and shook her head as if in horrified disbelief. It was as if those words were the last she wished to hear. "Yes, I forgive you." The Weasel seemed to gather some strength. "I want you to come see me. Now, after the service, or later, it doesn't matter. I want to see you, to tell you in person, and to hug you. You must be in terrible pain to have done something like this to another person, and I want to hear it. I want to hear what drove you to such horrible actions. I want to help you through it. I want you to smile for my son, who will never smile again. I want you to laugh in his stead. I want you to love, because you deserve to love. Until you find forgiveness though, I think all of these things will be as far out of reach for you as they are for my baby. No one should be forced to live like that."

The Weasel picked up her cards and tapped them on the glass podium. She cleared her throat and began to speak of her amazing son, unable to see the crushed soul high up in the bleachers.