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Alex yelled to his mother, “Mom! I’m going to bed,” before shutting the door and locking it. No more unexpected visitors,he hoped.

He took off his clothes, and pulled his covers back and jumped in. He wanted to sleep but there was too much occupying his mind. He thought about Delos, and the fact he was still dwelling on her bothered him.

He couldn’t help but think about Gavin too. He looked familiar somehow, but Alex just assumed that it was his resemblance to the elder Michaels. It was that, or he somehow recognized him from school. Gavin’s eyes were memorable, but other than that he supposed the simplest answer probably had to be the right answer.

Alex then started thinking about the hug. It was a long hug by any standard, and he didn’t understand it. He realized he was about as far from being an expert on human contact as anyone could be, but he just didn’t understand and Alex had a need to understand everything. It was the only way he could feel in control. He didn’t really mind the hug; he just couldn’t stop trying to figure out its purpose. A hug could be just a hug, but was it in this case? Delos would know. He wished he could ask her. These convoluted thoughts went around and around in his head repeatedly until he finally fell asleep.

Again, he dreamed of the mysterious green-eyed teen who stood before him shrouded entirely in shadows, looking back at him with a steely-eyed gaze. Alex looked back, demanding answers to unspoken questions, yet no words came forth. The teen moved forward, and Alex expected an attack, but this time there wasn’t one. A hand came forward out of the shadows, in an apparent gesture of friendship. He took the hand, and it felt warm, friendly, and it shook his hand gently. Then it shook harder, and its grip tightened, his hand crushing into dust. He awoke with a start.

“Fucking weird dreams. I wish I had half a clue what they mean,” Alex said out loud. He looked at the clock; it was barely past three in the morning, so he went back to sleep.

The phone awakened him many hours later. “Hello?” he muttered almost incoherently.

“Alex? It’s Gavin.”

“Who? Oh, right. Sorry. I’m stupid when I first wake up. What time is it?”

“Half past nine.”

“In the morning? That’s just cruel! Whatcha want?”

“Would you like to go into the city today and talk to my dad about your plan?” asked Gavin, obvious excitement in his voice.

“I can’t. I work today. I work part-time at Barnes & Nobles stocking the shelves.”

“The whole day?”

“No. I work from four to closing three days a week.”

“We could be back by four. If we left soon.”

“I can be ready in an hour.”

“Make it 45 minutes. Don’t eat. We’ll grab something in the city.”

“Right. 45 minutes but bring coffee.”

“What do you want?”

Alex told him, and reminded him of exactly where he lived and offered directions, which Gavin declined. Alex thanked him before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. He crawled out of bed slowly, groaning slightly, as he was still sore from the bicycle accident last night.

He rifled through his closet trying to find something respectable to wear. This was his one shot to return to England and fin Nicky; he had to make it work. He decided on an older, but still smart looking, Ralph Lauren button-down Oxford shirt and a pair of black Dockers. He laid them on his bed and padded to the bathroom for his morning ablutions. After that, he got dressed and went downstairs.

His mother probably wouldn’t come home during the day, but just in case he left her a note saying he’d be going into the city and would try to come home before going to work. He made sure Kitty had enough food and water, just to be on the safe side, and then ran into the bathroom to check himself one last time. He grabbed a nice pair of shoes, put them on and went downstairs to wait for his ride and, more importantly, his morning caffeinated elixir of life.

He was sitting in front of the television watching some newscaster blabber on about some unimportant triviality as if it were the most important thing in the world when he heard a horn tootle outside. He got up and peeked out the window to see Gavin sitting behind the wheel of a Jaguar XJ12.

Alex turned off the TV, made sure his keys and wallet were in his pocket, and went outside, stopping to lock the door behind him. He got in the car, and said “’morning. Nice car. Really, really, nice car.”

“I wish it were mine. It’s Mum’s actually. She’s out with friends today so she said I could use it. I thought it would be more fun than public transportation,” gushed Gavin as he put the car into drive and sped off with more speed than necessary.

“You don’t say,” said Alex sarcastically with a smile. “Public transportation would have been faster. We’ll probably have to stop at every gas station between here and the consulate.”

“It’s not that bad,” said Gavin a little defensively.

“Jaguars look great, but you must admit they have a reputation for breaking down and guzzling gas.”

“I know. I know. That’s all we ever hear about almost all British cars. Well, except the Land Rover. That’s what I want. But I’m not allowed to have a car until I’m eighteen. What about you?”

“I don’t want a car. Wouldn’t know what to do with it. This is one of those cities where you don’t need a car.”

“So? Don’t you wish you had one?”

“Of course if you’re planning on giving me one as a present, I do. Seriously, though, it’s just not practical. Hey,” asked Alex changing the subject, “is this my coffee or yours?” pointing at a cup in the console.

“Yours. I got you cream and sugar too; it’s in the bag by your feet so you can fix it however you want.”

“Fantastic! Thanks! What do I owe you?”

“Owe me? You don’t owe me anything. Wait. You mean for the coffee, don’t you?”

“Um, yeah. The coffee.”

“Nothing. You can buy next time,” said Gavin as he nosed the car into traffic on Highway 101 headed north towards the city. “I notice you’re looking pretty hale for someone who had a major bike accident yesterday.”

“Yeah, I guess I clean up nice. I’m sore and stiff, but except for a few small scrapes and such, I’m none the worse for wear.”

“That’s great. You’re lucky,” said Gavin before swearing as someone cut him off. “Fucking tourists! You know if we ever move back to England, I’ll never get used to driving on the left; everyone will think I’m a tourist. I learned driving the way you do.”

“Why do you guys drive on the left?”

“Because it makes sense, of course.”

“How so?”

“Before there were cars, everybody travelled on the left side of the road because it was the only sensible option for feudal, violent societies of mostly right-handed people. If you passed a stranger on the road you walked or rode on the left to ensure that your protective sword arm was between yourself and him. A change was made by Napoleon who mandated it because he was left handed: his armies had to march on the right so he could keep his sword arm between him and any opponent.”

“That’s cool. I had no idea.”

“There are other theories, just to be fair. But that’s the one we officially endorse. Others think that travellers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road so horsemen would be able to hold the reins with their left hands and keep their right hand free to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend themselves with swords, if necessary.”

“God, you’re a collection of utterly worthless facts. But that’s great.”

“I’m glad you find me entertaining,” said Gavin sarcastically, with a smile on his face.

Alex chuckled but said nothing, sipping his coffee. He thought back to his last drive to the consulate and remembered he was followed at the time. “Hey, I’m curious. Why aren’t we being followed? Shouldn’t there be security for you or something?”

“We could ask for it or even provide it for ourselves. We just don’t feel it’s necessary.”

“Once your dad finds out you’re hanging out with me, that’s liable to change.”

“He’s not that bad.”

Alex didn’t reply, swigging the last of his coffee instead, then putting the empty cup in the cup holder, and stuffing the empty cream and sugar packets into the empty cup.

Gavin drove down the ramp into the city, expertly navigating the city streets despite the challenge of the hills and blind turns. Driving around the parts of the city further afield wasn’t nearly the challenge driving around the downtown area was proving to be. Soon they came to the consulate, and as they pulled up to the security gate, Gavin rolled down his window.

A guard poked his head inside, smiled a greeting, recognizing Gavin instantly. “Who’s the passenger?”

“A friend of mine. We’re coming to see my father about something.”

“We’ve not been notified of a guest. He’s supposed to go in the front door with all the other prospective visitors. You know that. This area is secure.”

“I know that. He’s my friend, and besides he’s just a kid like me. Anyway, just look at him. Does he look dangerous? I vouch for him.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. If I get sacked I won’t be happy.”

“You won’t. Nobody will be the wiser.”

“You make sure he stays with you at all times. He’s got no badge since he didn’t come through the front door.”

“Really. No worries. I promise.”

The guard nodded his head towards the gatehouse, and the gate rolled slowly open, allowing the car to pass. Gavin raced in, at high speed, and flew into a parking spot near the back, slamming on the brakes at the last minute, causing a loud squeal from both the tires and Alex.

“Fuck. I thought you were going to go flying into the wall.”

Gavin laughed, smiled, and gave Alex a roll of the eyes before he replied. “You were supposed to be scared. I didn’t expect you to squeal like a girl, though. That’s an added side bonus. Come on, let’s go.” Gavin laughed and Alex didn’t know whether to be offended or amused.

They got out of the car, Gavin grabbing the empty coffee cups and threw them in a nearby rubbish canister. He led the way, Alex following, until he came to a door. There was a numeric keypad, and he typed a PIN before placing his palm flat on a small, white, plastic plate. The plate lit up and a thin bar of white light scrolled up and down giving the plate an unusual glow. The back-light turned green, there was a clunk from the door, and it opened.

“Pretty nifty there, Gavin.”

“Yep. That’s new. You need a PIN to turn on the biometric scanner and then your whole hand is scanned.”

“So I probably won’t be breaking in here?” Alex asked, a grin on his face.

“Probably not. No,” said Gavin who didn’t smile in return.

They walked down a long corridor, which led to a small staircase, which they ascended. Then they came to an office door, plain and unmarked, which Gavin opened. There was a desk with a smartly attired lady who said in a flawless, crisp accent, “How pleasant to see you Master Michaels. I expect you and this young gentleman are here to see your father.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

“Yes, Mavis, quite right. Is he free?”

“Not just yet, but he should be any moment. He’s finishing up tea with a visitor. But they’ve already called for their car to be brought round, so they shan’t be long at all.”

“Lovely. We’ll just wait, then, if that’s quite alright.”

“Quite so. Can I offer you tea?”

“Not for me. How about for you Alex?”

“No. None for me. Thank you.”

Gavin led him to a waiting area set off to the side.

“This is way different than last time I was here.”

“I’m sure. In the past year, they’ve moved the offices upstairs because it’s more secure there. Everything’s high-tech now. So much has changed that sometimes I don’t recognize it. The staff is mostly new, though some of the old staff still remain, so you probably won’t recognize many of the faces. Generally, so you know, people go home after a year or two. These assignments are not permanent unless the person asks to stay. Few do.”

As they were talking, a tall man hurried by accompanied by a pair of aides. Alex assumed it was the diplomat rushing to his car.

Mavis pressed the intercom button. “Mr. Michaels, you have a visitor. It’s your...”

Derek Michaels cut Mavis off before she could finish. “I don’t have any appointments for another hour. If it’s one of the staff tell them to bugger off and come around for afternoon tea.”

“It’s your son and I’m sending him in straight away, sir.”

Mavis nodded to Gavin, signifying he was clear to enter.

Gavin turned to Alex and said “Wait here a moment.” He walked into his father’s office.

“Gavin, wonderful to see you. What a lovely surprise! Care to join me for tea?”

“I’ve brought a guest. May I bring him in?”

“A guest? That’s irregular.”

“Just one of my friends. Nothing irregular.”

“I suppose so, then. We can all have tea. That bloody diplomat declined to have any tea, and it’s a shame for it to go to waste. No manners at all. Simply uncivilised of them. As former British subjects, you would imagine they would know better. Get your friend whilst I pour.”

Gavin stepped out and motioned for Alex to come in. Alex got up, and with some trepidation, entered the office where he saw Mr. Michaels pouring tea.

“Hello, sir, nice to see you again,” said Alex trying to be polite.

Mr. Michaels looked up, his face flushed, he glared at Alex and exclaimed, “YOU! What are you doing here?”