Sins of the Father
by Naomi Tilley

G-Force arrived within twenty minutes, as Louis had predicted, and finally met up with the former Rangers again in the gypsy camp as the teens were helping themselves to a second lot of soup.

"If you didn't want to meet us on the beach, you should have just said so," Jason joked. "You didn't have to go get yourselves captured."

"Very funny," Kat retorted dryly. "Like we did this for a laugh."

Mark grinned. "Just as long as you're all safe. We all panicked when we got word that you'd disappeared."

"We're safe," Tommy confirmed. "Thanks to Joseph and Megan."

Mark looked around, and his grin widened at the sight of his old friends.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes," he said with a chuckle. Joseph grinned and clapped Mark on the shoulder, while Megan took the liberty of hugging Mark tightly.

"It's been too long since you were last here," she murmured. Mark hugged her back, then gently disengaged himself from her grasp.

"Maybe. Please don't take offence, but we make it a habit to stay as far away from here as we can, for as long as we can."

Louis smirked. "Now I wonder why that is. Don't go running off straight away. We haven't been ambushed yet, so I assume that they either don't know these kids are gone, or they haven't figured out where they've disappeared to yet. Stay for supper, will you?"

Mark looked around at the eager expressions on both his team's and their friends' faces, then nodded.

"I guess it's unanimous. We'll stay, just for supper."

Louis thumped Mark on the shoulder enthusiastically, nearly sending the teen over.

"Great. Supper will be ready very soon. You kids, feel free to have a look around. Just don't wander away from the camp boundaries." He waited until they'd broken up from their group before turning and speaking in a low voice to the young commander.

"Mark, I think we need to talk."

Mark looked surprised, but didn't argue and followed Louis into the nearest caravan.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I asked them why Zoltar wanted them, and the lad with the long hair..."

"Tommy."

"Yes. Tommy claimed it was him that Zoltar was after."

Mark blinked in astonishment. "Where did he get an idea like that?"

"He said he'd overheard you talking to the rest of your team, and that something was mentioned about Zoltar being after one of them that was adopted."

Mark frowned for a moment, then groaned. "Oh Damn. That's true, Louis, but it isn't Tommy that's the target. It's Jason."

Louis faltered for a moment, caught by surprise. "Jason?" He shook himself back to reality. "Which one is Jason?"

"The one with the plaster cast on his arm. Jason Scott. He's adopted as well, but he never told his friends."

Louis was silent for a long moment as he contemplated that. "When was the boy adopted?"

"About thirteen years ago. He would have been five years old. Nearly six."

A deep frown creased Louis's face. "Thirteen years. That would be three years after... Surely she wouldn't have..."

"Louis?" Mark asked tentatively. "What are you thinking?"

Louis turned around and went to the other side of the caravan, bringing a box out from beneath the bed.

"I have something here somewhere.... Do you have any idea of the identity of his real parents?"

"Jason, you mean? The Chief found out a few things. He told us on our way here. There's no information at all about Jason's real father, but his mother's name is Natasha Whyte. There wasn't much information on her, either. No birth certificate was handed over when Jason was adopted, and a lot of the information she gave the agency about him was questionable. According to what the Chief found out, someone tried to kill her soon after she gave Jason up for adoption, and then she disappeared without a trace. No one knows if she's even still alive."

Louis turned back to Mark, several papers clutched in his hands.

"Mark, I think you had better sit down. I have something to tell you, and it may not be entirely pleasant."

Mark didn't move. "What's going on, Louis?"

Louis handed Mark the first sheet of paper. It was an aging drawing of a young woman, done with some version of charcoal.

"That is Tashi," Louis said quietly. "She is the daughter of my second in charge. She would be nearly forty by now. Tashi was taken from us when she was eighteen. She was taken to the castle to work, the same as my Megan. Except that Zoltar took a personal shine to Tashi. First he insisted on having her as his personal servant. That progressed to less savoury activities. Tashi was returned to us a year after she was taken. She was pregnant, with Zoltar's child."

Mark stood frozen for a long moment before sitting down quickly on the bed behind him. Louis regarded Mark grimly.

"This was when Zoltar was still dividing his time between your people and Spectra. He left the planet to return to Aareth, but he warned us that he'd be back for the child. Tashi had wanted to abort the pregnancy to begin with, but she was too terrified of what Zoltar would do to her if she did. She saw the pregnancy through, and gave birth to a baby boy. Whatever misgivings Tashi had were totally erased when she laid eyes on that child for the first time. After that, there was no way in hell she would have given him up."

Mark stared at the picture on the sheet of paper he clutched in his hands.

"Louis, if that's true... Then I have an older brother somewhere."

"Yes, I know. Not on this planet, though. We kept the child with us, within our camp, for nearly two years. We weren't interferred with and the child grew up healthy. Just before the boy's second birthday, we received word that Zoltar was coming back to Spectra. Tashi became hysterical, screaming that her son would be taken away from her and used for god knows what. We were inclined to agree. We all knew by then that Zoltar had strange talents, and no doubt it had been passed on to the child. We held an emergency meeting, and decided to try and get both Tashi and the child off the planet. At that time Colonel Cronus was still able to get small transports on and off the planet to transport refugees from Spectra to Boridia. We sent her to him and he placed her on a transport..."

"Colonel Cronus knows about this?" Mark interrupted. Louis shook his head.

"No. He didn't know the significance of the boy. We kept that secret, for both Tashi's and the child's sakes. All he knew was that a young mother was desperate to get her child off a planet that recruited boys for military training as soon as they could walk five steps without falling over. She went to Boridia, and from there escaped to Earth. That was the last we heard of her. That was sixteen years ago."

Mark was silent for a long moment as he digested all that Louis had told him. "You think Tashi might have changed her name?"

"It's most likely. It's quite possible that the Natasha Whyte that your Chief Anderson received information about is actually Tashi."

Mark's breath froze in his throat. "But then that would mean..."

"She named her son Jason," Louis said softly. "That boy out there looks so much like Tashi that I can't pass it off as a coincidence."

A long silence followed.

"It would explain why Zoltar is after Jason," Mark conceded finally. "Oh man.... This is too much."

Louis sat down carefully on the bed next to Mark. "Zoltar ravaged our camp and had our people hunted down like wild prey after he discovered Tashi had taken Jason and fled the planet. It took us five years to bring everything together again. I know for a fact that he never gaveup on finding that child again. I doubt it would be for affectionate reasons, either."

Mark handed the picture back to Louis, aware that his hands were trembling badly.

"It'd explain the dreams as well. Hell, I knew there was more to this than what was obvious. I didn't realise it went so deep."

Louis watched Mark intently. "If that boy out there is Tashi's son, then he is in a great deal of danger. And I believe it is him, Mark."

Mark shut his eyes for a long moment. "This isn't the answer I wanted, Louis."

"We rarely get what we want, lad. But if it is him, you've just gained a brother."

A faint sigh escaped the teen. "I guess we'd better go out and..."

The door swung violently open, and Joseph nearly fell into the caravan.

"Father! Mark! Soldiers!"

The two ran out of the caravan to find the grounds overrun with Spectran soldiers. Leading them, was Kaa, J'boath and Zoltar himself. The gypsies were unarmed, so were Tommy and the other teenagers, and G-Force dared not fight. The soldiers were numerous, and soon had the entire camp at gun point.

Zoltar moved forward, into the middle of the chaos, looking around with more than a touch of amusement. Angry and fearful, Mark moved to confront him.

"I won't even bother asking what you want."

Zoltar regarded the teen with disdain. "I'd like to think you aren't that stupid." He glanced at Joseph. "I've no doubt as to who rescued the brats. You have so little respect for the freedom I've allowed your sister that you'd risk it so flagrantly?"

"Go to hell," Joseph spat. "I'll happily release anyone you lock up in those dungeons."

"Easy," Mark warned him softly. "Don't lose it, Joseph."

Zoltar sighed faintly. "I should have everyone here killed. I'm tempted." He turned a cold glare on Louis. "You got away with this once before. What makes you believe I would let you escape retribution twice?"

Louis returned the stare defiantly. "Whatever you're planning, you'll do your plans no favours by killing us all. That would cause you to lose more ground than you could possibly recover."

Anger flickered in Zoltar's eyes as he realised the truth in Louis's words.

"You may be right," he conceded grudgingly. He looked around slowly, taking in the situation before him. "Leave the gypsies," he ordered finally. "We will deal with them at a more convenient time. We will take G-Force..."

"What about the brats?" J'boath hissed. Zoltar looked to the former Rangers.

"We leave them. Let them stay with the gypsies. For now."

Kaa stared at Zoltar in confusion. "What about....?"

A small smile touched Zoltar's lips. "Of course. All but one." He walked over to where the six teens were huddled close together. Tommy glanced anxiously at his friends, then stepped away from the group, head held high.

"You can take me. I... I won't put up a fight."

To Tommy's embarrassment and astonishment, Zoltar laughed.

"What would I want with you? Get back to your friends, you pathetic waste."

Tommy fell back, stunned. Zoltar moved in and reached out, clamping a hand down on Jason's shoulder. He pulled the boy out, away from the protective huddle of his friends, and pushed him across to Kaa.

"I have what I came for. Back to the castle!"

"No..." Tanya whispered in horror as Jason was led away from the camp and out of their sight. Adam had to struggle to hold her back.

"Tanya, don't. We can't help them. Not on our own."

"You're right about that, lad," Louis said in a grim voice as he joined them. "Zoltar lost that boy once. He won't lose him again. We need extra help now if we're going to get them all out alive."

Louis tramped away, leaving the teens in confused silence.

~*~

Part of him had already acknowledged that it was him that Zoltar wanted, but that part had still been buried deep. Now, he was very frightened and very confused.

The line came to an abrupt halt as two of the soldiers up ahead suddenly began to assault Mark, bashing him with the butts of their guns. The teen, with his hands tied behind his back, went down hard, helpless to defend himself.

"What are you doing?" Zoltar exploded, striding past Jason and up to the front of the line. "Stop it! Did I give the order to incapacitate any of them?"

One soldier looked uncomfortable. "We We thought he was about to try and escape, sire."

Zoltar glared at the soldier. "With his hands tied up, and his friends prime targets? He wouldn't have dared. Get him up."

The two soldiers leaned down and pulled Mark to his feet. Zoltar eyed the teen critically.

"Can you walk?"

Mark nodded, coughing painfully and struggling to breathe evenly.

"I... I think so."

"Good. I'd hate to have to shoot you here and now. Get moving."

Mark spared Zoltar a baleful look before trudging onwards. Zoltar hung back, watching the parade of prisoners, only to falter when Jase was pushed past him. The look of hatred and fury in the boy's eyes was disturbing. Then, he was past, and heading on towards the castle. Zoltar stood still for a long moment, aware that his plan was becoming ever shakier, before continuing on behind the line.

~*~

"Place G-Force in their regular accommodation. I'll see to them eventually. Right now, I have another matter to deal with. Bring the boy to the main hall."

Kaa replied with a bow, then went to carry out his orders.

~*~

"Like our decorations?" J'boath sneered at the boy as he brought up the rear, behind his brother.

"Shut up, J'boath," Kaa snapped. "Our orders are to take him to the hall. Not make him physically ill."

Jason swallowed hard, getting an eyeful of a semi-rotted corpse that was nailed to the wall. Most of the flesh was gone, making the inner organs all too visible. He looked away, but not before the image was burned into his memory.

J'boath snickered at Jason's discomfort. "I guess that means you won't be becoming a doctor?"

Kaa shot his brother a threatening glare. "I told you to shut up. Zoltar will not take kindly to poor treatment of him."

Another sneer tugged at J'boath's lips. "Well, not yet, anyway."

Jason had no time to wonder what they meant. A door swung open in front of them, and Jason found himself being pushed into a huge hall. It looked like something out of the pages of a medieval book, he thought dimly, except this was the castle of the villain and not the good king. He was ushered down to the other end of the hall, to the bottom of a dais. At the top of the steps, sat a rough wooden throne. In the throne sat Zoltar.

"Welcome to my domain," Zoltar said quietly once he had Jason's attention. "I would have taken the time to greet you earlier, but you and your friends ran out on me. That wasn't very polite."

Jason could barely believe the audacity of the figure on the throne.

"Where are Mark and Princess and the others?" he demanded to know. A small smile etched itself across Zoltar's face.

"They're secure. They aren't going anywhere. So you can relax. The gypsies won't allow your friends to come back here, so no one will be coming to rescue you. Not that you need to be rescued."

Jason shut his eyes for a moment to regain his wits. "What do you mean by that?"

Zoltar stood up slowly, and began to walk down the dais steps. "Is it being rescued to be taken from your home? I'd be more inclined to call it kidnapping."

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Jason whispered, confused. "My home is in Angel Grove On Earth. Not here."

Zoltar reached the bottom of the dais and came to a halt in front of Jason.

"I don't doubt you believe that. I have something to tell you, though, and I want you to promise me you will listen."

"I don't trust you," Jason growled.

"You don't have a choice. Either listen, or go back to the dungeons."

Jason's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"All right," he conceded reluctantly. Zoltar nodded.

"Good. Tell me, now. You know you are adopted, don't you?"

"Yes," Jason said tentatively, wondering if he should lie. A dark frown flashed across Zoltar's face.

"Don't even try lying to me, Jason. I promise I will know."

"Yes!" the teen burst out, a touch of panic in his voice. "I know I'm adopted. I said I knew!"

"All right. Calm down. What about your mother? Do you remember much of her?"

"Some," Jason admitted grudgingly. "It's sort of hazy. I remember she cared a lot for me."

Zoltar stared at Jason for a long moment, then turned away slowly. "I knew your mother, Jason. I knew her well. And she was not the caring type."

Jason's jaw tightened a little with tension. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your mother was an evil, vindictive woman. She stole you from your father and took you to Earth with her, then abandoned you to a welfare centre when she no longer had need for you."

"That's not true," Jason whispered hoarsely, stung badly by what he was being told. Zoltar continued to stand with his back to the teen.

"It is true. I have no reason to lie to you. I don't need to lie to you. The truth is painful enough without me trying to add to it. Your mother would have terminated her pregnancy had I not threatened to kill her should she do so. You have me to thank, Jason, simply for being born."

"How do you know all this?" Jason choked out, pain of tension and panic clutching at his chest.

"I know for one specific reason. You don't remember your father at all, do you? That's because you never met him, not as a baby, and not as a child. But you are not an ordinary boy, Jason. You have a very special birthright, passed onto you from your father. Passed to you from me."

Zoltar looked up towards the dank windows as he spoke, still not looking back at Jason. "I am your father, Jason. I have been searching for you for sixteen years, ever since that traitorous little wretch took you off the planet." A smile twisted itself onto Zoltar's face. "I suppose in that way, I should have been grateful to Carlton. If he hadn't tried to kill you, I would not have realised who you were. I...."

Zoltar trailed off as Kaa moved into his line of sight, motioning tentatively with his hand. Frowning, Zoltar looked around to see what was wrong, then sighed tiredly. Jason had collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.

~*~

"What in the gods happened here?" he asked, astounded by the destruction. Louis quickly went to meet him.

"The blasted castle soldiers happened. Thankyou for coming so quickly, Colonel."

Cronus nodded. "That's all right. You've helped my men escape death enough times. This is a meager repayment. But what's going on?"

"G-Force have been taken. They came here to rescue those kids over there..."

Cronus looked past Louis to where five teens sat huddled together on a log, talking amongst themselves.

"I know those children," he said suddenly. "They aided G-Force five months ago. What are they doing here?"

"They were taken by Spectran soldiers on Earth, and brought here by Kaa and J'boath. My Joseph and Megan rescued them. We were able to divert G-Force here, but soldiers raided the camp, and took them prisoner. It was all my men could do to stop those five running off to the castle to try and rescue them."

A deep frown formed on Cronus' face. "So the whole thing was a plan to trap G-Force. Damn Zoltar..."

Louis looked grim. "Actually, that wasn't the plan at all. There's a sixth youth that was taken along with G-Force. A lad by the name of Jason."

Cronus stiffened. "Jason? Jason Scott?"

"That's right. It was him that Zoltar wanted. No one else. G-Force was merely a bonus to him this time."

"Hell," Cronus whispered. "I should have known he'd try to snatch the boy. We warned G-Force about it."

"I know. Mark told me. But now we know why Zoltar wants him. Colonel, do you remember back sixteen years ago? I sent a girl to you from my camp. She had her two year old son with her."

Cronus nodded slowly. "Yes, I think so. Tashi, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Tashi, and her son, Jason."

Cronus froze, staring blankly at Louis. "Jason?"

"That's right, Colonel. The boy that Zoltar has now is the boy that we sent to Boridia with Tashi. That boy is Zoltar's son."

For nearly a minute, Cronus didn't say a word. Then, finally, he focused a hard stare on Louis.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"We were anxious to do anything we could to protect both Tashi and the child. We'd decided amongst our elders that we would never tell anyone. What would you have done had you known? Tell me that."

Cronus sighed, then. "I see your point. But if what you say is the truth, then Zoltar has his son back. And I've heard enough from Mark about his people to know that the firstborn of each generation is endowed with a great deal of power. If Zoltar is able to unlock that power, and manipulate Jason to his own purposes, he may very well have a weapon on his side that we can't stop."

"What are you planning to do?"

"I don't want to kill the boy," Cronus said softly. "Nor do I want to see him killed at Zoltar's hand. I'm taking my men and we'll get G-Force out first of all, and then see about rescuing Jason."

"Do you think Zoltar would be able to turn him?" Louis asked softly. Cronus looked grim.

"I honestly don't know. The lad has a strong character. I just hope it's strong enough to resist Zoltar."

~*~

They'd removed the cast while he'd been unconscious, he supposed. But why? Frowning, he slowly flexed his arm and hand to discover there was no pain or stiffness. He stretched his arm out, turning around, quickly finding he had full mobility in the limb.

His arm fell to his side. He didn't have time to wonder how his arm had been healed of the break so fast. Walking over to the door, he tried to open it only to discover it was locked from the outside. Frustrated, he turned and headed across to the window and looked out. Nausea hit as he found himself staring at the ground so far below that to jump would surely be fatal. He pulled back, feeling decidedly sick. He couldn't get out, so his only option left was to wait.

Feeling more helpless than he had for a long time, he walked over to the far corner of the room and sank to the floor to wait.

~*~

"Get up."

The young commander got slowly to his feet, wincing with pain. "What now?"

"Zoltar wants to speak with you."

Mark stepped out of the cell, and Kaa quickly released the safety on his weapon and pressed the muzzle into the small of Mark's back.

"No foolish tricks. I guarantee I could pull the trigger before you take me down."

"I don't doubt that," Mark grumbled. "Don't worry. I won't try anything."

Kaa smirked. "Good. Let's go."

~*~

"Sit there and don't move. He'll be here soon."

Mark sat, and Kaa took up guard position in the doorway. Minutes later, Zoltar arrived and ushered Kaa from the room. He then shut the door and turned to look at Mark.

"Comfortable?" he asked dryly.

"Very," Mark replied abruptly. Zoltar walked over and sat down in the other chair.

"How much do you know?"

Mark grimaced. "You never did go in for light chats."

"Don't be smart," Zoltar snapped. "I asked how much you know. Answer me."

A faint sigh escaped the teen. "The Chief found out a few things, Louis told me some other things, and I filled in the gaps. Jason is my brother, isn't he?"

"Half-brother, yes. He was born not quite two years before you and Lucy. His mother left the planet with him sixteen years ago. I have spent as long searching for him. Now I have him back, and nothing you and your friends do will cause me to lose him again."

"He isn't your son anymore," Mark said softly. "No more than I am, or than Keop is. He'll never acknowledge you as his father. Why can't you leave him alone? He wasn't raised to fight you like I was."

Zoltar laughed softly. "All the time you spent with Samuel, and you don't understand? The boy has power, Mark. Substantial power. I intend to use that to my full advantage."

Mark sat stiffly in the chair. "And if he refuses to let you use him like that What are you going to do? Just kill him?"

"If needs be," Zoltar admitted. "You don't think I can simply let him walk away, do you?"

"You heartless bastard," Mark snarled, only to suffer a backhand across the face.

"Insolent wretch," Zoltar hissed. "You can deny me all you want, but you are still my son. As is Jason. My children are mine to do with as I please. Jason will be given a choice. If he refuses me, the two of you will die, side by side. Kaa!"

The door opened and Kaa stepped in. Zoltar motioned dismissively with his hand.

"Take Mark back to his quarters. And let your brother know I've given him permission to do whatever is necessary must to restrain him."

An odd look flickered across Kaa's face. "Yes, my lord. Let's go, Mark."

~*~

"Should I expect your brother?"

Kaa frowned. "Don't tempt me."

A touch of surprise showed in Mark's eyes. "You mean you aren't going to?"

Kaa glanced back over his shoulder, then spoke softly. "I don't see the point in beating you to incapacitation. It would be foolish." He paused, then added coldly, "In any case, I doubt you'll be a problem for us much longer. I suggest you start praying for a miracle, Commander."

The door slid shut, and Mark sat down with a thud on the cold floor.

"So what else is new?"

~*~

"We're being followed."

Cronus paused. "Spectran?"

"No. It's one of the kids from the gypsy camp."

"Damn. Where is he?"

"About twenty metres behind us."

After a moment of indecision, Cronus finally shifted around and looked back to the bushes a short distance behind them.

"All right. Come out of there. We know you're there."

Silence followed, and then the bushes rustled a little and Tommy pushed his way out of the scrub. Cronus regarded the teen with open annoyance.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to help my friend," Tommy growled stubbornly.

"The hell you are. I don't care if you were a Power Ranger. You aren't now, and this is a dangerous place."

"I didn't reach a fourth degree black belt for nothing," Tommy shot back. "I can look after myself. And you either let me come with you, or I go in by myself."

"You do that and you'll get yourself killed," Cronus hissed. "I can't guarantee that you won't anyway! Do yourself and your friend a favour by going back to the gypsy camp. You'll help no one if you're injured."

Tommy's gaze narrowed considerably. "Take me with you, or I swear to God that I'll go in alone. I heard what you said to Louis. I'm not gonna leave Jason to die in there."

Cronus knew then that he couldn't dissuade the boy. He sighed softly, then nodded.

"All right. Come with us. But stay between us and keep your head down. And you do what I tell you without question. Understand?"

Tommy nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Because if you cause trouble, I'll shoot you myself. Now, let's go."

~*~

"Colonel..."

Cronus strode in and pulled Mark to his feet. "Louis contacted me. Said you kids were in trouble. I came as fast as I could. Are you all right?"

"I am now. What about the others?"

"They should all be out by now. Let's go, we have to get out of here."

"No," Mark said softly. Cronus hesitated.

"I know about Jason, Mark. Louis explained it to me. We have to get out of here and reorganize ourselves. It isn't worth risking our lives."

Still Mark didn't move. "He's my brother. That's worth the risk. I don't know whether Zoltar's tried anything with him yet. But I have to get to him now."

"I'm with Mark," Tommy said defiantly. "Jason's my best friend. I'm not leaving him behind."

Cronus stood still for a long moment, then spoke into his transmitter.

"Teams 2 to 5, report."

"We're out, Colonel," came the immediate reply. "They're all safe."

"All right. Get them back to the gypsies, and get ready to leave in a hurry. We're going after the other boy."

Cronus switched off the radio, then looked back to Mark. "Let's go get your brother."

~*~

"I hope the fainting spell was a one-off. Was it?"

The former Gold Ranger felt his hands involuntarily curling into fists.

"Shock tends to have that sort of effect."

Zoltar nodded. "Fair enough," he conceded. "And have you recovered from the shock?"

"No," Jason replied bluntly. "Even if it's true, I'll never call you father. I have a father, and he loves me a hell of a lot more than you ever could."

A sneer crossed Zoltar's lips. "I'm not asking for your affection, Jason. I want your compliance. Your obedience. You have a great deal of power that is untapped. I can help you to realise that potential. You could have more power than you ever dreamed of. All you need do is swear allegiance to me, and we can rule this universe together. Father and son...."

Jason groaned, bringing one hand up to cover his eyes. "Oh god, I feel like I'm in the middle of The Empire Strikes Back." He looked back to Zoltar. "Do you honestly believe I could give up on everything I believe in to join you? Because if you do, then you're dumber than Zedd. If what you've told me is true, and if I do have some sort of power, then I'll use it to do good. And to fight against people like you."

Zoltar stared coldly at the teen. "I wouldn't hesitate in killing you. Perhaps you should consider that before deciding to reject my offer. Understand that I can't possibly allow you to leave here as my enemy.... alive."

Jason swallowed hard. "My father would never threaten to kill me. I don't believe you. And I'll never join you."

Zoltar paused, then shrugged. "So be it. Such a waste. J'boath?"

Jason didn't even have the chance to turn around before something hard struck him across the back of the head, sending him to the floor with a crash. A moment later, he felt something pressing into the back of his neck, just below the base of his skull. A shadow fell across him, and he heard Zoltar speak to him.

_You have one last chance, and that is more than I have ever given anyone else. Join me, and you will live here, where you belong, as my prince and heir. Refuse, and you will die as slow and painful a death as my men can cause you._

Jason drew in a sharp breath as he realised the words had not been spoke out loud, but rather in his head. Telepathy, he realised in shock. He shut his eyes and, not quite sure what he was doing, he sent out a firm reply.

_Go to hell. I'd rather be dead than cause people pain._

Zoltar blinked, taken by surprise. Already, the boy's talents were starting to surface.... Glowering angrily, he nodded to J'boath. The lieutenant sneered and started to pull back on the trigger.... A high-pitched whistle broke the silence, and J'boath howled in pain as the gun was knocked from his grip. Looking around, Jason nearly sobbed with relief as his gaze fell on Mark, Tommy and Colonel Cronus. Even as he watched, Mark reached up and snatched his boomerang out of the air as it swung back to him.

Zoltar moved back slowly, glaring at the intruders.

"You have impeccable timing, Mark. It's really starting to get on my nerves."

Mark smiled coldly. "Well, that is what I seem to do best. Tell J'boath to move away from Jason, or the next time it'll be his head, not his hand."

Zoltar glanced to the lieutenant, and J'boath backed away, clutching his wounded hand to his chest. Mark moved fast, and was at Jason's side seconds later.

"Are you okay?"

Jason slowly pushed himself up. "I think so."

Zoltar glared at the two boys. "I won't let you walk away!"

"You don't have a choice," Mark snapped. "We're leaving right now. C'mon, Jason."

They started towards the doors, only to be brought up short when Zoltar clapped his hands together loudly and a squad of soldiers ran into the hall.

"Great," Mark growled. "I hope you're up to a fight."

A grim smile twisted across Jason's face. "I've been waiting for a fair fight. Tommy?"

"I'm with you, bro," Tommy called back. A moment later, the soldiers converged on them and the fight was on.

~*~

His hand slipped downwards and closed over the hilt of a knife in his belt. He had one chance, and that was all. If he allowed the boy to escape now, the consequences wold be disastrous. Drawing the knife from his belt, he moved forward, into the fight.

~*~

"I think you're enjoying this too much," Tommy gasped as he ducked a punch, then replied with a spin kick that put the offending soldier out of commission.

A grin lit up Jason's face as he taunted the soldiers forward.

"I haven't done anything physical for four weeks. Of course I'm enjoying this!"

Tommy smirked as he sent another soldier reeling back into the rock wall. He glanced back at Jason, and his smirk faded fast.

"Jase! Look out! Behind you!"

Jason spun around and found himself face to face with Zoltar. The evil ruler glared at the boy with unrelenting hate.

"You were a mistake," he hissed, "just like Mark. I should have killed your mother before you were born. It is time to rectify that mistake."

Before Jason to put up any protest, he felt something sharp press into his ribs. Looking down, he was surprised to see the hilt of a knife protruding from his chest. A moment later, his legs buckled and he went down hard, landing flat on his back.

"Jason!" Tommy screamed, shoving his way through the soldiers and falling to his knees by Jason's side.

Zoltar spared the scene a cold, emotionless look before calling a retreat and turning to flee down a side passage.

Within seconds, they were alone in the hall, and Mark, Cronus and Cronus' lieutenant quickly gathered around Jason with Tommy.

"Is it bad?" Mark asked tensely. Cronus examined the wound carefully before shaking his head.

"No. Zoltar may be an evil, powerful man, but he has terrible aim. Better get that knife out of there before he loses too much blood, though."

Mark leaned in and closed his hand around the hilt of the blade. "Hold him down, Tommy. This is gonna hurt."

Tommy closed his hands over Jason's shoulders, holding his friend down. Mark drew in a deep breath, then gave a single, hard yank and pulled the knife out of the boy's chest. Jason screamed in pain, jerking violently despite Tommy's strong grip.

"All right," Cronus murmured as he tore a strip of material from his cloak and pressed it to the wound. "Just another minute, and we can get out of this hell hole."

As they waited for the bleeding to stop, Tommy looked across to Mark.

"Is it true? About Jase, I mean..."

Mark nodded once. "It's true."

Tommy let his breath out in a rush. "Man...."

"Don't hold that against him, Tommy," Mark said softly. "We don't choose our parents."

"I won't," Tommy murmured. "It's just sort of hard to comprehend. You know what I mean?"

Mark nodded again. "Yes, I know."

Cronus looked up at the boys. "Let's get out of here. We can pack the wound properly back at the gypsy camp."

Mark nodded, and he and Cronus lifted Jason up carefully between them.

"Good idea."

~*~

Tommy barely had time to ready himself as Kat flew into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"It's okay," he murmured as he felt the sobs ripple through her body. "We're okay."

"Don't run off on us like that again!" she said between the sobs. "It isn't fair! You scared us to death!"

"Yeah," Adam growled. "That was the dumbest thing to do, Tommy. You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I know," Tommy conceded. "But Jason would have taken the same risk for me. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

Tanya looked past them worriedly. "Speaking of Jason, what happened?"

"We had a bit of a fight on our hands before we could get out," Cronus explained as he and Mark set Jason down carefully on the soft grass. "Zoltar decided to leave the lad a parting gift."

"First time I've been stabbed," Jason hissed through clenched teeth. "Not something that was high on my list of priorities."

"Just take it easy," Mark told him. "We'll pack the wound before we go anywhere."

Megan came through with a bowl of water, followed by Beth with some cloth bandages and herbal mixture.

"We'll have this fixed up soon enough," Beth murmured. "Let me help you with your shirt."

She trailed off as she lifted the shirt up to reveal the wound.

"Yeowch," Rocky muttered at the sight of the stab wound.

Jase grimaced. "I'm starting to think someone has it in for me."

Beth smiled faintly as she dabbed at the wound, cleaning away some of the blood. "No, they don't. Don't be so negative."

Jason didn't smile at the joke. He couldn't.

Tommy watched his friend in concern as he crouched beside him on the grass. "Jase? Are you okay?"

The teen hesitated in replying, then looked slowly up at Mark. "He called me a mistake."

Mark sighed a little. "It's a defensive move for him. Don't believe it, Jason. He just wanted to get to you."

"You aren't a mistake, Jason," Beth said softly, staring intently at the wound as she treated it with a mixture of herbs and salve. "Your mother loved you a great deal. She did everything in her power to protect you."

"Excuse us," Tanya said, coughing into her hand to get attention. "Could someone explain to us exactly what is going on?"

Mark hesitated, then drew back reluctantly from the group.

"I can explain it. Come over here, all of you." The former Rangers followed Mark over to the other side of the camp.

"Tommy overheard us saying that Zoltar was interested in one of you," Mark said quietly. "I assume you all know about that."

Kat nodded. "Yes. Go on."

"Tommy was wrong, not through any fault of his. It's just that none of you knew, and Jason had never told you. It wasn't Tommy that Zoltar was after, it was Jason. Jason was adopted as well, but he never told anyone about it. His mother was from this very gypsy camp, and his father...." Mark looked grim. "His father is my father."

Adam's jaw dropped. "Zoltar is Jason's father?"

Mark nodded. "Yes. That is the reason that Zoltar wanted Jason. My guess is he'd somehow found out who Jason was during that business with General Carlton."

"That would explain why Zoltar went to so much trouble to have Carlton killed," Tommy murmured.

"Exactly," Mark agreed. "It wasn't for paternal reasons, though. Zoltar was planning to use Jason to his own advantage."

"How do you mean?" Kat wanted to know.

Mark glanced back to where Beth was still tending to Jason, then spoke softly. "He would have used Jason as a weapon. The thing is, every first-born child of my people boy or girl is always endowed with a great deal of power. Jason may only be half-Aarethian, but that doesn't exempt him from that law. Zoltar knows that. It's probably the one reason he didn't have Jason's mother killed when she became pregnant with him. It's likely he never expected her to have the sense to get off the planet."

"You're saying that Jason isn't even human?" Rocky asked in disbelief.

An oddly tense look flickered across Mark's face. "He is human, Rocky. It's just that he isn't from Earth. I said it to Tommy, and I'm saying it to all of you. Don't hold this against Jason. He didn't choose his father, or his birthright."

Kat shook her head. "We wouldn't hold it against him."

"Just remember that evil isn't hereditary," Mark told them. It isn't just Jason. There's me and Keop, as well. It's how you're brought up. Not who you're blood-related to."

A grin flickered across Adam's face. "That's right. You guys are brothers, aren't you?"

Mark had to smile, then. "Yeah, we are." He straightened up, and motioned with his hand. "C'mon. Let's go home."

~*~

He shut his eyes, but it didn't hold back the tears. He remembered precious little of his real mother, and he badly wanted to. If nothing else, he wanted to dispel the painful thought that she hadn't wanted him at all.

A hand came down on his shoulder. The teen looked up, and his vision, blurred by the tears in his eyes, finally focused on Mark. The other boy said nothing, the look in his eyes was enough. The two brothers stared at each other for several long seconds before Mark finally turned away and went back to his seat.

Jason watched him go, realising somewhere in the back of his mind that the emotional pain he felt was not quite as severe as it had first seemed. He finally looked away, and his gaze fell on Tommy. The former Zeo Ranger was watching him intently, wanting to help but not wanting to interfere. It was not an easy position for Tommy to be in, Jason reflected. They would have to talk properly when they got back to Earth. He certainly didn't feel like emptying his heart and soul in front of everyone.

_Later._

The thought came unbidden, and Tommy's face creased in puzzlement as his own slim telepathic abilities caught it. A moment later, understanding dawned and Tommy nodded once. Yes, they would talk later.

Jason looked away from his best friend and shut his eyes again, and waited sadly for the end of the long trip.

~*~

"Jason, I'd like you to come with me, please."

Mark was there an instant later, his eyes lighting up with worry. "Can't it wait, Chief? We're all tired."

"No, it can't wait. Mark, you had better come with me as well. The rest of you, there's a hot meal waiting for you in the dining hall, and then feel free to go to bed. I've no doubt you're all exhausted."

A murmur of appreciation swept across the group and they wandered out through the door. Anderson waited until they were gone before looking back to Jason. "I thought you'd like to know, Jason. Your parents are here."

Surprise filled the boy's face. "Mum and Dad? They're here?"

"Yes." Anderson glanced at Mark as he spoke. "I was in contact with Louis whilst Colonel Cronus was rescuing you kids from the castle. He told me everything. It was quite a shock, I have to admit."

Jason had stiffened visibly. "Do Mum and Dad know?"

"Yes," Anderson admitted as they started walking through the door and down the corridor. "They do know. But that isn't the reason I had them brought here. We found out a few other details while you were all gone. I'm afraid I don't have all good news. Your real mother, Jason I'm afraid she's dead."

Jason stared at the floor as they walked. "I thought she probably was."

"It wasn't Zoltar's doing," Anderson went on to explain. "It was a car accident, and it happened less than twelve months ago. She and her husband were killed when a drunk driver hit them head on."

"Husband?" Mark echoed. "She got married?"

"Yes. It's why we couldn't find any details on her beyond the attempt the Spectran operatives made on her life. She married a Peter Devlin. So when we were searching for Natasha Whyte, we should have been searching for Natasha Devlin."

Anderson faltered, noticing that Jason was biting his lip hard.

"Jason? Are you all right?"

After a moment, Jason managed a slight shrug. "I guess so. I was just hoping she would have still been alive. You know So I could talk to her."

Mark sighed a little. "Beth was right, Jason. She did love you. Zoltar was lying. You can't believe what he told you."

"I just wanted to hear it from her!" Jason argued. "I.... I didn't think that was asking too much."

Anderson gently ushered the boys down the hall to his study. "It's a reasonable thing to want. But don't forget that you still have a mother and father that love you very much."

Anderson let the door of his study swing open to reveal Donavon and Sarah Scott, both waiting in tense silence. They stood up quickly as the door opened, and Sarah took a hesitant step forward. "Jason?"

For several seconds, Jason didn't move or speak. Just behind him, Mark and Anderson exchanged worried looks, neither one sure how Jason was going to act. Then, finally and to everyone's relief, Jason almost stumbled forward into the study and literally fell into his father's arms.

"Dad...." Jason whispered, hugging his father tightly. Sarah joined the embrace, kissing her son on the top of his head.

"I love you guys," Jason whispered, the tears falling freely down his cheeks. "I don't ever want to lose you."

Donavon sighed with relief as he hugged Jason to him. "You won't, Jason. I promise. And we love you too, boy."

In the doorway, Anderson smiled faintly and carefully shut the door, leaving the family alone.

"Jason's luckier than he knows," Mark murmured as they headed back down the corridor.

Anderson shook his head. "I think you may be wrong about that. I have a feeling that Jason knows exactly how lucky he is. Especially now." He laid one hand lightly on Mark's shoulder. "Let's go get something to eat."

~*~

Sarah's gaze fell on the rip in Jason's shirt. "What is this?"

Jason grimaced, and lifted his shirt to reveal the gauze and padding that covered his wound. "We sort of got into a fight before we got out of the castle. I think Zoltar was kind of annoyed that I didn't take him up on his offer." He paused, taking in the horrified looks on his parents' faces, then added quickly: "It's not serious. Colonel Cronus said Zoltar had terrible aim. Lucky for me."

Donavon gently drew Jason across to sit down on the sofa. "Chief Anderson told us everything, Jason."

Jason nodded, his gaze dropping automatically. "He said he did."

Donavon closed his hands over Jason's shoulders. "What are you thinking?"

"Honestly?" Jason asked softly. "I don't know. I really don't know what to think. I just found out my real father is a warlord who's killed thousands of people He tried to kill me, Dad! When I said I didn't want to join him, he said he couldn't let me leave alive!"

A sigh escaped Donavon. "Zoltar has about as much regard for Mark and Keop. To him, you three kids would have just been a means to an end. It's not easy to cope with, but you aren't alone."

Jason bit his lip for a moment before speaking. "He's not my real father. I won't accept that." He looked up at Donavon. "Maybe he's my biological father, but you're my real father. That's all I care about."

Donavon smiled sadly and leaned forward to hug Jason tightly. "It might not always be easy to keep that principle in clear sight, but you'll do okay as long as you never forget it."

Sarah, who sat on the other side of Jason, hugged him as well. "And don't forget how much we love you, sweetheart."

Jason sat silently in the arms of his parents for nearly a minute before speaking again. "Can I ask you guys something?"

"What is it?" Donavon prompted him.

"When you adopted me, how did it happen? I mean, you never kept it secret from me that I was adopted, but you never told me how it came about."

Donavon nodded slowly. "That's true. Do you want to hear it now?"

"Yes, please."

"All right." He paused, looking to Sarah for a moment before continuing. "Your mother and I had been on the adoption waiting list for six years. We wanted a baby, newborn if possible, but it's a long wait to get a baby through legal and legitimate channels. We'd almost given up hope of ever being able to adopt when our social worker called and said a young mother haddecided to put her son up for adoption, and that she'd chosen our profile. The only catch, she told us, was that the child was nearly six years old.

"We were hesitant at first. I'll admit that. We wanted a baby, and it worried us that we'd have trouble with an older child. We talked it through long and hard, though, and decided that we couldn't say no. We contacted the social worker and said we'd agreed. She called us in immediately to collect you." Donavon trailed off, aware that Jason was trembling slightly.

"Jason? Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he whispered, although he sounded none too sure. Sarah hugged him again, more tightly.

"Honey, we never regretted adopting you. Not for a second. You were the sweetest little boy anyone could hope for. Just because we had a few doubts at the start doesn't mean you weren't worth it."

Donavon went on softly. "We arrived at the Welfare Centre and the social worker was waiting with you and your natural mother."

Jason's head came up sharply. "You met her? You met my mother?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, we did, and I can tell you right now, giving you up broke that poor girl's heart. We asked her why she was giving you up, when she obviously loved you so much...."

"What did she say?" Jason asked tentatively.

"She said she couldn't possibly explain it to us," Donavon said, "but she handed something over to us to give to you if you ever asked to know the truth." He paused, fishing into his inside jacket pocket for a moment before producing an envelope. "You already know most of the truth, but maybe this will put your other fears to rest."

Jason took the envelope from his father and stared at it for a long moment before slipping it into his shirt pocket.

"Don't you want to read it?" Sarah asked in confusion. Jason nodded.

"I will. Just not right now. I think I'd rather read it when I'm alone."

"Fair enough," Donavon conceded. "So, do you think you'll be all right?"

"I don't know," Jason said honestly. "I can't say I'm not confused.... Maybe I will be okay."

"Just don't be scared to talk to us," Donavon told him. "About anything."

Jason hesitated, then spoke softly. "Mark is my brother."

"We know," Donavon murmured.

Jason looked up at his father, nervous and little bit frightened. "You know what that makes me?"

"We know," Donavon conceded. "We know that it makes you very special. And you have two brothers now that you didn't know about before, and that you can talk to about this."

The former Ranger had to smile at that. "Yeah. I guess I do."

Sarah kissed the boy lightly on the forehead. "Why don't we go out of here so you can get something to eat, and then clean up. You must be exhausted."

"That sounds good," Jason murmured. They stood up, and then Jason looked back at his parents. "I'm glad Chief Anderson brought you guys here. I guess I was sort of scared of what you'd think when you found out."

"You're still our son, Jason," Donavon told him as they left the study. "No matter what blood you have running through your veins. And evil isn't hereditary."

"I heard Mark say that to the others on Spectra when he told them," Jason said. Donavon nodded.

"Mark is a prime example of that. So don't you ever let yourself forget it."

They walked into the dining room, and Jason instinctively fell into the chair next to Tommy.

"Everything cool?" Tommy asked softly.

Jason gave a quick nod, deliberately ignoring the fact that Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya were all staring openly at him.

"Yeah. It's cool."

Tommy looked across the table at the four, and a touch of anger flashed across his face. "What's the matter with all of you? Did you forget where your mouths are, or something?"

Rocky frowned. "Hey, take it easy, Tommy"

"Just quit staring," Tommy hissed. "Okay?"

Further along the table, G-Force exchanged weary, knowing looks. They had been through this before, and it wasn't plain sailing. Mark stood up and, taking an extra plate from Therese as well as his own, he walked down and sat on the other side of Jason.

"They'll get over the novelty of it eventually," he told Jason quietly. "Because that's all it really is to them. Just a novelty."

Jason grimaced. "Some novelty. I'm starting to feel like a freak."

Mark had to smile, then. "Oh yeah? Well, wait till the talents start surfacing."

Jason froze. "The what?"

"Talents," Mark repeated. His eyes narrowed a moment later.

_These sorts of talents. We all have them, and you're not immune. If you were, Zoltar would never have tried to turn you. He would never have bothered tracking you down._

Jason had gone a deathly grey. "Please don't do that," he whispered, struggling to keep his voice even.

Mark's smile faded fast. "You can't deny it, Jason. Zoltar turned the key in your head, and that's the best way of putting it. You had an invisible room in your mind that held all those talents, and Zoltar's unlocked it. If he hadn't, you wouldn't have heard me just then."

"Isn't there any way out of it?" Jason asked pleadingly. Mark shook his head.

"If there was, I would have used it years ago. But it doesn't have to be bad. Look, finish eating and then go to bed. Tomorrow we'll talk this out properly, okay?"

Jason nodded gloomily. "Okay."

A little while later....
"Can I come in?"

Jason looked around to see Tommy peering in.

"Sure," he murmured, looking away again and out the window. Tommy hesitated, then wandered over to where Jason was sitting on the window seat.

"We didn't get to talk earlier," Tommy said quietly. "I was just wondering how you're doing."

Jason shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Considering the circumstances."

An uneasy smile touched Tommy's lips. "This is a first for me. Not being the one that the bad guys have the interest in."

"I'd swap with you happily," Jason muttered.

The smile faded from Tommy's lips. "It can't be all bad, Jase. I mean, you found out that you and Mark are brothers. That's pretty good, isn't it?"

A sigh escaped Jason. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I guess I'm just tired. I know things aren't that bad. It's just a bit of a shock."

Tommy nodded his understanding as he sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. "Jase, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"How come you never told me you were adopted?"

Jason paused before answering. "Was I required to tell you?"

Tommy frowned a little, taken aback by the sudden harshness in his friend's voice. "No, of course not. I didn't mean it like that. I was just wondering. I mean, I never made it a secret that I was adopted."

"That was you," Jason countered. "Look, Tommy It isn't that I was deliberately hiding it from you. I never told anyone that I was adopted. Not even Billy, Zack, Trini or Kim. It was never something I consciously thought about. You have to understand, I'm not like you. I never wondered what my background was. I was never curious about who my natural parents were. I was happy with Mum and Dad, and I never felt any need to wonder about it."

Tommy nodded slowly. "I think I understand that. You're lucky, Jase. It really drove me nuts for a while, wondering why my mother gave me up. Even after I met David, I was still confused, because he couldn't answer all the questions I had."

"I would have been happy living in ignorance," Jason said with a sigh. "Damn Zoltar for this."

"Are you wondering about anything now?" Tommy asked softly.

Jason looked back to Tommy. "Now, I am. Ever since Zoltar told me the truth, I've been wondering how much of what he told me was really true, and how much was a lie. He said that my mother would have aborted me if she hadn't been so scared of him. As much as I don't want to believe that, I can't stop myself. I've got a bad feeling that that bit is true."

"You think she didn't want you at all?" Tommy wondered.

"I don't know. Beth from the gypsy camp said she did. Mum and Dad told me that when they took me from my real mother, she hadn't wanted to give me up. I want to believe that, but part of me doesn't know what to believe."

"Maybe you just need to accept that it's something you'll never be certain of," Tommy suggested. "There's a lot of things in life like that. Lots of questions that never get answered. I know it seems unfair, but you just have to accept it. Like, I'll never know who my real father is. There's no one who can answer that for me. Maybe you need to try and just accept what your folks say, that your real mother never wanted to give you up."

Jason sighed. "You're probably right. Thanks, Tommy."

Tommy smiled, then. "Anytime, bro. I'm gonna go to bed. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Sure," Jason murmured. Tommy hesitated, then reached out and squeezed Jason's shoulder reassuringly.

"It'll be okay, Jase. Give it time, okay? That's all you can do."

Jason smiled faintly. "I know. I'll see you in the morning. 'Night, Tommy."

Tommy nodded. "Good night."

Jason fell silent, watching out of the corner of his eye as Tommy slipped out of the room. He appreciated the support that Tommy offered, but there was still something missing, something that he couldn't quite place. Sighing gloomily, Jason shifted around and stood up. Wincing a little at the pain from his wound, he lifted his shirt up and pulled it over his head. It was then that the envelope, given to him earlier by his father, slipped out of the breast pocket and dropped to the floor.

Jason froze for an instant, staring down at the unmarked envelope in apprehension. He'd forgotten about it during dinner, and probably would not have remembered it at all had it not fallen out just then. He reached down and plucked it up off the floor, staring at it nervously. A letter to him from his real mother Written how many years ago? Part of him wanted to read it, the other part was too frightened to look. He knew he had to, though. If he was ever going to put to rest the demons that were taunting him, he had to read the letter.

He changed quickly into a clean pair of pyjamas, then took the envelope and sat back down on the window seat. It was dark, finally, and Jason could just make out the horizon line of the ocean beyond the cliffs where he and Princess had walked on the first day. That had only been a couple of days ago, and yet it felt like so much longer. Gritting his teeth, he ripped it open before he could change his mind.

A single piece of paper fell out, covered in neat handwriting, both front and back. In fingers that trembled, Jason unfolded the paper and began to read.

My dear Jason,
I do not know how much time will have passed by the time you get this letter. I can only pray that you have grown up healthy and happy with the Scotts. I know you must have a lot of questions, and I'll explain everything to you that I possibly can, but there is something you must know before I give any explanations.
I did not want to give you up. You are my son, and I love you dearly. There are forces that follow us, though, and I've done everything in my power to keep you safe from them. It hasn't been enough. I'm doing what I am now because it is the only way I can think of to guarantee you a normal life.
If you are ever told I didn't want you, or that I didn't care for you, don't believe it. I love you with all my heart, and I will never forget you. I hope against hope that one day I'll be reunited with you, but until that day comes, I'll have to survive with my memories, and with knowing that you're safe from him.

There was much more there, but Jason had to stop reading for the tears that blurred his vision. In three short paragraphs, all his fears had been dispelled. Perhaps it was true that his mother would have originally aborted him but for Zoltar's threats, but everything else Zoltar had told him had been a lie. Even ifhe couldn't remember, he could almost feel the love emanating from the writing on the sheet of paper he clutched in his hands.

He had been loved, very much so. There was no doubt about it. Rubbing at his eyes, he stood up, went and placed the letter carefully back in the envelope and set in on the dresser next to the bed. He would read the rest later, but for now his concerns were eased.

Pulling back the covers, he climbed into bed and lay there for a while, thinking about how lucky he was before finally drifting off into a dreamless sleep.