Josie sat at the desk they had used for their investigation. She read the report she had

prepared for the Crown and the Duchy. The board quest was complete. She wondered

what she should do tomorrow with Jack and the kids gone from the Hangar. Maybe

she would hang around the hospital and bug Jane and Hilda.

She wanted to see how the cure would do on the women more affected by the goblin

tree seeds than the nurses working on them.

She looked at her group. She had to break them up and get them back where they

belonged. They had done a good job on keeping her on track, and helping her find the

criminals involved.

She had to get things moving.

“Mister Gall,” said Josie. “I’m going to take you home and get things settled with

your wife, and kids. If you want to work, but not with the Watch, I will hire you for

the hospital to help protect it.”

“Can I consider it?,” said Gall. “I would like to talk to my wife about it.”

“Yes,” said Josie. “I will help you move so your family is closer to the hospital to

help you out.”

“Thank you,” said Gall. “This has been something.”

“Maybe you can be the first detective here,” said Josie.

“Detective?,” said Gall.

“Where I am from, the Watch is divided into uniforms which is most of the Watch

here who patrol and look for crimes that have just happened,” said Josie. “And

detectives who look at old crimes and try to figure out what happened and who did

it just like we did with Shek.”

“Maybe the Captain will think about doing something like that,” said Gall. “I doubt

he will assign me to anything like that.”

“It has been an experience, Ear Ripper,” said Bob. “I will let Lori know you are

willing to take her fishing.”

“I will say, Bob,” said Josie. “You made everything go a little smoother. It has been

a pleasure. I will let Jack know to be ready to take her. I’m going to enjoy my day

without responsibilities as much as I can.”

“Just remember you don’t always have to consult us about a crime,” said Bob. “You

could come by and just have some tea and biscuits.”

He lifted a hand. A rainbow wrapped around him and he walked into the air and

vanished. The bridge of light retreated with every step he took.

“The Duke will be happy to have these rings rounded up and dispensed with before

the audit arrives,” said Lois.

“I’m happy too since it makes the city safer for my kids,” said Josie. “Let’s turn

everything over to the Duke. I still have to get ready for dinner and send June home

for her fight.”

It took them a few minutes to find the Duke. He was in a meeting with some planners

from the city department. He held up a hand to stop the talk as he looked at his new

visitors.

“We captured the people you wanted to talk to,” said Josie. “The solo operator is

dead. He was taking potions to turn him into a strong berserker. The rest are at the

hospital under guard. Litt is confined under guard. I left a report in the office we

used.”

“It was a pleasure to do what we could,” said Lois. “I am due back in the capitol. I

will be glad to inform the King that your help was instrumental in solving these

problems.”

“Thank you,” said the Duke. “I hope to have the tax department ready for the audit.”

“Very good,” said Lois.

“Whenever you want to deal with Litt’s bosses, Jane is holding them at the hospital,”

said Josie. “They won’t be able to walk for a bit.”

“Understood,” said the Duke.

Josie changed and threw out a set of birds to take them across the city. She let the

persona go as she led the way to the Gall homestead. She knocked on the door.

“Yes,” said Madam Gall. She didn’t open the door.

“I have some news for you,” said Josie through the door.

Madam Gall opened the door. She took in Josie, frowning at her visitor. Then she

looked at the older Lois in her traveling dress and boots. Then the man in armor

behind them, holding a pike.

“It’s bad, isn’t?,” said Madam Gall. “Quiton isn’t coming home.”

“His service is done,” said Josie. “He is coming home.”

“Really?,” asked the woman. “When?”

“How about now?,” asked Gall. He raised the visor of his helmet. He smiled at his

wife.

She exploded with a laugh, and a cheer. She pushed pass Josie and Lois to hug her

husband. She wrapped her arms around the armor and tried to squeeze. The elven

metal refused to bend.

Children appeared. They took in the scene. They began to scream and jump for joy.

Then they rushed their parents with hugs of their own.

Josie changed and whisked herself and the Queen to the Hangar. She smiled as Gall

tried to answer all the questions being thrown his way.

“That was something,” said Lois as Josie let the persona go.

“Let’s see how things are here,” said Josie. “You should be able to spend some time

with Caroline before we take you home. Then we can see what the rest of the day will

bring.”

“I think the Duke will have an easier time of things with your help,” said Lois.

“He was never going to pass any audit as long as he had people still on his payroll

stealing money,” said Josie. “It seemed the easiest thing to do to keep the peace.”

“There will still be a lot of problems to press out,” said the Queen.

“I only care about my kids, and Elaine,” said Josie. “The rest will have to wait until

I can turn my attention to it, or harness Jack into taking care of it for me.”

“I see,” said Lois. She smiled. She thought the comments about being soft on the

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inside described her companion well as they walked to the elevator and went down

to find their children.

They stepped off the elevator in the main parlor area. Angelica and Elaine were

fussing with things in the kitchen. The other girls were talking with Thad, Emily, and

Case. She didn’t see Matilda, Jack, or Aviras.

“The missus,” said Beatrice, so everyone could hear her.

Case and Caroline separated by a few inches in a hurry.

“Where is Matilda and Aviras?,” said Josie.

“Jack took her to her room,” said Melanie. “Aviras went with them. She had an

adverse reaction to the gift he gave her.”

“What kind of adverse reaction?,” said Josie.

“She is remembering everything that she has seen and done for the last eight years,”

said Melanie.

“Right,” said Josie. “Let me look into this. Thank you for your help, Lois. You could

be a good detective with some work.”

Josie strode to the elevator and took it down to the girls’ floor. She walked across the

central parlor area to Matilda’s room. She paused as she heard voices through the

door.

At least Aviras was calmer than she expected.

She knocked before letting the door slide out of the way. Matilda was on her bed.

Aviras stood beside her. Jack stood next to the bed. He rubbed his scar as he thought.

“So what happened?,” Josie asked.

“Hey, Jo,” said Jack. He smiled. “How’s it going? How did things work out in the

city?”

“Deflection won’t work,” said Josie. “What did you do to Matilda?”

“I gave her the ability to remember things and connect them faster,” said Jack. “She

seems to be remembering too much. So we brought her down here so we can wait

until she comes out of it.”

“Really?,” said Josie.

“She figured out what friends with benefits means and Melanie is hiding her brain in

two seconds,” said Jack.

“Really?,” said Josie.

“Yes,” said Jack. “But she is undergoing a process as her brain sorts things. I already

checked with Doctor Strange, and she is physically okay. She is sleeping things off

at the moment.”

“Then why are the both of you here?,” asked Josie.

“In case something unexpected happens,” said Jack. “I might have to take the gift

back. I’m waiting to see what happens.”

“And I am waiting to bite his face off in case Matilda is hurt,” said Aviras.

“What do you need from me?,” asked Josie.

“Nothing,” said Jack. “We’re just waiting to see what will happen. We’ll call you if

we need Doctor Occult.”

“Aviras,” said Matilda. She still had her eyes closed.

“I’m here, Matilda,” said the dragon. He crawled up the bed to be next to her torso.

“Thank you for your protection,” she said. “You are the first real friend I have made.

Jack and Josie try, but they have a lot of responsibilities, and the Ducklings were born

out of necessity even though we are more like sisters, than not. Thank you for

everything. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”

“Thank you,” said Aviras. “It is the same for me. I have never known anyone to

extend a hand out to me. I appreciate that you did so. That took some courage.”

“You’re not going to die,” said Jack.

“I know,” said Matilda. She opened her eyes and smiled. She grabbed Aviras and

hugged him despite his protests. “I just wanted to have my say before things get

complicated again.”

“Young lady,” said Josie. She couldn’t decide whether she should laugh, or cry.

“Pranks are for people who need to be shot. Get out of bed and join us for dinner.”

“How do you feel, Matty?,” said Jack.

“I feel lots better,” said Matilda. She released Aviras and let him fly to a place on her

desk as she swung her feet over the edge of the bed. “It took me a while to sort

of shunt the memories to a waiting line. It’s working well right now. I think if I have

some kind of strong emotion, that might trigger a loss of control. This is really

a marvelous gift you have given me, Jack.”

“You’re too young for the movie, but maybe I can get June to get a copy of the

television show,” said Jack. “It has some violence and mystery solving. Maybe

it will give you pointers for what you can do with your gift.”

“Just remember,” said Josie. “With great power comes great responsibility.”

“Bah,” said girl and dragon at the same time.

“Better go get something to eat before it’s gone,” said Josie. “You two have done

a good job the last few days. I think we can lift the restriction on the books and ice

cream.”

“Really?,” said Matilda. A grin split her face. She exchanged a look with her

companion.

“Aviras,” said Josie. “I will pay you what I owe as soon as June makes it home.”

“You won’t welsh?,” said the dragon. Fire played around his snout as he thought of

the prize he was about to receive.

“I’m not Jack,” said Josie. “I will have it in a barrel and put it in your room after

lights out. Don’t overeat.”

“That will be so good,” said Aviras.

“Then we should go into the breach one more time,” said Josie.

“We should think about giving other people gifts like these,” said Matilda.

“Can’t,” said Jack. “The Society frowns on it. I have to settle for what I can give you

as the future protectors of the planet, and the Village who are Mister Warner’s

tentative minions at this point. A sudden change like powers for everyone will have

the Society trying to replace me with someone dumber and useless.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” said Aviras. A small twinkle sparked in his sapphire

eyes.

“Everyone is a critic,” said Jack. He grinned at the dragon. “But Hank Pym is more

my friend than yours, buddy.”

“Bah,” said Aviras.

“No biting,” said Josie. She pushed Jack toward the elevator. “No gloating. You’re

supposed to be setting a good example for the kids.”

“I’ve never been a good example before,” said Jack.

“I don’t think that’s your strong point,” said Matilda. She hopped off of the bed.

She held her hand out for Aviras so she could put him on her head. “You’re more

like a wild animal that can be friendly as long as food is not around like Igram

the Bear.”

“Cultural hero?,” said Jack.

“He was supposedly a wild bear that a knight from Gowan Hand’s band tamed to be

a riding animal,” said Matilda. “He also attacked the knight’s enemies when they

were in fights together.”

“A friendly type menace to society does sound like you,” said Josie. She put her arm

around Matilda as they walked to the elevator.

“Thank you for being worried about me,” said Matilda. “You do act like our mother

instead of a big sister.”

“I am trying to be a good example,” said Josie. “I am just not good at it.”

“Would you have gone home if you hadn’t needed to protect us?,” said Matilda.

“I didn’t know how, and I had already signed the quest board,” said Josie. “If things

had gone different, maybe I wouldn’t have killed the people I have killed, or

done some of the things I have had to do. Maybe I wouldn’t have dealt with the

werewolf I dealt with today because of how time splits. But if I went back in time

and changed things, none of us would be who we are now. I can see why the

Federation placed a Temporal Prime Directive in effect for their future time

travelers.”

“Temporal Prime Directive?,” asked Matilda.

The group stepped into the elevator. Jack pressed the button to take them back up to

the main rooms.

“The Federation had an order to not interfere with the people they found on their

travels,” said Josie. “Eventually they mastered time travel and put in an order for their

officers not to interfere with the past beyond fixing something that had already gone

wrong because of time bandits, tourists, and such. As explorers, it’s their number one

rule.”

“Plus time is mutable in their setting,” said Jack. “Someone traveling into the past and

doing the wrong thing could destroy their future from that point on.”

“So if we went back and told you about all of this, none of us would be here now?,”

said Matilda.

“You wouldn’t be able to jump out of the Enterprise’s cargo door tomorrow,” said

Jack.

“I don’t know what would have happened,” said Josie. She frowned at Jack. “But

there is a small chance that you and the rest of the Ducklings would be dead by now.”

The elevator doors opened.

“Dinner is being served,” said Josie. “Go ahead and eat. Then it will be time to head

to bed.”

Matilda and Aviras headed for the table. She slid in beside Alicia and took her place.

The dragon dropped down on the table beside her plate.

“What have you done to Matilda?,” Josie quietly asked as she watched the crowd in

front of her.

“I gave her an ability like Limitless,” said Jack. “In ten years, she will be roaming

around space and time like the Doctor, and fixing problems before they happen.”

“The Society will have your head for this,” said Josie.

“I am more worried that the machine has a side effect that will give Matilda

dementia,” said Jack. “We’ll see how things go.”

“Are you serious, or being scary?,” asked Josie.

“Yes,” said Jack. “What’s this about a werewolf?”

“Watchman was using some kind of potion to get buff and hairy to kill people,” said

Josie. “He was literally ripping them apart with his hands.”

“I take it he didn’t want to be arrested,” said Jack.

“No,” said Josie. “He didn’t.”

“Tough stuff,” said Jack. “I guess I will test the falling device tomorrow.”

The sound of the Tardis appearing softly filled the room.

“June must be here,” said Jack. “I’ll go get her.”

He stepped back in the elevator.