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Alan stopped by his room to get his homework, in particular his math book, while Fermat waited for him. A.J. had headed for the library after dinner, so Fermat's room would be a quiet place to study. Just as they were about to leave, Alan's phone rang. The jaunty tune that signaled who the caller was made Alan grin.

"It's Scott," he said as he tucked three books into his backpack and grabbed it by the handle. The two friends left, walking down the steps as Alan answered the call with a friendly, "Hey, Scott."

On the island, Scott sat back in Thunderbird One's cockpit. He was running a series of diagnostics on the improved camera fogger that Brains had installed, making sure it was functioning in harmony with the rest of the rocket plane's systems. "Hey, Sprout! How's it going up there?"

"I'm okay, Scott... and don't call me 'Sprout'." Alan's tone was more one of amusement than of annoyance. "Fermat and I are headed to his place to do some homework."

"Ah, that explains why there's no picture. Glad to hear you're cracking the books! Say 'hi' to Fermat for me."

Alan rolled his eyes and turned to his friend. "Scott says hello." He held the phone out in Fermat's general direction.

Fermat got close so he could be heard. "H-Hi, Scott!"

Alan took the phone back and put it to his ear, just in time to hear Scott laughing. "There you go." He took in a deep breath and let it out, saying, "So, where are the other guys? You don't usually phone me by yourself – you get Virge and Gords or John together and you all talk to me at once."

"Oh, true." Scott said, sounding distracted as he reached for a data pad to record some of the diagnostic results. He paused in what he was doing, and put down the pad. "Okay, Alan. I'll be honest. The other guys aren't here because I have an ulterior motive for calling."

"And what's that?" Alan sounded slightly sour.

"Well," Scott began, choosing his words carefully. "Dad mentioned at lunch today that you had a doctor's appointment coming up, and that you'd be seeing Lee Sugimoto soon. I was wondering... I know you want Dad out there, but would I do instead?"

Alan frowned. "You? Why do you want to come out here? Did Dad ask you to come?"

Sighing, Scott picked up the pad again, looking at it without really seeing it. "He didn't ask me to come; I suggested it and Dad told me I should run the idea past you first. If you still want Dad to come, that's okay, but... I'd like to see you, too. I could drive you to the doctor's appointment at least."

Alan's stride slowed even more than it had when he first started the conversation. "You want to see me? Here?" He sounded almost incredulous.

"Hell, yeah! I do! So do Virge and Gords, and John, when he's back on earth!" Scott grinned, even though his brother couldn't see him. "Dad says we have to go one at a time; might as well start at the top, right?"

Alan snorted a laugh. "Yeah, right. Sure. Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Scott." He sobered for a moment, turning over the offer in his mind. He visualized what it might be like seeing Sugi, and having Scott at his back. I once thought they were kinda alike... but Scott's a better man than Sugi will ever be.

Scott noticed the pause, and added, "If you're not sure, give it some thought and get back to me. Just don't wait too long, okay? Brains hasn't come up with an instant teleportation device... yet."

"No, no, I think... yeah, I'd like you to come. Since I don't know when I'm going to see Sugi," here Fermat shot Alan a surprised and suspicious look, one that Alan didn't really notice, "Dad might not be able to spare you for that long. But it'd be good to see you, and to have family there when I go to the doctor."

By this time they'd arrived at Maplewood, and were climbing the stairs. Alan's focus turned to navigating the first few, and as a result, he missed a little bit of what Scott was saying.

"... send you an email with my flight plan, so you'll have an idea of when I arrive." Scott leaned back in the pilot's seat as far as it would let him go. "I'm looking forward to seeing you, Sprout. And Fermat, too. Tell him I want to see him kick butt in a quiz match!"

"I'll tell him. And... it'll be good to see you too, Scott," Alan said, a small smile spreading over his face. He paused at the top of Maplewood's steps. "Well, I gotta go. Have homework and stuff to do. Talk to you soon."

"Right. Next time we talk, it'll be face to face."

"Sounds good." Alan's smile widened. "Oh, and Scott?"

"Yeah, Sprout?"

"Don't call me 'Sprout'."

Scott laughed again. "Okay, okay. I'll try to remember. See you soon. Bye."

"Bye." The call disconnected, and Scott smiled, then put away his phone. He glanced at the data pad to find out where he'd stopped. Better finish this up, let Dad know what Alan said, and file that flight plan.

Alan closed his phone, stuck it in his pocket, and sighed, a contented sound. "It was good to hear from him."

"Y-Yeah. I'm sure it w-was." Fermat's tone was quiet and flat, and he didn't look at Alan as they boarded the elevator for the third floor.

Alan frowned. Sounds like I made him mad or something. Better find out more once we get to his room.

Fermat put his hand to the scanner and shuffled into the room, a concerned Alan following him. He flung himself into his desk chair as Alan put the backpack on the floor, and turned to face his friend arms folded across his chest. "Okay, what gives? What did I do to piss you off?"

Fermat took off his glasses, and polished them with a cloth, a delaying tactic that Alan was well familiar with. Finally, he squinted through each lens and put the glasses back on. "So," he began, his voice quiet, "when did you d-decide to s-s-s...visit Sugi?"

The question took Alan a bit by surprise. "This afternoon, after talking with the detective. She thinks that if I talk to him, maybe he'll let something slip and they'd know if he had anything to do with Erik's beating." The name slipped out before Alan could catch himself.

"Erik?" Fermat frowned, a thoughtful expression. "Your t-teammate Erik? He was the third v-victim?"

"Yeah, he was. I think you met him." Alan eased himself onto the edge of Fermat's bunk, using his hands to steady himself. "I was asked not to tell, but it sort of slipped out."

"D-Doesn't m-matter, really; it's probably all over the s-school by now." Fermat's voice took on a rueful tone, and he shook his head. "When were you g-going to tell us? Were you going to t-tell us?" Implicit in his tone was the question, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah, I was going tell you, you and all the guys. When? Probably tomorrow sometime. I didn't know how to bring it up at dinner tonight. I was kinda more concerned about the whole 'did they attack me because I was gay' thing." Alan sighed. "Look, Fermat, I don't know when I'm going, and I still might not. The detective said I could pull out at any time. Scott knows because Dad mentioned it to him, and he called to ask if he could come out and back me up. So he'll be here for the doctor appointments on Thursday, and hopefully, when I talk to Sugi as well." Alan smiled, a wry expression. "He also says he wants to see you kick ass in a quiz meet."

"Hopefully I w-will," Fermat said, a wry tone to his voice. That tone dissolved quickly into one that showed his frustration and hurt. "It's just... you asked us f-for our opinions when you got that n-note. We all t-told you it was b-b-bad n-news to go see that b-b-b... s-s-son of a b-b-b... dog!" He shook his head, irked at his inability to spit out the words he wanted. "I kinda feel like wh-what was the use of t-t-telling you what we thought if you w-were going to throw it out the w-window."

"Fermat, I..." Alan spread his hands, his voice relaying his frustration. "Believe me, I took everything you and the guys said very seriously. I wasn't going to go. But there's a bigger picture here. I'm not the only one involved! And if I can help Erik by talking to the creep, I'm going to do it." He dropped his arms. "Besides, I have questions for him. I want to know why he got so angry at me, why he went so far as to beat me up." He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but like I said, I had my mind on other things."

Nodding his head, Fermat gave Alan a slight smile. "I u-understand now. J-Just don't forget to t-tell the others, okay?" He raised an eyebrow, and his expression turned to a speculative one. "So, Scott'll b-be here to t-take us to the d-doctor's?"

"Yeah." A slow grin spread over Alan's face; he recognized both the tone and the expression. "What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, m-maybe we can talk him into some decent p-p-pizza for dinner."

"Or a trip to the mall and the food court there?" Alan suggested.

"Even b-better!" Fermat returned the grin, then pulled his math book out of his backpack. "Meanwhile, we have h-h-h... assignments to do."

"And we better get cracking, too!" Alan pulled his own book. "I don't have much time!"

"Hey, Pinky!" Zave called as Alan left the food line with his tray. "Over here!"

Alan approached the table, noticing that most who were sitting there were his teammates. He found a seat beside Julio Estevez, who greeted him with a cheerful, "Hey, Alan!"

"Hey, Julio. How's it going?" Alan gave the other boy a grin before swigging a mouthful of juice.

"Pretty well, I guess. Coach is happy with my progress on the javelin, but I know I'm nowhere near as good as I have to be." Julio cut a wedge in his stack of pancakes, speared the layers with his fork, then crammed the wedge into his mouth. He chewed a bit, then talking around his food, asked, "When you gonna be back? We need the help!"

"I see the doctor tomorrow." Alan took a swig of juice and cut his sausage link with the edge of a fork. "I'm hoping to be back to practice next week."

"Hey, Zave, don't we have team pictures today?" John Carter, one of the alternates tapped when Sugi and Steve were expelled, called from his end of the table.

"Nah. That's Friday," Zave said. He paused to pour some more syrup on his pancakes. "Maybe Pinky here will be cleared for practice and able to be in the photo by then."

"With his face looking like that?" Carter said, giving Alan a speculative eye. "Don't think so, Zave."

The conversation died, and everyone's attention turned to Alan. Anger welled up in him, and Alan felt queasy, like he'd just been sucker-punched to the gut. He glared at Carter. "You should have seen it after they were done with me," he shot back, running his fingers lightly over his scabbed cheekbone, a sarcastic edge to his voice. "My face is no prize now, true, but it's a hundred percent better than what it was."

Carter subsided into embarrassed muttering, and the atmosphere at the table took on a strained and uncomfortable feel. Looking at his plate, Alan's nauseous feeling convinced him that he wasn't hungry anymore. He stood and took his tray. "Excuse me. I've got some homework to finish. See you later, Zave."

"Later, Alan," Zave replied with a nod.

As he walked away, Alan half-expected to hear the susurration of hushed conversation begin once his teammates thought he was out of earshot. Instead, there was the rumble of a familiar voice, Zave's, giving either a lecture or a low-key harangue; Alan couldn't make out which. Finally, he was truly out of earshot, and in line for the tray return.

Sable was on duty, and greeted him with a, "What's happening, Blondie?" She looked at his tray as she began to separate out the various items left on it. "Not hungry today?"

Her familiarity grated on him this time, but he settled for a simple, "Nah. See ya, Sable."

She gave him a sharp look, but he was already on his way out. "Later, Blondie."

Once out in the cool, gray morning, he stopped, and breathed in deeply. The feeling in his stomach eased a little, and putting his hands in his jacket pockets, he headed back to Birchwood. There were few students walking along the pathways, usually in pairs. Alan looked upward through the branches, suddenly realizing how many were bare. He watched as the sky lightened with the approach of dawn, obscuring the stars, overwhelming them one by one with the rising sun's light. He thought of John, in space where it never dawned, then of the island, always green with foliage, and a wave of homesickness washed over him.

Wish I could go home, run away from all this crap, forget what happened. Everything's changed. Me and Fermat, me and the team... nothing's the same. Nothing will ever go back to what it was. He sighed, his breath misting in the air before him. Then again, that's what happened last spring, too. It was scary while it was happening, and I hated it. Hated the Hood; still do. But when it was over, things had changed... I had changed, and it wasn't all bad, either. Bringing his gaze down, he looked across the dormitory quad as if really seeing it for the first time. I guess when this whole business is over and done, the changes might not seem so bad after all.

Despite the rocky start to the day, Alan found the rest of it to be soothingly routine. No unexpected summons, no stinging comments, only a few odd looks. The only class he felt like he was out of place in was strength training as Mr. Beccara wouldn't let him participate – not even allowing him to help his classmates. "Wait for that doctor's permission, Alan," he said when Alan approached him about it. "Then you can get back into the swing of things."

At lunch, under Fermat's watchful eye, Alan told the rest of his friends what his plans were. "She seems to think it would help this other kid if I talked to Sugi," he explained. "Otherwise, I wouldn't go. Hell, I still may not. It all depends."

"Depends on what?" Qaeshon asked. "Now that you've made the decision to go, what would keep you from going?"

"Yeah," Jason added around a forkful of slaw. "You're not exactly the type to back out of a deal."

Alan frowned for a moment, then began rubbing the back of his neck. "Good point, Kay, Jase." He blew out a breath and shook his head, bringing his hand back down to pick up his glass of milk. "I guess I'm pretty predictable, huh?"

"I dunno," Jason said. "You've surprised a few people around here this year." He forked up a mouthful of cake, and once he'd deposited the bite in his mouth, he waved the fork around. "Not us, though."

Alan snorted a laugh. "Right, sure." He sobered a bit, then added, "I just wanted you guys to know that I did listen, and took what you said seriously."

"S'okay with me," Jason said as he continued eating. "Your decision to make, not mine."

"And we'd expect you to at least reconsider your decision when presented with new data," A.J. added.

The boys at the table glanced at each other, then all eyes focused on Fermat. "I do believe that the Brain is proving to be an influence on A.J. here," Qaeshon said, trying out a fake English accent.

Alan grinned. "Next thing you know he'll want to take over the world."

A slow, sly smile spread over A.J.'s face. "Well," he said, not looking at his companions, and cutting off a bite of cake with the edge of his fork. "I have to start somewhere."

He put the cake in his mouth during the brief, astonished pause that followed, and serenely chewed as his table mates sputtered, then broke out into full-fledged laughter. He swallowed the cake seconds before Jason, who sat next to him, slapped him between the shoulder blades.

"Oh, good one, A.J.! Good one!"

The laughter, and the knowledge that his friends were okay with his decision, made the rest of Alan's day easier.

After dinner, Sable greeted him with a speculative look, and a, "Hey, Blondie. You having your picture taken tomorrow?"

Surprised, Alan shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. All the freshmen and sophomores are."

She put his plate in the dishwasher rack. "You want some help with covering that up?" With her gloved hand, she indicated his cheek.

"What do you mean?" Alan raised his own hand, fingers brushing over the scabs that had formed.

Eying the line that was forming behind Alan, Sable sighed. "Listen, Blondie. I can help, but not right now. Talk to me in the morning."

"Okay, sure, Sable. In the morning." He turned and headed out, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What w-was that all about?" Fermat asked as he joined the waiting group in the lobby..

"I dunno." Alan shrugged. "I guess I'll find out tomorrow."