Fix the future by changing the past

what is familiar and strange

"Hey kiddo? Are you awake?" A hushed voice called out, stirring the sleeping troll from his slumber.

Groggily pushing himself up, bright blue eyes fluttered open to look at who was talking to him, only to be met by the two friendly faces of his mother and brother.

"Douxie? Mom?" Jim tiredly wondered straightening himself up where he sat to allow the two to sit besides him. "What are you doing here?"

"We thought you might have come here..." Douxie said, sitting down to his right while his mom hugged him from the left, to which he happily accepted the gesture and leaned towards her.

"Sorry for disturbing you, kiddo... but we were getting worried..." Barbara said softly, gently petting Jim on top of his head.

Jim simply leaned into her touch, not wanting the warmth of her fleshy hands to leave him alone. It felt nice, having people that know him as he is around him.

Douxie started talking about his time in hiding, the adventures he and Archie took, being joined in the explanation by said dragon, and the trouble they would cause, sometimes even dragging Zoe with them. Every now and again his mother would laugh at the stories Douxie would tell, not once letting go of her son in fear of him running away again.

"And then Arch accidentally drank Slorr milk!" Douxie laughed at the memory, causing his familiar to roll his eyes with a groan.

"I thought you said we would never talk about it!" Archie scowled at his wizard.

"Come on, Archie, just this one time? For Jim's sake?"

"Fine... but only this once!"

At their bickering, Jim cracked a soft smile just before his stomach started rumbling, which caught the attention of his mom, Douxie and Archie. "What time is it?" Jim asked, looking at his mom who checked her phone.

"It's 3:15 in the morning." She replied with a small smile that quickly turned around. "I have a shift in fifteen minutes..." the hurt in her voice was so evident that it made Jim frown.

"It's okay, mom. I'll be fine..." Jim said softly, giving his mom a hug.

"I'll call you and Toby sick today." Barbara said with a soft smile before turning to look at Douxie, who sighed.

"I'd stay... but... I still have to make my rounds and meet up with Strickler after his meeting with Bular..." the wizard said half heartedly. Both didn't want to leave Jim alone, especially after his episode.

Jim only gave them gentle smiles, pulling them all into a hug. "I'll be fine. I have Vendel. Besides, I wanted to check in on Nomura and Tobes..." he said with a quiet chuckle, trying to reassure the two humans in his arms.

Barbara took hold of her son's face to gently bring his head down to touch her own, causing the teen to let out a low contempt rumble like pur. "Jim, never forget that I love you no matter what." She said, gently placing a kiss on her son's head before moving back to stand. "And I'll always be here to support you, alright? I'm so glad that I have you for a son."

Her words brought a genuine smile onto Jim's face. He knew he could always trust his mom, she has been there for him from the start, and she always will for as long as she can.

Barbara wore the glamour mask he had used before to turn into a troll version of herself to match Jim and not catch the suspicious gazes of passing trolls. And soon, both her and Douxie were down from the high perch where Jim sat- with the help of Douxie's magic- and out of the forge.

Jim took a deep breath, as he shook off the remnants of his sleep. The whirr of the Soothscryer catching his attention, did the council want to talk to him? He really wasn't feeling like he could face those old ghosts.