The Bertie Mansion

XX

Once again outside the Bertie Mansion, Jeremy halted the group. "What do we tell Mom and do we sneak in or risk waking her up?"

"Let you, me and Caleb go to our rooms, and then Alexander can come over, pretending the house just collapsed, and he's asking for shelter," Will suggested. The others agreed but his plan was foiled when Jade opened the door.

"Are you coming in or not?" she asked them. She stood with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. "I've been waiting up for your return. You think I'd be foolish enough to assume you wouldn't do something so stupid? Will, I expected this from you, but Jeremy?"

"Why me?" Will whined. He thought he was the favorite, the responsible one.

Jade lifted an eyebrow. "Life's not some cutesy video game, son. I know that, and Jeremy knows that, but do you? I might be hard on him but that's because he has potential. He can make himself something if he got out of his self-pity party for once. All of you could have gotten hurt. If I thought I still had authority over you two I'd tell you that you're grounded."

"Mom," Jeremy said as he hugged her. "You're back."

"Of course I am. I told you, I can handle myself. Your father's death just threw me for a little. I've been getting better for a while now and it's time I deal with your nosy aunts and uncles." She stepped back and raised her hand like she was going to slap him but took his glasses off his face and cleaned them on her shirt. Then she gently slipped them back on. "There."

Will joined them to make it a group hug and Jade noticed the extra two people. "Where's Thomas? Your daughter?"

Alexander cleared his throat, his expression sad. "Not alive."

"Ah." She smiled at him and invited him in with a hand gesture. "You're welcome for as long as you'd like, tell me if you need anything at all."

Jeremy exchanged a look with his brother. "I thought she'd kill us for getting into that much danger."

"I know," Will replied as he glanced at their mother. She continued to smile as she met his gaze but her eyes were hard.

"You're so dead later," she said in a normal conversation tone. It reminded the boys of their younger years and despite the pleasantness of her voice, it was creepy and they knew they were in big trouble.

Will was straining under the weight of Alyssa so Jeremy took her back. Everyone gathered in the entrance hall for a second to calm down and decide how to proceed. Jade led Alexander towards the kitchen for a soothing cup of tea that would knock him right out, while Will escaped to his room. This left the sleeping girl, Jeremy, Caleb, and Rob.

Rob nodded in their direction and backed out. "I'll leave you alone. See you in the morning."

"Good night," Jeremy said in parting. He led his friend upstairs and to a small guest bedroom, the perfect size for a smaller occupant. He laid Alyssa on the bed, tucking her in.

Caleb turned off the light and watched him fuss with the blanket. "You've got a soft spot for her."

"She just lost her parents." Jeremy stood up straight, spun around to face him, and looked him dead in the eye. "I wouldn't mind kids, if I were a fit parent. They're not afraid to make a place more lively."

Caleb didn't want to read too far into it but it sounded as if Jeremy was asking if he wanted to have kids together. His heart didn't want to take the flip-flopping and gave a two weeks notice. "I wouldn't mind either, eventually. I think you'd make an epic parent."

Jeremy nodded at this. He passed by to go to the hallway and walked until he was in front of his room. Then he opened his mouth and shut it like he was trying to say something. His head hung low as he watched his feet. "Did you want to come in? Or... no?"

"I think I'll just sleep. Has it only been a day? It feels like a week. I've surpassed even my abilities to go without sleep. Um," Caleb said. He wasn't sure what was being implied and now that his adrenaline had mostly left his system he did want to sleep for a month before having another thought or internal debate. "Night."

"Yeah. Night," Jeremy replied, eyeing his pyjamas on his friend. He looked cute in them, a bit too big for the size of his body. His feelings were jumbled after this new night to remember and he hugged Caleb for a brief moment to try to express them without words.

As they entered their rooms Jeremy sighed. There was one more mystery to solve.