Reminiscing - LilyK

"So, Chief. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, man. Anything."

"You seem pretty well adjusted."

"Thanks."

"That wasn't the question."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, as I was saying before you interrupted me, you seem to be pretty well adjusted. Do you have any big traumatic experiences from your childhood that I should know about? I mean, you don't wake up screaming from horrible nightmares of being molested. You and Naomi seem to get along and like each other, even if she is a nosy woman sometimes. You and I get along most of the time and you don't seem to have a problem being in a relationship with me. Why is that?"

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"I've known you for what, four years now?"

"Yeah, give or take a few days."

"You're a happy person most of the time. You're smart, funny and caring. I just wondered why that was."

"Jim, are you having problems with your father again?"

"This isn't about me. It's about you."

"It is? Why? What is going on with you? Come on, spill it."

"Why can't I be as well adjusted as you? Oh, God. That didn't come out right..."

"No. It's cool. Thanks for the off-handed compliment. Listen. You had a crappy childhood. Your father made you suppress your Sentinel abilities. That's as if Naomi had suppressed my curiosity as a child. Hell, Jim, that's what made me tick! You needed those senses as much as you needed food and love."

"But..."

"No buts. You got the food. You got the education. You didn't get the love, man. I did. Naomi was this - power in my life. She was always there for me. Yeah, when I got older, she started spreading her wings and flying to all corners of the globe, but that was long after I was settled in Rainier."

"What was it like?"

"What? Having her for a mother? Being nurtured?"

"Yeah."

"It was great. She was actually pretty strict on lots of things. No drugs, no booze. She's one of those people who believes only natural things should enter your body. And don't tell me marijuana grows naturally; you know what I mean. There was a time when she wouldn't even let me eat a candy bar. If I wanted cookies, she used all natural ingredients and made them herself."

"Wow. She must really love you."

"Geez, Jim. Don't sound so - wistful about it. Your father loves you."

"You are such a sack of shit. You know he barely tolerated me. He liked Stephen better, but just barely."

"I look at it this way. I love you. I love your dry sense of humor, your quick wit, your obstinate nature. Don't even give me that look. You are pig-headed, you know. Anyway, I love how you treat me and I love being with you. So, if you're a product of your upbringing then I love your dad because he made you into what you are today. Or at least helped it along. And I love everything about you. Well, sometimes the cleaning frenzies are a bit much."

"Smart mouth."

"That's me."

"Thanks, Chief."

"Sure, Jim."

"You want to go and catch a movie?"

"Yeah! There's a great new one opening in that new theater over on Evergreen. It has stadium seating and five different kinds of popcorn toppings."

"Sounds good. Let's grab some dinner, too. I'm in the mood for something spicy. Tandoori maybe. Okay, Chief?"

"You have a date, Jim."

The end.

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Author's Acknowledgements: Thanks to Sue and Chris for the beta, and to Ankaree for the wonderful art.