"The First Meeting"
"And who is this?" Ansem asked pleasantly, never having met his new apprentices' child before.
"This is our little boy - Ienzo," said Marian, who held the blue-haired, blue-eyed baby. He had a pacifier in his mouth and quietly looked all over the room before making eye contact with Ansem. He stretched a hand toward him.
"Hello there," Ansem said softly, offering his forefinger. Ienzo grabbed it as if to shake it. Ansem chuckled. "Quite precocious, isn't he?"
"He's well-behaved, too. He won't be much trouble," James added nervously. A baby could be quite a distraction.
"I'm not worried," Ansem assured him. "This is your home now too."
Ienzo was a curious child from the start. While his father talked with Ansem and his mother unpacked, he crawled out into the hallway to explore his new surroundings. He stopped and looked up as two of the guards were walking down the hall toward him.
"Huh? What's a baby doing here?" Aeleus asked, puzzled.
"I think he's the son of the new assistant Ansem hired," Dilan replied. "Cute little bugger, isn't he?"
"Yeah, intelligent-looking too."
Ienzo reached up to them, and Dilan said, "I think he wants you to pick him up."
Aeleus bent down and gently picked up the infant, holding him in his arms. The child remained wide-eyed and docile as he looked at the two of them. "Amazing. He doesn't seem intimidated by us at all," Aeleus uttered in surprise.
"I hope I'm lucky enough to be a father someday," Dilan remarked.
"Why aren't you two at the front gate yet?" Even inquired, walking up behind them. "Wait, what do you have there?"
"It's an infant male, sir," Aeleus answered.
"I know that. What's he doing with you two?"
"We found him crawling down the corridor. He must have wandered away from his parents," Dilan responded.
"I'm sure they must be worried. It's dangerous for a small child to go off on his own like that," Even said.
"Hey, what's everyone gathered around for?" Braig asked, joining them. "Aw, it's a baby! Hey there, little guy."
"I think you just scared him a little," Aeleus remarked as Ienzo seemed to squirm closer to him at Braig's approach.
"What? Kids love me," Braig protested.
Just then they were joined by Ansem and the boy's parents, who were relieved to find that Ienzo was in safe hands. "You see, Marian, he was just getting to know everyone," said James, somewhat amused.
Aeleus handed Ienzo to his mother. "Thank you for looking after him," she said gratefully.
"Our pleasure," Dilan replied. Aeleus nodded wordlessly in agreement. Then the two of them went to their post, and Ienzo stared after them as they did.
"First Words"
Ienzo's parents had given him an alphabet book to teach him how to speak and read. They thought his first word would be one from the book, but they were wrong, as his first word became 'book.' At first he would hold it up and yell "Buh!" but he eventually got the whole word out. While his mother organized the books in the library, he would drag one of the oversized books on the bottom shelves over to her. "Book! Mama! Book!"
"Aw, are you trying to help me?" she asked. "Thank you." Ienzo giggled and went back for another one.
Aeleus walked over to them as Ienzo was trying to stack the books on the floor. "That's sweet. He thinks he's helping."
"He's not damaging them, so it's all right," Marian said. Ienzo looked up at them, sucking his thumb. "Nothing a disinfectant wipe can't fix, anyway." She picked up the gurgling babe and wiped the drool off his face with her handkerchief. "Don't put your hands in your mouth, Ienzo."
"Ba-ba," he said.
"No more bottle. You're a big boy now."
Marian carried Ienzo in a sling on her back as she and Aeleus brought the books to Ansem in his office. Ienzo waved at him as they turned to leave. "Ba-bai!"
Ansem smiled and waved back. "Bye-bye."
"BSOD"
"Be a good boy." Those were the last words Ienzo's parents had told him before...
"I'm scared," Ienzo whispered, clinging to Even.
"You have every right to be," Even replied, gently putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.
As they walked down the hall toward the lab they heard the sound of glass breaking followed by an explosion. Even told Ienzo to wait in the hall and went in to check on them. Ansem arrived soon after followed by Aeleus. When Even re-emerged he looked devastated; this told them the result of their mistake had been fatal.
"Aeleus, please take Ienzo outside and ask Dilan and Braig to come help," Ansem instructed solemnly. Not knowing what was going on, Ienzo burst into tears.
"What's happened?" Dilan asked worriedly when he saw Aeleus carrying the crying child.
"There was an accident. His parents..." Aeleus couldn't finish the sentence, but Dilan and Braig understood.
"Oh no," Braig gasped. "He didn't see it, did he?"
"No. Even made sure of that, and his lordship wants to keep it that way. They need your help inside."
Dilan and Braig hurried inside without another word. Aeleus found a place to sit down with Ienzo still crying and began to cry himself. It was a sad day for everyone.
That night, Even held the boy until he cried himself out and then put him to bed. Braig came in, but Even did not see the usual mischief in his eyes. "I just keep thinking about that day back when we were kids," he murmured, referring to Even's mom's funeral. "It's not hereditary, is it?"
"No. We haven't been able to isolate any gene or chromosome in particular," Even responded somberly.
"That's good though, right? It means you two aren't necessarily gonna..." His voice trailed off; he didn't want to think about death anymore. Diseases were one thing, but risky behavior was another thing entirely, something they were all prone to. It could pay off in spades or ruin their lives...or end them.
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