The Phoenix Ghost

Ghosts & Skeletons

Owen Blackbourne...

************************************************

The Ghost team had just sat down to brunch, the septs had taken up the morning and were having their late morning nap. Sang and Iris exchanged a long glance as the men tucked into their food. The men had nearly finished eating when Axel noticed neither of their birds had eaten much and were more involved in a private conversation than their meal. He put down his cutlery with a deliberate clatter and eyeballed his women,

'Spill it, jewel, flower...' His voice was deep, dominant and unrelenting. Iris looked down but Sang stared Axel in the eyes, trying to communicate that there was a storm about to break over their team,

'You know from the conversation we had yesterday with Pops and Papa Phil that Iris and I made contact with Victor of the Blackbourne team,' the Toma team sat forward in their chairs tensely as Sang spoke. They did know this. From a relationship point of view, they weren't concerned about it - the twins would not have allowed them to touch them last night if they weren't sure of their commitment to the six of them. Still they were not happy that their birds looked so distressed and worried. Something was wrong. Iris continued,

'I got up last night to run my usual security checks while you were all asleep. While I was in the process of checking the electronic and internet security, not just Victor, but the whole Blackbourne team made contact. My uncertainty must've somehow communicated itself to sissy and she came to join me to find out what I was disturbed about,' Sang took over the explanation of the IM conversation,

'My primary purpose in tracking Victor down was to get our hands on the unedited video from the Blackbournes to find out what the board clearly doesn't want us to know. I asked if they'd sent us a video message back the beginning of November. After they said they had, I asked if they could send us the original file. I also told them why I needed them to do so,' Axel and Raven exchanged a swift glance,

'Did you confront them about leaving?' Axel asked,

'Not directly though I did make it clear that I was not happy with them... On that note, you should be aware, they know about the septs...' Raven responded immediately,

'Oni prosili uvidet' malen'kikh medvedey?' (Did they ask to see baby bears?) His voice was deceptively quiet, Sang and Iris could see the vague tremor of anger running over his hands,

'Not yet. But they will,' Sang's voice was soft and gentle as she watched Raven, Brandon, Kevin, Marc, Corey and even Axel clenching their fists to control their anger with the Blackbournes and the stress of the unknown impact their involvement with the septs could have on the Ghost family,

'I meant what I said to you six the day after the septs were born. You are their daddies. Right now all the Blackbourne team are is their fathers. You've been there to feed, change, bathe, play with and soothe them when they were cranky at all times of the day and night. The Blackbournes have a long way to go to earn the title of daddy,' Raven relaxed. There was no way in hell he'd let those pricks come in and push him and the rest of his brothers away from their babies or their birds. If Sang needed the bastards to be happy he had no problem with sharing, but he would not tolerate being pushed out because of their hang ups!

'And... they won't even get the opportunity to try for at least another year probably two based on what was on that unedited video we saw last night...' the room was silent as the Tomas processed that last sentence. This stress was about the assignment the Blackbourne team was on? Why?

'What is on that video, sweet pea? Do you know what assignment the Blackbournes are actually on? Did they say, is that why the board edited the video?' Brandon asked, asked on behalf of the Tomas, confused about what could be so objectionable and cause such trouble, they'd all been on tough assignments, but that was what they were trained for,