Henry looks down at Avalon from where he's perched in his office chair, putting some final touches on his history report. "I promise that your math book does not possess any brain-eating space-parasites."

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Rolling his eyes some, Avalon gives Henry a long-suffering look and then says flatly "I'm not talking about earwigs. I think that I've just had enough. My brain meats are starting to get words mixed up. I'm not even sure anymore whan language I'm talking; thank goodness for universal translators!"

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Henry gets to his feet. "I know the feeling, Blue," he admits, rubbing his temples, sounding a little drained. "I think I've hit a wall."

He turns to Avalon, offering a hand up. "Come on. I'll make some milkshakes and we can take a break."

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Always up for Henry's milkshakes, Avalon accepts the hand up and clambers to his feet and pulls his clothes down abck into order. "That sounds like a plan - I'm proud of myself for getting this far.." he says, all the while wearing a smile. "Can I have a chocolate one?"

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"No!" Henry declares seriously. "Too much chocolate will kill you!"

Then he grins. "Of course you can have chocolate. You should be proud, man. You're in a tough class. And Ms. Rander?" He lets out a low whistle. "She's tough."

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"Oh noes! Not death!" Replies Avalon with a giggle. He nudges at Henry playfully, smirking all the way as they head down the stairs.

"Yea, I'm not completely convinced that she's not a witch." Says Avalon, his voice still light. "If I hadn't already scanned her for magic or other cloaking powers, I'd say she was some sort of space-yeti."

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"She is kinda yeti-ish," Henry acknowledges with a chuckle. "I had her my Freshman year. I hated her."

He sighs. "She caught me cutting her class. She had called in sick, but was out shopping for the day. And she turned me in!" Henry grumbles. "I got grounded for a week for that one."

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Henry's story makes Avalon gasp, and he blinks several times before he says "Are you bloody serious? Grounded? Did no one notice that she was playing hooky too?" Shaking his head some, Avalon makes another low noise and huffs "Man, that must have sucked.."

Of course, that all makes Avalon think on it, and he offers a bit of a sheepish smile as he says "I always got in trouble for going off flying when I wasn't supposed to. The lady who owned us while I was a child thought that my wings were pretty and refused to let my feathers be docked. Her husband on the other hand hated me, and couldn't wait to sell me once I got old enough because I caused him so many headaches."

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The stories of Avalon being enslaved always make Henry wince, even as he's getting the ice cream out of the fridge, along with some peanut butter. "What... did they do to punish you?" he asks, sure he doesn't want to hear the answer, but also wanting to learn more about Avalon.

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Avalon just shrugs some, his tone soft as he says "It really wasn't as bad as you'd think. They'd give me more chores, or make sure that I'd be busy all day so that I didn't go out at night. If you're too tired to stand, you're too tired to fly after all. There were certain protections in place.. mainly for children."

He rubs at the side of his neck, then offers Henry a bit of a smirk as he said "I used to have a brand on the side of my neck but after I got my ring, it started healing all my scars away. I was lucky though - I didn't get beaten very much - only a couple times - because I was more valuable pretty."

Avalon then pauses for a moment, his head tilted to the side as he says softly "Does it bother you a lot when I talk about this stuff? I know.. it's not a comfortable subject for most people.."

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Henry considers a moment as he gets out the blender.

"It bothers me thinking about you like that. It bothers me to think you had to go through that." He heaves a deep sigh. "But I don't want to be shielded from it, either. It's something you've survived and lived through, and that means it's a part of who you are, you know?"

He starts to assemble the blender. "Want peanut butter in yours, too?"

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"Everyone has to come from somewhere, Henry." replies Avalon softly as he comes to settle against the counter near Henry. "Mm.. Chocolate and peanut butter.." he says with a big grin, before he then sighs and leans on the counter with a hip.

"It seems so barbaric - even to me." he then says. "When I talk about the things I've seen.. I don't know. It's almost like it's another place, another lifetime ago. It's not even been that long but.." he then offers a bit of a smile and reaches out to tug on the hem of Henry's shirt.

"But you are right; I am where I belong now. And I am much happier here. The people on Naltor.." he says, his voice trailing off, "They are different, Henry. They don't live in the same world that you and I do.. I don't think that I ever felt at home till I came here and everything that happened had a chance to occur.."

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Henry smiles as he begins to scoop the ingredients into the blender. "It's... kinda like... I got lucky, and you didn't. And..." He pushes the last of the ice cream off the scoop with his finger, then licks his finger briefly. "I dunno. I wish you had been treated better."

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"I got lucky in my own ways," says Avalon with a smile. "I grew up with my real parents.. my father taught my how to fly and my mother loved me very much. They spoiled me as much as they could.. I have many happy memories, after all."

He grins a bit then, and says with amusement in his tone "I do not wish I had a different upbringing. Everything here with you is so.. much brighter to me. I appreciate and value it all the more; I love everything all the more."

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Henry smiles. "Then maybe it was a bit of give and take. I lucked out and found my dad. And you lucked out with your birth-parents."

He begins scooping in the peanut butter.

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"Henry, the key to being happy in life isn't.. stuff. The people in your life have a hand, yes.. but in the end, you are the only one who has the power to decide if you are happy.. or not." Avalon says softly. "I choose to be happy. So I am."

He then smiles then, the expression brilliant on his face as he then says "But it is indeed a bit of give and take. Besides, I was needed on Naltor; but my job is done there. Now I am needed here. I would not change that even if I had the power."

He pauses, then asks "Was it tough, growing up with your dad gone being a space cop all the time? Was he gone then as much as he is now?"

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Henry shrugs. "I knew what he was doing. I... was proud of him. I knew he loved me. And he took me with him when he could." He pours the milk into the blender and starts it, but uses his ring to muffle the sound. "Yeah, he was gone a lot... but I learned a lot from it, and there were reasons for it."

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"It sounds like you spent a lot of time alone.. " replies Avalon softly, his tone gentle and sympathetic. "I spent a lot of time alone too.. though for completely different reasons."

He reaches out, rubbing a hand along the space between Henry's shoulder blades as he says "It seems like you have sacrificed just as much in your own life as I have in mine, just in different ways."

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Henry shrugs a little, but he appreciates the touch. "No..." he says softly, "there was Carol, and uncle James, and Tom... there were all the other kids my age, like Allanah or Keith or the twins..." He stops the blender and grabs a couple glasses. "There were people... around."

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Ava just gives Henry a bit of an apologetic smile his tone sheepish as he says "I think I'm not communicating well again. I more meant.. that you're lonely for his attention.. you've given up so much of the time that most kids got with their families for the sake of the universe. That's a very big sacrifice, Henry. Especially for someone who loves their family as much as you do."

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"We do all kinds of things together, Ava," Henry says, a touch defensive. "He taught me how to fly... he took me to different planets... he's been an amazing father. And I know he loves me."

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"I'm not saying that he wasn't a good dad, Henry; that's not it at all." says Avalon gently, his expression sheepish. "I'm just not communicating well, I'm sorry. I really hate it when I do this."

Avalon tried to not get too distressed, and he takes a long deep breath before he says "All I'm saying is that because of the whole saving the universe thing that we all do, your dad is gone a lot. And that sucks. That's what I'm saying. And I wish that he could have been able to be around more. Because he does love you. It's almost overwhelming for me when he looks at you."

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Henry shrugs. "He was saving the universe... doing his job. I can't be upset at him for that, you know?"

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"Yea, but it can still suck." replies Avalon softly. He gives Henry a little half-hug and then offers to hold the glasses while Henry pours the milkshakes.

Avalon decides then to change the subject, just to keep from making Henry uncomfortable.

"Have you thought about what you're going to want to do when we graduate?" he then suddenly asks. "Someone asked me that Friday in class and struck me dumb. I have no idea what we're even supposed to do."

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"College," Henry replies, somewhat relieved to be off the topic... but still feeling closer to Avalon for having opened up to him. "I don't know which ones I want to apply for yet. Maybe up in Star City -- they've got a decent university, and it's not far from here... and Keith's there, too."

He shrugs. "Dad's talked a little about the Air Force as a possibility, but I don't think I'd do well in there. Not really a military guy myself."

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