Jack listened. Elaine slept next to him. He brushed her hair away from her face. He

  marveled that she accepted him.

  He slipped out of bed and stepped into the closet. He had a new wardrobe hanging

  there. He pulled on an X logo shirt, sweat pants, and running shoes and headed

  upstairs.

  He looked at the main floor of his new home. The magic had done some good work

  as far as he was concerned. Even the destroyed picture had been good.

  He did some stretches and started running around the track. He didn’t devote too

  much time wondering why the magic had installed a running path along the inner

  wall. He concentrated on moving smoothly along.

  The kids, Josie, and Elaine would be up soon enough to distract him. He wanted to

  be ready so he could concentrate on what needed to be done.

  They would be running around today, but tomorrow they would be fishing. Nothing

  was lazier than fishing.

  A lot depended on whether they got quests before they could get Caroline settled in

  as their guest.

  He reviewed everything that had undergone in the last few weeks. There were odd

  things that stood out. He wondered if he was going to get a quest to deal with Guin

  at some point. It seemed small potatoes, but Sawtooth had been close enough to touch

  before they had dealt with him.

  He felt they would eventually have to deal with Sawtooth’s friends in the cult before

  they unleash something hidden in the bowels of the north.

  And he had to get a band for Russ.

  He paused after about ten laps around the inside of the living area. He felt his breath

  running away, but he seized it and took a moment to let his heart calm down for a

  moment.

  He stretched and felt things return to normal. It had been a long time for him to run.

  He used to do it all the time when he was in, but now it had been at least a month

  since his last run.

  He wondered if he could get the kids to start running. Maybe not Melanie, he decided.

  He still didn’t know what kind of gift to give her.

  He decided to raid the kitchen. Then he could get a shower and work on the new com

  band. Then he could wait for everyone to wake up and they could get started.

  He walked over to the kitchen. He looked around the new setup. He hadn’t put in a

  fireplace. He had put in a magical oven to go with the walk-in icebox. The mana

  charger on the floor would power them forever.

  He made himself a bowl of cereal and took that to the kitchen counter. He ate while

  he thought about what he could do to help out. He hoped June knew what she was

  doing up north. He would rather have her in Hawk Ridge where he could keep an eye

  on her.

  He supposed they wanted her to fly on her own, but he didn’t like that he would be

  responsible for telling his parents that she had bought the farm. How did he explain

  something like that?

  Mom, June got killed chasing a slime under her new home with her new girlfriend

  while I was trying to save the rest of this other world from killer tomatoes.

  That won’t go over well as far as he could see.

  “Maybe I can get Josie to write the letter,” he told himself. “She was always better at

  breaking bad news.”

  And he thought his parents liked Josie better.

  He decided that would be the way to go if June got killed.

  He put his dirty bowl and spoon in the sink. He washed it out with a little soap and

  water in it. He put the clean things on the drying rack.

  He headed back downstairs and took a shower and put on a Mar-Vell shirt and jeans

  before walking into his office. He sat down at his desk, and leaned back in his chair.

  The picture Elaine had wanted burned had sat on the wall over his desk, along with

  a picture of their group as Avengers. He smiled at Josie as the Scarlet Witch. He

  looked at the window, and noted the sun would be coming up soon.

  He had to get to work.

  The magic had put a parts box next to his desk. He opened the various drawers. He

  pulled out a flat piece of metal and some metal buttons. He turned into Magik and

  spent a few minutes creating the com band. He tested it. He added a button for Russ

  on his band.

  He would have to do the same for Josie, and Elaine. Otherwise, if Russ got into

  trouble, she had no one who could talk to her but him.

  He checked his window. The sun was coming on. He supposed Josie would be up in

  a few to get the rest of them started on their chores for the day.

  He wondered what he should do for Angelica and Melanie. He thought Angelica

  would want something to do with her cooking. He didn’t want to make it too easy for

  her. That would take the fun out of it.

  Melanie would want something that helped her laziness. Maybe a variation of Laura’s

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  flight would be useful for her. He sat back and decided to ask her if she wanted

  something like that.

  He smiled at that. She would love something where she could grab things from across

  the room without moving.

  He decided to ask her. Maybe she would surprise him.

  The Ducklings as a whole had surprised him more than he thought they would.

  “Jack?,” asked Elaine.

  “I’m here, Elaine,” said Jack. “In my office.”

  She stood in the door. He looked at her and took a breath. Every time he saw her, she

  was more beautiful to him. He smiled at her.

  “What are you doing?,” she asked.

  “I had to work on Boim’s com band so she could call for help while June is back

  home taking care of her business,” said Jack. “I need to add a button for her on your

  band, and Josie’s.”

  “I overreacted about the picture, didn’t I?,” asked Elaine.

  “You were embarrassed by it,” said Jack. “I get it. I think I might be embarrassed by

  ten naked versions of me too.”

  Elaine smiled. She stepped into the room and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I think if you saw ten versions of yourself in a picture, you would make it as big as

  possible and hang it in the most prominent place you could,” said Elaine. She smiled

  at his expression. “But I appreciate that you don’t do that, because some things should

  remain between lovers and not shared.”

  “And Josie would be irritated about it,” said Jack.

  “That goes without saying,” said Elaine. She took off her band and handed it over.

  “Obviously,” said Jack. “I just like to because it annoys her.”

  Elaine smiled.

  Jack worked on her band, adding a button with a seven on it. He handed it back when

  he was done.

  “Hopefully, you won’t have to do anything, but Russ will be on her own until June

  comes back, and she might need advice,” said Jack. “And you know more about the

  basic living stuff here than either Josie, or me. I have to put a button on Josie’s band

  just in case.”

  “I doubt there will be anything I can do but advise her unless I take the Enterprise and

  try to figure out her problem in person,” said Elaine.

  “I trust you enough to fix anything, even if you have to torpedo someone,” said Jack.

  “That is a lot of trust,” said Elaine.

  “If we get kicked out of here,” said Jack. “You and Matilda are the only ones I would

  trust the Enterprise with. You are better than me in every way. You can solve

  problems, and you won’t go overboard and overcommit. And everyone looks up to

  you, so you would have support to do things.”

  “You are the most precious loon I have ever met,” said Elaine. “And I love you for

  that.”

  “How do you want to start the day?,” asked Jack. “We could work on my stamina,

  enjoy the Jacuzzi, or let you enjoy a massage, or do all three.”

  “I think we should get ready, get prepared, and start on our tasks,” said Elaine. She

  smiled. “We can’t just lock ourselves away in our lair and enjoy ourselves. We still

  have to work.”

  “When you put it like that, it makes me want to hide in our lair and enjoy ourselves,”

  said Jack.

  “I have to get ready,” said Elaine. “You should be ready to show Angelica how to

  cook with your new stove and oven.”

  “What would be a good recipe for a gang of kids, a surly adopted big sister, and the

  queen?,” asked Jack. “Maybe I can scramble some eggs and cheese.”

  “Maybe toast should be added for flavor,” said Elaine. “Different shirt?”

  “I have a bunch of them now,” said Jack. “Magic. Who knew?”

  “At least you didn’t present me with something immodest to wear,” said Elaine. She

  waved at the picture on the wall.

  “But I did,” said Jack.

  “Really?,” said Elaine. “All I saw were my dresses and boots.”

  “Come with me,” said Jack. He grinned at her. He led the way into the closet. He

  searched the shelf and found a case marked swimwear. He pulled it down by its

  handle. He put it on the floor and opened it. Pieces of cloth were packed inside.

  He pulled out a full body suit and flipped it so he could hold it in both hands to show

  her.

  “This is a wet suit for long swims in a cold ocean, and surfing if you ever take that

  up,” said Jack. He handed her the clothing before pulling out the next piece. “This is

  a regular swimsuit. As you can see, it’s mainly for torso coverage.”

  “This looks like the clothes in your picture of us,” said Elaine. She took the suit and

  added it to the wet suit on her shoulder.

  “Costumes,” said Jack. “Someone once told me they were based on circus outfits back

  before I was born, and they became a tradition. Now these are bikinis. They are for

  sunbathing and swimming.”

  He pulled out two sets of bikinis, one after the other, and displayed them for her.

  She frowned at them.

  “These are almost not acceptable in public,” said Elaine. “Two strips of cloth?”

  “One goes on your chest, the other on your hips,” said Jack. “There are tinier versions

  just for sunbathing, but I didn’t see you doing that.”

  “You would have been right about that,” said Elaine. “Women actually wear this

  where you are from?”

  “Some don’t wear anything,” said Jack. He pulled out the last piece in the case. “This

  is a slingshot.”

  Elaine looked at the two straps connected at the bottom. Her face flushed.

  “Obviously this is a bit daring, and probably should be worn in private,” said Jack.

  “I’ll say,” said Elaine.

  Jack waited for her opinion. He put the slingshot back in the bottom of the case.

  “Is this really what women from your world wear?,” asked Elaine.

  “The most common are the body suit and the types of bikinis,” said Jack. “The

  slingshot is usually worn in tropical places where people don’t usually wear that

  much because of the heat. The full body is for people who are going to spend a lot of

  time in cold water. Surfers use them because they ride the top of the water, and they

  have to contend with cold water and the wind blowing on them.”

  He took the clothing back and folded everything and put the pieces back in the case.

  He put the case back on the shelf.

  “Most women here wear chemises if they swim in mixed company, or nothing at all

  depending on the situation,” said Elaine. “Sunbathing is not something I have heard

  of done here.”

  “It requires time and a spot to lay and relax,” said Jack. “The goal is to expose as

  much of your skin to the sun as you can so it tans up.”

  “And women do this on purpose?,” said Elaine.

  “Men too,” said Jack. “We have some leisure time to just smell the roses, but a lot

  depends on how much money you have, and where you live. Some countries require

  women to conceal what they look like with a robe and veil.”

  “No swimsuits?,” said Elaine.

  “No,” said Jack. “I think they have to wear the robe and veil the whole time, even if

  they do get in the water.”

  “Sounds cumbersome,” said Elaine. “Let me get ready and we can go upstairs.”

  “All right,” said Jack.

  “I will try on the slingshot tonight to see how it looks,” said Elaine.

  “The sun going down cannot come fast enough,” said Jack.

  “I am sure,” said Elaine. “Go on. I think we will be delayed until the others wake up

  if you try to help me get dressed.”

  “I will go up and look at what we have for breakfast,” said Jack. “We might need

  some supplies.”

  “I will figure that out when I come upstairs,” said Elaine. “Then you can show me

  how this stove is supposed to work.”

  “Hopefully it won’t blow up,” said Jack. He smiled at her. “I guess I should see what

  I can do before I have to face our surly flock of ducks and their even surlier mother

  goose.”

  “I think the real danger will be their most surly dragon, and a lack of ice cream,” said

  Elaine.