lost1

"I think Zac likes his cake," Walker whispered to his wife. Diana smiled, watching her son. Judging by the impish grin that suddenly crossed his face he was obviously thinking up some kind of horrible fate for the Power Ranger cake decorations, probably one that involved birthday candles.

Satisfied that Taylor would get thoroughly busted later, Zac leaned over and eagerly blew out the candles, imagining that the Power Rangers were caught in a giant monsoon. His mother started to cut the cake, and the four older Hanson kids clamored for pieces while their baby sister gurgled from her high chair.

BONK - something much bigger than an M&M hit Zac in the face. Startled out of his birthday memory, he picked up the small Tupperware shape that had just bounced off his forehead. He spied the culprit, his nephew, who was attempting a 'hit-and-crawl' and scooting away across the beige carpet.

"Andrew, don't throw toys at Uncle Zac on his birthday, that's not nice." Sarah, Zac's sister-in-law, walked in from the kitchen where she was putting the finishing touches on a cake and scooped up the escaping baby.

Zac grinned broadly. "That's OK, Sarah, it's his birthday too. I guess he can throw toys if he wants." He got up off the couch and held out his arms for the boy. Andrew practically dived out of his mother's arms towards Zac.

"Here," Sarah said, laughing. "It's very clear who you like best, you little stinker." She kissed her baby on the head and handed him to Zac. Tossing her head in pretend annoyance, she left Andrew with his uncle and went back to her icing.

Andrew laid his head on Zac's shoulder and started tying knots in the ends of his hair. Man, I can't believe he's already a year old,
thought Zac, rumpling the boy's curly brown hair. He was totally in love with his nephew, and the fact that they shared a birthday was even better. "Hey, buddy, let's go play with those shape thingies you were throwing at me and I'll teach you all the names." They crossed the toy-strewn floor, Zac using his years of experience maneuvering through his Lego-strewn childhood bedroom to expertly avoid stepping on anything. Plopping Andrew down on the dark-green cushions of the couch, Zac collected all the yellow shapes and the sorting ball and dumped them in front of his nephew. "Now, let's see..."

Isaac crossed the living room and plucked his son off the couch. The baby immediately started fussing and reaching for Zac again. "Nap time, kiddo," Isaac said. "You need some rest before the family gets here. You can play with Uncle Zac again later." A huge yawn involuntarily erupted on the little boy's face. Isaac started singing softly as he carried him back to his room.

Isaac and Sarah had moved to a small town in California not long after Andrew was born, and Zac had followed them. He felt the need to be out of Tulsa, because he needed a change of scenery, but still wanted to have some family around. He had decided to live in nearby San Francisco, because he also needed the bustle of a city. This little town was nice, but it had a bit too much suburban laid-back attitude for Zac's taste - too close to what he was trying to leave behind. He had briefly considered taking up residence closer to Taylor, who lived in Los Angeles, but the sheer complexity of LA made him nervous. And Taylor drove him crazy most of the time. So he had followed Isaac up north, close but not too close, and most of the time he felt he had made the right decision.

Zac stretched out on the couch and looked around him at the living room. This was by far his favorite place in the house. It was tastefully decorated, but it also had that comfortable, lived-in feeling. There was a huge stone fireplace on the north wall and big picture windows to the south, with a nice view of some woods, which let in as much mid-fall light as the sun was giving. In front of the windows stood a black grand piano, its top covered with framed family photos. After a few minutes Zac got off the couch and crossed to the piano, sitting down on the bench. Looking out at the trees, he absently thought that he might take a walk over there later.

Now that Andrew was napping, the house was quiet. The only sound came from Sarah, quietly humming in the kitchen. It's funny,
Zac thought. When I was living at home, all I wanted was some peace. Now that I'm on my own, I think I actually miss the commotion. Zac had a nice apartment in the city, but he was rarely there. If he wasn't here at Isaac's house - which was so frequently, Sarah had jokingly suggested putting bunk beds in Andrew's room - he was either at the studio, playing with the jazz trio he and a couple of friends had put together about six months ago, or out partying somewhere. The only times that Zac actually enjoyed his apartment and the quiet of it was when he was sleeping, or when -

"Whatcha thinking about, little brother?" Isaac had come back into the living room so quietly - a talent he had picked up now that he was a parent - that when he sat down on the bench it startled Zac out of his reverie.

"If I didn't want to know, why would I ask?" Isaac frowned. He had been concerned about Zac for a while now. He hadn't been himself the past year and a half. The best words Isaac could think of to describe Zac's mood was melancholy and distant.

When Zac had told him that he was moving to San Francisco, Isaac had been pleased, and even relieved to a point. Maybe Zac would find something to brace him up there - maybe all he needed was a new perspective. And it had seemed to work, for about a month, and then Zac had slowly slipped back into moodiness again. Isaac knew he tried to hide it by keeping so insanely busy. A casual acquaintance would just think that was normal Zac behavior, but he knew better. Isaac had decided earlier that day that he better try to find out what was going on with him before Mom and Dad arrived. They would be sure to ask him if - no, when - they noticed that Zac was still acting like this. Their mother had put up a big fight to keep Zac from leaving Tulsa, but she had given in only when Isaac grudgingly promised to keep an eye on him. Even though he and Zac were adults now, being the big brother still carried responsibilities.

"I was thinking about noise," Zac answered, not really lying entirely. I know what he wants, Zac thought with a small inward sigh. Isaac had never been good at hiding his motives, and he had good intentions, but Zac really didn't feel like having a serious heart-to-heart with Ike on his birthday and probably ruining his whole day.

Zac pounced on the opportunity to change the subject. "So are they all driving up together?" His family was coming to celebrate Andrew's birthday (and his, to an extent). His parents had opted to drive from Tulsa instead of putting everyone on a plane, and had arrived at Taylor's the day before. Then they would follow Taylor and his wife Christie up to Isaac's. Zac was amazed that they hadn't learned anything from the years of traveling with their eldest sons around the country on a tour bus. They were nuts to make a three-day trip in a minivan crammed with kids.

Isaac nodded. "Tay and Christie will probably be here first. He called earlier this morning to say that Mom and Dad hadn't gotten there until late and probably wanted to sleep in a little, but he and Christie might come up without them. And you know how fast Taylor drives, so I figure he'll be pulling up any minute."

Zac raised an eyebrow. "You think he would drive more carefully now, especially with Christie in the car. Why didn't all they just fly the rest of the way up? I'm sure Dad's sick of driving, and it's a shorter trip that way."

Isaac continued. "Mom and Dad and the rest of the kids should be here after lunch. Taylor said Dad told him wasn't going to stop every half-hour." He snickered, remembering countless road trips where his father had had to do just that, due to the hidden stash of Dr. Pepper the boys kept under the back seat. "Oh, and Jess brought her new boyfriend Steve along, too."

They sat there together on the piano bench in the late morning sunlight, discussing their family, the upcoming tour, an idea for a new song, just about everything - except what was bothering Zac. Isaac bravely kept trying and Zac kept batting him away. Finally Isaac gave up. He knew it would come up again, so maybe it would be easier, after all, to just forget about it until then. Besides, Zac was no match for his mother - she was an expert at getting people to talk about things they didn't want to talk about.



		Chapter One

"I think Zac likes his cake," Walker whispered to his wife. Diana smiled, watching her son. Judging by the impish grin that suddenly crossed his face he was obviously thinking up some kind of horrible fate for the Power Ranger cake decorations, probably one that involved birthday candles. "OK, let's all sing to Zac - and let's keep it nice." Walker looked pointedly at his two eldest sons. "No making up new lyrics." Isaac made a face. "Aww, Dad, you're no fun," he whined. Their mother started the singing in her clear, sweet voice and the rest of the family joined in. "Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you..." Taylor leaned over and whispered in Zac's ear: "You look like a monkey And you smell like one too!" "MOM!" Zac protested. "Taylor." His father glared at him from across the table. Taylor feigned innocence, his eyes wide. "What did I do?" "We will discuss this later," his father said quietly. Taylor slumped in his seat and kicked at the table leg. Satisfied that Taylor would get thoroughly busted later, Zac leaned over and eagerly blew out the candles, imagining that the Power Rangers were caught in a giant monsoon. His mother started to cut the cake, and the four older Hanson kids clamored for pieces while their baby sister gurgled from her high chair. "I want a corner piece!" "Give me one with green on it." "The whole cake is green, dork." "Isaac!" "Sorry Mom." "I get my name!!" "You cannot have a piece that big, Zachary." All of a sudden, something hit Zac's arm. His little sister Jessica was throwing M&M's at him. "Hey! Quit it!" Zac said angrily. Jessica just smirked. BONK - something much bigger than an M&M hit Zac in the face. Startled out of his birthday memory, he picked up the small Tupperware shape that had just bounced off his forehead. He spied the culprit, his nephew, who was attempting a 'hit-and-crawl' and scooting away across the beige carpet. "Andrew, don't throw toys at Uncle Zac on his birthday, that's not nice." Sarah, Zac's sister-in-law, walked in from the kitchen where she was putting the finishing touches on a cake and scooped up the escaping baby. Zac grinned broadly. "That's OK, Sarah, it's his birthday too. I guess he can throw toys if he wants." He got up off the couch and held out his arms for the boy. Andrew practically dived out of his mother's arms towards Zac. "Here," Sarah said, laughing. "It's very clear who you like best, you little stinker." She kissed her baby on the head and handed him to Zac. Tossing her head in pretend annoyance, she left Andrew with his uncle and went back to her icing. Andrew laid his head on Zac's shoulder and started tying knots in the ends of his hair. Man, I can't believe he's already a year old, thought Zac, rumpling the boy's curly brown hair. He was totally in love with his nephew, and the fact that they shared a birthday was even better. "Hey, buddy, let's go play with those shape thingies you were throwing at me and I'll teach you all the names." They crossed the toy-strewn floor, Zac using his years of experience maneuvering through his Lego-strewn childhood bedroom to expertly avoid stepping on anything. Plopping Andrew down on the dark-green cushions of the couch, Zac collected all the yellow shapes and the sorting ball and dumped them in front of his nephew. "Now, let's see..." "I seem to remember that you sucked at geometry." Zac's older brother Isaac came into the living room and leaned against the doorframe, looking amused. "Hey, quit making me look bad in front of Andrew," Zac said, lobbing a plastic circle at him. Isaac watched the shape sail by, missing him by almost a foot. "Guess you won't be teaching him how to pitch, either," he joked. Zac rubbed his head where the shape had hit him earlier. "That's one thing he doesn't need help on. He's got wicked aim for a one-year old." Isaac crossed the living room and plucked his son off the couch. The baby immediately started fussing and reaching for Zac again. "Nap time, kiddo," Isaac said. "You need some rest before the family gets here. You can play with Uncle Zac again later." A huge yawn involuntarily erupted on the little boy's face. Isaac started singing softly as he carried him back to his room. Isaac and Sarah had moved to a small town in California not long after Andrew was born, and Zac had followed them. He felt the need to be out of Tulsa, because he needed a change of scenery, but still wanted to have some family around. He had decided to live in nearby San Francisco, because he also needed the bustle of a city. This little town was nice, but it had a bit too much suburban laid-back attitude for Zac's taste - too close to what he was trying to leave behind. He had briefly considered taking up residence closer to Taylor, who lived in Los Angeles, but the sheer complexity of LA made him nervous. And Taylor drove him crazy most of the time. So he had followed Isaac up north, close but not too close, and most of the time he felt he had made the right decision. Zac stretched out on the couch and looked around him at the living room. This was by far his favorite place in the house. It was tastefully decorated, but it also had that comfortable, lived-in feeling. There was a huge stone fireplace on the north wall and big picture windows to the south, with a nice view of some woods, which let in as much mid-fall light as the sun was giving. In front of the windows stood a black grand piano, its top covered with framed family photos. After a few minutes Zac got off the couch and crossed to the piano, sitting down on the bench. Looking out at the trees, he absently thought that he might take a walk over there later. Now that Andrew was napping, the house was quiet. The only sound came from Sarah, quietly humming in the kitchen. It's funny, Zac thought. When I was living at home, all I wanted was some peace. Now that I'm on my own, I think I actually miss the commotion. Zac had a nice apartment in the city, but he was rarely there. If he wasn't here at Isaac's house - which was so frequently, Sarah had jokingly suggested putting bunk beds in Andrew's room - he was either at the studio, playing with the jazz trio he and a couple of friends had put together about six months ago, or out partying somewhere. The only times that Zac actually enjoyed his apartment and the quiet of it was when he was sleeping, or when - "Whatcha thinking about, little brother?" Isaac had come back into the living room so quietly - a talent he had picked up now that he was a parent - that when he sat down on the bench it startled Zac out of his reverie. "Eh, you don't wanna know." Zac ran his hand through his long hair and sighed. "If I didn't want to know, why would I ask?" Isaac frowned. He had been concerned about Zac for a while now. He hadn't been himself the past year and a half. The best words Isaac could think of to describe Zac's mood was melancholy and distant. When Zac had told him that he was moving to San Francisco, Isaac had been pleased, and even relieved to a point. Maybe Zac would find something to brace him up there - maybe all he needed was a new perspective. And it had seemed to work, for about a month, and then Zac had slowly slipped back into moodiness again. Isaac knew he tried to hide it by keeping so insanely busy. A casual acquaintance would just think that was normal Zac behavior, but he knew better. Isaac had decided earlier that day that he better try to find out what was going on with him before Mom and Dad arrived. They would be sure to ask him if - no, when - they noticed that Zac was still acting like this. Their mother had put up a big fight to keep Zac from leaving Tulsa, but she had given in only when Isaac grudgingly promised to keep an eye on him. Even though he and Zac were adults now, being the big brother still carried responsibilities. "I was thinking about noise," Zac answered, not really lying entirely. I know what he wants, Zac thought with a small inward sigh. Isaac had never been good at hiding his motives, and he had good intentions, but Zac really didn't feel like having a serious heart-to-heart with Ike on his birthday and probably ruining his whole day. "Noise?" Isaac said, with confusion in his voice. "This isn't noisy. Of course, it will be in about -" he checked his watch - "forty-five minutes." Zac pounced on the opportunity to change the subject. "So are they all driving up together?" His family was coming to celebrate Andrew's birthday (and his, to an extent). His parents had opted to drive from Tulsa instead of putting everyone on a plane, and had arrived at Taylor's the day before. Then they would follow Taylor and his wife Christie up to Isaac's. Zac was amazed that they hadn't learned anything from the years of traveling with their eldest sons around the country on a tour bus. They were nuts to make a three-day trip in a minivan crammed with kids. Isaac nodded. "Tay and Christie will probably be here first. He called earlier this morning to say that Mom and Dad hadn't gotten there until late and probably wanted to sleep in a little, but he and Christie might come up without them. And you know how fast Taylor drives, so I figure he'll be pulling up any minute." Zac raised an eyebrow. "You think he would drive more carefully now, especially with Christie in the car. Why didn't all they just fly the rest of the way up? I'm sure Dad's sick of driving, and it's a shorter trip that way." Isaac shook his head. "Christie's doctor told her she's too far along to fly." Zac nodded with a knowing smile. It was going to be a niece this time. He was glad. Isaac continued. "Mom and Dad and the rest of the kids should be here after lunch. Taylor said Dad told him wasn't going to stop every half-hour." He snickered, remembering countless road trips where his father had had to do just that, due to the hidden stash of Dr. Pepper the boys kept under the back seat. "Oh, and Jess brought her new boyfriend Steve along, too." They sat there together on the piano bench in the late morning sunlight, discussing their family, the upcoming tour, an idea for a new song, just about everything - except what was bothering Zac. Isaac bravely kept trying and Zac kept batting him away. Finally Isaac gave up. He knew it would come up again, so maybe it would be easier, after all, to just forget about it until then. Besides, Zac was no match for his mother - she was an expert at getting people to talk about things they didn't want to talk about.

	Chapter Two Lost and Found Index Fiction Adrift