Rumor's Confirmed

          Roark looked away from his grandfather to his Uncle.  "Yes," came simply, feeling a sudden. sleepy stirring from another very familiar mind.  "Now, will one of you please tell me what the HELL is going on?  None of you have anything like what I do, and while Harry IS Telepathic, and a little empathic, he does not have any of the other gifts that I do.  In fact, the ONLY ones who seem to consistently have the gifts that I do, if hit and miss, are the Durin's."

          "No, we don't, and yes, they do."  Adama gave a sigh.  "You were sent to Saggitara, Roark because we had no CHOICE but to send you.  Roark and Thorin noticed when you were about...seven, I think, that you were beginning to show...to develop certain gifts.  You and Harry were, more often than not, talking to each other within your minds than you would out loud.  Then there was the empathy."  

          Adama paused sitting forward in the swing.  "Do you, by any chance, remember Kendric?" he asked, and seeing him nod... "You reacted so strongly when they brought him home so badly injured in those pirate attacks on Taura," he stopped, shook his head.  "I will NEVER forget how you demanded that we take you to the Caprican Military Life Center so that you could see him.  As soon as you entered the room...you rushed to his bedside, climbed up into  the bed with him to lay down beside him--"

          Adama broke off, a slow, very sad smile beginning to turn his lips up.  "You reached up, lay your small hand on his cheek, turned his head to your own.  As soon as your eyes met...I will never forget the smile that turned his lips up, or the look of utter peace that came over him..."  Again he shook his head.  "None of us ever knew what happened between you, but Declan later told us that whatever it was, it put his husband so at ease that when he passed the following day, he went in peace.

          "You, however, were utterly devastated, and nothing anyone, even Declan, could say to you, would ease you.  I think, in the end, only Harry's constant attention and his care brought you back to us finally."

          Roark nodded slowly as he remembered that time.  He remembered that no one had been able to console him, and God knew, they had all tried. It was been Harry who had finally been able to get through the darkness he had been lost in.

           "I remember that it was shortly after I returned back to myself that Admiral Roark, then a Commander, and Commander Thorin came to see me.  I remember thinking I didn't understand...I only knew that they did something that helped me a great deal.  My mind seemed to quiet, not seem to be so...chaotic.  Now that I think about it, they must have taught me some basic shielding, to block all those strange feelings and emotions that I knew were not mine.                                                             

          "That is exactly what they did.  It was then suggested, very STRONGLY suggested that you be sent to Saggitara when you were ten.  It was also suggested that we send Harry with you as the two of you were so close, and everyone knew there would be no way either of you would allow yourselves to be separated for as long as you were likely to be there.  However, it wasn't long after you arrived on Saggitara that things began to go wrong.  It was discovered that you had more gifts besides telepathy and empathy, and problems began to arise from them as they began to work with you."

          Adama got to his feet, moved to stand before his grandson, setting a hand on his shoulder, feeling Roark tense.  "Perhaps it is about time you were told the truth."

          : Rory? : came sleepily, a feeling of alarm rising.  : What is happening? Why are you suddenly so upset? :

          : I-- I'm not...sure, Harry, but I think...Can you and Rabastan come to the house? :

          : Absolutely, : came Rabastan's sleep-roughened voice.  : We'll get dressed and be there as soon as we can.  Calm down, it'll be alright. :

          : Will it? I hope you're right, Bas.  Thanks. :  "The truth about what, exactly? "

          "You're birth."