Opossum Project 2

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It seemed to Ally that Jack’s brother must have intentionally waited to be the last person off the plane. By that point she was sick of waiting. She’d waited at the doctor’s only to have what she already knew confirmed. She’d waited for Jack after her run, only to be told he’d been side tracked and never checked online for any of the information he said he’d look for. They’d waited in line to get into the parking lot. Now she was waiting again.



When the black haired, olive skinned, handsome man, finally came out of the airplane tunnel she would have known him anywhere. He was the spitting image of Jack, only older, but there was no doubt of the family resemblance.


“Thank you for flying with us, Mr. Hernandez.” A blonde haired stewardess winked at she passed him on the concord. He smiled shyly and blushed, causing Ally to think there were at least some differences between the brothers.


“Hey Bro? How was your trip?” Jack greeted his brother.


“Hey, fine. Good.” The two men hugged.


“Good, ‘cause you look awful.” Jack laughed.


“You try flying from Australia to L.A. and then on to Boston, and well see how you look.”


Ally smiled at the mix of Australian and Argentinean accent. She understood why the stewardess had winked at him.


“Thom, I’d like you to meet Allison Kay. My brother, Thom.” Jack gestured between them.


“Ally.” She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”


“Same here.” He took Ally’s hand surprised by her firm grip. The small, black haired, green-eyed woman was not what he was expecting. “Please, call me Lead,” he smiled the heart melting Hernandez smile.


“Lead?” Ally glanced quickly at Jack who offered an almost imperceptible shrug.


“Work nickname, but it’s stuck.” Lead gave an awkward shrug, glancing at the floor. “We should get the luggage.” He glanced toward baggage check and the three hesitantly fell into step in that direction, with Lead in the middle.


“Lead’s a unique name.” Ally offered trying to make conversation. This was not the family reunion she had imaged. “Does it refer to the element?” She asked, puzzled. Jack had told her his brother did ‘kangaroo research’ and when pressed finally admitted he had a doctorate in Zoology and specialized in marsupials, but after that, Jack was no help. Although not Ally’s strongest subject, she wasn’t seeing any connection between lead and pouched beasts.


“No,” Lead laughed relaxing slightly, “It’s from the Gymnobelideus leadbeateri.” He paused to glance at Ally who looked at him with expectation, so he continued. “The Leadbeater’s Possum. I did my dissertation on them and then was involved in quiet an extensive research project, the name stuck and now it’s what I answer to…” Lead glanced around the airport quickly. “Well, this place hasn’t really changed much.” He added changing the topic.


“Does Mom know?” Jack laughed, but there was an edge to his voice that Ally had never heard before.


“So you’re Jack’s partner?” Lead asked Ally, answering his brother’s question with a brief look. “You don’t look like an Agent.”


“Yeah, well watch out, she can kick your…”


“So, Jack tells me you’re in town for a while.” Ally interrupted Jack, who was finding great amusement in the verbal dance. “You’re going to be working at a school?”


“Yeah. Um. Not really in town, exactly, but close.” Lead shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Ally had come to recognize in Jack as frustration, but Lead looked outright terrified. “The school’s out in Quincy.” Lead shrugged again, looking around the baggage claim area for his flight number.


“I meant to ask you,” Jack began following his brother toward a luggage carousel. “What does a private school in Quincy have to do with the zoo?”


“They share a Board Head.” Lead tossed over his shoulder. “The school, the zoo, and the lab jointly filed the grant for the Wombat Project.” Lead responded as if all this should make perfect sense to Ally and Jack.


“Wombats?” Ally asked glancing at Jack, wondering what else he’d not mentioned.


“Yeah, for the zoo? Didn’t Jack tell you?”


“Wait. You never told me about wombats.” Jack shook his head, “I would have remembered wombats. You said they were getting some new animals at the zoo and you were coming to help them have happy homes and….” Jack stood with his hands on his hips.


“I don’t think I said ‘happy homes,’” Lead interrupted, mirroring Jack’s stance.


Ally shuddered. It was like seeing some living mirror, only with one side of reflection being 6 years older than the other side. She studied the two brothers the resemblance was eerie.


“It’s not an exact quote.” The annoyance in Jack’s voice was clear. “You said new animals at the zoo and that you’d be working with this school, which was why you won’t stay at the house, which I still say, you’re more than welcome…” Jack was shaking his head.


“Why should I stay with you in Auntie’s cold drafty old place, with a bad commute and no furniture,” Lead interrupted still mirroring Jack, “when I can have my own furnished place in walking distance from a lab?”


“At a school?” Jack asked incredulously. His brother was a confirmed bachelor, married to his work. As far as Jack knew, the man had never had a date, let alone a girlfriend or serious relationship. Although they had both played with the nieces and nephews, it was inconceivable for Jack that his brother might live among kids.


“I’m just a guest at the school…” Lead shook his head. “Hey that’s me.” He nodded to two extremely large suitcases coming out of the baggage shoot. Each was plastered with a bumper sticker reading, “I break for Kangaroos.” Ally swallowed her smirk as each brother grabbed a bag and hefted it off the conveyor belt.


“I don’t know what you’re so sore about. I’m going to stay at your place for the weekend.” Lead sighed letting the bag drop at his feet.


“You could just stay there,” Jack began.


“Usted me maneja loco.” Lead sighed. “How many good reasons do you need? I’ll even get free meals and housekeeping and….”


“Do you have more luggage?” Ally interrupted and when it was confirmed that they had all Lead had brought by plane, she rushed the brothers out to the car, announcing she was starving and they could fight about this in route.