When Vlad arrived home the house was mostly dark, but Hawk and Janis both met him at the door. Hawk, hovering restlessly around in the hallway, looked out as Janis ran up to Vlad yelling.

"Oh--" Vlad hugged Hawk, something the latter had to crouch to do, while Janis yelled at their feet. "I'm so sorry, hon."

"'S okay," Hawk mumbled.

They drew back, and Vlad looked wryly up into Hawk's face. "Jeez," he said, "now I see the resemblance."

"What'd Mari say when you called him back?" Hawk asked anxiously, as Janis continued yelling at their feet.

"He's working on your immigration paperwork already," Vlad assured him. "He said he'd make it so you'd just have to sign some stuff at the Hub tomorrow, and bam! Aetherian visa."

This didn't seem to reassure Hawk. He put his head to one side. "...Really? How's he going to swing that?"

Vlad hesitated. "Uh..."

What Numair had said, sitting at his desk working in the dim light, was, < Oh, I can push through an emergency visa here and there. I just have to word the justification properly. >

< Okay, sure, > Vlad answered, through Sraddi, < But I meant, how are you gonna explain 'special emergency visa issued by the Cynn' to Hawk? >