The knowledge didn't help him. Joseph phased out of Morel immediately and instantly attacked him, slamming him against the wall with a kick to the stomach. Slumped on the ground, Morel still managed to pull a knife from his belt, but Joseph kicked it from his hand with contemptuous ease. Dropping to one knee, he grabbed Morel's collar in one hand, pinned him to the sandy floor, and proceeded to pummel him unconscious.

Jessica knelt beside him cautiously and gave him a quizzical look. He smiled to let her know that he was fine, that his anger was fully expended. She still looked uneasy; with a quick glance behind her, she quickly signed, 'What sort of experiment did your father undergo in the Army?'

He shrugged. 'I have no idea. Something about resisting truth serum, I think. Why?'

She pointed to where Wintergreen was helping a shaky Slade to his feet. 'That was a mortal wound,' she said. 'After Wintergreen pulled the sword out, he should have hemorrhaged to death by now. Not only is he alive, the wound has healed. Entirely.'

He nodded. 'It would take an instantly-fatal injury to kill him, and he knows it.'

'I wonder what effect his altered biochemistry had on you.' He appeared confused, so she continued, 'Perhaps you have more mutations than just the ability to possess people. It's something to think about, at any rate.' She got to her feet and walked back to where Slade stood; after a quick glance at Morel, Joseph followed.

The tension in the air was palpable as he approached his father. For what seemed like an eternity, the two men just looked at each other, neither one offering to break the awkward silence between them. Finally, Slade asked, "Then it wasn't you in Azarath after all?"

Joseph shook his head. 'Nightwing told me what happened.'

"You understand, then?" his father implored. "That I had to save everyone? That there was no other choice?"

There was a noticeable hesitation before he answered. 'Yes,' he signed, but he didn't look pleased.

Slade rested his hands on Joseph's shoulders. "I swear I didn't want to, son. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Your mother and I both love you very much; you know we do."

Jessica knew enough to understand that the smile he gave his father was merely a front, a happy face painted over a heart that had been broken too many times at too young an age. If Slade also knew it, he gave no indication, hugging his son as if there had never been any friction between them.

The display of familial affection was shattered by the sound of gunshots echoing through the cavernous ruins. As one, they turned to see Adeline standing over Morel's body, the barrel of her gun still smoking.

"I promised Interpol I'd kill him," she explained, seeing the shocked expression on her son's face. "And even if I hadn't, I still had reasons to see that bastard dead." She holstered the weapon casually and walked over to Joseph. "But I don't care about him, I want to know about you. What happened, honey? We heard such awful things, and I don't know anymore what parts were true."

He recounted the events of the past six months to his parents, who were amazed to learn that a clone had replaced their son for months before the incident in Azarath, fooling all of them into believing that nothing was wrong. It was the clone who had fought beside the Titans only to betray them; the clone who had died a violent death at Slade's hands, while Joseph languished in the Wildebeests' prison cell.

"But it all worked out in the end," Slade sighed. "I would have given anything not to have had to do what I did, thinking that it was you. But you're all right, and I thank God for that."

"Well, it's certainly no thanks to you," Adeline scoffed. "I never thought I'd hear myself say it, but I'm glad he was kidnapped by the Wildebeests � if he hadn't, he'd be dead now, because of you. Just like Grant is dead because of you!"

"Addie �" Slade began, but Joseph cut him off.

'Stop it!' he yelled with furious signs, surprising all of them with his anger. 'Stop it! I'm sick of all your arguing! Why does it always come to this? All I ever wanted from the two of you was the one thing you never bothered to provide � a normal family.' His hands clenched into fists and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to control the flood of his emotions.

When he continued, it was in a much more sedate tone, though clearly he was still upset. 'Why can't you treat each other with basic respect? You don't have to love each other. You don't even have to like each other. But is it too much to ask that you behave civilly in each other's company? For me?'

His parents appeared suitably chagrined. Before either of them could speak in their defense, he added, 'We all have secrets from our past,' glancing at Morel's body before looking pointedly at his mother, 'but we can't keep dragging them out as excuses for present behavior. It has to end sometime, and I'm asking that the time be now. If not forever, then at least until after the wedding.'

"Wedding??" Adeline and Slade chorused.

'Wedding?' Jessica echoed, stunned.

Joseph smiled at her. 'Marry me!' When she continued to stare blankly at him, he prodded, 'You can't reject the will of God.'

Her eyebrow arched. 'God's will has some very specific requirements attached to it. Are you willing to keep kosher, obey Shabbat restrictions, and raise our children as Jews?' He nodded, and she grinned helplessly. 'Very well then, I humbly accept the will of God and will gladly marry you. You are, after all, my basherte; my promised one.'

She pulled the scarf from her head as his arms encircled her and used it to cover them both with a makeshift chuppah that shielded their passionate kiss from the eyes of the others who were present. As they separated, she veiled herself with her scarf, in a tradition as old as the Biblical account of Rivka and Yitzchak. Her eyes gleamed above the cobalt fabric, reflecting the smile that was now hidden from view.

Adeline was the first to find her voice. "I take it you haven't set a date yet."

He looked to Jessica. 'You'll want to finish your internship in Phoenix first, right?'

She shook her head. 'They assumed the worst months ago and had me replaced. It doesn't matter; I can sign on with a New York hospital just as easily. Whatever time is good for you will work for me.'

'The sooner the better, then,' he proclaimed. 'Three months from now, to give ourselves time to schedule everything and notify everyone.'

She glanced around at the others in the room. "At this point, it's traditional to wish us 'Mazel Tov' �congratulations."

As four voices rang out in unison, she turned and winked at him. For the present, he had succeeded in integrating the disparate factors of his family. Only time would tell if the harmony would last.

They were content to take it one day at a time.

� 1999 by Rachel Ehrlich

Joseph Wilson, Adeline Wilson, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, Leonid Kovar/Red Star, Waller, Wintergreen, Amber, Phillip, Jacques Morel, Searchers Inc, and Kane Manor � DC Comics

Dr. Jessica Cassel , David Cassel, Chaya Cassel, and Soh-leng Cui � Rachel Ehrlich