Author's Notes: (exasperated sigh) As if I need more characters in my head. Okay. This is a contemporary AU for The Shannara Chronicles. It is not a re-telling of the events of the show. While I enjoyed the series, I found the adult characters (namely Eventine and Allanon) far more compelling than the kids (and yeah, I kinda include Arion and Ander in that group). So, while the kids will be showing up, they're taking a back-seat. Pyria will also be here, as will the Warlock Lord (as Allanon's twin brother Bron). There are also (as of right now) three original characters: Joseleen Elessedil Dyseo, twin sister of Aine Elessedil and mother of Bandon; her late husband, Henry Dyseo; and her adopted daughter Liselle. For the most part, the relationships will remain the same, although the ages have been altered (Allanon is thirty-nine, for instance, rather than three hundred plus). Oh, and the story title comes from the song Star Sky by Two Steps from Hell, because the song reminds me so much of Allanon, it's not funny. Many of the chapter titles will also be drawn from the lyrics, which may be posted at the end of the story.

Disclaimer: Allanon, Eventine, Pyria, Aine, Arion, Ander, Diana, Amberle, Bandon, Wil, Eretria, Mareth, Bron/Warlock Lord do not belong to me. Josie, Liselle and Henry do. You may borrow, just please ask first and return them to me intact.

Chapter One

There's No Place Like Home

Arborlon, Georgia

Mid-October, 2017

"I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home, tell the world I'm comin' home," she sang softly as her car crossed the city limits, a tiny shiver going down her spine. It made her nervous, the first time that happened, but now … now it told her that she was home. She continued humming under her breath, as she always did when she couldn't remember all the lyrics. It was one of those songs she didn't particularly like, but couldn't get out of her head. And right now, it fit. Besides, it had other uses, other than expressing how she was feeling at this particular moment in time.

As if on cue, her seventeen year old son whined, "Mom!" Joseleen Elessedil Dyseo grinned at her eldest impishly, all but laughing at his exasperated expression. Bandon rolled his eyes, muttering, "Are you going to be this bad when we see Grandda?" Now Josie did laugh. It had been nearly fifteen years since she last saw her father and younger brothers in person, and she'd missed them all. None more than her father, though.

"Probably worse. Your grandfather and uncles bring it out of me," she admitted. Bandon rolled his eyes and Josie grinned to herself, thinking the part of her family that wasn't her children. Her mother died when her youngest brother, Ander, was a baby and raising him and Arion fell as much to Josie and her twin Aine as it did to her father. That experience taught her a great deal about patience and forgiveness. Ander was sweet-natured, but impulsive while Arion was proper, but a pain in the ass. And then there was Aine. Her beloved twin, dead for so many years. Josie bit down hard on her lower lip, because she didn't imagine there would ever be a time when thoughts of her brother wouldn't make her cry.

"You're thinking about Uncle Aine again, aren't you?" Bandon asked softly. There were times when he was entirely too much like another of his uncles, on his paternal side. He had a habit of seeing far more than Josie (or anyone else) wished he would. But Josie counted that as a good thing. Far better that he was like his paternal uncle than like Bandon's father. He saw things she wished he didn't, but he was a compassionate boy. Josie reached over to tousle her son's hair, grinning once more at the whined, 'Ma!'

"Your uncle is never far from my thoughts, sweetheart. Any of them," Josie answered. And she meant that: Aine, Arion, and Ander were never far from her thoughts. Nor was … nor was Bandon's paternal uncle. She swallowed hard and forced away the image of her father's head of security before she could think about the brown eyes she could happily drown in, or the rare smile that lit his face. Nope. He wasn't going to cross her mind, not until she actually saw him. That was just asking for trouble. She went on, "Listen, can you call your grandfather's office? Tell him we'll be there in about ten minutes?"

Bandon stared at her for several moments, before nodding slowly, murmuring, "Sure, Mom. No trouble." Josie offered him a half-smile before turning her attention back to the road in front of her. She had grown up here, but every time she returned to Arborlon, it seemed like it changed. Again. Or maybe it was just her that changed. She was vaguely aware of the phone ringing, then a grumbled response, and then Bandon said cheerfully, "Hey, Grandda … we're almost there! Mom says it'll be another ten minutes."

The grumble immediately left Eventine Elessedil's voice as he exclaimed, "Bandon, my lad! It's good to hear your voice!" Mother and son exchanged a smile, and Josie's brightened as her father added, "Josie, dear heart, I know you're driving, but I am looking forward to seeing you as much as I am to seeing Bandon." Josie merely smiled and her father asked her son, "Is she smiling, Bandon?" Her son grinned impishly (and oh, how he looked like his uncle when he did that) and acknowledged that yes, yes, she was. Josie responded by sticking her tongue out, and her father added, sounding fond and exasperated as only he could, "And now, no doubt, she's sticking her tongue out at you."

"Well, Papa, what do you expect me to do when my father and son are making common cause against me?" Josie inquired with a laugh and was rewarded with hearing her father's rich laughter for the first time in years. Gods, she had missed him so much! She went on after a moment, still laughing, "Liselle will be joining us as soon as she finishes her project." Josie still didn't like the idea of leaving her fourteen year old daughter behind, but she was staying with Josie's best friend, and this project meant a lot to her.

"You speak the truth, darling girl. I have given Diana, the head of my cyber-security team, your picture, so you'll be able to access the building through the employee entrance. I will be so glad to see you both … it's been far too long," her father answered. Josie's brows raised … Diana? Cyber-security? Well, well … things had certainly changed in the last ten plus years. Then again, that was what happened. She'd seen that in Arborlon as soon as she hit the city limits, but for some reason … Well, it didn't matter.

Bandon ended the call with a cheerful, "See you soon, Grandda." He sat back in his seat, asking, "You think Liselle will be okay to fly in by herself? I mean, the last time she did that, she ended up getting lost in the airport." Josie was torn between chastising her son and admitting that he was right. Liselle was too much like Josie when she was younger, before her mother died, even though Josie hadn't given birth to her. On the other hand, did she really expect a fourteen year old girl to be particularly sensible? The answer to that, of course, was a resounding 'no.'

"To be fair, she was flying in to O'Hare, and that would confuse anyone. She's flying into the regional airport here, which will be much easier," Josie answered. Bandon nodded, though he didn't look particularly convinced, and Josie pulled into the parking lot of her father's building. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she noticed a familiar, battered Jeep, but eased her own car into a parking space near the back of the employee parking lot. She offered her son a tight smile and murmured as she cut the engine, "C'mon. Let's go see your grandfather."

Bandon nodded, his eyes wide, and the mother and son exited the car. As her father promised, she was permitted inside as soon as her face was visible, and Josie made a mental note to speak to her father about ensuring that couldn't be used against them. If this Diana was part of the cyber-security, then she already answered to the head of security. And he … well, Josie knew that he would take no chances with the lives of anyone in this building, much less with the lives of her father and brothers. But, it never hurt to verify. Besides, even though she no longer lived here in Arborlon, the people she loved most in the world aside from her two children did.

She led Bandon through the corridors, muscle memory directing her own steps … that, and the voice of her younger brothers. They were arguing. Again. Oh Lord, she thought, what is it this time? She caught Bandon's eye, and her son looked as exasperated as she felt. It sounded like their voices were coming from the break room, and … yup, there they were. Idiots. A pretty young woman leaned against the counter, looking more than a little exasperated as Ander and Arion yelled at each other about their niece. Josie was stunned to realize that Amberle was approaching twenty now. Well, that would do it. She thought of herself at nineteen, and cringed. Uhm, nope. Not a good analogy. Still, she had a fight to break up.

As Arion drew breath to counter Ander's point, Josie broke in, "Not that this isn't fascinating, but the last time I checked, eighteen was the age of majority … which means, Arion, that you don't get a say in her life anymore." As one, her younger brothers turned to face her, and Josie had the pleasure of seeing both of their faces light up. She smirked and added, "And as for you, Ander …" That was as far as she got, because Ander beat Arion over to her by a matter of seconds and scooped her up in a fierce embrace that threatened to steal her breath. She was released just long enough for the brothers to switch out. Yeah. Now they cooperated. That, however, didn't stop her from clinging to Arion as he twirled her around.

She saw Bandon pull back, ever so slightly at his uncles' excited chatter, and Josie was just about ready to give her brothers what-for, but a piercing whistle immediately silenced them. The pretty girl she'd noticed earlier said mildly, "Actually, if anything, we should be heading upstairs so your father can greet your sister. I'm Diana Tilton, head of cyber-security here. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dyseo … I've heard so much about you from your father and brothers." Arion reluctantly released her, setting her on her feet and allowing her to shake hands with the young woman.

"It's good to meet you, Diana. This is my son Bandon. And yes, please … I'm anxious to see my father," Josie replied. Diana Tilton smiled and pushed off against the counter, taking Josie's proffered hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Arion's sulk, and barely bit back a smile. I've been back a matter of minutes, little brother, she thought, give me time. And there was one more meeting she needed to have before she could turn her full attention to her two younger brothers. Something was happening, yes … her father wouldn't have asked her to come home if nothing was up. But first, she had to reunite with her father.

"Then come … his office has moved," Diana offered with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her smile didn't lack warmth, but her eyes … her eyes were sad. This didn't bode well for Josie's summons home. Her father had the same office ever since she was a little girl. For him to take another … no, something was wrong. And it was coming, whether Josie was ready or not. She wasn't. But she followed Josie from the room, her brothers and son trailing behind the two women.

I'm home, Papa, she thought. And here I'll stay, if that's what you need me to do.

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Josie wasn't the only Elessedil who was picking up on the tension in the air. Bandon Dyseo trailed along behind his mother and the pretty Diana Tilton along with his uncles. Like nearly everyone in his family, he had some degree of sensitivity to … something greater. His mother sometimes joked that they were descended from the Fae, but Bandon learned that the phrase 'half in fun, full in earnest' was coined for people like her. She may joke about it, but Bandon was convinced that she had a point.

He knew things that he shouldn't. Like when Mom brought Liselle home with her, and he had simply known that her guardian abused her. There were no marks on her, but he knew. He heard her screams and cries, even though he'd never met her, never seen her, never been around her. It frightened the man who raised him, just as it frightened when Mom absently commented on something that happened at his job, something he hadn't told her about yet. She was like Bandon, she knew things that she wasn't supposed to. It gave him so many nightmares when he was little, curling up in his mother's lap as she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered that he inherited that from her, and she was so sorry. She never wanted that for him. It wasn't until he was older than Bandon wondered what she saw, that her voice shook so badly.

And right now, whatever told Bandon that Liselle's guardian hurt her, whatever told his mother that her husband needed something in particular before he was aware of needing it … that was telling him that there was something wrong. But it wasn't until Diana led them into his grandfather's office that Bandon figured out what that something was. And judging from his mother's indrawn breath, she knew it, too. The room reeked of death. His grandfather was dying. His mother was affectionate by nature … he knew that even if Eventine Elessedil was healthy, his only daughter would have still flown across the room into his arms. But there was a desperation he'd never seen in his mom before.

"Oh, my dearest girl … my beautiful Josie," his grandfather murmured, holding her tightly. Bandon swallowed hard. Not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with a father, similar to the one his mother enjoyed with his grandfather. Despite having Henry Dyseo's surname, Bandon always knew that he wasn't his father. He was four when his mother got married, and he was grateful to the kind but distant man for helping him to look after his mother. But he hadn't loved Henry, and Henry hadn't loved him. Part of it was fear, and part of it was Bandon's sense that he wasn't meant to be the man's son. Not like Liselle was meant to be his daughter. The question was, whose son was he, aside from Josie Dyseo's?

Bandon's reverie on his lack of a father figure was broken when his uncle Ander swatted the back of his head, and after the required glare at his youngest uncle, he moved forward into his grandfather's embrace. Oh. Oh, this was worse than he feared. As Bandon stepped back, he glanced at his mom. Her lower lip was trembling, and Bandon felt sick. Yes, she was aware. She offered a smile, though, and said, "I'm so sorry it took me so long to come home, Papa." She definitely knew. Bandon heard her conversations with his grandfather in the past when she apologized for staying where they were in Virginia. And always, his grandfather told her that she was where she was needed.

Grandda's dark eyes softened as he cupped her face in his hands, murmuring, "My dear heart, leaving was never your idea. And as I've told you, so many times, you were where you were most needed. And you are here now. There is much to discuss, as you've realized, but those details can wait until later. For now, I want to hold my little girl … and then, once we've caught up, you and Bandon are going home and you are resting. No arguments, young lady … those circles under your eyes tell me that you've not been resting." Bandon grinned to himself. He'd hoped that his grandfather would do this. His mother worked hard to take care of him and his little sister, and those around them. He tried to take care of her in turn (even with simple things, like pouring her coffee in the mornings), but even dying, there was no doubt in his mind that his grandfather would do a far better job. He was her father, after all, and that was his job.

A ruckus behind him alerted Bandon that the family was no longer alone. He heard them long before he saw them … from the sounds of it, there were two girls and a boy, his own age, maybe a little older. And Lord, they were loud … not just verbally, but mental noise as well. He flinched back, relaxing when his mother put her arm around his shoulders (but when did Grandda let go of her?), drawing him against her body. An exasperated sigh from Grandda drew Bandon's attention to the older man, and he muttered, "I'd hoped you would have more time before meeting the quartet. Sorry, lad." Bandon raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Quartet … then there was someone not saying something.

A moment later, Bandon discovered that his grandfather was right, as four young people entered the office … two girls with dark hair, a girl with blonde hair, and a boy. They were all around his own age … and three out of the four were arguing, though he couldn't tell what the argument was about. Grandfather cleared his throat, silencing the argument immediately, and asked, "Amberle … perhaps you'd like to greet your Aunt Josie now, and argue with your friends later?" The dark-haired girl who'd been arguing with the blonde stared in shock, then her eyes widened. Oh. So this was his cousin Amberle. A half second later, she was throwing herself into his mother's arms, nearly bowling Mom over in the process.

"Aunt Josie! Oh, I'm so sorry, I got the days mixed up! When did you get in, how long will you be here … you look so tired, are you okay?" the girl asked breathlessly. Bandon watched as his mom righted herself, a tiny, almost indulgent smile on her face as she waited for his cousin to wind down. A snicker drew his attention to the blonde girl. She noticed his gaze and winked at him. Bandon blushed, but grinned, softly asking his grandfather if his cousin was always like this. She was still babbling and squeezing Mom, who was staring at her in bemusement.

"Not to worry, lad," his grandfather murmured, "your cousin isn't normally like this. Eretria brings it out of her." There was something more to that than the obvious, but Bandon would worry about it later. For now, he relaxed against his grandfather, because now he had help in looking after his mom.

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His little girl was home. Eventine Elessedil watched with amusement and affection as his eldest granddaughter repeatedly squeezed the aunt she hadn't seen since she was a toddler. Not for the first time, Eventine regretted sending his daughter away all those years ago. But for generations, the Elessedil women were cursed … he saw it with his mother, with his wife, with his daughter-in-law, with his sister. If he could spare his daughter, he would do so … no matter the cost to himself and the rest of his family. Selfish, he knew … but this was one time when he wouldn't apologize for it.

Selfishness had him send away his daughter and her two year old son, and selfishness had him calling them back. Was it safe in Arborlon for her and Bandon? Not particularly. But this last decade changed his treasured daughter … gone was the frightened, traumatized girl and in her place was a stable, determined woman. He wondered idly if Pyria would forgive him now that Josie was back, then dismissed the question. There were far more issues between himself and his sister than the question of Josie's departure. What worried him more was if Pyria forgave Josie. In Eventine's eyes, there was nothing to forgive, but Pyria blamed her niece for the injuries suffered by her young lover … and the changes he underwent as a result of those injuries. Let's call it what it is, he thought, impatient with himself … Pyria blamed Josie for Allanon's coma, even though Allanon chose to protect Josie. Something Pyria often forgot … Allanon made his own choices. He thought Eventine's daughter was worth dying for … and maybe that was what Pyria found hardest to forgive. Allanon believed someone other than her was worth dying for.

Well. He would leave it to his daughter and sister to work out the tangled mess that became their relationship when Pyria fell in love with a man only six months older than her niece. Yes, Eventine knew he played a role in that mess, but when all was said and done, Pyria allowed her jealousy and her fear of losing Allanon to first destroy her relationship with Josie, and later with Allanon himself. At least that couldn't destroy her relationship with her daughter.

"Hey, Princess, you gonna introduce the pretty lady or keep her all to yourself?" Eretria called out, winking at Eventine as she did. He rolled his eyes, trying not to smile. While he liked young Wil Ohmsford well enough, Eretria was his favorite out of Allanon's students aside from Amberle. Josie blinked in astonishment, mouthing, 'pretty lady … what?' as she stared at Eretria. Amberle stuck her tongue out, and Eretria retorted, "Oh, I think I can find better uses for that tongue, Princess."

"Find better uses for your own tongue … this is my Aunt Joseleen, Eretria, my father's twin sister. Ignore her, Aunt Josie, she likes trying to get a rise out of me," Amberle fired back. Eretria raised her brows, muttering, 'trying to? More like, does get a rise.' Amberle ignored her and said, "Aunt Josie, you've met Eretria. This is Wil Ohmsford … I think you went to school with his dad, Shea?" There was a flash of sadness and guilt in his daughter's eyes when Shea Ohmsford was mentioned, and Eventine's heart broke for his daughter. Shea made his own choices, dear heart, Eventine thought, just as Allanon did … just as Bron did.

"It's nice to meet you, Wil. I wondered if you were related to Shea. You look a lot like him. He was a good friend … a good man. Never backed down from a fight, always stood up for people without anyone in their corner. I was devastated when I found he was dead. I'm so sorry," Josie told Wil as Amberle kept an arm around her. Good girl, Eventine thought. His daughter's stilted words told him just how badly this revelation unsettled her. He would have liked to have time to prepare her, especially to meet Wil, but that wasn't the way the world worked. Wil nodded warily, still un-nerved by the truth of his father's death. Shea died only months after Josie's departure, and it took all of Eventine's persuasion to keep his daughter from returning with Bandon after her friend's death. Of course, it didn't hurt that Bandon came down sick. No, Eventine had nothing to do with that … his family was powerful, in more ways than one, but making his grandson sick was a bridge too far.

And the dark-haired girl standing next to Wil was for him to introduce. Still with his arm around his grandson (and he couldn't wait to hug his youngest granddaughter), Eventine told his daughter, "And the lovely young girl beside him is your cousin Mareth … Pyria's daughter. Mareth, this is my daughter, Joseleen ... but it would be better to call her 'Josie,' as most of us do." Josie looked at him quickly and Eventine inclined his head. Josie sucked in a breath, but smiled as she gently disengaged herself from Amberle to approach her young cousin. They really didn't look much alike, the two cousins … they both had dark hair and eyes, but there the resemblance ended, at least physically.

"Mareth … I am so glad to meet you. I never had the chance when you were a baby. How is your mother?" Josie asked softly. She wanted to pull Mareth into her arms. Eventine knew that. But she didn't know Mareth, didn't know how she would take physical affection. Nor did she know what Pyria told her. And Mareth, for her own part, merely studied Josie with interest. But then, her face lit up with a smile and she threw her arms around Josie, just as Amberle did. Josie laughed, part with delight and part with joy, and returned the embrace, a slim hand coming up to cradle the back of Mareth's head.

"I am so glad to meet you! Mama's fine, working on a history of Arborlon. She told me a bit about you, but my father told me more. He said that you were kind and brave, and that if you warned me about something, I should listen. Uncle Eventine said my father has first-hand experience in what happens when someone doesn't listen to you," Mareth said as she pulled back to look at Josie. There was a bemused smile on her face. Foolish girl. And then, he had to laugh when Mareth added thoughtfully, "He also told me that when he and Grandpa Bremen arrived in Arborlon, you were the first person to welcome him. He said that you were the cutest and sweetest girl he'd ever met. I didn't think my father even knew the word 'cute,' much less could use it in a sentence." Oh. Oh, Eventine forgot that, forgot the sight of his twelve year old daughter holding the hand of Bremen de Paran's son as she introduced him.

"You'd be surprised by words I know, Mareth," came the amused voice of Mareth's father, Eventine's head of security and closest friend. Eventine looked briefly in the door, smiling not just at Mareth's excited squeal as she threw herself into her father's arms, but at the warmth in the other man's brown eyes as he gazed at Josie's turned back. And then, Eventine looked at Josie, saw the expressions crossing his daughter's face. She was his first friend when he arrived in Arborlon, all those years ago, and in so doing, tied him to the Elessedil family. Strange, how such an innocent action could affect so many things. Including herself.

Josie finally took a breath and turned to face the newcomer, inclining her head a little as she answered, "Hello … Allanon."

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: So, why did I place Arborlon in Georgia? The short answer is, that's where I met both John Rhys-Davies (at DragonCon in 2012) and Manu Bennett (at Heroes and Villains two weeks ago).