Chapter 1: Strangers Like Me x Tarzan
(Taking place right after book 9 when Allison learns she has wings. )
"You're telling me that there's more people out there like me?" Allison Grimm said as she looks in her mirror at the pair of pale blue wings streaking from behind her. Sabrina Grimm stands behind her and tucks her daughters hair behind her ear, smiling at the complete innocence in her 12 year old's mind.
"Of course!" Sabrina laughs as she gently touches the tips of her daughters wings. "Someone you know very well, actually."
"Who?" Allison asks as she turns and draws her eyebrows in confusion. Sabrina lets a small smile play on her lips. In this moment, she regrets keeping her daughter sheltered from the lives of the Everafters. Raising a half Everafter child as human was not something achievable. Her daughter's face mixed with confusion and fear so clear that Sabrina felt responsible. Her daughter was a stranger to her own body - her own kind.
"Your dad." Sabrina says as she sits down on the edge of the bed and took Allison's hands in her own.
Allison's eyes widened and her jaw dropped wide open. "No way." She whispers as she slowly shakes her head back and forth. "No way! Dad would've told me!" She says as she peeks over her shoulder to see the wings still placed behind her shoulder blades. She turns back around to face her mother. Anger knitted into her eyebrows as they draw together and the bridge of her nose crinkles. She looks just like her father.
"Oh baby, he wanted to. We both did. We just couldn't, and I know it's hard for you to understand, but back then things with the fairytale world were so messy. We didn't want you to be apart of it." Sabrina explains softly as she kisses her cheek and wipes away the smudge of lipstick with her thumb.
Sabrina looks into her soft hazel eyes, Puck's emerald flecks of green shining so prominently through in them. Both stay quiet, Sabrina never taking her eyes off her face, but Allison eyes stare at the ground.
"Take me." Ally says softly as she looks back at her mother. "Take me to the fairies, I want to see them." Sabrina sighs and gets up to look out the window of her daughter's room. Central Park in plain view and only a few blocks from their apartment building. The other half of her daughter's life so close, yet so far away from her. Sabrina turns back around and looks down to her daughter, this is not a decision she wants to make on her own. This is Puck's world, he should be the one to decide.
"I don't know, Ally. This is your dad's domain, not mine." She says as she fishes her phone out of her pocket. Maybe she should just call Puck…
"Pleeeeeease, Mom!" Ally whines taking Sabrina out of her thoughts. Sabrina smiles and puts her phone back into her pocket.
"Get your shoes." Sabrina says as she exits the room and starts heading down the stairs. She hears Ally's excited shouts and her rustling to get her sneakers on her feet. Guess Puck won't mind a surprise visit at work today.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesties."
"Nice to see you again, Miss Sabrina. Great to finally see Miss Ally!"
"Queen Sabrina! What a pleasure to see you around!"
"Oh my goodness, it's Allison right? I knew we'd see her around here sooner or later! Hope to see the two of you more often."
Sabrina and Allison walk through the long corridors in the castle trying to get to Puck's office in the most inconspicuous way possible (which didn't really work). As all the people in the castle stopped to acknowledge Sabrina's rare presence in Fae, or to shake her hand. She would smile and politely nod back, but tried to make it seem like she wasn't running down the halls.
"Moooooom." Allison whispers fiercely as she speed walks to keep up with her mother. "Is there something else that you're keeping from me?"
"You're dad's the king." Sabrina said simply as she kept her pace and her eyes forward. Sabrina hated being treated like royalty. Fae still keep the tradition from when Titania was in power and worshipped the royals like the ground they walk on is golden. She'd much rather just find Puck's office and get away from the glare of the people who were too afraid to say anything at all.
"So that makes me…" Allison says as she stops dead in her tracks as a wide smile spreads across her cheeks.
"Yes, a princess." Sabrina says as she hurriedly takes Allison's hand and starts walking down the hall again. "Hurry we're almost there. Your father doesn't even know we're here yet." Allison doesn't talk again but there's an excited smile on her face that she tries to conceal by biting her bottom lip. When they arrive at Puck's office, Sabrina opens the door and closes it behind her quickly. She leans her back against the door, closes her eyes and gives a deep sigh. When she stands up straight and opens her eyes again Puck is sitting at his desk staring at Sabrina's eyes as if to say: "You know Allison's standing right there, right?" Sabrina opens her mouth to explain but before she can even take a breath to speak, Allison rushes over and throws her arms around her dad.
"Oh my gosh, dad! You'll never believe what happened today. I was just in my room watching tv, and then my back started to hurt real bad. I got up and then these things popped out of my back!" Allison excitedly babbled as she turns to point out her new wings to her dad. Puck immediately starts to grin wide and a twinkle lights in his eyes. But as quickly as it appears, it's gone and he looks straight at Sabrina. "Puck, we knew this day might've come someday. Congratulate your daughter." Sabrina laughs as she cracks a smile. Puck takes this approval to be happy about something he knew Sabrina felt iffy about. His wide toothed and shiny smile appears back on his face and he hugs Ally up and then stands to lift her feet in the air.
"Oh Ally, I'm so proud! I've always wanted a little flying partner." He says and he puts her down and ruffles her hair.
"You're gonna teach me right?" Ally beams as she eagerly starts jumping from foot to foot.
"Of course! Who's a better flyer than me?" Pucks stands as he puffs his chest out and spreads his arms apart, as if testing someone to contradict him. He laughs and grabs his coat from the back of his chair.
"Your highness, we have work that needs to get today." A tiny female fairy nervously points out as she looks at the paperwork on the desk. "Mr. Mustardseed has asked me to make sure you're work gets done. I could get fired."
"Don't worry about Mustardseed, Lily. Take the day off. My baby girl's flying today." Puck says as he smiles and walks out of the door with Sabrina's hand in the other and Allison's hand in the other.