Summary:
Set in the There Be Dragons, Harry Universe, this snippet is my interpretation of seeing a Batman comic strip where he has to retrieve his adopted "sons" from jail. It is NOT TBDH canon. Features fluff, family fluff and Teddy + various OC's.
Pairings:
Harry Potter x Harry's Bonded
Disclaimer:
I do not own any Harry Potter anything. That belongs to J.K. Rowling. I just like playing with Harry in my own little world of storyville. I make no money by writing this fanfiction. All original characters are my own.
Rating:
T/M – Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16.
WARNINGS: Smexy Hints. Slash. Angst. Family. GORE. Blood. OC's. OOCness. TBDH Universe. AU. Other warnings will be added as I see fit.
A/N: This is my brain struggling to warm-up and properly string words together so I can finish chapter 103. I am working on it, I swear. So sorry for the long delay, it's just not working out the way I want to and I really want the chapter to make sense. LOL. It's coming together, just reeeeeaaaallllyyyy slowly. Very slowly. Anyhow, I saw this comic of Batman as Bruce Wayne having to pick up his "kids" from jail, where they've obviously gotten into a fight of some sort and that made me think of something for TBDH, and then OC's and then yeah, this happened. So, um, it's definitely got American spelling/expressions in it, because my brain is fried, but it's kind of a story? LOL. Please enjoy!
Thanks for reading and your continued support of this dragel-fandom-love-fest ~Scion
Charlie stared at the scrap of paper Farnati had pressed into her hand. The flick of her golden eyes to the leftmost corner of the room, had been telling enough until her twin had punctuated it with a slight jerk of her head.
He didn't dare open the paper scrap, but rather, took the hint. After another minute of bland mingling, he opted to step out of the crowded room for a breath of air. The open balcony beckoned and Charlie didn't hesitate. Ducking behind the opened door, pressed against the wall, he unfurled the scrap and squinted at the jumbled characters.
His shoulders drooped.
"Is it one of them or all three?" Wikhn's whisper came from overhead.
Charlie twitched and swore, breaking-off mid-sentence so as not to give the Fae any satisfaction. The thoroughly unimpressed look from Wikhn, said that he hadn't entirely succeeded.
Before the stare-off could turn into a glare-off, Wikhn held out a hand, gaze averted.
Charlie handed over the paper scrap. "All three of them," he muttered. "Harry's going to kill them."
"Not if Theo gets them first," Wikhn murmured. He stepped in, closer, squinting at the paper scrap in the same way Charlie had.
"Who are we killing?" Fred asked, leaning around the door.
Charlie winced, but didn't say a word, as Wikhn's hand flashed out, catching Fred by the ear and helpfully pulling him all the way around said balcony door. "No one's killing anyone," he grumbled. "Don't blow this out of proportion."
"If we blow anything out of proportion, it's because you two can't keep anything calmer than—oh Ethan, not you too. If we're all out here, Harry's going to-" Charlie scowled.
Ethan shrugged. "Theo's with him. He won't notice until Theo does—which he probably will, if you don't show up to accompany them with the Senior Kalziks' to the Royal Pedestal. This is supposed to be a meet and greet."
Wikhn nudged Charlie, easily shouldering him out of the spot closest to the wall and the balcony railing. He'd released Fred's ear, but kept the redhead close with an arm around his waist.
To his credit, Fred was contentedly reading over Wikhn's shoulder, lips pursed in thought. "It's all three of them, isn't it?"
"Teddy, Jared and Alton," Charlie confirmed. "They're yours—so handle it before I have to."
Ethan fought to hide a smile. "We'll do our best," he said, calmly. "Just keep smiling." He pulled Charlie closer for a calming kiss—straightening his pleated collar at the same time.
Charlie sighed into the kiss, a hint of fondness glimmering in his brilliant blue eyes. "I would, if I knew I wouldn't be signing off on some sort of massive wreckage in the near the future…?"
"They won't destroy anything," Ethan promised. His golden gaze shifted to a deep, dark brown. "Will you?"
Wikhn's head snapped up, pink eyes eerily glowing. "We will not destroy anything," he said, obediently.
Fred twitched when the arm around his waist, squeezed him for emphasis. "We won't destroy anything," he echoed, stepping on Wikhn's foot.
Wikhn snorted, and leaned forward to capture one available ear between his fangs.
Charlie rubbed his forehead. "Right…"
"I'll mind them, you mind them." Ethan nodded to the room behind them. "Go." He kissed Charlie's cheek, nudging him forward. "It's fine. It's all fine, don't borrow trouble you don't need."
"…I never need it," Charlie said, wryly. "It just has a habit of finding-"
"Harry, I know." Ethan grinned. "Go on, you."
"All by myself?" Charlie teased.
"Cash in later if you like," Ethan's grin grew wider. "I'm not of a mind to complain…"
Charlie finally gave a little smile. He straightened up and stepped out from the balcony and back into the rush of the dinner party.
Ethan checked the privacy spell and drew it in tighter. It was best to keep his magic as close to him as possible, so as not to alert anyone to their immediate presence. He was sure any of the higher-ranked Gheyos would be aware of them, but at the same time, they'd also notice Wikhn.
A peaceful Wikhn who was very lazily kissing a strangely compliant Fred.
Together, it was just a few shades shy of the possibility of more than mere kisses.
Smart, Ethan thought. They wouldn't be interrupted. "Are we going?"
Wikhn held out one hand, purring into the kiss.
Ethan rolled his eyes and took the proffered hand. He'd only blinked before he realized that the portal had been instantaneous.
They were standing in the front lobby of the juvenile detention center, several feet away from the welcome fountain.
Fred pulled away, as Wikhn made a soft sound of disagreement.
"Where are they holding them?" Ethan beckoned to Fred. "Stick with me—stop grabbing him." He pulled Fred over to his side, ignoring the flare in Wikhn's darkening eyes. "The boys?"
"They're your sons," Wikhn grumbled. He took the paper scrap from Ethan and wrinkled his nose. He'd had a feeling the evening had been going far too smoothly for the past few hours. "Public disturbance section fifty-nine, three-oh-oh-four."
"Which is—?" Fred prompted.
"This way," Wikhn sighed, heavily. This wasn't the first time they were retrieving this particular set of offspring, namely—this troublesome trio. "This way. A few more minutes won't kill them. They probably deserve it."
"You haven't heard their story yet," Ethan reminded him. "Behave."
"I'm perfectly well-behaved," Wikhn threw back. It wasn't that he didn't care about the story, it was more the principle of the matter. There was nothing good about bailing one's children out of a holding cell. He moved ahead, leading the way through the beautifully tiled maze of hallways.
The lounging Gheyos keeping watch, paid them no mind. The scrap of paper was their admittance and Wikhn's purposeful walk was deterrent enough.
It took a handful of minutes to find themselves standing in front of the glowing forcefield to the cell where their sons were.
In true form, Teddy, the oldest, stood ramrod straight at the point closest to the forcefield, his arms crossed over his chest. His jeans and jean jacket were torn and ripped in a few places. Anxiety radiated from his person, hidden behind a thin veil of worry.
Sitting in the corner of the cell—across from Teddy—was Jared, a dark scowl dominating his delicate features. His fingers twitched constantly, his displeasure growing at the very obvious lack of visible magic. The cell's suppressants were definitely working.
Sprawled out atop the top bunk of the available cots, Alton's feet hung over the edge, his hands tucked behind his head. Every so often, a foot would kick and he'd still whenever Jared's glare reached him.
Ethan rubbed his forehead. He dropped the privacy spell and waited. Fred adopted a slightly less threatening stance than Wikhn's crossed arms and smoldering glare.
It took all of five seconds for the three preteens to notice them.
Teddy pushed away from the wall, hurrying to stand in front of Ethan, carefully keeping away from the forcefield. "Dad!"
"Drat," Alton muttered. He popped up from the bed and slid off to hurry forward.
Jared pushed up from the floor, sauntering over in time to grab Alton before he could stumble into the forcefield.
Ethan gave them each a look, gratified by the immediate response of lowered gazes and bowed heads. That was good, at least they were somewhat sorry. He still wasn't sure how they'd wound up in here, but he was sure he'd find out in the following minutes. "Do I want to know?" he asked, meaningfully.
"…Depends," Alton said, carefully. He snuck a glance up at Teddy.
"They're not leaving us in here," Jared snorted. His brow furrowed, worried eyes darting to Ethan and then Fred. "You're not leaving us in here, are you?"
Fred sighed. "What happened?"
"…It was an accident?" Teddy offered. He inched closer to Alton. "Just a misunderstanding?"
"A misunderstanding doesn't lead to you three in a detention cell," Ethan scolded. "What were you thinking? No—don't answer that. Why didn't you call sooner?"
All three boys winced.
Jared shuffled forward, after a beat. "We knew you'd be at that—thing. It was just—can you just get us out—please?"
"How much is your bail?" Ethan countered, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Are you alright? All of you? Any injuries?"
"We're fine," Alton huffed. "It was nothing we couldn't handle and—ow, Jared!"
Jared pretended not to notice, but instead, shuffled quickly out of range.
"They didn't give us a report," Teddy ventured. "Stop it, you guys." He moved to step between his younger brothers, elbowing Alton when he didn't move. He winced at the movement.
Alton flinched, skittering back at once. "He started it."
"And no one's finishing it," Fred said, firmly. "Teddy, is your arm broken or sprained?"
Teddy flushed red. "Probably a sprain," he said, softly. "It doesn't hurt too badly."
Ethan stepped away to summon one of the Gheyos on guard. He requested an incident report and paid the necessary fees to have it sealed and privately recorded.
Fred frowned. "On a scale of one to ten—?" He prompted.
"Nine," Jared snapped out. He tried to dodge Teddy's quick hand, but the headslap registered anyway. He rubbed his head, standing out of range with a renewed scowl.
"You were fighting with the Doursen kids?" Ethan stared at the report printout in hand and then up at the trio. "Teddy!" They'd been through this lecture before.
"Alton!" Fred echoed, mildly surprised. He knew how hot-headed his son could be, but really!
Wikhn pursed his lips. Jared's shoulders hunched forward.
"It was an accident!" Alton protested in earnest. "We just—it—!" His voice quieted as he caught sight of the glowing, violet recording orbs that monitored the cell. "We didn't mean to—Teddy!"
"Accident," Teddy repeated, firmly. "We've—we've learned our lesson, just please—I—we—don't want to stay here."
"Oh?" Wikhn's voice was deceptively light. "You're perfectly safe here. Probably much safer in there right now, than out here. I warned you that the next time I had to retrieve you from a detention cell, we'd be having this conversation with a-"
Teddy's shoulders hunched forward, miserably. "I-I know! I know! I know you're mad, but Da—it's just—it's hard to explain."
"It says you started the fight," Ethan said, quietly. There was a slight furrow in his brow. "In a crowd full of visiting officials from Earth-"
"Let me see that," Wikhn reached over to pluck the report from Ethan's surprised hands. He skimmed the pages quickly, pink eyes darkening to a near red. A low growl rumbled in his throat.
All three boys took a step back.
Ethan twitched. Fred swallowed. "Wikhn—?" he ventured.
"Release them," Wikhn snapped at the waiting Gheyo. His aura flared softly. "Charge it to my account."
Ethan blinked. He'd seen the posted bail—the price would halve in an hour. "Wikhn, that's a lot of-"
"Now!" Wikhn growled out. Magic flared at his hand, destroying the report. He ignored Fred's exclamation of dismay, his sharp gaze zeroing in on his son. "Jared."
"Father."
"Is this about that?"
"Depends," Jared sassed.
"Yes or no?" Wikhn growled.
Jared lifted his chin, red eyes steadily holding his father's gaze. "Yes."
"I'll take care of it," Wikhn said, simply.
Jared's eyes shone bright. He ducked his head.
"You're alright?" Wikhn checked. He signed the release forms and tipped the Gheyo.
The forcefield fizzled out seconds later. The trio hesitated.
Alton bit his lip. "A-are you mad?"
Fred nearly smiled and Ethan took a step forward.
"Furious," Wikhn said, dryly. "Come here you three—" he held out an arm.
That was all the trio needed.
It was several minutes—and hugs—later, before Ethan spun a portal to take them home.
"It'll heal up fine," Wikhn pronounced, ruffling Teddy's turquoise hair. "Next time, block like this-" he demonstrated.
"Stop that," Ethan scolded, thumping Wikhn on the head. "Teach him to fight when he's recovered. Not when-"
"Dad, I'm fine!" Alton squealed, trying and failing to dodge the playful nuzzle that accompanied his healing hug.
Fred smirked, rubbing his cheek a little harder atop Alton's curly-headed mop. "Now you're fine," he said, holding him for a moment longer. "Stop trying to take the protection spells off, they're on there for a reason."
"But they itch!" Alton huffed. He twitched again—for show—but didn't try to pull away from the hug. It wasn't everyday that he had his Dad's undivided attention.
Jared sat on the floor behind Wikhn, sipping on a cup of warmed, cinnamon milk. He blushed when Ethan settled on the floor beside him, reaching out to pull him into a hug.
"Are we in trouble?" Alton wanted to know. He happily cuddled up Fred, a smattering of dragel scales shimmering along the sides of his neck and face.
"What do you think?" Ethan countered, wryly. "You know how your Mera feels about fighting."
"Not to mention, Theo," Fred scolded. "There's always another option. You could have called someone—one of us—or even the Circle on guard."
"Not this time," Teddy said, softly. He caught Wikhn's sleeve, shimmering eyes silently imploring. The story had come tumbling out within minutes of being in the privacy of their own home and the safety of their parents' presence.
"It'll be taken care of," Wikhn murmured. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Teddy's forehead.
"Promise?" Teddy's voice wavered. "I just—it—Da…"
"I have never lied to you," Wikhn said, firmly. "And I certainly would not start now." He gently wrapped his arms around Teddy's quivering figure and held him tight. "It will be fine."
There was a single, hiccup and then the floodgates opened. Teddy bawled into Wikhn's shoulder, great big sobs that wracked his slender frame.
It was apparently all the permission that Alton and Jared needed, because they were equally distressed in the following minutes.
A concerned Fred and Ethan immediately reacted. Alton was pulled onto Fred's lap, a gentle hand rubbing his back. Jared's cinnamon milk was abandoned in favor of Ethan's lap, instinctively seeking the same level of comfort as his siblings.
"Shhh," Wikhn crooned, several minutes later. "It's alright. It's fine. You've done well." He rocked Teddy back and forth until the sobs quieted. "You've all done well," he repeated. "Let me handle it now."
It was nearly six hours before Wikhn returned, bloody and silent, a shivering bundle in his arms. Wrapped in Wikhn's shredded dress robes, a skinny arm stuck out from the bundle, a jagged cut visible from wrist to elbow, dark with dried blood.
Quinn's hiss of displeasure was the loudest sound in the room, as all three Pareya surged forward to meet Wikhn.
He handed the bundle off to Quinn, and stood to the side, as Harry came to him.
"Wikhn?" Harry asked, tersely. It had been a long wait, as the others had filled him in on the situation. "Did they-?"
"Never again," Wikhn said, simply. "He's lucky."
From the confines of the shredded dress robe, was a newcomer. A young boy now perched on Ethan's hip, as Quinn fussed over him with a barrage of diagnostic spells. Their Healer catalogued every injury, even those fading as dragel healing caught up.
"Who would stand and watch this?" Harry trembled, a flicker of pure rage shining through. He'd heard the details. A child-smuggling ring. Connections in high places. How information had somehow not made it to the right places. "How could they let a child-?"
Wikhn didn't answer. He merely pulled Harry into his arms, soaking up the silent strength offered. Together, they stood there, silently, watching as their Bonded came together to welcome the newest addition of their family.
The Doursens had sat on the information, waiting for concrete proof. This little boy had been proof—living proof—overheard by Teddy and the others, during one of their games. Their sons had taken matters into their own hands in the only way they'd been able to.
He cast a glance to the doorway, when a flicker of movement caught his attention. Jared, standing just out of sight, relief showing plainly on his young face. In the shadows beside him, Teddy and a sleepy Alton waited.
Wikhn nearly smiled. He gave a slight tip of his head into the room, a hint that he didn't care if they were up at this hour—it was fine.
Jared inched into the room, shoulders relaxing as he watched Quinn casting healing spells over the newly rescued boy. Teddy hovered uncertainly in the doorway, Alton leaning against him, stifling a yawn.
"He'll be fine now," Fred said, quietly. He moved away from George and Ethan. "See?" He ruffled Teddy's hair and nudged Alton.
Finally, Harry smiled.
Yanek scowled, setting the cup down on the table with a huff. He wasn't listening to his Alpha's rant, because that was all that it was. He'd done what he'd needed to do and it wasn't his fault the whole thing had gone sideways. How was he to know that a human smuggling ring had been part of their target's repertoire of bad businesses?
"You told me that it was foolproof! Now we'll be called into the courts for an internal inspection and a conflict of interest for the trade agreements into the—"
Yanek made himself nod, schooling his features into an appropriately repentant expression. The sooner the lecture was over, the sooner he could return to his own schemes.
Oh well—at least, it had been Theo's group to find out the awful truth—even if the others had been involved, at least his Theo had come through.
Well, not really his Theo, but that stupid, broody Fae of theirs had at least proven his worth.
Stupid Gheyo.
Yanek flinched when a strong surge of displeasure flared through their shared bonds. Paying attention. Right. He needed to pay attention. Damage control.
There would be plenty of time for scheming later.
"Done?" Wikhn asked, quietly.
Theo didn't even glance up from his desk. He continued to scribble his signature across the massive stack of documents, magically stamping them for authenticity as he went.
It was unspoken as to who and what, Wikhn meant, but they were of the same mind. They'd both understood what Harry had meant when they'd first taken in Shasta. As long as it was within their power, it would never happen again.
Theo smiled, thinly. They would pay. He'd be sure of it. "Done." He said, simply.
This is NOT TBDH-canon. Like most of my prompts, this was written in a single draft writing session and has not been extensively proofed. The idea was that Teddy and his brothers had overhead some information about a kidnapped human, "living proof" for a child smuggling ring that the Doursen's were trying to expose. Because he's Teddy and after all he's been through, Teddy can't help himself. So, the kids stage a fight and as a result, their parents have to come and get them. Cue Wikhn, Fred and Ethan. The kids are about 10 to 13-ish? Clear as mud? Anyway, Chapter 103 is coming along, slowly but surely. Thanks for your patience, and as always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! ~Scion
Clear as mud? Anyway, Chapter 103 is coming along, slowly but surely. Thanks for your patience, and as always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! ~Scion
