A/N: Thank you so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. It honestly means the world. Hope you enjoy :D
I shifted back into my room and collapsed on the bed. Wallowing in self-pity took precedent in that moment and I indulged myself to the fullest. After a few minutes of pathetic fatalism, I sat up and wiped my face, though no tears had fallen and renewed my resolve. I had a job to do and no time for a mini break down. I stood up and shed my Cheerios uniform before padding into the bathroom and twisting the dial on the shower. I stepped under the scalding water and let it strip the tension from my stiff muscles. Thirty minutes later, I towelled off and re-dressed; choosing a pair of skinny fit jeans and a burnt-orange tee, paired with comfortable Converse. Seeing no other reasons to delay the inevitable, I grabbed my keys and phone and jumped in my car; noting the empty space where my father's car should have been. I wondered briefly at the progress my parents were making then shook the thoughts from my head.
I pulled up to the two-storey beige house and exited the vehicle, making sure to lock it securely. Taking a deep breath and holding it, I knocked on the wooden door quickly and forced myself to stop fidgeting. A few seconds later the door swung open to reveal Mrs Puckerman in ripped jeans and a faded black shirt; her hair in messy curls and make up smudged around her eyes. In terms of standing; the Puckermans didn't rate very highly. Puck's father turned into a deadbeat and turned his back on our ways. His removal was essential to our survival in the small town of Lima. Without the familial support we all rely on in this world, he fell into the bottle and began to drink heavily. This, of course, led to many fights; culminating in an incident that nearly killed a human. The Elders pulled him back to the other realm where he has had no contact with his wife or son. Noah was understandably disgusted and determined to not turn out like him but his mother took it hard. She fluctuated between the perfect mother and neighbour, and grossly negligent and wildly itinerant. Sometimes she would disappear for weeks, leaving Puck to fend for himself; only to turn up feigning penitence.
"Hi Mrs Puckerman. Is Noah in?" I asked politely, hiding my distain for the woman not good enough to be a Schian. She nodded vaguely and stepped aside, leaving me to enter and shut the door. I turned to find myself alone and stifled a disbelieving scoff at the woman's behaviour. I wouldn't expect such treatment by a human, let alone a dragon. Rolling my eyes, I sauntered into the living room; drawn there by the synthetic sounds of gunfire from a video game. I found Puck sat with Finn; both huddled over controllers for the war game playing out. Buffing my nails against my tee, I waited for the two idiots to notice they had company. Puck shot a side glance my way then turned back to the screen before performing a comical double take.
"Santana? What are you doing here?" He paused the game without looking at the controller, then dropped it to the floor; standing hastily and wiping his hands on his baggy combats. With the quirk of an eyebrow, I made my point as my gaze narrowed at the oafish human still sat cross-legged, leaning casually against the couch. "Finn, dude. How about we leave this for today, yeah?" The imbecile just looked at him dopily.
"Uh, you sure?" I glanced at the ceiling, sending up a silent prayer for the patience I would need to get through the day. Possibly the month. Puck nodded distractedly, his gaze never leaving my face. He knew I would never choose to visit him at home unless it was serious. Finn's eyes flicked from me to Puck quickly, his slow brain putting pieces of a puzzle together at an alarmingly slow rate. "Oh," he finally mumbled with a sly smirk that made him look constipated, "I get it! Get in, bro." He volleyed a lazy fist at Puck's arm and I grimaced at the insinuation behind his words.
"Sure," Puck said uncertainly, his scrutiny still burning a hole through my temple.
"So, if you'd like to vacate the premises, Finnocence. I gots business too attends to." I waved a hand through the air dismissively. He lumbered to his feet and shuffled out of the house without saying another word; his parting shot a sleazy wink in Pucks direction. When the front door clicked closed, I puffed out my cheeks and blew a heavy breath through pursed lips. "I swear, he gets dumber by the hour."
"What are you doing here?" Puck asked again, leaning back against the window sill. I perched on the edge of the couch and draped my left over my right knee.
"We need to talk. Things are happening and we have been chosen to be a part of it." He weaved his arms together over his chest and waited for me to continue. "There is a war coming and we have to be prepared." He glanced to the side before rocking forward and standing to his full height.
"What? What war?" I sighed and flicked the nail of my ring finger against the nail of my thumb for a few seconds before licking my lips and giving him the abridged version of the last few months. When I'd reached the end of my tale he was sat on the floor staring up at me with wide eyes. "Rachel? A hunter?" I nodded a confirmation. "No way." Again, I bobbed my head in a positive gesture.
"Yeah. Leroy's side. But he laid the whole 'Saviour of our People' thing a little thick and it pissed her off. She's playing for our side now." He shifted slightly closer to me and cleared his throat.
"So her and Quinn have gone to find the White Witch? Okay. Well, where do I figure in all this?" I scratched my eyebrow wearily, my patience running out already.
"We are going to Europe. We have to speak to the various Heads of State and convince them to rally the troops. If this goes down the way The Elders and Quinn think it is, we need to be ready." His mouth opened a little in disbelief.
"Europe? How the hell are we going to get to Europe?" He asked incredulously.
"But you're in? You'll do this with me?" He levelled a frown at me, his eyes searching my face meticulously, before he eventually nodded. I pulled my phone from the front left pocket of my jeans and dialled the number my mother left for me.
"Hello?" A gruff voice answered.
"Eric Stanzard? It's Santana Lopez," I replied authoritatively in the voice I used as second in command on the Cheerios.
"Ah, Santana. I was wondering when you were going to call." The inflection in his voice lifted and a gentle smile rose to my mouth.
"My parents made it over, then?" His deep chuckle resonated down the line.
"They came and went yesterday. I've booked the tickets they asked me too. I'm assuming Mr Puckerman has agreed to accompany you." I hummed a confirmation as I Noah twitched restlessly. "Excellent. Your plane leaves tomorrow morning from Port Columbus at ten am. You have a connecting flight in Chicago which will take you on to London. You have twenty four hours in London then you'll catch a flight to Paris. There is a car rental point at the Charles De Gaulle airport for your trip around Europe. Someone will meet you at Columbus airport at nine tomorrow morning with all your documentation." I thanked the older Schian and hung up. Noah listened intently as I relayed all the information to him, ending by telling him that I would pick him up at seven in the morning. He nodded his agreement then I left him to say his goodbyes; my mind focused on my own farewells.
I drove slowly through the conversant streets, eking out the time as much as I could until I inevitably ran out of road. I sat staring through the windscreen, desperately trying to summon the strength I needed in order to say goodbye to the beautiful blond walking to my car. She slid into the passenger seat with a warm smile as I turned to face her. One sandy eyebrow dipped in a half frown as she studied my expression.
"What's wrong, baby?" I felt my throat close up briefly as a wave of sorrow engulfed me at the concern in her voice. I struggled to swallow then pulled in a quick breath.
"I love you," I forced out weakly. Her lips quirked in a sad smile just before her fingers found my shoulder, brushing delicately over my tan skin to my neck.
"Are you breaking up with me, San?" My gaze swung from the steering column to her crystal blues faster than I thought possible and I shook my head vehemently.
"Never," I vowed. Her digits slipped to the fine hairs at the nape of my neck, curling them gently then smoothing them out, only to start the motion again. The familiar, soothing gesture brought tears to my eyes. "I have to go away for a while, sweetheart." I couldn't keep the quiver from my vulnerable voice as the salty liquid tumbled to my cheeks, creating ragged streams to my jaw. Brittany tugged me towards her; wrapping her strong, lithe arms around my shoulders as she whispered comforting words in my ear. I relished the intimacy of the moment and committed every word, every delicate inflection to memory. She leant back after a few minutes; her cheeks damp and her eyes bloodshot.
"Is this anything to do with the Shee-an?" My stomach dropped and my heart thundered twice against my sternum.
"What?" I croaked. She looked out the window and shifted uncomfortably in the seat until the silence became unbearable.
"You talk in your sleep sometimes. Just lately you've been talking a lot about Shee-an. What is it?" Panic raced through my veins and my skin began to itch; a symptom of the fight-or-flight reflex. I had to do something, and soon. Suddenly Alysai's soft words echoed through my mind. 'You know her soul. Trust your instincts.' Resolve alleviated the sting of alarm and the crawling of my skin eased to a more manageable level.
"We should go inside," I mumbled. Brittany nodded slowly then exited the car swiftly. I glanced in the mirror once and saw a soft orange hue ringing my irises. The change was inevitable. Racing from the car to the house, I followed Brittany's scent into her bedroom and locked the door behind myself. She was sat on the bed, her cobalt eyes wide in expectation. "Turn around for a second. No matter what you hear, don't look at me, okay?" Her brow furrowed momentarily before she complied and wiggled in a semi-circle. I took a calming breath and stripped out of my clothes, then released my hold on the shift. Deep gold ochre scales punched through my bronze skin as my bones began rearranging themselves. Broad wings jutted out then strengthened, sturdy claws slid over my human nails as my fingers elongated slightly, and my nose flattened with a sickening crunch. When the transformation was complete I found myself leaning against the wall, panting out harsh breaths.
"Can I turn around now San, please?" I hummed a soft confirmation and pulled my wings into my back, shrinking my overall size so as not to be too intimidating. Brittany gasped gently and was
instantly on her feet, graceful as ever. "How-? What-?" Despite the confusion in her voice she stepped forward; slow, methodical steps that brought her closer to me. She stopped inches from me and lifted a hand towards my face. Wonder shone brightly in her azure orbs as her fingertips ghosted over my cheek and jaw. "You're beautiful." I dropped my chin bashfully, aware that I would be blushing if I could. I knew I was considered attractive in my natural form; the glimmering sheen of my scales marked me out as striking, but to be told by a human was something entirely different.
"You're not scared?" I asked fearfully. She shook her head with a disbelieving smile, as if the question of her being afraid of me was completely idiotic. Her digits hadn't stopped moving since they began touching me, and now they glided down my arm to my hand. She took a strong grip and guided me to the bed. I sat down, facing the head board, and allowed the bottom tips of my wings to rest on the carpet. She was kneeling in front of me, her feet resting just below her pillows and her hands twisting together in her lap.
"Is this why you have to go away?" She queried softly.
"Sort of," I replied. "There are more people like me around and I need to go and see them."
"With Quinn?" I glanced up in surprise.
"Why Quinn?" She smirked.
"You two are like sisters and you really don't like anyone else." A wry smile tugged at my lips and I nodded.
"Quinn's like me. But she's not coming with me."
"Oh. You're going alone?" I trailed the back of a talon over her calf gently.
"No. Puck is coming with me." I grinned at her raised eyebrow then leant forward to smooth it back down with my thumb. "Don't look at me like that."
"He knows you're mine, right?" A shiver of desire rippled down my spine and through the light, leathery membranes of my wings at her claiming me.
"He isn't interested in me in that way. Besides, you're right. I'm all yours." She shifted forward, a blinding smile stretching her mouth. I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hold on. One second?" She nodded slightly. I stood and moved from the bed; forcing my scales to recede and my wings to withdraw. A series of snaps followed as my bones moved back into place and dropped me to my knees. In the silence that followed, I heard the quiet rustle of Brittany slipping from the bed to the floor. She made her way over the carpet to me and dragged me carefully back to the bed. When I was settled beneath the duvet, she rested her head on my shoulder as her nails wove intricate patterns over my ribs and abs.
"Just as beautiful," she sighed, her breath tickling deliciously over my skin. "Will you stay with me, until you need to go?" I bobbed my head, arousal thrumming through my body.
"Until tomorrow morning." Her gaze left the invisible artwork she was currently drawing over my midriff and met my burning orbs.
"I'd better give you some good memories to get through our time apart then." A sly smirk dissolved into intense desire as I rolled on top of her and captured her lips in a searing kiss.