- Author's Note - Hey, guys!

Well, the feedback is still nowhere near where I wish it to be, and I was ready to put the story back on hiatus, but then I got a message from Cakeymix that made me change my mind.

So, for her, I decided to write the next Chapter, which, as promised, returns us to the Present. However, please be aware that, if the feedback remains minimual, I will be putting the story back on hiatus, something I truly don't wish to do, especially since I have so many ideas and plans for it, but it's very difficult to find the drive to write when there's so little response to the hard work.

Also, I did a "refresh" on my Profile links, so be sure to check them out, and I've chosen to change the age of the Dragons. In the Summary, Elena only brought them to life a few years ago, but now they're nearly as old as she is, and she received them during the Railroad, so there'll be a flashback to that in this Chapter.

With that, I really hope you all enjoy this Chapter, and, I can't stress this enough, PLEASE review!


The next morning, Phil awoke to a quiet house, and an empty, aside from himself, bed.

Without thinking, he got up, made the bed, shed his sleeping clothes, then dressed himself in his usual attire of an impecable suit, and made his way downstairs.

The kitchen was alive with the usual morning preparations of breakfast, including Casper eating his cat food out of his bowl on the floor. The only thing that was missing was the Chief.

Standing in his temporarily halted position in the foyer, Phil soon found her, as the front door was swung open, and the only thing covering the entrance to the house was the screen door. Through it, he could see Elena standing outside, down off of the patio, head tilted back, so that she was looking up at the bright morning sky.

He didn't need to wonder long what she was looking at, as, soon, the gentle screeching roars of the three massive Dragons reached his ears, and he was unable to help but smile softly to himself, while he moved forward, pushed the screen door open, then stepped out into the warm air, soon down the steps of the front porch, his head instinctively tilting back, so that he could see what Elena was, and his grin brightened, when he saw the trio of enormous scaly forms soaring above.

"Quite a sight to see," Phil said, as he stepped up beside her, his gentle blue-green eyes soon drawn down, then over, to her. How was it possible that she looked even more beautiful first thing in the morning than she had when they'd said goodnight? Her long honey highlighted chocolate tresses were still mused from sleep, and she continued to wear her sleeping attire, while he could easily tell out in here in the bright sunlight that she had not a stitch of makeup on, not that she needed it, she was just so naturally beautiful.

Elena smiled brightly at the arrival of the man, followed by his words. She was feeling a bit better, a bit stronger, after such a peaceful night's sleep, but hiding the Dragons from him would be pointless, though they were now once more shielded from the rest of the World. At least from everyone aside from those she loved and trusted, and even one less person she had to hide them from made it easier on it, until she got her complete strength back, that is.

"Do you have a machine that puts those on and takes those off for you?" she asked, upon noticing he was already decked out in another suit.

"No," Phil chuckled in response, flicking a glance down at himself, then lifting a sparkling eyed look back to her. "Though I know a man who does."

Elena continued to smile, even as her brow furrowed slightly at his comment, before she raised a slender hand to his back. "Come on, A.C. Let's get some breakfast."

Phil nodded in response, flicking a last look up at the Dragons, then allowing her to lead him back inside the house.


"I could swear they're even bigger than they were yesterday," Phil said, pausing in the foyer, while Elena closed first the screen door, then the front door. "Are they fully grown?"

"There aren't exactly any Dragon experts left," replied Elena, lifting her hand to his back once more, then guiding the way into the kitchen. "But, as far as I know, they're fully grown now. You should've seen them when they were little." Reaching the table, she pulled out one of the chairs for him, indicating him to sit, before she continued on, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet, then heading over to the coffee maker with them, while Phil settled in the seat, never taking his eyes off of her, except for the time it took him to blink. "They were so small, I could carry all three of them in my arms at once."

"I'm sure you miss those times," Phil said. "Doesn't a Mother always hate it when their children get too big to carry?"

Elena laughed softly, as she poured the rich dark brown liquid into the mugs, then placed the still more than half full decanter back into place on the warming plate of the coffee maker. "I suppose so. Truthfully, I was quite happy when they healthy enough and strong enough to fly, to eat for themselves. I used to have to cook their meat for them, before they could breathe fire."

Moving back over to the table, she placed the two steaming mugs on its surface, which was already decorated with all of the breakfast condiments, including those for coffee.

"What do they eat now?" inquired Phil, lifting his gaze to hers, as she arrived close to him, and her scent of honey combined with rose petals enveloped him like a warm embrace. "I doubt a few packages of raw meat from your town's grocery store."

Elena smiled softly once more, pouring creamer into her coffee, then Phil's, meeting his eyes as when she straightened up to close the container. "I actually own several ranches across the Country."

"What?" Phil exclaimed in surprise and disbelief. "How'd you manage that?"

"Cullen and I, as well as Emma, and her Mate at the time, Dr. James Shannon, we helped build the Transcontinental Railroad, and we had contracts with cattle farmers," Elena explained, setting the creamer down back on the table, then padding over to the stove. "One of them, Maggie Palmer, quickly became a really good friend of Cullen and I's. She owned the largest ranch in the area at the time, and she soon bought many others. We got most of our meat from her. You know, to fed the workers." Sighing softly, she went on, as she picked up the spatula, and began moving the readied bacon, eggs, and sausage off of the pans, then onto the plants to take to the table. "She was killed not long before the completion of the Railroad, and Cullen and I found out she'd left all of her properties to us in her will."

"Wow," was all Phil could said in response, especially the knowledge that Elena, her cousin, and their Mates had helped build the actual Railroad. He was sorry about the death of her friend, but, seeing as it was well over 100 years ago, his usual offer of condolence seemed silly. It was a Hell of a way to come into all of the beef she'd ever need for her Dragons though.

"So, when the Dragons are hungry, they fly over to one of those ranches, and fill up," Elena continued, offering Phil a fresh sweet smile, as she turned, and walked back over to the table, loaded up with plates of food, which he quickly rose from his chair to take from her. "Thank you."

"I assume whoever runs those ranches knows about them," Phil chuckled, to which she nodded in response.

"Yes," Elena said. "I only employ those I greatly trust."

"Are they. . . Fae too?" asked Phil, as he sat back down, while Elena returned to the stove to fetch the pancakes and hash browns she'd also made.

"Some are," Elena answered. "Most are Human though. Or, at least, not Fae. A lot of Peter and Destiny's kin work at the ranches."

"Where are Peter and Destiny, by the way?" Phil inquired next, flicking a glance around at the kitchen, though speaking of the entire house. "And Emma?"

"Work," Elena answered, soon back at the table with the rest of the food, which he helped her with once more, before both finally sat down. "Peter's a Mechanic, as I'm sure you guessed by his jacket, and Destiny, Emma, and I work as waitresses at a place called Merlotte's. It's where most of our friends in this town work, and, one of them, Sam, owns it."

"You and your cousin work?" Phil asked somewhat slowly in mostly disbelief. "As waitresses? Why?"

"Well, when we first came back to Bon Temps three years ago," Elena began to explain, while she dished out food onto her plate, and his. "No one knew a thing about us, except Adele Stackhouse, the woman who's house this was. She was also Jason's Grandmother. So, we had to act like normal Human girls, who needed waitressing jobs that pay $10.00 an hour, plus tips."

"But they know about you now?" Phil continued. "At least, enough to realize you don't need said waitressing jobs?"

"I suppose so," replied Elena. "But, without work, what would there be for us to do? Even before coming back here after losing Cullen and James, Emma and I have always had jobs. First we worked on the Railroad, then I started a business, and Cullen ran the ranches, while Emma became a Doctor like James, and they worked at hospitals."

"You have your own business?" Phil exclaimed once more in surprise, as she finished loading up their single plates in front of where they sat. He was so enthralled with all he was learning about her, he completely forgot about all of the delicious warm home cooked food and coffee right in front of him. "What kind is it?"

"It's just one big company now," Elena said, shrugging her slender shoulders as if it was nothing, which, to her, it wasn't, before she laughed softly, lifting her sparkling brown eyes to his handsome face. "Wow. Someone is all rested up and ready to stuff their brain with more knowledge."

Phil chuckled softly, even as a light blush crept up his cheeks, while he forced himself to focus on the breakfast she'd made, taking a first drink of coffee, before picking up his fork and knife, and starting on his plate. "Can you really blame me?"

"No," replied Elena, smiling sweetly, as she watched him start eating. "I guess I can't."


The Railroad

It was Elena's Birthday today. Her 20th Birthday. And the camp was alive with excitement. Half were working on the track and the bridge, while the others were preparing the town for the evening's celebratory festivities in her honor.

"Ah! There she is!" exclaimed Thomas, as Elena entered the office, after making her way somewhat difficultly through the camp from her and Cullen's train car, between those getting everything ready, and the ones who stopped her to wish her a, "Happy Birthday!" as well.

"Thomas," Elena breathed, at the sight of the perfect suit tailored man, who was currently sans jacket and hat, coming out of his office, arms raised. "I told you not to do anything for my Birthday. We need to get the bridge built, but you've got half your work force preparing a party I don't want."

"Oh, nonsense, my dear," Thomas said, waving a hand in the air, before it and its twin went to rest on her slender upper arms, as he came to a halt in front of her. "There's not a person in this town - Irish, German, Freedman, or whore - who doesn't worship the ground you walk on. In a place referred to as Hell On Wheels, you're their Angel of mercy."

Elena couldn't help but roll her eyes, even as the man leaned down, and pressed a kiss to her cheek, before straightening up with a bright smile.

"And you shall have the celebration you deserve," Durant went on. "I spared no expense on tonight's party. So, I don't want to hear another word about it."

"Fine," Elena replied, rolling her chocolate brown orbs once more. "At least let me work until the sun sets then, seeing as I'm attending the festivities under duress."

"If that is what you wish," said Thomas, before gesturing at the nearby counter, on which was the day's mail from the morning train. "You can make yourself useful sorting through that then, especially since I suppose it's mostly for you, anyway."

Elena rolled her eyes for a third time, then walked over to stand behind the waist high wall, while Durant retreated back in his office, leaving the dual doors to it open, as always, and began going through the various letters and parcels.

She set the first few aside, as she picked them up, and read the name to whom they were addressed, since they were for workers, from their wives or families, before, sure enough, she starting seeing her own name on envelope after envelope, package after package, and she sighed softly. Most of the people who'd sent them she didn't really know. They were friends of her Mother's, whom she'd met for a split second as a baby or a small child, and even Josette barely knew them.

Elena smiled softly however, when she came upon a letter from her Mother, accompanied by a small package, and she set those aside to take back to her and Cullen's train car, before she moved on to the next parcel, the sight of which had her brow furrowing in confusion, as well as a fair bit of curiosity.

It was massive, especially compared to the other packages, but wrapped in the same flimsy brown paper, with string tied around it.

Looking at the name on it, Elena was even more surprised to see the large parcel was addressed to her, though there was no other name on it, giving her no indication as to who it'd come from.

Reaching out, she effortlessly pulled the string free, then the paper, which more fell open, revealing a beautiful old black wood box, accented in gold and bronze, and secured with a heavy lock.

"You'll be needing this, dearie," came an unfamiliar heavy Scottish touched voice, and Elena tore her eyes away from the item, to look up, seeking out the source, which she found in a man, not much taller than her, dressed in an expensive dark suit, one hand in front of him, resting on a gold handled cane, while the other held up a key that looked to match in size the lock on the box.

Depiste her confusion, she could see he was a handsome older man, with dark brown eyes, and shoulder length hair that was streaked with grey, and he offered her a smile she also noticed was accented with a few gold teeth.

Before Elena could respond, or even process the man's presence, Durant's voice rang out from behind her in the office.

"Mr. Gold!" Thomas cried, and she looked over to see the Railroad's President once more leaving the room, and entering the front of the building, with his arms held up, the way he'd done when she'd entered moments ago. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course, Thomas," the man called Mr. Gold replied, lowering the hand holding the key to join the first on top of his cane. "You know I would never refuse an invitation from you."

"And I see you brought the Birthday Girl a gift," Thomas went on, as he came to a halt beside Elena behind the counter, nodding at the large black box.

"Only the best for the young Lady spoken so highly of by the one and only Thomas Durant," Mr. Gold replied, causing the Railroad's President to chuckle and smile, while Elena continued to try to make sense of the situation. "I was just explaining to her that she'd need this though."

He once more held up the key, then leaned on his cane with his other hand, as he moved it to his side, and hobbled over to the front of the counter, where he offered the item to Elena.

"Thank you," she spoke, reaching out to take the key from the man. She may have been confused, but she knew her manners, especially toward a man who was obviously a friend, at least as close to one that he could have, of Durant's. "Forgive me, Sir, but, I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

"Elena, this is Mr. Gold," Thomas replied, indicating the Scottish man. "He's one of our Railroad's greatest friends. He's supported it since the beginning, and, as his name suggests, provided us with more of the funding than anyone else on the Board. I invited him to your Birthday celebration tonight. You've become just as important to the Railroad, and to me, as he has, so, I wanted my two greatest allies to finally meet."

Elena smiled, as understanding dawned, and she flicked a glance at Durant, who'd placed one of his hands on her slender back, before returning her gaze to Mr. Gold, whom she offered a respectful nod of her dark silky head. "In that case, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"The pleasure is all mine, Ma'am," Mr. Gold replied, with a bow of his own grey tinted head.

"Well, now that introductions are over, allow me to show you to your tent," Thomas said, moving away from Elena, then stepping out from behind the counter, his hand that had previously been on her back, now going to his friend's, whom he began to lead out of the office, while flicking a glance at her over his shoulder. "Oh! Elena, would you-?"

"I'll mind the office, Thomas," she answered, even though she didn't even look at him, and therefor missed his look and smile of gratitude, as her entire focus was once more on the strange box in front of her, which she now held the key to.


Elena didn't stay in the office long. She soon pocketed the key Mr. Gold had given her, then picked up the black box it unlocked, which she found to be far heavier than it looked, and left, calling over Sean to take her place.

The young Irishman had immediately protested, but once she gave him the, "Really? I'm keeping silent on a murder for you." look, he'd quickly gone quiet, and went inside to watch the office until Durant returned, while she, as quickly as possible, made her way back to her and Cullen's train car with her gift, thankful most of the remaining camp had gotten in their greetings on her way to the building not long ago, so very few stopped her, while she marched through the hustle and bustle of the town preparing for her party that night, and she soon reached her destination.

Elena had to set the box down on the back of the train car, as it was too heavy and too big to just tuck under one arm, in order to open the door, then picked it back up, kicking the door shut behind her with her foot, before continuing on to the end of the bed, which she placed the box upon, then fell to her knees in front of.

Pulling the key from her pocket, she made quick work of the lock, and soon had both items carelessly tossed further up onto the bed, before she reached out with both hands, then lifted up the top of the box, revealing what was inside: three massive eggs. All different colors, and all seemingly made of hardened scales.

Elena's dark brow furrowed at the sight of the items, but she straightened up a bit in her knelt position, in order to slip both of her slender hands beneath one of the eggs, the one almost completely jet black, aside from a red hue it had to it in the sunlight streaming in through the train car's windows, and lift it up.

It, like the box, was heavier than it looked, almost like the egg was filled with cement, and her brows continued to be knitted together, as she turned the item over, albeit very carefully, in her grasp.

After a moment of examining the one, her rich chocolate eyes trailed to the other two still in the box. One was a dark orange, with a cream colored hue to it, and the other was a sharp green, with a brilliant bronze tone to it.

Gently, Elena placed the black and red egg she was holding back in the box, which she now noticed was lined with hay, to support the two heavy items in it, then closed the lid, locking it back up, then pocketing the key, after hiding the box away beneath her and Cullen's bed.


Heading back outside, Elena's gaze scanned the town from her slightly elevated position on the back of the train car. She was looking for the most stark white tent in the camp section of it, as it would be the newest constructed, and, therefor, the most likely to be Mr. Gold's.

Spotting it, she plotted a quick route through the sea of tents to it, then jumped down off the back of the train car, and headed into camp, smiling at those who called out to her, but maintaining her course, and reaching the destination moments later.

Truly not caring about her manners at this moment in time, Elena threw back one flap of the tent's entrance, and swiftly stepped inside, letting the heavy white fabric fall back into place behind her, while her eyes fell upon the quarters' occupant.

Thankfully, Durant wasn't there, and all she found was Mr. Gold, sitting on the bed in the tent, which had hardwood flooring covering the muddy ground, his cane propped against its end, while he had one leg, presumably his bad one, stretched out in front of him, as he gently rubbed his hands up and down the gimp limb.

"It's the change in pressure, I believe," Mr. Gold said to her in his Scottish accented voice, not even looking over at her as she entered, simply knowing she was not only there, but just who she was as well. "Being rather high up in these mountains as we are."

"Your leg," replied Elena, realizing it must be bothering him more than usual, given the different environment he was now in, and the man merely nodded.

Sighing softly, she turned, and stuck her head out of the tent, grabbing the first worker to go by. "Would you fetch some extra towels? A bucket of hot water from the bathhouse, and any ice you can find."

"Yes, Ma'am," the worker said, before heading off to do as she said, grabbing a few other men to assist him in the task, while Elena retreated back inside the tent.

"You have medical training, dearie?" Mr. Gold asked, as Elena walked over to the desk, and grabbed the chair from in front of it, bringing it over to set it in front of where the man sat on the bed.

"Enough," Elena replied, sitting down in the chair she placed before him, then gesturing at his leg. "May I?"

Mr. Gold merely sat back on the bed, placing his hands on either side of his body, while she bent down, and carefully shimmed the leg of his pants up his calf, which was noticeably swollen.

"How old is the injury?" asked Elena, tempted to find something sharp, and simply slice through the expensive fabric, knowing it'd make her task easier, and that the man could easily afford a replacement, if he didn't already have a dozen such in his luggage, that she noticed were piled up near the entrance of the tent.

"A few years," answered Mr. Gold. "Yet another war wound, I'm afraid."

Elena lifted her gaze to his handsome, older face, her own beautiful, young one etched with surprise. "You fought in the war?"

"Aye, dearie," the man replied, grinning at her with his gold accented teeth. "Not out of choice, mind you. I'd have been happy to stay home, but my wife was already unhappy, being married to a farmer, she refused to add "coward" to that."

"Well, it wasn't your war to fight," Elena said, returning her gaze to his leg, speaking of his Scottish heritage, though he guessed he'd married an American.

"Because I'm a foreigner?" Mr. Gold asked, before suddenly leaning forward a bit, in order to catch the young woman's brown gaze with his own. "Or because I'm not a Human?" He grinned once more, nodding, when he saw the fresh look of surprise on her beautiful face. "Don't look so shocked, dearie. It is what you came to ask me, isn't it?" He nodded his grey highlighted head at the tent's entrance. "In addition to what in the World is in that box I gave you, and why exactly I gave it to you."

"I know what's in the box," responded Elena, sitting back a bit in the chair, mainly to get some space from the man, whom she wasn't exactly afraid of, but she was a bit uncomfortable with now.

"Do you now?" Mr. Gold asked, quirking a brow, as he too moved back in his position on the bed. "And what might they be?"

"They're Dragon eggs," Elena answered. "Very old, considering the last ones were killed off almost a thousand years ago."

Mr. Gold nodded. "Aye, that they were." Chuckling softly, he went on. "Another gift from the race who's World we're now forced to live in."

"You're a Fae," Elena said, and she guessed a Dark one at that, given the displeasure of Humans he's already freely spoken of more than once, which basically meant he hated everyone in this camp, including Thomas Durant, and wouldn't care a single bit if they all suddenly dropped dead. In fact, he'd probably rejoice in the matter.

Mr. Gold slowly nodded, then turned his head in an eerily slow manner, before his eyes followed the motion, to look over at the entrance to the tent. "Fascinating creatures, aren't they? Humans. In a World where it's just them, all they can think to do is fight and kill one another, and over the most ridiculous things." He chuckled softly, flicking a glance at Elena, then returning his gaze to the flaps of the quarters, through which, especially given they weren't tied off, and therefor hanging open a small sliver, you could hear and see the hustle of the camp. "They raged an entire war. And over what? The color of their skin."

"If you're here to hurt them," Elena began, feeling her power rise up within her for the first time in almost a year, as the protectiveness she felt for the Railroad's people flooded every inch of her. "I'll kill you."

"Relax, dearie," Mr. Gold said, turning back to fully face her once more. "If I wanted, I could have slaughtered every man and woman in this camp before even getting off the train this morning."

"Then why are you here?" Elena asked, her brow furrowing slightly, while she gave her dark silky head a gentle shake.

"Well, it's not every day Josette Collins' daughter turns twenty, now, is it?" replied Mr. Gold, offering the beautiful young woman a soft smile. "Your Mother, your Aunt, their entire side of this nasty business between our Kind, aside, we are still all family, and I wanted to give you a gift befitting a Princess. Which is, after all, what you are, dearie. Though I may not agree with what the Light are doing, I still respect my Royalty."

"There's no more Royalty, Mr. Gold," Elena said, shaking her head gently once more. "We did away with that when we became trapped in the Human World. You don't owe me anything."

"Your Mother, and her family, may have done away with it, but my family, we still respect bloodlines," responded Mr. Gold.

Elena knew he wasn't talking about the wife he'd mentioned earlier, especially since she assumed she was a Human, and how hateful must you be to marry someone who's race you depise? Did blending into the World really mean that much to the Dark Fae?

"So, you give me what are essentially three small boulders," Elena said, and her words caused the biggest smile, which was truly a bit frightening, to spread out across the man's handsome face, before not a chuckle, which you'd expect from a man, but an actual almost child-like giggle rumbled up from his chest, a noise that sent a shiver up and down her spine.

"Oh, Elena," he spoke, saying her actual name for the first time. "They're far from rocks, dearie. You said it yourself, they're Dragon eggs. True, they've become fossilized over the hundreds of years since the last of their kind were killed, but. . . You can change all of that."

"Me?" Elena exclaimed in disbelief. "You think I can bring a species extinct for almost a thousand years back to life? I don't even use my magic anymore, Mr. Gold. I live among Humans, I abide by their rules, their standards of living."

"Please don't lie to me, dearie," Mr. Gold said, sending her a knowing, sparkling eyed glance. "You may believe that, but you rebel against the Humans without even realizing it." He gestured at her attire. "Look at your clothes. You refuse to cover every inch of yourself like a "proper" Lady would, but you also don't show all of yourself off as the whores do. Your fashion is entirely of your own choosing, entirely of your own making. You may think that's your choice to be creative, but it's really your defiance against Humans, and their ridiculous rules and standards against females."

"Even if what you say is true, it still doesn't explain why you would give me three Dragon eggs," Elena replied. "Especially if you believe I can bring them to life." Leaning forward, she quirked a dark brow at the man. "Have you ever seen a Dragon, Mr. Gold? Do you know utterly enormous they can get? There's nothing in existence in this World that can match their sheer size when they're fully grown, nor the damage they can do. You've essentially given me three eggs filled with the World's most powerful, unpredictable dynamite."

Mr. Gold slowly smirked, then nodded. "Yes, dearie, I have." Leaning forward himself, he met her brown eyes with his own. "Why, with three Dragons, you could even do something such as. . . take over the World."

Elena merely gazed back at the man, as he sat away from her once more, continuing to grin, before that child-like giggle of his rang out in the air once more.


Present Day

"Nice little town you and your cousin have here," Phil said, as he closed the driver's door to Lola, while Elena exited the passenger side, after he brought the car to a halt in the driveway.

After breakfast, the men had arrived to install the Air Conditioning, and Elena had handled everything, before she and Phil took off to give them the space and the time they needed to do so.

She'd shown him Bon Temps, the entire town, including taking him to the Police Station, where she'd been surprised to learn Bud Dearborne had retired, and Andy was now the Sheriff, and to Merlotte's, where he met Sam and the others, though the former was the only one to learn Phil's true identity.

Despite the fact that the man was dressed in an expensive suit, the occupants of the town had been quite content with Elena's story that he was just a friend of hers visiting, but, after everything Bon Temps had been through lately, everyone either didn't buy it, or did, but, either way, didn't care. At least not yet.

"Yeah, we're living the dream," Elena joked, to which Phil smiled in response, before she turned her attention on the workers waiting outside, having finished installing the Air Conditioning.

After paying and thanking them, then signing the last of the paperwork, Elena and Phil headed inside, and the house was blissfully cool now, even without the help of the ceiling fans.

"God, that feels good," Phil said, lifting his hand to loosen his tie, to which Elena laughed softly.

"Why don't you hop in the shower, A.C.?" Elena suggested.

"That sounds like a plan to me," replied Phil, smiling in response.

"Phil," Elena spoke, just as the man began toward the staircase, and the suddenly serious tone in her voice caused him to stop and turn to face her, his handsome face etched with concern and curiosity. "Tonight's the Full Moon. Which means Peter will be turning in a few hours." She shrugged her slender shoulders. "I just thought you should know. You might want to be elsewhere for it."

Phil nodded in understanding, then sent Elena another soft smile, before continuing on upstairs to shower.


When Phil came out of the shower, which he'd been unable to help make extra long, after the day he'd had, sure a shower had never felt so good, he noticed, by looking out the window in the guest room, that the sun was beginning to dip low.

Downstairs, he could hear voices, causing him to realize Destiny, Emma, and Peter were all home now, and he had a choice to make.

"I should've known Sam would already be back at work," Elena said, as she, her cousin, and their two Gypsy friends hung out in the kitchen.

"We made him stay in his office most of the day," replied Emma, who had Groot on her slender shoulder. "I thought we were going to have to block the door so he couldn't come out every time he heard a plate clatter."

"I think he just needs to get back to work, something normal, something he knows, after the past month," spoke Peter, while he tossed the cap of the beer he'd just twisted off onto the counter.

"Well, sleeping is normal," Destiny replied. "Resting, taking it easy."

"Not to men, D," Elena joked. "Come on. You know that."

Peter mocked a fake laugh, as the three girls giggled, before all attention was drawn to the entrance to the kitchen, when Phil suddenly appeared in it, dressed once more in a suit, though his tie was loose, and they all looked over at the man, while silence fell upon the group.

"I'd like to watch," Phil finally said after a long moment, to which the four he'd spoken to responded by looking at one another.


"Are you sure about this, A.C.?" Elena asked Phil, as the group settled into the living room.

"I'm sure," Phil said, sitting down on the sofa beside her, before shrugging, while he moved his gaze over the others. "It's what I came here for, after all. To learn, to see new things."

There was a pause, before Destiny was the one to speak, her words directed as her cousin. "It's up to you, Pete."

Peter looked up at her, from the chair by the living room window he'd settled in, then trailed his stunning blue eyes over onto the Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Look, whatever you think is going to happen, isn't. Forget all the shit you've seen in movies and really bad teenage TV shows. I don't snap my fingers, and magically transform into a wolf in a split second. I don't just grow more hair than I already have, and go around strangling people. This is fucking real, and to someone like you, it's not pretty."

Phil nodded in understanding, before gazing questioningly at the young man, whom he noticed, despite the new air conditioning, and the fact that the ceiling fan in the living room was on high, was sweating. "Does it hurt?"

"You wouldn't notice if a bus hit you," Peter replied, as he began pulling off the rings he wore on his hands, while Destiny removed an old Altoids tin from her back jeans' pocket.

"You want one?" she asked, holding it up to Phil, after giving it a rattle.

"A mint?" Phil inquired, looking at it.

"They're tranquilizers," Elena explained. "They don't really do much for Emma and I, at least not as much as they can do for Humans, or Destiny and Peter."

"No, I'm okay," Phil slowly answered, even as Destiny popped one of the small white pills from the tin. "Thank you."

There was a small decorative dish on the TV and media stand by where Peter sat, and the young man put his rings in it, before giving his fingers, which were a bit longer than any man's Phil had ever seen, a stretch.

"Are you still. . . you?" Phil asked him, unable to find another way to put the question. He couldn't help but be a bit fearful, he was about to watch the young man turn into a Werewolf, and three girls he felt he was responsible for keeping safe in his absence, despite how silly that sounded.

"He's a good boy," Destiny replied, tucking the Altoids tin away, then reaching out to touch her cousin's messy dark head with her free hand. "He's my handsome little honey bun, as Lynda would say."

Elena and Emma smiled softly at the mention of Peter's Mom, and the former shared a look with Phil, who's brow furrowed a bit, before all gazes returned to the young man, as he now took off his necklace, then placed it in the decorative dish to join his rings, and lifted his gaze to the nearest clock, now practically dripping with sweat.


Destiny, Elena, and Emma led the way out the front door, down off the porch, and into the front yard, mainly the dirt path between the large expanse of grass in front of the house, and said patio, where they lined up, turning to face where they'd just come from.

Groot was still on Emma's shoulder, while Casper came bounding out of the house, and, above, in the sky, the Dragons' roars could be heard.

"They're excited," Elena explained to Phil, smiling softly. "They like when Peter turns. He runs with them."

Phil nodded in understanding, before all eyes turned to the front door of the house, which they'd left open. Despite them having left so that Peter could undress, he still wasn't entirely prepared, when the young man stepped outside, completely nude, and made his way down off of the porch, to stand several feet away from them, as the setting sun shone brightly through the trees of the cemetery to their left.

Destiny and Emma wrapped their arms around each other from behind, while Emma and Elena took up one another's slender hands, as Peter paced a bit back and forth in his spot in front of them, eyes closed, muttering something Phil assumed was perhaps a Gypsy prayer, but his attention was soon drawn to a tattoo the young man had on the left side of his rib cage, of what looked like a messily written black upside down and backward "G".

"What's the "G" stand for?" Phil asked, indicating the tattoo. He'd noticed Elena had a few tattoos when they headed to town in Lola earlier, and she'd explained she currently had eight, as well as what they all stood for.

"Go suck an egg," Peter sarcastically responded to the older man, smirking slightly, an action Phil returned, even as the girls either rolled their eyes or shook their heads.

Lifting his hands, Peter spat a fair amount of spit into both, then rubbed them together, before lifting them to his unruly brown locks, and running his fingers through them, all while Casper rubbed at his naked hairy legs, purring and meowing affectionately.

"Are we safe here?" Phil was unable to help asking, looking over at the girls.

"Yeah," Destiny replied. "Just watch."

Phil nodded, and all eyes returned to the young man standing stark nude in front of them, as silence fell upon them.

It didn't last long however, when, suddenly, Peter grimaced in pain, bending over slightly, while the sound of cracking bones pierced the air. As quickly as it happened, and before Phil could do more than jump slightly at the sudden action, it was over, and the young man sent them a smile, even as he faltered on his feet, and Casper bolted back into the house, hissing and growling, while Groot pulled some of Emma's blond curls in front of himself on her shoulder to hide.

There was silence again, though the loudest quiet Phil had ever heard in his life. He thought his eardrums were going to burst from it. But then a renewed sound of shattering bones filled the silence, and Peter expelled a fair amount of spit, as he cried out in pain, then collapsed to all fours in front of them.

The girls instinctively flinched in sympathetic pain, while Destiny smiled encouragingly down at her cousin. They'd all been through this before, being there for Peter during the brutal, painful transformation, none of it was new to them, and they were used to it, but it still bothered them a bit to see someone they loved suffer so, and all three flicked glances over at Phil, who's eyes were beginning to widen, as he stared down at the young man.

The bone shattering sound was near constant now, as were Peter's cries of pain, and he soon lifted his hands to cover his face. Phil's heart skipped a beat when he saw blood trickling out between the young man's fingers, but it was nothing compared to what followed through the digits, which were his actual eyeballs, that fell to join the already stained ground, and, when Peter looked up at him, his gaze was no longer sharp blue, but a piercing gold.

Elena lifted her brown eyes to Phil, whom she was pretty sure wouldn't move if a bus hit him right now, but would jump if she were to offer him a gentle, reassuring touch, which was her natural instinct, then looked back at Peter, as her friend held up one of his hands, to reveal claws piercing through his fingers, at the middle knuckle of the digits, and he gasped out in pain, before balling the limb up into a fist, then angrily punching the ground with it, an action that caused a good portion of the flesh on the arm to either fall off, or tear free, revealing expanding thick black fur.

The muscles in Peter's back were moving up and down, as the sound of tearing skin joined that of shattering bones, and Phil's eyes widened further, when the flesh on the young man began shredding like tissue paper, further freeing a coat of hair blacker than the night sky, while his cries of agony were slowly deepening into the growls of an animal.

Lifting the hand not yet formed into a paw, Peter began clawing at his own face, and Phil now knew why the young man kept his fingernails longer than most men. It made it easier for him to tear away his own flesh during the transformation.

But what happened next quickly overrid everything the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent had seen so far, and, were it not for his state of shock and amazement, he knew he'd be going deaf from the sound of his maddeningly beating heart, and he'd also notice the smiles and looks of pride on Destiny, Elena, and Emma's faces, while Groot would occasionally peak out from behind his Mother's curls to see what was happening.

Protruding through Peter's mouth, was the snout of a Wolf. A slimy, bloody nose and long jaw of fangs that were descending, pushing his Human teeth out in the process, and which joined the myriad of things on the ground, including the young man's eyeballs and skin.

Not even a moment later, with a final roar, a beautiful jet black wolf with piercing amber eyes stood before them, vigorously shaking off, like a dog fresh out of a bath would, only this dog was doing so in order to get the final remains of Peter's skin off of its coat.

Peter had been right. It wasn't anything like Humans portrayed in their movies and TV shows. It'd been gruesome, painful, bloody, and, despite it all, absolutely breathtaking to behold.

Phil watched, in final amazement, as the Wolf that was once Peter began to actually consume everything the young man had shed; his eyeballs, his skin, his teeth, everything, like a starving animal, before, once the area was clean, looking up at the group, growling slightly, and baring his glistening fangs.

Destiny, Elena, and Emma are shared prideful looks, before turning their gazes onto Phil, who snapped out of his frozen stance, in order to bend over slightly, his gentle blue-green eyes flicking over every inch of the gorgeous animal.

"Peter?" Phil asked, and the Wolf gazed back at him for a moment, before turning, then taking off, across the front yard, and soon disappearing into the woods, his growls accompanied by the roars of the Dragons, as they flew away to follow him from the sky.

Phil straightened up, watching Peter until he could no longer be seen, which was when he was unable to help the soft chuckle that escaped him.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he laughed in awe, eyes sparkling, still glued to where the Werewolf had vanished.


- Author's Note - All right, guys! There you go! New Chapter!

I added a picture of Mr. Gold to my profile. :)

I think I had the most fun writing he and Elena's interaction. For some reason, it reminded me of the scene between Batman and the Joker in the Police Station in The Dark Knight.

I also loved writing Peter's transformation into a Werewolf.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed not only those parts, but the rest of the Chapter as well, and, again, PLEASE review! I really want to continue this story, but I won't if the feedback remains the way it's been.