Walker walled out of the medical, his eyes looking around for Marlee; She had been hanging out in the children's center earlier, watching an old Disney movie with Dare and some other children before he'd retired and had fallen asleep with Lara in their room.
The next morning he'd woken up to find an empty den and no Marlee.
He telepathed her as he looked.
Where are you, Marlee?
Outside with Dare, the reply was after a pause and sounded lightly breathy. He followed the bond, his curiosity goading him. Judd, Lara, Sienna, and Hawke, who were helping him with the cautionary search, followed him.
And they all heard the harmony.
"...Love is an Open Doooor!" A light young voice sang beautifully but not expertly with another deeper and expertly expressive male voice. They sang together in a gorgeous harmony that caused even the birds to quiet somewhat and listen in the cold but clear winter morning.
"Love Is An Open DOOOOOOOOOOOOR!" The young light voice sang and the male voice joined.
"DOOoooOOOr!" The harmony grew louder and more pristine.
"Love is an Open Doooor! With you!"
"With you!"
"With YOU!"
"With you!"
Walker tracked around the trees, knowing the light and beautiful voice as Marlee. The other voice had to belong to Dare but it was strange that such a talented and harmonic sound came from the tough looking teen.
He entered just as Dare and Marlee started ice skating backwards. He didn't even know that Marlee knew how to skate, yet it seemed she was a natural to it. She and Dare were skating as pros!
And...it was very odd in a way; both were in nearly perfect synchronization with each other as they sang.
It was beautiful though and Walker felt and heard other changelings gather, attracted by the song. They all hid from the two singers so the song would continue and grow.
The song did grow...
"Say Good-byyyyyyye (say gooood byyyye!)"
"To the pain of the past! We don't have to feel it anymoooore!" They sang in unison, both spinning breathtakingly at the moment of crescendo... and landing perfectly.
"Love is an Open DOOOOOoooooOOOOOOrr!"
"Love Is An Open.."
"DOOOOOOOOOOR! (DOOOooooOOOORR!)"
"Life can be so much more WITH YOU!"
"With you!"
"WITH YOU!"
"WITH YOU!"
Love Is An Open DOOOoooor.." Dare sang softer now as the skating and the song calmed from its intensity and Marlee finished with a soft echo.
"DOOOooooorr..."
Riley smiled as Dare and Marlee' s harmony calmed.
During their crescendo, the beautiful harmony had resonated through the forest into both SnowDancer and DarkRiver territory, filling the ears of both cats and wolves.
Once the song ended, Marlee was giggling and hugging Dare.
"We did it!"
Dare laughed, "Yes, we did!" He then picked her up and started skating into a circle, her bubbly laughs echoing in the morning air.
Dare smiled, holding Marlee as he skated.
The girl had woken him up early after they'd watched her movie (four times) and had wanted to "skate and sing like Elsa"...
He'd reluctantly went along ( he really was a pushover when it came to kids) and for the past three hours he'd been teaching her and singing with her. Luckily, she was a crazy fast learner and he found himself skating with her not equally, but fairly and well.
And as they'd started singing and skating...He'd found her there...in his mind.
Her eyes snapped to his, shining brightly. Don't be afraid, they said.
And... he let the connection in.
He let it work as they started the song and the dance.
Synchronization.
As if her perfect knowledge of the song and his knowledge of the skating blended together, resonating in them both.
He had been shocked and fascinated by what appeared to be magic to him.
Now though he knew that things really were changing...and why was he so apparently unready for it?... where did his apathy go?
Was he ready for it?..
How would he know if he was?...
Worry started to flow through his blood as the apathy apparently dissolved...
"Daddy!" Marlee suddenly squealed and jumped out of his arms.
Even as he started to correct, it was obvious Marlee' s still inexperience in skating was starting to come up to haunt her as she tried to regain her feet from her landing and obviously couldn't. He reached out to save her even as the others all tried to scramble out on the ice to save her and yelled at him to save her, all of them knowing he was the only one with a lot of experience on ice.
"Marlee!" He gasped as the girl almost fell dangerously on the ice. He scooped her up just in time and quickly and safely passed her to Walker even as he felt his legs tangling under him from the quick corrections he'd had to make to save Marlee.
Even as he ensured she was safe, he knew he, himself wasn't going to land easy. The others were too unsteady to get to him, especially on the ice.
He held his breath and readied for the impact as his legs faulted...
-And as an arm caught him around the waist.
Dare gasped as the arm tightened, pulling him back up against someone who was also skating on the ice.
"Now, you owe me one." A voice said form behind him and Dare was momentarily sent back in time as he heard it.
"Cheri!" Dare said in shock as his other childhood friend helped him get to his feet.
Dare looked up at him, a smile already forming; his friend was still "Adam Lambert' s younger brother", even copying the hair style except his own flair of the red, green, orange, and other colors that were his signature. Cheri' s signature grin was also in place as he looked down at him and his emerald eyes glowed in laughter.
Then...He felt it.
Power...It was all around Cheri.
"How did you...?" He started, feeling like Bella from Twilight after Edward saved her in the parking lot. How did he get there?
Cheri' s eyes dimmed lightly of their glow and Dare wondered just what had changed of his friend...
