Another big chapter. 9600 words this time. Real beastie. Hopefully this answered most of your questions you no doubt have. Also, be prepared to be mad at me.
The girl in the doorway sighed, leaning against the frame. "No, my name is Sophia with an a at the end, not an e. I'm gonna cut y'all some slack since you're probably some relative I've never met, but seriously, my name is Sophia not Sophie." Then her expression changed when her eyes landed on the pin at Fitz's throat. He reflexively reached up to cover it when he realized she recognized it. Her hand went to her hip, shoving her shirt aside, and wrapped around the grip of a pistol in her belt.
"What are y'all doin' here?" From her expression, she probably didn't care for an answer. "Now everybody back up nice an' slow."
Once everyone was at least two feet away from her, she pulled the handgun out of its holster, leaving it hanging by her side. "Mom! Lemur dance!"
The inside of the house went quiet for a few seconds, then heavy footsteps came from the left and an older woman, probably the one Fitz had heard yell earlier, joined the teenager in the door.
She was clearly the mistress of the household. Her thick red hair was in two braids that hung under her cowboy hat, arms crossed over a faded red patterned button-down. There was a pistol grip poking out from her jeans that were tucked into old, worn cowboy boots. Her face paled when she saw Fitz's clothing, making the freckles dusted over her nose and cheekbones stand out. Then she stepped in front of the younger girl.
"I told y'all if you didn't leave my family alone, I was gonna put a bullet in your heads. If your Council think they're so smart to send a wolf in sheep's clothing like this, they are dead wrong. Now get off my property before I shoot all a' ya."
Biana recovered her wits first. "You…know about elves?"
"Dang right I do! And the last time I saw 'em, I put a bullet in somebody. Squealed like a stuck pig and bled like one too. Took a week for the bloodstain to wash out man driveway."
Fitz moved his hand off his pin to reach for his dagger. The woman froze.
"You're a Vacker." It wasn't a question, but Fitz nodded anyway. "'Fia, get your dad. I don't care what he's doin'."
The blonde girl nodded and left.
The redhead marched up to Fitz and he realized just how short she was. He knew he reached just above six feet. The top of her head didn't come level with his shoulder. "Now you tell me straight up, boy. Are you Fitz Vacker?"
He nodded dumbly, not questioning how she knew his name.
She stepped back, hauled back one arm and slapped him across the face before she stomped inside.
Fitz stumbled back, hand going to his cheek. Keefe stepped up behind him, keeping him upright with one hand on his shoulder.
A man's voice came from inside, attempting to calm the older woman down. It had a familiar lilt to Fitz's ears, but time and a now-unfamiliar accent made it difficult to recognize until the owner came to the door. "I'm sorry about my wife, she's twenty pounds a spitfire in a five…pound…bag." The man's voice trailed off.
Dark, messy waves shoved under a faded cowboy hat. Happy cobalt eyes. Square jaw. A face he knew.
"ALVAR?"
He was older and clearly different. All traces of his arrogant persona were gone. His eyes were on the ground and he looked scared. The scars on his face and neck had faded to thin white lines. Like the other two, he carried a gun on his hip. He was very clearly a different person.
"I should've guessed she'd tell you eventually."
Fitz lunged forward, intent on socking his brother in the jaw. Alvar's hand snapped up and caught his wrist. "I'm guessing Sophie didn't give you all the information, did she."
If Fitz were an Inflictor, Alvar would be passed out from the pain. "My wife is dead." he hissed through gritted teeth.
"Oh." Alvar let go of Fitz's wrist. He looked genuinely crushed at the news. "Then I should probably explain everything. This house, my family."
"That would be nice."
He stepped past Fitz and closed the door. "We're taking this out to the barn. I know all of you can swear and punch and I'm not letting my four-year-old learn that kind of behaviour." Alvar stepped around Biana and led them out to the old, worn down, red barn. The inside looked well kept-up and there were five or six horse stalls along one wall that were open to a pasture. "I'm going to start at the beginning and you're going to let me finish."
Biana had scales creeping up her arms and her canines were in danger of puncturing her lower lip. "You sound like Dad."
"Do I? I didn't realize it." Alvar sighed, leaning against the half-wall of a horse stall and scratching the palamino's ears. "That red-haired ball of spitfire is Annie. We met when I was fifteen. I was looking for Sophie and leapt into the middle of that pasture there by accident." He pointed out of a hole worn in the old boards. "I spooked the cows and they stampeded. Out of guilt, I helped her round them up. She thanked me for helpin' her, said I was good with livestock. Asked me if I was thinkin' of signing up for the rodeo up in Helena. She thought I'd be pretty good at calf-roping. I said sure, but I didn't know how. She offered to teach me. We set a date and I left."
"I was captivated. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to meet her again, I should tell Dad, I should have her memory washed. But instead I had a crystal carved and met her two days later and she taught me how to rope cows. She didn't ask any questions I had to lie to. Just my name. That was it. Then she asked me what style of saddle I preferred and if I needed someone to trailer my horse. I just stared at her. She realized I didn't actually know how to ride, so she cleared one day a week to meet me in the barn and teach me how to ride.
"I knew it was stupid. But I cleared that day too, made my excuses and met her every week and she taught me how to ride. She introduced me to her parents, who showed me how to sign up for the rodeo. After a month or so of riding lessons, Annie signed us up for the rodeo and we won second place. It was exhilarating." Alvar sighed, staring out past the horse's ears.
"We continued seein' each other. I snuck out way more frequently than I should have and got caught by Biana. She was…three I believe. And of course she told Fitz and they were going to tell Mom and Dad, but promises of gettin' to try human candy and a couple jelly beans had them satisfied."
"You bribed us with candy?! To save your tail?!" Fitz kept his anger under control by the loosest ties.
"It worked, didn't it? You guys got to try all sorts of things, soda, popcorn, chocolate, gummy bears in return for silence. Although I really think you both forgot in a week and just accepted all the extra sugar you guys really didn't need.
"Sometime during the time between Level Six and Level Seven, our relationship changed from platonic to romantic. Our going out from drinks on Saturday nights became dates. Riding lessons turned into staring at her back end when I should be keeping my back end in the saddle. Driving lessons became making out and watching the stars in the back of her old pickup truck. Oh, I also got my driver's license during that time.
"Anyhow, when I moved to the elite levels, things got tricky. I told her that I was going to an elite boarding school, which was true. She taught me how to use a smartphone and I bought one for myself. I don't know how I had cell service in the Lost Cities, but I did. We did a lot of texting, calling, and video chats. I snuck off to see her at midterms and during the summer.
"By the time I'd graduated and turned eighteen, my double life had blended a bit. Mom and Dad knew I was seeing someone, Annie knew I was from a wealthy and important family. But that year, I made the best decision of my life, and the worst decision of my life." He sighed. "This is the part where it gets illegal."
Fitz was in shock. All he could do was absorb the information. His brother had been in a hidden romantic relationship with a human since he was in Level Five. Now this was the illegal part?
"I asked Annie to marry me."
Oh. That was very illegal.
"When I asked her to marry me, I said that I had a lot of important stuff to tell her and that she should listen to what I had to say before she answered. And I told her everything. That I was an elf. What I could do. About the Lost Cities. The fact that I was breaking just about every law elves have. She knows absolutely everything. I explained to her how pathfinders work, how our abilities work, Vanishing. I told her that if I was rushin' things, if it didn't go well, I could have a Washer erase her memories and leave her alone. I could do it right now. She said yes anyway. That was the best decision of my life.
"The worst happened when I went out drinking the night after. I was beating myself up for being so stupid. How could I do that? I would be caught for sure and break her heart. Well, long story short, I drank too much and accidentally told Fintan about Annie and how I was terrified for her. He told me that he had a way that we could be together legally. I was ready to take it until he told me what I had to do. I said no. I wasn't going to spy on my own father and pass on information to them. Then he told me that if I didn't, he would tell the Council about Annie and I.
"I learned from Dad's treatment of Mom that you should do anythin' for love. So I joined their order out of fear and to protect my fiancee. That was the worst decision of my life."
Fitz's brain short-circuited. Alvar had been blackmailed into joining the Neverseen. The choice that destroyed his life hadn't really been up to him.
"I tried to give them false information. I did my honest-to-God best to lie to them. But every time, Fintan would dangle that threat above my head and say it would be such a shame if he were to slip up around the wrong person. So I told them. I really had no choice And every night I went to Annie and cried. She knew everything, of course. All about the Neverseen and the Black Swan, Project Moonlark. If I knew, she knew.
"We got married the spring I was nineteen. That was the best day of my life." Alvar sighed, eyes flicking up to the rafters as he remembered, then back down to them as sorrow clouded his features again. Then the last thing I expected happened."
Keefe crossed his arms. "After all that, how surprising is this going to be?"
"Annie got pregnant. It was a total accident. Fitz was nine. Biana was seven, I believe? And I was going to be a dad. It was…mind-blowing. But now I had even more reason to stay a member of the Neverseen. If Fintan told the Council now, I didn't want to think about what would happen to my wife and child. So I did what I was told and hoped it would be over soon.
"She was born around our first wedding anniversary. We named her Delilah, Della for short. I wanted to name her after Mom, but not close enough that I might call Mom by my daughter's name on accident. I was twenty, had a wife and child, and hadn't officially moved out of the house yet. Then roughly two years later, we had another baby, Adam. So now I was a father of two at age twenty-two. It was so hard not sharing the news. I wanted to tell Mom and Dad they were grandparents, I wanted to let Biana squeal over her niece and nephew. Fitz at eleven or twelve, I don't remember, did not like small children at all. So I wasn't too upset over him.
"Then you guys found Sophie. Again, I had to tell the Neverseen to keep my wife and children safe. I kept it as useless as I could. Then Fintan brought everyone in for a meeting and laid out the plan that would be Sophie and Dex's kidnapping. I tried so hard to change his mind. He told me that either I go along with his plan or he was going to turn me in for everything and set me up as the orchestrator of the Neverseen. So I obeyed. And that night I went home and just sobbed in Annie's arms. It hurt me so badly to know there was nothing I could do to stop it.
"Fintan got tied up in the Lost Cities, so Brant took charge. He wanted to burn both of them so many more times than he did. I talked him out of it so many times. Sometimes I couldn't and instead stuck my arm in the way so that he would burn me instead of them." He rolled up his sleeve, showing a myriad of faint burn scars. "Remember? I told Mom I had an accident with the ogres."
Fitz nodded mutely, anger draining away in the face of this new information.
"Fast forward another year. I have my life pretty well balanced, but I'm missing a lot of my kid's lives. Della's four, almost five, Adam's three, and I'm only there once a month at most. A lot of the time, I show up late at night, just in time to kiss Annie goodnight and go to sleep. I hated it. So Annie and I talked about it and made the decision to reveal my identity as a member of the Neverseen and get rid of one of my three lives. It hurt. Knowing that my world would likely never see me as anything more than the enemy.
"Then you guys called me up and asked for my help sneaking into Ravagog. It was the perfect opportunity, but the date you guys chose." He sighed, fiddling with his wedding ring. "That was the day of Della's first choir and ballet performance. I snuck out the night before and FaceTimed my kids to say hi and tell Annie what was going on. I had to promise my little girl I would be there knowing I couldn't.
"The looks on your faces when I said I was part of the Neverseen broke my heart. I went home and drank myself under the table. I tried to console myself with the fact that I could be home every night and see my kids anytime I wanted. Annie was pregnant again. I had everything, and nothing.
"Then Annie decided she was done with me being constantly absent from her life and my kids' lives and the constant threat of being discovered. She didn't say what would happen if I didn't break ties with the Neverseen and she didn't have to. I was done with them too. So that night, I smashed all my crystals except for the one that led here. I broke my Imparter and hauled all the cloaks and things I had and burned them. Then I stuck the pin to a board and put a bullet through it.
"That was the most satisfying thing I ever did. I was finally free of the Neverseen who had haunted me for almost a decade. I could stop living a double life. I could go to college, get a job, really be the dad my kids deserve. Oh also, Della had manifested by this time. I'd told her all about elves, that she was half-elf and that she could probably manifest. So she would spend hours on end trying to trigger her ability at age four. So she sat there, starin' at the wall, and said she would not move until she'd triggered her ability. Her dedication was adorable, even though I was certain it wouldn't work.
"Then she got me in the eye with a sunbeam." Alvar chuckled. "I could not believe my daughter was a Flasher at age four. I had been hoping beyond hope she would end up being a Vanisher since then I could train her, but nope, she's very certainly a Flasher. And the first thing she figured out how to do was manipulate the light to make it look like Everblaze." He sighed. "I come home to find her surrounded by fire, terrified that she's a Pyrokinetic, and then she starts laughin' and goin' 'It's just light, Daddy, it's just light!'
"Your daughter manifested at age four." Dex said. "Do I have that right?"
"Yep. I was just as shocked as you are."
"So if you broke all ties with the Neverseen, then why did we find you in Nightfall?" Fitz was determined to wring every bit of information out of Alvar.
"Vespera happened." Alvar wiped his eyes. "She found out what I'd done and kidnapped me." He traced the scars on his face. "You guys were right. My capture was most certainly on purpose. The shamkniv wounds are the mark of a traitor and the soporodine was so that I wouldn't fight back. They locked all my memories of Annie and my kids under a different trigger than everything else. So that when Vespera triggered all of my other memories, I would be the puppet she wanted. But that wasn't why I was tortured like that.
"It would have worked. But the trigger she chose was a song I loved that she knew I would never hear again. God Made Girls by Raelynn. It was my ringtone for Annie. Vespera forgot to remove my phone from my person when she did that. So when Annie called me, seven or eight months later, it triggered all of it and I had everything back.
"I realized I had vanished for almost a year. Annie and the kids would be terrified. So I retraced my steps with consolation gifts in hand, and," His voice trailed off and he wiped the tears on his face. "It was the most wonderful feeling to finally be reunited with my family and to meet the twins that had been born while I was gone. Annie had named them Sophia and Frederic, after Sophie and Fitz. Knowing what I'd done, it hit hard. But I wouldn't change their names for anything."
"Sophia was the girl we met at the door." Fitz whispered. "You named your daughter after Sophie."
"I did."
Keefe walked over and grabbed Alvar's wrist, then sighed and let go. "Guys, he's telling the truth. Everything he just said is true. You can't fake that much love and commitment."
Alvar smiled. "I was wondering when you guys were going to do that. I was about to ask you to to prove I was telling the truth."
Fitz reached out, forming a mental conversation between all of them. None really had to communicate with words to get their points across. Tam and Biana were hesitant to trust Alvar at his word, but he'd given them unequivocal evidence to support his claims. Keefe firmly believe him after testing his emotions.
Dex wasn't sure. I'm not going to take him at his word after everything that's happened, but why would he lie? What does he stand to gain by lying to us? Annie is clearly human. Those kids clearly have both elvin and human traits. What he's told us matches up with a LOT of both your memories. There's no reason for him to lie to us.
But there's no reason for him to tell the truth. Tam countered. I agree. It wouldn't explain the physical evidence to support him, but what does he gain from telling the truth? I don't want to take him at his word, but like Dex said, if he's not telling the truth, then where are we and why is this important to Sophie?
Fitz sighed. We may just have to take it. We're all armed, he's not. If he's lying, he's the one at a disadvantage. He knows what we're capable of.
Search his memories. Linh was the only one to be firmly against him. I don't like any of this. We know what the Neverseen are capable of. This could all be a ruse. Search his memories and find out what's really going on. And don't be gentle.
He withdrew once everyone had given their opinions. "I'm going to search your memories to make sure you're telling the truth. If you hide anything from me, I'm going to assume you're lying."
"I understand." Alvar leaned against the horse stall. "But I can't show you all of my memories."
Fitz growled out, "I hope you change your mind, Alvar."
His brother sighed. "We're both married men, Fitz. I think you understand why I'm not showing you all of my memories."
"Oh, yeah. Right."
Keefe snickered.
Fitz grumbled and tried to save face by diving straight into Alvar's mind. It was different with Dex and Biana supporting him instead of Sophie, but there was more mental energy to spare and draconic minds were exponentially more powerful.
There was no effort to resist them or to hide any memories. All the most important memories were at the forefront of his mind, waiting.
Fitz recognized his younger self in several of them. The first one he looked at was from when he and Biana had caught Alvar sneaking out. He hadn't seen the terrible panic they'd caused Alvar and now realized just how good of a job he'd done pretending this wasn't anything serious. It was a disturbing sensation to see the same memory through his brother's eyes.
"Fitz, Biana, what are you doing out here?"
"Well what are you doing out here?" Biana was closer in height to him in the memory than she was now.
"I have something I have to take care of. You guys need to go back to bed now."
Fitz crossed his arms. "We'll tell Mommy and Daddy what you're doing."
He hadn't realized the panic he'd caused. "Please don't tell Mom or Dad!"
"What will you give us then?" Both of them held out a hand. Biana grinned. "We know you have human candy and we want some."
"Fine." Alvar handed each of them a few jelly beans and watched them run off, satisfied.
Several flitted by of Alvar trying his best to do his homework and being interrupted by his siblings.
Dex winced. You guys were worse than the triplets.
Yeah, we know.
Alvar showed them a memory from his last year in Foxfire. He was talking to his father about some of his homework when he asked a pivotal question.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"If I were involved with some bad people" -brief panic crossed Alden's face- "-hypothetically, hypothetically, Dad! Not real life! But if I were involved with some bad people, could I talk to you and Mom about it without fear of being judged?"
"Of course. You can talk to your mom and I about anything and we'll try not to be angry. Whatever it is, we'll try to understand, especially if it's something you didn't have a choice in."
"Thanks."
They continued working for a while.
"Alvar, is there something you need to talk about?"
Fitz saw Alvar's need to tell Alden what was going on, what he'd gotten himself wrapped up in without knowing it. Then he saw the threats Fintan had made and Alvar made his choice.
"No. I'm good. Could you explain this problem here to me? It doesn't make sense."
"Sure."
A slightly earlier memory played after than.
"I won't let you get away with this! I will tell my father!"
Fintan laughed. "No you won't. I know who you are, Alvar Soren Vacker. I've worked with your father before and I know where you live. All it would take is one 'mistake'." He showed Alvar his flame sheathed hand. "One. Mistake. And that's it. So keep your mouth shut. And I'll leave them alone."
Alvar's resolve was wavering. "Please. My family has nothing to do with this. Just leave them out of all this. Is blackmail really the way to win my loyalty?"
Fintan glared at him. "I don't want loyalty out of you. I want information. So you had better behave yourself or I won't hesitate. You've got siblings, yes? A brother and a sister?"
"Don't hurt them. Please."
"Then don't talk."
Fitz saw and felt the crushing, aching sadness warring with his fading resolve, along with a strong love for his family.
"Fine. I won't tell." Alvar whispered, defeated. "Just don't hurt them. They've done nothing."
Oh wow. Biana whispered. We had no idea.
Fitz summoned all the memories from the trial, Ravagog and the Vacker legacy and used his anger and hurt as a shield. I said we wanted to see everything. Where's the rest of it?
Alvar obliged. He pulled them through all the memories of his relationship with Annie: meeting her, his first rodeo, growing stronger as friends. He slowed down when he reached the point where Sophie had been found.
"Annie!"
"Yeah?" The redhead woman looked much younger in the memory, even though she hadn't changed much.
"I have to go, babe. I'm so sorry. I had something come up with my family. I have to fly out in a few hours. I'm so sorry."
"Is something wrong?"
"I don't know." They could see the real reason for Alvar's hurry, the fear colouring the memory. "I'll be back soon. I am so sorry I have to leave like this. I'll take you out somewhere nice when I get back."
Annie sighed. "Okay. Good luck. I hope no one's hurt."
Alvar gave her a quick kiss and ran out the back door. He jammed the right facet into his pathfinder and lifted it up to the light, leaping away before he'd come to a full stop.
Fitz was surprised. That's dangerous.
I didn't have time to be safe.
The memory continued.
"Vacker! Where were you?" Lady Gisela snapped.
Alvar ducked his head and slid into an empty seat around a large table. "Sorry."
"You've been late for almost every meeting!"
"Peace, Gisela. The information the boy provides is invaluable and he knows too much to dismiss him from the organization. Leave him alone." Fintan was toying with a ball of fire and shot Alvar an unmistakable look.
"Fine. But if he shows up late again, I'm having him flogged."
Dex recoiled. Whoa, pause the memory! Did she just say FLOGGED?!
Alvar winced. Yeah. You guys know the Neverseen are hardcore. A lot of the things they did made me throw up. We had a few ogres at that point. If you stepped out of line one too many times, you were flogged. I toed the line as best I could. People tried to get me in trouble. I often wasn't notified of meetings I was supposed to attend until they'd started. Although to be fair, I perpetuated this view of me. This was the first time I realized they couldn't get rid of me, so I might as well make myself a nuisance.
Alvar started the memory again.
"If that is what you feel necessary. Now, Alvar, do you have anything interesting to report?"
The desire to say 'no' overwhelmed him. But then he saw the ball of flame in Fintan's hands and remembered what would happen if he lied. "Y-yes. I did."
"Do you care to share this?"
He was grasping at straws to figure out how to get out of this. "Not yet."
"And why, may I ask, is that?" Lady Gisela snapped.
The words were out of his mouth. He had to commit to them. "I'm meeting with my father today. I don't know the things for sure and I need to make sure the information accurate and up-to-date."
This excuse was accepted, but Gisela still glared at him. Alvar make a face back.
Fintan folded his hands, quenching the flame. "If your meeting is so important, I will give you leave to attend it. I hope you are successful."
Alvar sighed. Now he had to come up with a meeting with his dad. He left, taking the dismissal gratefully. He checked his Imparter and noticed a missed hail from his mom. Hopefully, she could come up something.
Alvar started to pull back, but Fitz wouldn't let him. We're not done yet. I know how tricksy you are with your thoughts.
Did you really just say 'tricksy'?
Yes. I have seen Lord of the Rings one too many times, no thanks at all to Keefe.
Alvar chuckled directed him to a memory that was clearly treasured.
Alvar was pulling in to the tiny parking lot of a little florist Fitz remembered seeing on the main street of Blood Creek. The worn bell rang as he opened the door.
An old Chinese lady was sitting behind the counter, reading a book. She looked up when he walked in and promptly dropped her book onto the counter. "Alvar it is so, so good to see you!" She jumped off her stool and ran around the counter to him.
"It's good to see you too-" Alvar's sentence was cut off by the little woman's crushing hug.
"When have you been? You run off into the blue, no calls, no notes, no nothing! You have gotten too skinny!" She poked Alvar in the stomach. "Your mama does not feed you enough. Too skinny, I say!" She bustled into the back and returned with a lovely arrangement of roses, daffodils, hydrangeas, and other flowers. "This for you. Take it, it is gift."
"Thank you, Mrs. Chen. I think I'd be in trouble with the missus if I showed up empty handed."
"You come by little later, I send you home with a pot of chǎo má shi. You need real food, not vegetable imitation." Mrs. Chen returned to her stool and picked up her book. "Go! Say hello to your wife! Your daughter, she is five now! So big!"
Alvar laughed."I'll see you later Mrs Chen."
"Go! Shoo!"
"I'm going!" He left the flower shop, gingerly setting the flowers in the passenger seat. He started the car again, turning up the radio as he turned onto the main street again. Fitz didn't recognize the song until the lyrics started. Alvar sang along quietly both in his thoughts and in the memory.
Two young people without a thing
Say some vows and spread their wings
Settle down with just what they need
Livin' on love
She don't care 'bout what's in style
She just likes the way he smiles
It takes more than marble and tile
Livin' on love
Memory Alvar sang a little louder as he turned onto Sky Country Road. "Livin' on love, buyin' on time. Without somebody nothing ain't worth a dime. Just like an old fashion story book rhyme; livin' on love."
The song cut off in the middle when Alvar shut off his truck. He leaned over and lifted the flowers carefully. He saw there was no one outside as he crept up the porch stairs. With his free hand he pulled out his phone and whispered, "Shore am I glad we got that thing now. Alexa, play Remember When by Alan Jackson."
Faint guitar start playing in the house, getting louder when Alvar opened the front door.
Annie was out of sight, probably in the kitchen. She said, "Who's that? Della, you messin' with the Alexa agen?" When there was no answer, she looked around the corner, bowl of some type of batter on her hip. It didn't stay there very long. As soon as she laid eyes on Alvar, the bowl slipped from numb fingers, bouncing on the tile and splattering everywhere. Green eyes turned glassy with tears and she reached out for him, leaning her head on his chest as he caught her in his arms.
The amount of love radiating from the memory almost made Fitz choke up. The overwheming feeling of holding someone you'd thought you'd lost forever, knowing they were still there, knowing they still loved you. Alvar set the flowers on the kitchen table and the two of them began to slow-dance to the music, murmuring along to it through tears.
Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when
The patter of little feet ran across the living room and two small sets of arms wrapped around his legs. Alvar leaned down to lift his son and daughter into his arms.
Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other's hearts
Remember when
Annie let go to wipe the tears from her eyes and took Alvar's hand. She led him into their bedroom, showing him two new additions to the family. Memory Alvar couldn't stop himself from crying and real Alvar barely could, watching such an emotional moment again. He lifted his new son and daughter into his arms, the older ones hanging onto his back.
Remember when the sound of little feet
Was the music we danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give it up
Remember when
"Their names are Sophia and Frederick. For your brother, and his girl."
Fitz snorted. 'And his girl'? Really?
I cannot control what my wife thinks and God help the poor fool who tries. Alvar said. As I said, eighty pounds of spitfire in a five-pound bag.
Memory Alvar broke down in sobs, embracing his family. He felt his wife's tears soaking his sleeve as his ran into her hair.
Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad
For all the life we've had
And we'll remember when
Remember when
Remember when
The song ended and Alvar did his best to dry his eyes. "I though I'd lost you forever."
"I thought you were never coming home." Annie choked out. "That something had happened to you."
"Nah. I would never leave you alone. Not by choice. Ever. I married you didn't I? I promised to stay with you, for as long as you live. And I'm gonna do it."
Two skinny arms wrapped around his neck. "We missed you real bad, Daddy! You were gone way too long!"
"I missed you too, Della!"
"Every day?"
"Every single day. How was your birthday? I missed it!"
"It was okay. I got a pin an' a hat like yours from Mama."
"That is super cool, baby girl. So, Annie sweetie, how about we get a movie? Mrs Chen said if we stopped by in a bit, she'd send us home with food, although she may just bring it herself, along with half your family. She thinks I'm too skinny."
"Well, you sure as 'ell aine got no fat on you. Don' know about skinny, but thin shore. What happened to your face?" Annie traced one of the shamkniv scars on Alvar's cheek.
"I'll tell you later." he murmured in her ear. "Don't want to scare the kids."
"Okay."
Buiried in his family's embrace, Alvar took a deep breath of fresh, albeit manure-scented country air, and sighed, letting the burden he'd been carrying down. He was safe. He was home.
Fitz realized Alvar was telling the truth. There was no incriminating evidence to be found. He'd been wrong. I think I believe you now. he growled, pulling out of Alvar's mind.
"There's nothing there. It's all true."
Biana sighed. "Is that the end of the story?"
"Just about. There's not much more to tell. We had two more kids, their names are Bianca and David, I turned my birth fund into human money separated into various bank accounts. My kids have 'Draw Your Family Tree' assignments at school sometimes, which were always hilarious. They were certain for the longest time that Telepaths had tentacles coming out of their forehead and ears and they would grab your head with the tentacles and that was how they read minds. I cannot convince them otherwise."
Fitz burst out laughing. "They thought Telepaths had what?!"
"It gets better. They thought Sophie had feathers, Vespera and Lady Gisela were vampires, Gethen was a werewolf, don't ask where they got that one from, Bianca still thinks the Black Swan is another name for the Avengers and that you guys are best friends with Loki. Della wanted an alicorn for her birthday when she was four and didn't believe me when I said they were almost extinct. I can keep going."
Linh sighed. "So what do we do now?"
"I would like to meet everyone if that's okay." Biana suggested. "I'm assuming Bianca is named after me?"
"Yes, she was."
"Sophie knew?" Fitz whispered. "She knew all of that and didn't tell me?"
Alvar nodded.
"Why?"
"I don't know. Maybe it just didn't feel right to her. Or, more likely, she knows exactly what happens when you get angry and didn't want my kids, her nieces and nephews, to get hurt because you were angry at me."
Biana stared at Alvar through squinted eyes. "How are you not vanishing when you walk?"
"Practice. I had to learn when I looked for Sophie originally as a safety measure. I got better at it when I was here. I also was rather clumsy, so briefly losing sight of my body proved disastrous sometimes."
Dex crossed his arms. "Why did your behavior change so drastically around the time Biana was eight?"
"Sharing memories thing, right? Or did she tell you?"
"Sort of both."
Alvar sighed. "I was afraid of painting targets on their backs. I knew the Neverseen would have no problem using any of my loved ones against me, as you saw in the memories. So I made the choice to pretend I was the odd duck in my family, that I didn't really belong, in the hope they wouldn't become targets. I'm not sure if it worked or not. But that was my best effort to contain the damage to just me.."
Fitz tried to be angry. He tried so hard to hang on to the feelings he'd believed were justified only to find he'd only heard half the story. All this time. He'd thought his brother had suddenly decided that he was too good to even talk to his siblings and shut them out.
"I cried about it for a week. I thought you hated us."
"I never hated you. It was not easy being your older brother. You guys thought jumping off the roof was a good idea because elves could levitate and clearly you could just skip all the necessary practice. But I never hated you. Questioned your choices, yes. Been fed up with your honest stupidity, yes. Wished I were a single child so I could actually get my homework done on time for once, good Lord above yes. But I never hated you. Even though sometimes I wondered if you deserved it."
Keefe's eyes widened. "They tried to jump off the roof."
"Succeeded. They only survived because I happened to be outside in the spot they chose."
Tam snickered.
Against all his self-control, Fitz felt all the bottled-up feelings he'd been keeping down since he was eleven surge to the surface and he had to fight hard to keep them from showing on his face. "I…I…"
"You don't have to say anything. I know you guys were upset and hurt and I shouldn't have done a lot of the things I did. But we can't change that now. I am honestly sorry. You don't have to forgive me, Lord knows I don't deserve it. Just please don't take it out on them." Alvar pleaded, gesturing toward the house.
Fitz sighed, gaining control of his emotions again. "How did Sophie find out?"
"She did something stupid." Alvar gave an exasperated sigh. "Annie and I go out for drinks with friends when we get the chance. I saw some creep hitting on a blonde woman, so I went over to make him leave her alone. I didn't expect her to be Sophie, or for Sophie to be blackout drunk. I did what I usually do when I see creeps hitting on girls, knocked him around and tossed him out the door. I knew she didn't have a car and there was no way I was leaping her like that. So when Annie and I went home, I brought her with us. That was a pretty awkward conversation when she woke up, but I managed to convince her I meant her no harm and sent her back."
Keefe's eyes brightened in remembrance. "Is that when Sophie disappeared and then came back with a note pinned to her dress that told Fitz to keep better track of his girlfriend?"
"Annie must have added the note, but yes."
"It was an awkward conversation when she got back. Sophie had no idea what she'd done or how she got there. Although now I know she was lying."
Alvar shook his head. "Actually, she wasn't lying. She honestly didn't remember what happened while she was drunk. She just didn't mention us. And I'm grateful she didn't."
Fitz sighed. "I remember when she asked me just how far I would go for revenge when we were out on a mission somewhere. I didn't get a chance to answer her, because we were ambushed, but I'd thought she was referring to the mission. She was probably going to tell me then, but we didn't get the chance, and after that, we never got the chance again."
"I'm sorry. I genuinely am. Is there any way I can help?"
Tam fiddled with shadows. "Do you have any information about what they might do next?"
"I separated from the Neverseen years ago, before the war was over. Any information I have will be long and away outdated. I don't know why they killed her. And I don't know who they might go after next. By the time I was able to fully cut ties, Vespera was dealing with some shady, creepy people. Like hired assassins. I was shocked at the kind of plans these people came up with and the fact that almost everyone else was nodding along. I can't tell you what they're going to do, but it's going to be big and kill a lot of people."
Keefe frowned. "It probably has something to do with the keyenlaks. This could be bad."
"What's keyenlaks?"
"It's a deadly poison." Fitz crossed his arms and sighed. "So we probably have to introduce ourselves to everyone inside, don't we."
"My wife would be much happier if you did, yes." Alvar patted his horse goodbye and lead them back toward the house.
Dex glanced around the property. "You have a nice place here."
"Yeah." Alvar grinned. "It's not Everglen by any means, but we know everyone on our street, there's plenty of room for Annie to continue her family's business, the kids can pursue their own hobbies and I can train them. There's a pub in town we love, all her relatives live here. It's not particularly comfy, but it's the life I love. I have everything I need."
"It looks similar to Cliffside." Fitz said. "We had a similar layout in the mountains on the other side of our house, out of sight."
"I'm assuming Cliffside is your house?" Alvar flicked his wrist and opened the door telekinetically. "Don't worry about using elvin abilities around my family. They all know. Annie's relatives, you'll have to be careful around. Half of them are drunks though. So don't worry if you slip up."
"Okay."
Three children were sitting on the couch watching Lilo & Stitch. Fitz had seen this movie way too many times.
Alvar picked up the remote and paused the movie. A teenage boy with dark hair groaned. "Daaad, why'd you pause it?"
"Family meeting. Now."
"But Daaad, we just got to the part where she brings Stitch home!" A girl about five with brown waves flopped over the couch arm.
Alvar set the remote on top of the television. "You've seen this movie several times, Bianca. You know what happens."
"But what about ohana, Daddy?"
He turned to the redheaded toddler. "Ohana means family and this is a family meeting. Please sit on the couch next to your sister and all of you stop complaining."
They obeyed, grumbling.
Alvar walked to the doorway leading to the stairs and called, "Della, Adam, Sophia, come downstairs please. We're having a family meeting."
The older woman, probably Annie, yelled from the kitchen, "If this is about y'all crazy family, I ain' comin'!"
"Annie, love, this is a family meeting and you are part of our family. If my brother is going to be calm and polite then so can you."
She poked her head out from behind the corner. "But I don't wanna."
"I'm sorry you don't want to. But you still have to do it."
She pouted, but came out of the kitchen and stood next to him.
Biana gave Annie an awkward wave and was given a death glare in return.
Alvar set his arm around his wife's waist and gestured to their group. "Kids, this is my side of the family. This is your Uncle Fitz and your Aunt Biana, my younger siblings, Keefe, -oh crap I forgot your name, I'm so sorry-"
"Linh. It's okay, we only met once."
"Thank you. Linh, Tam, and Dex. They are your relative's and I expect all of you to be polite."
They stared in silence.
Then the youngest girl spoke up. "They can't be. He don't have tentacles."
Alvar glanced at the ceiling with a 'heaven give me strength' look. "Telepaths don't have tentacles, kiddo. They never have and no, I never said that."
"But…"
He sighed. "No, Bianca, Telepaths do not have tentacles that they use to read your mind."
She pouted.
The brunet teenage boy frowned at them. "What're they doin' here now? Didn't they have plenty of opportunities?"
"No, we didn't." Fitz was painfully away that this family would have no problem putting him through the ringer to make sure he meant them no harm. "We didn't know. I-"
The youngest boy cut him off. "Where's Aunt Fifi?"
Alvar sighed. "Daniel, don't interrupt please."
"No, it's okay. Sophie won't be able to see you guys again. There was a fire at Everglen and she was caught in it. We couldn't save her."
"Oh." The children were silent.
Annie sighed, tough exterior melting the slightest bit. "Y'all actually are sorry."
Fitz nodded. "If there is anything I can do to prove it, let me know."
She grinned, making Alvar sigh. "Well, we're free this afternoon. I can call up all my relatives and drag 'em all over with food. That'll do."
Most of the kids groaned. The apparent eldest, a girl with long brown waves, said, "Mom, no matter how much you don't like them, don't make them go through an impromptu family welcoming dinner. I bet half of 'em don't speak English."
Biana smiled. "Actually, all of us can pass for human, even under close scrutiny."
"Y'all were supposed to agree. Family dinners are torture for anyone first time."
Alvar sighed. "Is there anything else that would make you happy, Annie?"
"Nope!"
"Well then, you go call up your relatives. We'll get ready."
Annie grinned and leaned up to kiss Alvar's cheek, but missed. "Why are you so tall?" He chuckled and lifted her up. Annie snorted, running to the landline phone hanging on the wall.
"I am so sorry. But Annie has decided what she wants."
Fitz found himself smiling. "Don't worry. We can handle awkward family dinners."
"Less awkward, more overwhelming." Alvar corrected. "Annie has at least twenty relatives she can call up on short notice. On Sky Country Road alone, we have her parents, her four siblings and their spouses and children, her ma's brother, his wife, and their children's families, and the old bachelor uncle who lives alone. Further into town is Abuela, Annie's paternal aunts, uncles and cousins, and the little old Chinese lady who's not related to anyone but shows up to every family event with food. There's almost certainly others I'm forgetting, but that's who will probably show up today."
Changing the subject, Alvar introduced his children, gesturing to each of them as he said their names. "My oldest is Delilah, then Adam, Sophia, whom you've already met, Freddie, Bianca, and David." The toddler waved at them.
Bianca jumped up from her seat and ran over to them. She stared up at them, scrunched up her nose, and declared, "I like 'em!"
Fitz chuckled. "How old are you?"
"I'm six!"
"Cool. You're about the same age as my son."
She grinned.
Sophia stomped up the narrow staircase, looking very grumpy. Alvar shrugged. He probably hadn't expected any better response.
"You're absolutely sure they're not here to harm us? As spies?" Delilah crossed her arms.
"No. They are here as friends. If they weren't, they probably would have killed me by now."
"That isn't reassuring."
Tam sighed. "None of us are here with the intent to harm you or you family. We didn't know you existed until Alvar told us. We are here because Sophie gave us the crystal angles and your address as her dying words. She clearly wanted us to come here and wouldn't have said anything if she thought there was even the slightest possibility we would come without peaceful intent."
Delilah sighed. "Good enough for me."
Alvar pulled off his hat, running his hands through his hair, and sighed. "I feel like there's more I should explain to you guys, but I've pretty much told you all there is to know. You're welcome to explore the property as long as you're careful, ask more questions, whatever you want."
"Your wife" -the word felt strange on Fitz's tongue referring to a human- "isn't actually calling all her relatives over for an impromptu family dinner, is she?"
"Probably not. Vent to a friend maybe, but I doubt she'd actually do that. She'll happily fill most elves full of bullets, but she's not the type to drag y'all to meet her massive family unless it's already planned or with your permission."
"Has she actually killed anyone?"
"Yes. Lady Gisela, actually. Roundabout two and a bit years ago."
That must have been what Destiny sensed. Biana murmured. The timeline fits.
Keefe shrugged. "I'd wondered why she isn't showing up anywhere. Finally out of the picture."
"You're not upset?"
"No. She tried to kidnap my daughter, she's almost killed all of us multiple times over the years. I'm glad she's out of the picture."
The older boy spoke up. "I know Dad makes this mistake all the dang time and I'd rather he be the only one. My name is Adam, not Alden. I get called that every other time and it is not my name. Just so y'all know."
Fitz allowed himself a half smile. "I wouldn't be too worried."
Annie hung up the phone and walked back over to Alvar, hugging him around the waist. "Well, I guess they're okay."
"That is much better than I'd ever hoped for!" Alvar grinned. "Looks like you guys are good."
Dex squatted down in front of the toddler who had wandered up to him. He was waving tiny sparks around David's head, making him giggle. "Well, you guys have really cute kids. This little guy is adorable. He looks a lot like his cousins did at his age."
"We have cousins?" Bianca cocked her head.
"You have lots of cousins." Linh answered, grinning. "Fitz and Sophie have seven kids and Biana and Dex have a whole boatload. I've honestly lost count."
There was a loud thud on the porch outside the door. Alvar's hands immediately went to his gun before he relaxed. "It's way too late for the paper."
He eased the door open and looked around it. "Fitz, you might want to come look at this."
Fitz frowned. Alvar leaned down and picked something up, turning around to show him what it was.
"That's a dead moonlark, isn't it?" Keefe whispered. Fitz nodded.
"There's a note." Alvar carefully pried the piece of paper from the bird's bloody foot. "It's safe to assume this is a threat, with the dead bird and all, but what do they want?" He passed the note to Fitz without opening it.
Fitz unfolded the paper and almost immediately wanted to vomit.
It is good to see you again, Fitz Vacker. As you seem to not have figured this out, I will tell you. We have your daughter Jolie being held here in our facility. We are willing to exchange her for something I need. If you do not agree to our demands, it will not go well for her.
We know where you are and you know what we can do. So we strongly suggest you take two Glock 18 handguns, several clips of ammunition, and two magazines per gun. There is a leaping crystal included that will take you to the island where we will be waiting with the girl. If you fail to meet our terms, we shoot the girl. If you attempt to ambush or double-cross us, we shoot the girl. If you unsuccessfully attempt to rescue her, we shoot the girl. If you do anything outside of the instructions, I think you can figure out what will happen.
You won't be able to find us, so don't try. Give us what we want and you can have your daughter back. Fail to meet any term of this, your daughter will die. Do not think for a moment I will stay my hand because she is a child. I have spilled more innocent blood than hers.
Vespera and the Shadeslayer
Fitz pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and felt tears leak down his face.
"What did it say?" Alvar asked.
"The Neverseen kidnapped Jolie."
Again, sorry not sorry. Please review! I give teasers and reply to everyone who has an account. Feel free to break my inbox. And I will answer any questions you have if you stick them in a review.
Shine brightly!
Ruby