"A Strange Bond"

Note: Aiden overhears a private phone conversation and decides to follow (I.E., stalk) Tooth Fairy to see if the rumors are true. A casual date takes a turn for the alarming when Aiden senses Alpha's magic and jumps to a terrible conclusion. After a confrontation, Tooth Fairy realizes he's out of time and cuts the date short to run damage control back home.

So, it's been a while! I ran into a bit of writer's block with this, partly because I didn't get the job I was really hoping for, so I'm kind of bummed out about that. Still...I'm not down and out for long! More time to write, and it's back to the job hunt!

I've tried to figure out what part of the world Tooth Fairy's hometown should be in, but I've decided not to pin it down to a specific location. I'll be honest; I haven't done a lot of traveling, and I don't want to commit to a location only to have someone be like, "Actually, people go there all the time". Plus, I like the idea of the location being a mystery and up to peoples' imaginations! All I can say is that the place experiences all four seasons, and it just might be adjacent to another familiar place. 'The Frontier Theatre' doesn't actually exist. Anyway, on to Chapter 27!

"Chapter 27: Provocation"

April 8th, 1 PM

The Fairy market was a sight to see, and few people other than the Fairies themselves ever got to see it. On the Western edge of town was a small mountain range, and with Mother Nature's permission and guidance the Fairies had used magic to tunnel inside to create a warehouse that spanned for miles. Without magic, the structural integrity of the place would have been in serious doubt, and sinkholes would have been a very real concern, but the original architects had performed their craft well.

Even during the hottest months of summer, which were still in the future and not currently a concern, it was always cool inside. From the ceilings (which were really just a fancy word for 'cave roofs') hung copper lanterns that glowed with a bright yellow-green light. They were in the shape of fireflies, with the lamps being where the bugs would light up to signal for a mate, but of course they were never actually alive to begin with.

And yet, even in the Fairy town, time marched on and modern-day things made their way in. The whimsical effect was somewhat spoiled by the muzak that was piped through the place and the metal shelves and floor displays that would have been more at home at a Costco, or so the Tooth Fairy thought. And, like Costco, they seemed to have everything under the sun. All of their food, fresh, frozen and dried, was stored right there. Electrical appliances had been removed from their packaging, altered to run on magic instead of electricity, and returned to their boxes to be stored on the shelves.

And none of this would have been possible without the Tooth Fairy bloodline to collect the teeth of human children to be converted into all-purpose magic. Originally, the purpose of that magic was to keep the town a secret. Now, with the advent of modern-day conveniences that even nature-loving Fairies found attractive, it was discovered that the magic could be used in a variety of different ways.

While Tooth Fairy couldn't really guide the use of the magic himself, it wouldn't be possible without his contribution. He had often thought that this was the main reason why he was set up so comfortably, despite his small wings, although for the life of him he couldn't understand how that stigma had come about in the first place.

Small-winged Fairy men were nearly always life-long bachelors unless they happened to prefer their own gender, which Tooth Fairy himself did not, and they usually got stuck doing the jobs that no one else wanted. Tooth Fairy still felt guilty that he enjoyed a life of relative privilege, but the stigma followed him as well. No Fairy woman had ever shown the slightest hint of romantic interest in him, and the loneliness had been soul-numbing.

At the moment, though, he was in good spirits and he wasn't thinking about any of this. He perused the wine aisle for something to bring on Saturday, sort of as a peace offering for Gemma. He hesitated, though, unsure if she even drank or not. He knew Sarah didn't drink. Or, at least, she didn't drink wine. After an internal debate, he dug out his phone and decided to check with Alpha. He also had an idea for something they could do that day if she wasn't busy, so he thought he might kill two birds with one stone.

Alpha picked up on the third ring, and judging by the pitch of her voice she was in her Wereform. She also sounded out of breath. "Hey, Roy."

"Hey, Alpha. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Och, no," she chuckled, "No, one of Harry's sons challenged me to an impromptu pull-up contest."

Robert's voice yelled out helpfully in the background, "She lost!"

Alpha responded gamely to this, and shot back, "Only because you wouldn't stop faffin' aboot on the sidelines and makin' stupid faces! D'ye know how hard it is to do a pull-up when ye cannae stop laughin', ye wee prat?"

"Vone pull-up! Two pull-ups! Three pull-ups, ah-ah-ah!"

There was a round of raucous laughter, and Tooth Fairy joined in with a snicker. "Never a dull moment with you guys, is there?"

"Depends on who ye ask. What's up, luv?"

Tooth Fairy looked back at the shelf in front of him, and it occurred to him that he didn't even know what Gemma was making. Would wine even go with it? "Um...well, I thought I'd bring a bottle of wine when we meet up with Sarah and Gemma, but I'm not sure if I should bring red or white."

"Och, ye don't have to do that."

"I know. I just thought it'd be a nice gesture." Tooth Fairy rubbed the back of his neck.

"It is," There was a smile in her voice. "Well, Gemma's making a venison roast with potatoes and carrots, so if you really want to bring something I'd probably go with red. But I'm no wine expert, so..."

"No, you're right." Tooth Fairy grabbed a bottle of merlot, then frowned. "Does she have a corkscrew?"

"I'm not sure...I could ask."

Tooth Fairy made his way to the corkscrews and put one in his shopping basket. "Nah, I got it. If she doesn't have one, I'll bring one. And if she does, I'll just hold on to it. Never know when you might need one."

"You're really worried about makin' a good impression, aren't ye?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"Aye," Alpha sounded like she was smiling again. "I don't think you'll have a problem, though. It just takes her some time to warm up to people. And how could she not like a sweetheart like you?"

Tooth Fairy felt his face heating up, and he turned towards the shelves as another customer walked by, hoping to hide his blush from view. "Heh...To be fair, you're kinda biased."

"Maybe a little," Alpha admitted. "Anyway, Sarah's looking forward to trouncin' ye at gin rummy."

Tooth Fairy grinned. "I dunno, I trounced you pretty good that one day. Unless you were just letting me win because of the flux."

"No, ye beat me fair and square."

He moved aside to let someone take a bottle from the shelf he was standing in front of, mouthed a quick 'sorry', and cleared his throat. "So, to change the subject, I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie today at 'The Frontier Theatre' in Denver. It's a real neat old building, sort of a niche place that shows a lot of old movies."

"Oh, what did ye want to see?"

"I don't really care. I've seen 'em all already. Got most of 'em at my house."

"Bit of a movie buff, are ye?" Alpha teased.

"A 'wee bit'," He teased back. They laughed softly, and he took a slip of paper out of his pocket. "Do you like Westerns?"

Alpha didn't feel any kind of way about Westerns, but she was open to the idea if he had his heart set on that. "I've seen 'Blazing Saddles', does that count?"

He pressed his lips together in an effort to hold in a laugh, then replied, "Sorta. Kinda. Not really." He chuckled, but noted her lack of enthusiasm at the suggestion, and moved on. "Oh, they're also showing 'The Blob'. The 1958 version. Have you seen that?"

"No, but I've heard of it."

"Cool, you wanna go see it?"

"Aye, what time?"

"Uhh..." Tooth Fairy double checked the movie times he'd written down earlier. "There's a three o'clock showing today, or we could catch a matinee tomorrow, if it's too short notice."

"Three o'clock, sounds good!" Alpha agreed.

"Great! See you in a bit."

"Love ye."

"Love ya, too."

Tooth Fairy hung up and moved on, completely unaware of the fact that Aiden, who was in the next aisle over, had overheard him talking and paused to listen.

Love ya, too.

Aiden's face was a mask of incredulous disgust. The Tooth Fairy, the one who played such a pivotal role in maintaining the secrecy of their town, simply could not be in love with a human! It was bad enough that someone who wasn't a 'real' Fairy should be in love at all, but the rumor was that he had been spotted with a human in early January. Were the rumors true after all?

This was alarming from a practicality standpoint alone, because humans and Fairies had very different lifespans. Tooth Fairy would undoubtedly outlive her, even if he wasn't functionally immortal due to being on the Council of Legendary Figures. Aiden didn't particularly care about that, but there was still the risk of exposure to consider if (when) she found out what he was. Perhaps she already knew!

More to the point, though, Aiden saw the opportunity to get the man he'd always hated into trouble, and he pondered the matter for a moment.

He didn't have enough information to make a solid case. What he needed was proof.

Maybe it's time to get a look at this 'Alpha'. 'The Frontier Theater' in Denver, hm? At three o'clock? I think I can clear my social calendar...

Tooth Fairy and Alpha arrived at 'The Frontier' within minutes of each other, and he smiled. "I see you found the place."

"Aye, it was easy." She kissed him, and they headed inside where he paid for their tickets, but she tried to decline when he offered to get her some popcorn.

"It's all part of the movie experience," Tooth Fairy grinned. "I'm getting one."

Alpha still felt funny about this, but she remembered that he'd told her it made him happy to treat her every now and then, and she did like popcorn. "All right, then. Thanks."

"Yup."

While they waited for the line to move, Alpha felt a slight tingling sensation in the back of her mind, and she recognized it by now. She sensed Fairy magic nearby, and it didn't belong to her boyfriend. He had told her that his people frequently walked among the humans, and she discreetly looked to see if she could spot him or her.

Tooth Fairy could sense it too, but at that distance he couldn't make out who it was. He noticed Alpha's reaction, and he wasn't surprised that she could sense it as well.

Then Alpha spotted him. A red-haired Fairy male, wings hidden by a glamour, wearing 'civilian' clothes and standing near a wall. And he was glaring at them. Alpha let her gaze pass over him as if she were simply scanning the room before whispering in Tooth Fairy's ear. "I think we have company...and he doesnae look amused."

Tooth Fairy glanced over, trying not to be too obvious about it, then his face fell and he looked forward once more. "Oh, not him..." He grumbled.

"Someone you know, I take it?"

"Yeah..." Tooth Fairy lowered his voice. "Don't make eye contact. Maybe he won't come over."

"Who is he?" She whispered back.

"Someone I grew up with."

The note of finality in his voice wasn't abrupt or sharp, but it was obvious to Alpha that he didn't want to discuss the man. She nodded and let the subject drop. After a few minutes, just before they reached the front of the line, they both sensed Aiden's retreat and Tooth Fairy heaved an audible sigh.

Alpha took his arm. "Don't let'm get to ye, luv."

"I'm not," He smiled back, and they got their popcorn and drinks before heading in to choose their seats. He cleared his throat and whispered, "You think we can sit in the back? I won't be able to sit all the way back or slouch down in those seats, and I don't wanna block anybody's view."

Alpha knew the unspoken reason; his wings. She agreed, but she couldn't resist teasing him a little. "All right, but don't get fresh."

He gaped at her before realizing what she was up to, then playfully narrowed his eyes. "Ohhh, I see how it is. Well, I promise nothing."

"Gross," Someone muttered behind them, and Alpha turned to stare him down. The teenager blushed, apparently not expecting to be overheard, and he hastily moved off to find a seat.

In spite of his little rejoinder, Tooth Fairy was the perfect gentleman and kept his hands to himself. Alpha thought the movie was very good, for what it was. The special effects weren't much to see by 2010 standards, but for the time the movie came out they were fairly impressive. The only thing that kept her from viewing it as a true 'horror' film was an amusing memory.

"So, whaddaya think of it?" Tooth Fairy whispered during the projection room scene.

Alpha held back a snicker and whispered back, "Pretty good! Actually, it reminds me of something similar that happened when Pearl was younger and one of her 'experiments' went awry."

"You're not gonna tell me you guys have a blob monster down there, are ya?" He smirked.

"Not as such, but this was somethin' different. She was tryin' to make bubblegum that never lost its flavor, and she goofed. Took us three days to clean it all up, and the place smelled like bubblegum for a week!" She smirked back, then winced at the onscreen carnage. "Ooh..."

Tooth Fairy snickered, and someone who hadn't bothered to take off their hat turned around and shushed them. They complied, but rolled their eyes as soon as the man turned back around.

A small child ran up and down the aisle, not being monitored by his parents (Alpha wondered why a kid so young was even there), and at one point he purposely knocked Alpha's popcorn out of her hand. Tooth Fairy indignantly began to speak up, but Alpha put a hand on his arm and shook her head. "Not worth it, luv...It's just popcorn."

Tooth Fairy wordlessly offered her his, still frowning at the retreating kid, and she accepted a few kernels. Neither of them wanted to draw any unwanted attention, and he remembered the father from the bowling alley. "Someone's probably on the Naughty List this year. I'm ageing myself, but I remember when hu...parents actually expected their kids to behave."

"Aye...Times change."

Ten minutes later, someone near the front of the theater yelled, "Do something about your kid!" He got shushed for it, along with a loud 'shut up' from someone, possibly the kid's father.

Alpha gave Tooth Fairy a significant look. "See? Pointless."

Tooth Fairy gave a resigned nod. He didn't blame the kid, who was five years old at the very most, but the parents on the other hand? He had to smile, though, when Alpha linked her fingers through his, and they did their best to ignore the noise.

Near the end of the movie, the kid had settled down for the most part, and Alpha gave Tooth Fairy a peck on the cheek when the credits began to roll. "This was a nice surprise. I quite enjoyed it."

"Hehehe...Not the most romantic movie out there, but I always liked it."

Alpha used the side of her foot to push her spilled popcorn back into the bag and rolled the top closed, and she pitched it in the trash on their way out. "Ye said it was the 1958 version. Are there others?"

"Yeah, there's a sequel that came out in 1978, and a remake from 1988. They're...well, they're all right." Tooth Fairy frowned a little, and Alpha thought he was chewing on something at first. Then he cleared his throat and jerked a thumb at the men's room. "Sorry, there's popcorn in my teeth. Wouldja excuse me for a minute?"

"Aye, I'll be outside. Need a bit of air," She replied, and she wasn't lying. The lobby was crowded with people who were standing around and chatting, admiring the various movie memorabilia on the walls and in glass cases, or buying souvenirs at the counter. Being surrounded by this many humans made her nervous, and it showed.

He paused, looking at her in concern. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just a bit crowded. You go floss, I'll be outside." She gave a tight smile.

"Okay," Tooth Fairy nodded, mentally altering his plans. He had also meant to brush, but he didn't want to leave her alone for too long if she was feeling anxious. Flossing would have to do. He ducked into the men's room, and she headed outside.

Alpha stood outside and leaned against the brick wall, took a few deep breaths, and felt her anxiety begin to ebb. But it surged once more as she sensed Fairy magic off to her left, and she knew that it wasn't Tooth Fairy; he wouldn't pull this kind of prank on her when he knew she was feeling a bit 'off'. She looked over, and sure enough, the same Fairy stranger from before stood near the entrance of an alley.

What the blue blazes does he want?

He waved her over, and his lips moved as if he were speaking, but she shook her head and pointed to her ear to indicate that she couldn't hear him before tucking her hands into her pockets. She felt her cell phone, and considered calling or texting Tooth Fairy.

He beckoned again, and she shook her head again. No way was she going over there!

Then he approached her.

Alpha took her hands out of her pockets and turned to face him, widening her stance just a little. She would defend herself if need be, but she didn't want to have to do this with so many people around. It was too easy for instinct to take over, and for her to get carried away. But it looked like he might not give her a choice.

The Fairy gave a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hi. I'm Aiden. Don't you know it's rude to ignore people when they're speaking to you?"

Alpha hadn't been sure about this guy, even in the face of Tooth Fairy's obvious dislike, but now she knew she had him pegged. This 'Aiden' fellow was a weasel, and a potentially dangerous one at that. "I didn't ignore you. I shook my head. Means no. Only an idiot would follow a strange man into an alley."

His smile turned hard, somehow. "Do you know what I am?"

"Yes."

Now the smile was gone. "Because he told you about us."

Alpha's expression grew icy. "'He' has a name."

"Answer my question, human."

'Human'...Of course he doesn't know. Alpha smirked. "That was a statement, not a question."

Aiden's pale face darkened to match his freckles. Seeing that no one was in immediate earshot, and planning to retreat if they were interrupted, he stepped closer so that he was in her personal bubble. She didn't even flinch, and this displeased him. "Fine, then here's a question." He seized her by the chin, and he wasn't gentle about it. "Whose wings did you steal, bitch?"

Alpha's reaction was immediate. She grabbed his hand, twisted around so that she held his arm behind his back, and reversed their positions, pinning him against the wall. She could feel his invisible wings trying to flap, and she was careful not to injure them. "Who are you calling a bitch?"

Aiden had no time to react, and before he knew it he was in a position where he could not fight back. He panicked and began to struggle, blood dripping from his nose from where he had bashed his face against the bricks, running in rivulets down his chin. "No!"

He shrieked and struggled, but she had him in an arm lock, and this was the position they were in when Tooth Fairy found them.

"What happened?! Alpha, did he hurt you?"

"Think ye should be askin' him that, luv." Alpha quipped before explaining, "There's been a bit of a misunderstanding, and he grabbed me before I could explain."

"No!" Aiden tried to twist away, but she was stronger than she looked.

Alpha looked back at Aiden and said matter-of-factly, "I don't like to be grabbed, and you would do well to remember that. And stop yer strugglin', will ye? You'll draw attention."

Tooth Fairy saw that at least fifteen humans had stopped to stare, and two of them were on their cell phones, probably calling the cops. "Too late...Let him go, Alpha. We don't want to end up on the six o'clock news."

"Not my wings...Please!" Aiden pleaded tearfully.

"I don't want yer bloody wings," Alpha sneered before letting him out of the arm lock, but she blocked him from escaping and held out her handkerchief. "Speaking of 'bloody', clean yerself up. You're in a right state."

Aiden eyed her mistrustfully, but accepted the handkerchief. His relief at being allowed to keep his life had rendered him docile, at least for the moment, and he held the cloth to his nose as he stared between Alpha and Tooth Fairy.

Tooth Fairy was mildly shocked at his girlfriend's attitude change...and rather enjoying it, due to who it was directed at. He was reminded once again that she was not someone to be trifled with. He stuffed his hands into his pockets to hide the glow and blocked Aiden's other avenue of escape. In order to get away, Aiden would have to fly, and he didn't dare. "Why is her chin bruised, Aiden?"

"Who cares about her chin? She broke my nose!" Aiden was surely angry, but physical pain overshadowed his anger, so his own hands weren't glowing at all.

"That wasn't my intention, but accidents happen." Alpha said coldly, leaning in to take a look, and she forced his hand down for a second. "Well, I'm sure it hurts like hell, but it isn't broken."

Aiden pinched his nostrils shut to stop the flow, glaring at Tooth Fairy. "Why would you associate with a wing thief?"

Tooth Fairy's face turned red with anger. "She's not a wing thief, Aiden. She's far from being a wing thief. You don't know anything about her!"

"I know what I sensed!" Aiden hissed.

"You know nothing!" Tooth Fairy barked back.

"Oi! Calm down, both o' ye. Aiden, is it?"

Tooth Fairy backed off, but if anything he looked even angrier. The more he thought about someone putting their hands on her without her permission, the more he wanted to play 'dentist' with Aiden. He reined in his anger and nodded to indicate that he would behave. He wasn't a violent man. He would not let Aiden provoke him. Especially since he could sort of see Aiden's point. If he didn't know the truth himself, he would have been horrified by what he sensed from her.

Aiden nodded, still breathing hard.

Alpha nodded back, still showing no friendliness at all, but softening somewhat. "I do apologize about your nose. You put me on the defensive just now, but I get it."

Aiden said nothing.

Alpha lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "I know what it means...Taking a Fairy's wings. But I haven't. It's a long story, and this isn't the place to tell it, but I can explain."

"I don't believe you," Aiden shot back, "And I'm not going anywhere with you."

Tooth Fairy sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He didn't want to discuss such a personal matter with this twerp. "You have no idea how lucky you are that she's not the type to steal a Fairy's wings, Aiden...because you pretty much just assaulted the newest member of the Council."

This caught Aiden off guard even more than her turning the tables on him had done, and he blinked. "...Isn't he a Werewolf?"

Alpha hid her amusement well. "Why would you assume I was a 'he'?"

Aiden grew white as a sheet.

Tooth Fairy nodded. "The magic she received from Mother Nature was influenced by Fairy magic. That's why it feels the way it does."

"She'd still have to possess a Fairy's wings for that to happen. Or were you too stupid to remember that when she gave you the time of day?" Aiden bared his teeth.

The sight of Aiden's bloody teeth turned Tooth Fairy's stomach, but not as much as the memory of whose wings that Alpha had briefly possessed. "She did...but she didn't steal them."

Alpha cocked her head and listened before looking off to her left. "People coming..."

"Good. Get out of my way." Aiden pushed past them, and they let him go.

They expected him to rat them out to the two approaching cops, but apparently secrecy was more important to him than revenge. They watched as Aiden casually rattled off an excuse with the aplomb of an accomplished liar before being allowed to leave, and the policemen never even approached them.

Tooth Fairy knew where he was going, and he sighed. He turned to his girlfriend and caressed the bruise with a fingertip. "Are you okay, Alpha?"

Alpha nodded, feeling terrible about the whole situation. "Aye, I'm fine. I'm sorry about this...I think I might have overreacted a bit."

Tooth Fairy did wonder if she might have some form of PTSD, but he didn't say so. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if he had it himself after everything that had happened. "Well, how are you supposed to react when a stranger grabs you by the face hard enough to leave finger marks?"

"It'll fade in a day or two, luv," Alpha hugged him, both giving and taking comfort as he hugged back.

"Well...I was hoping to take you out to dinner afterwards, but I better go take care of something." He sighed.

"You're not goin' tae fight wi' him, are ye?"

"No, but I wouldn't mind giving him a good swat!" Tooth Fairy replied, still very angry, though not at her. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets again. "Nah, I have to get to the mayor to tell our side of things. Wouldn't put it past the little jerk to try and get me in trouble. Technically, we did break the rules when you were at my place. And the mayor's kind of his uncle, so there's that..."

"Ohhh, no..." Alpha facepalmed.

"Relax. For the most part, Mayor Kendrick's a reasonable guy..." Tooth Fairy tried for reassurance, but he couldn't hide his own worry.

"'For the most part'?" Alpha raised an eyebrow.

"Long story short, he raised Aiden, overcompensated for his lack of parents, and now Aiden's an overgrown spoiled brat. And the mayor knows it. But look, I gotta go. It'll be okay, I promise." Tooth Fairy kissed her, and she returned it. "You're not human, and you're on the Council, so I'm sure he'll listen."

"I gave his nephew a bloody nose, Roy..."

"After he gave you a bruise. Alpha, it'll be fine." He briefly hugged her again, then held her shoulders. "But I really better go."

She nodded, exchanged another kiss, and watched him leave. "Godspeed, Roy..."