"A Strange Bond"

Note: Preparations are made, and the pressure is on as Alpha meets with the Fairy mayor. How will she match up against thousands of years of xenophobia? Will her position on the Council of Legendary Figures be enough to sway the mayor? Robert makes a point, and Alpha has some doubts. Mayor Kendrick comes to an unpleasant realization. And, finally, Alpha learns whether or not she will be allowed to visit the Tooth Fairy at his place.

To get in the writing mood, I listened to 'Mystical Water Caves' from the YouTube channel Meditative Minds. Seriously, I could fall asleep to that! I was going to include the tour in this chapter, but it would have made things way too long (we're talking another 'Time In A Bottle' length chapter), so we'll see what shenanigans are in store in chapter 33!

"Chapter 32: Choosing to Trust"

April 15th

Tooth Fairy stood in front of his bathroom mirror and tapped some aftershave onto his face. He rubbed a dime-sized amount of men's hair cream between his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair a few times before combing it back. He checked his nostrils to see if he needed to clean his nose or trim anything, but decided that everything there was fine. He brushed his teeth, flossed, and swished with mouthwash. These last three rituals were grounding for him, and he needed that.

With the exception of the last month of 2009 and the beginning of this past January, Tooth Fairy took very good care of his appearance. It wasn't that he was a vain man, because he wasn't; he simply viewed it as a courtesy to present himself well when interacting with others. No one wanted to pass a word or two with someone who consistently smelled bad or looked like they didn't groom themselves, and he liked talking to people. Even on 'casual clothes days', he always made sure he was clean and well-groomed. Today was no exception, other than the added anxiety. He spent a good half hour fretting about his appearance and making sure every last hair was in place.

Today was a very special, very nerve-wracking day, and it hadn't really begun yet. He would need to make a show of confidence that he wasn't sure he had. A lot was riding on whether or not the Fairies accepted Alpha! He'd already come to a decision about a possible future with her, but it would be so much simpler if there wasn't that conflict. Would he be forced to choose between her and his people one day? Because, as much as he felt like he wasn't fully accepted in the Fairy Town, they were his people. There were doubts; how much of his opinion of how they viewed him was accurate, and how much of it was due to his own insecurities? He didn't know.

He knew what he would choose if he was forced to. He would choose Alpha. He would choose The Hollow. And even though he loved her with all his heart, it would be a bitter choice.

Tooth Fairy stifled a sour burp, then opened his medicine cabinet and popped some chewable antacids before reaching for his toothbrush again. "Should've taken those before brushing...Ah, well."

"Are all the letters straight?"

"Looks good to me." Flint grinned.

"Braw!" Alpha jumped down from the theater marquee, landing in a crouch beside him before straightening up and adjusting her ponytail. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at their handiwork. After ascertaining that it really had been found and not 'found', Alpha had allowed Robert and Kyle to fix it up. They got it working again, and Flint and Alpha had just affixed it to the front of the building above the door. Alpha had just added the final letter of a welcome message for their guests, and she wasn't quite sure she was satisfied with it.

Flint dusted off his hands and adopted the same pose. "The place really looks like a movie theater now."

"Aye..." Alpha rubbed her chin in thought. "I hope this isn't tacky. We were going to do a banner, but...well, Robert insisted, saying this would be 'more awesome'. Now I'm not so sure..."

"Too late now," Flint shrugged. "I think it looks great!"

Robert, who had joined them at some point without them noticing, made them both jump when he announced, "I'm totally gonna change the wording when you're gone to 'Who's the stiff?'."

Alpha rounded on him. "If you dare..."

"Relax, I'm kidding." Robert shook his teal-dyed hair out of his eyes and lit a cigarette.

"And don't ye drop the butt when you're through smoking that." Alpha added. "We've just swept the streets."

"What am I supposed to do with it, then?"

Alpha bluntly pointed to one of the garbage cans that bracketed the theater door. On top of can, built into the lid, was a dish of sand for such a purpose. "Those aren't there for decoration."

Robert merely laughed.

"You're takin' the piss, aren't ye?" Alpha folded her arms.

"If that means 'making fun of you', then yeah, but it's all good," Robert jetted smoke through his nostrils. "Just trying to lighten the mood. You got a stick so far up your butt today, I'm surprised your feet can still touch the ground!"

Flint began to laugh, then (unconvincingly) disguised it as a coughing fit. Alpha, to her credit, took Robert's point and snickered at his joke.

"Aye, I'm sorry I'm bein' a bit of a stickler today. I just really want this to go well. We might be able to make an ally today."

Robert gestured with his cigarette hand, said cigarette resting in the fork of his index and middle fingers. "I'm not sure we need them as an ally. It's not like we're fighting anyone. What if they end up wanting to fight us?"

Damn him, he had a point! If it wasn't for this nice little mess she and Roy had gotten themselves into, none of this would be necessary. But they had, and it was, and she was stuck. "That is why I want us to make a good impression. We don't need a new ally. But better an ally ye don't need to call on, than an enemy who might call on you."

Robert flicked his cigarette to the cobbles out of habit, then retrieved it without Alpha's prompting and disposed of it in the proper manner. "This seems more like Roy's problem than ours."

Alpha frowned. "I thought you were his friend."

"I am. But look, he doesn't live here. He lives there. You're not doing this for The Hollow. You're doing it for your boyfriend, and I get it. I just don't agree with it." Robert looked serious now, no longer acting the jokester and cutting up to get a rise out of her.

Alpha was impressed, she had to admit, because his reasoning was sound and he had her pegged. Once again, she questioned whether or not she was a fit Leader for The Hollow. But this wasn't what she needed to hear right now. The decision had been made, and why the hell couldn't he have spoken up before then? "We put it to a vote. The Council voted yes. It's settled."

Robert sighed and looked down at his combat boots. "Then, it's happening. I just hope you know what you're doing."

So do I...

Mayor Kendrick and the entirety of the Fairy Town had gathered in and around the clearing as they waited for Alpha and Tooth Fairy to arrive. Some of the late arrivals sat in the trees, unable to find a place to stand by the time they got there. Restless children fidgeted and wished they were someplace else. The elderly were given the best seats. Everyone was curious to see the Werewolf. To their knowledge, before Alpha, none of The Cursed Ones had ever set foot in their town. The magic that shielded the place from the outside world kept creatures like her out...until it didn't.

The rumor that she was a wing thief had spread like wildfire. Mayor Kendrick had already given a speech to the effect that this rumor was false until proven true, but naturally a lot of them still had their doubts. And what did this Werewolf have to do with the Tooth Fairy? Yes, she was the newest member of the Council of Legendary Figures, but that didn't explain why she would visit him at his house!

Which led to speculation over another rumor, one that Aiden had started, and one that he had reinforced after her 'attack'. Was the Tooth Fairy romantically involved with a Cursed One? And what would this mean for them?

Curiosity warred with anxiety, and their disdain for the very idea of it was almost universal. Fairies did not court outside of their race! There were so few of them now, and with the exceptions of the small-winged ones and their female counterparts, the 'carriers', everyone was needed to bring forth future generations.

There were some who argued that, since Tooth Fairy was one of the small-winged men, and since, as far as they knew, Fairies couldn't have children with other races, what was the harm in him finding love with an outsider? If that was, in fact, the case. But many of the others were offended by the very idea, and they shut down those arguments before they could gain traction.

All in all, Aiden liked the murmurs he could catch snippets of. His bruises had faded somewhat, but he wore them with a sort of pride. He had visible proof that she had assaulted him, and with a Werewolf's rapid healing, her own face would be unmarked. He saw no reason why this shouldn't go in his favor.

"It's noon." One of Mayor Kendrick's bodyguards glanced up at the sun's position in the sky. "They should be arriving soon."

"I wonder if they'll be 'fashionably late'," the mayor said, almost to himself.

And then they sensed magic just outside of the clearing. It was Tooth Fairy's magic, and a few of them recognized it. A Fairy Ring appeared in the distance, and Tooth Fairy and Alpha stepped out of it and approached.

Alpha wore her 'bowling date' outfit, and she walked with an easy, confident stride at the Tooth Fairy's side. She was in her human form, rather to the disappointment of some of the curious children. Her face gave away none of her inner turmoil, and she kept her hands out of her pockets to prove that they were empty. She also kept some distance between herself and Tooth Fairy, so as not to arouse suspicion. Now was not the time to present themselves as a couple!

Tooth Fairy was pale, but composed. In truth, he felt very sick. For centuries, he had been used to a very predictable routine; work, sleep, hygiene, fitting in three meals and a bit of recreation at some point, repeat. None of this was what he was used to, and he couldn't even reach for Alpha's hand. That would be very inappropriate in this context, and it took everything he had not to turn tail and fly.

Both of them were very conscious of the disapproving looks and whispered comments, but neither of them acknowledge this. They expected it.

Aiden glared daggers at them, but said nothing.

They entered the clearing with their heads held high, and their hearts jackhammering in their chests. Mayor Kendrick approached the center, followed by his entourage, and they met in the middle. The weather was still rather cool, but spring was well underway, and the air was thick with pollen. The birds had all gone silent as if observing from afar.

"Good afternoon, Tooth Fairy," Mayor Kendrick nodded formally, then gestured at Alpha. "And you must be Alpha."

"I am, sir." Alpha extended her hand for a handshake. "And thank you for extending this invitation."

Aiden snorted with amusement. "You should address him as 'Mayor Kendrick', and you wait for him to extend the hand to you."

"Mayor Kendrick. I apologize." Alpha never spared Aiden a glance. It was too late for her to retract her hand, so she waited.

Mayor Kendrick accepted the handshake with a gracious smile that Tooth Fairy wasn't sure he trusted. "You can't be expected to know the way we do things here, my dear. You meant it respectfully, and I took it as such."

Alpha, who was taller than Mayor Kendrick and a good deal stronger, gave a much lighter handshake than was necessary. To her, his hand felt like it was filled with bird bones, and she was worried about breaking it. She wasn't sure she liked being called 'my dear', but she let it slide.

Tooth Fairy thought that the sheer number of guards the mayor had was just a teeny bit ludicrous. There were twenty in all. Even if Alpha felt inclined to attack, which she didn't, why would she risk doing it so openly? But he supposed it was just a precaution.

The mayor let go of Alpha's hand and gestured to the ground. "Please, have a seat."

Alpha thought he was joking at first, but then he sat down cross-legged right where he was, and the other Fairies began to follow suit. She glanced at Tooth Fairy, who gave a subtle nod and sat down himself, and she did as she was bid. Apparently, this was how meetings were held here. The grass was soft, and the sunlight was pleasant. They could almost be sitting down to a picnic lunch, except there was no picnic and this was serious business.

She did not like this. Being seated, especially with Fairies sitting well above her in the trees, made her feel more vulnerable than before. But they hadn't been overtly hostile, and she pretended all was right with the world. "I understand ye have some questions for me."

"Ah, straight to the point!" the mayor wagged a finger and chuckled, but only briefly. "I've heard Aiden's testimony, and I've heard Tooth Fairy's. I would like to hear your side of the story before we proceed. How did this altercation take place?"

Alpha looked at Aiden, who glanced briefly at her before looking away. "He did have good cause to confront me, but I'm afraid I don't react very well when people grab me. Once again, Aiden, I apologize. I hope I didn't hurt ye too badly."

Aiden glared. "She's lying."

"Peace," Mayor Kendrick held up a hand. "You've had your say. Go on, my dear."

Alpha looked over at Roy, knowing that she couldn't explain herself without talking about his sister. Brinna's death was too much a part of how Alpha had ended up with magic in the first place, and she saw no way around it. He felt her eyes on him, met her gaze, and understood. He considered saying no. He knew she wouldn't mention it if he didn't want her to, but like her he could see no other way. Best to just rip off the Band-Aid. He nodded and looked away.

I'm sorry, luv. She took a deep breath and gestured at the Tooth Fairy. "Many of you will probably remember his sister, Brinna. And he tells me there's a rumor going around that I'm what you call a 'wing thief'." The crowd buzzed with conversation, and none of it was friendly. The mayor held up a hand again, and they fell silent. Alpha continued. "Before I joined the Council of Legendary Figures, I lived...and still live...in a place called The Hollow. Two Elves, a brother and sister, had founded our town in the hopes of one day upstaging Santa Claus. Most of their magic...it came from Brinna. Against her will. Last year, when they kidnapped Santa's little boy, that crossed a final line with us and we finally rose up against them."

The crowd murmured again. They had no quarrel with Santa, and they had heard a version of that story, minus the part about Brinna's wings. There was a ring of truth to Alpha's story, and some of them found themselves believing her.

Tooth Fairy rubbed the inner corners of his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. Not now, not now, please, not now...

He succeeded in keeping it back.

"We discovered the truth of what happened to Brinna. And I laid her wings to rest in our cemetery."

Tooth Fairy added in a somewhat husky voice, "It was at my request. She didn't want to, but...I almost lost my wings that day, if it wasn't for her, and she was with me when we found Brinna's. I, uh...I kinda lost it, and she was there. She was the only one I trusted to do it. I asked her to."

He didn't have to explain why he had to leave the wings behind. If he'd taken them, the people of The Hollow would have been trapped with no way out. That was the only reason why he wouldn't have taken them, and Julia, Mayor Kendrick's newest servant, fought back tears. She liked this man who had boosted her confidence and been so nice to her, and to know that he had been forced to confront such a monstrous thing appalled her.

This was unexpected, and the crowd whispered again. They didn't take Alpha at her word, but they knew Tooth Fairy wasn't a liar. If he said she did these things, it was true. She was not a wing thief. But she was still an outsider, and they were still unsure.

Roy was visibly fighting back tears, and Alpha began to reach out to comfort her boyfriend in some way, to grasp his hand or wrap her arm around him, but restricted herself to a gentle shoulder squeeze before letting her hand drop. He glanced at her, and his mouth quirked in what was almost a smile before he looked away again. She continued, "That is how I acquired Fairy magic. When I joined the Council, Mother Nature gave me magic of my own, and gradually Brinna's magic left me. My own magic was influenced by hers, and that was what Aiden sensed that day."

Tooth Fairy's input had gone a long way towards bringing the populace over to Alpha's side of things, and Aiden grew redder by the minute.

Mayor Kendrick inhaled deeply through his nose, then let out his breath in a disappointed sigh. As the younger generation would say, Aiden had really 'borked it'. "I see. Jasper, when you were posing as a human police officer, were you able to obtain the surveillance footage from the humans who run that particular theater?"

"I was," A male Fairy with large black swallowtail wings stepped forward and held out a small handheld device. His wings gave off a rainbow sheen when they caught the sunlight just so, and Alpha thought it was a rather pretty effect. But she preferred Roy's purple, pearlescent wings. They didn't really get in the way when she hugged him, and they had a nicer shape.

Jasper raised his voice to be heard by the crowd. "I got it this morning. I think Aiden will agree that it's quite interesting."

Aiden's face went from red to pale.

Jasper played the footage, which had no audio, but as the mayor watched his face fell. Any hope that Aiden had been telling the truth was quickly killed off. It was quite clear that Aiden had grabbed Alpha roughly by the face, and that she had been badly startled by this and reacted out of instinct. Her injuring him was quite obviously unintentional, and she made absolutely no move to harm his wings.

And she let him go.

Tooth Fairy hadn't actually seen Aiden put his hands on Alpha, and now when he saw the grainy image on the tiny screen his blood boiled. The murderous glare he gave Aiden didn't go unnoticed, and several of the Fairies began to whisper again.

Then the footage showed Alpha and Tooth Fairy discussing the matter, and Jasper cut it off well before the video could show them embracing and exchanging kisses. He glanced at Tooth Fairy, and nodded as if to say, I'll keep your secret.

Tooth Fairy had no idea why Jasper would do this; they had never been enemies, but they hadn't been particularly friendly either. He nodded back, somewhat bewildered, but grateful.

"No, you must've doctored the footage," Aiden tried to weasel out of it, but to no avail.

Mayor Kendrick shook his head and said in a low voice that most of the assembled Fairies couldn't hear. "I've done you a great disservice in the way I raised you, Aiden. Nothing else can explain why you would do such a thing and then lie about it. We will speak of this later, but for now...get out of my sight."

Those who were close enough to see the screen passed the word along, and the low murmurs turned into 'boos' and hisses. Aiden quickly realized that they weren't in response to the mayor's decree, but were directed at him. Without another word, he fled the clearing.

"And I fear I've done both of you a great disservice as well," Mayor Kendrick addressed Alpha and, especially, Tooth Fairy. "This has been very painful for you, I can tell. And for that, I am deeply sorry. I hope you can understand why."

Tooth Fairy still wasn't happy about what he'd been put through, but now he believed that Mayor Kendrick was genuinely sorry. Perhaps he had judged him correctly the first time. He nodded, both in forgiveness and to accept the mayor's apology. "Thank you."

"And you, my dear, I hope you can forgive us for being a little bit wary. Before you, no Werewolf has ever set foot here, so you must understand, learning that you had been here without our knowledge makes us very nervous."

Alpha nodded, pleased that this meeting seemed to be going well. "Oh, I quite understand. We've had similar concerns with your request to tour The Hollow."

One of the Fairy guardsmen spoke out of turn. "I thought you agreed to it."

Mayor Kendrick turned to him. "Let her speak, Sean. She has the right."

Alpha glanced appraisingly at Sean, and answered his question. "I initially only agreed to this meeting. But my City Council voted yes, so I do agree to it. But there are so many of you here, and we only agreed to allow two bodyguards of his choosing, if Mayor Kendrick wishes to bring any."

"No," Sean shook his head, "That's unacceptable."

Alpha raised an eyebrow. "Those are my terms. I arrived with the Tooth Fairy, and no guards of my own. And I would estimate that there are roughly three thousand Fairies here now. You've not harmed me, and we'll extend the same courtesy. I give you my word that you'll be safe." This last was directed at Mayor Kendrick.

Tooth Fairy cut in. "And will Alpha be allowed to visit here?"

Mayor Kendrick seemed to think about it, then got to his feet. He did this by fluttering his wings and lifting himself into a standing position. The rest of them did the same, with the exception of Tooth Fairy, who got to his feet the same way Alpha had to. Mayor Kendrick cleared his throat and announced, "Now we must decide whether or not we will permit Alpha to travel freely between our homes. If your answer is yes, let's see a show of hands."

Alpha turned to see how many Fairies would vote in favor. Several hands were already up, but most were down. Then, one by one, about two thirds of the population voted yes. Those who didn't looked a little unhappy with it, but no one looked angry. She looked at Roy, who was trying not to smile.

"Then, it's settled. And you are most welcome, my dear." Mayor Kendrick heartily shook her hand between both of his, and the swarm of Fairies began to disperse. "When shall we go?"

The cacophony of buzzing wings reminded Alpha of a time when she was up on the surface and a boy was riding a bicycle with a playing card attached to the wheel. This was louder, and it wasn't lost on her that she would have been in a lot of danger if things had turned hostile! "Now, if ye like," Alpha hooked her thumbs in her pockets in a somewhat masculine way of standing. "Food and drink will be waiting for you, and I'll show ye around a bit. I should warn ye, though...my people have only ever seen one Fairy before."

Tooth Fairy raised a hand with a slightly cheesy smile. "That'd be me."

Alpha returned the smile, and added, "So, they'll be pretty curious."

"That's to be expected, I suppose," the mayor nodded, "And I accept your terms. I will bring Sean and Nathan with me."

Alpha had some misgivings about Sean, but the large Fairy male was back to business again and had taken his place at the mayor's side while Nathan stood at the other. Alpha turned her back in a show of trust, even though she was uncomfortable, and before Tooth Fairy could stop her she summoned a Fairy Ring.

Roy blanched. Oops! I knew I forgot something.

So much for being businesslike; Sean's hands began to glow a muddy olive green to match his wings, and he took what could be viewed as an aggressive step forward to shield the mayor. "Magic use is forbidden in the clearing!"

"Oh?" Alpha looked at Tooth Fairy, who nodded, and she gave a wincing smile. "Sorry about that. Won't happen again."

Mayor Kendrick pushed Sean's arm away. "Be still, Sean. Tooth Fairy clearly neglected to inform her. She didn't know."

Tooth Fairy turned red at the mayor's remark, but kept his anger in check. In truth, he was more embarrassed than angry. He really should have explained things better!

Alpha shook her head as they approached the Ring. "No, he did, but I misunderstood. I didn't know that no magic was permitted. He told me combat magic was a no-no, and I just assumed the rest. But you know what happens when you assume..."

"I did phrase it badly," Tooth Fairy admitted.

Nathan, who had coffee-brown wings, cocked his head. "No, what happens when you assume?"

Alpha looked over her shoulder, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. Did he really not know? But it appeared he didn't, and she smirked. "You make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. It'd be funnier if I had some paper and a pen to underline it..."

Mayor Kendrick cleared his throat disapprovingly, but he looked like he was fighting a smile. Sean looked very unimpressed. Nathan just looked confused. Then, just before he followed the others into the Ring, his face lit up and he gave a sharp bark of laughter.

"I get it!" He disappeared when he stepped into the Ring, and the mushrooms retreated into the earth with a sucking sound.