A/N: First of all I want to thank everyone who has read this new endeavor of mine. I am especially thrilled that already some of you have followed or favorited it already. I would like to thank those who have given me feedback by leaving a review Bzymom2manykids and spicynuggetlady I am so happy you like it so far.
Shout out to my beta RMBiehl thanks for being my devil's advocate during the writing of this fic especially in these early chapters.
Some were wondering if this was going to be a one shot. No it is my longest fic I have written to date it is 69 chapters with a small epilogue and I plan to update once a week. Also the names will be a thing for the first few chapters I know they have been bugging some people. There is a reason for it and I hope it becomes more evident as we go.
This chapter starts to explain some of what has happened before. While it is not the whole story it will give you some of the background that you probably already guessed. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review to let me know what you think.
"You are Serena Wilson…you are Serena Wilson…you are Serena Wilson." It was the same mantra that she said every morning for the last eleven years. She said it at the beginning to remind her of who she was now, and eventually, it became a ritual. The dream made the mantra so much more necessary this morning, especially after the talk she needed to have with her brother.
After tidying up the living area and putting away the evidence that she used it as her sleeping area, Serena began making breakfast. The smell of eggs and bacon brought Tony from his room rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Morning Ser," he said sheepishly.
"Good morning," she replied, putting the food on plates and carrying them to the small table. "Grab some silverware and cups, will ya?" she asked after putting them down and going to the refrigerator for orange juice.
"I know you need to get to school, but we are going to start our conversation over breakfast and will finish it this afternoon when you come home before I go out with Brad," Sarah told him as he sat down and she poured the juice.
"Really?" he whined. "Why is it every time you have a night off you have to spend it with Boring Brad?"
"You know I asked you to stop calling him that," Serena reminded him. "Brad is a nice guy. He cares about both of us, and he has saved your butt more than once."
"He did nothing to save me because there was nothing to save me from. Serena, I did nothing illegal…well nothing that anyone can prove that is. Except maybe some smoking and drinking underage, and cutting class a few times. I told you, I learned from the best," Tony said with an air of superiority.
"I really hate that you are proud of that fact. I hate that I had to teach you how to grift and steal." Serena shook her head sadly. "It's not what I wanted for you."
"Don't be such a sap. You were never like this before you got with Boring Brad," Tony scoffed as he started shoveling in food.
"Tony, I did what I had to do to keep us alive. I feel bad that I had to do things that were less than legal, but I do not regret for one minute that I kept us both alive, together, and safe," Sarah told him. "As much as you like to blame Brad for taking the fun out of your sister, I was turning straight long before I met him. If you want to blame anyone, blame Raul."
"Uncle Raul is the best. I still don't see why you don't date him instead of Boring. He doesn't treat me like a kid or like he is trying to be my big brother, or worse, my father," Tony turned more sullen with those words.
"Tony, Brad treats you like a kid because you are a kid. You are fourteen. Admittedly, you had to grow up a hell of a lot faster than any kid should have to, and I feel guilty enough about that. He is not trying to be your dad. No one will ever replace dad. I know you don't remember him, and I feel so bad about that. But you need to give Brad a chance. If things keep going the way they are, he might end up being your brother," Serena told him as she began clearing the dishes and putting them in the sink.
"I'm going to grab some things and get ready in the bathroom. Go and get dressed or you will be late for school," she reminded him, disappearing into the bedroom.
Twenty minutes later, they were both ready and heading out the door. Tony with his backpack slung over his shoulder, and Serena with a bag hanging across her body. They both donned sunglasses as they walked out the door, and Serena locked up.
"You aren't going to walk me to school like a toddler are you?" Tony asked.
"As much as I would like to, no I am not. I have a few errands to do since it is my day off. Shopping, laundry, you know the fun stuff," Serena told him sarcastically. "I am also going to stop by the mission to help out at lunch as usual."
"Say hi to Sister Catherine for me." Tony was serious now. "Let her know I will stop by this weekend to help out with whatever."
"I will, and she will be glad to see you," Serena assured him. "Watch your six, and I want you home straight after classes are done. I should be there unless lunch at the mission runs late."
"I never have been and never will be followed," Tony said, hurt evident in his voice that his sister would think that he would be sloppy about something that she had driven into him since he could walk. "I'll be there so you can finish your lecture…I mean "discussion"," he said, putting finger quotes around the word and making a face.
"Bye Tony, be careful," Serena told him.
The boy waved as a reply and disappeared down the subway steps. Serena looked long after he seemed to be swallowed by the ground. It had been years, but she still worried when she was separated from her brother. She was never sure if she would ever be ok with it.
It's your own fault, she chided herself. You were the one that wished him away and started this whole mess. It is your entire fault that everything after that happened. The accident, Dad and Karen dying, having to be on the run, it is all your own fault.
Being jostled from behind pulled her attention from her shameful thoughts. You need to get with it, she chided herself. She hasn't allowed anyone to get close enough to her on the street to touch her much less be able to knock into her. She quickly did a pat down to make sure she wasn't missing something. The bump and lift was a pickpocketing method she knew well she had done it enough herself.
"Here you lecture Tony about the safety rules and you go and get so distracted that you forget the most basic stuff," she muttered aloud. Serena quickly adjusted her glasses, a quick glance to each side had her taking note of who was behind her, and she took off for the market a few blocks away.
Serena made quick work of the shopping. While cooking was her profession she was at the restaurant so much that many times she would bring home some leftovers when possible. Tony didn't cook, so stuff that could be nuked in the microwave or takeout was what he lived on if there was nothing from the restaurant in the fridge. She usually would make one or two things a week to freeze. This week it was the makings for chicken noodle soup and bread.
After putting the groceries away, Serena collected both of their laundry from Tony's room. She took it down to the basement of the building and loaded it into the machines. While the building was basic which made the rent cheaper it did house a few washers and dryers for which Serena was grateful.
She prepped and made the soup as the clothes were washing. Once she had the clothes folded she put hers put away, and Tony's on his bed for him to take care of. She checked the time and had to hurry to make it to the mission. She owed a lot to Sister Catherine and the good folks at the mission. Without them, she and her brother might not have made it all those years ago.
She remembered wandering around the city once she and Tony had managed to get there. After the accident, her only thought was to get somewhere where no one would find them, somewhere where they could disappear. New York City seemed like the obvious choice, but once there, she had no idea what to do next. They were huddled in a corner of the bus station, hoping that no one would notice them. It was their luck that someone did and that someone was Sister Catherine.
The good sister made it her mission to search out street kids that needed a place to stay or a hot meal. She convinced them to come with her to Hope Mission and at least stay the night and get something to eat. Neither had eaten in over a day, so it did not take too much convincing. When she asked their names all she would give her were Serena and Tony, no last names, no extra information. And the boy said nothing, he was only three after all and let his sister do the talking.
They stayed at the Mission for a few months. Sister Catherine and the others asked no questions. For that Serena was grateful. All they did was give them a reasonably safe place to sleep and a couple of decent meals to eat. When Serena went looking for work and eventually found a job as a dishwasher they even watched Tony and were able to get him accepted into a local church's preschool.
Through word of mouth from some of the others at the Mission, Serena found her dishwasher job at Asilo, a restaurant that catered to those who were without documentation because of one issue or another. She saved her money and was able to start renting a room for the two of them by the week with her meager pay.
They made due in the single small room and shared a bathroom while Serena moved up the hierarchy at the restaurant. She saved every penny and finally was able to afford a small studio. It was at Asilo that she met Raul. He taught her to cook, and she found that she had a gift for it.
Raul was a guardian angel and took both her and Tony under his wing. He was a big brother to Tony and gave him a male figure to look up to. Tony became attached to him, calling him Uncle Raul. As much as Serena liked Raul, she could not tell him the truth about her or her brother. It wasn't safe to tell anyone. Even Tony couldn't remember his life before, and the lies she had told him were the only truths he knew. Serena thought it was best that way.
Raul eventually opened a small place of his own. When he did, he brought Serena with him to run the kitchen. The pay was good, and the hours, while long, were better as she was able to have both Wednesday and Sunday off.
Working there was also how she met Brad. He had been eating there and wanted to compliment the chef. Raul called her out to his table. Along with a sizable tip, Brad left a note with his number. Serena didn't know why she gave in, but Raul finally got her to go out with him.
She wanted to run when she found out he was a cop, a detective no less, but he was just so nice. He treated her well, and never asked for more than she was willing to give. He accepted Tony even though he was a pain in the ass most of the time. The best part was, that he didn't seem to care that she did not have a past and never pushed her for personal information. A surprise has given his profession.
Yes, comparatively she had made a pretty good life, and she owed it all to Sister Catherin and Hope Mission. She and Tony made it a point to volunteer weekly at the Mission. Serena spent Wednesdays making and serving lunch there, and after she would help out in any way she could. Tony would spend Saturdays doing manual labor for the mission. Some of his first memories were of their life there, and he really did love Sister Catherine and the others that were there.
More distracted than usual because of the problems with Tony and the dream she had the night before, Serena was glad when the noon meal was over. She helped clean up and prepped for dinner. This would make it easier on the dinner shift to cook and serve. She visited briefly with a few people she knew there. As soon as she could, she escaped to return back to their apartment. Yet another thing to feel guilty about, she thought.
Once she was home, she cleaned the apartment. She was not looking forward to when her brother came home. Whenever she became stressed, she did what she had always done since she was young, she cleaned. Putting her environment in order helped keep her calm and think clearly. When she still lived at home, she took it to an extreme and would not let anyone in her space for fear that something would be moved out of place.
She heard the key in the lock, and her body involuntarily stiffened. She knew it was only her brother, but she had trained herself over the years to always be ready and to react to any threat. As far as she was concerned, everything could be a threat.
"Serena, I'm home," Tony called as he closed the door behind him. Looking, he saw his sister backed against the wall, the baseball bat that was concealed behind the small couch in her grip. "Hey Sis, it's just me! Stand down!"
Serena blinked and slid the bat back to its place. "Sorry, I guess I am just a bit jumpy today," she told him.
"Why? Did something happen?" Tony asked her. "We aren't going to have to take off, are we?"
That was the fear that he always lived with. His sister was always reminding him that if anyone from their old life showed up, or if the "otherworldly" enemies found them, they would have to take off quickly and disappear again. As a kid this didn't matter much, he wasn't allowed to have friends anyway, too dangerous she told him. Now that he was in high school, it was different. He liked his school as much as someone would like school, and he did have a few people he talked to. Not that his sister would ever find that out. Either of those facts might send them on the run again.
"No sweetie, nothing happened. I just have had a bad feeling lately. Maybe it was a mistake to stay so long in the city. I thought with so many people, we would just disappear into the crowd, but now I don't know…" Serena trailed off.
Now, Tony started to worry. He did not want to go, and he was tired of being so different. Always watching his back, not able to have friends, and forget about a girlfriend. "Ser, I am sorry I was around one of the idiots I go to school with when he decided to shoplift. Don't make that a reason that we need to bounce though," he begged.
"I just worry that I did wrong by you, Tone," Serena sighed. "You don't want to give up the grift even though we don't need to steal to eat anymore. You have a problem with me trying to have a normal life with someone. And you might be right."
"You can have a life. I just want you to pick someone other than Boring to have it with. I still don't understand why I can't have a friend or two. I get why you were careful when I was a little kid. Little kids can't keep their mouths shut. I know better." He needed to convince her to loosen the reins.
"Oh, Tony, I want you to have a normal life more than anything. It is my fault that you don't," Serena flopped down on the couch.
"What do you mean? You always told me we were on the run because some bad people from another place killed mom and dad and tried to hurt us. That they could show up anywhere, like magic. And if they found us, they would keep trying to hurt us. Who are these people, are they like the mob? You said dad was a lawyer. Was he mobbed up?" Tony sat next to his sister.
Serena weighed her options. On one hand, she could put him off as she had been. The older he got the more questions he would have, and he might do something stupid to try to get the answers himself. On the other hand, she couldn't tell him the whole truth. He couldn't remember their life before and that only helped to keep him safe. She couldn't tell him the whole truth, but maybe she could give him a little of the truth. Who knew, it might get through to him and make him even safer.
"OK Tony, What I am going to tell you is the absolute truth, even though it might be hard to believe. No matter what, you cannot tell this to anyone," Serena made sure to look him in the eye and hoped he understood how important this was.
"Ok…Ok, Ser, I promise." Tony hoped that his sister wasn't BSing him, but he didn't think so. She didn't lie not to him.
"A long time ago when your mom and dad were still alive, I made a mistake. I got involved with beings from a magical realm. I called on a fae king and made a stupid request," Serena began, one look at her brother made her add, "what it was doesn't matter."
"Fae like a fairy…Peter Pan stuff?" Tony asked unbelievingly.
"No, not like that. It is hard to believe but there are magical things that do exist. I called on one, not really thinking it would happen. When I tried to get out of the deal, he made me solve a really complicated puzzle. He did not think I would be able to do it, there were times when I didn't think I would do it, but I did," she said, still feeling pride in her accomplishment.
"So, you got out of the deal. What does that have to do with what happened to our family?" Tony was still suspicious.
"I guess, the king was not happy that I won. About a year later we were in the car. Dad let me drive. No one was on the road with us, and the weather was good. I saw a flash, it blinded me. I slammed on the brake. The car stopped. I know it did. The next thing I know there was an explosion. I blacked out. When I came to, I was on the ground, and you were lying near me unconscious. The car was on fire." She could feel her eyes burning with tears, remembering that night.
"So, we were hurt, why didn't we go to the hospital? Why did we have to run away?" Tony asked the questions that Serena knew she would eventually have to answer but didn't want to.
"Once I knew you were alive, I noticed something else. I smelled a smell that I only smelled once before…when I was in that other place. I saw creatures that looked like evil goblins. Those were creatures that did the king's bidding. Then I saw him. It was just an outline, a silhouette, but it had to be him, who else could it be? Who else has magic, works with goblins, and was angry and had a reason to want to hurt me?" Serena was insistent.
"Ok, but why not go for help? The police could have helped us," Tony insisted.
"He didn't see us, he was looking at the car. I took the opportunity to grab you off the ground and take off as fast as I could into the woods. He was magic, Tone. The cops wouldn't know what to do. And if I went to them, they might lock me up for being crazy, or lock me up for causing the accident. Then what would happen to you?" she was pleading with him to understand.
"That's why I am always careful not to call attention to us. If we are hidden from everyone, he won't find us. I take special precautions too," she told him.
"Like what?" Tony still doubted this, but his sister sounded so sure.
"There are no mirrors anywhere in this apartment. I use salt at the doorways and windows, especially at night. And there are other things. Just trust me, this is not a fairy tale," she told him.
"So, if this fairy guy was out of the picture, we wouldn't have to be so careful? We could be normal, or as normal as two orphans can be?" he asked her, wheels starting to turn.
"If that was the case then yeah probably, we would still have to be careful. The police might still be looking for me because of the accident, but it has been a while," she reasoned. "But really Tony that won't happen. As far as I know, he is immortal and might be impossible to kill. He has magic and can appear and disappear anywhere. Him being out of the picture permanently is impossible. But it was a nice thought," she told him, patting his hand.
What she couldn't tell her brother was that while it seemed crazy, part of her felt horrible at the thought of something happening to him. It was probably the part of her that kept dreaming those dreams. Maybe she was just a freak wanting the one that hated her so much that he wanted her dead. She just couldn't feel the same.
"Ok, I get that I guess," Tony said slowly, but his mind was elsewhere.
"Do you get why we need to be super careful now? Why I do everything I do?" she asked him.
"I still think it is crazy, but if this is what you feel you need to do, I will play along," he told her. Hearing it made her visibly relax.
"Hey," he said suddenly. "Don't you have to get ready for your date with Bor…I mean Brad?"
Serena looked at her watch. No clocks were in the apartment either except on the stove and the alarm clock she used. They along with her watch were digital. Another quirk to thank the Goblin King for, she thought. "Oh, my gosh, you are right. You will be ok right?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I might go down to the library. There is a new research project coming up, I think I'll get a head start," he told her.
Serena was impressed with his forethought. Maybe he would start acting more responsibly. "Ok, just be careful," she told him.
"Don't worry Ser, I will remember what you told me," he said.
Serena did not have time to think about what he said. She got up and went into the bedroom to get an outfit to wear tonight, and get ready before Brad showed up.
A/N: So a sixteen year old on the run from what she thinks are the cops and a murderous fae king can you blame her for giving a fake name? Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry for the lack of Jareth. This will center on Sarah and Toby at least for a little while but the king is coming. Thanks for reading please review.