Kiss me Goodnight
Chapter 2. No! You CANNOT bring the 'axe'!
CelticLady—OMG! You LIKE it?
Sirius- Can I NOT be dead in this one?
CL-I'll see what I can do... I only own Tina and Tyler. Changed the format—is it better now? Oh, and I kind of picture Remus to be the devoted father type, and Tina's a born daddy's girl, while Ty's kind of a rebel. 'K?
dreams
/ \ Twin telepathy
thought
Sunnydale
"Tyler, he's our dad!"
"So? He wasn't there when we had to go alone to Mom's funeral, was he? Or was he there when you had to go into counseling? How about when you were rushed to the damned emergency room after the accident? Does he know you were right there in the car with mom? That you almost died, too? Does he know you still have the nightmares? No. I don't think he does. Do you know why? Because he wasn't there! Do you think he'd even care? No."
She looked away, trying to hide her face. Futile effort; he could often feel echoes of her emotions.
"Tina? Ti, I'm sorry! Don't cry! Please..." She looked up,
"But Tyler... He DIDN'T know! Haven't you seen his eyes? These last few years have been every bit as tough for him! Please, just give him a chance!" Tina sobbed.
"But what'll he say when he finds out about our freaky twin Powers?" Tyler asked skeptically.
"I don't know, but I think we should tell him that first. I couldn't bear it if we got to know him, and he left because he thinks we're freaks too..." she said hoarsely.
Tyler sighed, hugging her, "Nobody who knows you could ever call you a freak, Tina. You're too good for that. You know I love you, right, Ti-bee? And if he says or does anything to hurt you, I'll wait until a full moon, then feed him to Oz."
"Don't, Tyger. Even if he leaves, he's still our Daddy."
"And he's as lucky as I am to be related to you." Tyler said softly. "You're my conscience."
"'Love you, Tyger."
"Well, let's go."
"Thanks."
Remus POV
They returned hand in hand. I could almost feel the strong bond between them. It hung in the air, unseen, but nonetheless strong. Look at them, my little ones! They stick together. I wish I had had that strong a bond with my twin... Ah, well, Romulus and I had too many things between us. My little Krystina... So delicate... She almost looks younger. But appearances are deceiving, I know that she hides a quiet strength, patient, solemn, like water: She is the one who keeps his fiery disposition in check. He'll need that, later. It's such a rare gift—one balances the other. Tina's eyes widened when she saw me (I guess I hadn't recovered my composure as well as I had thought) and she started to run over, but Tyler held her back.
"Father. We don't want anything to happen until you know the 411. So here's the deal. We're not normal. First of all is a bond we share telepathically. We don't get it, no one else does, but you'll have to believe it's there. Second, weird things happen around us—we don't know why, but they do. That's the story: Take it or leave it. We've already lost one parent, and I, personally, will not take it if a man who I consider more of a sperm donor than a father, makes my sister cry." His eyes were hard amber as he stepped between me and his sister.
I stared for a moment, How exactly do I reply to that? Tina's face, tearstreaked and pale as the moon itself, held a sort of hope as she met my eyes over his shoulder, while Tyler's, so much stronger than my own, held a firm, steely resolve.
"Er... Well, actually, I was going to say that you're not weird, you're a witch, and a wizard." Blank stares greeted this remark, and Tyler's mouth hung open in comic shock, Tina looked down at her costume, picked up her twisted-branch wand.
"How ironic..." She murmured, raising an eyebrow. Tyler's mouth flapped for a moment, like a beached fish's, and he finally said,
"You're B.S.-ing me."
"No. No 'B.S.' here." I said matter-of-factly.
"Next you'll tell me there's this whole other world out there that we know nothing about!" Tyler rolled his eyes.
"Uh..." I nodded, at a loss for words at his unintentionally accurate statement.
"Prove it." Tyler said.
Tyler's POV
Despite the absurdity of the whole situation, I couldn't help but hold onto the slim, slightly perverse hope that maybe he could prove that there was some modicum of normality about us—somewhere we could fit in. But even if our powers were normal (sort of), how could we learn to control them? What would Xander say? Willow's gonna be soooo jealous! Maybe she'll go out with me! 'Father' only smiled.
"Ok. What's your favorite color?" "dad" asked.
"...Red..." I replied.
/So transparent, Tyger! I know why it is!\ Tina sent.
/don't tell her...\
/You know I won't\
He spoke a few few words –I think in Latin— and my entire furry costume turned bright red.
"Cool!" Cried Tina. I tried to hide my surprise, but his smile widened,
"Ok, admittedly impressive, but could you PLEASE change it back now?" I asked, "I worked kinda hard on it."
"Mmhmmm."
Ok, so he's legit. Now what?
"So, now what, 'Dad'? Do we all cry and make up and become a 'happy family' now? Do you honestly think it's going to be that simple?" I asked sarcastically.
He sighed, "I know it won't. And I understand you're pretty close to your mother's family, and I honestly can't be a perfect father right now...for several reasons... But I think you two would benefit from going to Hogwarts."
"Say what now?" I asked
"Well, Unless you learn to control your powers, and how to function as part of the wizarding world, you're going to feel strange, different... like something's missing. Do you understand what I mean?" "Dad" explained, sort of...
Unfortunately, I understood all too well: I already felt twinges of unbelongingness, is that even a word? and for Tina, those feelings were at least a hundred times worse. She needed this, and she'd been there for me countless times. I'd do it for her—for my sister.
"Fine." I said,
"What do we have to do?"
"I'm coming back tomorrow with a portkey. 12 o'clock sharp. Be ready to be gone for the rest of the schoolyear. I'll escort you on the train to Hogwarts on Wednesday. We have three days to talk, and get you two prepared for school, not to mention adjusting to the time change. Albus has arranged a room in the Leaky Cauldron, and you two will be announced as transfer students to start in Second year so that you will be with children your own age. Is that acceptable?" He asked.
Tina nodded, hesitantly, I did, too.
"Good."
Remus POV
I guess I finally had him convinced. It certainly took long enough. "You... you're not leaving so soon, are you, Daddy?" asked Tina.
"I have to go soon. And I can't explain why yet, but someday I'll tell you, when you're older." I replied.
They exchanged glances. I had the oddest feeling they knew exactly what I wasn't saying.
"Daddy?" Tina said shyly/
"Yeah?"
"Can we use your last name? At school, I mean..." She trailed off/
"Of course..."
Hesitantly, she walked over, stood on tiptoe, and kissed my cheek. "Love you, daddy." I know it's corny, but that simple statement nearly made me cry. My little girl is so full of love, and she was willing to believe in me, no questions asked.
"Love you too, pixy. See you tomorrow." I managed to say in a level tone.
I barely made it in time, but the risk was worth it. Well, it was all at once better and worse than I had expected. If Umbridge finds out I have kids, she'll make their life a living hell... I have to protect them. I wish there weren't so many reasons why they have to stay so far away from me, but I know I could only put them in danger one way or another. The moon was rising. I'll have to explain, someday. They're too smart not to figure it out sooner or later. I think they might already know. The change was beginning. Desperately, I focused on that feeling of pure joy I had had when my daughter said she loved me. I could have conjured a massively powerful patronus at that moment, if I'd needed to. As it was, it helped somewhat to alleviate the physical pain of the transformation, but did nothing to assuage the terrible loss I felt as my mind slipped away to the mind of the beast and I lost my greatest joy.
Sunnydale Xander POV
Uh oh... This couldn't be good... Tyler and Tina were sitting side by side on the couch, Tyler looked annoyed, and Tina seemed lost in thought.
"Do you think they had an argument?" Willow whispered,
"Nah, those two never fight—not since Aunt Zelda died." I replied.
"I guess not. What happened, then?" She wondered.
"Only one way to find out. Hey, you two, why the faces?" I prefer the direct approach.
"Huh?" Ty looked up, Tina smiled,
"Our dad just left. We're not freaks—we're wizards. Well, Ty's a wizard, I'm a Witch." She chirped, eyes sparkling happily.
"Ummmm... Ty, did you check your candy before you two WENT INSANE?" Is this some kind of joke?
"We're not insane. It happened." He confirmed.
"Ok. Prove it." I stated.
"Tomorrow. We have to leave then. He's coming for us then." Tyler sighed.
"Oh?"
"Well, what's the whole story?" Trust Will to be all logical...
When the whole thing was out, it was more tha a little hard to believe, but they sounded too serious, too sure.
"Ok, fine. On the off chance that this is true, how long will you two be gone?" I had to ask.
"The rest of the school year." Tyler said.
"But we'll be back for the summer." Tina added
"Damn. Can I be a wizard?" Gotta get me some of that/
"I don't think it works like that." Tina murmured.
"Your mom was a lawyer, how are you two all magicky?" Wills asked.
"Dad is." Tina said simply, as if it explained everything.
"Uh huh..." Oh, yes, I am Xander, master of words.
"Well... You better come back." Willow said. "Resolve face." She pointed to it.
"We will." Ty said seriously. Tina giggled, "Not the resolve face! Our one weakness!"
I don't know why—to this day I don't!—but I believed them now... Something about the way they said it...
Later Tina POV
"Do you think we'll really fit in at Hogwarts?" I asked,
"Better than here, definitely." Tyler pointed out.
"I'll miss Xander and Willow." I murmured.
"I know." He sighed, "Look, this is not going to be easy, but what we have to get straight is that we stick together. Right, Ti-bee?"
I hugged him, "Of course! We're twins, noone can ever come between us!"
"Not even Dad?" He asked fiercely/
I sighed, "You were here first; you've always been there. Not even he can replace you in my heart." But it hurt to say it.
/Promise?\
/If you will.\
/You know my answer already.\
/Thanks, bro... Oh, no! You are NOT taking THAT!\
He was trying to stuff his guitar into his suitcase.
"Why not? Oz said if I practice, I can be in his band! I need my axe!"
"No! You CANNOT bring the 'axe'! Number one, it sounds like you're torturing small animals, number two, it won't fit, and number three, we're going to SCHOOL—not Woodstock!"
"Hmmmm... Woodstock jokes..."
"Oh, don't start with that again!"
"'Course not, sis..."
"Goodnight, Tyger."
"Goodnight, Ti-bee."
He went to his room, and I turned out the light, Always so strong on the surface, Tyler, but I know your secret fears—and I'll never tell.
Morning, England Remus POV
The sun rose, shining warm light on the chill November dawn. Dimly I remembered the night before and it gave me the strength that I needed to return inside. Today is the day. Not long. Eleven hours really wasn't long, not compared to more than twelve years of not knowing... God! How must it have been for Tyler in that moment? He must have thought that I knew, and didn't care that they existed! Thank god for Tina's cool head! I hope they are happy with the way their lives have just changed; it can't be easy, not knowing all this time why they have these gifts. I thought about them a bit more before sleep came, and drifted away with the sight of them in my mind's eye...
Sunnydale Tina's POV
I rose with the sun that morning. Too excited to sleep anymore, I tried to at least calm down a little bit. Auntie Harris was passed out on the couch, so I snuck by quietly, to the kitchen. I smiled as I poured my habitual morning cup of green tea, And here I though I was just a caffeine junkie! Nope! Just part British! My dreams the night before had been an utter puzzle. I kept catching flashes of dark, dark hair, and emerald eyes lit with an inner fire that I could feel in my soul. Then the mystery person would disappear, and I saw a snakelike face, that I sensed such evil from. Then there was Daddy's comforting, patient golden eyes and peaceful aura. There were animals. A wolf, a dog, a stag, a rat. Then came the feeling of passing years, and the rat devoured the stag, and a flower. I saw the emerald eyes and the snake-eyes, then a flash, and more time, I saw myself, as water, and my brother as fire, and the green eyed stranger was life itself. We all grew. The wolf was there, and the dog, watching us. There were two others, one who had red hair, the other brown. As we all grew up, the dog disappeared, then I saw a light come from my raven and gold and water, and after a while, it faded and the dog was back. My presence faded a little, and retreated into the arms of the green eyed stranger. The redhead changed into a fox, and the brunette an owl. The evil thing returned, and fought with the green eyed mystery that I had come to love. We were all in a battle, some fell, some rose again, but others stayed down. The scene was colored red, but the battle continued, when it finally ended, my mystery man returned; my lion, and the sun came back in its glory, but the story didn't end there. There was more, but I couldn't remember. It held some meaning, but I didn't know what... The most terrible part was when I saw my brother's flame of life die. I promised myself that I would do whatever it took to prevent that.
"What's up?" My cousin's cheerful voice cut though my thoughts.
"Nothing, Xander, just thinking." I replied, pasting on a smile.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked
"Maybe later." I said calmly, looking into my cup.
"I'm gonna miss you, you know. Even if I was a little... well, you know..." He trailed off.
"Yeah, I know." I nodded. "And I can understand. Really."
"Pretty scary, finding out you're a witch, and all...How you doin?"
"Ok, I'm not afraid. I feel like I've found something that I've been missing. For a long time I've been missing it. I think I'm supposed to do this. I think there's someone I'm supposed to meet..."
"Prince Charming?" Xander interrupted flippantly.
"Something like that. You should go back to bed: Tomorrow's a Monday." I reminded him.
"We've got off. Science room exploded." He informed me happily. "Me and Wills are gonna go hang out somewhere."
"Only in sunnydale..." I rolled my eyes
"Great, huh? Are you sure you want to leave?" There was a bit of hope in his voice. More to this question than just a joke.
"I have to—destiny and all that." I finally answered.
"Destiny, eh? I have a feeling I'm going to hate that word someday."
Oohhh! Foreshadowing! So what do you think of this chapter? I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanx!
CL