Epilogue: Day one: no calm before the storm

Date: 7/28/03 3:54:54 (pm eastern daylight time)

Updated: 9/17/06

Review from Nat:
I am eager to see more, please update soon! I enjoy your fic so far especially since it takes on the view of a character we don't get to see much of in the movie.

Author's note: Thank-u nat for reviewing my story! I means a lot to me. Here's the next chapter. I'll try to make it as long as I can so you don't feel deprived with by a short one. This is mostly based on the whereabouts of Creedy after Quinn had the fight with Van-Zan.

Summary: Creedy question's Quinn's judgment concerning the American soldiers, Alex, and Van-zan. My theory on why you didn't see him until the dragon attacked the castle.

An artificial season
covered by summer rain
Losing all my reason
'Cause there's nothing left to blame
Shadows paint the sidewalk
A living picture in a frame
See the sea of people

all their faces look the same
So I sat down for awhile
forcing a smile
in a state of self-denial
is it worthwhile
-----------------Creed, "Pity for a dime,"

Creedy stood outside the castle with the wind at his back, his curly hair blew around. The smoke he spotted from afar was creating clouds of their own in the sky. He sighed bitterly folding his arms, his hands clamped on upper part of his arms. Faint sounds of the voices of people who were around the existing area barely reached his ears though he could hear them well enough to know their presence was near. He sighed, unable to figure out why his best friend let those bloody American's into the castle in the first place. Unfolding his arms, Creedy sat himself against the brick wall, catching a glimpse of Quinn coming out of the castle, pulling his shirt over his head. His blue eyes narrowed slightly before shifting their attention back to the sky, as Quinn came over toward him with a somber look upon his face.

"Creedy, could I talk to you for a moment?" He asked almost too wearily. The 33-year-old gave his friend a look as if saying 'why did you ask such a rhetorical question, Quinn?' Nonetheless he nodded without making a sound, Quinn came over, shoving his hands into a trousers, Creedy's eye's shifted toward the sky once more studying it's dull lifeless look. "Jared, want's to join the American's to hunt the male dragon," Quinn said quietly. Creedy nodded, indicating he wanted Quinn to continue, and so he did. "I don't exactly like the thought of him going out with Van-Zan, or the others that unwillingly went along with him," He said playing with the sleeve of his shirt.

Creedy snorted in dry amusement, which surprised Quinn who is not that easily surprised, he gave his friend a look. "Wha?" Creedy said half-heartily, raising his hands, his curly hair was blown backward giving it him the look of forever scowling person, though at that time and moment he was scowling. Quinn cocked his head to the side pulling his hands out of his trousers and folding them across his chest. "Hey, I'm just saying what I said before; the only thing worse than a dragon is an American. They twist and brainwash ideas into little boy's heads, making them think they want to and kill a dragon with a possible grim death awaiting them!" He exclaimed throwing his hands in the air.

Quinn scoffed at the Scotsman's behavior, with a shake of his head. It was unusual for Creedy to have a fit over something as silly as trusting American's. "I wanted to talk to you, Creedy, not try and start a fight," Quinn sighed. Creedy gave Quinn a disapproving look with a brief glare before he began to stalk around fuming with anger.

Quinn walked over to him and grabbed him by the arm ceasing his stalking, Creedy exhaled trying to get a hold of his temper. "Look, I know you don't trust them at all, I know you told me that we were easy meat for the bloody American's, but right now I'm more worried about Jared; Now he's left already, possibly with Van-Zan, and I came here to ask you, what I should do about him, if he's still 'ere," He said.

Creedy's dirt-covered face was twisted in confusion. "Your asking me to give you advice on Jared?"

Quinn nodded slowly. "If you please."

Creedy nodded wrenching his arm out of Quinn's grip and continued to walk about the area, which made Quinn's mind wonder what he was thinking about so intently to cause him to continuously walk around in circles, he sighed bowing his head down, his curls followed suite covering the upper part of his face, which was a majority of his eyes and forehead, the wind picked up suddenly carrying an uneasy feeling along with it. Creedy turned to Quinn who was awaiting his answer. "Well, the only thing I can tell you is let him do what he thinks he right, you can't exactly change his mind, I've learned that much from you," Creedy said simply dusting his shirt off.

"That's it?" Came the disappointed reply, from Quinn. Creedy nodded heading for the entrance of the castle, when Quinn grabbed him again by the arm. Creedy whipped his head in Quinn's direction angrily. "I am trying to save him from an insane dragon slayer and all you can say is "let him do what he thinks is right"? That's a load of Dog's bollocks coming from you, Creedy!" Quinn said sharply.

Creedy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, what was Quinn on about? He wondered. "What did you expect from me: "Hey Quinn, knock the bloke out, to keep him from going?" He bellowed pushing Quinn, causing him to stagger backwards, and let go of his arm. "No, I expected you give better advice!" The British-man exclaimed angrily. Creedy threw his hands up in the air acting-surprised. "Well, I'm sorry If I give lousy advice Mr. Leader!" He shouted. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going someplace far away from you!" And with that Creedy stormed into the castle.

Quinn listened to his loud departing feet, before heading down the castle stairs, he swore rubbing the side of his cut eye, it still stung like there was no tomorrow. He hadn't know Creedy was that sore at him for trusting the Americans, had he known there would have been very little he could do, since he already discovered he couldn't beat an insane-marine, bent on killing the male dragon. Stopping dead in his tracks he glance back on the castle that blocked what light that was behind it's large structure, he resumed his walking once more to find his horse.

Creedy laid on his bed, in the room he shared with Quinn, and Jared, at the moment he didn't want to see either of them, rolling on his side he sighed loudly figuring no one was around to hear him. His blue eyes blinked a few times, staring into space.

He probably shouldn't had snapped at Quinn the way he did, but if anyone knew better, he wasn't one to keep what he was feeling bottled up inside of him, except when he's around the children he had taken care of ever since he and Quinn rounded them up, he smiled at the thought of those young faces their sparkling eyes, when the sound of someone clearing their throat brought him out of his thoughts. He lifted himself in a sitting position surprised nonetheless, he stood up and gazed upon Rose, the woman that takes over for him, to look after the children when he's not around.

"Oh, um . . . hello Rose," He said casually with a quick wave. Rose smiled slightly, scanning the room, it was messy as usual. "What brings you here?" Creedy asked stepping forward. Rose shrugged simply stepping inside walking around, she eyed him when he was not looking. "I heard your little spat with Quinn," She said quickly. Creedy's eyebrows raised in question, Rose sighed, the man could keep a straight face when he didn't want to tell anyone anything.

She moved over to his bed, and flopped herself down. "I saw no reason to just blowup in his face like that, Creed," Rose said. Creedy cocked his head to the side, as if trying to figure out what she was talking about. "Well, if you were me, then you would have plenty reason too." Rose's eyebrows furrowed in an amusement, which lead to Creedy's reconsidering "But I suppose you're right, there wasn't a reason, I was just . . . . Angry," He muttered with little emotion his calm face beginning to shadow.

Rose sighed, scratching the back of her neck with her lips pursed, it was obvious the man had serious childhood trauma, by the way he had said 'angry', though she wasn't about to play doctor rose and prod his brain for some buried emotions.

Rising from his bed, she headed over toward him. Creedy eyed her curiously but made no sudden moves because he didn't want to startle her. Rose rested her hand on his shoulder giving him a sincere smile, Creedy scoffed, followed along with a groan as he cocked his head to the side before lowering, Rose fought the urge to giggle. "Don't patronize me Rose, you know I don't like that," He said dryly, while Rose snickered behind her hand with a quick nod. Creedy brushed her hand off his shoulder with a roll of his eyes before leaving the room. "I'll be down stairs having a quick drink, lemmie know when you want to join me, huh?" He said, his voice was now far away.

"Yeah, sure why not?" Rose shot back, following after him. "I could use I drink."

Quinn stood among the half-burnt crop, that was supposed to be their harvest if not for the foolish acts of the thickheaded Eddie that went against his wishes to wait, which lead to the destruction of half of the harvest, and the death of one of Eddie's children. Quinn sighed inwardly grabbing a tomato that wasn't burnt, shoving it into a brown sack that he brought along with him. His brown eyes looked around finding nothing out of ordinary, thinking he heard something.

"That Dragon smells like shit," A voice said. "Are you gonna burn it?" Quinn turned in the direction of the voice quickly, gazing upon the tall figure of Jared who had his hand pinching his nose. Quinn chuckled bowing his head. "I love it," He said. "It might buy us a few days." Jared's eyes sparkled with an unseen amusement, before their gaze shifted someplace else, Quinn resumed his tomato search.

"Sorry, Quinn," Jared spoke up after a while. Quinn looked up at the young man who's face clearly indicated he was truly sorry, the Britishman nodded with a distant look on his face. "So am I," He said. Jared's face became riddled with confusion, Quinn's brown eyes shifted toward him. "I thought I had gotten rid of you for sure," He said jokingly, though as young and sensitive as Jared was, the boy took his comment seriously, which caused Quinn to laugh.

"I was only kidding, Jared," He chuckled, gesturing to Jared, to come over toward him. The young man rested is traveling stick up against a pole, heading over to the older man. Quinn embraced him in a warming hug, Jared rested his chin on his shoulder. Quinn's eyes looked upward at the darkening sky, he wondered if Van-Zan had gotten to London yet, or if Creedy was ever going to speak to him again, if ever.

Creedy & Rose, laid on the floor of his bedroom with several empty cups full of melting ice surrounding them in a zigzag line, at the end laid the empty bottle of Creedy's one-and-only black label, he prepared himself. Rose's head rested on his stomach, her arms were flat on the ground spread like a bird's wings. Creedy had head rested beneath his arms, his breathing was steady and quiet, though he did his best to conceal his alcoholic-laced breath, from reaching his nose, his hand was tightly wrapped around a half-empty cup of his "black-label," he couldn't take another sip of it. It's intoxicating smell hung in the air, giving him and early headache. Just as he was about fall asleep, when two strong arms pulled him up off the floor roughly, though not purposely rough.

"You've been drinking again haven't ya' Creedy?" A familiar voice chuckled. Creedy groaned shrugging the hands off from under his arm, with a quick slurred "Thuat'sdoneofyourbusiness-Quinn," Creedy tripped over his feet, and fell onto his bed sending dust flying into the air. Quinn sighed, as Jared helped Rose up on her feet, she was a bit more intoxicated than Creedy was, which meant Jared had to carry her to the woman's bedroom. He gave Quinn a look as if saying he would be right back, and disappeared around the corner.

"Creedy, I never knew you could drink so much in a such a small amount of time," Quinn pursed his lips picking up the bottle. Creedy smiled drunkenly, shifting in his bed, as his hands that were under his head, pluffed is pillow up.

"Well-it-goes-to-show-you, t-thatyoudon'tknowme as-well-as-you-should," Creedy slurred once more, with a cough, beginning to sound like captain Jack Sparrow. Quinn rested himself on the Scotsman's bed, and laid a hand on his leg which was shrugged off, when Creedy rolled onto the side obviously still mad at him. Quinn sighed hanging his head down. "Don't tell me your still pissed at me, mate?" Quinn asked, giving his friend a look. Creedy said nothing, he did not movie, he not make a sound, all he did was stare at the wall before him, when he finally said, "Yes, I am, and you should be leaving now,"

Quinn nodded rising from Creedy's bed, he looked around the room, not bothering to pick up the empty cups, giving his friends figure one last look, he exited the bedroom regardless of the fact that he too lived inside Alcohol-riddled room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Quinn rested his head against the door with a sigh; Creedy would hold a grudge when he wanted to, that much he knew was for certain.

(TBC):