Once again, I own no one except Ancha and Ennan. Actually – I don't own them. I own their names, looks and personalities but Darren Shan thought them up. (Evanna's newborns – named after their dads!)

Chapter Two

Before me was standing a tall boy about sixteen, with blond hair up in a ponytail. He had bright brown eyes and was staring at me with a mixture of horror and disbelief. And he looked like me – except younger. And I know who he is without having to ask. Because he doesn't just look like me. He looks like his mother… like his uncle.

I stood up and opened my mouth to speak, but the half-vampire got there first. "Dad," he scowled once the shock faded. There was a Little Person on his right, his hood pulled down. I always considered the Little People as 'he's' – I know it was sexist, but it was much easier.
His grey skin was stitched awkwardly, not like Darren's Little Person with the axe – Harkat Mulds. It was… it was… different. The Little Person turned and frowned at me.

"What now?" it asked… and something about the voice… deeper than I remembered Harkat's voice to be like. For a while my son, Darius, just shook his head at me, then sighed and gathered their things up. "We go back to camp, Neo."
The Little Person flinched and glared at Darius. In reply, he gave a wry smile. "Sorry. Old habits die hard." The Little Person rolled their eyes and looked at me. I had a feeling of déjà vu and even dared to ask – "Are you… are you me?"

Darius laughed and clutched his stomach, then turned back to me and faced me directly. "Dad," he repeated, expression set. His complexion was pink from laughing but it was fading quickly and then he was simply glaring at me in contempt. I shuffled my feet and then looked up, trying to catch his eye. "Darius…"

"Uncle Darren's dead." He said simply. I stared in disbelief and then snorted with laughter. "Don't play like that, Darius."
"I'm not playing. He died to fix everything you two did. In fact, I'm not actually your son." He grinned wickedly. "Uncle Darren figured if he took your roles out of the world, people would be replaced. My dad is called-"

"Stop!" I snapped, running forward, neglecting the towel. I started shaking him, eyes wild. "What are you talking about?"
"There is another Darius, Dad. Another you, another Uncle Darren… except you're not the same, I'm not the same…" he gazed up into my eyes and I could see we were both crying. "The world's a confusing place now, Dad. With you gone… Mum had me with… with. Agh!" he gave up and flounced down on the floor, holding his head in his hands.

Resorting into the mode I'd never once possessed, I sat down next to Darius, ready to be a proper father to him finally. "Start from the beginning." I said.

Darius laughed insanely then burst into tears and fell into my arms. "It all started three years ago, so Hi tells me," he motions to the Little Person. He, in turn, shuffled uncomfortably and coughed awkwardly before turning away. Darius takes a deep whooping breath like he's struggling to breathe and looks at me seriously. "Aunty Evanna pulled him out of the lake and Mr Tiny made him into a Little Person.

"He went back in time to reverse your roles in the war. He changed it so neither of you had a part in it, and then it turned out that you and Uncle Darren were in fact brothers because some guy attacked your mums and…" he paused, took a breath finally and carried on.
Mum married Tommy Jones." He explains. "So another Darius was born. I went back home and Mum thought… Uncle Darren thought… you thought…" he stopped and then looked at his hands thoughtfully. "Mr Tiny kept me."

"What do you mean 'kept' you?" I cried, looking about for the meddler so I could hit him. Darius laughed again and went quiet. "Uncle Darren made sure nothing like the War of the Scars would happen, but somehow, Mr Tiny took me back in time to when Mum had the other Darius… I can't explain!" he howled, shaking his head.

I was becoming more and more confused but realised what my son was trying to tell me. That he was still mine and Annie's… except somehow, Mr Tiny had taken him from one of the possible futures and brought him back to the new age Darren had created by sacrificing himself. My Darren.

"I understand." I smiled, putting my arm around him. The Little Person behind me coughed and smiled. "You really have changed Master Leonard," he noted dryly. And then I knew where'd I heard that voice before. I was guessing, clutching at straws…

"Mr Tall?" I hissed, rounding on the creature. He bowed his head and then refused to look my way. "Possibly…" he replied, then Darius stood up and swept a hand across his head. "You can tell him, Hi, Des Tiny brought you back too."
"In more ways than one," I commented, eyebrows in my hair. Then, I looked down at myself again and picked up the sheet of material, covering my bare body once more.

"Father thought it only fair that I was to be alive as well as Evanna," he said. Darius nudged him. "Tell him the other things, too."
Hibernius, the Little Person, stretched his neck (neck?) out. He was different from all of the others because he had a neck, was slimmer and decidedly taller – yet still only came up to Darius' shoulders.

"I can taste what I eat, speak perfectly, breathe the normal air and most importantly, can still see into the future." He grinned. "But our father stitched me up more vigorously because he was sore about spending so long fixing me up."
He shook his head sorrowfully. "Now I work at my own circus." He grumbled. Darius laughed. "I think we'd better start the trip ba-" he began, but then frowned.

"Look who's here!" he muttered under his breath, then walked forwards. "Grandfather!" he called. I turned, my breath catching in my throat. My eyes wandered up and down, agreeing with my mind that it was Desmond Tiny in front fo me, walking forwards me. He shot a dangerous glance at Darius.

"What did I tell you, Darius?" he hissed. Hibernius bowed, whereas I just stood with my mouth wide open, not hiding the fact that I would never become a Little Person so my 'father' could get his kicks. I hated him. More than I ever hated Darren. About ten times more. I was my own person until I turned twelve, and then I was his puppet. I was born a weapon. I died – with Darren's help – a hero. Maybe not in so many terms. Darren was the real hero. But I helped. He wouldn't have died without me.
I killed my half-brother, my best friend, to save the world…

"Leonard," Father nodded at me. I clenched my fists and when Darius handed me a shirt, put it on with so much force that he jumped. He handed me some shorts and I stuck them on, all the while my eyes never leaving Desmond Tiny.
He smiled, brushing his white hair out of his face. "Well then, what a reunion. If only Darren was alive to see this. Oh and of course… if Evanna and Ancha and Ennan were here…"
Hibernius looked down at his feet. "Father, I'd much prefer if you didn't talk about Ancha and Ennan."

Mr Tiny's eyes went wild and he glared at my 'brother'. "Oh? And why is that, Hibernius? You're afraid you'll let it out where they're staying?" In response, Hibernius just looked at a loss, mouth opening and closing.
"They're only children, Father… surely they don't deserve-"
"Silence!" We all trembled as the roar rumbled from Mr Tiny's mouth. "Ancha and Ennan are my granddaughters," he paused. "I'd be lying if I said I loved them, I do not love," he said it as if it were a swear word, "yet I would not harm them. I can – and will – harm their parents, but not-"

"Evanna?" Hibernius cried, mouth open. Mr Tiny stared back blankly, looking so smug. "What's wrong with that. She lied to me. Don't cross me, son, or I swear…"
Hibernius looked down and clenched his fists. Darius clapped his hands and sighed. "Well… can you send us home?" he asked, smiling at Mr Tiny expectantly. The stout man had a portal open behind him, glowing red, matching his watch.

He turned his attention to me. "With him?" he scowled. I looked back, hatred flickering between us. Darius nodded. "He's what we came all this way for."

Then, slowly, as I thought Mr Tiny was going to hack my head off, he smiled ever so slightly and nodded. "Take my boys home, Darius." He smiled and then disappeared with a pop. I stared blankly at the spot where he disappeared then stomped ahead of my confused picture of a family. Stepping through the portal, I let myself fall much more willingly than I did into the lake.