CH 2

"Don't worry, Elisa," Skyler assured her friend and employer. "I'll hold the fort down here, and we'll see you when you get home."

"Do me a favor, and don't tell the kids," Elisa said. "I'll tell them when I get home. Beth is tap dancing a fine line of irritating a lot of people with getting married like this, and I don't want the kids upset or disappointed. The reception will probably be huge, and at night so that everyone will be able to be there, but…."

"But the courthouse is only open during the day," Skyler said with a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, Elisa. I won't say anything."

"Thanks," Elisa huffed. "Now, I need to go buy a dress."

"A… dress?" Skyler asked slowly. "For a last minute city hall ceremony?"

"Our parents are going to at least want nice pictures. I'm hoping that will hold off as much of the disappointment as possible, until it's time to plan the reception."

"Thus, the dress," Skyler said, understanding at last. "Well, I wish you the best of luck, but… aren't you sure there's nothing in the undercover detective's closet of disguises that you could borrow? It could save you the time and frustration."

"I… Oh my god, Skyler," Elisa said on a laugh. "I don't know why I didn't think about that, myself. Have I told you lately that you're a lifesaver?"

"Not since this morning," Skyler quipped, "But feel free to say it again."

"You're a lifesaver," Elisa said with a laugh. "Thanks again, and I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Tell the happy couple congratulations for me," Skyler said, then ended the call.

Looking around the condo, Skyler noted with satisfaction that everything had been done. Dinner had been cooked, leftovers stored for Elisa to eat when she got home, and the dishes washed and drying in the rack by the sink.

The living room had been set to rights an hour ago, when she'd shooed the kids upstairs.

They weren't going to be "kids" much longer, she thought with a sigh. She may be out of a job in a few years.

A discreet cough caught her attention, and she looked up to see Nayeli peering through the railing spindles at her from the stairs.

"Was that mom?" Nayeli asked.

"Yes," Skyler answered, moving to stand at the bottom of the stairs. She looked up to find Liam standing on a stair above his sister.

Knowing that the kids always got a little anxious if Elisa ran late, she hurried to reassure them. "She's running a little behind because she has to help your Aunt Beth with something. She'll be home as soon as she can."

Skyler saw the tension lessen in Liam's shoulders, and smiled.

"Does that mean we get a little more time before bed?" Nayeli asked hopefully.

"Nice try," Skyler laughed. "Now, scoot."

Liam reached down to give his sister's braid a playful tug, and they were off and running.

Skyler knew it was all for show. They were good kids, and it was with no small amount of pride that she'd had a hand in them being that way.

She followed them upstairs. Out of habit, she made a quick run through of the bathroom to pick up any loose articles of clothing that may have escaped the kids' notice and straighten up any damp towels so that they were able to dry properly.

A short time later, all lights were out and the kids were in dreamland.

Skyler retreated back down to the living room. She felt a little guilty, having shuffled the kids to bed while she stayed up to get details from Elisa, but in the end, she considered that a perk of being an adult.

She turned the radio on low volume, just for some background noise, and settled on to the over-stuffed sofa with her new romance novel.

A few minutes later, she felt her eyes droop.

Maybe she'd just close her eyes for a moment…

Between that thought and the next breath, she found herself in a familiar place. The last time she'd been here, it had been her fourteenth birthday.

She remembered it well. Her mother, never much of an outdoor person herself, had asked her daughter what she would like to do for her birthday. Skyler, excited about the new telescope her mother had gotten for her, had requested to go to the Rocky Mountain National Park to try it out.

Skyler's mother had packed up the car for the two hour long trek and had taken her there for a special birthday picnic. They'd had an early dinner there, on the shore of Dream Lake, and had stayed long enough for the sun to go down. She'd looked at the stars through the telescope and had even thought to have seen a shooting star.

They had lain in the grass for an amazingly long time, content and comfortable with the silence as they watched the fireflies dance on the breeze around them.

Just shy of a month later, her mother disappeared into thin air.

Or so she'd thought…

Skyler looked around now in amazement. She was very well aware it was a dream, but it seemed so real. Night was falling, the softest of mountain cooled breezes caressing her face and hair, and around her she could see the small dancing lights that were fireflies.

Just as there had been that long-ago night.

Skyler sat, watching as the setting sun cast pink and purples on the tops of the snow dusted peaks of the mountains. The clearness of the lake giving Skyler the barest hint of the heartiest of mountain fish swimming just below the surface.

"It is beautiful here," A male voice came from beside her, causing Skyler to jump, scurrying to her feet in surprise.

"I apologize," The tall man said, sweeping hit wide brimmed hat off and giving her a deep, courtly bow in greeting. "I did not mean to startle you, but you were so deep in your thoughts, I'm afraid it was impossible."

"No, I…I'm fine," Skyler said, even though her heart still felt like it was trying to escape from her chest. "I…Who are you?"

"My name is Nought," he said, standing upright and replacing his hat in a way that it obscured half of his features.

"Alright," Skyler said softly. "What can I do for you?" She asked before she could stop herself.

"I think," He said softly, "that it is more along the lines of what may I do for you?"

"Uh, huh," Skyler drew out skeptically. "Look, this isn't that kind of dream buddy. And if it were," She made a waving motion in the air, "There are a few movie stars I'd like to meet first. So…Thanks but no thanks. You can go on back to wherever you came from."

The man seemed almost shocked into silence as he stared at her.

"What?" Skyler asked slowly, then shook her head with a laugh. "And here I am, having conversations with figments of my own imagination."

"I knew it was a mistake, allowing your mother to raise you amongst the humans," He said, his voice heavy with disapproval.

Skyler glared at the man. "Excuse me, but who are you to criticize my mother. Seriously, you need to go back to...wherever it is you came from."

The man sighed wearily, then sat heavily onto the ground and crossed his arms.

'Well, that couldn't be more clear,' Skyler thought. The man's posture practically screamed 'I'm not leaving'.

"Sit," he all but commanded. "We have much to discuss."

"Sit?" Skyler burst out in disbelief. "What am I? A dog?"

"No," the man said, then waved a hand in the air. He quickly pointed down, and Skyler suddenly found herself sitting on the rocky shore of Dream Lake.

As Skyler stared at him in utter astonishment, the man waved his hand in front of his face and sending fireflies scattering.

"Damned pests," He muttered.

"The fireflies?" Skyler asked, cautiously.

"These are not fireflies," The man said, glaring at the flickering lights. "They are called different things around the world, but I guess you would be most familiar with Will-o-Whisps."

"As in… fairies?" Skyler asked, confused.

"Barely," Nought said with a snarl. "They're nothing but spies and watchers. They aren't powerful enough to do anything else but observe and report. They did serve a purpose, I suppose." He looked directly at her, and for the first time, even in the deepening darkness, she got a good look at his face.

"I know, you…" She began, and the man, Nought he'd said his name was, shook his head. "No. I remember you coming to see my mother once…"

The man visibly flinched. "That's not possible."

"Why?" Skyler asked, surprised at the bitterness in his voice. "Why is it impossible?"

"Because only our lord, Oberon, remembers me," Nought said. "They call me Nought, because I am the master of nothing and remembered by no one. I could walk up to anyone, even many of my fae bretheren, and they would not remember me moments later."

"I remember you," Skyler insisted. "You were dressed in grey and black. Black pants, jacket and tie with a grey shirt…"

The man blinked at her then nodded. "Perhaps you do remember. I wish that I had known about you earlier."

"Why?" Skyler asked.

"I would have taken you away. Made sure that you were properly trained," He said bitterly. "Had your mother bothered to tell me, I would have at least made sure that you were not ignorant of your abilities."

"What are you…"

"Your mother hid you well, however," Nought said with a sour grin. "Enough so that even Lord Oberon was unaware of your existence. Then you had to go and use your powers in front of him."

"That was years ago," Skyler protested. "He took most of my power with him when he left, the same with all those other Halfling kids."

"Ahh," Nought said, holding a hand up as if to stop her. "But you are not a Halfling, are you?"

"I…"

"My name is Nought," He said again, this time softening his tone a little and sweeping off his hat to give her the first good look at his face. "and in the words of one of the great movie classics that the humans love, 'I am your father'."