Chapter 18

Welcome home

"Why couldn't I go with David?" I asked Fox again.

"Because if he did, you two wouldn't let go of each other." She said, putting up some balloons.

"But-" My eyes flared as I felt Owen's signature. "Dad, Dad's here!"

"Talia, no magic." Fox warned, handing me Alex.

I whined. "But Daddy's home." Alex tried to make me smile again. "You're right. He'll be here soon."

I bounced Alex as I waited for Dad and David to get to the castle. The elevator dinged and Owen stepped out of the elevator and I put Alex on the table and hugged Owen.

"Daddy!" I nuzzled his chest.

"I've missed you." He ran his hand through my hair. "So much."

"Dad, I-" I frowned.

"Do not finish that sentence if it's not 'I love you' or 'I missed you.'" He said sternly. "It's my job to protect you. As Mister Xanatos's employee, yes, but more importantly, as your father."

I hugged him and then let go. Alex wanted his turn and Dad held him.

"'Uck, 'Uck." Alex chanted.

Owen turned into Puck. "You missed me, Alex?" He smiled.

Alex giggled and nuzzled him.

"C'mere, Tai. It's my turn to hug you." Puck told me and I hugged him again. "Little trickster, I hear it's your birthday soon."

"Yeah…" I smiled.

"This birthday will be ten times better than last year's." He kissed my cheek.

"I'm pretty sure anything's better than last year." I said.

David frowned.

"Puck, will my mother come to her party?" Fox asked.

"I don't know. She may. It hasn't been very long on Avalon." He frowned.

"Maybe she doesn't know." I said.

"Talia, she is the queen of Avalon. She knows." Puck told me.

"I hope my birthday doesn't go up in flames." I frowned.

"It won't. We won't let it." David said and Alex agreed.

"It's going to end well, Talia." Puck reassured me.

"Let's focus on the present. As I remember, we were celebrating my right hand man's return." David looked at Puck.

"Fine." Puck glared at him and turned back into Owen.

Owen gave Alex back to Fox. "You didn't have to do this for me."

"Of course I did. You're family." David told him.

We ate and celebrated for a long time. When the clan woke up, they said hello to Owen and were cheerful about the coming holiday and my birthday. Elisa teased me about how wild the last couple of months have been for me and wondered how I would top it. Owen frowned and said I better not even think out it. Puck taught Alex's lesson first because he had an earlier bedtime.

After Alex's lesson, Puck came to my room. "Ok, kiddo, what do you want to do?"

"… What happened while I was asleep?" I asked.

"You mean when I healed you?" He asked and I nodded. "Well, before I explain that, I think I better explain how we met first."

"You didn't just heal me on a whim?" I furrowed my brows together.

"Hell no. Look, I'll show you what happened." Puck said and dimmed the lights before projecting a video on the wall in front of us.

It was of a dark nursery. It snowed outside. I heard a baby crying. My mom, she looked different, came in with a bottle and creamed coffee before giving a frustrated sigh and going back out because the phone rang. The baby or me was still crying in the crib.

Puck appeared in my nursery. "Someone has left something for the Puck to reward his work. Which is to feed their young babe… Why not? I've got nothing better to do."

Puck picked me up and sat in the rocking chair and gave me my bottle. "You're hungry, aren't you, little one?" He smiled a little.

He drank the coffee while he fed me. He complained that the cream had a strange taste to it. After feeding time, Puck burped me and put me back in my crib. I yawned, but refused to close my eyes. They were brown.

"Maybe a lullaby will help you sleep." He took out a flute and started playing.

"I know that song…" I frowned.

"I'm not surprised you remember it. You loved that one." He smiled at me.

"What are you talking about?" I looked at him.

"Keep watching." He nodded toward the screen.

I watched as Puck kept coming back throughout my childhood, at first on his own, but it slowly stopped until I learned how to get him to come back because I wanted him to play the lullaby again. Puck was impressed that a little 4 year old learned how to do that. As time went on, he encouraged me to play pranks, gave me tips, and comforted me when I asked. His visits slowed as I got older though.

Then, all too soon, it was the night. I was sitting on my bedroom floor. I bleed out from two long cuts on my arms, I tried to stop the phantom blood from staining my clothes, and I looked very close to dead. I heard it rain and thunder like in my memory.

"What a pitiful sight. Tell you what? I'll grant you a wish." Puck's voice asked.

"N-no…" My voice was so weak.

"Oh, don't be so modest. You must have something you want." I now noticed he had a slight undertone of urgency to his voice.

"I wish… for sleep." I mumbled.

"As you wish." Puck casted a spell and green magic landed on me. My eyes closed. "Please don't die yet, Talia. There's so much you haven't done."

Puck picked me up and teleported to a hut of some kind where an old woman was. She was mixing something up.

"Puck, why do you bring me this mortal? It is against Oberon's law to interfere in their lives." She told him.

"Teach me, Grandmother, teach me how to heal. She would be a great trickster someday." Puck set me down on a bed.

"She will not live to morning, Puck. Let her rest." Grandmother shook her head.

"No!" He cried.

"I know you have watched over this child, cared for this child since she was a babe. You have already done enough for her." She smiled sadly.

"She is too young! She has so much potential." Puck's eyes glowed green. "Before this life is left behind, I now bind this body, soul, and mind!" The power washed my dying body.

"What have you done?" Grandmother asked him, shocked.

"Help me heal her, Grandmother." Puck pleaded again.

"She is your responsibility now, trickster. Do what I say and she will live." She got out some things and began to start teaching.

Puck spent months getting me back to full health and making sure my soul stayed in my body. I had a lot of his magic poured into me and Grandmother warned him that it might do something to me. When I was well enough, he took me to Manhattan and dropped me off in a park.

"Waken young child at morning's light, for you have slept a long night. When the time is right, come to the castle high by moonlight." Puck recited and his magic settled over me, he looked over a piece of paper and put it in my pocket. "I'll see you soon, Talia."

As the sun rose, I woke up and my eyes were the green they are now.

"Why'd you leave me in the park?" I asked. "Also, why don't I remember my childhood?"

"Tai, I couldn't bring you to the castle without raising a lot of questions. And you're regaining memories to this day and it's been about a year since you started getting them back. Give it time. Those memories are the oldest." Puck told me.

"Ok." I said.

"If your house was still around, I could show you the drawings of us you made. They were cute." He smiled.

"Will you play the lullaby?" I asked.

"Oberon has my flute." He frowned.

"It's not magical, but this'll do, won't it?" We turned and saw David with a sliver flute in his hands.

"It might." Puck floated over and took it from him.

"Is this why Owen puts so much cream in his coffee?" He asked Puck.

"Shut up." He played a few notes and found it satisfying.

"How much did you see?" I asked.

"Enough to know you stole Puck's heart." He chuckled.

"She was a smart kid." Puck huffed indignantly.

"A cute one too." David left.

"Anyway, now that's over, you comfy?" He asked me.

"Yeah." I lied back down and was lulled to sleep by Puck's song.

Talia's POV End

Puck's POV

"Good night, Sweetheart." I kissed her forehead.

"You were doomed the minute you held her." I knew Xanatos hadn't got far. He just left so Talia could fall asleep.

"It's not so bad. There are worse fates." I said.

"We'll fix it, I swear." He told me.

"Don't." I whispered.

"Owen has done too much this family." Xanatos had already made up his mind.

"It's his nature." I told him before I reverted back.

Puck's POV End

Owen's POV

"Sir, what you aim to do is a very difficult thing." I warned him.

"It can't be harder than achieving immortality." He smiled.

"Very well, sir." I looked at Talia and smiled bitterly. "I would like to show her Avalon myself."

"I know." He watched us.

I brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "Good night, little trickster."

"Welcome home, Owen." Mister Xanatos told me.

Owen's POV End