In Chapter 3, I accidentally said Alex was going back to school for a few months, but I meant weeks. I know it's been up for awhile now, but the mistake in Chapter 5 prompted me to look for other mistakes. Ok, so the timeline for this story is that in late September, Talia snuck into the castle and jumped. In mid-October, she goes and lives with the Xanatos. And Chapters 4-7 take place in the rest of October and November. I hope that makes sense.
Chapter 7
Exhausted
Owen's POV
"Talia?" I asked.
Talia was now fulling resting on the table and she was just writing notes a minute ago.
"Talia, are you alright?" I asked her. She didn't answer. I checked her pulse. It was weak and she felt warm. I eased her to the ground and checked her breathing. She was. That was good. I raised her legs to get the blood back to her brain.
She woke after a minute. "What happened?"
"You fainted." I explained.
"What year is it?" She asked.
"2016." I answered. She tried to sit up but I stopped her. "Stay down, Talia. How were you feeling before you fainted?"
"Um, warm, kinda dizzy, sleepy." She thought.
"I see." I hummed.
I let her get up after I was certain she was alright. She got back in her seat and looked at her notebook. "Oh, boy, these got really bad."
"Talia, you're not well. You just fainted. Class dismissed." I said firmly.
"No, no. I can still learn. Just, just blacked out." She rubbed her eyes. "Gimme a minute."
"No, Talia. I'm going to get you something to drink and then you're going to rest." I waited.
"Ok." She got up and followed me. I kept my ear on her in case she got worse. Luckily, no such thing happened and I got her a bottle of water. She drank, allowing me a moment think over what just happened.
She had always found my voice sleep-inducing, but this wasn't it. She had no history of fainting. Perhaps it was a one-time thing.
"Something's wrong with our girl and you know it." Puck growled in my mind. "She hasn't been well in weeks. Our little trickster's still exhausted. "
"I know. I will ask the gargoyles tonight. See what they have noticed." I told him.
"All done." Talia announced and put the empty bottle in the recycling. She stopped next to me and watched me with those green eyes of hers.
"Pretty, aren't they?" Puck asked me.
"Come along, Talia." I led her back to her room and let her fall asleep before checking on her.
Everything was fine now. I brushed her hair away from her face and still found it just as pleasant as before. I knew I shouldn't have been, but it was so soft. Puck agreed. I frowned as I realized whatever was happening to her must have been so confusing for her. He didn't like that thought one bit.
"Everything's going to be ok, Sweetheart. Promise." I gently kissed her forehead in a rare moment of impulsivity and saw Mister Xanatos in the doorway.
"What happened?" He asked.
"She fainted." I answered. "And Puck has noticed that she's tired during her lessons, but she also tries to get out of bedtime. We don't know what's going on."
"Even if she's staying up later than she should, she still goes to sleep. We're feeding her well. She can't be pregnant. Hmm." He frowned.
"Sir, we should let her rest." I glanced at her and I had unconsciously restarted playing with her hair.
"You're right." We left and he looked at me. "And Owen?"
"Yes, sir?" I said.
"Fatherhood looks good on you." He smiled and left.
I paused. I thought I had done a better job separating Puck's feelings from mine.
"You see her as your own too, dumbass. Back there, all you. And you have her baby pictures in your room. I know Xanatos is letting you keep them." Puck told me.
I frowned. "I'm sorting through the photo albums."
"Sort through…" Puck scoffed. "They're already in order. Stop lying to me, Owen. I'm not making you feel anything you don't want to." Puck scolded.
"… She was a cute baby." I admitted.
"Hell yeah she was. I just… I wonder what it would have been like if we had been there for her childhood." He sighed.
"Me too." I agreed and went to go work.
When the gargoyles woke up, Talia wasn't there, but Elisa was. She always was. She liked watching them wake up.
"Yo, Goliath, is Talia there?" Brooklyn yelled up to his leader as Goliath greeted his mate.
I raised my eyebrow.
"Come, Puck." He growled. I followed them to their living space. "Why are you here?"
"I need to know how Talia's been acting when she's been with you. She fainted this morning." I told them.
"Talia fainted?" Elisa repeated.
"Yes." I replied.
"She seems fine when we go flying." Goliath hummed.
"Goliath, it's hard not to get excited when you're offered a chance to fly without an airplane." Elisa teased.
"It's not just me who thinks Talia's looking more like a zombie as of late, right?" Brooklyn, while older, still had his moments of insensitivity. He was very lucky he couldn't hear Puck right now.
"Yeah, she's not doing too great." Lexington agreed.
"I don't like it when she stares at nothing." Broadway added to his brother's point.
"Hudson, you spent the most time here. Have you noticed anything?" Angela asked.
"The lass, she nods off every time we watch TV and every time she does, Bronx nipped her. I scolded 'im and he stopped nippin' her, but he won't let her sleep either." He frowned.
"That is unusual. Bronx loves children." I remembered Alex's childhood.
"I found Talia-chan asleep once and she was not having a good sleep. She tossed and turned. I woke her up and she didn't recognize me and asked what year it was. I asked if she was alright, but she said she just had a nightmare." Katana recounted.
"Puck, why do you not use your magic?" Goliath asked.
"I don't know what's wrong. This could be a reaction to a trauma she faced. I don't know. I cannot fix every painful thing that my daughter goes through." I told him, frustrated. I hadn't made Alexander's fears and worries disappear with magic. They were essential to his growth.
Everyone was quiet as I realized my mistake. "You meant student, right, Owen?" Elisa said, offering me a cheap way out, probably for their own peace of mind.
I felt a sensation I'd come hate deep in my bones, but it also felt new: Talia was awake and terrified. I left without a word.
Owen's POV End
Talia's POV
"I had a nightmare, Elisa. Now we must get home and make sure it does not come true." Goliath steered the skiff into the fog.
I opened my eyes. "Oh, God, no. NO! Let me rest! Let me rest…" I curled up into a ball. "Please."
"Sweetheart?" Puck's voice was full of worry.
I looked and saw him. "Hey, uh, Puck."
"I came to check on you. You've been asleep all afternoon. Talia, tell me what's going on. I know something's wrong." He frowned.
"… Bad dream. Everyone died." I said, pulling the covers over my face.
"Tell me what's wrong or I'll find out what's wrong." He said sternly, tugging the covers off.
"Not now." I mumbled. "I'm so tired."
His gaze softened. "You want something to eat, Sweetie?"
"Yes." I said and we were teleported to clan's little kitchen. I sat at the counter and waited for my dinner. Bronx nuzzled my leg. Did I really sleep so long the clan woke up?
"Hey, kiddo. Owen told us you gave him a little scare this morning." Elisa sat next to me.
"Owen's a robot. He can't get scared." I tried to shake off the weariness that now clung to me again.
"Talia, what's going on?" She asked.
"Let me rest. Please." I sighed.
Elisa didn't say anything as she rubbed my shoulder. Puck gave me my dinner, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and sat next to me with a beer. I ate slowly, not because I wanted to, but because that was the only pace I could manage. After I finished, Elisa took the dishes away.
"You feel better now, Tai?" Puck asked.
"I guess." I yawned and rubbed my eyes.
"What's happening to you? You're clearly exhausted, but you just woke up a little bit ago." He frowned.
"I know, Puck. I don't want be like this. I just… I want them to stop." I said softly.
"The bad dreams?" He asked and I nodded. "Talia, what are they about?"
I scratched the back of my neck. "Can you make them go away?"
"Talia, tell me what they're about." He frowned slightly.
"… I don-" I jumped as Puck hit the counter.
"Don't lie to me, Talia! I'm trying to help you." He growled.
"I should have told you in the beginning. Maybe it wouldn't have gotten so bad if I did." I took a breath. "I-I've been having visions about the past. About the clan and everything they've been through. At first, it was ok then they started coming too fast and I would have to rewatch them. I don't know how many times I've seen Goliath fight David. Sometimes, they stop for little bit and I truly get to sleep for a bit until they come back. I just want to sleep, Puck, I just want to sleep." I rested my head on his chest and cried out of frustration.
Puck was quiet as he ran his fingers through my hair. It felt good. "I'm so sorry, Sweetheart."
"Make them stop." I whispered hoarsely.
Puck kissed the top of my head. "Shh. You're going to be fine, little trickster."
I wiped my eyes. "Why is this happening to me?"
"Someone is bending the rules to their favor. Ignoring your human half and focusing on the Fae half. I don't know what this accomplishes, but it is not good." Goliath growled.
"I hate to ask, but why?" Elisa frowned.
"She's my Halfling. She may be weak right now, but she'll be stronger as time goes on." Puck said.
"Who would want me?" I asked.
"Oberon. He's still pissed that Alex has no loyalty to him." He frowned. I got up. "Kiddo, what are you doing?"
"I'm gonna tell him these visions are hurting me." I summoned a mirror. Summoning things was one of the first lessons Puck taught me. Large things I hadn't gotten to yet, but a hand mirror was easy.
"Talia, are you sure that's a good idea?" Goliath said.
"Too late now." I said as I touched the mirror. "Oberon." Nothing happened. "Did I not do it ri-"
"Hello, princess." I saw Oberon's face in the mirror.
"Hello, m-my lord." I greeted back.
"Why have you called me?" He asked.
"I-I have been having visions of the past and they're hurting me now." I couldn't back out now. I wasn't sure how to end the call anyway. Destroy the mirror?
"Visions of the past? Tricksters don't get visions of any kind. My queen?" Oberon called and Titania appeared.
"Yes, my lord?" She asked.
"The princess says she's having visions for the past and they're not in her control. That they are hurting her." He looked at his wife and I sighed before having to make a straight face again.
The queen of Avalon had a glimmer of rage in her eyes. "My lord, I wanted her to better understand my grandson's history so I ordered the sisters to show her visions of the past. One a night."
"They did not do that. I think I got like 10 in row once. Then I had to rewatch most of them. I'm basically not sleeping anymore." I told them.
Oberon had heard enough. "Sisters!"
Three women appeared, they had orange, black and white hair. "Yes, my lord?"
"You have hurt the princess! You are here by banished from Avalon without your powers until you learn empathy for mortals!" He snarled.
"My lord?" Titania said sweetly.
"Yes, my queen?" He looked at her.
"They may learn better if they are apart." She purred.
"You are right, my beloved. You three are to be sent to the far corners of the mortal world and are not to reunite until you return to Avalon. You will not harm the princess ever again. Now, be gone!" His voice boomed and the sisters were gone.
"I am grateful for your kindness, my lord." I bowed my head.
"Princess, I am very sorry my gift was misused." Titania told me.
"It wasn't your fault." I said.
"The visions will be in your control now. Have a good night, princess." She smiled and I felt a powerful magic, much more powerful than Puck's and much like Alex's, settle over me.
"Good night, my lord, my queen." I bowed again.
Their faces disappeared from the mirror and I sighed deeply. "I'm so fucked. I now have a total of 3 whatits to the king and queen of Avalon."
"No, they were protecting you, the princess of Avalon. So, you have one boon." Puck told me.
"I'm gonna go sleep now. The adrenaline and soup keeping me awake is running low." I yawned.
"No, Sweetie, you just woke up an hour and a half ago." He shook his head.
"But I wanna sleep. I haven't slept in weeks." I pouted.
"You can sleep in a little bit, kiddo. And I'll have you know I invented doe eyes." He smiled.
"You may have invented it, but Talia polishes it." Elisa laughed.
"Tai, you took a risk calling Oberon and it paid off. That's my smart girl." He ruffled my hair, floating above me.
"Really, c'mon, man!" I hissed.
"He's right, Talia. Things worked in your favor this time." Goliath said.
"I have to agree with Goliath on this." David walked in. "I take it the visions won't be bothering you anymore?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Everything's fine now."
"Kiddo, we got a magic lesson to do. It'll be easy, promise." Puck told me. "You can play with the gargoyles later."
"Bye, guys." I waved to clan and we teleported away.
Talia's POV End
David's POV
"From time of night to time of day, keep the night's terrors at bay." Puck cast his spell on Talia and smiled. "There, that should ensure a good night's sleep. Sweet dreams, little trickster." He tenderly brushed her hair back and reverted back to Owen.
"Owen, you're going to explain how she got those visions, right?" I asked. "The cameras don't pick up magic."
"Lady Titania decided she needed to learn the clan's history to learn why Alexander is the way he is. However, she gave the task of giving her the visions to the Weird Sisters. They pushed too far and hurt Talia. She got them banished from Avalon until they learn empathy." He smiled a trickster's smile. "Not intentionally, but it was the end result. Oberon declared that they will never harm her again. Adriana is human, but if they decide to have children, we may need to watch the horizon."
"What makes you think they'll be together that long?" I smiled.
"She has my loyalty." He played with her hair, a shared gesture of his and Puck's, but Talia had never been awake when he did it. "Adriana's not getting away from her easily."
"And she has Puck's magic." I added.
"Yes, she does, sir." He gently kissed her forehead. "Good night, Sweetheart."
"She's my daughter." I told him.
"She was mine 16 years before you even met her." He shot back, well, for him, at least.
"We have work to do." I lead him out. He paused before shutting the door. I smiled at him and he ignored me. He had it bad.
David's POV End
