Chapter 9
Christmas
"Talia, no. You're spending Christmas here." David told me.
"But Adri invited me." I frowned. "We just reunited after a year and…" I counted. "-9 months. –ish."
"We're not spending your first Christmas as a Xanatos at someone else's house." He said with finality.
"Daddy…" I turned to Owen.
"Mister Xanatos made it very clear, Talia." He said coldly.
I huffed and went to my room. I angrily wiped my tears away as I texted her. "Can't come for Christmas. :C"
She answered a few minutes later. "it's my fault. I shoulda asked sooner."
"No, he just doesn't want to." I frowned.
"What about your godfather? He could get you here." She asked.
"Yeah, but he has to follow David's orders." I thought.
"That sucks. :P" She said.
"Don't I know it?" I sighed.
We talked until I heard a knock on my door. "Talia?" Of course it was Owen.
"What?" I snapped.
"Mister Xanatos wants to know if the 27th would acceptable for you to go see Adriana." He said.
I texted her and she answered yes. "… Yeah."
I heard Owen take a step toward the door. I hissed like a cat. He paused, but didn't go away. A low growl rumbled in my throat and something was pinned against my head. I grabbed a mirror and looked in it. I had cat ears and my pupils were thin and oval. I dropped it as my hair puffed up.
Owen had opened the door now. I hissed at him. "Easy, Talia." I watched him carefully. "I know this is upsetting, but you can control this." I spat at him.
Owen made a thrrp noise. My ears twitched. I was curious now. He did it again. Some instinct told me to go to him. Again. I slowly walked to him and nuzzled up against him.
"You're ok, Sweetheart, you're ok." He scratched one of my cat ears. I purred as he continued.
"You're fine now, Talia." He said softly.
I calmed down until he pulled away. I mewed loudly. He picked me and I was happy. He found Alex playing in the game room.
"Alexander, we have a slight problem." Owen told him.
"Are those cat ears?" He took off his headphones.
"This is what I was afraid would happen if she learned transformation too soon. Her magic responded to her emotions." He rubbed the back of my head.
"What made her so upset?" Alex turned off the Xbox.
"She wanted to Adriana's for Christmas and your father said no… And I said no. She was still upset when I told her we would take her after Christmas to see Adriana. She upset herself even more when she looked a mirror." He explained.
"That would do it. Tai, can you speak?" Alex asked.
I meowed.
"Alexander, Talia's just calmed down enough not to attack." Owen said.
Alex tried to coach me out of this half transformation. It took a lot longer than we thought. It didn't help when I grew a tail and claws because David scared me. But we did it.
"Hey, Talia, wanna stay up and play a prank Santa?" Puck asked after Alex's lesson.
"Santa's real?" I asked.
"Of course he is." He smiled.
"No, he's not, Tai." Alex said.
"He is real! You're just salty because you always fell asleep before you saw him." Puck frowned.
"Then why wouldn't he let the prince of Avalon see him?" Alex shot back.
"He doesn't like playing favorites." He shrugged.
"That's stupid." Alex huffed.
"If Alex couldn't stay awake, why do you think I can?" I asked.
"I have a theory about that." My brother groaned. "Alex's a little bitch when it comes to sleep spells so that's why he always falls asleep."
"Ha." I laughed at him.
"You don't even remember most of this year or last year, Talia." He shot back.
"That's not my fault. I was raised a human." I told him.
"That's enough. Let's not argue." Puck said. "You wanna stay up or not, little trickster?"
"Ok." I said.
"That's my good girl." He kissed my cheek.
"Let's go eat." Alex said.
"I'm hungry." I told them.
"Well, of course, you are. Your emotions made you become half cat." He frowned. "But we fixed it."
"Yeah." I agreed.
We went to dinner and I ate hungrily. Then I got sleepy and tried to go back to my room. I didn't make it so I settled for the nearest bed I could find.
Talia's POV End
Owen's POV
I picked Talia up and took her to her room. Mister Xanatos followed us.
"Owen, what happened earlier?" He asked.
"Her magic responded to her emotions. She was still upset with me when I told her we would take her to see Adriana later. It got worse the more stressed she became." I explained.
"How'd you calm her down?" He knew; he just wanted to hear me say it.
"She was a cat so I mimicked a mother's call." I heard Puck snickering at me.
Mister Xanatos smiled. "Is Puck going to try to prank Santa again this year?"
"Yes. Although, I don't see the point. He never succeeds and they end up chatting. And Alexander is never awake to Santa Clause." I told him.
"Thrill of the hunt." Mister Xanatos said.
"I suppose, sir." I said.
I put Talia on her bed and turned into Puck so he wouldn't complain.
Owen's POV End
Talia's POV
Christmas Eve
"You ready, Tai?" Puck asked me.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Good. It's gonna be great." He smiled.
I mirrored his smile. "Is it time yet?"
"Almost. I need a strand of hair." I tugged one out and gave it to him. He made something more than an illusion, but not a clone appear in her bed asleep.
"Do you think you can mimic other Fae's magic? Cause he'll sniff out your magic in an instant. Coyote's a good one." He asked.
"I dunno. I'll try." I looked through my visions and replayed the scenes with Coyote and felt his magic.
"Nice work, kiddo. You like a Maza though." He hummed and handed me a mirror.
My skin was a darker brown than my normal coloring and I had Elisa's nose. My eyes were rounder and well, brown. My hair was straight now.
"I guess I do." I said.
"Let's go." He smiled.
We went to the Great Hall and I saw Santa. I was thrilled. He was looking over a list and pulling out presents out of his bag. "Ah, yes, Talia Xanatos-Burnett-Goodfellow."
Burnett-Goodfellow? We looked at each other.
"I could change it if you'd like." Santa looked at us pointedly.
We turned visible. "No, it's fine. I just…" Puck paused.
"Was curious? She's your daughter, isn't she?" He smiled.
"Yeah." He ruffled my hair.
"It was a good try, but I know who's awake and who's asleep. Let me see your true face, princess of Avalon." He bowed.
I dropped my Coyote Halfling persona. "How'd I do?"
"You're better than Alex at transfiguration. I was almost fooled for a second." Puck smirked.
"You did wonderfully." Santa told her. I beamed.
We landed and Puck shook Santa's hand. I hugged him.
"You're real?" Alex gasped.
"I kept telling you." Puck muttered.
"You've grown into a fine young man, prince of Avalon." Santa bowed.
"Alex, look, Santa's here." I told him.
"I…" The red head wasn't exactly sure what to say.
"You don't remember me? Hmm, perhaps you're more affected by my magic than I thought." Santa hummed.
"Wait, I always had dreams about staying up on Christmas Eve." Alex thought.
"Can we see the reindeer? Sleigh?" I asked.
"As you wish, princess." Santa took us to the roof.
The reindeer's ears flicked toward us. We were given winter clothes. Alex and I walked up to them and scratched their necks. We petted each one and then we sat in the sleigh. It was comfy. Then we went back inside. Santa couldn't stay any longer and then I didn't remember falling asleep, but I woke up with a red blanket in Owen's lap when I heard someone move. I yawned and rubbed my eyes.
"Did I wake you, Sweetheart?" Fox asked, handing me a cup of cocoa.
"No." I blinked sleepily and sipped it.
"That's my daughter." Owen growled as he put on his glasses, giving me a kiss good morning.
"Our daughter. David adopted her, remember?" Fox gave him a cup of coffee.
"Mom?" Alex woke up.
"Morning, Alex." She gave him the last cup.
"When'd you get the Santa hat?" I asked.
"What?" He felt the top of his head. "I remember! I remember last night." He smiled.
"I meant to take the children to bed after Santa left." Owen told her. Alex glared at him.
"It's alright." She smiled.
"We'll open presents after you eat." David smirked.
We got breakfast and ate. Then we opened presents. I got everything I asked for. Then we got to Santa's gifts. Santa gave David an off black dress shirt. His eye twitched. He gave Fox a gold and sapphire pair of earrings shaped like a rain drop. It reminded me of the Eye of Odin sorta. Owen got a crimson tie. He frowned. Santa gave Alex a chess set and I got a book about Avalon and a gold ring with my birthstones, November's were Topaz and Citrine. I tried it on and it fit. I, however, felt a buzz of power from it. Owen explained that jewelry made from Avalon's natural material had natural magic properties and they tended to purer than Earth jewels.
We had a snowball fight before lunch. I'm not sure who won. Alex went to go play his new video game after we ate. I had more cocoa in the clan's kitchen. It was cozy. Owen found me.
"Merry Christmas, Talia." Owen kissed the side of my head.
"Merry Christmas, Dad." I gave him a one armed hug.
We all ended up going to Adri's and we had late lunch at her house. She made me a necklace with flowers I liked. I got her more art markers. She liked them. It was a good Christmas.
