Chapter 16

The girl who fell from the sky: Part 2

Vogel's POV

We were on our back to Fortress-2 when there was a flash in the sky.

"Look out!" A girl's voice yelled from above.

We looked up and saw a human shaped blob, but it was puffier, falling from the sky directly in front of us. It landed and bounced a few times before it deflated.

"I'm alive!" The girl shouted as the suit turned into a vest. She got up and dusted herself off.

"You're that girl that got into Cyberbiotics headquarters 7 years ago. Talia." Mr. Renard recognized her faster than I did.

I had forgotten about that incident. Perhaps because of how she made Burnett act toward everyone. It was a little freighting to hear that he punched Xanatos at the mere suggestion she take a cab.

"Does the name Goliath mean anything to you?" She asked.

"Yes, very much." He answered.

"I need to get back to Manhattan. I'm his friend." She said.

"He just left on his journey, but we will take you back to New York." Mr. Renard told her.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Talia followed us to Fortress-2 and we took off.

Vogel's POV End

Talia's POV

Grandpa Renard and Mr. Vogel got… Fortress-2 in the air and then he had Vogel fly the ship while he took me somewhere. It was the break room for them. There was only supposed be robots on this ship, but they got a virus from Fox and now they flew it. He got me a water bottle and we went to the table.

"Tell me Talia, how long do I have?" He went straight to the big question.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"After Owen took you to the police station, I did some research. 15 years ago, Petros Xanatos reported a Talia Jones missing. You look exactly the same as you did in those pictures." He explained.

The police insisted on taking some pictures of me because I was a lost kid. I should get rid of those. I stuffed all the '81-'96 photos of me in my backpack.

"… You die before the new millennium." I frowned.

"Do I live long enough to see my grandchild?" He asked.

I slightly nodded.

"I see." He pursed his lips.

Time travel is really shitty.

"How is my daughter in the future?" Grandpa Renard asked.

"She's fine. Still healthy. Still married to David." Was I giving too much away?

"At least, she respects some virtues." He sighed.

"Yeah…" I said.

We sat in silent for a minute.

"How did you get here, to the past?" He asked.

"There's this magic creature called Phoenix and it can time travel." I explained.

He asked about me. I answered with a little looser tongue because he's not going to meet me. He seemed to relax when I told him about my childhood. It got a little weird when I got to the part where I woke up in Manhattan and everything after.

Vogel announced that we were landing in Manhattan soon. We threw our empty bottles in the recycling and went to the cockpit. Then we landed and he offered me a place to stay, but I declined. I knew where I could go. It was almost morning. I teleported to the clock tower and went inside. It looked exactly like my visions. I sat in Hudson's chair and with my backpack in my lap, I slept.

Talia's POV End

Owen's POV

A strange scent, a mixture of earth, lilacs, and apple spice with Avalon in the background, tickled my nose and a strong compulsion tugged at me.

"Owen, are you alright?" Mister Xanatos asked.

"My apologies, sir." I told him.

"…Go take care of it." He said.

"If you insist." I left.

Owen's POV End

Puck's POV

I went to the clock tower and saw a girl in Hudson's chair. She was asleep. I sniffed her hair.

"I know this scent. I don't know how, but I know this scent." I inhaled too deeply and the gooey mushy feelings came back. Owen wanted out. I told him to get a grip. He rebelled in an impressive show of human determination. I let him out.

Puck's POV End

Owen's POV

I picked her up and held her. "Hello, Sweetheart. You're my future daughter, aren't you? You can't sleep in here. The gargoyles don't know you're here. Let's get you somewhere safer." Puck took us to my apartment in the Eyire Building.

I ran my hand through her hair. It was softer than a humans' was supposed to be. I nuzzled and kissed my daughter, marking her with my scent. Puck pointed out that no humans would be able to smell it. I didn't care. She was mine; she was supposed to smell like me. He also pointed out that she was mostly his. I growled at him.

"Easy there, Owen. You're letting her pheromones get to you." He told me.

"She trusts us. You know she does." I muttered.

"That's what scares me. I know she does." Puck regarded the child.

"Then we must have met her before and don't remember it." I said, only slightly paying attention.

"How?! How do we not remember this girl? That's a human problem not a… Oberon must have made us forget her under some circumstances." He concluded.

I didn't reply as I softly set her down on my bed and Puck changed her into the pajamas she had in her bag, which smelt of his magic. Almost everything inside it did, but the missing flyers. Talia Jones… Puck destroyed them.

I tucked her into bed and brushed her hair, kissing her forehead. I had been gone too long already. I needed to get back to work. Puck childishly pushed me aside to give affection to Talia before we had to leave. He nuzzled her and brushed her hair and gave her kisses. I noticed that his scent didn't overwhelm my human one due how much longer I had been marking her.

Owen's POV End

Talia's POV

I woke up and it was almost dark. "Goddamn it, not again." This wasn't the clock tower. It smelt like Owen. Was I home?

"Good evening, Talia." He stood in the doorway. His fist was stone.

"I was safe in the tower." I got up.

"Gears are not bells. They're a mild annoyance." He led me to the kitchen.

I sat at the table and he set a plate of crêpes in front of me. I put strawberry jam and whipped cream, folded it up and ate it. Owen watched me.

"You're being weird." I told him.

"You're Puck's daughter, yet you're mine as well." He frowned. "It's not supposed be like that."

"I don't know how it works either." I took another bite.

He didn't ask questions like Grandpa Renard had. We finished eating and he washed the dishes then I put my clothes on with magic and was about leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"I can't stay here. You live alone." I said, choosing somewhere to go.

"Talia." He warned me. I went for it, but he pulled me back. "I need to keep you safe."

"That's future you's problem." I told him.

"No, it's my duty because you are here now." He explained.

"Please?" I asked.

"No." He said firmly.

I pouted. He nuzzled me until I lost my pouty face. Then I attempted to pout more, but his phone rang. He answered it.

"Hello? Ah, Mister Xanatos." He listened to him, his gaze never leaving me. "I-I cannot tonight. There is something else that needs my attention right now. The reports will be done, in the morning." He hung up.

"You made him curious." I said.

"I've been keeping secrets longer than your family's been alive." He retorted. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes. You were attempting to pout, but let's skip that and go straight to the cuddles." Dad picked me up and kissed my cheek.

"Nooo." I whined. "I gotta go 'fore David or Fox sees me."

"Hush now, Sweetheart. You don't have to worry." Owen cooed, stroking my hair.

I didn't settle down, David and Fox were still bad people in 1996, and he began purring. It was strange but comforting. I yawned. He kissed my forehead.

"There we go." He smiled. "Everything's fine, Sweetie."

I blinked sleepily; Dad could always put me to sleep, and rested my head on his shoulder.

Talia's POV End

Owen's POV

I laid her on the bed and then paused. The Phoenix was sitting at the foot of the bed. Puck took over.

Owen's POV End

Puck's POV

"10 more minutes?" I lied next to Talia and played with her hair, periodically kissing her temple.

The fire bird watched me, its body crackling softly. "Do you have to be a creep?" I asked. It continued to watch. I sighed and nuzzled Talia. I cuddled her and held her, not wanting to let go, but I knew I would have to.

Phoenix cawed and tugged… the girl toward it. "No! Don't take her! Please!" I shouted.

Why did I want this child? She was special, I could feel the magic in her, but there was something else. Something really important. I groped and swung the nearest thing I could reach at its face. It was her backpack. It let go and I remembered. She was my daughter. It beat its wings and blew me back. I hit my head on the stone wall. I growled and blasted it, but it blocked my attack with its wing.

"She's mine!" My eyes glowed and I charged another blast.

"Her journey is not yet done, little Puck." Then the Phoenix was gone.

I howled in rage, but when I was done, I no longer knew what had upset me so much.

Puck's POV End