The Beholder Part Two
Summary: Puck reflects on the nature of love and family. There are episode references, mostly to "Vows," and "Outfoxed," as he ruminates on the potential consequences of Fox's pregnancy.
Author's Note: Although this story was intended as a one-shot, I've decided I may make this a brief series of vignettes from Puck's perspective, leading up to his banishment. Provided anyone is interested in reading that sort of thing.
Puck hadn't expected this.
Though really, he damn well should have. Especially after that "genetically compatible" line Xanatos had thrown out the night he proposed to Fox. Although David was still trying to achieve literal immortality, he clearly wasn't above going the conventional, more symbolic route as well. Puck knew that mortals often felt having children was the closest they could come to a sense of timelessness, of living forever. And he certainly wouldn't begrudge his human friend for that natural inclination.
He just hadn't thought about it. And he hadn't thought it would happen so quickly. But then, perhaps that hadn't been dear Davey-boy's intention. Yes, the man had made it a habit of planning absolutely everything, but somehow, Puck thought he hadn't meant to start a family with Fox quite so quickly. He was almost certain the child had been conceived slightly before the wedding – not unwanted, just unplanned.
It could still be quite good fun, he told himself. Puck liked children. He liked how their minds were so much more open to magic than the typical human adult these days – they were more open to any possibilities, really. He still remembered playing with Coyote's little halfing pup, centuries ago; he often thought how sad it was the boy had lived and died never knowing his own magic, except for that brief moment he had been far too young to remember. Now the bloodline was so thinned, he doubted that any of the Mazas had even the faintest whisper of power from their trickster ancestor.
Fox's child might still have potential though. True, he or she would only be a quarter fay, but …
It was this line of thought that made Puck start to worry.
He'd always wondered if Titania was disappointed her daughter apparently possessed no magic. Had she wanted to teach her? Had she ever even considered it? But of course, instructing her daughter in the ways of the fair folk would mean revealing herself for what she really was. And wouldn't that mean breaking Oberon's law? Wouldn't that be directly interfering in human affairs? Even if the human in question was also her own child? Yet apparently the law did not stop her or any of their people from having children with mortals, so … ?
Oberon's edicts could be very confusing sometimes. It made Puck's head hurt if he thought too much about it too much.
In any case, he had little doubt that if Fox had been instructed in magic from a young age, she would have been quite a formidable opponent. He used to think the little halfing would have been no match for himself or any other full-fledged fay, even if she'd been properly trained, but over the years he'd begun to reconsider. Titania was one of the most powerful among their race, after all, perhaps even as powerful as Oberon himself, and Fox took after her in a lot of ways.
Except of course, for the way that Titania might have most wanted her to.
No one else was bothered by "Anastasia's" reaction to the pregnancy news, but he was. Fox had told David first, of course, and then Halycon, and finally her mother, who was understandably excited. And then came all her talk about the baby's potential. To anyone else, it would not have sounded ominous, but …
He didn't want to think that way. True, he implemented the new security measure immediately, but he didn't want to tell Xanatos about it, didn't want to tell the man what he feared.
David actually felt liked by his mother-in-law, and he didn't want to take that away from him if he didn't have to, not when "Anastasia" seemed to be the only grandparent in this budding family tree who didn't look on poor Davey-boy with a degree of displeasure. Even his own father disapproved of him, something which Puck knew caused his friend pain.
As Owen, Puck had overheard – okay fine, he had eavesdropped – when David shared the news about Fox's pregnancy with his father. Of course, he'd only heard one side of the conversation, but it had still been very telling.
"Hi, Pop." For once, the casualness in David's voice sounded forced. He watched, standing outside the office, as the man frowned, apparently displeased by whatever was being said on the other end of the line.
"What do you mean why am I calling? You're my father, can't I just –" A pause, and then a sigh. "No, no, I'm not going to prison again. But I'm so glad that's still the first place your mind goes whenever I call."
A longer pause, and then: "Yes it is," David said angrily. "You asked me the same thing when I called to invite you to the wedding! For god's sake, Pop, one little mistake and –" Another pause as Petros was apparently speaking. "Now you listen to me, I served my time, I paid my debt. If you're going to bring this up every time we talk, I'll just stop – well fine then!" David was nearly shouting now. "You want to know why I really called, father? I wanted to tell you my wife was pregnant! I wanted to share that with you. I thought you might actually be happy for us, but now I see I shouldn't have bothered, because I'm sure you'll be just as disappointed in my child as you are in me!"
David abruptly hung up, and, in an uncharacteristic show of temper, hurled his cell phone across the room. He stood there, fists clenched, looking like he wanted to hit something … or someone.
Careful not reveal himself, he watched the man with fascination, and felt a small twinge of sympathy which surprised him.
You have disappointed me, Puck, with your stubborn refusal to take anything seriously.
Forgive me, my lord. I thought I amused you.
Amusement is not enough.
The phone lay on the floor, and after a moment, it started ringing. David scowled and walked over to his desk, doing his best to ignore the sound. After a moment, however, he turned around. Slowly, he walked over to where the phone lay on the floor. He picked it up and answered.
"Hello," he said coolly. Then another sigh, and, "No, no. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have … it's just, I mean come on Pop, every time I … you're right, you're right, let's not started fighting about it again." Another pause, and then a slight smile. "Thank you. Yes, we're very excited. No, it doesn't really matter to me, as long as the baby's healthy. But uh … I was thinking …"
For once in his life, David Xanatos actually looked awkward. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, and sounded strangely unsure of himself when he continued.
"I was wondering if it would be okay with you if we named the baby after mom."
A long pause, and then: "Well naturally, but it could work either way, you know. If it's a girl, yes, we'd name her Alexandra, but if it's but if it's a boy, I thought we could call him Alexander. Yes, I've already talked to Fox about it, and she likes the idea, so … really?"
He'd never seen the man look so vulnerable, not since the night his then-fiancé had almost lost her life. He seemed almost like a child himself for a moment.
"Thanks, Poppa." He'd never head David call his father that. "Okay. Good. We'll talk soon. Goodbye."
So perhaps in the end, David relationship with his father wasn't as bad as all that, but it was still very difficult. What's more, Puck suspected the fact that his father-in-law hated him bothered the man just a little more than he liked to admit.
But Fox's mother was another matter entirely. She had always treated him kindly. She'd been happy with him because he made her daughter happy. She'd approved of their relationship and their marriage, and was thrilled at the news of a baby. In her mortal guise or out of it, she could thoroughly charm anyone, and she'd charmed David. She had even perhaps – who was he kidding, probably – played on his long-dormant need for a mother figure in his life, after he'd lost his own when he was so young.
But Puck's worries had started even before the pregnancy news. He felt the first flicker of unease when she wasn't at their wedding. He knew Halcyon would never come, but even David's father, despite their issues, had been invited and had shown up. He knew the couple had been disappointed, even hurt, when Anastasia had told them she would be unable to attend the ceremony. She'd been exceedingly polite about it all, of course, and made it clear it wasn't because she disapproved of the union. She gave them some very plausible excuse, which Puck was sure had been complete and utter nonsense. He could think of only one reason she would have missed it.
She was reconciling with Oberon.
Or at the very least, the two were of them talking again. Of that much he was certain. Ages ago, he'd been quite upset when they divorced, not for their sakes, but because their ridiculous love affair and its equally ridiculous ending had been the cause of the banishment from Avalon.
But centuries of time in the mortal world had made the paradise of home grow distant in his memory. These days, what he remembered most was the boredom. Oh sure, there had been a time when he'd longed to return, but now, he had no desire to go back. At least, not yet. He had hoped the rulers of Avalon would stay split up, at least for a few more centuries, for surely it would mean Oberon would delay the Gathering that much longer. His pride alone would demand he not face his people without his Queen by his side.
It was still possible they might not get back together yet. At least, that was what he tried to tell himself. But somehow he doubted it. They'd spent centuries quarreling and making up; this particular tiff had just lasted a lot longer than the others. They always returned to each other in the end. It was inevitable, he supposed.
True love and all that crap.
Puck was getting nervous. If Oberon and Titania had indeed reconciled, if the time of the Gathering was indeed approaching, he'd begin to feel it any day now. It would be easy to ignore it in the beginning, to pretend he didn't notice. But it would always be there, tugging at his consciousness, until he recognized it for what it was: a summons home.
He didn't want to go. He had to find some way to get out of it.
But he didn't know what to do.
Love really did have the most irritating way of spoiling all his fun.
To be continued …?
*My thanks to shadowwriter01 for the suggestion of continuing this story.*