"This is very odd indeed," Blinky mused as he inspected the Kill Stone. Aaarrrgghh sniffed the green gem from over his shoulder and nodded. It was both a sudden and suspicious offering and both trolls couldn't help but be cautious in their curiosity. "It appears to be the genuine stone but that just does not make sense. The souls of the previous hunters freed, the Kill Stone returned… did he tell you anything else?"
"Well, he said – wait, where's Jim?" Toby looked around the small group that still remained under the bridge but his friend had somehow escaped without their noticing.
"Arr! I could hit him sometimes!" Claire stomped her foot in frustration, half irritated that she hadn't noticed him leaving but mostly mad that he had run off without them. "Come on, you know he's probably gone home." She held the shadow staff in front of her and used her recent annoyance at Jim to help activate it.
She and Toby disappeared in a swift swish leaving Aaarrrgghh and Blinky behind before they could make a move to follow.
"Should we go after them, then?" Aaarrrgghh shrugged without comment and tilted his head to the side a little, leaving it up to his friend to decide. "I suppose we should. With this body's weaker constitution I have learned that it is not very fast. Perhaps you wouldn't mind giving me a lift?" His smile was joking as he reached out and patted the other troll's arm.
Aaarrrgghh flinched away with a grimace and Blinky's eyes widened, his human brows lifting to his receding hairline.
"We should go," the taller troll said and tried to walk off.
"Now hold on a moment, what was that?" Despite now being smaller and more easily damaged, Blinky launched himself at his friend, grabbing the same arm he had touched a moment ago. "Oh, Aaarrrgghh, why didn't you say anything before?"
"Didn't want worry," he muttered and drew his arm back, gently pushing Blinky away with his other. He shook his head sadly, "No cure."
"You can't know that." Blinky felt his throat constricting with emotion even as he tried for bravado with his next words, "We'll just have to look harder for one! Come, let us catch up with our young charges and then, later, we shall tackle this together!"
The cheer and optimism was forced and they both knew it but Aaarrrgghh let himself find comfort in the possibility. After all, he had been researching on his own, not quite without hope yet, and still holding out for the possibility that the Creeping Sun poison could be stopped or reversed. He nodded and scooped his friend up onto his back before charging up the side of the canal towards the Trollhunter's home.
O-_-o-_-O
Jim rushed up the stairs of his porch but stopped before reaching the door. The curtains had been torn from their rods and the glass of the window broken out allowing easy view into the living room. The streetlamp gave enough light to see despite no light inside being on and what he saw brought him up short. While something catastrophic had clearly happened, this aftermath was almost jarringly domestic.
Draal lie on his stomach in front of the couch, his head pillowed on his folded arms while his mother had shifted one of the couch cushions around to prop against the troll's back and was leaned into the valley of two large spikes while her legs stretched down the couch and ended in Strickler's lap. The changeling in question had his arms resting on his mother's legs, his head was thrown back against the couch, mouth hanging open, and snoring lightly. To further make the scene seem surreal, Strickler's legs crossed at the ankles and hooked over the end of one of Draal's horns.
They all appeared to be asleep.
The familiar swoosh of a portal opening and closing brought Jim out of his bewildered trance. He turned to his friends who had landed in the street and brought a finger to his lips for silence and pointed into the house with a confused shrug and his face contorting between several emotions. Toby and Claire quickly joined him in surveying the damage and the exceedingly odd sight of the trio napping among the carnage.
They stood still for a moment before a camera flash and a shutter sound broke the silence and Toby crooned quietly at his phone, "Aw, they look so cute." Jim shot him an incredulous look and he shrugged, "What?"
"Really?" Jim asked in a harsh whisper. He didn't know what was going on but he didn't think he was going to like it. He certainly didn't think that taking a picture was treating the situation with enough seriousness.
A snort from the living room brought their attention back to the others inside. Draal was watching them with a raised brow.
"You three are terrible at sneaking," he mumbled quietly. He shook his head and dislodged Strickler's feet causing the man to startle awake. He blinked owlishly for a moment before his surroundings seemed to register. The sudden movement woke Barbara as well and she nearly rolled into the floor but Draal tilted enough to push her completely back onto the couch.
"Looks like now you will finally get to talk to Jim," Draal observed while the woman adjusted her glasses back up her nose.
"Oh," Barbara said softly as she noticed the teens standing on her porch. "We're going to have to fix that window."
"More than just that one," Walter said, acclimating himself to the new situation.
"Question," Jim interrupted abruptly.
"Only one?" Claire asked sarcastically. She certainly had several.
This night just kept getting more and more surreal. She half expected to wake up from a dream but the other half rationalized that with all the strange things she had already seen and done, this wasn't really all that extraordinary. Confusing, yes, but she had also seen a giant talking mountain of a troll and she had recently come to terms with having a changeling for a brother. So, Jim's mom was in a destroyed living room and cozy with Draal and Strickler, life was full of surprises.
"Come inside, we need to talk," Barbara instructed as she worked to put the couch cushion back and sit up properly. She winced as her muscles protested the movement. She had a twinge in her neck from the odd angel of her nap and her limbs felt unreasonably heavy.
"First question, how are you guys so chill? What happened?" Toby asked before either of his friends had a chance. The three of them picked their way around broken glass and what appeared to be giant dead snakes made of metal.
"Victory after a hard battle always puts me at ease and lifts my mood," Draal said with a lethargic shrug.
"Battle." It was both a question and an acknowledgment. Jim's armor dissolved in a flash of blue. He was at a loss for words but there didn't seem to be a pressing threat. "Did Angor Rot do this?"
"No, no. He did stop by but only for a minute. He told me thank you and left," his mother assured. Somehow her complete lack of concern only made him more uneasy.
"He what?" Walter looked surprised and was showing enough suspicion that Jim could take some comfort in knowing that maybe not everyone had lost their minds.
"Master Jim!" A shout from the back yard brought a halt the conversation.
"Oh good. We needed more people to try and cram in here. Let's wake the neighbors and invite them over, too." Barbara gave him a push and swayed backwards a little as well but her point was made and Walter resigned himself to trying to behave. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms while Toby ran to let the other trolls in through the kitchen.
"By Deya's Grace! What happened here?"
"I think we were just about to find out," Claire offered as she turned back to Jim's mother.
"Good to see you again, Blinky," Barbara greeted the other man. She then turned to the hulking troll trailing him and she smiled, "You must be Aaarrrgghh"
"Um… nice to meet you," the larger troll answered slowly as he looked around the gathered crowed with wary confusion.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Jim's patience was wearing thin. He wasn't sure why he was so agitated when everyone else seemed to be taking the whole weird night mostly in stride. Was he the only one bothered by it all? His house was a wreck; Strickler was sitting on his sofa; there were dead things strewn everywhere; his mother was unnaturally comfortable in a room full of trolls; and could, apparently, just shrug off an encounter with Angor Rot. Somehow no one else seemed to think that it was worth freaking out about?
"Jim, honey, I was going to tell you this morning but you left before I woke up and didn't come home after school. I know it's a lot and I'll explain in full but right now I'm going to need you to calm down and focus on breathing. You're going to hyperventilate." Barbara had left the couch and made her way over to her son where he stood by the staircase.
"So, you know about trolls?" The question came out without sounding strained and he was proud of himself for managing to keep his voice level.
"For a while now, yes," she answered. Her hand hovered just shy of touching him, wanting to comfort but unsure if he would be receptive to physical contact at the moment in his currently overwhelmed state.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He hadn't meant to yell but if she had known this whole time and he had been taking such care to try and keep her safe...
"Why didn't you tell me?" She countered softly, with a knowing look.
"Because I- I didn't want you to worry," he deflated a little and his breathing gradually returned to normal. "But, that's not really the same. I had more of a reason."
"Well, we're clearing the air now. Come sit down, and let's have this long over-due conversation, okay?"
O-_-o-_-O
Explanations had taken far longer than she would have liked but she understood that it needed to be done. It was a lot of information to cover and everyone seemed to have question after question. It had been after ten when Otto had initially called to warn about the attack, and when she had a moment to check the time during the conversation with Jim and his friends it had been a quarter to midnight. Now it was nearing two in the morning and she could hardly hold her eyes open.
Still, she had wanted the house put back in some semblance of order before she would even think about going to bed. Preliminary clean up had gone faster than she would have imagined thanks to all the extra hands. All of the rust trolls had been rounded up and taken through the tunnel in the basement by Aaarrrgghh and Draal who assured that they could be better disposed of in Troll Market than any other means of getting rid of them. The broken windows- four in total- had been covered in plastic, blankets, and a tarp for now until they could be replaced. The floor had been swept of glass and the fuse box had been put back to order so that the power was back on. The rest could wait.
She had sent Claire and Toby home with her cell phone number and an order to call her if they ever needed. Jim had taken some talking down but by the end of it all, he had seemed to accept the situation for what it was and even looked a little relieved. Now, he could stop trying to hide so much of his life. She knew that he would probably still try and keep the worst of it from her but that was to be expected.
Barbara looked into her son's room where he had collapsed onto his bed, street clothes and all, and was already snoring. At least he had kicked off his shoes. She couldn't blame him and gave a tired nod before shutting his door for him. She had a feeling they would be talking again soon. She hadn't really wanted such a large audience for "the troll talk" but life seldom kept to an ideal script.
"This has certainly been one hell of an evening." Walter's softly spoken statement caused her to jump.
She turned around and offered a shaky smile.
"I thought you had left already."
He shook his head. "I wasn't sure if Draal would be coming back tonight or not and didn't want to leave you alone. Besides, I'm not sure if I want to go back to my apartment just yet. One of the things I've been wrestling with all evening is what I am suppose to do now. I've officially been marked a target by the Janus Order and it wont take them long to learn that their attempted assassination was unsuccessful." Barbara nodded her understanding and continued on down to her own bedroom and motioned for him to follow.
"And, I had thought that we might be able to talk now that everyone else is either gone or asleep."
"I feel like falling asleep myself, but you're right. I did say we needed to talk." She shut the door behind them and flicked on her lamp after removing her shoes. She groaned a little as she sat down at the head of the bed. She piled the pillows behind her and motioned him to have a seat.
"To begin, did you know that this Bond was part of an ancient marriage ritual?"
Walt had just removed his own shoes and made it to the foot of the bed when she asked him that. His eyes went wide and a blush washed over his face.
"I- I did not," he swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair in nervous habit.
"It was one of the things Angor Rot told me earlier tonight. He offered to remove it, by the way, but I decided not to for now. The process didn't sound all that appealing."
"I… don't think I would have done it if I had known. Entwining our fate as a means of insurance is one thing but this is a whole different level of intimacy I did not mean to have crossed." He genuinely looked repentant.
"I am sorry. I don't know if I ever said so before but I knew it was wrong, even as I did it. I don't expect your forgiveness but despite what I may have said earlier to the contrary, I do actually regret it now."
"Is what I just told you what's made you change your mind or do you recognize that it was an all around shitty thing to do from the start?"
His look of nervous surprise shifted quickly to tired exasperation.
"Mostly yes, and yes. It was not my finest moment but you cannot keep trying to hold me to the same standards of morality as you would a human. I am hundreds of years old, Barbara, and generally speaking, just not a very good person. You make me want to try to be one, though. As it has been shown, my loyalties are more to myself and those I care about than for a cause."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed before adding, "If you want further proof, this is the first time I have ever said anything like this out loud. Admissions of weakness from a changeling are as good as asking to be eaten alive."
Barbara watched his face carefully throughout his answer and decided that he was telling the truth. In a way, she could appreciate the fact that she was the only person he would likely say such things to and it struck her for the first time just how much he must actually trust her to be sharing this side of himself. Angor Rot's earlier comments came back and she felt herself blush a little. It was a bit daunting to mean so much to someone.
Before she could say anything, Walter continued. "I will be honest, when I began trying to get close to you it was a means of control over your son. But despite initial plans and almost against my will, I began to feel drawn to you. I looked forward to our dates for their own sake and yes, I could tease Jim with them but most importantly, I got to spend time with you. I began to care for you quite deeply, in fact. And, truth be told, I care for young Jim rather a lot, too. It has been a constant back and forth for me. Being impressed with him and wanting to teach him and watch him grow contrasted against the backdrop of my own agenda and the machinations of others whom I was allied with."
He had been staring at the covers throughout most of this little speech but now he looked up to meet her gaze. His green eyes gleamed in the dim yellow glow of the lamp as he leaned forward ever so slightly.
"I want you to know, even before the attack tonight, I was ready to give it up. For you I would have changed. It would not have been the first time I'd decided upon a major upheaval, we changelings are tirelessly adaptable, after all. But, this is the first time I would be willing to try and do good. I don't want you thinking the betrayal of the Order as my only motivations from here on out. I was not directionless before tonight."
Barbara swallowed thickly as she processed what he was telling her.
"I believe in second chances," she finally said. Her voice was soft and she reached cross the bed to take his hand. "You and I both know this isn't going to be easy. There won't be another chance after this, either. If you do something to hurt my son or betray his cause you can bet your ass there will be consequences." She squeezed his hand hard enough to emphasize her point. Then she stroked her other hand over his knuckles with a sigh. "But, I would like for this to work out somehow. I liked you a lot before I knew about who you really were. Despite my better judgment, I'm still a little fond of you and wouldn't be opposed to learning about the real you."
He smiled at her admission and looked down at their joined hands.
"I would break the bond for you. I read that it would hurt but I wont have you tied to me like this and by now it is no longer necessary. Say the word and I'll fetch the book from my office and we could start the process first thing tomorrow."
She shook her head and felt a flood of relief at his offer. He was serious.
"It isn't just that it would hurt you, it would take my memories of everything that happened after it was made. We'll deal with it. You've apologized and offered to try and right it, that will work for now."
Walter's face paled, "It would take your memories?" More and more he was coming to regret his impulsiveness. If he had researched it more he would not have used it. "Well, if that was the only thing stopping you, after the crowd you just had in your den an hour ago, don't you think your friends would bring you back up to speed? You could even make a video of yourself. We live in a technology age, we all have cameras in our phones, it wouldn't be anything."
Barbara smiled and shook her head, "That is a very good point but I would rather keep my memories the way they are. And, really, this arrangement has some nice perks." She pinched her arm roughly and watched him hiss in surprise.
He chuckled and rubbed the tender skin near his elbow in acknowledgment. "Point made, I suppose."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a shower and then go to sleep. It's been a very long night. You're welcome to have one after I'm done. I know the couch is a little rough for wear but it's going on three in the morning, I wouldn't ask you to drive home tired." It was a generous offer and he gave a nod of thanks.
"I would love a shower."
She took a change of clothes with her and took her time enjoying the pounding of hot water against her sore muscles. When she finally returned to the room in her pajamas she found Walt curled against the left side of her bed and snoring softly. He was still lying on top of the covers so she didn't think he had meant to fall asleep. With a quick decision she decided to let him stay where he was.
She pulled her half of the covers free and slipped under them without a second thought and turned off the lamp. It had indeed been a long and trying night and the sun would be up in just a few hours. They deserved to be able to just go to bed. He could shower in the morning if he still wanted one.
They could figure out the rest of the details over a late breakfast.
With a yawn, Barbara put her glasses on the side table and was asleep in under a minute after her head hit the pillow.
Well, this leg of the journey is nearing an end. I may have only one or two more chapters for this fic before I put off the rest in a planned Part 3 which currently is between two potential titles Against All Odds or Facing the Future With Something Like Courage or who knows, something completely different may come to me before then.
Speaking of journeys ending, though, guess who just graduated with an associates degree this past Friday? That's right! MEEEE! Freedom feels nice so far.
Anyhow, please feel free to leave me your thoughts in the comments. This chapter gave me quite a fight but I think I'm finally okay with how the different chunks of dialogue turned out. It's after 1:30am so you can't think I don't love you guys ;)