THE PRODIGAL
Huh, turns out it wasn't so easy to finish this story, after all. I don't know why, but somehow I got to a point where I just couldn't go any further. I was stuck, and stuck good. But the good news is, it's done, at long last. This is the very, the absolute last chapter of the whole story. I know what you're all thinking: "Well, it's about time!" My sentiments exactly, my friends.
I hope that what you read helps make up for the many drawn-out months of waiting.
Characters (with exceptions) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media
Story © unicorn-skydancer08
All rights reserved.
Part 9
And so Selena accompanied her father and her godfather back to the castle. Everyone seemed genuinely happy and relieved to see her, that she was all right. Now, the festivities could truly begin. It was a magnificent feast, indeed. The food was perfect, the wine flowed endlessly, and the lively music added on to the cheery atmosphere.
Terence led all the dances, and Tumnus joined his mate, looking a good twenty years or so younger. It was truly remarkable to see how great a change had come over the faun, since his whole family was together again once more. After some hesitation, Puck mustered the courage to take part in the dancing himself; a short time after this, Selena found herself in the middle of the dance floor along with the rest of her family. For a while, Selena's heart felt quite gay, and even Puck's spirits lifted, to some extent.
But it wasn't until after it was all over that Puck and Selena truly got the opportunity to see one another, to speak personally.
As the crowds began to slowly disband, Puck approached Tumnus and said tentatively, "Father?"
"Yes, Puck?" Tumnus immediately gave him his full attention.
"Would you forgive me, if I took my leave now and went straight to bed?"
"Are you feeling all right, son?" Tumnus knew his son had yet to fully recover from his previous plight.
"I'm fine," said Puck, which was only half-true. "I'm just tired, that's all. It's been a long, hard day for me."
Tumnus nodded amiably. "All right," he said softly. "Everything is beginning to wind down, anyway. Go, and rest yourself." Just before letting Puck get away from him, however, he took the boy in his arms and held him close for a minute. Puck fervently hugged his father back. "I love you, son," he heard Tumnus whisper. "It's so wonderful to have you home."
Puck felt his eyes prickle with tears. "I love you, too, Father," he said, unable to hide his emotions. "I—I missed you terribly."
Tumnus said no more after that, but his arms tightened their hold on Puck. When the two fauns pulled away in the end, Tumnus kissed his boy tenderly on the forehead, and ran his palm lightly along Puck's cheek, a part of him still unable to believe his son was truly here, with him, that his son had come back alive. Were they reunited only just today? It seemed like a minute ago, and yet forever ago. As for Puck, a part of him had known all along that his father loved him, regardless of the things he'd done. It was the only thing that'd kept his hope alive.
When Puck passed by his godfather as he was leaving the room, he stopped for another hug, and Terence readily received him.
"Glad you're safe, little mate," Terence said as they huddled together. Puck didn't trust himself to speak, due to the lump in his throat. But he clung fiercely to Terence, inhaling his familiar scent, while Terence patted him on the back and ruffled his hair. Just as Tumnus had done, Terence bestowed a kiss on Puck as they let each other go, and Puck kissed him in return.
Puck took one final glance at his father and godfather, who regarded him with nothing but love, then quietly went his way. Terence sidled closer to Tumnus as they watched the boy together.
When Puck was gone, Tumnus sighed. But he was smiling.
Just to be sure, however, Terence asked him, "You all right, Tumnus?"
"Never better, my friend," said Tumnus softly.
Now that he had his son back, and he was reconciled with his daughter, he could truly be at peace.
After a moment, Tumnus turned to Terence, and Terence found himself enveloped in a warm hug. Tumnus never said anything; he just stood very still, and held fast to his mate. Terence was taken aback, but only for a moment, and he didn't hesitate to return the embrace. When they'd pulled away later, Terence couldn't help questioning, "What was that all about?"
"Oh…no reason," Tumnus said benevolently. "No reason at all, really."
Meanwhile, Selena had decided to retire for the night as well, and she slipped away quietly herself.
But as she was making her way to her own room, she ended up meeting with Puck, in the same corridor. The two siblings stopped short upon sight of one another.
Puck looked surprised to see his sister, but only for a moment. "Selena?"
"Hello, Puck," Selena answered softly.
She was as pretty as Puck remembered her, and even more so. He felt a new spasm of guilt as he thought about how long it had been—and especially about how carelessly he had treated his sister beforehand. As for Selena, any anger or resentment she'd felt toward her brother before vanished like snow in a melting summer sun as she regarded him.
Though Puck had bathed thoroughly, though his wild hair and beard were clean and trimmed neatly, Selena could still clearly see the ugly bruises and lesions scattered over his upper body. And though they had eaten richly at the feast, he still looked surprisingly thin; Selena knew it was going to take some time to gain all that lost weight back.
Whatever had happened to him, whatever he had gone through, Selena couldn't even begin to imagine.
For a time, neither of them moved, nor said anything to the other. They just stood there, gazing intently at one another, becoming familiar with one another's images again.
Raking his fingers somewhat distractedly through his blonde locks, Puck confessed, "I…I've missed you, Selena."
Only a few hours ago, Selena would have responded to this with a bitingly sarcastic, "Oh, I'm sure you did."
But looking at Puck's sores again, and seeing from his face that he was serious about what he was saying, her heart became softer toward him. "I missed you too, Puck," she said solemnly. Absently, she began to curl a ringlet of her own ebony hair around her index finger. "It's been rather lonely around here, without you."
Unexpectedly, tears welled in Puck's eyes, catching Selena off-guard. She could barely remember the last time she'd seen her brother cry in front of her.
"Can you forgive me, Selena?" he pleaded, his voice cracking somewhat.
"Forgive you?" she repeated incredulously. "For what?"
"For being such a terrible brother. For going away like I did, and leaving you behind." Puck shook his head woefully as a diamond-like tear slipped down his cheek. "Most of all, for the horrible example I've been to you. I'm sorry, Selena. I'm so sorry." With a long, tremulous sigh, he buried his face in his hands. At this, Selena didn't hesitate to move in closer to him.
"Puck…Puck!" she protested, reaching out to place her hands on him. He didn't shy away at her touch, but he didn't look up from his hands, either.
"I'm sorry," he groaned again, in a muffled voice. "Please forgive me, Selena—please."
"I forgive you, Puck." From the moment those words left her tongue, Selena knew them with all her heart to be true.
Puck hardly dared to believe her, but when he lifted his watery blue eyes to her empathetic brown ones and saw that she truly meant it, and when Selena put her arms around him, he swept her roughly into a crushing embrace and completely broke down. Weeping almost as hysterically as he had on the beach with his father, or in his father's room with Terence, he hid his face in his sister's soft, sweet-scented hair and hugged her as if he would never let her go. Selena didn't protest, but held onto her brother steadfastly, and silently cried with him.
She no longer cared about what took place earlier that night, or in the three years beyond; none of it mattered anymore. All that mattered now was her brother. Everything she and Puck had ever said or done to each other, all of their typical sibling rivalries, were washed away in one massive flood of tenderness. The two stood like that for ages, hugging as they'd seldom hugged before, Puck positively bawling his eyes out while Selena kissed him several times and willed the pain and anguish that plagued him to be over.
When at long last the flow began to ebb, when Puck managed to get some hold of himself and breathe somewhat more steadily, he eased his grip on his sister a little.
Selena tenderly brushed a stray tendril of hair out of his face. Slowly, Puck lifted his own hand and, with trembling fingers, brushed over Selena's face, tracing her features, almost as if to make sure she was real, that she was not a mere illusion or false impression. "I love you," Selena whispered to him at length, causing his breath to catch.
No doubt he had heard that plenty of times from his parents and his godfather, but Selena knew he needed to hear it from her, too.
At this, Puck broke out into fresh tears, but this time they were tears of pure joy and gratitude that relieved his heart and cleansed his soul. He didn't hesitate to pull Selena back into his arms, and she came willingly, repeating the words that soothed them both like a healing balm. "I love you, Puck. I love you so much."
Puck kissed her gently himself, and very softly answered back, "I love you, too."
- END -