It was late that night when Jenos finally got to sleep. The argument earlier weighed on his mind. As sleep took him he could have sworn he could hear Alexis playing near by. When he opened his eyes, he was still in his room but Alexis was in her favorite spot by the window.

"I wondered when you would fall asleep. I was thinking I was going to have to play that lullaby all night."

"So you were playing…"

"Sort of," she smiled, "I remember the nights when the kids were little and they had come down with some illness. The only way Tirai could get to sleep was when you would hold her and rock her, and I would play a quiet tune." She sat her flute down by her on the ledge, "I've been playing those memories for her the past few nights. It's only way she can rest." She walked over to him, "I thought if you heard it you would be able to rest as well."

"No rest tonight."

"Ran into Alexander's temper, did you?" she gave him a knowing smirk.

"How did you handle that boy? He is moody, egotistical, and stubborn."

"Same way I handled his father." She smiled at him mischievously.

"I was never like that."

Alexis smiled wryly, "I beg to differ. That boy has inherited your stubbornness and determination. Jen, he has my smarts and more. There are times when he puts me to same, and I was no slouch. People keep underestimating him, and it hurts."

"That boy is nothing like me."

"That's because you don't know him." She said bluntly.

"We have nothing in common."

"Alexander will never be a master swordsman like Daniel and Irina. He is fair with a bow. He will never be the kind of fighter you are but he is no coward."

"How do you mean?"

"Did you think about how he came across the information he gave to you?"

"Not really…"

"There are places that Tirai won't even go, much less Wallace for you, Alexander traveled there and called in hard won favors, while other's wouldn't have dared set foot in those places."

"There are times when he is so dark." He met his wife's eyes, "I don't want him to be another Kedar."

"Alexander is no more dark than I am. He is just a 14 year old boy, whose mother he adored died. With out her he is left with a father who knows nothing about him, and peers who don't know what to make of him."

"I really don't know what to do with that boy." Jenos put his face in his hands. "Put me is a battle of hordes of liches, but try to make me understand that boy is impossible."

"Not impossible, but a bit difficult from your point of view."

"A bit?"

"Ok a lot, but you have to understand. That boy is no ordinary boy. Of our 4 children he is the only one born after you went to the outer planes. How can he be ordinary when his father is no ordinary man?"

"I'm the same man as I ever was."

"No Jenos, you are a Celestial. A being of the outerplanes fighting to conquer evil and darkness. Daniel, Tiari and Irina's father was a mortal man, a war blade, and a dam good one." Alexis sat on the bed next to him, "There is a reason many think he is another man's child. He is the son of a celestial, while the others are the children of a mortal man."

"At least he wasn't born with horns or something." Jenos tried to joke.

"Wings actually." Alexis mumbled.

"Lexi…" Jenos glared at her.

"Alright, when the priests of the Goddess's womb heard that Alexander was to be born they kept hoping for an angel to guide them. A child of the heavens to lead them toward the goddess on wings of gold was to be born unto them."

"What they got was a wingless, incredibly stubborn, talented, charismatic boy who wants nothing to do with the church." Jenos smirked slightly.

"The priests were a wee bit disappointed. The priestess's however thought he was a perfect little baby they could spoil rotten. They didn't need a savior. Regardless, Alexander was born a very special boy."

"I just hope he puts his talents to good use."

"He has been doing that for years."

"He is a fine musician."

"Among other things," Alexis grinned mischievously at him. "Our son is talented in the courtly arts. That boy can work a room like no one I have ever seen. He makes a fine face for the Guardian's families. Yet, like me he knows that not everything is as it appears." Jenos raised an eyebrow at her. "Just as he can work his ways in a high society ball; he can worm his way through the back allies of the city. I was the one who taught him how to acquire information. Now he has ways of getting information that even I didn't have. He has taken the arts that I and other bards have taught him and put them to other uses. Our son is turning into one of the best spies our military has ever had. "

"He's what?"

"Every tactical maneuver is only as good as the intelligence he has at his disposal." Alexis had a bit of proud smile on her face. "I don't think Irina and Artie know that their number one informer happens to be their own 'baby' brother."

"Alexander is Dark Angel?"

"And you can guess who I am. Do you think Alexander would not put his talents towards helping his sibling?"

"Why that sneaky little…"

"Hey…" Alexis pointed a finger at him, "Most people only see him as a skirt chasing, lute strumming momma's boy." Her smile melted, "Alexander is on his way to be a very strong man. He wants to prove himself to you, but in Alexander's eyes all you care about is how well you swing a blade. What use does a war blade have for a son who can't swing a sword?"

"I never thought of him like that."

"Oh really? Who do you spend most of your time with when you are in the mortal realm?"

"You," he grinned.

Alexis glared, "You spend your days training with the warriors, who include Irina and Artie."

"That is their job."

"You spend all your time when not training working with the fight club. You never seemed to care what Alexander has been up to."

"I did so. I went to his concerts, and when he performed."

"Did you ever show him how to fence?"

"He isn't a fighter he doesn't need to know… ah crap."

"You taught me, and I rarely saw battle. When I did I made am impression. I would hope you could teach him as you did me."

"He's just so… " Jenos sighed.

"Take some time and talk to him. He misses you, and needs you."

"How can I talk to him when I don't know where to find him half the time? He just disappears and reappears. How can I protect him from this mad man when I don't know where he is half the time?"

"Finding him is easy, he is my son. Look for him where you would find me." She got up from the bed and started to walk away in the mist.

"Where would that be?"

Alexis just smiled as she faded away.

Jenos awoke in his own bed, and realized it was still few hours till dawn, but he doubted he could get back to sleep.

Strapping on some armor and a few weapons he went down stairs into the common room of the inn. The fire had gotten low. He put a couple logs on the fire. He didn't hear anyone in the kitchen, and the only other thing awake at that hour was Jade, who was twining herself around his legs purring, wanting attention.

He took a seat in one of the chairs by the fire. Jade hopped up in his lap to be petted. He sat there a little while petting her, until he thought he was dozing off again. He could have sworn he heard Alexis playing again, but it didn't sound right.

Jade displayed her opinion of him setting her back on the ground as he followed the sound. He twined his away around, until he found a crawl space between the inn and the pub. It was barely big enough for him to get up but he followed the music. As he came around the corner, he found a long sword pointed at his nose.

"I just came to talk." Jenos looked up at the wielder of the sword.

Piecing brown eyes looked down at him as Alexander sheathed the blade. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Couldn't sleep and heard your music."

Alexander shrugged.

"You are good."

"Thanks." He picked up a lute he had been playing.

"No, I'm serious. You are good, far better than your mother at your age."

"Mum played the flute, big difference." He began to softly play.

"Good music, is still good music." He sat there and listened to Alexander play for a while before he spoke again. "Forgive me; I thought you played the harp?"

"Still do." He played an intricate quick section of the piece.

"Then what about, this?" He pointed at the well made lute.

"Mum gave it to me for my 10th Birthday. She always said it was from the both of you when she gives…gave me my gifts." Alexander started to play one of Alexis' sorrow tunes with out realizing it.

As he played a cold wind blew through the crawl space. Looking over at Alexander, Jenos began to see what Alexis had been trying to say.

"It's cold up here. Why don't we go down by the fire in the common room? I doubt you will wake the others. Your mother use to play down there all the time." He offered his son a hand.

Alexander looked at him skeptically, "Sure."

Without thinking, when they got down stairs Alexander took the seat to the right of the fireplace. Jenos couldn't help a smile as he took the place on the left.

"What are you smiling for?"

"You are in your mother's seat?"

"What about it?" A hint of angry crept into his voice.

"When we were younger, she and I would sit for hours by the fire."

"And do things you shouldn't have I would wager." Alexander again got out the lute and played.

"No, actually," he gave his son a sad smile, "I taught her how to handle a sword, and she taught me to open my heart again."

Alexander sat down his lute. "You were the one who taught her how to do this?" With a flick of his wrist Alexis' long sword was out in his hand, and at the ready.

"No, I didn't teach her that, but I wanted to make sure she could protect herself when I wasn't there."

"Fat chance that did her, she still died." Alexander spat.

"You mother managed to kill a fully trained assassin. If she hadn't stopped him our grandson, your nephew would be in the hands of those people who took her life."

"You weren't here when she needed you."

"I made a choice, and I don't regret it. I'm doing things for the greater good, but it has cost me dearly."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I lost you for one."

"Me? Turned me into a proper soldier would you?"

"No, I would have been a proper father to you. I missed too much of your life, and I can't get that back. To be frank, I don't know my own son."

Alexander cleared his throat, "I wanted to say I'm sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. I can only imagine how mom's death must be affecting you. I just wish…" he sighed. Alex continued to play quietly. He didn't look up when asked his next question, "Poppa, I need to know, truthfully. Why did you leave?" He looked up at his father. "Why did you leave your family? Mum always said that us kids, and her were the most important things in your life."

This wasn't the angry hurt teenager that had shouted at him earlier, this was the young boy that Alexis handed him 14 years ago, begging to know his father.

Jenos paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Alex, your mother was the love of my life… and not just because of her charm and beauty. This conversation stays between you and I, understand son?" When Alexander nodded his agreement, his father continued. "But the real reason I fell for your mother was because when I was younger, I wasn't a very good man… and she was the one woman who saw past that. She gave me the chance to be a better man and didn't hold my foolish, irresponsible actions against me." He straightened up and looked at his son. "Her forgiveness and understanding helped me to be the man I am today."

"In addition to falling wildly in love with your mum, I was a Guardian to Priestess Cassandra Talgren. For years, I served as her protector. She was my charge, my responsibility. When the Goddess of Light returned, my duty to the Priestess was not over." Jenos looked his son in the eyes. "She tasked her Guardians with ensuring the safety of not only Luminar, not only this world, but the cosmos themselves. Do you see where this is going?"

Alexander cocked his head and looked to his father. "I'm starting to, I think? You did what you did to protect us from other-worldly threats?"

Jenos nodded. "That's part of it. But it's more, Alex. Your mom helped me be a man of honor, of duty, of responsibility. She taught me not to shirk away from something because it was difficult, or hard, or painful." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "A man does not neglect his responsibilities or his duties, even if his heart yearns to simply run home and stay beside his loved ones. He honors his debts," he told the young man sitting beside him, thinking of his friend Tirai Osdarin. "He does not run from his past; he embraces the mistakes in his life and learns from them, no matter how painful." Jenos then did something that he himself did not expect: he reached behind him and pulled forth his blood-stained dagger, setting it between himself and his son. "He carries that pain with him… be it the pain of leaving his family behind, or missing out on his children's lives, or the guilt of deeds he never signed up to commit."

Alexander looked down at the dagger, wide-eyed. He had heard very brief mention of a dagger his father never let away from his side, and even seen the hilt of it protruding from his gear once or twice… but had never seen the weapon out in front of him. He and his siblings had gossiped about its existence out of earshot of the adults; over the years, it had taken on a mythos of its own. "Mum and Aunt Tirai have talked about a dagger you carried… why haven't you cleaned it off?"

Jenos smiled, considering whether or not to let his darkest secret free. "Ask me again someday when you're an old man, my child. For now, some things are better left unsaid." He picked up the dagger and looked at it. "The blood on this dagger is a reminder of a debt I carried for years. Even now, with that debt repaid, I choose not to forget the events that have made me the man I am now." He sheathed the dagger and put an arm around his son. "I know that's not the justifying answer you may have looked to hear, but it's the answer that, as a man, you may understand in time." He studied the look on the young man's face, and smiled. "An answer that I think you're enough of a man to start understanding already."

Jenos stood up. "Come on, Alex… I'm heading down to the sparring ring. Show me what you know."