Dragon's Dismay with Absent Family
Chapter 14
"White Shadow Dragon's Flash Fang!"
Sting and Rogue punched their fists out sending their blast of shadows and light straight at Jose and his two other henchmen. It caused dust to fly up and a loud bang and explosion to surface. Sting collapsed to his knees after that one and Rogue wasn't too far behind him. Watching the cloud of dust disperse Sting was relieved to finally see that Jose and his men had dropped and didn't look like they were getting back up. The blonde crawled his way slowly over to the little girl who had stayed sleeping like a rock against the stage. He grabbed her and pulled her to him holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth. Rio had dropped out of the fight the moment Jose had broken free of her shadows and she had joined Xander and Peyton near the stage. She ran over to her father and hugged him tightly.
"Looks like it's over, you won." Xander whispered leaning his head back.
"Yeah . . . Artemis will be glad to hear it and she'll be happy to see her little girl again . . . looks like your family can stop suffering too."
Xander only let out a strained laughed at that and nodded his head slowly. Sting looked over at Rogue and smiled as he held his own daughter as well. Taking Jose and his men back to Sabertooth was going to be a pain though with the injuries they had right now. Sting reached up and pulled that knife out of his shoulder groaning at the pain. He pressed down on it and shifted slightly and making sure Peyton wasn't in an uncomfortable position.
"Daddy?"
He looked down and watched as those sleepy green eyes blinked up at him. Sting chuckled and leaned down to kiss his princess's forehead. She giggled slightly and pushed herself away from him. He watched as her eyes widened seeing his wounded shoulder. Tears brimmed her eyes and he pulled her back to him sighing. She could be just like her mother when it came to seeing him hurt and he didn't like it. He didn't like seeing either of his girls cry because of him.
"It's ok Peyton, daddy will be alright." He whispered stroking her hair. "It's all over; no one's going to hurt you. You'll get to go back home and see mommy again."
Peyton nodded slowly and clung to his jacket. Townspeople were being to come and see what had happened and Ivory and her son were the first to come the closets to them to see if Xander was alright. Peyton shifted in his arms and stood up slowly before holding her hands to his wound. Sting looked confused at first until he saw a blue glow emit from her hands. His eyes widened. That was Artemis's magic. He had thought she only took after his magic. Did Artemis know about it too or did he just not know because he was never around her?
"I'm mommy's daughter too. Mommy doesn't know about this cause I just found out I can heal things but I took after both of your magic." Peyton said and slowly pulled her hands away. "I'm not as good as mommy but I hope that stops the pain and the bleeding daddy."
"It feels a lot better. Thank you Peyton." He said and hugged her closely, his right shoulder not preventing him from moving his arm anymore.
"Sting . . ."
The blonde looked up at Rogue and nodded. He didn't need to speak for Sting to know that he wanted to go home. The blonde did too. Slowly he stood up and cradled Peyton in his arms refusing to let him go. He looked down at Xander and his family and tilted his head to tell them to follow. They were going to have to stuff Jose and his men in the carriage. If anything Sting would walk home holding Peyton if there wasn't enough room.
"Daddy . . ."
"What baby?"
"I miss you. . ."
". . . I missed you too, you and mommy both more then you can ever know. You will see more of me I promise . . . I'm sorry I haven't been a good father lately Peyton."
"Its ok daddy, you have to work. Mommy says that and I understand . . . I'll have to do that one day too right?" Peyton asked.
"Maybe but hopefully you'll get more time with your family then I did." Sting replied.
"I love you daddy."
"I love you too princess."
Sting carried Peyton to Artemis and his room. He didn't even stop to let the healing mages check Peyton, not when the little girl wanted to see her mother so badly. He shoved the door open with his shoulder and placed Peyton down on the bed where Artemis still slept. Her wound was completely healed like he thought it'd be. He watched as Peyton took Artemis's arm and shook her to wake her. The brunette stirred and rolled over groaning. The blonde chuckled.
"Mommy! Get up mommy!" Peyton shouted.
"Ugh five more minutes Peyton . . . . Wait, Peyton?" Artemis whispered letting her eyes slowly open.
The brunette turned over and her eyes widened seeing her daughter smiling down at her while her husband stood at the edge of her bed. She bolted up and flung her arms around the little blonde haired girl. A tear slipped from Artemis's eye and Sting reached out to brush it away with his thumb. He sat down onto the bed and hugged Artemis placing his chin on her shoulder.
"You're both here now and I'm going to make sure it stays that way from now on. I'll never let anyone take you two away from me again. I love you both so very much." Sting whispered into Artemis's ear.
"I love you too Sting. I'm sorry I yelled at you, I'm sorry we fought I just . . . I'm sorry." Artemis sobbed.
"Don't be, you were right. I'm the one that has to be sorry. I swung at you, I almost hit you and I would have regretted it too if it weren't for my father. Artemis you know I would never purposely hit you or hurt you in any way."
"I know Sting . . . I know." Artemis whispered.
The door to their room opened and medical mages walked in rushing over to see if Peyton was alright and quickly tended to her wounds. Sting chuckled when his daughter pushed them away and showed them that she could heal herself. Artemis was even startled by this and was confused as to why Sting wasn't. He quickly explained how he knew and it earned him a playful slap on his bad shoulder from Artemis. The medic mages finished healing Sting's shoulder and Peyton's injuries. Food was brought in for Artemis and Peyton and the two scoffed it down, manners or not and Sting couldn't help but to laugh and hold his girls tightly. He had his family back and that was all he wanted. They were safe and he wasn't going to let them go ever again.
"Oh! Daddy! Can I get it! Can I!? Can I!?" Peyton asked jumping up and down in front of a store window.
Sting laughed as he looked at the toy crown in the window. He knelt down and ruffled Peyton's hair. It had been two months since he had brought his daughter home and their family became whole again. Peyton was finally getting the day out with her father just like she wanted too.
"Sweetheart you already have your crown at home made of real gold you know." Sting told her.
"But this one has a purple gem in it daddy!" Peyton pouted pointing at it.
"Then I'll have one especially for you with a purple gem alright?" Sting sighed.
"Well . . . I guess so, but it has to be that shade of purple daddy!"
"Such a demanding little girl." Sting huffed and picked her up.
"Well I can only wonder where she gets that from."
Sting spun around and rolled his eyes at his wife that stood with her hands on her hips. The brunette chuckled and walked forward leaning up to peck her husband on the lips. She had gone off to go look at something and had left Sting with Peyton for a few moments. Of course now had to be the time she came back just to hear the ending of that. How Sting hated her smart remarks. He put Peyton back down and watched as the little girl ran off down the street almost getting lost in the crowd.
"Peyton not too far sweetheart!" Artemis shouted.
"I know mama!"
"Come on Artemis give her a break. She'll be fine." Sting said wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.
"Yeah she'll be fine; you say that now and the next thing you know she'll be taken away again." Artemis mumbled.
"Hey, don't joke about that, you know I don't like it. I know you've been a little paranoid and have been watching almost every move she makes but don't say things like that. Just relax a little alright?" Sting sighed.
"Yeah ok that's easier said than done." Artemis grumbled and tried to walk away.
"Hey come here."
Sting pulled her back and kissed her cheek. She tried to pull away but he only held her tighter and she couldn't help but to smile then. She laughed and tried to tell him to stop but Sting wouldn't listen. Finally he stopped only when he heard his daughter giggling and singing at them.
"Mommy and Daddy sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then comes me in a baby carriage!"
Artemis blushed lightly and Sting laughed quietly in her ear. The little blonde haired girl swayed back and forth with her father's inherited smile as she held her clasped hands behind her back. Artemis folded her arms a crossed her chest and Sting leaned over poking his daughter in the forehead telling her that if she kept that up she wouldn't get her crown. She pouted but even as Sting said that he couldn't help but to smile which showed Peyton that he really didn't mean it. Artemis smiled softly at the scene before her before turning as a castle guard came running towards them yelling Sting's name. Artemis frowned and so did Sting as Peyton clung onto her father's jacket knowing what it meant and she did not want him to leave, she wasn't going to let this happen again.
"King Sting you're being requested for-"
"Sorry, please tell them I can't attend. I'm spending a day with my family and I don't want any interruptions." Sting told the guard before he even had a chance to finish what he was going to say.
The guard blinked and then smiled and bowed politely telling him that he would send the message. Artemis watched the guard leave before turning and looking down at Sting with a smile as he ruffled his daughter's hair and beamed down at her. Peyton laughed and hugged her father. Artemis probably couldn't begin to understand her daughter's joy in hearing that her father wasn't going to leave her this time.
"Well then, how about lunch then baby girl? You pick the place, anything you want." He told her.
"Alright! I know exactly where I want to go! I want to go to that restaurant mommy told me about! The first one she and daddy went together at!" Peyton said.
"Then that one it is." Sting said and watched as his little girl ran off in the direction of the said restaurant.
Artemis rolled her eyes and began to follow Peyton. She smiled up at Sting when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She was really happy that he had changed, it was something different for a change and ever since he actually has been getting himself some sleep things have been a lot better. Something must have snapped inside of him once she and Peyton had been taken away from him. She wasn't saying that she was glad it happened because she wasn't but she was at least glad it helped Sting to open his eyes and see what he had been doing wrong. Ever since then Peyton was able to get to see her father more just like she had wanted. Jose and his men weren't going to be bothering anyone ever again either. Sting had made sure he was securely locked away this time and had twenty-four seven watch on his cell. That man wasn't getting out with his life if he tried to escape again.
"Hey babe?"
"What Sting?" Artemis asked keeping her eyes on the little blonde just up ahead."
"You think we can have another baby?" He asked causing the back of his wife's hand to hit his chest.
"I love you Sting but no."