Secrets of the Starnik
Chapter 3: The Big Reveal
This was both terrific and horrific news. Scott had another daughter, and if that wasn't enough, a human daughter of the Starnik! This was great, Scott couldn't believe it. Sure he knew Rosie wasn't his first time, but still, he thought he and Aria's mother were playing it safe. Had he known about this, he wouldn't have been in such a rush to go. Let's take this back a little bit, make it more understandable. During the time Scott and Rosie were separated and he was in England, he met and started a relationship with a couple of nice girls. His last girlfriend, before he fled England, was a girl named Jasmine. A rich girl with rich parents and background. They hit off pretty quickly, moving from one stage to the other only after a few months. On all serious, at the time this wasn't something they planned, they thought they were being safe. Evidently not. They split up a few days later, feeling that their relationship was thinning. It was also a few days before Sarah came for Scott and he left the country, a week later Jasmine discovered her pregnancy. Aria, a strange name and one not used very often in the UK, but it was a name she had buried in her mind ever since she was a child for some strange reason. She was a single mother to raise a child on her own, a child she soon found to be special. She found was aging faster then any normal girl and she grew increasingly concerned. So Jasmine turned to her parents, obviously they didn't know either. In a matter of seven years, she looked like a fourteen year old girl. She was a supernatural of some sorts, she had to be, it was the only reasonably explanation.
There was no supernatural blood in the family, so where could this have come from? Scott, that's how. Soon Aria started asking about her father, who he was, why he left and did he have some kind of supernatural ability. Her mother told her everything she knew of Scott, that he was American and constantly talked about a place over there called Kalispell, a place he used to live and wanted to again. It was when her eyes started to change against her will, into that of the well known Starnik, and the news reports showing Scott as the Starnik Jasmine's answers were given. Aria was a supernatural and the best person to give her the answers was her father.
Aria was always an independent girl, always doings things for herself, and she found it an adventure to go and find him on her own. As reluctant as Jasmine was, she let her; this was something she had to do on her own. Maybe she'd get the answers she wanted. Flights, hotels and reservations to and in Kalispell were made for her and with enough money to last her a week, off she was to find her father. And here he was, the human Starnik, the most powerful one, and she was his daughter. The only thing she had of him really was his blue eyes. She had the brown hair and pale complexion from her mother.
That little talk in the park was full of many topics, both interesting and awkward. She was smart for a fifteen year old girl, and snappy, an awful lot like Myka. Scott could just tell by looking at her and by hearing everything she told him about her life that she was a supernatural and had a power of some sort, it could just be faster aging, there had to be a reason for that. He told him everything about himself, his life, his family, that she had a half-sister and step-brother and sister, an entire new family for her waiting at home. But this was the horrific part of this news, what would Rosie make of this. Dakota was still with Tony and Skye only he knew about this, but not if it was true. Rosie was going to be the biggest test, how would she react to this? There was one way of getting all this across to everyone easily and simply. Rosie's dinner tonight, there would have to be a few changes, it was going to have to be an entire family dinner. Get the family together and talking. He wasn't sure how would take this the worst, Rosie, because he had a daughter before Myka. Or Myka, how would she react to having a human half-sister.
A plan was made; Aria would come to dinner tonight to meet the family and hopefully, if things went well, she's stay with them. She was his daughter; he couldn't make her stay else where when she had a family here. From the park, they walked back to Tony and Skye's, confirming everything and asking if she could stay for a little while to prepare the family. They agreed, they'd being her to the den with Tony's gift from Myka for supper. Dakota was the first to meet his new step-sister, but there wasn't time to hang around. He never got a chance to say anything until they were off back home.
They landed, and Scott changed quickly and looked to his son. "Thanks." He sighed. "Wish me luck."
"Ha, you're going to need it stud." He laughed just before he vanished. Scott exhaled loudly again and shook his head. "Well, here goes nothing." He then started taking steps towards the den. "Rosie, are you here?"
"In the den!" She called back out. That was probably going the last time she'd hear her voice that calm again.
"Rosie, I need to…" He didn't finish, he could at the sight before him. Rosie, stretched out on the bed towards the back of the den on her side. Candles lit the slightly dark den, how she lit them was a wonder to him. To top it off, a strange but familiar scent that drew him closer to her filled the air.
"It's about time you got home." She grinned devilishly and waving for him to come closer with her tail seductively. He was about to when the important matter at paw came back. He shook his head, clearing his sinuses of the intoxicating scent coming from her. It wasn't heat, it was her natural scent that he ever so loved and entranced him.
"Rosie, we need to talk." He was able to complete and walking towards her. Suddenly, she yipped at him, her power of a shockwave flipping him over and onto his back. "Rosie, I'm ser…" She quickly pounced on him and covered his mouth with her paw.
"Shh, tell me afterwards." She kissed him deeply and he hated to ruin it by pushing her away.
"Rosie, something serious has come up and I don't know if you'll like it." Ok, now she saw the seriousness in his eyes.
"Did something happen at Skye's?" He nodded.
"Can you let me up?" She stepped to the side of him. "It's best you sit down."
"Scott, I don't think I like this." She responded as she walked back towards the back and sitting on it. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, it's just…There's something I need to tell you and I don't know if you'll be happy about it." He answered as he sat back up and shuffled in closer to her. He didn't know how to feel about this moment, confident or scared. He couldn't find the words, he looked her in the eye for several minutes to try and think of the words, he just could. There was only one way to do this. "Just say it!"
"Listen, I love you more then anything. I love you, Myka, Dakota and Lupa with all my heart and I don't want to lose you?"
"Where's this going?" She asked sceptically and narrowing her eyes to try and figure it out.
"I have a daughter, Rosie." He answered. She only giggled and shook her head to laugh.
"I know silly, I was there when she was made and born."
"Not Myka." He added quickly and making her look up to him. "I have another daughter." Her smile turned upside down, she saw the honesty in his eyes. There was no hint of a lie, this was the truth!
"You're serious." She said. He nodded, this was it, he had to act quickly before she did and took this the wrong way.
"Before I found you and we were apart, back in England there was this girl. We got close and we…you know." She nodded, she knew. "How could he?" "I didn't know about this, if I did I wouldn't have told you. I left to find you, Shadow and the kids before she had the chance to tell me. It was over between us before I came back so I never knew about her until today." He looked scared, she saw it in his eyes and his body as it trembled slightly. "So, ahh…what do you think?" He asked, this was it, the moment he had waited for, her answer.
"Scott, I…" She looked to a spot on the floor, stuck in deep thought, her mind racing back and forth with this thought. "This is…" She couldn't get her own words straight, but all in all, everything she was feeling summed up one major feeling and point. "This is amazing!" He looked up to her, surprised. Her tail wagged happily, her glint in her eye with the same things and a huge smile spread across her face. "Scott you have another daughter, this is incredible!" major
"You're…ok with it?" He asked, hoping she wasn't bottling it all up and was about to lunge at him.
"Of course I'm ok with it, Scott you have another daughter, this is just great." She wrapped her paws around him laughing lightly and he couldn't help but do the same. "Ok, two down, two to go." "As long as it's over between you that is." Her voice suddenly turned serious and she pulled back.
"Really? Are you seriously asking that?" She didn't move or answer, the seriousness was proved by her gaze. "Of course it is, there are only four people in this world I love, and that's you, Myka, Dakota, Lupa and Aria."
"Aria, that's her name?" She asked, a relieved smile on her.
"It is. I'm so relieved you're ok with all this."
"Of course I am, but I can't say the same about the kids." She added.
"That was my other worry." He sighed. "Myka's got a human half-sister; I don't know how she'll take that."
"She won't have a choice, none of them do. This girl is a part of the family now honey, and we look out for our family. It's going to be so nice to have a little girl running around again. We missed out with Myka after all." She added as she walked around him and outside."
"Err, yeah, about that…"
Lupa faded back into reality, back in front of her den with a perplexed look on her face. She had just come back from meeting with her parents and siblings and heard this news. Another daughter, another sister. The same look was on Myka's face, this couldn't be happening!
Later on that day, a small fire was going, a caribou leg one side of it and Scott and Rosie another. Myka was here and waiting for this to start. She was taking this hard, not that she was showing it, she refused to. A sister, a human sister, this was weird and awkward for her. Her father, a father to a human and wolf. She was once again the younger sister, the only thing these two apparently had in common was a snappy personality and their father's blue eyes. She sat in the den entrance, Jack knew this was a family thing and thought it might be best if he sat this out, despite the fact he was invited. This was a family matter.
A few minutes later Dakota appeared in light in the entrance of the den, seeing Myka beside him who didn't react to him. "So, you heard huh?"
"I can't believe this." She muttered. "I have a sister, a human sister." She looked up to him. "It's not fair, why did this have to happen?"
"Scott can't control if she was born or not." He replied while sitting down beside her.
"But he can control whether he gets a girl pregnant or not." This only made him chuckled.
"Come on, she's nice, you'll like her." Just then, Lupa faded into the area with Faolan grazing her side with Kodak and Sarah on his back and Shane in Lupa's paws.
"Sorry we're late guys. These little tykes were hard to round up." She excused. "Is she here yet?"
"Not yet, she's late too, don't worry." Rosie answered. "Well hello dears." She added and lowering her front half down to greet her grand-pups.
"Hi grandma!" Kodak waved from in-between his father's ears and standing on his head. "Look, I'm taller then all of you!"
"No way, I'm taller then you!" Sarah retaliated behind him and trying find a higher point then him.
"Ok you two, that's enough." Faolan then dropped his front half to the floor and let them slide off, even if they didn't want to. "Now I'm taller then all of you." He chuckled.
"That's not fair dad." Sahara whined.
"Tough, now go on, go and play." Lupa giggled and quickly all three darted off to the left and started tumbling over one another. She then looked to Scott. "You are just full of surprises aren't you?"
"Apparently so." He shrugged. "Thanks for coming."
"Are you kidding, I can't wait to meet my new sister." She added while hugging her mother.
"I'm glad you're ok with it." He sighed and looking back to Myka who was still talking to Dakota, a seemingly slightly more happy look on her face.
"I guess she isn't." Faolan added.
"She'll come around, don't worry about it." Rosie responded.
"I hope so; I don't want to lose either of them." Then another flash and loud static snap cracked behind them. In a mixture of white and dark green, Tony appeared with Aria under his arm. She looked to all of them, what was this, the zoo?
"I thought you said you were taking me to my dad's?" She asked and looking up to him. Scott quickly saw why. She coughed and stood up on his hind legs, changing quickly and stepping towards her.
"Sorry, I'm right here." She smiled more and hugged him and she did back. "She has her glasses on, it's dark and she has sunglasses on, how ridiculous." Myka saw and thought while shaking her head.
"Ok, I guess I'll leave you guys to it." Tony said. "See you guys."
"Thanks Tony." Scott nodded and with that he hit the rock against a tree and vanished again. "So how are you, good?" He asked down to her. She lifted up her glasses a little, her swirling green eyes proving she was.
"A little." She nodded. He smiled again and took them off her and put them in her rucksack.
"What did I tell you? You don't need these anymore."
"Sorry, force of habit." She sheepishly laughed.
"Come on, meet the gang." He smiled again and turned to everyone. "Guys, this is Aria, Aria, this is you family." Rosie was the first to step towards her, a friendly smile on her face.
"Hey dear, it's very good to finally meet you."
"So you're my new step-mum right?" She asked, a slightly weirded out look on her face. Rosie only giggled.
"I guess so."
"This is Rosie, my wife." He then pointed back to Lupa. "That's Lupa, you're step-sister." Lupa then came jogging over and leapt up onto her chest.
"It's so good to meet you." He smiled. "I always wanted another sister." Aria didn't answer, she just smiled. Her eyes still glowed green, but everyone saw they were starting to settle.
"Over there, there's Dakota who you've already met." He nodded to her. "And there's also Myka, you're half-sister."
"Myka, come say hello." Rosie said both sternly and cheerfully. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Be nice." Her brother whispered as she walked towards them all. "So, you're my sister huh?" She asked.
"My names Aria, this is so cool."
"Yeah, I guess it is." Myka answered. "So just to get this clear, same dad just different mom, right?"
"Yeah, at least that's what he told me." She looked up to him and he smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"So there's no chance that this is all just a…ouch…" She seethed as Rosie stepped on her tail, all on purpose of course. She shot are a punishing glare, a glare that also told her to be nice. "Never mind, it's nice to meet you too."
"I think we're going to get along." Aria smiled. They all stood in silence, wondering if anyone was going to say anything or if anyone had anything to add. Something had to be done now or never.
"Come on guy's let's eat." Rosie said breaking the silence, and that's when her eyes set on the carcass laid out across the other side of the fire.
"Oh man, that's just grim." She gasped. "You guys really are wolves."
"Well what else are we going to be?" Scott chuckled. "Don't worry, we got you something else." He walked into the den and walked back out with a pizza, still warm and tasty.
"Really? Pizza?" She asked.
"It was all I can think of. I'm not used to having a human daughter, a wolf one is much easier to cope with."
"Hey!" Myka exclaimed. "I'm still here you know." She added as she laid one side of the leg.
"I know honey, I'm just saying." He chuckled again. "Don't worry, we'll share this tonight. Throw your bag inside." She did just that, but the stuff inside was just incredible to her. The lights, small candles, the bed, the drawings. He lived out here? This was how the great Starnik lived? So not in some massive mansion like many rumour going around her school suggested. Believe it or not, there were great, fictional stories of the Starnik going around the UK, these wolves were globally famous, and she was their daughter! She smiled to herself as she dropped the bag onto the bed and walked back out to the even more grim sight of the five wolves eating away at the raw meat, three small puppies beside the large male gnawing away at a few tiny pieces of meat.
"Aww, they're so adorable." She cooed while sitting beside her father. Lupa looked to her and then down to her pups.
"Thank you, don't you just want to eat them up." She replied.
"Totally, god they're so cute!"
"Just remember." Scott added in a near whisper so the others didn't hear. "We're not dogs, so don't treat them like it."
"So Aria, what's life in England like?" Dakota asked interestedly as she chewed on a gristly part. She took her own bite of her own food and answered.
"It's pretty boring, nothing amazing happens." She then swallowed. "I mean, other then meeting up with friends, nothing fun ever happens where I'm from."
"You're friends; do they know that you age quickly?" Scott asked. He didn't want to know if her childhood was a waste or a rubbish one. But he felt he should know to try and make up for it now.
"They know, mum was hoping you'd be able to answer why." She nodded.
"Maybe, we'll get on that first thing tomorrow." He responded. "I promise."
"Are their wolves where you come from?" Lupa asked next.
"Not really." She shook her head. "I mean, there used to be in zoos, but since people started doing wolf speak classes over there and the wolves were released from the zoos, nobody sees them anymore. It's like they disappeared."
"You're having wolf speak classes there already?" Myka asked, seeing as this was touching on her personal favourite subject.
"Yeah, that's how I understand you guys now."
"Me, yes. Them no, they have a power that let's you guys understand you." She said and pointing to the rest of her family.
"Is your mother here somewhere too?" Rosie asked after a moment. Instantly she answered.
"She's back home, I came alone."
"And you came all this way on your own?" Scott said, pretty much to himself. "That's impressive.
"What brought you here in the first place?" Myka then asked. She wanted to know the reason to why this girl is now trying to steal her father.
"It's crazy, you won't believe me if I told you." She insisted and shaking her head.
"Oh come on, what's crazier about having a canine family?" Scott asked nice and loud and pointing them all out. She shrugged, he had a good point. She dropped to slice she had back into the box and wiped off her hands to speak without being distracted or rude with her mouth full.
"Ok, so while I'm sleeping a little over two weeks ago, I have this dream. There's a wolf in it, the same wolf I've had dreams with her in it before." Scott and Rosie both shared a look, could she be talking about what they thought she was. "She's like a ghost, before this one dream she would just be random sitting there in my dream and do nothing no matter what was happening." Her eyes then set on Lupa again, this moment bringing back what this she-wolf looked like to her. "But then again she looks like you." She pointed to her. Instantly, the family of five looked around at one another, one person coming to mind in a flash.
"Sarah." Scott grumbled.
"Mom." Rosie muttered.
"Grandma." Lupa and Dakota sighed.
"Grams." Myka giggled lightly. But they all said it at the same time. Aria looked to them all.
"What you know her? I thought she was just a dream."
"Yeah, we wish." Scott scoffed. "Carry on sweetheart."
"So anyway, this one dream I have she actually starts talking to me, saying how I needed to find my father to get the answers I wanted to more. She said she's been trying to find me for a long time and now it was time I got here."
"Any reason why?" Rosie asked.
"No idea, just to get answers I guess." She shrugged.
"Well don't worry." Scott said and wrapping an arm around her. "There's plenty of time and I'm sure you'll get your answers." He then looked to his mate, a whole new level of seriousness spread across his face as he locked gazes with her. "How are we going to help? I didn't even know she existed until this morning?" He asked.
"We can only answer what we can, there's no…"
"Ah, not again." Aria suddenly seethed and clasping her ears and bringing her knees up to her chest. Everyone looked to her, even the pups. What was wrong with her?
"What's wrong?" Scott asked as he tried his best to comfort her.
"Voices, in my head. It's happening again." She whined. Rosie sparked a thought, could it be she had a gift passed on in genes like Myka?
"There are no voices." Rosie said and brushing her mind only across Scott's. "You're safe." The theory was that only Scott should hear her voice, and he did because he reacted to it. But as I said, it was just a theory, and she also reacted to it as well.
"Yes there are voices, I can hear you!" She seethed again. "Can't you guys hear them?"
"Scott, she's…"
"Telepathic." He finished. "Aria those aren't voices in your head." He added and pulling her hands down. "They were out voices." He said again with his mind. She wanted to clasp her head again, but this time he stopped her. "You can hear my thoughts; you can hear Rosie's thoughts, you can hear every thought in this place. It's an amazing gift, there's no need to be afraid."
"I can hear thoughts?" She asked and pointing to herself.
"She can hear thoughts?" Myka repeated. "That's so unfair."
"You could if you wanted." Dakota responded. She was about to snap back to him, but saw she actually could if she so wanted.
"I have powers?" Aria muttered.
"I told you, you would."
"Lupa, do you think you can do anything to help?" Rosie asked.
"Maybe, I could always try." She suggested. "Faolan why don't you take the kids into the den, they could use a nap."
"Certainly, come on guys, bedtime." He rounded up his children and scurried them into the den while Lupa walked around to her step-sister.
"Can I use your paw?"
"Why, what are you going to do?" Aria asked, was she going to hurt her. So of course she was reluctant at first.
"I just want to take a look at something, you want answers, I'll be able to get them for you." She held out her paw, waiting for her to make a choice. Scott urged her, both for her sake and his. So she did and Lupa flipped it over and looked at her palm, running a paw over it as if looking for something. Dakota and Myka gathered either side of her, as did Rosie eventually.
"Have you done this before?" Her mother asked.
"Grams has been teaching me, I'm not entirely sure yet but I think I'm getting it." Aria gulped, was that good news? Lupa's eyes started to light up and swirl around her pupil, gradually getting brighter and brighter until they were at the brightest they could be. She stared into her palm, looking into the crevasses of her soul and D.N.A, into the tiny gaps that was her life. "She's telepathic already." She said after a moment and seeing that part of her as clear as day. "I see…I see water, the same water I've only seen in Scott and Myka." She could see like a rippling surface along her hand, an invisible force waiting to be used. A strong, mental power ready to be unleashed. Both father and daughter looked at one another, could she also be telekinetic like them? Maybe she and Aria wouldn't be so unalike now. "But there's something else, something powerful." She quickly added afterwards. She wiped her paw over her palm again, another detail coming over her. Whispers of distant voices echoed to her, answers to the riddle in her palms. She picked out the words they whispered to her and spoke them out for the others to hear.
"Phoenix." She muttered. "She's a phoenix. The power of self regeneration, living multiple lives, and control over fire; a highly rare power."
Ok, a little background information here. A Phoenix, the name given to a supernatural with the listed gifts: Self regeneration, the ability to self heal at a rate unseen. The mythical creature known as a phoenix, the bird covered in flames, is said to live a short life, capable of healing its body both during its life and after it ends. The second gift, living multiple lives. When the Phoenix's life is over, its body returns to its mature state and will resurrect again into a healthy body. So basically when it dies, whether from a death of old age or not, it will be resurrected back into a youthful body. The last, is exactly as it sounds, control over fire. Fire will bow down to this supernatural; it will do its bidding. A fancy way of saying it is pyrokinesis, the ability to control the element.
But Aria was special, with all this under her belt; she had a gift of telepathy and possibly telekinesis. Another daughter with the same gift. As Lupa's eyes settled, they all looked at this human girl. She could very well be more powerful then Myka, and she was thought to be the most powerful supernatural to walk the globe now and ever before. But now they had doubts. Before them was a girl who could move anything, set anything ablaze, live again and again and discover anyone's biggest secret. She was just as big of a weapon as Myka, and she didn't like it. Myka scowled at this girl, she was starting to dislike her more. First she comes into existence, then steals her father away from her, then starts coming up with these powers and soon she will only have taken all her father's attention away from her. This wasn't fair; Scott was her father, not Aria's. She's known him longer and needed him more. If she wanted him, then she was going to have to fight for him. She was a little girl; Myka was a grown she-wolf. She was stronger, she as faster and had mastered her powers, this girl knew nothing. What was she compared to the might of the true daughter of the Starnik?