Ok, this one might have a bit of a trigger later on (mentions of attack, etc) I'm probably just being overly cautious, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
McGee stayed with the Clarks for a week, as Apollo helped him procure new clothing and Victoria showed him around Valero Notte. He quickly fell in love with the city, just as his new friends had- the modern people, the old buildings, even the warped maze of alleys (which he was learning to navigate by heart).
He was picking up new information left and right: he found out that Apollo was an International Relations professor when he wasn't at home or traveling. "He's the Indiana Jones of the field," as Victoria had put it.
Tim also learned little details about his hosts that he found charming: Victoria was a gardener and a talented dancer, Apollo was skilled at the piano. And they learned the little things about him; that he appreciated wine, and had an incredible aptitude for computers.
It turned out that they had friends all over the city. Obviously, in refusing to steal souls, Apollo and Victoria chose a much more peaceful existence, and could focus on living normal lives.
Still, though Apollo treated McGee like a member of the Clark family, Victoria kept a respectful distance from him in every meaning of the word- she left him plenty of time alone to himself and never shared much about her own life. She wasn't cold to him whatsoever, in fact she was completely genuine. But her walls were up, for reasons Tim didn't know and couldn't guess.
As she'd promised, the little wing exercises paid off. Within the week Tim could tell the muscular differences between brand new wings and wings that were only a few days old. His chest felt satisfyingly sore from the rapid buildup of muscle; though he looked the same in every way, his upper body was slightly more sturdy, ready for the strain flying would put on it.
By the end of that same week, the three had convened in the library to inspect McGee's wings.
Apollo had the younger man do a few exercises with his wings as if testing the wings of an airplane.
"They seem sound," Apollo commented, stepping back. "How do they feel, Timothy?"
Tim grinned and flapped the huge white appendages. "Awesome."
Victoria and Apollo shared a look. "How about learning to fly?" Victoria asked happily.
...
The house had a staircase that led up to a small platform on the roof, which could fit several people.
"Wow," Tim commented, stepping out and seeing the gorgeous city at night. Lights twinkled across the town and reflected on the water. Because Valero Notte wasn't a very metropolitan area, the sky had no light pollution, and displayed the stars proudly.
"This is amazing," he breathed.
"My grandfather had this platform installed," Apollo said, coming to stand next to him. "He was a flightling as well. I've found it is a good place to take off from. This is where I learned how to fly. And Victoria."
Tim watched carefully as Victoria stepped to the ledge, facing away from them, and spread her wings.
"Alright," Apollo began, coming to use her wings as a diagram. "See these feathers up here? Their purpose is for supporting you during flight. And these," he said, "are for aerodynamics."
"It's less about flapping your wings and more about riding air currents," Victoria explained. "If you don't, you'll run out of energy, and you might fall."
"If you do fall, don't panic," Apollo said. "Just flatten them out and tilt them until you catch another current."
Tim extended his wings again and felt the breeze whip through them. This was the first time he was in open air with his wings out, and it filled him with energy and excitement.
"Usually, when you take off, you bend your knees and push, like you're jumping off a diving board," the eldest Clark said, indicating the right way to angle the wings.
"How do I land?" Tim asked.
"You've seem a bird alight on a fence or a telephone wire before, yes? It's the same thing. You just want to bend slightly, and put your legs out to land on your feet."
Apollo pointed to the neighboring building: a large, somewhat gothic church stood next door, only separated from the house by an alley several yards across. "See that ledge on the church's roof? Where the gargoyles are all lined in rows? We'll start you off by flying from here to there. It will be over before you've realized you're in the air. Victoria, why don't you go first to demonstrate."
It never occurred to Tim to mark this as the first time he ever saw a flightling fly. Perhaps he was distracted by how amazing it was. Pacing the edge with a catlike fearlessness, Victoria lightly bent her knees, her arms angled back just like a gymnast about to do an intricate somersault. Pushing off the edge of the roof, her wings almost immediately caught the breeze and her height increased as she soared across the alley, never looking down. She touched down and straightened, turning to look back at the two men, and waved in encouragement.
"See? Not so bad. With your strength, you could probably jump the distance," Apollo said.
"I can't say I believe that."
"No, I didn't think so. I've never tried jumping myself. But I guarantee you can make it across. And I will catch you if you don't."
Tim chuckled, trying not to shake. Mimicking Victoria's movements, he stepped out on the edge, and jumped.
Apollo was right: he didn't even have time to register the fact that he was in the air (and not in fact falling) before he was close to the church. Out of inexperience and nervousness, he didn't allow himself enough time to land, and therefore crashed into the side of the church before falling onto the second-story walkway that Victoria stood on.
He lay there for a moment, the wind knocked right out of him. Tim could hear Victoria gasping for breath in an attempt not to laugh.
"Alright, alright," he sputtered once he could speak again. "Go on, laugh. I'm sure it looked silly."
"Cartoonish," Victoria giggled, causing him to laugh in spite of his embarrassment.
"Your takeoff was great, though," she assured him. "Are you ok?"
"Yes."
"Good. Try flying back to the ledge."
Determined to get it right this time, McGee took off again, and landed cautiously onto the roof.
"Much better," Apollo said, clapping him on the back.
They had him go back and forth many more times to make sure he had the take off and landing down. His whole body ached in anticipation to really fly.
"I think I've got it," he said. "Can we go a longer distance now?"
Apollo's eyes glinted mischievously. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"I'm ready."
"Follow me, then."
Apollo took off and gained altitude, leaving Tim behind.
"Hey!" McGee gasped as he tried to keep up. The older man chuckled.
"Don't look now, but you're really flying."
He was. Tim was flying.
"Oh my god," he shouted, his voice lost to the wind, which was stronger without the buildings to break it. Energy radiated through him and around him as if he were a part of the sky itself. The light that glowed in his chest was traveling through his arms and up and down his wings, which flapped once happily.
It was as if he'd been electrocuted, but there was no lightning in the air that night. Either way, he seemed to conduct a nonexistent burst of electricity. He was powerful and strong and happy.
He was free.
Closing his eyes for a moment, McGee didn't mind that he couldn't remember his past, he didn't mind that he would be practically anonymous and homeless once he left the care of Apollo and Victoria. All of his problems melted away. What did they matter from this high up?
Apollo led Tim away from the buildings and toward the open water where they wouldn't be seen. Slowing a bit to allow Tim to fly next to him, Apollo smiled and dropped down until he was right above the sea. Picking up his pace, the older man ever so slightly brushed his fingertips against the water, careful not to slow himself down so that he did not crash into the waves. McGee, riding the high of this new experience, followed Apollo and did the same, brushing his finger against the water. Spurred on by this new accomplishment, he flapped his wings as hard as he could, shooting ahead. However, his mentor quickly caught up as they once again increased altitude by a few feet and spread out.
Something blew past Tim, knocking the seemingly permanent smile off his face for a minute as he regained his equilibrium. But he laughed when he saw that it was Victoria, who looked happier than he'd ever seen her. And he understood why...this was probably the happiest he'd ever been.
Deciding to show a bolder side of herself, Victoria angled herself upwards and quickly flapped her wings in double time, gaining speed and height fast. When she was well ahead of Tim and Apollo, she tucked her wings close to her back without making them disappear and let herself fall backwards. Just as McGee's heart stopped in fright- surely she was going to kill herself -her wings stretched out as far as they could go, immediately billowing as they caught the wind and she leveled out again. Though seemingly impossible, Victoria had just completed a neat and elegant backflip in mid air.
Tim jerked his head to look at Apollo, who just shook his head and chuckled "show off."
The three of them stayed out there for close to an hour, not speaking (it was unnecessary) and simply flying around and racing. Though Tim was not even close to being ready to do flips or intricate stunts, they did teach him how to dive and pull up at the last minute. McGee enjoyed simply watching as Apollo and Victoria began to try and outdo each other. With many more years of experience, Apollo claimed the victory by hovering for several seconds at a time, something almost impossible even for flightlings.
Though Tim tried to hide it, Apollo could tell when his wings began to grow tired. "You don't want to push it," he said as they landed back on the roof of the house. "The last thing you want is for them to give out. Then you'll fall right out of the sky."
"Can I at least stay out and practice flying from here to the church again?" Tim asked.
"I'll stay with him," Victoria offered.
"That's fine. Just don't overdo it," he said as he reentered his home, leaving the two of them alone.
For a while, Victoria watched as Tim flew back and forth between the two buildings. Eventually they sat to rest on the church's open walkway. Tim gazed out at the city once more, not believing how beautiful it was. Apollo's enormous, ancient home was dwarfed by the cathedral, as if in respect for the house of worship.
"I'd never seen the house from above before," he chuckled. "...How long has it belonged to Apollo's family?"
"I think the Clarks have owned the house since it was built," she said. "Tracing way back to Renaissance times. Apollo's father traveled the world, and his mother and the kids lived near the Hamptons in New York. In the summers, they all lived here," she gestured to the beautiful house. Wisteria crept its way out from the courtyard and onto the chimney.
Tim looked from the home to the church they had landed on. "This place looks beautiful. What does it look like on the inside?"
"I've never been," she admitted, and he scoffed in disbelief.
"You've lived with Apollo for how long?"
"Five years."
"And you've never been in the building right next door? Even if it was just an office building or something, you'd think you would have seen the inside."
When she didn't answer, he looked at her and saw a sad look on her face. "I don't...we're not exactly welcome inside," she finally answered.
"What? Why?"
She sighed. "There is not a single religion that sees us as good creatures, but some even see us as downright evil. Which I don't blame them for," she said, a touch of self loathing in her eyes. Remembering that Tim was there, she straightened and looked out over the city. The lights glistened against her skin and made her eyes glow. "Remember how we're supposed to be descendants of fallen angels? For most, that means actual 'fallen' angels. Like, angels who have turned against heaven."
"You mean demons?"
"Yes."
He was quiet for a minute, contemplating this. "What do you think about it?"
She sighed. "I really don't know. I grew up in a somewhat religious community, but honestly, this isn't about religion for me. It's just about us not being trusted, because people assume we're evil. The priest at this church knows what we are. He's afraid of Apollo, it's clear, but he just doesn't like me. Next time we go out, we'll pass the church as a mass is ending. You know how the priest comes outside to shake hands with everyone? Whenever I happen to walk by, he glares at me.""
"Really?"
"Yes. But if Apollo is with me, he'll just widen his eyes and scurry back into the church," she smiled wanly. "He's an odd little man. So to answer your question, no. I've been living in this house for half a decade, and I've never even been inside the church next door." She smiled wryly, looking out over the houses below. "Who knows, maybe he's just trying to help us. Maybe we'll burst into flames if we cross the threshold."
Suddenly finished talking about it, she stood.
"Ever wonder about where gargoyles come from? Who inspired them?" she asked, leaning against one and patting it on the head.
"Flightlings?" he asked incredulously, to which she nodded.
"If the inhumane treatment of victims isn't enough to convince you never to steal a soul," she said, gazing at the gargoyle's face. "Then the effect it has on you physically sure will."
"It makes you look like that?"
"Sort of. It does mess with your eyes, and your skin. Some of them do have sharper teeth, which is probably where the idea for the vampire came from... Maybe you don't grow horns, but you begin to look as evil as you are. It's complicated. If you see a flightling who has been taking souls, you'll know what I mean."
Once again, an unhappy look fixed itself upon her face.
"Victoria..."
She looked up at him attentively.
"Are you... Did I do something wrong?"
This time, surprise covered her features. "Why would you think that?"
"You always keep a huge distance from me."
"What? No I don't."
"You're doing it right now."
It was true, Victoria had perched several feet away from Tim, much more than what was considered polite space.
"It's not like you have to sit right next to me or anything," he assured her. "I'm a fan of personal space myself, but even when we're just waking down the hall at the same time. You don't allow anything less than five feet from me. Is it something I said or did?"
She looked absolutely distraught at this. "I am so sorry," she said earnestly. "I never meant to make you uncomfortable or insulted."
"No, it's ok, I'm just curious. Apollo said you have a thing about strangers."
She smiled. "You could call it that."
"But it's not shyness," Tim persisted. He figured that they might as well get it all out at once, instead of several awkward conversations in a row. "You always look so unhappy when we talk about flightlings. Do you not like being a flightling, Victoria?"
The young woman was stunned, unprepared to have this conversation. But, she decided, Tim deserved the truth after she had made him so uncomfortable all week.
"I don't dislike being a flightling," she began. "Sometimes it is just difficult to...come to terms with. Yes, even after five years. You won't have this problem, I don't think."
"So why do you have this problem?" he asked with the air of a therapist.
She paused and studied him out of the corner of her eye. "I'm assuming Apollo didn't tell you how he came to find me."
"No."
"My biological family was from Florida. But I always loved New York. So, I decided to go to college there."
Tim listened intently, knowing that this was about to take a dark turn.
"One night in my last year, a friend of mine-my roommate- and I went out to a party. Not like the crazy ragers that most twenty-somethings have. If I remember correctly, it was just a birthday party for an acquaintance of ours. When it was over we walked home. And we were...well, we were attacked."
McGee winced.
"I don't remember too much about it, but...my roommate..." Victoria fought back tears and a sob. "I could hear her screaming, and- and there were two of them- and the other one grabbed me-" she cut off, her eyes shut tight. Before Tim could speak, she continued.
"He was a flightling, I know now, because as soon as he touched me, my chest lit up, and he panicked and ran. The other one must have as well, because the screaming stopped...and then I passed out."
"Jesus," Tim muttered.
"No, that part wasn't so bad, because that part is all a vague hazy memory. The worst part was when I woke up. She was there, practically on top of me. She looked...she looked awful. She was dead. Her skin was gray, there was blood everywhere. Her chest had an awful cavity...that was the first thing I saw as a flightling. And at that moment, I didn't even remember who she was. I screamed and ran in confusion."
"When did you get your memory back?" Tim asked.
"I stumbled around the city for a while. I probably just looked like some homeless girl with crazy eyes and frizzy hair. Three days after, I somehow had walked past my apartment building. And everything came rushing back to me. I ran inside and the first thing I did was take a shower. After that, when I looked in the mirror I saw my eyes and panicked. Then after I got dressed, I remembered everything else. I remembered that the girl in the alley was my best friend. And she was dead."
"I'm sorry, Victoria."
"The worst part was that I had become the thing that took her life," she admitted, a few tears finally spilling over. "Because I have the capacity to do that. And I never have, but...I hate thinking that one day I might, just on accident."
"You won't."
She nodded, her eyes closed in pain. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," she whispered, and took off, flying past the roof and landing in the courtyard, leaving Tim alone.
Why did he have to ask? Why did he have to go and open his big mouth?! He didn't mean to upset her!
He decided to go after her, landing lightly on the opposite side of the courtyard from where she stood.
Victoria was leaning on the rough stone wall, resting her forehead against the ivy. Her wings were drooping into the tiled little fountain behind her, though she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were closed, but it was clear even from across the dark and misty courtyard that she was crying.
Tim wasn't sure if he should say anything or leave her alone, but she spoke before he could make up his mind. "You're staring."
"I'm sorry," he began, but she continued without opening her eyes.
"No, don't apologize," she said gently. "You didn't need to know."
"I asked."
"I could've lied."
"But you wouldn't."
Her lips twitched up into a smile, finally relaxed for the first time. Her eyes opened and she found his. "The rest of the story isn't so bad. I had actually known Apollo for a long time- he was a friend of my grandfather's, and I had met him once or twice. He was at the school doing some lecture as a guest-speaker, and he passed me in the hall, and recognized me. He noticed my eyes and he could tell right away what I was, and pulled me aside and explained everything to me. We kept in contact, because he was finally glad to have a flightling friend who was American like he is, and I needed someone to explain the finer details."
"What about your family?" McGee asked carefully, still on the other side of the courtyard. A heavy mist had settled over everything, punctuating the quiet and giving an eerie feeling.
Victoria scoffed. "I was an only child, and it was just me and my father... He wasn't ever really happy to have me around, and he exactly sad to see me go."
She looked at him again suddenly. "So Apollo offered to take me in. And as it turns out, he was happy to have a daughter around."
Tim put his wings away and stepped toward her, crossing the courtyard. As he drew near, he left a considerable amount of space.
"I'm the one who's sorry," she apologized. "You've been here a week and I've now shunned you and cried in front of you."
He laughed. "Both of those things are my fault."
"Let's start over then," she said, stepping up to him and holding out her hand to shake. "I'm Victoria."
"I'm Timothy, but you can call me Tim."
She laughed, finally being herself. "Better?"
He nodded, feeling like they were friends.
"Now," she said, brightening and straightening, her wings freed from the fountain. "You only saw the city itself from the ground. How about seeing it from the air?"