"Skyler is very lucky," Dr James said. "Her right arm is broken, and her right femur was fractured as well. She has numerous contusions and lacerations, a few cracked ribs and smoke inhalation. The main thing that I am concerned about right now is the spinal injury that she has."
"Spinal?" Elisa asked, a sinking feeling in her gut.
Dr James nodded sadly. "I'm afraid that she has some swelling around her spinal column that is putting pressure on her spinal cord. We won't know the extent of her injuries, if they are temporary or permanent, but at the moment, she's paralyzed from the waist down. We have her on a pretty aggressive schedule of antibiotics, anti inflammatories and pain medication so that she can rest. She's fighting the pain medication, however, until she can speak to some of you."
Elisa frowned. "Who?"
"You, Goliath, David and Fox," Dr James said. "She won't be awake much longer, but she said that it was important."
The four of them were a quiet, somber group as they walked into the sterile environment of the recovery suite. It was a large, spacious room, painted a serene shade of blue.
It was also one of the few rooms this high up in the building that had been remodeled. The outer wall was recessed to have a small balcony attached to it.
Elisa had spent some time in this room, and the balcony had been added to allow for the clan to visit without having to travel through the building in case there were still people around who had no knowledge of the clan. She knew that it took about ten steps to get from one side of the room to the other. That the tiles of the bathroom floor were heated, and there were even towel warmers for patients when they took showers.
Elisa sighed. It was easier to think about those things, than to focus on the small figure in the bed. Skyler was going to have a long road to recovery, and had been injured trying to protect the children left in her charge.
The clan, the Xanatos' and she owed her a great debt.
Elisa was the first to approach the bed, and gently touched the young woman's arm.
"Skyler," she said quietly. "We're here."
Skyler managed to pry one eye open, the other was swollen shut. "Elisa. I'm sorry," she slurred through the pain medication.
"Don't be," David said, approaching the bed, his arm slung around his wife's shoulders.
"You saved our children," Fox added.
"Still coming," Skyler said. "They want the children."
"What?" Elisa asked, disbelieving.
"Oberon's attention," Skyler said, sighing tiredly. Her eyes closed slowly. "Titania's attention."
"My mother?" Fox asked, incredulous. "Why do they want to get her attention?"
"Avalon," Skyler said on a sigh as the medication finally robbed her of consciousness.
"The halflings are trying to get Oberon's attention," Goliath pieced together. "The easiest way to get to Oberon, is to get Titania's attention first."
"By kidnapping her grandchildren," Elisa added.
"God," Fox said, wiping her hand across her face tiredly.
"It makes sense," David said. "But why go to such lengths?"
"Avalon," Elisa said.
"Oberon called his children home during the gathering years ago." Goliath said.
"But what about his "children's" children?" Elisa pointed out.
"How would they even know?" Fox asked. "I didn't even know who or what my mother was until Oberon forced her hand."
"Unless one of them were told," Elisa said.
"And then gathered as many others as they could," David surmised.
"Exactly," Elisa said grimly. "Let's move this conversation outside. I think everyone should be in on this one."
Together, the group moved outside to the waiting area, Goliath closed the door quietly behind him.
"Okay," Elisa said briskly. "First things first. Is everyone safe here?"
"We are now," David said grimly. "We didn't understand what we were up against and what their plans were. We were blindsided, but it will not happen again."
"Security measures are in place," Fox said. "Many of which were updated to keep fae out, in case my mother and Oberon got out of hand again."
"What about Puck?" Elisa asked.
"He's taking care of the damage to the castle." David said.
"Really?" Elisa asked, one eyebrow raised.
"He didn't like it," Fox said, "But he was placed in charge of the welfare of Alex and Christopher. That means making sure that the shelter is intact and the Gargoyles are unharmed."
"What?" Goliath asked, confused.
"Why the surprise?" David asked with a small smile. "You are essentially part of the family's protection, thus we all fall under Puck's protection if things get too out of hand."
"Nice to know," Elisa grumbled. "Speaking of Puck, please tell me that he has a way to contact Titania."
"Honestly," Fox shrugged. "I don't know. We've never been in a rush to contact her. She's always just shown up when the mood strikes her."
"Great," Elisa sighed.
"Let's go up and ask Puck about it." David suggested.
"Yes," Goliath said.
Now that the attack was over and the full power had been restored, the elevators were once again up and running. It was a large, silent group that rode to the upper floors in search of the white haired trickster.
Puck was putting the last brick in the wall of the nursery.
"Puck," David greeted, leading the motley group of humans and gargoyles. "We have a question for you."
Puck heaved an exaggerated sigh. "A trickster's work is never done." When the last stone was put into place and sealed with a magically appearing mortar, he turned and floated towards the castle's inhabitants. "What may I assist with?"
"I need you to contact mother," Fox said.
"That's… not as easy as it sounds," Puck drawled out slowly.
"Cut the crap," Elisa said, losing patience. "Can you do it or not?"
"Tut, tut," Puck said, wagging a finger in Elisa's face. "Is that any way to ask for a favor?"
"Maybe this'll help," Elisa's hand reached out and took hold of his hand before he could withdraw it. With a firm twist, she took the fae man to the ground and loomed over him. "Stop screwing around and giving half answers." She squeezed a little harder. "Yes or no. Can you contact Titania."
"I can try," Puck said, gasping.
"Thanks," Elisa said, letting go of the pressure point.
"Anytime," Puck said, waving his sore hand in the air.
Elisa turned and found the rest of the group in the door looking at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted two heads. "What?"
"That was fast," Broadway said.
"And effective," David said smoothly.
"It got the job done," Elisa said.
"I am restricted on how much I can do with my magic," Puck said. He deepened his voice and mimicked Oberon. "We hereby strip you of all your powers, save for when you are training or protecting the boy." Puck huffed out a breath.
"So teach Alex how to call grandma," Elisa suggested sarcastically.
"That…" Puck paused, looking at her, impressed. "That might work."
"I can't believe you never thought of that before," David said. "That seems like your kind of loophole to exploit."
"Hey," Puck looked hurt. "I don't exploit."
"Take advantage of, then," Fox said.
"Fine," Puck said. He looked through the group, and spotted the young boy he was seeking. "Come Alexander, and we'll have a lesson on using mirrors to contact someone."
Alexander had been hanging out in the rear of the crowd. He had been having magic lessons with Puck from his earliest memories. He excelled at the levitation of objects, but was still learning. He had never done what Puck was asking of him, and even if he didn't understand everything that was going on around him, he knew that it was important.
Quietly, he made his way to the front of the group, and took his teacher's hand.
"Now," Puck said, "The first thing that you need is something reflective. A mirror for this kind of thing is best, so that you can see the other person and they can see you."
Alex nodded his understanding.
"Now you place your palm against the glass."
Alex did so, never taking his gaze from his teacher.
"Good," Puck nodded his encouragement. "Now, I want you to think of your grandmother, and repeat after me.
"Mirror to see, Mirror to know,
Mirror to help the power to flow,
Mirror absorb, reflect my gaze,
Show me the truth within your glaze.
Show me the future, show me the past,
All that is hidden, revealed at last.
Mirror, Mirror, display for me
My Queen Titania whom I desire to see!"
Alex did as instructed, repeating the lines carefully and as clearly as he was able. Under his hand, the mirror's surface began to ripple, as if someone had thrown a pebble into a very still pool of water. As the ripples slowed, he was able to make out shapes, sounds, and finally someone moving around.
"Who is there?" a woman's voice demanded. "And why do you bother me?"
"I am sorry, my queen," Puck said, "It is Alex's first time using this method of communication."
Puck slowly reached out, settling his hand on the surface just above Alex's smaller one. Almost instantly, the surface smoothed and cleared to show Titania, Queen of the Fae.
"Grandma!" Alex said, happily.
"Oh, my little prince," Titania said, placing one of her own hands against the mirrored surface on her side. "You are doing so well in your training!"
"Thanks!" Alex said, his chest puffing up in pride.
"Mom," Fox said, approaching the mirror behind her son so that she could be seen. "Sorry this isn't an entirely social call."
Titania frowned. "What is wrong?"
"We were attacked tonight," David said, joining his family. "We are alright, but the people who attacked them were after the children."
Titania frowned. "That is why we left Puck there. To help protect and guide my grandchildren."
"I tried my best, my queen," Puck said, almost audibly gritting his teeth. "However, the spell that Lord Oberon put on me doesn't give me much time to do anything before it really happens. If I don't know a threat is coming.." He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders in a "what can you do" kind of motion.
"Hmmm," Titania said thoughtfully. "That is true."
"We are prepared now, in case they come back again," David said grimly.
"I still do not understand why you felt the need to contact me." Titania said, irritation showing on her face. "You have been attacked before, and clearly no harm came to the children."
"No," Fox snapped. "Our children were saved by a friend who was hurt in the process. Puck and the rest of us had our hands full fighting them off."
"I am sorry about your friend…" Titania began in that 'sorry, but not sorry' tone of voice.
"Actually," David cut her off in that smooth, fast talking businessman kind of way, "You're going to want to know who was hurt, and who was attacking."
"And why is that?" Titania asked wearily.
"The woman who was hurt is one of your own," David said. "We believe that she has a mixed heritage of human and fae."
"You don't say," Titania asked, sounding almost bored. "And what makes you think that?"
"Oh, little things," Fox said, trying her best to match her mother's blase attitude. "Her name, the fact that her mother disappeared around the time you had your 'children' rounded up back on Avalon, and she has been getting a mental signal that pulled her to Manhattan where a whole group of half fae are having a grand time."
Titania finally showed a reaction in a slight frown.
"There are about a dozen of them," Elisa said, stepping into view, "But there may be more."
"They have abilities," Fox told her mother. "They were able to mask their presence so that they could slip in under our radar and catch us unprepared."
"We don't know how long they were in the castle before an alarm was raised." David said.
Titania gave a thoughtful hum. "A dozen, you say?"
Elisa nodded. "At least a dozen. All around Fox's age or younger."
"Skyler, the young woman who was caring for the children tonight, Was injured when they blew out a wall in the nursery," Fox said, hoping to appeal to her mother's maternal instincts… or at least her grandmotherly ones. If she had any. "She had to undergo emergency surgery."
"That is sad," Titania said, "but what would you like me to do?"
"I overheard a few of them talking," Elisa said. "They are doing this to get yours and Oberon's attention for some reason."
"I think one of your kids called one of their own kids," Fox said. "There is some kind of halfling uprising happening here, and my kids are caught in the crossfire. Someone let it slip about my connection to you, so they're after us."
That took Titania aback. "That's not possible, Fox. No one here outside of Oberon and I have the ability to contact anyone outside of Avalon."
"Then help us understand," David said. "How would these people know what they are? How do we protect our home? Our family?"
"I will try to find out who would dare to disobey our Lord Oberon, and I will try to convince him to let me come visit. Perhaps together we can figure this all out." Titania said. "But really, there is very little to be done. I can not interfere with the matters of humans."
Elisa opened her mouth to reply to that, but snapped it shut at a look from Xanatos.
"We would appreciate your help," David said. "And your grandsons would enjoy a visit from you as well."
That got through to Titania, and she preened a little. "I will do my best, and I will contact you with the final answer soon."
"Thank you, mother," Fox said.
With a wave of her hand, Titania blanked out the mirror, so that the surface once more only reflected what and who was in the room.
"Is grandma coming to visit?" Alex asked.
"I hope so," Fox said, lifting her son easily into her arms.
"Yay!" Alex threw his arms around his mother's neck.
Fox closed her eyes, and held her son tightly.
"Mom," Alex giggled. "Too tight!"
Fox let her son slide from her grasp.
"I will take the children to the playroom," the familiar sound of Owen's voice came from behind. Now that the Puck was no longer needed, his magic receded, leaving him only his guise as the monotoned personal assistant of David Xanatos. "I have added a few extra magical safeguards so that we will have proper warning should they try to attack again tonight."
"They'd be damn stupid to try again tonight," Fox said, handing her eldest son over to the majordomo.
Owen took Alex's hand in his, reaching out for young Christopher.
"I can take Liam," Angela said quietly, holding her hands up to her father to receive the sleeping baby.
Elisa wasn't feeling that great about the whole, 'let's return to the scene of the attack' plan for the children. "You'll stay with them?" she asked Angela.
Angela nodded. "I won't leave them until I have to."
Elisa shared a look with Goliath before he handed the baby over to the gargoyle female.
Angela took Liam and her own twins back to the playroom.
"What now?" Fox asked, for the first time in Elisa's memory looking lost.
"We wait," David said softly.