December 2000

As the days passed, Lexa's condition didn't change. They told no one else about the baby, leaning on those who already knew for support and comfort.

Completely oblivious to this drama, Warren had drama of his own to deal with.

While his parents were not 'anti-mutant', they were still very prominent in New York high society, so were extremely focused on image and public relations.

When his mutation developed, they wanted to keep it quiet and pretend it wasn't there.

However, hiding two huge wings was not exactly easy.

Warren had retreated from his parents, and from the various social events he had been expected to attend as the heir to Worthington Enterprises Inc.

This year, everything was going to change.

Warren was going to attend his parents' annual Christmas part for the first time since his mutation had appeared, and he was Taryn would be accompanying him.

Warren was not nervous about Taryn meeting his parents – although she was. He had barely spoken to his parents in several years. If they didn't like Taryn, he could live with it.

He was nervous about Taryn meeting his best friend, not least because his best friend was already mad at him for becoming a 'self-contained recluse' (according to the last voicemail).

He needed them to get along.

He wasn't expecting the introduction so soon.

Almost as soon as they exited the taxi outside the venue, he heard his name, being whispered, strangely enough, rather than shouted.

Taryn frowned, a little wrinkle in her forehead that he had learned meant loud thoughts rather than confusion. "Someone's worried."

Warren was already searching the crowded streets for blonde hair, and found it in a little side alley a few buildings away. "Come on."

"I thought you said the party was in there," Taryn said, letting him tug her along.

"It is," Warren said. "But there's someone you need to meet first."

Whoever Taryn was expecting, it was not a beautiful woman a few years older than herself, resplendent in a red satin dress, blonde hair curled atop her head, blue eyes glaring at her boyfriend like he had personally insulted her.

"You."

Warren gave her a charming smile. "Hi C.C."

"Don't you 'Hi C.C.' me," she muttered, letting him enfold her in his arms. "I'm mad at you."

Warren laughed and kissed her cheek. "You missed me."

"Mad at you," she repeated.

Warren rolled his eyes. "C.C., this is Taryn Winters, my girlfriend. Taryn, this is Cecelia Brown. We've been best friends ever since we could roll over and coo at each other."

Cecelia's scowl evaporated almost immediately and she gave Taryn a blinding smile, reaching out a hand. "It's lovely to meet you. Warren never introduces me, so you must be special."

"Well, I don't like you scaring them off before I can figure it out," Warren said, tucking an arm around Taryn's waist. "But she is very, very special."

Taryn blushed deeply, shaking Cecelia's hand. "It's nice to meet you too. He's kind of blind-sided me a bit."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but it's going to get worse," Cecelia said, wincing. "You are about to have a front row seat for the Greatest Show in Town."

Warren closed his eyes. "Oh no."

The Greatest Show in Town was what he and Cecelia had called their parents' publicity stunts ever since one of them had involved a circus.

Worthington Enterprises and Brown Publishing Co were both big businesses in New York and, luckily for their children, different enough that they weren't direct rivals.

In fact, the two sets of parents got along very well – unfortunately, they tended to bounce ideas off of each other.

"This time, it's a Joint Venture," Cecelia said.

Warren's eyes shot open again. "Oh no! Both of them?"

"What's so bad about a Joint Venture?" Taryn asked. "I've heard of both companies; it would work, right?"

"Oh, absolutely," Cecelia said. "But it's not enough for our parents for it to just 'work'. It needs to be a roaring success, which means they need to drive up as much publicity as they can." She gave Warren such an over-the-top flirtatious smile that it made Taryn giggle. "And what builds up that kind of symbolic publicity more than a wedding?"

Warren laughed. When Cecelia didn't join in, however, the laughter stopped. "You're kidding me."

Cecelia shook her head, her own smile vanishing. "They haven't announced it yet. They're not stupid enough not to talk to you first – I hope – but they are seriously expecting us to just go along with it."

"Okay, now I'm scared," Taryn admitted quietly.

Warren pressed a kiss to her head. "Sweetheart, I know my parents. They are not stupid enough to just announce it, especially because I will have already introduced you. We just need to turn it around. Right, sis?"

Cecelia nodded, smiling again. "What's the plan?"

"Warren! Sweetheart, I'm so glad you could make it!"

Charlotte Worthington swept across the floor in a shimmer of gold, and embraced her son tightly, the strength of her embrace belying the truth in her words.

"It's good to see you, Mom," Warren said, taking Taryn's hand again. "This is my girlfriend, Taryn."

Anyone with eyes could see that Charlotte was visibly taken aback, but, ever the hostess, she recovered quickly and smiled, pulling Taryn into an embrace as well. "Well, this is a surprise, but the more the merrier. Come on, your father will want to see you."

Taryn let out a shaky breath as they followed Charlotte through the crowds of people, and Warren tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.

"Just breathe," he said softly. "It's just a party."

"A big one," Taryn whispered. "With a lot of heads." She freed her hand and brushed it across his back, where his wings were strapped up under his shirt. "Okay?"

Warren grimaced. "Uncomfortable. It's bearable, I'll be alright … Uh oh."

"What now?" Taryn asked, eyes wide.

Warren had come to a stand-stall, watching his father and Henry, Cecelia's father, regaling a crowd of people with details of their joint venture.

"Warren?" Charlotte said softly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but your father had this idea …"

"I know," Warren said. "C.C. already warned us."

Charlotte immediately turned to Taryn. "Oh, Taryn, I'm so sorry; what you must think of us – if we had any idea that Warren was seeing someone …"

"Father would have done it anyway," Warren said crisply. "I just hope they're not about to do what I think they are."

"Elizabeth and I would have stopped them," Charlotte said, a little sharply. "And your father would not be so …"

"So it is wonderful," Warren Sr said, clapping his new business partner on the shoulder, "that Henry and I can mark this new venture by officially becoming family."

Charlotte pursed her lips. "Or maybe he would."

Immediately, the photographers and reporters in the crowd seemed to work up into a frenzy, all of them shouting questions about their children and engagements and wedding plans.

Before either man could answer any of them, or Warren or Charlotte could say anything, Cecelia appeared out of nowhere, behind her father, smiling brightly.

"Really, Mr Worthington, you should be more careful. People might start getting the wrong idea," she said with a dainty laugh.

"Miss Brown, are you engaged?!" Someone shouted.

Cecelia flashed her left hand, its ring finger bare. "Certainly not. At least, not that I've been informed," she added with another laugh, that no one could help joining in with. "You see, Warren Jr and I have been best friends since he was born, because I am, of course, five months older …"

"And never lets me forget it," Warren added loudly.

Cecelia blew him a kiss. "A friendship like that forms a bond like nothing else you will ever encounter in your life and it leads to one of two things. One, you end up as lovers or two, you end up like siblings. Now …" she made a show of looking Warren up and down, "I love you, but you are not my type." She held out a hand to him. "And I'd like to thank Mom and Dad for acknowledging that my little brother is also my family, even if we aren't getting married."

Warren went to her, taking her hand. "And I'd like to thank Mom and Dad for acknowledging that my big sister is my family, even if she isn't going to be their daughter-in-law."

Cecelia kissed his cheek and the crowd cooed.

Beside Taryn, Charlotte finally breathed out a sigh of relief. "That man," she muttered, her eyes fixed on her husband, who was standing with a frozen smile on his face. "I am going to kill him."

"It could have been worse," Taryn said, "he could have actually announced an engagement."

The crowd had mostly dispersed into mingling party-goers, the entertainment over.

Warren and his father were talking quietly, somehow managing to make an argument look like a genial catch-up.

But Taryn could read Warren's growing frustration in the set of his shoulders. She glanced up towards the skylight and sighed. Technically, prophetic visions were not part of her mutation, but sometimes, she didn't need them.

Warren had warned her early on that he might not last the night with his parents and she had a feeling they would not be leaving through the door.

Cecelia was talking to her father, who looked a little less angry about everything, and a woman who must have been her mother had just appeared as well, when Cecelia spun away from her parents to face the two Worthingtons, a gasp of horror escaping her mouth.

Sensing trouble, Charlotte swept forwards, giving the lingering reporters an unruffled smile. "How wonderful, both of my favourite men back in the same room."

Warren was not in the mood to be placated. "What did you just say to me?"

"Don't ask him to repeat it," Cecelia said, looking angry. "Taryn's in earshot now."

Taryn didn't need him to repeat it. Cecelia didn't know to shield her thoughts and the disparaging remark about where exactly Warren had picked Taryn up on 'short notice' (and probably a low price) was bouncing around her head, where Taryn could hear it loud and clear.

"Warren!" Charlotte hissed at her husband through a frozen smile. "What did you say?"

Taryn rested one hand on Warren's arm and held the other out to his father, a kind of serene calm settling in her mind. After all, she could hardly make a worst second impression. "It's nice to meet you, Mr Worthington. My name is Taryn Winters, I've been dating your son for just under two years. I've just been accepted into New York University on a music scholarship to study American Literature."

While his father gave her a dirty look and ignored her attempt to build a bridge, Warren shook his head. "I can see nothing's changed here. Appearances are still more important than family."

"Darling, please …" Charlotte said, finally dropping the (creepy) fake smile. "It's been so long since I've seen you."

Warren faltered, and kissed his mother's cheek. "If you're still talking to me tomorrow, we can arrange lunch or something."

Charlotte nodded. "I'd like that. Bring Taryn too please."

Warren turned to Taryn. "Have you ever wanted to see New York from the air?"

His father stiffened. "Junior, don't you dare."

"Warren?" Cecelia asked. "What are you talking about?"

Taryn sighed again, looking up towards the skylight. "And I suppose you want to make a dramatic exit."

Warren grinned. "Please and thank you."

Taryn slipped her shoes off and into her bag, extending an arm to Cecelia. "It was a pleasure to meet you; I'll make sure he keeps in contact."

"You'd better," Cecelia said, giving her a hug. "He's awful at it. But what is he talking about?"

Warren kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry I never told you, C.C., but there was a reason I stayed away."

"Junior!" His father snapped. "I mean it!"

"Darling, the press!" Charlotte whispered.

"They'll see anyway," Warren said, shrugging his jacket off and draping it around her shoulders.

Muttering behind them told Taryn that she had been wrong when she assumed he had strapped up under his shirt.

"You were planning this, weren't you?" Taryn asked wryly, slipping her arms through the sleeves and taking a deep whiff of his scent on the collar.

"I was prepared for it." Warren pulled the release on the strap and the braces fluttered to the floor; Taryn caught them automatically, folding them in mid-air and letting them settle beside her shoes. As his wings extended, she heard camera shutters and gasps of awe.

"Oh," Cecelia whispered. "That explains a lot."

Warren grimaced, but she shook her head. "You're my brother, I love you, tell me tomorrow. You need to get out of here."

Warren lifted Taryn into his arms and she wrapped hers around his neck. "Ready when you are."

With one large sweep of his wings, Warren took off, sending them spiralling towards the skylight. As they drew near, Taryn held out her hand and sent a gentle psychic blast towards it, pushing it open without so much as scratching the glass (something that made her sigh inwardly with relief, since she had only just gained that much control).

It was a silent flight, which gave Taryn the chance to admire the view of New York City lit up beneath the stars.

One day, she would have the power to fly herself, just as Jean could, but even then, she thought she would prefer to fly in Warren's arms.

His arms cradled her against his chest like she was the most precious thing he would ever hold and, when they landed not fifteen minutes later, and her feet touched the ground, he never let go.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I thought it might be bad, but …"

"It's alright," Taryn said with a smile. "Your mom seems to like me. So does Cecelia. So your dad mistook me for a hooker, big deal."

Warren shook his head. "You heard …?"

"Eh, Cecelia thinks loudly," Taryn said, resting her head on Warren's chest. "I get the feeling he said it to get a rise out of you. Maybe if we meet under different circumstances, things might be different."

Warren sighed, stroking her hair. "Maybe. The whole reason I wanted you to meet them tonight was because the number of people would keep them from making a scene."

"Well, you took the high road," Taryn said. She thought for a second. "Literally."

"I hope this doesn't come down on you," Warren said, now turning to another problem. "The media can be fickle."

"No one knows who I am," Taryn said soothingly. "I spoke to your father quietly, unless he continues to make a scene – and I think your mother might actually murder him if he does …"

"Won't stop him from saying it," Warren muttered.

Taryn pressed a kiss to his chin. "Honey, we are a week away from Christmas. Try to be optimistic. We are …" she glanced over her shoulder and promptly lost all train of thought. "Oh my God!"

Warren had landed them on one of the cliff-tops near Bayville, but unlike the ones near the mansion, which looked out over open water, this one looked out over the bright lights of New York.

"What do you think?" Warren asked softly.

"It's beautiful," Taryn whispered.

Warren pressed a kiss to her head. "You're beautiful."

Taryn giggled into his shoulder. "That was so bad."

"Okay, that was pretty bad," Warren agreed. "True, though."

Taryn took a deep breath and let it out slowly, nestling into his arms. The evening had not gone as planned, but she couldn't bring herself to be too worried. Cecelia was on her side and, unless she was very much mistaken, Charlotte was as well, and she was certain that, between the two of them, they could handle any issues Warren Sr. might have.

"You will call your mom tomorrow, right?" She asked. "It'd be nice to meet her again under … calmer circumstances."

Warren pressed a kiss to her head. "I will," he said. "Hopefully she won't be too mad at me."

"Your father started it," Taryn pointed out, lifting her head. "And she did ask."

Warren smiled. "Not about that." He loosened his arms, releasing her from his embrace, before taking her hands. "Elizabeth Taryn Winters …"

Taryn grimaced. "Honey, you know I hate my given name."

"I know," Warren said, kissing her knuckles. "But I'm going to ask you to let me use it one last time." He released her right hand in favour of drawing a small box from his trouser pocket. "I am so completely in love with you. Would you do me the honour of agreeing to marry me?"