AN: Hopefully this chapter will be the last of relationship building and going forward, I can focus on the story and show some action! I hope you haven't found the story too much of a snooze fest so far! Please consider leaving a review as I'd rather know now if I'm on the wrong track than after I've written half of it. Thanks!
The next night found her making her way down to the conservatory, wondering if she might see the young child of Oberon again. She wanted to thank him for his gift, and she had a few questions she was hoping he might be able to answer for her. To her pleasant surprise, she found Angela and Broadway waiting for her instead, with a box of chocolate treats and a game of Trivial Pursuit. The conservatory only had two, small, rod iron chairs, so they spread the game out on the tiles adjoining the fountain. As they played and chatted, she became preoccupied with the chocolate treats that Broadway had brought for them to snack on. They were small spheres of creamy chocolate, contained within a layer of glossy chocolate sprinkles. They looked quite appealing and smelled delicious.
"May I have some?" she asked suddenly. Broadway glanced at Angela, surprised.
"You? But you never eat snacks," Angela observed.
"You almost never eat anything," Broadway added, but he cheerfully handed the box to her.
"Oh, they aren't for me," she explained, taking three from the box, and crawling the few feet to the edge of the fountain. She plucked some glossy leaves from one of the nearby citrus trees and laid them at the edge of the fountain, then arranged the treats so they looked like the center of a flower, with the leaves making the petals, spread out from the center. Satisfied, she returned to the game.
"What that heck is that for?" Broadway asked incredulously.
"Fairies," she replied matter-of-factly. Broadway looked at Angela for further explanation, but she merely shrugged.
"Mother," she began, a bit nervously, "We wanted to ask you some questions about this summer."
"What about this summer?" she replied.
"It will be a rookery summer," Broadway explained.
"Oh, I see," she replied unsteadily.
"And Broadway and I, we wish to give our clan children." She paused for a moment, astounded by the news, then her face broke into a genuine smile and she embraced her daughter happily. Angela, quite relieved at her reaction, told her, "But I don't know what to do to prepare for it."
"There's not much to do," she assured her, stroking her face affectionately, "As the nights get shorter, see that you eat well and sleep in the direct sun. Nature will make all the necessary preparations whether you want it to or not."
"How will I know when it's the right time?" she asked anxiously.
"It will be unmistakable for both of you."
"Will you help me? When the time come for the egg to be born?"
"My dear, I'd help you with anything you would ask of me. Surely you know that."
Angela embraced her again and Broadway seemed pleased as well. They happily resumed their game, but as they played, her expression became more distant.
"What is it, Adelpha?" Broadway finally asked.
"I fear for any young one in this world," she admitted, "Just as I already fear for you. That's all. And I think it would be hard, for one of our kind, to be raised alone with no rookery siblings."
"Perhaps they won't be alone," she pointed out, "There might be more than one egg, right?" She nodded.
"Yes, two ovulations in a summer is typical, and even three isn't unheard of." The likelihood of siblings seemed to comfort her, and Angela said,
"But even if there is only one, they won't be alone. They will have the whole clan to look out for them."
"You're right," she admitted, "And even in a woefully imperfect world, a new life is a joyful occasion.
"And you'll be here for them as well," Angela added, "And I'm so glad you are here!" She smiled again, clearly moved at her daughter's words.
Later that night, when Goliath came to take her swimming, she was still vacillating between joy and worry, regarding the prospect of new hatchlings. She'd been wondering why Goliath had asked her to accompany him that evening, and while a variety of likely and unlikely reasons had filtered through her imagination, she could only assume he needed to tell her or ask her something important. She dreaded the thought that it was another attempt to convince her to undergo additional assaults on her sanity. She was getting quite weary of saying 'no' to that. But she wondered what exactly she was hoping for; what she even could hope for, from Goliath. Nothing of his countenance suggested that he intended to tell her anything truly devastating, so she was fairly confident that wasn't going to be the case, but she didn't believe for a moment that he was just really wanting a swimming companion.
The castle's atrium really was an amazing space. It had been added to the tower blueprints in order to get past the city's zoning committee, which didn't want the new tower obstructing sunlight from a neighboring park. The sun went straight through this part of the building, preserving a bit of sunlight on the park near the end of the afternoon, but it also, in effect, provided the Xanatos' with their own private park. It included a variety of trees, shrubs, and flower beds, a winding jogging path, a full-sized swimming pool, and an elaborate, fenced-in play-structure that had been built for the Xanatos' four-year-old, but was most frequently utilized by the in-house childcare program of Xanatos' Enterprises. After dark, the atrium seemed even more like a typical city park, with a lovely view of the city. Only missing the rats, pigeons, and humans, she found it lovely as they slipped into the heated pool.
For a long time, they swam in silence. She was enjoying the warm, pleasant sensation of the water flowing against her wings and shoulders. It was almost as good as gliding. She didn't notice, at first, that Goliath had mostly stopped swimming and was simply watching her. When she did finally notice, she reckoned it was time to find out what he really wanted. Swimming over to where he was leaning against the side of the pool, she asked him,
"Why did you want me to come swimming with you tonight?"
"I wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you," he said simply.
"Proud of me?" she repeated, as if she was certain she hadn't heard correctly.
"Of how well you've been doing."
She laughed wildly at this. "This is 'doing well', by your estimation?"
"Yes," he said with sincerity, "You've come so far and I believe you are strong enough to fight this darkness. I believe in you." Her laughter quieted at this.
"Do you?" she asked.
" I do," he replied, placing his claw on her shoulder. She reached up with her own claw and touched his for a moment.
"You must tell me the truth then," she said earnestly, "Even if it's difficult. Do you promise?" He looked concerned at the request, but he nodded.
"That woman. Elisa Maza. Has she taken my place in your heart?" He was visibly taken aback by the question.
"I…," he stuttered and paused.
"I must know," she said softy, betraying no emotion, "And you promised." For a moment, Goliath looked genuinely horrified. She looked away from him and said, "It is best if you just tell me the truth."
"Yes," he said at last, "She has, in every sense nature will allow."
At first she only nodded, and tears brimmed from Goliaths eyes, for he didn't wish to hurt her.
"You are happy in this life?" she pressed him, after a few silent moments went by.
"Yes," he confessed, tears flowing freely now.
"Then I will learn to be content with your happiness. And if warmth ever comes back into your eyes when you look at me, and gentleness in your voice when you speak of me, then earning that back will be enough for me." Almost violently, Goliath pulled her into his embrace and she could feel his sorrow in his labored breathing and the tears that fell on her shoulder. There was a great aching in her as well, but she didn't weep. She had needed to hear him say it himself, but she had known the truth all along. Instead, she whispered,
"You left me alone."
"What?" he asked, wiping the tears from his face.
"When I was recovering from the treatment," she explained, "You stopped coming." He pulled away from her gently. Letting his gaze fall on the water.
"You seemed to suffer so much when I was there. I thought it would be easier on you if you didn't see me."
"I know," she told him, "I heard you talking to Xanatos outside my room. But still, it felt as though you'd given up on me. As if…I was already dead to you. Just like that night."
"What night?" he asked, and he felt her shudder.
"When I fell from the tower, and you left me for dead. I know you thought me dead. You would have come for me otherwise."
"Oh Adelpha," he whispered, "If you only knew how I grieved for you."
"But I couldn't fight it anymore. If I was already dead in your eyes, then what was left for me to fight for? I think that's when the darkness overtook me. So you must try not to leave me again. I won't ask you to promise. Promises are traps for catching fools. But please know, I may not be as strong as you think. If the darkness comes for me again, I will need you to stay with me. I may not be strong enough without you. Do you understand?"
"I understand," he replied and she was clearly relieved. She pulled away from him and went back to swimming. She continued for some time, gliding softly, back and forth through the water, thinking of all that had transpired between them, until Goliath pointed out the change in the sky. They dried off and dressed themselves, and Goliath guided her back to her rooms.
"Thank you for coming with me," he said softly.
"I enjoyed the pool," she said, "Perhaps another time, you could invite the others." He nodded, and she went in. Completely spent, she went to her bed, and found another Sweet Dream, glistening with it's pink, pearly brilliance, right in the middle of her pillow. She smiled gratefully.
"Thank you!" she whispered, as if she hoped the fairy boy could hear her, "I could certainly use one this morning!"