Alex sighed happily as soon as she woke up in the morning. She'd had a wonderful time at the Rathbones party. She had been invited because she and the Rathbones daughter Eliza had been best friends since the cradle. She had thought about not attending after her parents had dropped the bomb on her mere hours before the event, but Eliza had begged her so hard that she had given in. She was so glad now that she had given into her best friend's insistence she attend. She never would have met David Rossi if she had not. Dave, as he had told her to call him, was so charming. He had been genuinely sympathetic, when she had poured out her trouble like a drippy rain spout.
He had understood why she hadn't wanted to give up her inheritance. He had even suggested that she have a lawyer read over any contract before she married whoever her parents found for her, something she hadn't considered. Things were definitely looking up.
She realized that she and Dave had just met though, so she shouldn't expect too much from the relationship. It might go nowhere or it might lead to a forefeeling marriage. Still, Alex found herself hoping that it would lead to him proposing and then marrying.
Alex could've happily laid there all day dreaming about a relationship. Even though she was nearly 35 that didn't prevent her from being just a little bit infatuated with the handsome David Rossi. He would've thought at her age she would be beyond such things. She had just realized she'd been rather lonely for awhile. She'd had boyfriends of course but none serious.
She had yet to tell her parents about Dave and she wasn't sure she was going to. She wanted to keep David Rossi and her relationship a secret for awhile. For one thing if you looked at it from her point of view her beloved parents had betrayed her by threatening to arrange a marriage for her. She wasn't entirely sure if they had been intending to do that all along or if they had just decided she was taking far too long to find yourself a husband. Alex was kind of surprised that they hadn't insisted she get married right after she finished college. Maybe they had figured she would rebel. She probably would have back then Alex admitted.
She might still rebel it all depended on a number of factors. She certainly made enough to live on and she was perfectly capable of looking after herself without some kind of Neanderthal as a husband. If she was going to marry it would have to be someone that wasn't going to try to stomp all over her rights. Wasn't going to try to get her to be nothing more than a housewife and a nanny for the kids.
Alex was not unaware that such men existed. She was not about to have any man curtail her freedom. This was the beginning of the 21st-century after all. She would divorce such a man faster than he could blink if he tried that kind of tactic. She wasn't entirely sure if her parents had taken that into consideration. After all, they should know how independent she was and nobody was going to take that from her. She'd rather die.
This deal about having a husband before she could get her inheritance had shocked her cold and it showed a very deep lack of her parents understanding of their daughter. She could refuse to get married she knew, but it would likely just make her parents, particularly her father, cut her off completely. That wasn't love, not really. Alex wondered if her parents would've done the same if they'd been able to have their own kids.
Probably, particularly at daughter Alex decided. She knew perfectly well that in high society families there were certain things that other people had to do, being married, having children was one of those things. She suddenly wondered if her parents would've done the same thing to a son or if they would have allowed him to find his own wife without all the pressure they were putting on her. She supposed she'd never really know for sure, but she suspected not. Her family line was old enough that daughters had been given away in marriage before without their consent, but since this was the 21st first century they couldn't trade her like a piece of meat. Also, technically, she wasn't their blood. Yes, they had raised her as their own and she had grown-up privileged and Alex well knew that there was certain responsibilities that went along with that privilege and carrying on the family line was one of those things. Men didn't have the same problem that a woman had. A woman only had so many years to have children before she became infertile. A man didn't have that problem as his seed was always viable. Still, she hadn't expected such an announcement, as her parents had never even hinted in that direction.
She probably would've broken away and moved somewhere besides Los Angeles if they had when she was in her twenties, Alex knew. Now she could see the writing on the wall. It wasn't even that she had any objection to getting married, just that she hadn't found the right guy yet. She thought that Dave might be the 'one' but she'd see.
Alex's mind came up with numerous possibilities, even as she fixed some breakfast for herself.
She sat down to eat a few minutes later and finished her food absentmindedly, as her mind was very busy, mostly with thoughts of Dave. She blushed several times, as her mind went into the gutter with thoughts of getting Dave into bed and normally, such thoughts were not like her at all. On the other hand, she was a red blooded American girl and Dave was a very handsome man. She had never imagined she could go for a man with a beard, even if that was just on his chin, but on Dave's face it just looked natural and didn't detract from his looks at all.
She couldn't help praying that things worked out. It never even occurred to her to wonder why she was so attracted to David Rossi, so smitten, when it had never happened before with any other man.
~~~Dave and Alex~~~
"There was something about her," Dave told Dughill as soon as he had gotten back for the night in an excited mood. He had enjoyed himself more at the party then he usually did, as Aithne kept her distance, once she had seen he was involved with someone and he was grateful. He thought that Aithne had headed home much earlier than he had. He hoped she had enjoyed herself while he was busy with Alex.
"Do you know what it was?" Dug asked.
"Not precisely," Dave admitted. "Her smell though was off. You know that humans have a distinct scent, just like every species has. She looked completely human, though I'm well aware, it could be some kind of glamor. If it was, I couldn't tell, which means it's a different kind of glamor from what our kind usually uses. I stretched out with my senses and nothing set them off. If she didn't smell different I would say she was completely human."
"Maybe she's completely human after all?" Dug suggested.
Dave considered that idea seriously.
"That's possible, but in my opinion not likely," Dave told his longtime friend. "Whatever kind of magic she's under, if she is, well, it would have to be some kind of complicated illusion and not just a glamor. She said she was adopted as a baby by the Blakes, who found her practically on their doorstep, apparently abandoned. They never had any children of their own and Alex doesn't think that they ever considered adopting, not until they found her anyway. They were in their early 30s when they found her and that was quite old back when Alex was found by her parents, especially when it came to a woman's pregnancy. Nowadays, it's different. Human women are getting pregnant in their early to late 40s now."
"I see," Dughill said.
"So do you know anything that could possibly remove the illusion if we're right right about her being under a spell?" Dave asked.
Such magic did exist and both men knew it.
"It would depend on what kind of spell it was m'lord," Dughill offered. "If there is such a spell on this women then it's been there since she was a baby. For a illusion to last so long, well, the only way I can see it happening was that if someone gave their life for the child she was at the time. You know some magic requires the life of someone in order to last for a long time. I believe the only reason such a spell is still working now that the lady is an adult is that this Alex has no idea that she's not completely human. They're probably specific parameters to get the spell to fade and maybe for her own magic to finally emerge. You've already said that it's not your normal kind of glamor, that even when you extended your senses she seemed completely human, except the way she smelled. Something that whoever cast the spell probably didn't think of."
"And that's only if I'm right and she's not completely human," Dave said. "Of course, she didn't smell like one of our kind either, which means she could be partly sidhe and partly human or some other species."
"I would have to meet her for myself of course, but our species sense of smell is certainly better than a humans for the most part. You said she doesn't smell human, which means she probably isn't."
"She could simply have some other race in her bloodline several generations back," Dave suggested. "Sidhe do get involved with humans occasionally and have a child, even several."
"And then, those children grow up and have their own younglings," Dug said.
"And they might do so in the human world never telling their spouse or their children about their heritage if they even know it," Dave agreed.
Dug was nodding at this as such things happened. Not often, but occasionally. Most of their race was very responsible, but not always. It could even be that a youngling wanted to go live in the human world once they were grown and then married. Sidhe in general had trouble having children with their own kind. If this Alex was part sidhe or even completely human and having children would be easier.
There was some prejudice against half human, half sidhe younglings in Underhill and lot of elves wouldn't want to procreate with them. They felt that it diluted their own blood. There was some truth to that Dug knew as part human and part sidhe didn't live as long as full ones, but still, they lived much longer than a full human. There was very few such certainties in life anyway, as one of their kind could be killed by one of their enemies at any time. Every sidhe over 50 had enemies, though some didn't have very many.
"You don't think that's what happened in Alex's case," Dug suggested shrewdly.
"No, I really don't, but I don't know for sure. I think the original theory has more chance of being right then someone who was half sidhe or even a full one finding a partner to marry here in this world. I think perhaps that whoever left Alex with the Blakes was trying to protect her. If she is at least partly human, which to me makes more sense, then the other theory. Somebody might have been after them to kill them. You know very well that human/sidhe relationships aren't exactly approved of in certain circles."
"You mean our dark cousins," Dug said grimacing, as he thought about the dark sidhe, who did as much evil as they could. They would betray you at the drop of a hat and you could never trust one to not do so if it was to their advantage. With rare exceptions they were completely amoral and sowed evil for its own sake.
"They are the most likely suspects," Dave admitted. "They are known for seducing human women, taking them back to their domain and then keeping them prisoner for years, even decades. It would be possible to conceive a child there, even several. They might not approve of human/sidhe relationships, but it is certainly easier to have a child with a human or someone who is half human."
"So you're thinking that that's what happened and then the woman escaped once she discovered she was pregnant."
"She might've waited until just a week before she gave birth. She would have to wait until whichever dark sidhe had her prisoner let his guard down. She would have to be all compliant, to let whichever one that held her prisoner believe that her spirit was broken. She would then take the opportunity when it came. It would be dangerous and whoever Alex's real mother was would know that, but then, most women would risk everything to get their child's somewhere safe."
"You know that whoever held her prisoner would've likely come after her," Dug said.
"Yes, I know, but by that time she likely would've given birth and left the baby in a likely place to be found. Or perhaps, she gave her life to weave that illusion over her daughter in order to keep her safe," Dave said.
"That's possible," Dug agreed. "Whichever dark sidhe held Alex's mother prisoner is likely still looking for his child and if she is found she will be made prisoner. She'll have no choice in the matter."
"Probably," Dave scowled. "If the father dares comes after Alex though, he's going to be dead if I have any say in the matter."
"Our theory might not be right," Dug soothed.
"No, it might not be, but it's the most likely possibility," Dave acknowledged calmly with a fierce glint in his eyes that told Dug that if anyone dark sidhe or otherwise came after Alex that meant her harm they were going to be dead.
Dug could only agree with that sentiment, as Alex was the innocent in this and it was the innocent that often got caught in the crossfire. Dave would make sure that didn't happen and would carve up anybody who came after Alex with evil intent and would have no trouble doing so nor would he feel guilty if that were to happen.
~~~Dave and Alex~~~