#And the feathers signifying wings was what sold me

[thecandywrites]

Jewel Of The North Chapter 14

Jewel Of the North

Chapter 14

The next morning you woke up and Noah helped you get to the bathroom and then downstairs where he helped you sit down at the kitchen table. 

“What do you want for breakfast?” Noah asked you. 

“I’ll eat whatever you want to make Noah.” You answered before Zane came down the stairs, followed by the girls. All of them were still sleepy but had woken up to find themselves alone in the bed and were naturally seeking you and Noah out. The girls sat down at the table with you while Zane helped Noah make breakfast for the family. 

“So how did everyone sleep?” You asked them. 

“Good. Now that we were all home and together. But I don’t want Daddy to fly anymore. We need to stick together. You’re still hurt Mama, we need to all stay together to take care of you.” Sakura insisted as she climbed into your lap and clung to you just as tightly as she had the night before while you hugged her just as tightly as she rested her head on your shoulder while Skylar used her arms as a pillow on the kitchen table next to you. 

“I agree.” Zane and Skylar both echoed. 

“And I agree too.” Noah soon mirrored. 

“But what about the rest of the season?” You asked Noah. 

“There are other pilots with other planes to fly the other loads. I think that by the time I can get back to my plane and do the repairs enough to fly it into the hangar here. It should only take a few days at the most. And then at least a week or so to get it to work on it just enough to fly it into the hangar in The Great Lakes. You should be plenty healed up by then. And then instead of you taking Sakura and the pets by yourself by road and driving them home, I’ll just go with you. Keep the family together. Just in case something else happens, we can deal with it like we did last night, together as a family. I have enough in the bank and in reserves to pay for that much at least. And that’s all I need. You’re safe and the kids are safe, everything else is just details.” Noah insisted which got you and your children to smile appreciatively. 

“I just hate to cut your season so short. You’re only half way through.” You sympathized. 

“Nah, I’ve been down for longer for less before. Besides, the kids are right. We should stick together. And we might as well get a head start on heading to the Great Lakes all together anyway.” Noah encouraged before he moved his first omlete onto your plate before getting started on the others.  

“Agreed.” All the kids answered. 

“Well then I guess that settles it huh?” You asked your family rhetorically as they all nodded.

Then Noah’s phone started ringing and he had to tell the unfortunate news of the crash last night and how his plane was half sunk in a small lake. And to go ahead and give his loads to other pilots, because he was done for the season. It broke your heart to hear. But you understood his decision and supported him through it. And of course, Noah had to lose the business of his clients for the rest of the season to Evan and Darrek no less- which was especially hard for your pride to take but you reminded yourself of what was really important, keeping the family together and safe and while this season was a bust, hopefully it would mean that by next season, things would be better, if there could even be a 'next season'. But since, as a professional, you had to make calls like that too when life had other plans than what you wanted. You could completely sympathize and empathize. Once Noah was done calling everyone and telling everyone, his phone stopped ringing as he got his books out and wrote end of season in them, at only half way through when he normally would have. 

After breakfast and all of you got dressed, he took all of you to town to get supplies as you could walk just a tiny bit better today but still had to hold onto either Noah or Zane to help you get over stairs. But when you went to try to pay for some of it, your card was declined. 

“Excuse me, what?” You asked rhetorically as you tried it again but it declined before you tried a second card and that one was declined too. 

“Are you kidding me?!” You growled angrily and in embarrassment before you tried a third card and it got declined too. 

“What’s wrong?” Noah asked. 

“My cards are getting declined. I know for a fact there’s thousands of dollars in my account. I called my banks and told them that I would be up here and to not flag my accounts for fraud if they saw Arctic Tundra charges...oh gods fucking damn it.” You growled when you looked at the expiration date on all the cards you were trying to use and then looked at your phone to double check the date.  

“What day is it?” You asked Noah. 

“August first.” Noah answered. 

“And all of these cards expired yesterday, July 31st.” You realized as you pointed to all of the cards in question. 

“Oh damn.” Noah realized. 

“And I had the post office hold all my mail while I was gone, before I left. My new cards are at the post office, in the Great Lakes. I’m...I’m screwed is what I am.” You realized as Noah went ahead and paid for what he needed, grateful for the money that you had left him when you had left him earlier in the summer.

You went down the counter and began pulling out every card you owned and found that almost all your personal cards were expired. You had a few business cards but almost everything else- was expired- as of today. And the credit cards that had not expired were already almost maxed out just from the cruise and stuff and you’d have to make huge payments on them immediately to free up some credit at least. 

“What’s wrong Mama?” Sakura asked. 

“Hey so you know how most grown ups have these cards instead of carrying cash around?” You told her as you held up the stack of expired cards.

“Yeah,” she nodded. 

“Well you see this date right here? See how it says 7 and the year?” You asked her. 

“Yeah.” She nodded. 

“Well that means that the card is only good until the end of July of this year.” You explained. 

“Oh so like a coupon, it expired and you can’t use it anymore.” Sakura realized. 

“Exactly. Problem is, that all the money I have, I can’t use it if the card that I use to access it, is expired. It means that I can’t help Daddy pay for the plane. I can’t help pay for much of anything, actually.” You began as you looked at your driver’s license. 

“Oh gods damn it, my driver’s license is about to expire too! Great, this is just...great.” You sarcastically realized before you looked at your passport. 

“Well at least this doesn’t expire for a few more years.” You realized before you held your head in your hands as all your kids came around you and tried to give you reassurance that it was going to be ok. 

“So what can we do?” Zane asked. 

“Call the banks, ask them if they have any branches up here. I can try to get to a branch to get me a temporary card, try to get some cashier’s checks, try to get as much money moved into Noah’s account as I can and try to get a card from his bank. But we have to hurry, my birthday is in just a few days and my license will expire then. But at least I still have a good passport, I don’t know what else I could do.” You admitted. 

“Ok, kids, stay with Dad, I gotta make a bunch of phone calls.” You said before you left the store and sat down on the bench outside the store and called your banks at home and explained what had happened and what was happening and asked what you could do. Each bank’s branch manager assured you that they would do all they could to help by contacting the branches that were up there and explain the situation and when to expect you and how to help and what you would need to get on local banks accounts.

“So what’s going on?” Noah asked as he came out of the store with all three kids as you hung up on your call to the last bank in question. 

“So, almost all of my personal check cards, credit cards, they all expired yesterday. My driver’s license expires in just a few days. I can not do jack shit with an expired license. I need to fly home and get my mail and my license renewed and turn right back around to fly back here. I thought it all expired next year, not this year. And certainly not right now. I thought I had more time. But we also need to use what time that my driver’s license is still valid to do as much as we can up here first. And that, sadly, starts with going from here to Anchor Age. Because at least in Anchor Age there are two branches to my banks there and right now, the bank managers at home are calling those in Anchor Age to let them know I’m coming and will be moving large amounts of money to the banks here in Fair Banks via cashier’s checks. But first, we need a vehicle that fits all five of us safely and comfortably. How long do you think it will take to buy a truck?” You asked him. 

“At least an hour.” Noah ventured. 

“And the banks close in eight hours and we’re a six hour drive away as it is.” You realized as you looked at your phone and the time and felt anxiety whirl in your chest. When Murphy’s Law struck, it struck hard. 

“Well how about we get the truck. Then go to the bank in Anchor Age. We get that business sorted out there. Come back to the bank here and then you fly home, rent a car, get the mail, get your license and fly right back. Because you’re right, you’ll need your driver’s license. I’m sure Grandma Summer and Grandma Isla will watch us while Noah gets his plane fixed up in the lake. And by the time you can come back here, the plane should be repaired enough to get to the hangar here. You’ll just have to divide and conquer for a day or two. And then from there, we’ll figure out how to get the plane to the hangar in the Great Lakes. If that’s even possible. And then we’ll figure out how to get all of us back home to the Great Lakes too.” Zane specified. 

“Ok. Let’s go truck shopping. Something big, big enough and strong enough to haul a heavy horse trailer with draft horses in it. Maybe a dually.” You nodded when everyone else nodded their agreement to that plan before Noah and Zane helped you back into Noah’s truck along with his other supplies in the back of the truck with the kids in the truck bed.  

“Well hello Noah, you finally turning in that rust bucket?” Jim, one of the sales guys said when he saw Noah, yourself and your family get out of Noah’s truck and come into the car sales office.

“No. We’re here just to get a second truck.” Noah answered. 

“Noah’s truck is older but trustworthy. We’re keeping it. We just need a second one that fits the five of us.” You insisted as Noah and Zane helped you sit down in the chair for the dealer’s paperwork. 

“You ok there Miss?” Jim asked. 

“Yeah, we survived a plane crash yesterday and my feet got burned in the process so it hurts to stand or walk. And to add insult to injury, all my bank cards expired today and my driver’s license will expire in just a few days. And we need to get to the First National Bank in Anchor Age before they close tonight at five which means I need you to sell me a truck as quickly as you can. Preferably less than an hour. It needs to be large, it needs to seat five comfortably. It needs to be in perfect working order. I don’t care if it’s new or used. Or what the color is. I just need it to haul a full horse trailer full of three draft horses and all their tack. And I’ll be paying however you want or need me to pay, preferably by check and outright. I just need it done, and done quickly. Can you do that or do I need your manager to assist me?” You asked as you tried not to let too much of your own irritation from your own pain and panic and sharp edge to your tone intimidate him too much or come off as rude, even as pressed for time as you were.

“Well actually I have at least a dozen that will fit that bill perfectly…” Jim began before he got his manager in on it and after a quick google search of your name and your claim of who you were and the lawsuit settlement and bank balance that you currently had in your account. Since it was the first after all, that meant that the lawsuit settlement payment came through just that morning, all $250,000 of it. And they both nearly saw dollar signs as you had to repeat that you just needed the truck and to get it out of there as quickly and legally as possible. Even though there was a camper there that caught your eye and you couldn't help but be drawn to it. But you didn't have time to deal with it at the moment.

And in thirty seven minutes, you did just that as you quickly called your insurance providers to get the truck added to your policy so you’d have insurance coverage for it. 

Noah got the keys to the truck, and after calling his sister to come and get his truck later, he loaded up what he could into the new one and Noah drove like the wind to get to the bank in Anchor Age before they closed. You called and told them that you were coming and that you should be making it in time. You all got a drive through for lunch on the way. You were just grateful you had your checkbooks on you and could write a check for it. 

It took exactly 6 hours one way just to get to the first one by three and to the second one by four, thanks to the early start that morning.  And they were, thankfully, expecting you. They had already gotten the heads up about who you were, and what you looked like. And they confirmed that those bank account balances were indeed correct. And had already drawn up the cashier’s checks in your name, only needing you in person to sign off and fill out the rest of the transactions and got copies of your driver’s license at their branch. Which you were so grateful for so you could use every penny of them. The other branch managers in the Great Lakes and your Financial accountant all had called and vouched for you so that you could get to both branches and get those blessed cashier’s checks. 

And when you got there, they were very understanding of your current circumstances and both banks did all they could by getting you temporary cards, and cashier’s checks to take to Noah’s banks in Fair Banks. And of course you got Noah on your accounts and got him temporary cards for your accounts as well. You had them mail his new official bank cards to your address in the Great Lakes because surely, he would be there by the time you would get them. And they even called ahead to the banks back in Fair Banks and let them know what was going on and what to expect the next day.

All of you didn't get back to Noah's house till midnight and Noah had to take a few trips to carry all three kids into the house and put them into bed before getting his own things as you barely made it up the stairs and felt like you collapsed on the mattress.

But it worked out best because first thing in the morning, after breakfast, all five of you went to Noah's banks to put yourself on Noah’s accounts. 

“Hello.” You greeted the staff at Noah’s banks politely as you and Noah and all your kids came into the bank. 

“Hi Noah, so this is the Zara that your parents have gone on about.” The banker Judy noted with a fond smile. 

“Yes, hi, I’m Zara. These are my kids, Xander and Skylar and obviously, you already know Sakura.” You introduced as they smiled politely in turn. 

“We’re here to put Zara on my accounts and get her a check card and make a few deposits, did you get the call from First National Bank and the other banks yesterday?” Noah asked hopefully. 

“Uh we did, but it was just...a little hard to believe.” Judy admitted with a forced pleasant smile. 

“What part was hard to believe? That all my check cards expired the day before yesterday and my driver’s license expires tomorrow or that I have four cashier’s checks for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars each to deposit into Noah’s personal account and business accounts?” You asked semi rhetorically. 

“All of it.” Judy admitted as the branch manager Tabatha was next to her, also wearing a polite smile but weariness in her eyes as they both laughed a little nervously. 

“I see, well here are my check cards and credit cards that have expired day before yesterday. Here is my driver’s license, that I’m flying out in about four hours to go home and get that redone and flying back as soon as I can and here is my passport that thankfully still has a few years left on it before it expires and of course you can always call First National Bank and the other banks, in the Great Lakes and in Anchor Age to confirm who I am. And here’s the business cards for them. Or you could just google my full legal name with Nullensill Semiconductor if you doubt the validity of my wealth and the validity that the cashier’s checks are good.” You offered as you laid all the items out on Trudy’s desk.

Trudy and Tabatha and the head teller Megan, all took the items back into Tabatha’s office and did just as you suggested. Then you heard the three ladies gasp then whisper like crazy before a flurry of phone calls to confirm your claims that you were who you said you were and appeared to be. 

“There are times Google is a blessing and a curse.” You muttered tiredly to Noah who squeezed your hand reassuringly as Zane kept Skylar and Sakura busy with a game on their tablet in the other “waiting area” in the bank.  

Suddenly when the phone calls ended and they “talked it over” by more hushed whispers, they all came out. All of them wearing big bright happy smiles, and friendly demeanors. And of course, over the top customer service and seemingly heartfelt apologies for not believing you the first time. Then they all and happily did as you asked, getting copies of your soon to expire license with the promise that when you got back home, you were going to of course get a current one and bring that back when you came back. They got a copy of your passport, and took down all your particulars and happily printed off more checks for you to use along with ordering new checks with your name and Noah’s name on them and new check cards. And of course made the money immediately available to you and Noah in his accounts and cashed part of the checks for any other expenses you might have along the way which you happily left the vast majority of it with Noah. 

“I take it that happens a lot.” Noah asked you as you guys walked out of the bank with your new items in tow as you looked at the time and knew you’d have to hurry up. 

“More than I like. But at least we got things patched up and in order until we can get home to the Great Lakes. But we have so much work to do between now and then.” You sighed tiredly as you and all the kids climbed into the new truck to go back to Noah’s house so you could pack up a quick bag for what you needed to get going. 

"Goodbye, be good. Listen to Dad and the grandparents. All of them have the power of slap. No fighting, no more injuries or hospitals or anything like that. Stay close, take care of each other and keep each other safe. I'll be back as soon as I can." You urged them as you kissed and hugged everyone goodbye before you pushed through the pain to get in line for security.

You were only making two stops once you got back to the Great Lakes. First would be the DMV and then the next stop would be the post office and then you’d be driving back to the airport to turn around and fly back as soon as you could. 

But while you got out of there and to the airport on the west coast, you didn’t have time to get a hotel for the night before your next flight. So you let yourself rest in one of the nap pods in the airport. To try to get a few precious hours of sleep. And yet, when you woke up, you found you still had to change gates three times and barely made the flight in time. And you had to do two layovers just to get home.

You barely made it to the post office, since the post office was on the way to the DMV and you wanted to get your mail first and possibly go through that while you would wait. Which worked out best because once you got to the DMV, of course it was crowded. And had a line, practically a mile long.

You were just grateful you went to the post office first. Because surely if you had done this the other way around, the post office would have been closed by the time you would get out of here. You used your wait at the DMV to try to put on some makeup- so that your picture for your license didn’t show you as shitty as you felt. Because between your feet, whose blisters had just popped working the gas and the brake for the rental car, and your general spine being misaligned from sleeping in a pod chair at the airport. And getting crammed and cramped into plane seats and even with an engagement ring on your finger- you still got flirted with. That was going to be a perk you were looking forward to enjoying again, because being with Noah, meant others took one look at him and didn't even try to flirt with you.

No sooner had you gotten done with the DMV before you were racing back to the airport where it was another nightmare trying to get through security, trying to catch flights and change gates and delays and catch connecting flights. You barely ate or slept for the day before your birthday, the day of and the day after. Because all three days of which you spent rushing from gates to flights only to hurry up and wait. You just kept praying for the patience and long suffering to get through this and get back to your family. And you felt weird for having a huge bag full of nothing but mail a change of clothes and a makeup bag. But thankfully security accepted your explanation and didn’t give you too much headaches about all the mail in your bag.

You had never been so happy to fly back to Fair Banks and be met by Isla, Summer and your kids just outside of the gate.

“Where’s Dad?” You asked them as you hugged them tight, happy you could be back together again and feeling so relieved to be with them again.

“He’s still working on the plane.” Skylar answered with just a hint of sadness. 

“Are you sad that you’re here seeing me and not with him working on the plane?” You asked with a laugh. 

“Yes.” Skylar answered. 

“Well, hopefully you’ll have all fall and winter and spring to work on it.” You soothed. 

“But otherwise, were you guys good?” You asked all three of them. 

“Oh they were a dream.” Summer reassured you before you looked for a confirmation from Isla too. 

“Oh yeah, we went to the playground with Sakura’s friends and cousins and they had a lot of fun.” Isla offered. 

“Skylar wrestled with boys twice her size into submission and had about a dozen and a half proposals, but we both repeated that you would not accept any at this time or any time soon.” Summer reassured you. 

“But that’s not to say Zane didn’t get any either.” Isla revealed. 

“Really?” You asked as you looked to Zane who blushed bashfully. 

“Emotional availability and sensitivity.” Zane shrugged. 

“Well, then we’re par for the course on that one.” You chuckled softly. 

“But we have a small birthday party set up at Nanna’s house.” Sakura offered. 

“Oh that’s so sweet! Did you guys bake a cake for me too?” You asked as all three nodded yes. 

“We’ve been working on it all day.” Sakura insisted gleefully. 

“Ok, well I don’t have any baggage to pick up because all I have and have needed was this bag here, so let’s go.” You urged them before you all went back to Summer’s house where a small, very obviously home made cake was ready for you as you closed your eyes and made the wish that Noah would be able to fly his plane out of that lake, into the hangar here and then to the hangar in the Great Lakes and come back to you safe and sound. 

You happily laid reclined on the couch and let Zane rebandange your feet since your blisters had popped while you ate your cake. You appreciated the small, belated birthday presents from your kids and Summer and Ukluk and Isla and Tonrar in between telling them how crazy and hectic the last three days had been and how you had barely slept and couldn’t wait to get back to Noah’s house to get a shower and sleep in a real bed again. Then your phone rang and your heart leapt for joy to see it was Noah. 

“Hey Babe.” You greeted happily. 

“Hey, I take it you’re at my mom’s?” Noah asked. 

“I am, I’m eating my cake. How are things looking with you?” You asked hopefully. 

“Really good, Skylar’s been helping me with the plane every day except for today. And I just called to let you know that the plane is ready to fly into the hangar at Fair Banks here in just a little bit.” He proudly announced as you gasped excitedly.

“Really?” You asked, absolutely delighted by that news and that your birthday wish was so close to coming true.

“Yup. I’ll see you soon.” Noah assured you. 

“I can’t wait. See you soon, love you, fly safe.” You offered. 

“Love you too. See you soon and I will fly as safe as I can.” Noah assured you before he hung up. You took a moment to pray to every god you both believed in for him to successfully fly his plane to the hangar and make it home safe and sound to you. 

And to your delight, Noah flew his plane into the hangar in only another half hour and happily strode into his mother’s house. 

“How did the plane fly?” Skylar eagerly asked Noah when he came in. 

“It flew great. Thanks for all your help Sky, couldn’t have done it without you.” Noah thanked her as she beamed a proud and happy smile at him while he washed his hands before snagging a plate of dinner and a piece of cake before he settled onto the couch next to you. 

“And how’s Mama?” Noah asked. 

“Happy to be back. I’m gonna sleep so good tonight. I’ve just taken little naps in the airports for the last three days and eaten when the shops were open.” You answered. 

“And you? I take it you’re just happy to have me back and be able to fly again.” You ventured. 

“Yup. The plane isn’t perfect and still has a lot of damage but it’s workable and flyable and you’re home, and that’s all that matters.” He assured you before he dug in before Skylar sat down next to him and cuddled into his side. 

“Can I work on the plane with you tomorrow?” Skylar asked hopefully. 

“You sure can Sky.” He answered happily. 

“Yes!” She cheered. 

“Should I be taking all of them so you can sleep and rest?” Noah asked you. 

“Please? I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes open as it is.” You requested. 

“Of course. Your inner clock must be completely out of whack.” Noah mused. 

“You have no idea.” You muttered. 

“But did you get everything you needed?” Noah asked. 

“Yes. I have a mountain of mail to go through to get all my new replacement cards. I didn’t want to go through any of it either on the plane or in the airports or the DMV.” You answered. 

“Cause that’s a good surefire way to get your identity stolen.” Noah noted. 

“It is. And I doubt they would have let me get a letter opener through security.” You murmured. 

“True.” Noah nodded as he practically wolfed down his dinner and then the cake. 

“Happy birthday by the way. Did you like your presents?” Noah wished you. 

“Thanks. And yes I did.” You smiled appreciatively. 

“Sorry you’ve had a pretty sucky birthday otherwise.” He offered. 

“Eh, I’ve had worse. Not quite as interesting or hectic but I’m just happy I get to celebrate it now with the people I care most about.” You cooed back to him as he smiled adoringly at you and kissed you sweetly. 

“Well let me eat this cake and I’ll get you home so you can get cleaned up and get to bed.” He offered before he ate the cake and then got you and the kids into the truck and took you home before you gingerly got a shower to scrub the three days of built up dirt from running around and being in all kinds of airports off of you. And once you were clean, you happily sank into Noah’s bed and were out like a light before anyone else and barely stirred when Noah came to bed and gathered your body into his arms. But he smiled softly when you still curled yourself into his chest and then melted into his wonderful warmth. 

You woke up the next day right at noon and dragged yourself out of bed to go downstairs to sit at the table where Noah had already put a letter opener for you on the table. And he put his paper shredder next to the table too. Or maybe this was his and the kid's doing too. But bless their hearts and souls for being so thoughtful. And he had some coffee ready to go in the coffee pot so all you needed to do was press the button so it would brew and had a “breakfast” for you in the fridge that you could quickly heat up in the microwave and eat that while you went through your mail. 

This was so sweet. And so thoughtful and you were so happy and grateful and appreciative. They were just small little things that meant so much to you.

It took a pot of coffee and a couple of hours. But you slowly but methodically and meticulously went through each and every single piece of mail to make sure you didn’t miss anything. And slowly but surely, you got to replace every card that had expired and took a strong pair of scissors to cut up your old and expired ones and shredded everything that needed to be shredded and saved everything that needed to be saved.

Once you got done with the mail, you started dinner in the oven. Then you took out your notepad and began to list out all that would need to be done and taken care of to get this house ready to be winterized, and get Noah and Sakura and all their animals moved to your home in the Great Lakes. You were still sitting down and writing down your plan by the time Noah and the kids made it back for dinner. 

“So how’s the plane looking?” You asked when they all came into the house. 

“Not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it’s going to take a lot to get it up to snuff for next year.” Noah answered as he put his tools down by the door.

“Like a lot of man hours or a lot of components or both?” You asked thoughtfully as you finished writing your various objectives as they all came in and took turns washing their hands.

“Bit of both.” Noah answered. 

“Could you give me an estimate?” You asked hopefully. 

“Like to get it ready to fly to the hangar in the Great Lakes? Like at least five or six days.” He answered. 

“Oh, I thought you were going to say five or six weeks. Five or six days is a much more reasonable time frame.” You blew out a breath of relief. 

“No, I’ll need five or six weeks once I’m in the Great Lakes.” He answered. 

“Oh that’s not bad at all." You waived off before Noah said prayer over dinner and Zane pulled dinner out of the oven while the girls set the table while Noah and yourself openned and shared a beer and came around the table. 

"So I have an idea." You prompted your family as you all dug into dinner.

“We have exactly two and a half weeks before school starts. However, we are traveling with three horses, a coop full of chickens, some thunder cats and a couple of dogs. Finding hotels that take animals will be really hard and expensive. Airbnb’s will be just as hard. And for the animals, for them to be cooped up in a trailer as we try to hot foot it home will be hard on them and us and stopping for food will be hard because that horse trailer is huge and stopping for gas is already going to be an ordeal. So instead of renting a Uhaul, what if we buy a camper. Something that can fit all five of us comfortably and all of your things that you want to bring with you. Something we can camp in and we take those two weeks to go from national park to national park and from camp ground to camp ground. The horses will get out and get to ride a trail or two. A camper with onboard washing facilities and cooking facilities may be much better in the long run. And despite the initial cost of buying it, at least with the camper we can get more use out of it than just this trip. What do you guys think?” You asked them as you looked from Noah to the kids who seemed to think that over. 

“That would work really well. Because that way we’d have a chance to get adjusted and acclimated to the time change and the change in climate slower over the course of a couple of weeks rather than a few days. The horses especially would love that. I mean we’re going to get them up to date on vaccinations and all that anyway. Might as well enjoy it. And especially with a camper, cooking is always cheaper than eating out and healthier too.” Skylar praised. 

"Even though I was really hoping to get home sooner than later, the camper idea makes the most sense." Zane noted with an air of dissappointment.

“So let’s do it.” Noah nodded as Sakura also agreed that it was a good idea. 

“Ok, let’s hurry up and eat because I’ve been thinking about those campers at the dealership ever since we bought the truck.” You urged them which got Noah to bark a laugh. 

“I knew you were looking at the camper pretty hard.” Noah playfully accused. 

“And I told you that right then was not a good time to think about them. But I’ve had three days in airports to think about them and this trip and the best way to logistically do what we need to do and manage to do so and still like each other after.” You defended with mock aloofness. 

“On a sleep deprived brain.” Zane muttered under his breath but you still heard it. 

“I know you’re anxious to get home and get to your snakes and everyone else in the menagerie. We’ll just have to call Max or Bryce to feed them again.” You soothed Zane. 

“Which would you rather deal with? Max’s dad Mike or Bryce’s dad Brian?” Zane asked you as you sucked in a breath through your teeth as you grimaced. 

“Fair point.” You conceded. 

“I’ll call them, see what they can do.” You offered. 

“Better you than me. Just don’t forget to change the codes again.” Zane reminded you. 

“What happened last time?” Noah asked. 

“Brian is twice divorced and has been drooling over Mom and her house and my snake collection ever since we built the house and he helped me design the snake room. Mike is in love with Mom’s bar and helps himself to it every time he comes over and always drinks just a bit too much. He let it slip, he’d be willing and ready to bone my mom into oblivion if it meant he can stay with the bar. So we have learned to keep the doors to the basement where the game room is and the liquor cabinets in the bar next to the kitchen locked down whenever Mike is expected to come. Brian, is one of those kind's of guys you find in your house breathing heavily over your bed in the middle of the night. But their sons Max and Bryce are cool.” Zane explained. 

“But if you call them and put it on speaker phone so they can hear Dad in the background, not only is Did big, but he sounds big too. And especially once we get home and they meet Dad, they should be intimidated enough that they’ll back off.” Skylar suggested. 

“That’s a good idea.” You nodded before you called Brian first. 

“Hey Zara! How are you?” Brian asked as the phone didn’t even fully ring once before he picked it up. 

“I’m doing ok. Hey listen, I need a favor. So it’s going to take us all a bit longer to get home than we first thought. Zane needs his snakes to be fed. My parents and Andy’s parents are already taking care of the other animals, but neither of my parents or Andy’s parents can do the snake thing. So if I call the feed store and pay for a shipment of feeder rats for Zane’s snakes, could you and Bryce pick them up and feed the snakes for us? I can pay you and Bryce for your trouble or even pay for a feeder shipment for your own if you want. But we would need a feeding this week and another next week and another one for the week after that because it’s going to take a lot for us to get back home in about three weeks or so.” You proposed hopefully. 

“Of course! Can we use the same code we did last week?” Brian asked. 

“Yes, it should still be good. So what do I owe you for saving my bacon?” You asked. 

“Dinner when you get back would be great.” Brian practically purred as Skylar snorted a laugh as Zane rolled his eyes as Noah frowned as Sakura frowned too. 

“Like go out to eat dinner or a home cooked meal dinner?” You clarified as you reached out and held Noah’s hand. 

“Whichever you would like more.” Brian offered. 

“Ok, how about dinner when I get back. I need to make a thank you dinner for my parents and my inlaws for watching the house and the animals anyway, we’ll just have you over too. And I���ll go ahead and order a feeder set of rats for Bryce’s snakes too. Cause Bryce especially knows the way Zane likes to keep track of the feeds for the snakes.” You offered. 

“Oh, well if you’re already cooking for so many people, we can do dinner some other time, just with you and your kids and me and mine, just the six of us.” Brian tried to offer. 

“Well even then, it’s going to be more than just the six of us. It would have to be you, Bryce and Maddison, Skylar, Zane, myself and my fiance Noah and our daughter Sakura too. But that would still work because that way you can meet my fiance and my new daughter Sakura then too.” You informed him. 

“Wait, what? You’re…you’re engaged? When did you get engaged?” Brian asked as you could hear his panic in his voice. 

“Oh actually just a few days ago. But life has been hectic so I haven’t had a chance to post anything online about it yet. So you’re actually one of the first to know. Again, it really means a lot to me that you and Bryce could come in and take care of Zane’s snakes for us.” You offered sweetly. 

“But..so soon? You're getting engaged so soon?” Brian stuttered. 

“Yeah, crazy how quickly true love can kick in and take hold of your heart huh?” You praised with a wink to Noah. 

“But…but…” Brian was still stuttering as you could tell he was getting super flustered. 

“Hey Brian, this is Zara’s fiance Noah. It means a lot to us that you and Bryce would take care of Zane’s snakes for us while we work on moving in with Zara and her family. Which is why we’re taking so long to get there in the first place. We owe you one.” Noah took the phone and spoke into it, letting his already rich and deep velvety voice really hit his lower octaves to make him sound even bigger and more impressive as you, Zane, Skylar and Sakura all grinned appreciatively, if not quite knowingly while you felt like your panties just got a little wetter because Noah's voice was just so sexy to you too.

“Yeah, no, no problem.” Brian squeaked in response as his own voice cut out like he was a teenager again. You did your best to stifle your own snickering laughter with your kids. 

“Thanks again, let us know if you have any problems. Have a good one.” Noah bid him before he hung up and handed your phone back to you. 

“Perfect! Thank you.” You praised as you kissed Noah sweetly. 

“Now if you can just do that for all of my other friend’s dad’s that would be great.” Zane pleaded. 

“Same!” Skylar crooned delightfully. 

“Why was that man talking to you like that Mama?” Sakura asked. 

“Because he was attracted to me and guys act different around and towards those that they like and are attracted to. Don’t worry, I don’t feel the same way about him that I do Daddy.” You reassured her. 

“Now, let’s hurry up and eat and get that trailer.” You urged the others as you all hurried up finishing your dinner before you all piled into the truck again and on the way, called the feeding service from the local pet store and went ahead and paid for the feeder mice and rats both for Zane’s snakes and Bryce’s and explained that Brian and Bryce would pick them up.

[malecsecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, the-prophet-lemonade!

For @the-prophet-lemonade. So, I honestly panicked when I received the name of my giftee. Lucy, I did my best to put as many tropes as you like here. I hope it's not too crazy or confusing. I've never written space opera before, and it was a big challenge. I hope you like it 🙈

Read On AO3

*****

I’m gonna hold you (like I’m saying goodbye)

“Alexander!”

“On it!” Alec shouted back, sprinting through the busy, narrow alley. They’d been tailing the dragonfly-shaped creature for fifteen space jumps and through three galaxies, and they didn’t have the luxury of time to keep playing tag.

At least, Magnus didn’t have it.

Groaning, Alec saw the moment their target rose its wings and took flight.

Oh no.

That motherfucker wouldn’t.

Activating his runes, Alec jumped to his right and landed briefly on a barrel before launching himself upwards. He sprang from a windowsill on the left to a roof on the right, and pushed himself far enough to grab the creature’s tail and force them both back down.

With the natural grace of a Nephil – a blessed warrior crafted from the Creation’s purest energy – Alec landed graciously on the ground; or, more specifically, over his target’s body. Without wasting a beat, Alec unsheathed his Seraph blade and held it to the other figure’s neck.

“No more games. Where is the egg?” he asked with as much authority as he could muster, a dangerous threat lacing his voice.

The dragonfly-creature groaned, but relented, giving Alec the coordinates for the Dragon egg’s location.

“Alexander,” Magnus called again, finally reaching the Nephil. He stopped to catch his breath, having to sit for a moment. He was exhausted. The amount of power needed to keep his glamour up, hiding his scales, has been very taxing to his body lately.

Turning his head in Magnus’ direction, Alec’s face softened instantaneously. Glancing down to the robotic cat at Magnus’ feet, Alec spoke kindly. “Chairman, can you send a message to Isabelle Lightwood at the 987th octant of Idris galaxy? Tell her to come to the Seelie Planet. I got another illegal dealer.”

Chairman Meow’s face lit up in an affirmative, a rush of numbers and coordinates passing through the screen as the message was sent. Meanwhile, Alec pressed his knee more forcefully against the criminal who was still hissing and cursing him.

“For your cooperation, I’m going to request a lenient sentence for you. But if you are trying to mislead me, I swear I’ll personally throw you into the nearest black hole,” Alec growled, making Magnus snicker. He knew Alec would never do that to another living being, it was too cruel a move for his big-hearted friend; but the criminals didn’t know that, so they always complied.

Well, at least they now knew where to get the seventh Dragon egg.

~*~

The 5 th Draconic Rule – Mates

Gift – Every Dragon has a bonded mate; a soul created exclusively for their care, protection, and devotion. The bond is sacred, and its strength ensures the power and mental stability of a Dragon.

Curse – A Dragon who is without a mate on their thousandth supernoval cycle is fated to meet one of only two ends: complete madness, or death.

~*~

When the first translucent scales appeared, tiny ones near his hip, Magnus knew the clock was ticking. He would have to decide soon, and although he already knew which option it was going to be, it didn’t make taking the final leap less daunting.

His father was one of the most powerful dragons to ever exist, coming from royal lineage and with an entire planet under his claws. But his power came with a price - always a price - and his reign was tainted with blood and death.

Magnus refused to be part of it, to continue a kingdom built on pain and tears. His refusal also came with a price - when he was finally able to break free from Asmodeus, his father used one last trick.

He cursed Magnus' soul to never recognize his counterpart. Without the guide for his fated bond, he would never find his rider.

Asmodeus condemned Magnus to a lonely life with a sad end.

~*~

While waiting for the magnetic storm that would enable the space jump they needed to get to their next location, Magnus and Alec decided to venture through the heavily decorated town, full of warm lights and oddly curved, red-and-white striped decorations. The townspeople were apparently celebrating some kind of deity which was dear to their small planet, so the festivities were expected to go on for two whole weeks. A lot of visitors from other planets made the crowded streets busier than ever, the local merchants thriving as they sold their domestic goods and traditional food.

Holding each other’s hand to not get lost within the busy streets – though both knew better than to believe in that weak excuse – Magnus and Alec enjoyed the proximity and warmth of their interlaced fingers.

They had lost so much time, avoiding any attempt at something besides friendship due to their fear of an expected separation. After all, if Magnus did miraculously find his mate, their time together would end, and it would be too painful to accept that reality. All right, maybe the bond could be platonic – it had happened in other cases. But what if it wasn’t? By now, Alec knew about Magnus’ feelings for him; but what if the bond was stronger? What if Magnus fell in love at first sight with his rider?

Of course Alec would let him go, but it would hurt so much. And Magnus also knew what Alec felt, and would never want to inflict that kind of pain on him.

Their separation had maybe always been inevitable - but if they were going to save Magnus’ life, it would have to be soon, too. So, as a small mercy to themselves, they’d finally agreed to make the most of the time they still had together before…

Before whatever ending waited for them – Magnus’ salvation, or his death.

They wouldn’t put a name or label on their brief, joyful time together.

They would just be them.

Just Magnus and Alec.

They tried to have some fun, at least - and this festival was no exception. They played some of the games and won a few good prizes – which they didn’t mind giving to some of the children who looked at them with pleading eyes. They ate and drank and laughed. It was good. It didn’t feel like a big disaster was just waiting to fall on their heads at any time.

When night started to set and thousands of moonlight orbs floated in the growing light to illuminate the festival, Alec pulled Magnus aside to put something on his hand. It was a small, rectangular charm, made of red silk and golden thread.

“What is this?” There were awe and wonder in Magnus’ eyes, making them sparkle even more.

He is so beautiful. Alec smiled bashfully.

“It’s called an omamori. They are sacred to the feathered race, and I’ve heard that only those from the Phoenix constellation can make this. Each color and each thread are carefully chosen as they have different meanings, and ultimately the charm is bathed in blessed ashes mixed with powdered moonstone to strengthen its power.”

Magnus nodded slowly, taking in every detail and tracing the omamori with reverent fingers.

“What does this one mean?”

While Magnus was distracted by some silk scarves, Alec was drawn to the mystic power of a stall full of charms, which were being sold by a humanoid, copper-feathered bird wearing more jewels and chains than clothes.

The kind vendor explained the basics of omamori magic to Alec, and he felt more compelled than ever to buy one. He was torn between two – a blue and silver one, and a red and golden one, but when the vendor told him the blue and silver omamori was for success and longevity, oh… Alec felt a pang in his heart.

It would be clinging to something that would almost certainly never happen.

But the other option…

“Luck and protection.” Because if things went well? It would be by sheer luck. And protection… “Because I swore to always protect you, and I meant it - this way, if something happens and I’m not there, you’ll still be guarded.”

“Oh…” Magnus breathed softly, a small and genuine smile lighting up his face. He touched the omamori gently to his lips, his draconic eyes shining. “Thank you, Alexander.”

The soldier ducked his head and smiled, before nodding towards the food court.

“What do you say to some sweets from the Orion constellation?” They were some of Magnus’ favorites, he knew.

Magnus grinned. “You really know the way to a dragon’s heart,” he declared with a wink.

That Alec already lived in one was left unsaid.

~*~

The 9 th Draconic Rule – Scales

Gift – Every Dragon is born with silver scales, representing their purity of soul and a whole canvas of possibilities. They sing in gold when the ritual of mating is complete, and will then shift into a new color, signifying the Dragon’s new identity.

Curse – Bondless Dragons will surrender to red or black scales. Red scales for an eternal feral state and solitude. Black scales for the grief of death.

~*~

“Approaching the Dragon Sanctuary.” Alec announced through his communicator, unable to contain the excitement in his voice.

“Again?” Jace teased through the same communicator. “I don’t know why you still bother to come back to Idris at all. It’s clear you have a new home now.” Alec didn’t dignify his brother with an answer, mostly because that would mean admitting he was half-right.

Because no, Alec didn’t see Alicante as home anymore, even though he’d grown up there. But home wasn’t the Dragon Sanctuary either.

Home was a breathing thing. A person.

Or, in better terms, home was a dragon.

Alec first met Magnus when he was only sixteen. It was an odd situation, but somehow they saved each other while fighting against a group of mercenary hunters. After that, Magnus accompanied Alec for some time to make sure he would get back home without any more problems.

From there, they never stopped seeing each other. Ten years later and their visits had continued all the while. It was hard sometimes, since they lived in different galaxies; but Alec was one of the best warriors and pilots from Idris galaxy, and it wasn’t a problem for him to escape sometimes to go and see the one who made his heart beat a little faster and his mind spin.

Turning off the communicator once more, Alec finished the landing procedures, and stepped out of the craft onto the grass surrounding Magnus’ nest.

When he felt something quickly curl around his body, he didn’t even flinch. He would recognize that warmth and sandalwood scent anywhere.

“Hey,” Alec grinned, petting the dragon’s head as it kept nuzzling his cheek. Magnus’ true form was much, much bigger than this one, but he liked to say that this was the perfect size to cuddle Alec.

“Hello, pretty boy.” Magnus’ voice in his draconic form was a bit deeper, but still soft, with a musical lilt. “Missed my eyes?” As if to make his point, he lifted his head and golden, slitted eyes bored into Alec’s hazel ones, until a flirtatious wink broke the spell.

“Actually, I missed all of you, not only the eyes.” Alec answered bluntly as always, making Magnus pause in surprise and then burst out in delighted laughter.

A second later, Magnus shifted back into his human form, magic already wrapping him in clothes. Still, he didn’t let go of Alec and hugged the Nephil for a little longer.

Magnus wasn’t one to hug much – that was more Alec’s department – so when the dragon lingered longer and actually tightened the embrace a bit desperately, Alec knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” Alec pulled gently away so that he could turn and look at Magnus, and his smile faltered when he saw the dragon’s crestfallen face.

Instead of replying, Magnus just pulled back part of his cloak, showing his collarbones. And showing the translucent scales that glinted on his skin.

Translucent scales, on his human form.

Alec felt his face drain of color, and he grabbed urgently at Magnus’ shoulders. “When?”

“Last week,” Magnus mumbled. “This is why I asked you to come a little earlier. You… you know what this means.”

“Magnus…” Alec felt his heart ready to combust from sheer panic. “Your choice… What choice have you made?”

Magnus flinched at that, and right then Alec had his answer. He closed his eyes, willing the tears to not come.

Of course. Of course Magnus would want that.

Without his soulmate, spending the rest of his eternal life as a barely-sentient, feral creature would be Magnus’ worst nightmare.

Of course he would choose death.

But Alec had barely opened his mouth to protest when two other dragons landed beside them.

“Cat, Ragnor, good of you to join the party.” Magnus smiled, putting on that happy façade which Alec absolutely hated to see on his friend’s face.

Catarina and Ragnor were Magnus’ best friends, and together they formed a trio of unshakable loyalty and care. However, unlike Magnus, those two already had riders with platonic bonds. Ragnor, whose scales were the beautiful green of a forest touched by the first rays of light after dawn and whose horns had a curvature bigger than his head, was bonded to a priest called Raphael. And Cat, whose scales were the fresh blue of the clearest ocean, was bonded to a little girl called Madzie who was still learning how to be a rider.

As for Magnus…

Alec thought about Magnus’ silver scales. Usually they were a dragon’s version of ‘plain’, but Magnus was always adorning them with jewelry, until he not only shined but sparkled like a gemstone in the sun. But still, all the decoration in the world didn’t change the message a silver scale sent.

Magnus was bondless.

He was alone.

He had no one to care for him, to love him.

Alec sighed inwardly. What an ugly lie. If he could…

But that thought was quickly interrupted by Cat dropping yet another bombshell.

“We found a solution,” she began, speaking as soon as she shifted back into her human form. “It was hard, but the Elders finally yielded. Have you ever heard of the Journey of Eight?”

“Isn’t that a myth?” Magnus frowned.

“All myths are real, dumbass.” Ragnor grumbled, also shifting. Then, he turned to Alec, who presumably looked very lost. “Dragon eggs are rare and very precious for us,” he explained, “but they also emanate a lot of power, which unfortunately serves to draw untowards attention.”

Alec nodded, already aware of that fact. Dragon eggs were on the top of mercenary hunters’ list to acquire. A small piece was worth a fortune capable of sustaining a family for three generations.

“When a Dragon is born, no matter where it is in the Universe, it’s imperative that the remnants of the egg should be destroyed, or else anyone could get their hands on it.” Cat continued. “But there are rumors of Dragons who didn’t have the chance to do that, so some of their egg remains.”

“There is even one in a fucking museum,” Ragnor grumbled.

Catarina grimaced. “Yes, there is. But our point is - Magnus, if you collect one piece of eight different eggs, their power would be enough to fuel a ritual that will point in the direction of your rider, no matter how far away they are.”

“What?” Magnus spluttered, and Alec felt the same, torn between shock and hope.

Magnus could be saved.

“Do you know the coordinates for those pieces? I can go take them right now!” Alec stood at attention, a soldier more than eager to take orders and act.

“Alexander!” Now Magnus was the shocked one. “My thousandth cycle is in a month's time. It’s impossible to search through millions of galaxies in that time.”

“But we have to at least try,” Alec insisted. “Listen, my ship is fast. I’m a good pilot. If I have the coordinates? I don’t care if I have to make five hundred jumps, or five thousand jumps, Magnus. I won’t miss this opportunity to help you.”

Magnus’ Adam’s apple bobbed painfully as he swallowed. That sweet, sweet man.

Biting his lower lip, Magnus nodded, a fierce expression crossing his face.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Magnus, I can handle–”

“No, this is non-negotiable. The Dragon eggs are for me, so I decide that. Besides…” Bringing a hand to his lips, Magnus whistled loudly.

Seconds later, his robotic cat – Chairman Meow – came running from Magnus’ nest. As cute and small Chairman looked, Alec knew better.

That robot knew one hundred ways to kill and hide the body without anyone knowing.

“Chairman only goes where I go.” Magnus grinned. “And my intuition tells me he will be a very useful addition to our team.”

~*~

The snow drifted slowly, dancing and tumbling in the air like fireflies. It was beautiful, especially when the scarce light caught it and reflected a fleeting, pocket-sized aurora. However, as pretty as it might be, it was also a sign of the steely and dangerous cold. The situation of sharing a single bed seemed less ‘odd’ and more like an obviously excellent idea, the two of them bundling up under the same blanket to keep themselves warm.

Alec didn’t mind, especially since he would do anything to stop Magnus’ shivering body from shutting down. The fire in the hearth wasn’t enough anymore, hadn’t been for hours. Chairman Meow had already needed to activate one of his survival mode settings, too, turning into a small space heater to keep the chill at bay.

Magnus was running out of time.

Not only his body was starting to freeze from inside out, his blood running sluggishly, but more scales were blooming and darkening. They’d already advanced over his neck and reached his chin, and by now they were half-covering his forearms and thighs, too.

They were killing him.

Alec let out a shuddering breath and held Magnus more tightly against his own body, earning a weak, content sigh from the dragon. Looking out of the window, past the snow and lights, Alec sent up a prayer - or just a desperate plea - to the stars hidden up above, or whatever power lurked behind them.

Please, don’t take him away from me. Give us more time. Please, please.

~*~

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. The last Dragon egg was said to be inside a cave that only other dragons could locate, and Magnus found it easily - but they hadn't expected to also find mercenary hunters. It was unbelievable that even after Valentine’s demise, his goons were still out there causing havoc, enacting his toxic and distorted vision.

Fucking dammit.

Nothing was easy, huh?

When they’d retrieved the first few egg fragments, fights hadn’t been a problem - Alec and Magnus worked well as partners in battle. But now, with Magnus growing ever weaker, the only way they stood half a chance was if Chairman Meow was also actively helping them fight.

Which meant it was a good thing the cat was programmed to spit fire. Bless Magnus for having insisted on bringing him with them - a portable flamethrower was exactly what they needed, especially after Alec’s second Seraph blade fell into the river of lava below.

After all, going for a swim to retrieve it was hardly an option.

Magnus finally reached the eggshell fragment - the last piece they needed, hidden in a glamoured nest. Alec was still finishing off the last hunters, struggling without Magnus’ help and his increasing fatigue. By now, he’d lost not only both blades, but also his bow - he was using his arrows as last-resort weapons, now. Eventually, though, one of them struck home in the eye of the last hunter standing, and Alec slumped, catching his breath.

It was too soon.

One of the hunters who was already down – an elemental demon, who despite his half-burned body suddenly seemed to find a last burst of energy - struck out, launching a ball of raw elemental power at Alec.

Alec barely had time to blink before Magnus pushed him out of the way and took the brunt of it.

“NO!” Alec screamed, crashing to his knees. “You fucking stupid, fucking idiot…” He crawled over to Magnus and cradled his limp form, anguish threatening to swallow him whole even as he brought the dragon as close as possible.

“Not… charming, darling…” Magnus coughed, blinking sluggishly.

“Don’t care. How many times have we talked about your dumb self-sacrificing tendencies? You are not a fucking living shield!”

“You’re one to talk. Also, you are saying the word ‘fucking’ far too much, Alexander. Is there some kind of urge you’re trying to hint at right now?” Magnus gave a wobbly smile, as well as a bleary, poor attempt at a wink.

“Stop flirting,” Alec chastised, a lopsided grin slowly blooming on his own lips despite his rising fear.

Magnus hummed in acknowledgment, but no other quip came forth. Instead, his eyes closed and didn’t open again.

“Magnus?” Nothing. “Magnus, hey-” He shook the dragon a little bit, Magnus staying unresponsive - but the change in position illuminated black scales, new ones, growing on his face.

They were out of time.

Resisting the urge to break down right there, Alec lifted Magnus up and strode towards his ship.

They had to go back to the Dragon Sanctuary now.

~*~

Alec could count on only one hand how many times he left his ship to navigate by autopilot. It’s not that the AI wasn’t efficient; Alicante’s technology was undeniably some of the best in the known Universe. Most of his people still believed it to be their divine right, as they were the chosen ones from the Creation itself.

There was a time Alec also believed in that natural, just superiority. Until...

A weak tremor caught his attention and he looked back down at the man still cradled in his arms. Magnus’ human form was fading. His breathing was ragged and his pulse was weak.

“Fuck,” Alec cursed, his eyes blowing wide in panic. “Church, go faster!”

“We are already at maximum speed, sir.”

Alec cursed again. He needed to pilot the ship manually, so he could break past the damn protocols and force the system to crash its primary settings. Without the restraints implanted by the Clave, he could burn up all of the stamina core in minutes and increase their speed tenfold.

He’d be in big trouble for it, of course, but he didn’t care. Magnus was his priority.

He had been for a long time.

AIs weren’t made to enter a gravitational field by themselves, the unpredictable shifts in G making the systems unstable to the point of shutdown. Always, always turning off the autopilot and navigating manually through gravitational fields was one of the first things Alec had learned at Alicante Academy.

But right now, he either piloted or held Magnus. He couldn’t do both, and maybe they needed the speed, but putting Magnus down away from his warmth and posture support was out of the question.

So, Alec made his choice.

And he could only pray it was the right one.

ATTENTION

ATTENTION

SAFETY PROTOCOL MALFUNCTION

CRASH LANDING IMMINENT

“Chairman, secure us!” Alec yelled amidst the blaring alarms, and the robot promptly leaped into action. Elongating his tail, he fastened it around Alec and Magnus, pinning them on the makeshift bed. His claws also grew and penetrated the metal floor, firmly holding onto it.

Alec closed his eyes and waited, hoping for the best. And if the worst happened instead?

Well, Magnus was already dying.

At least he wouldn’t die alone.

ATTENTION

ATTENTION

TRAJECTORY UNSAFE

CRASH LANDING IMMI-

~*~

The 6 th Draconic Rule – Bonds

Gift – The bonds have two different natures; they can be either platonic or romantic. The platonic bond is more common, but the romantic bond is more powerful. Combined with partnership, the soul bond allows for total connection and shared strength.

Curse – A rider can reject a bond if they do not desire to be by their Dragon’s side. The pain of rejection is visceral. Death is considered a far kinder fate.

~*~

“…wood. Lightwood! Bloody hell, boy! Where did you learn to pilot? Your ship is a goddamned wreck-”

“Ragnor, if you aren’t going to help, do be quiet. Concussions don’t heal themselves, I have work to do.”

“Just wake him, for fuck’s sake! Concussion or not, he’s the only one here who can take Magnus to the fountain, and if he doesn’t damn well hurry up-”

Alec’s eyes snapped open, his body jackknifing upwards. Instinct kicked in before recognition, his frantic heart threatening to escape from his chest, and he reached for Magnus – who was still unconscious and laying beside him.

With trembling fingers, he pressed down on the pulse point at Magnus’.

It was so faint…

“Alec, we’re nearly out of time.” His attention finally snapped upwards to the two other dragons present, his brain kicking back into gear with a spike of hope. If Catarina and Ragnor were there, that meant they did it, they reached the Dragon Sanctuary. “Did you get all eight pieces?”

Alec nodded, grabbing at the small satchel attached to the cord on his neck.

“Perfect. We have to go.” Cat opened a portal and stepped through it without missing a beat. Ragnor followed, looking back at Alec one last time with a worried glare that quite clearly meant hurry the fuck up.

Alec didn’t need to be told twice. He lifted Magnus into his arms once more, and the two of them disappeared through the portal.

On the other side, Alec stepped out into the most majestic scenery he’d ever seen. They were inside some kind of cavern, what looked like the base of a mountain with how high it was, the ceiling barely visible. The walls and whole swathes of the floor were covered with stalagmites so clear, they seemed made of pure crystal.

A moment later, the torches around them flared to life, and produced a whole spectrum of colors and magic and sound.

Alec didn’t know how that was possible, but it was like the stones were humming some kind of melody.

In the center of everything, there was a fountain – the water so crystal blue, it was easy to see the sigils and marks on the bottom of it. Around it, exactly eight bowls – equally distanced from each other – with eight black candles already alight, burning gold as Cat or Ragnor threw a piece of dragon egg into each flame.

When the last piece was burned, the entire fountain began to shine.

“Put him in the water, now!” Ragnor practically roared, but Alec was already in motion, leaping straight into the center of the water; Magnus floated freely, but Alec couldn’t step away, opened his mouth to ask if the ritual would work with him there and-

The water pulsed.

No, wait - it was Magnus’ body pulsing, his soul looking for its counterpart.

Three beats later, everything stilled.

Alec waited with bated breath, expecting at any moment to see some kind of magical arrow appear, pointing to where Magnus’ soulmate was.

But absolutely nothing happened.

Alec’s heart plummeted. They were too late, they- “No, no, no,” he mumbled, his hands twitching at his sides. “Why didn't it work? He needs his rider. Why–”

“Alec,” Cat interrupted him, but not unkindly. “Look down.”

Blinking hard, he did exactly that.

There was a gold thread coming out from Magnus’ chest and connecting to…

Oh.

Connecting to his own chest.

It was him? He was Magnus’ rider?

Another pulse, and something – something ancient and powerful – whispered in his ear.

And suddenly, Alec knew exactly what to do.

Lowering himself further into the water and bringing Magnus into his arms once more, he kissed his dragon’s forehead, and then began to chant in a strong, quiet voice.

“Thee and me ever entwin'd

Dragon of mine, heart of blissful shine

I bond myself to thee, now and forever

Dragon of mine, mine own eternal shrine”

A pulse.

The water shone silver.

Another pulse.

And like molten obsidian, Magnus’ scales turned from black to gold.

Another pulse, and another, and another and another-

The cave was coming alive like a dormant heart, beating against long-worn stillness. And then it breathed - and Magnus transformed, his bones shifting under blinding light, stretching into a dragon form that was so big, he ended up occupying almost the entire fountain.

When the light dissipated, his scales weren’t gold anymore.

Nor – thankfully – black.

They were a mesmerizing azure blue.

Alec bit back a cry of joy, and relief, and excitement. Magnus was saved.

Magnus was going to be alright.

“My rider,” Magnus rumbled, lowering his head – so big, just his eye was bigger than Alec’s head – and nuzzled against Alec’s chest. “My darling Alexander. It has always been you.”

“Yeah…” Alec closed his eyes, feeling all the tension leave him at once, and letting himself snuggle against Magnus. Suddenly, a chuckle slipped free. “I can’t believe that damn curse prevented us from seeing the obvious.”

“I can’t believe it worked; I was almost certain that the eggs wouldn’t help,” Magnus hummed. “Even if they pointed to the direction where my rider was supposed to be, there was still the possibility of them being too far away for me to get there in time. Or they could have been dead. Or… or they could have rejected me.”

Now that they were bonded, Alec could feel the fear bleeding from Magnus’ words, and it made his own heart ache. “So why did you want to go through all that trouble just to get them?” he asked, frowning.

“To be with you,” the dragon replied simply. “If I was going to die, I wanted to spend my last moments with the person who made me the happiest.”

“Magnus…” Alec felt a lump rise to his throat, and held his dragon a little tighter. Just thinking about Magnus’ demise was enough to make him shiver. He hoped to never feel that fear again.

“Oddly enough, Magnus is right,” Catarina suddenly said, drawing their attention. “The eggs didn’t help at all, really.” She grinned at their clear confusion. “I’m sorry for the deception, but it was the only way. The truth is, it was never about the eggs. It was about the journey - your journey.” Her smile softened. “You two already had a natural bond in place, but Asmodeus’ curse was messing with the nature of it. You fell in love without knowing you were soulmates.”

Alec blushed. Love… Even if they had never put a label on what they were, on what they felt for the other…

Love felt very right.

“That’s also why Magnus didn’t fade so fast,” Ragnor added. “Had he spent that length of time alone, he never would have stood a chance. He could only hold on because you were always together.”

At that moment, Magnus returned to his human form, and for the first time in months, he looked healthy. Alec was so relieved, he felt like crying.

Naturally, Magnus immediately broke the moment. “Now you don’t have an excuse not to ride me, Alexander,” he declared with a smirk.

Alec snorted, but the sound was too close to a sob. He thought he was going to lose that, too. Magnus’ terrible jokes and shameless flirtations. Unable to stand even a tiny distance any longer, he practically threw himself at Magnus, hugging him firmly and burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“I promise to always protect you,” he said fiercely. “Nothing bad will happen to you again. I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

“This sounds awfully like a wedding vow, darling,” Magnus teased - but there was a note of insecurity in his voice, too.

“I mean, we can get married, can’t we?” Still holding his soulmate, Alec turned to Cat and Ragnor, as if looking for their blessing. After getting a nod and appreciative smiles from both, Alec turned back to Magnus and held his face with the utmost care and affection.

Then, he leaned in and finally, finally kissed Magnus.

Magnus kissed back with equal fervor, yearning for the sweet contact he’d craved for so long. They only pulled apart to finally say what could no longer be contained - the only words that really mattered, the ones they needed to pronounce and hear more than they needed air to breathe.

“I love you.”

I love you, I love you, I love you.