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kieraelieson · 4 years ago

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Searching for Home

A Big Bang fic for @ts-storytime

With art by @sometimes-love-is-enough!

Masterpost Link

There are bad things in every world, but in a world with magic these things can often hit closer to home. And sometimes, home isn’t even what you once thought it was.

Virgil is running away, from a place no longer his home. Emile has been driven away, and just wants to get back home. And Patton is trying to figure out what makes up a home.

They’ve found people that care for them, but is that what it takes? Will they ever really find home?

Warnings: Referenced/Off screen child abuse, Negative mindsets/Anxiety, Assault, Reference to a person as a possession, kidnapping, referenced/off screen human trafficking, killing of bad guys.

Notes: This was begun before SvSR, and Janus’s name is Dee. ~30,000 words. Roman and Remus take a back seat in this one.

Virgil stumbled out of the house, trying to run, and only barely fast enough to avoid the flying foot that was coming in his direction.

“If I see you again you’ll wish you died out in those woods!” yelled a far too familiar voice.

Virgil finally got his footing and bolted into the woods, only trying not to run into a tree. Everything already hurt, but the adrenaline took care of both tiredness and pain as he ran.

The sounds of the woods were driven out of his ears by the sound of his own blood pumping and harsh breaths. Time was meaningless in the face of his fear, he just had to get as far away as he could.

He only registered he’d fallen when the breath was driven out of his lungs.

••^*^••

Dee was a quiet fairy, as far as fairies went. He’d made himself a nice circle, but instead of hoping he’d catch a human, he was hoping that he’d keep them away. It was deep in the forest, in a nice, dark place, and the circle itself was made of tree roots, rather than flowers, as Dee had thought that it would be a little harder to enter that way. His home was down in the roots as well, snug and dark and perfect all by himself.

Well, until he was woken by a crashing through the forest loud enough that it had to be a human. Though what a human could possibly be doing at this time of night he hadn’t the faintest idea. The crashing got closer, and suddenly the ground shook as the human tripped over the edge of his circle and fell into it.

There was a short sound of pain, and then nothing. The human wasn’t even moving.

Dee slowly peeked out. The human seemed completely unconscious.

He walked out of his house. The human, from what he could see, was absolutely covered in scratches, some deep enough to be concerning. But beneath the scratches was a patchwork of bruises, some old, many new, and all painful-looking. Dee grew more and more concerned for the human the more he saw.

Well… the human was in his circle. Dee considered for a bit. Having the human be small would be easier than making himself large, and he really hated being large, anyway. But to make a human small he would need help. Living alone didn’t always mean that you would practice your magic regularly.

Dee started off for the capital. He at least was still good at traveling quickly, and could get there in an hour or less if he really tried.

••^*^••

Roman’s eyes brightened considerably the instant he saw Dee. Dee was one of the few fairies that actually seemed to prefer him to his brother.

“Dee!”

“Roman--” Dee gasped, quite winded.

Roman scanned him up and down, he wasn’t wearing anything near the formal clothes he usually did when visiting, he had mud on him, and--was that blood?! “Dee! What happened? Are you alright?”

“Fine--” Dee said, still trying to get his breath back, and waving him off. “I tried to get here quickly.”

“What happened?”

“I… I caught a human.”

“You what?” Roman’s face was perfectly dumbfounded. “But you hate humans.”

“Hate is a… strong word… help me?”

“Of course I’ll help you! But what with? Has the human hurt you?!”

“No, let me just… breathe a minute.”

Roman darted off to get some water while Dee sat down. Several minutes later he seemed much better.

“A human fell into my circle. He’s hurt, and I want to help him. I was hoping someone with very strong magic would be able to help me.”

Roman nodded solemnly. “I can ask around--”

Dee put a finger to his mouth. “I meant you, Roman.”

That stopped Roman in his tracks. After a delayed moment, he burst into action again. “Of course! I’ll help! Let’s go!”

Dee gave him a tired smile. ��Only if you plan on carrying me.”

Roman gave it very solid consideration before nodding, and settling back. “I’ll gather supplies then. What might you need? Anything, I’ll get it for you.”

Dee smiled softly. “Thank you. Anything to heal him, and whatever you’d need to help me make him small.”

Roman nodded, rushing off to gather supplies.

••^*^••

Virgil drifted half awake, fears assuaged by the darkness. If it wasn’t dawn yet, he was safe. Safer. Not in danger, at least.

And then he registered that he was in a bed, and covered by a blanket. He’d been caught! Virgil bolted upright, heart racing so fast it made his chest hurt. He couldn’t see anything in the dark, and nearly screamed when a hand touched his shoulder.

“Shh, shh, it’s ok. You’re safe.”

He didn’t believe the voice, but he also didn’t recognize it, and that sapped most of the fear right out of him. He sagged, suddenly aware that he ached all over, and some parts more than others, and also that those parts were covered by bandages.

“Wh-wha--”

“Shh, lay down.”

A gentle hand pushed on one of the few places on his chest that wasn’t bruised, and Virgil laid back down.

“Go back to sleep.”

Virgil closed his eyes, but didn’t intend to go to sleep. Unfortunately for him, sleep was just waiting to ambush him as soon as possible, and it wasn’t long before he gave in.

••^*^••

Dee went out in the circle to get breakfast. This late in the year, his gorgeous yellow roses were all gone, but the rose hips were ready to be eaten. He brought two inside, in case the human was very hungry.

A slight touch to the human’s shoulder had him startling awake, making Dee wince. He should have just let him sleep.

“Wh-where am I?!”

“It’s alright. You’re safe. Eat something, and you’ll feel better.”

The human just stared at the rose hip with wide eyes. “What is that?”

“It’s a rose hip.”

“It’s as big as your head!”

Dee narrowed his eyes slightly and the human immediately backed down.

“Sorry. I-I’ll eat it.”

Dee handed him the rose hip and sat down to eat his own. The human watched him out of the corner of his eyes, matching the way he ate perfectly, and monitoring for… something.

The breakfast was awkward, if not tense. Dee was reminded strongly of why he chose to live alone.

“When— um…” the human set aside the remainder of his food. “Are you going to send me back?”

“I hadn’t intended to, you fell into my circle after all, but—“

“Your circle?” The human asked. Then he started really looking at the room, and the rose hip. His breathing quickened. “Y-you’re a fairy. I-I’ve been taken by fairies.”

“It’s not that bad,” Dee said. “I can give you ba—“

“No!” The human burst out. “No, no, I’m sorry. I don’t know why you took me but I’ll do it. M-my name is Virgil. Don’t send me back, please!”

Dee was entirely confused, but he set aside the outburst. He’d think on that later. For now he had to calm down th- Virgil.

He pushed him gently down to lay back. “Shh, I’m not sending you back right now. Just rest. We’ll talk later.”

“But—!”

The power came to him faster and more naturally than Dee had expected. “Virgil, sleep.”

Virgil’s eyes started drooping immediately, and his body relaxed against the bed. Dee stayed beside him until he was sure he’d fallen entirely asleep.

But then the questions crowded in on his mind, the foremost being why would he just give away his name like that? What was home for him that being kidnapped by a fairy actually seemed better to him? Perhaps he hadn’t heard what happened to people who were captured by fairies.

••^*^••

Chapter Two

••^*^••

“Dad! Dad, Dad, Dad!”

Logan groaned, but the voice was soon joined by a small hand patting his face. A small, wet, hand.

That got him up pretty quickly. “Wha—“ his question was interrupted by a yawn. “What have you been doing?”

Patton bounced up and down, water droplets falling off of him to join the large puddle on the floor. “I wanna swim!”

“Looks like you already have been,” Logan remarked, smiling slightly and rubbing his hand over his face, trying to wake up fully.

Patton pouted. “No! Really swim! Please!”

Logan looked out the window, at the slowly rising sun. “No, it’s too late now.”

Patton’s pout grew downright sad, and tears filled his eyes. “But you were sleeping…”

Logan reached out to cup Patton’s face, and pressed his forehead down to his, hoping that this would meet the need for affection without getting him wet. “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry. We can go tonight.”

Patton sniffed, rubbing his face with his wet sleeve. “But you said that yesterday and you forgotted.”

Logan ignored the mistake in grammar for the moment. “I did, didn’t I? I’m so sorry, Patton. We’ll swim tonight, and I’ll swim with you, promise. If I forget you’re allowed to wake me up in the middle of the night this time.”

Patton looked up hopefully, but still clearly very disappointed that he couldn’t go swimming now. He nodded, looking away.

Well, that did it. So much for keeping dry. Logan picked up the small child and held him close. “Dear heart, I know how hard it must be to not swim all the time. I’m truly sorry I forgot.”

Patton hugged him back as tightly as his little arms could. “I forgive you.”

“Would it help if you went and played in the pond while I made breakfast?”

Patton gripped tighter. “Don’t put me down.”

“It’s alright, I won’t. We’ll just have a quicker breakfast.”

Patton nodded. He didn’t let go of Logan for a solid half an hour, until they’d both eaten, and then only to go play in the pond.

Logan mopped up the water and changed his clothes. He was drawn, almost impulsively, to the chest underneath his bed. He opened it and took out the blankets, picking up the small coat.

He almost hated that he had it. But Patton was so young, and had already had so much danger in his short life. Logan ran his hand over one of the tears in the coat, wondering again if he dared try to mend it. It made it considerably worse that Patton seemed to think that the person holding his coat was his parent. Logan dearly hoped he would grow out of that, though if the legends were to be believed, it would morph into feelings far more dangerous as Patton grew. But by then he’d be able to give Patton his coat back. By then he’d be able to protect himself, and wouldn’t have to hide. Wouldn’t have to swim in dirty ponds without even a tinge of salt to the air.

Until then, Logan would keep him safe. He’d never let anyone know what Patton was. The only other person that had known was… well, Logan hoped he would never have to do something like that again. But he would, if someone hurt Patton again.

••^*^••

It was dark out. Almost time. Patton jumped up and down, the itch underneath his skin nearly unbearable. He’d had to work really, really, super hard to be cheerful today. But he’d done it! And now it was almost time!

Dad said he could wake him up once the stars were all out. He just had to wait a little bit longer. Just a little.

But finally it was time! Patton ran to his dad’s room.

“Dad!” He whispered loudly. “Dad it’s time! You have to wake up now!”

He tugged the blanket down off of his dad, patting and pushing gently.

“Wake up! Wake up!” His whispers got louder as he got more excited and impatient.

Finally Dad groaned and sat up. “I’m awake. I’m awake. Go on outside and I’ll get your coat.”

“Don’t fall back asleep!” Patton said seriously.

“I won’t, don’t worry.”

Patton waited just outside the door for a very long few minutes before his coat was dropped onto his head. He let out an excited squeal as he put it on. It fit perfectly, calming the buzzing itch almost immediately, and he rushed to the water and plunged in.

The transformation was absolutely effortless, and felt so right after so long! It had been nearly a whole week and Patton had missed it so much! Happy tears slid out of his eyes and joined with the water of the pond.

He let out trills of happiness and swam quick laps around and around the pond, so fast!

There was a splash as his Dad got into the pond. Patton swam up beneath him, spooking him, and then pushing him back up to the surface. Patton was very happy to swim up under his chest and keep him up. His dad wasn’t the best at swimming, and it was almost like a really long hug!

After a little bit he swam away for some very fast swimming, but came back before his dad could get too tired and sink. After a few times of this, his Dad rolled over onto his back, unsteadily floating.

Patton was careful not to startle him. He wasn’t so good at floating yet, and if he got scared even one time he would start sinking. Patton drifted slowly towards him, floating alongside him in the water and looking up at the stars.

It was times like these that he sometimes felt strange. Like the pond should be bigger. He’d been in a really big lake once, and that was amazing! But… even bigger than that. With the stars even clearer, and not covered up with branches at the edges.

Patton looked over at his dad, but his eyes were slowly drooping. That wasn’t safe. His dad couldn’t breathe if his head went underwater. So Patton gently pushed him towards the shore.

He woke when he bumped against the shoreline, and startled, flailing and scrambling up onto the bank. He finally settled, watching Patton as he rolled and played in the water.

Eventually he fell asleep again. That was fine. Patton would be asleep too if he wasn’t still so excited.

A long time later, Patton was watching as the sun started peeking up over the horizon, turning the sky a gorgeous red.

His dad suddenly sat up with a gasp, yell-whispering. “Patton! It’s late! Get out, now!”

Patton reluctantly got out of the water and went to his dad, his whole body drooping.

“Turn back and give me your coat.”

Patton let out a pleading whine. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to turn back yet.

“No, Patton. This is important. I need you to obey right now.”

Patton leaned up against his leg, whining one more time.

“Patton!” His dad snapped, as the light started spreading over the land.

Patton flinched, shifting back and shedding his coat. He handed it to his dad, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

His dad knelt and gathered him in a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Patton. But no one can know, understand?”

Patton nodded.

He was picked up and taken inside the house and to bed, all tucked in warmly. He drifted off slowly, his emotions all swirling bittersweet.

••^*^••

Chapter Three

••^*^••

Emile screamed, twisting and thrashing, struggling to get his feet to touch the ground so he had enough leverage to break free.

“Don’t, don’t, stop! Please!”

“Get him to shut up!” Someone growled.

“Let go of me! Let go! Please, let go!” Emile pulled hard, but several hands held his limbs and more were forcing his wings open.

There was a sudden pain as several of his feathers were yanked at. Emile let out an angry cry, his mother’s heritage coming out in his voice and making it more piercing. He thrashed and scrambled, trying to get away, but it was practically a crowd on top of him.

They learned to pull one feather at a time, ripping them out.

“Why?” Emile screamed. He was biting at any hand that came close to his mouth, so they hadn’t managed to shut him up yet. “You can’t use them!”

“Oh we know how to use them, little harpy.”

“I’m—“ Emile grunted and thrashed. “Not!”

Another feather was torn from him, and Emile let out the loudest, most piercing shriek he could manage. The hands holding him stilled for a second, and he tried again to get free, but they just got back to ‘work’.

Then he could hear a sound. A very familiar sound of heavy wingbeats. He let out another shriek.

Suddenly the people covering him were scattering, and Emile got up quickly, running away from them and towards the dragon that was landing nearby. He ducked down between the dragon’s talons, as a plume of fire rushed out, and the rest of the thugs bolted away screaming.

Emile was suddenly grabbed by the talons and lifted into the air.

“Remy!” He yelled. “You could’ve let me ride!”

“I told you to stay away from the towns!” Remy retorted, flying out over the water. “And now look what a mess you’ve gotten yourself into!”

Emile was dropped onto the ground of the small island that was indisputably Remy’s. Remy landed and pushed Emile with his snout until he could see him clearly.

“Your wings, Em…”

Emile’s spirits fell at that, and he actually looked at his wings. They were a pleasant brown, a bit lighter on the underside than the outside, and just a bit too small to really fly with. He could glide, and get up in the air a little, but that was it. But now, he couldn’t do even that. The feathers he had left were crushed and smeared with quickly-drying blood. His wings hurt, both from being forced open and certainly from ripping out his feathers. He wasn’t entirely certain he could even grow the feathers back after the trauma his wings had been put through.

“That’s it, you’re part of my hoard now,” Remy declared. “You don’t get to leave the island without me.”

Emile tore his gaze away from his ruined wings. He stepped forward and hugged Remy’s neck.

“I’m ok. I know I scared you, but I’m ok now.”

Remy let out a rumble.

“You want to be all protective and keep me safe, and I appreciate that, but right now, I could really just use my friend.”

Remy’s grumble stretched out a long way before he started shifting back. He never looked completely human, but he could get reasonably close to it.

He hugged Emile back, awkwardly patting his back above his wings. “Want me to help wash some of the blood off?”

“Yes, please.” Emile’s voice was getting thick. Now, safe from the danger, with his loss really sinking in, he might just start crying.

Emile sat down, and Remy got some water and a cloth to try to gently clean his wings. But it hurt. Oh, it hurt. The cloth hurt, and the saltwater hurt, but what hurt most was feeling the large gaps where there were no longer any feathers.

Emile broke down into sobs.

Remy tried to comfort him, but that was usually Emile’s part of the relationship. He cleaned up his wings as best as he could and offered many hugs.

It was much later, when Emile was mostly cried out, that Remy said something that actually cheered him up a bit.

“So I’ve heard a bit of news about the bastard.”

“You have?”

“Mmhmm. Heard he was a ways south, joined up with a pirate ship and he’s trying to woo a mermaid.”

Emile let out a wet, shaky laugh. “You think he’ll get her?”

“Dear God, I hope not! It’s enough having you, I couldn’t handle another.”

Emile’s laugh turned into giggles, still tinged with tears. “I thought you liked having me around.”

“But could you imagine a little bitty one? With a tail?”

Emile’s giggles came faster.

“What if this one can’t talk to us. Poor kid would go their whole lives thinking their mom was the only one.”

“Mermaids can talk!” Emile said through giggles. He must be so desperate for something happy, because every word out of Remy’s mouth seemed like the most hilarious thing he’d ever heard.

“Can when they’re older. What if when they’re little they just speak like fishes?” Remy let out a series of gurgling noises that had Emile laughing harder than ever.

“And you know what else?”

“Whahat?” Emile laughed.

“We call him the bastard, but it’s actually us. We’re the bastards.”

It wasn’t even that funny, but Emile was on the floor laughing hysterically. Remy just laid down on the floor next to him, telling dumb jokes until Emile begged him to stop.

Once he stopped laughing, Emile was hit with a wave of complete exhaustion. Remy brought a pillow and stroked his hand through Emile’s hair, letting out a soft rumble.

Emile’s eyes slipped closed. “Thank you, Remy.”

“You’re welcome,” Emile heard, before drifting off. Though just before he was completely asleep he thought he heard faintly, “I’m gonna torch the monsters that think they can do this!”

••^*^••

Chapter Four

••^*^••

When Virgil woke up his first thought was that he had to make himself worth it. If he wasn’t worth keeping around the fairy might send him back.

He could… there were chores, but he didn’t know what they would be here, or how to do them, but he would do what he could. He could… what could he really do for a fairy? They liked enchanting people into dancing, if the stories were true. Or… well, it seemed like a lot of fairies liked killing people in strange ways, mostly making them do something until they dropped dead.

But somehow, the only thought Virgil had in response to that was that at least the fairy would tell him what to do, how to be useful. It was the worst thing in the world to not know how to be useful when he was supposed to be. It wasn’t even like there was all that much an eight-year-old could do.

The door opened, and Virgil flinched back, trying to pretend he was still asleep.

The fairy came closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. Virgil’s skin crawled, and he itched to get up and away. He lay there, growing more rigid and less convincingly ‘asleep’ every second. Finally, after what seemed like years, he cracked one eye open.

The fairy was holding a small, bright white cloth, and was using it to scrub and polish a scale of some sort. He wasn’t looking at all at Virgil, and seemed very content with the simple task. Virgil carefully sat up, not quite looking at him.

“Oh, you’re awake!” The fairy said. “Feeling any better?”

Virgil nodded silently, chewing on his lip.

The fairy held up the scale. “Would you like to help?”

Virgil nodded immediately, and took the scale as it was handed to him. It was lighter than he had expected, almost clear around the edges where it was thin.

“Just rub it carefully. Don’t press too hard.”

The cloth tingled as it touched his hands, and Virgil nearly dropped it.

“Oh, yes the cloth is magical. It won’t harm you, don’t worry.”

Virgil looked up at the fairy, chewing absently on his lip. He started rubbing the cloth on the scale, and suddenly realised that it was strange. The cloth wasn’t larger, like most things were.

The fairy left, and Virgil kept rubbing, surprised to see the scale grow more and more translucent, and vaguely purplish. He wondered when it was ‘done’.

It was a good while later, perhaps half an hour, when the fairy came back, immediately touching the scale. “This is interesting. Were you aware that you have magic?”

“I do?” Virgil asked.

The fairy nodded. “I don’t know that you’ll be able to do much with it on it’s own, it doesn’t look very strong. Do you mind if I touch you?”

Virgil’s heart suddenly started pounding, and his breath quickened. He did not want to be touched, but the fairy had asked, rather than just doing it, but touching never went anywhere good, but would the fairy get mad if he said no?

“I don’t have to, don’t worry. But it does mean you’d be able to help me much more than I had thought, if you want to.”

It was exactly what he’d been hoping for. Virgil nodded immediately.

The fairy sat down, a confused frown growing on his face. “You don’t want me to send you home.”

Virgil shook his head vehemently.

“And you seem happy to work for me.”

Virgil nodded.

“Why?”

Virgil’s brain stuttered to a halt, thoughts and memories rushing through too fast to make sense of. He looked down into his lap.

“You’ve given me your name,” the fairy mused. “I suppose that means you’re mine. I haven’t ever had a human before. Has a fairy ever had you?”

Virgil shook his head, looking up now that the ‘why’ had been abandoned.

“Then you’ll have to tell me when something goes wrong. And I’ll tell you too. We’re both inexperienced at this, and need to work together, yes?”

Virgil shrugged.

The fairy let out a short breath. “Let’s start with, are you hungry?”

Virgil hesitated, but nodded.

The fairy nodded decidedly. “And what would you like to eat?”

“Um… eggs?”

The fairy considered for a moment. “Have you ever eaten a robin egg?”

Virgil’s eyes went wide and he shook his head.

The fairy grinned, and went outside. This time Virgil followed, wincing just slightly as he moved stiff muscles and aggravated bruises.

Once outside, wings suddenly appeared on the fairy’s back, brilliantly gold, and propelling him quickly into the air. Virgil could now see that he had indeed been shrunk to the size of a fairy, as the forest loomed up huge around him.

The fairy flew away, coming back only a few minutes later with a pale blue egg.

He landed in front of Virgil, the wings vanishing.

“How did you get a robin egg?” Virgil asked. “It’s fall.”

“I happen to enjoy eggs as well, and I have a very magical friend. Between those two things, there is now a very special robin that gets to live up in the tree.”

“Oh.”

The fairy managed to start a small fire in a fire pit, and pulled out a large pan from a little shed. While he cooked the egg, Virgil looked around. The fairy had several shed-like structures, most of them closed. But one was open, and had a spider in it, a spider that was nearly the size of a large cat.

Virgil was instantly enamored, staring at the spider while keeping a safe distance.

“She won’t bite you if you want to pet her,” the fairy said.

Virgil hesitantly stepped forward, reaching a hand out carefully. The spider immediately scrambled towards him, crawling right up his torso.

Virgil let out a cry and toppled backwards, but the spider just sat on his chest, staring down at him. He reached his hand up to pet the furry abdomen. To his surprise, the spider let out a trilling noise, sitting down on top of him.

“Does she have a name?” Virgil asked.

“Not yet.”

“Oh.”

After a few minutes, the fairy spoke again. “The egg is ready, come on and eat it while it’s hot.”

Virgil looked between him and the spider, his forehead furrowing. “But— she’s happy.”

“Just push her off. You two can play after you eat.”

Virgil grudgingly pushed the spider off of him, getting up and going over to the fairy.

The robin egg tasted far more similar to a normal egg than he would have guessed. Or maybe it was just because the robin was made magical.

“So what’s your—“ Virgil’s words fizzled out as his mind screamed at him. You can’t ask a fairy what their name is! “Um, I mean… can I call, um… name?”

To his surprise, the fairy let out an amused chuckle. “You can call me Dee.”

••^*^••

Chapter Five

••^*^••

There was a knock on the door to Logan’s study. For quite a while now, he’d been trying to study magic, in an effort to find something to help Patton. Not that it’d been much good so far.

“Dad?”

“Not now, Patton. I’ll be out in a bit.”

But Patton knocked again, a bit harder. “Dad?” There was just enough of a strange tone to his voice to make Logan concerned.

He got up and opened the door. Patton immediately lifted his arms for a hug, which Logan provided.

“What is it, dear?” Logan realized that Patton was dry, which was unusual for the time of day.

“There’s a creepy person out by the pond,” Patton whispered, hiding his face in the crook of Logan’s neck. “I don’t like them.”

That immediately set off alarm bells. Logan went to the window and peeked out through the gap between the curtains. There was indeed someone standing near the pond, and Logan didn’t recognize them. But he wasn’t going to discount Patton’s fear.

Patton couldn’t remember what had happened to him, thank goodness, but he did have moments of almost remembering, when something was too similar. Logan wasn’t going to chance that the man knew Patton.

He rubbed a hand over Patton’s back. “Why don’t you stay inside with me today?”

Patton nodded, not showing any signs of letting go.

Logan wasn’t much of one for physical affection, but, with everything being how it was, it was something he felt like he just couldn’t refuse Patton. And Patton certainly seemed to crave it.

“Do you think you’d like to draw, darling?”

Patton nodded. “Not yet.”

Logan sat down again, arranging Patton in his lap so he could see over his head. Patton was quiet and content for quite a while before he slipped down, getting his piece of slate and setting it on the floor near Logan’s chair. Logan handed him a piece of chalk and Patton laid down on the floor to draw, showing Logan each time he finished a picture before wiping it away.

But an energetic child would not be content with drawing all day. And Logan needed a chance to look around with Patton safely at home. It was time to use his ace.

When Patton pushed aside the slate with a sigh, Logan stood up and stretched.

“What do you think about a bath?”

Patton’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Yes, please!”

So Logan opened up the bathroom, which was a lean-to on the side of the house, and had inside several small toys, a number of short pipes, and cups of various sizes. But the main thing in the small room was an empty hogshead.

Logan went out into the yard and started pumping water. The water pump connected to a pipe which fed the water directly into the hogshead. He’d used it primarily for irrigation purposes before Patton, but meeting Patton had changed his entire livelihood, and he had much less need for irrigation now.

After a while, Patton called out, “It’s full!” And then Logan heard a splash as he jumped in.

Hopefully, Patton would be engaged in pouring water from cup to cup and through the pipes, and playing with his toys for long enough that Logan could investigate this ‘creepy person’.

Whoever it was, they didn’t appear to be anywhere around the pond anymore. Logan walked into the town, asking several of his neighbors if they’d seen any strangers recently. None of them had, which was strange, but they agreed to keep an eye open. No one wanted suspicious persons walking around peeping on their children.

Eventually Logan walked back to his house, annoyed and frustrated, but also confused. How had no one else seen the person?

There was a distant sound, something strange, and Logan tried to pick out what it was as he got closer to his house. The instant it clicked he broke into a run. It was screaming. Patton screaming.

Logan burst into the house to see the stranger holding his son. He didn’t think, other than a blur of rage, slamming his fist as hard as he could into the man’s head.

The man fell to the ground, and then vanished. That should have been alarming to Logan, but something else caught his attention.

“Dad!” Patton wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Logan scooped him up, holding him close. “Patton! Are you ok? Are you hurt?”

Patton sobbed into his shoulder, gripping his shirt tightly. Logan got a blanket, wrapping it around Patton without letting go and sitting down, clutching him almost as tightly as Patton was.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I left you. I’m here now. I’ll keep you safe.”

Patton wasn’t letting go, and his sobbing wasn’t slowing down. Logan stroked a hair through his damp hair, pulling him away slightly.

“Let me see you, sweetheart, I just have to know if you’re hurt. I won’t put you down.”

Patton let go for just a moment, scrubbing at his eyes. He was covered in bruises. A knife cut into Logan’s heart. He’d let this happen to his son. He’d left him all alone. He’d known the stranger was nearby, and dangerous, and he’d left Patton alone!

“I’m sorry, Patton. I’m so sorry.”

Patton tucked himself close to Logan’s chest, not sobbing anymore, but his poor body still hitching and crying. Logan hugged him close.

“He— he wanted m-my coat,” Patton said, his little voice holding more pain than it should ever have to.

The one thing Patton couldn’t give him.

The knife in Logan’s heart twisted.

It was good that Patton didn’t know where the coat was. It would all be far worse if the man had managed to get it. That didn’t matter though. Not when his son was sobbing in his arms. Not when Logan had left him unprotected and helpless to help himself.

“I’m not going to let him touch you. Not ever again. I promise.”

“Wh-what if he comes back? And-and you aren’t here?” Patton looked up at him, his blue eyes swimming in tears. “I’m scared.”

Logan felt his eyes prickle distantly, but that wasn’t important in the face of what had happened to Patton. “I’m not leaving you. Not again. Don’t worry. You’ll stay right with me.”

Patton ducked his face down close to Logan’s chest, hugging tightly.

The two of them sat there, each just as unwilling to let go, until they were both shivering too hard to ignore. And by that time, Logan was decided.

“Let’s get changed, Patton, and then we’ll pack.”

Patton was too tired and drained to be surprised at Logan saying that they would pack. He just nodded sleepily, getting up and wrapping the blanket around himself.

Logan didn’t have a pack animal. He would have to pack light. He changed his clothes, and dressed Patton warmly. A change of clothes for each of them. Some food. What little money he had. Patton’s coat. Whatever medicine would fit. He put it all in a bag and put it on backwards.

He knelt in front of Patton. “I’m going to take you for a piggyback ride, ok?”

Patton mumbled sleepily, climbing on and hugging tight. No matter how tired, Patton could always hug.

Logan stood, bouncing slightly to position Patton comfortably. He locked the door on his way out.

It was the middle of the night, no one should see him. Now, if he could just manage to make a decent amount of distance before daybreak.

He was going to get Patton to the sea. He’d be safe, and happy, and Logan would get him there.

••^*^••

Chapter Six

••^*^••

Emile was sitting on a rock overlooking the sea, his fingers brushing over the last few long feathers. The small, short ones he still had most of, but the long ones, the ones he needed to fly, were mostly gone.

Remy was busy with something, and Emile was alone. Usually he didn’t mind being alone but now… well, he didn’t really mind, he was just kind of numb. And cold. The spray from the sea was getting him very damp, and sitting still on a cloudy day like this wasn’t helping to warm him up.

Finally he stood up. He needed to do something other than let himself drown in this. He needed people, and work, and if the sun would come out, that’d certainly be nice too.

He searched around in Remy’s hoard, looking for anything he could put together to make a boat.

••^*^••

Remy was walking quickly, most of himself hidden in a large cloak. He was going to find those thugs that would dare to hurt Emile.

And then a flash of brown caught his eye.

Brown was a common enough color, but this exact brown would always catch his eye. It was one of Emile’s feathers.

A man in a stall was trying to sell it. “It’s a genuine harpy feather, guaranteed to give you luck in the winds that follow you, and it can be used to make various spells.”

The woman picked up the feather, holding it delicately. “How do you know it’s genuine?”

“Have you ever seen a feather that big from anything else?”

The woman twirled the feather. “There doesn’t seem to be any effect on the winds at the moment.”

“I must admit, I don’t know how to perform the magic to activate the feather, but you should by no means discount its power through a lack of my own.”

The woman inspected the feather a few more moments. “How much?”

Remy waited until the woman was gone and the man selling the feather was alone. He grabbed him by the collar, slamming him into the nearest wall.

“Where’d you get that feather?!”

The man was stammering, clearly terrified. “I-I-it was s-sold to me last night.” He held up his hands, trying to put a barrier between himself and Remy’s other fist. “I-I don’t know who they were.”

Remy dropped the man, his face twisting in disgust and anger.

He stalked away through the town, cursing under his breath and searching for any more clues.

••^*^••

Emile was not having much luck. Remy had no need of boats, and not much interest, so there wasn’t much in the hoard that he could even turn into a raft.

Eventually, though, he found a large waterproof bag. If he could inflate it, and keep it inflated, he could swim over to the mainland. It wasn’t far, easily seen from the small island, and would probably only take him a few hours, if everything went well.

Remy wouldn’t be happy though, to find that Emile had taken his bag and snuck away with it. Though he’d be more upset about Emile leaving than about the bag.

Emile sat down on the ground and put his head in his hands. Maybe just sitting and moping wasn’t so bad after all. Remy would be back at some point anyway, and then he’d have company.

But he knew better. Sitting and moping didn’t do much good. Not for him at least.

He was going to make himself a nest. Remy had one, but it wasn’t one that would be comfortable to Emile. And once he was done, if Remy still wasn’t back, at least he could mope in comfort.

Making the nest took up the rest of the morning, and part of the afternoon, and he moved around so much that he warmed up, and when it was ready, he was just tired enough to slip inside and fall asleep.

••^*^••

Remy punched the wall closest to him, his breath coming out hot and smoky. He still hadn’t found them. How could a group that big just vanish???!

Remy shifted into a dragon, flying over the town and coastline, letting out angry trails of smoke.

He would find them. And he would get revenge for what they’d done to Emile.

But after another hour with no leads, he finally landed. He had to take care of Emile in the meantime. He’d practically stranded him on his island, and it wasn’t fair to leave him alone so long.

Remy bought food, enough that Emile wouldn’t run out for a while, and flew it to the island.

When he arrived, Emile was curled up in a nest, his broken wings splayed out and not fully covering him anymore. Remy felt his anger spike again, but he shoved it down.

Emile took in a deep breath, and then his eyes opened.

“Remy!”

Remy found himself wrapped in a hug by the too-soft man, and pulled into his too-soft nest to eat dinner.

Emile was pretty talkative, about nothing in particular, but after they’d eaten he got quiet.

“Is something wrong?” Remy asked.

Emile shook his head, and then nodded. “Can you take me flying? I—“ his forehead wrinkled and his eyes filled with tears. “It won’t be the same, and I know that, but I’m just really missing it already. It’s…” Emile bit his lip, and a tear slid down his cheek. “I can’t fly right now. I can’t use my wings to balance, because they’re so much lighter. I-I can’t even cover up in them to sleep anymore.”

Remy moved forward to hug Emile. “Of course I’ll take you flying. I’ll help you with whatever you need, and you can sleep underneath my wings.”

Emile gave him a tight smile. “It’s just not the same. Thank you. I’d love to do all of that. I just… I think I’m going to stay upset about this for a while.”

Remy couldn’t stand seeing Emile upset. It hurt. It really, really hurt.

He shifted into a dragon, and Emile clambered onto his back. Remy flew up into the air, circling once and then flying out over the sea.

Emile was still upset when they landed hours later. Perhaps even more upset.

Remy nudged him into his nest, laying down next to it and covering over the whole thing with a wing. He tucked Emile up close to his side, wishing there was something, anything else he could do.

He would get revenge. It may not happen today, or next week, or even in a year. But no matter how long he had to wait and search, he would get revenge.

••^*^••

Chapter Seven

••^*^••

Virgil stroked his hand carefully over the spider’s furry torso. His spider, his mind wanted to say. Truthfully, he knew she wasn’t his, but after just a little bit of time with her he wished she was.

She’d just finished spinning a web, and Virgil was extremely proud of her. As creepy as a giant fly seemed, he hoped one would come get caught, just for her.

Dee came out of the house and let out a low whistle. “She hasn’t made a web like this in a while,” he said, his voice sounding just as proud as Virgil was.

But then he picked at one end of the string and started pulling the web apart! Virgil stopped himself just before yelling at him. He didn’t want to give Dee a reason to hit him already, and the spider was Dee’s, not his. So he bit down hard on his lip, frowning down at the ground.

But it wasn’t fair! She’d worked so hard on the web! Why would Dee just unwind it?!

Virgil watched, his anger growing, but always waning just before he would have acted. Dee unwound the silk, wrapping it around his hand, until only the support strings were left, and the poor spider was scrambling to repair her web.

He turned to Virgil, smile immediately dropping.

“What’s wrong? You don’t seem hurt.”

Virgil’s anger drained right out of him under the direct stare. He shrugged.

“No, something was wrong. Tell me.”

Virgil shrugged, backing up a step.

“Virgil.”

Suddenly it poured out, without his permission or control. “You took her web down! That’s mean! She worked really hard on it!”

Dee put a hand on his shoulder, and Virgil twisted away, backing up several more steps, all his instincts screaming danger. Dee didn’t look mad, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t. His skin crawled, and he clenched his jaw shut.

“I keep her to take her webs. It’s the same way as humans take milk from cows, or like I took the egg from my robin. It won’t hurt her.” Dee said gently.

Virgil just shrugged, staring down at the ground. He’d make it up to her somehow later. It wasn’t worth getting hit over.

“Would you like to see what I do with the web?” Dee asked.

Virgil shrugged again. Part of him did, but the other part, the part that he was forcibly shutting up, didn’t care what the webs were used for, and was still angry that Dee would take them.

Dee went into the house, and came back with the cloth Virgil had used to polish the scale. “I make these with them. I use magic and weave the web into a cloth, and use the cloth to change the scales. I sell the scales, and that’s how I make money. Do you understand?”

Dee still sounded calm, though his calmness was getting a little strained.

Virgil shrugged silently.

Dee sighed, and Virgil flinched back another step.

“I don’t want to upset you. I still need the webs, but if you can find a way to get her to give them to you without unwinding her web, I will let her keep her web. Does that seem fair?”

Virgil shrugged.

Dee sighed again, and Virgil’s whole body tensed. But Dee just went inside the house.

Virgil didn’t move for several minutes, watching the door intently.

But then the spider came and crawled up his leg. He petted her gently, and walked around to behind her shed, where he couldn’t be seen.

“Hey, girl,” he said quietly, his throat started to close up and tears leaked out of his eyes.

She sat on his chest and trilled at him. Virgil gave her a weak smile. “You’re such a sweet spider. I love you.”

He hugged her, and she made a strange rattling noise that meant she wanted him to let go. He’d figured out, or at least thought he had, most of what her noises meant. They were so different from any other kind of noises, and Virgil wondered if he would be able to hear them if he was human-sized.

“We-we have to find some other webs,” Virgil said seriously, scrubbing at his face. “And then Dee won’t take yours.”

She trilled again.

Virgil gave a wet laugh, and sniffed. He was going to cry, much as he hated it, and he just hoped Dee would stay inside the house until he was done and could pretend it had never happened. At least he had her with him.

She needed a name.

But first he was crying, hunched over and trying to muffle the sound with one hand and still pet the spider with his other hand. She stayed with him the whole time, trilling and butting against his chest.

“Wha-at if I- called you A-Annabelle?” Virgil said, still hiccuping on the tail end of crying. He scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeves.

Annabelle trilled, crawling onto his arm, and around and around it happily.

Virgil laughed, trying to pet her, but she was just going around and around his arm, as quickly as if she was wrapping up a fly. His arm felt strange, and he realized that she was wrapping him up. But just his arm.

“Are you gonna eat me?” He asked, even though he knew she never would.

Annabelle trilled, and it sounded almost offended.

Virgil laughed again, wiping the rest of the tears away. He held his one arm out straight, and Annabelle kept wrapping, around and around, until his arm was white from his wrist to his shoulder. Then she stopped, sitting down in his lap and trilling.

Virgil suddenly realized. He had webbing now, webbing that wasn’t part of her web! He petted her, smiling wider than he had in a very long time.

“Good girl! Good girl, Annabelle! You’re the very best spider in the whole world!”

Annabelle preened under the praise, and then skittered away to finish repairing her web.

Virgil burst into the house, waving his arm. “Dee! I got it!”

Dee turned to him, and a flash of intense concern crossed his face before he smiled proudly. “You did. You got so much! How did you do it?”

••^*^••

Chapter Eight

••^*^••

Logan was nearly falling asleep on his feet when he finally stumbled to a stop. He was never good at staying awake late at night, and walking with a good bit of extra weight definitely wasn’t his strong suit.

He walked off the edge of the road, and into a small stand of trees. There was a divot in the ground beneath one of them, thankfully not muddy, and Logan dropped to his knees beside it, pulling off the bag and sliding Patton around to the front. He set the bag down and used it as a pillow, holding Patton close to him.

Patton woke up somewhat in all the moving. “What’s going on?”

“Shhh, we’re camping.”

“But there’s no tent. And no fire.”

Logan patted Patton’s head, tucking him close to his chest. Logan was nearly asleep already. “Just cuddle with Daddy, ok?”

“Ok.” Patton shifted a little, before sighing softly and going back to sleep.

He was too tired to react to the thought, but Logan was very aware that it was the first time he’d verbally confirmed himself as Patton’s father. He’d have to do something about that. He wasn’t his father, just a guardian. But not now. Now he was just exhausted.

••^*^••

Logan’s first thought, while slowly regaining awareness, was that there was nothing in his arms, and that there ought to be. As soon as his brain caught up he jerked upright.

“Patton!”

“I’m right here!” Patton said cheerfully. “I’m making a fire.”

Logan scrambled up, but Patton was really just arranging sticks. He nearly collapsed in sudden relief.

They were fine. Patton was fine. He was barely three feet away. They’d be ok.

He got his breathing under control, but his heart was still thudding away.

“Look, Dad! The fire is almost ready to be fired!”

“Lit. It’s almost ready to be lit.” Logan corrected.

Patton grinned. “It’s almost ready to be lit! Come see!”

Logan gave him a small smile, inspecting his little teepee of sticks. “Well done, Patton. It looks very nice. We aren’t going to have a fire this morning, but I’m very pleased that you would help with it.”

Patton glowed with the praise, and then frowned in confusion. “Aren’t we camping?”

“We are. But this is a different kind of camping. We’re going to do a walking kind of camping.”

“A walking kind?” Patton parrotted, cocking his head to the side.

Logan nodded, digging in the bag and pulling out some bread. “Here. You can eat this while we’re walking.”

Patton took the bread, biting into it. “Can I have milk too?”

“I didn’t bring milk. Or…” Logan shook his head at his own rash haste. “Or water. I’ll get you something to drink as soon as I can, promise.”

Patton just nodded happily, his cheerfulness almost making Logan feel even worse.

Logan picked up the bag and some bread for himself, and started back towards the road.

“Bye fire,” Patton said, and then ran up to Logan, sticking his free hand up to be held. “Where are we walking to?”

“The sea.”

Patton stopped completely, his little eyes suddenly shining with tears. He looked up at Logan as if he’d just been told the meaning of the word hope. “Daddy, what’s the sea?”

Logan’s lips pressed together tightly. “It’s where you belong, Patton. It’s most likely where you were born.”

Logan pulled Patton along, telling him every detail he knew about the sea as they walked.

••^*^••

Patton was jostled slightly.

“Patton, I'm getting tired. I’ll need you to walk.”

Patton rubbed his eyes. “Ok.”

His dad set him down and took his hand. Patton let out a sigh. He was tired too, and his feet hurt. Walking camping wasn’t as fun as normal camping. And he didn’t even get to go swimming for the whole day! Usually they camped near the pond, or near a lake, and he got to swim lots and lots!

His dad had bought them some milk in a little town they walked through, and the lady selling the milk had given him a candy! But he’d eaten it a long time ago now, and he was thirsty, but the warm milk just made him more thirsty.

The water was gone, but Dad said that they should get to a little river soon, and that they would stop there for the night.

But they were still walking now. It was close to dinner-time maybe, cause the sun was about to start setting.

He was excited to get to see the sea! Every time he heard the word he felt a shiver, like when he put his coat on, though not nearly as good as his coat. But Dad said that it would be a lot of days first, and that didn’t really sound like fun to walk for a lot of days.

And finally he heard the unmistakable sound of water, and started walking quicker. “Come on, Dad! We’re almost there!”

The two of them went quickly, and Patton nearly rushed straight for the water the instant he saw it, but his Dad suddenly gripped his wrist tighter, holding him back.

“Not yet. I’ll let you get in, I promise, just wait a few minutes, Patton.”

Patton made a face that was very close to a pout.

His dad looked all around the little river, up and down, and finally sat down by the edge.

“There won’t be any new water tomorrow, maybe not even the next day, so I’m going to let you swim for a bit tonight. Sound good?”

Patton nodded, eager to get into the water. And then his Dad pulled his coat out of the bag, and Patton’s mouth gaped open, before he gave a happy laugh, reaching out for the coat.

“Don’t let anyone see you,” Dad said, his voice low and stern. “And be quiet.”

Patton nodded, making little hops up and down.

“Ok, you can get in.”

Patton leapt into the river, swimming up and down and then letting himself drift. He was really very tired, and drifting with the current, down below the surface of the water, was very pleasant.

••^*^••

Chapter Nine

••^*^••

Emile was trying to sleep lightly, but he was still a bit surprised and very glad that he woke up as soon as Remy got up.

Emile was still sleepy, but just seeing him awake was enough to make Remy stay, nudging him with his snout. Emile reached up and hugged him, and Remy started pushing him around. Emile let out a sleepy giggle, pushing Remy back. Remy let out a grumble, nudging more until Emile sat up and then pushing him back down. It was like very slow, sleepy wrestling.

Remy’s mouth closed over his arm, and Emile let out a surprised squeak, flaring his wings. Remy let go immediately, his rumble sounding like a chuckle. Emile made a face at him, trying to pull down his head and sit on it. Remy bowled him over, blowing hot air into his face. Emile laughed, struggling to get back up and trying to tackle Remy again.

It didn’t work, of course, with Remy being so much larger than he was.

“Change back,” Emile said. “Fight me properly!”

Remy morphed back into his more human form. “Gurl, I’ll win no matter what I look like.”

The two of them started wrestling, more aggressively now, with Remy letting out growls and Emile shrieks.

Remy managed to get Emile on the ground belly-down, sitting on his back. “Now you have to tell me I won.”

“Not-- yet--” Emile grunted, trying to squirm out from underneath him.

Remy poked a finger into his ribs, and Emile’s squirming doubled, and he let out a shriek.

“Oh, that’s right babes, either you admit I win, or I’ll tickle you until you do.”

Emile grumbled. “Fiiiiine, you win.”

He could practically feel the shit-eating grin from Remy as he fluffed up Emile’s hair before climbing off.

Emile waited until Remy wasn’t watching before leaping up and tackling him to the ground, digging fingers into his sides. Now it was Remy’s turn to shriek.

“Agh! You win! Mercy! Emile!”

Emile chuckled, sitting on top of Remy and not getting off. “I get a prize for winning.”

“Oh, you do?” Remy said, shifting to a more comfortable position, but not trying to throw Emile off.

“Yes, I do. You have to take me into town.”

Remy scowled.

Emile held a finger over his mouth. “You can come with me and be protective dragon all you want, but I have to be around people. My house is up there, and I can’t even remember if I left the door locked or wide open.”

Remy grumbled, but Emile could tell that he’d give in.

“Please? You can do cool fire tricks and impress all my friends.”

Remy’s grumble was even closer to giving in.

“I’ll give you a favor too, if you want.”

Remy sighed, shaking his head as a smile formed. “Ah, I’d do anything for you, Em.”

••^*^••

Emile now had a very thoroughly packed bag, and some things to set up over his nest that would keep off rain and sea spray and still let Remy in. He’d gone around to his friend’s houses, and was surprised with how… well, maybe it was just because he had wings, but he thought he’d be more… compassionate? To people having hardships unlike his own. And he’d previously thought that they would be too.

Most of his friends were just concerned that he wouldn’t be around as much for a while. And… he didn’t want to think poorly of them, but it seemed that they were just concerned that the help they counted on him for would be gone. He liked helping them! Really, he did, but, if… if that was all they were concerned for…

They’d hardly cared at all about his wings after learning that the feathers would probably grow back. It seemed that the younger they were, the more they cared, and while he was glad to have made friends with his friends’ children, it just… didn’t feel right.

Rather than feeling better, he just wanted to get back to Remy’s little island. But he still needed something to do all day. Friends or no friends, moping around wouldn’t help him feel better at all.

He had some whittling that he enjoyed, but that was more something to do while talking to someone, and he had a feeling that Remy wouldn’t be hanging around all the time.

Emile considered for quite a while, before getting his little stash of money and buying quite a bit of yarn. He knew how to weave it with only his hands, and it would give him something to do that would make something in the end. Maybe he could even sell whatever he made.

So now he was all packed up, with his stuff in a pile, and his house swept out and locked up. Just sitting on his doorstep waiting for Remy to come back. Where he had gone, Emile didn’t know, but he hoped he would be back soon.

••^*^••

Remy had flown to the closest place that could be considered a city, and was in the market searching for that all-too-familiar brown.

Around him it was chaos, at least compared to what he was used to, and he didn’t even try to keep the displeased scowl off of his face.

He didn’t find anything. Either the thugs were holding on to their supply, or selling it more covertly, or somehow he was still just missing it. Remy let out a growl, causing several people nearby to jump and walk very quickly away.

The movement of one of them let the sun shine into his face, and then he realized just how late it was getting. He shifted right there and got up into the air, flying back towards Emile.

••^*^••

Chapter Ten

••^*^••

Dee didn’t know what to make of Virgil. He was reasonably certain that most humans weren’t as skittish as he was. And there was still the question of why. Why was he out in the forest in the middle of the night? Why would he willingly give Dee his name? Why hadn’t Dee seen anyone looking for him?

He was showing Virgil how to rub the oil along the strand of webbing to make sure it wasn’t sticky anymore, and the two of them then fell into a silence, each working on quite a long string.

Dee wasn’t sure if the silence was a comfortable one. He wasn’t really accustomed to being around people anymore, certainly not humans. He could be courtly around Roman, and he was very happy to live his own life mostly silently, but this was a new situation, and he needed to figure out what was expected, what was hoped for.

Virgil looked up at him, holding up the end of his string. “I finished.”

Dee smiled, picking up the string and rubbing his hand along it. “Well done. It’s good.”

Virgil blinked up at him as if he’d said something strange. “It’s really good?”

“Of course. You did a good job.”

Virgil blinked again.

Maybe he was missing something. Oh, of course, Virgil would probably want some sort of payment or reward. He’d not only gotten more webbing, but also helped to prepare it for weaving. The question now was what the reward ought to be.

“You can go play with the spider if you want,” Dee offered, hoping it would suffice for a first time.

Virgil just blinked at him in confusion, standing slowly and leaving. Once he was outside Dee could hear him talking excitedly, so he must be enjoying himself, but Dee still could not understand his reaction.

Dee gathered up the webbing, and took it out to the shed with the loom. Well, that wasn’t quite right, as the loom very nearly was the shed. A loom with a roof and walls.

Virgil was silent for a long while. Dee sat down and started threading the loom. His back was to Virgil, and he couldn’t see him, but his attention was firmly fixed on him. After a few minutes, Virgil resumed playing with the spider, who he was calling Annabelle. It wasn’t a bad name. Though, Dee guessed that she would become much more of a pet now.

Dee let his hands complete the familiar motions while his mind thought. Perhaps, next time he went into a town to sell the scales, he’d bring Virgil with him, and let him pick something to buy out of the money, since he’d be helping earn it.

He turned around to ask Virgil, only to be met with an empty yard. Dee looked around, his attention finally caught by a giggle. He looked up.

Virgil was hanging from the lowest branch of the tree, giggling at him. The only thing holding him up was a single strand of webbing. Dee knew well how strong the webbing was, but it still struck him as extremely unsafe. All plans were scrapped. He was getting Virgil wings first.

••^*^••

Virgil was slightly confused by the way Dee was acting, but he was very happy to be left alone to play with Annabelle, so he didn’t say anything when Dee was weaving silently, and only giggled when Dee couldn’t find him, confident that he couldn’t be reached.

He paled slightly when Dee grew wings, realizing that he actually could be reached, but Dee didn’t come near him, flying away out of the circle instead. Virgil shrugged, and nearly fell, only barely caught by Annabelle. She hissed at him, and started wrapping him up to the branch.

Virgil burst into giddy giggles. He’d never felt this free before. “I’m fine, Annabelle! You don’t have to tie me up!”

Annabelle hissed, and Virgil hissed right back. He squirmed out of the webs and held onto them, swinging and hanging down again.

Annabelle hissed, going to the bottom of the tree and starting to make a new web beneath him.

“I’ll be fine,” Virgil protested. “You can save your webs.”

Annabelle hissed indignantly, and Virgil hissed back.

He played on the branch for quite a while, and eventually Annabelle came back up and played with him. It was loads of fun! Especially when he tied some of the webs and made himself a swing.

Until he slipped.

A short scream, and then he was caught by Annabelle’s web. She scrambled down, skittering over his body as if she was checking for injuries.

Virgil couldn’t speak for a minute, his heart caught in his throat. “I’m… I’m fine…” he said breathlessly. He tried to sit up, but he was stuck to the web. “Help me up?”

Annabelle hissed angrily, and started wrapping him up more.

“Noooo….. I’m fine! I won’t go climbing anymore! I’ll be careful!”

Annabelle trilled, butting against his chest, but just kept wrapping him up.

Virgil laughed. “I don’t need a time out, Annabelle!”

Annabelle decided he was wrapped up enough, or maybe ran out of webbing, because she came and sat on his chest and trilled at him.

Virgil sighed. “Fine. I’m sorry for scaring you. But I’m not going to think about anything I’ve done, I’m going to take a nap.”

Annabelle trilled softly, and closed her eyes.

••^*^••

“What on earth have you gotten into?” Dee asked, startling Virgil awake.

Despite his mild and amused tone, Virgil’s heart was threatening to beat out of his chest. He was frozen, and clammed up.

“Would you like help to get down?” Dee asked, not seeming at all annoyed by Virgil’s silence.

If he was offering help, and still didn’t seem mad, maybe he actually wasn’t?

“Yes.”

Virgil still stiffened up as Dee’s hands got close. He didn’t know exactly what he was expecting, just that it wouldn’t be good. But Dee just unwound the webs, shooing Annabelle away. He even left the web alone, just unwinding enough for Virgil to get down.

“There. I’ll make dinner and afterward we can talk.”

Talk?

Virgil’s blood ran cold.

All throughout the preparation of dinner he wound up tighter and tighter, getting more and more nervous. He could barely eat. Dee definitely noticed, but didn’t say anything.

“Are you alright? Perhaps we should save this for another time?”

“No!” Virgil bit his lip, he hadn’t intended for that to come out so loud. “I’m sorry. I can-- I’m fine.”

Dee nodded, more hesitant than anything else. “Alright. I’ve gathered everything I’d need, but before I started doing anything I’d like to ask you what you think.”

“A-about what?”

“I saw you climbing earlier,” Dee said.

Virgil’s chest suddenly hurt very intensely. He had made him mad. He’d been mad this whole time and it’d been waiting, and it was going to be so much worse now. Tears rose up in his eyes, despite his trying to blink them away.

Dee frowned. “Virgil, are you alright?”

Virgil felt the compulsion to answer blow past his defenses and he burst into tears. “No!”

Dee looked very concerned. “What’s the matter? Did you get hurt?”

Virgil shook his head, trying to scrub the tears away.

“What happened?”

“Well-- cause-- y-you’re mad at me!” Virgil was quickly breaking down, curling in on himself.

Hands touched his shoulders, and he flinched back with a cry, but Dee picked him up and held him close in a hug.

“I’m not mad, I promise.”

Virgil just sobbed, going limp. There was no way it could be true, much as he wanted to believe it. And then it started spilling out of his mouth, half words and choked sobs. About how he was supposed to be a big boy, and that meant that he had to work and he couldn’t cry, and he hadn’t hardly worked, he'd been playing, and he was crying and he just couldn’t stop, and he didn’t know what other work to do, and Dee had to be mad, because he wasn’t any good and he couldn’t follow the rules, and--

“Shhh, I’m not mad. You’re alright. There’s no way I would hurt you. You’ve done exactly what I’ve asked of you.”

Dee held him closer in a hug, rubbing his hand over his back. If he wasn’t already so upset Virgil would’ve melted into the kind touch, but he could still barely believe he wasn’t about to be punished. His words faded out, leaving only hitching breaths and quiet sobs, and Dee still held him close, not letting go, and only making slow, soothing movements.

“I-I’m so-rry,” Virgil said.

“There’s no need to be sorry. You’re my human, and I have different rules for my humans. You haven't broken any of my rules, and I’m very pleased with you.”

Virgil gripped Dee back, hiding his face in his chest. A long time later, he fell asleep, and the two hadn’t moved one bit, aside from Dee’s hand rubbing his back.

••^*^••

Chapter Eleven

••^*^••

Ethel shambled down to the river, careful not to trip. At her age, a fall could be disastrous. She stopped short when she saw a little boy laying in the water. She rushed forward and pulled him out, and he startled awake.

She felt a little bad for scaring him, but was more relieved that he hadn’t drowned. Her own heart was still racing.

The little boy pulled away from her. “Where’s Dad? Who are you? I’m not supposed to let people see me.”

“Shh, calm, child.” Ethel said, sitting down in an effort to calm her heart.

He was a beautiful child, but sopping wet, and wearing a heavy fur coat. He was clearly scared, looking around, and up the river.

“Come here, child. You can stay with me until your father comes to get you. Let’s get you dried off and get some food into you.”

The little boy kept looking up the river. “I think he’s up there. I want to go back to my dad.”

“If he’s upriver, surely he’ll come looking,” Ethel said.

"But--" the boy protested.

"It'll be alright, dear. My house is just that way, and we'll get you cleaned up and some food in you and then come back to wait at the river for your father." Ethel said, hoping the repetition would get through to him. She wasn't sure who his father was, but if he left his son in the river... perhaps left wasn't even the right word, as much as she hated to think it. The heavy coat, in this weather, couldn't be for warmth.

"What if he comes when we're inside your house?" the child asked.

"I'm sure when he comes he'll be calling for you. And I'm just as sure you'll go running out to meet him, won't you?"

The boy nodded eagerly. "We were on a walking kind of camping, and he said I could go swimming, and he even gave me my coat! But I fell asleep on accident." He frowned. "I think I should swim back to find him."

Ethel cooed over the child in sympathy. "Then I'll take you back upriver after you've eaten." Walking the child far away from home and dropping him in a river? With the heavy coat? She hated it, but she couldn't think of another conclusion. It was a miracle the boy was alright.

"Can we bring the food out here?" he asked.

"If you'll help me carry it, dear."

He finally smiled. "Ok. Thank you!"

"Oh, it's my pleasure, darling."

She carefully made her way back to her feet, and started the walk back to her house. It was long, for her, but the energetic boy could've skipped along the whole path in a minute or two. Despite that, he walked beside her, chattering about his father. The poor dear seemed so fond of him. It nearly broke her heart.

"Oh! My name's Patton."

Ethel smiled at him. "That's a precious name, Patton. My name is Ethel."

His face scrunched slightly, and she laughed at the unspoken reply, 'Your name is weird.'

She opened the door, and started pulling out some dried berries she had for the boy to snack on while she made something of more substance.

"Lay your coat on the chair, dear, and I'll find you some dry clothes."

Patton looked suddenly upset. "Do I have to take my coat off?"

Ethel wondered why he seemed enamored with the coat. Could it be his mother's? She hadn't heard of a mother yet. Perhaps... it could be seen as a feminine coat? It really wasn't a clear cut matter. "Please do, Patton. If you want, you may put it back on as soon as it dries."

Patton pouted, giving her some of the best puppy eyes she'd ever seen. But she'd had many a pair of pleading eyes directed at her in her long life. "Go on, dear, just hang it on the back of the chair."

He hung his head, but took the coat off and hung it over the chair. Ethel got out an old, large shirt, and had him swap his soaked clothes for it. Those also got hung over the backs of chairs near the fire. She noticed, with another sharp pang to her heart, that the poor child was covered in bruises. Some of them may have been from the river, but some looked unmistakably like they were made by hands.

He seemed content to eat the berries while she got some oatmeal cooking. He was such a darling child. She hoped dearly that whoever claimed to be his father had left as soon as he had dropped him in the river.

••^*^••

Logan was panicking. No, he was far, far past panicking. He'd been searching for hours, praying that Patton had gone downstream and not up. He hoped that he hadn't somehow passed Patton. There was no way to tell. He couldn't find any kind of markings showing that he'd passed by anywhere.

"Patton!" Logan yelled, his voice markedly more hoarse now than it had been earlier in the morning. "Patton, answer me!"

There was no response.

Logan stumbled on farther, yelling Patton's name every fifty feet.

Surely. Surely he'd get an answer. Surely. It would just be a bit farther, and Patton would call back. He would have his foot caught under a rock or something, where he couldn't get free. Or he would be tangled up in some hanging vine, waiting to be rescued. Soon. Logan would find him soon.

The only thing to meet his eyes was empty woods, and empty river. It seemed that there weren't even fish or birds, the sight was so empty.

Logan blinked, and his vision blurred. He scrubbed at his eyes, but it didn't help.

No! He was not breaking down in the woods! He was not going to break down at all. He was fine. He would find Patton soon. Very soon.

••^*^••

Patton waited by the river with his bowl of the oatmeal. The nice lady, who said her name was Ethel, which was weird, had told him that he could wait as long as he needed. She’d come out and wait with him after his clothes were dry. He wished he had his coat. Once he was done eating he could get it and go swim up the river. He had to… had to… he was… looking for his dad? Who was his dad? A hazy image floated up in front of his mind’s eye, but he wasn’t at all certain that it was his dad. He knew the person, knew him very well, and he knew he loved him a whole lot! But… he was looking for his dad. Was that person his dad? Was he who he was looking for?

Patton was getting confused. He set his chin on his knees and watched the water flow by.

A while later Ethel shambled out to where he was sitting, carrying his clothes and his coat.

“Here you go, dear,” she said, handing him the clothes. “The coat isn’t quite dry, but it can stretch out better on this rock, and the sunlight will help it not get musty.”

Patton nodded. Ethel sat beside him, groaning as she lowered herself down to the ground.

“Did you get the coat from your mother?” Ethel asked.

His mother? Who was his mother? “I’ve had it since I was born,” he said automatically.

Patton tried to remember his mother. He remembered singing. And long, long hugs, floating on top of the water. And… screaming?

The thoughts scared him, and he shook his head, blinking away the sudden tears.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought her up,” Ethel said softly. “So the coat was a present to you when you were born? Aren’t you glad you can fit into it now?”

Patton nodded, his mind distant. “I always weared it.”

Very far away, he heard an odd sound, a faint.. yelling? It got closer slowly, and he could maybe start to make out what the person was yelling.

“Who’s yelling?” Patton asked.

“Yelling?” Ethel asked. “I’m sorry, dear, these old ears don’t hear as well as I used to. Let’s get inside. We don’t know who it could be.”

Patton nodded and helped her up and inside. And it suddenly struck him. Was… was she his mother? She certainly seemed like it. The more and more he thought about it, the more sure he was. He’d found his mother! He hadn’t seen her in… in a very long time!

The yelling got louder, and before the door closed Patton realized it was his name.

“Oh, oh! It’s—it’s the one looking for me! I was waiting for him.”

Ethel frowned slightly. “Why don’t we let him come to us, then.”

Patton frowned. “What if he doesn’t see us? Or if he doesn’t know I’m inside the house? He’ll be worried.”

Ethel was looking more and more uncomfortable. “I’ll go out and wait for him, then. Once we’ve talked, then we’ll see what happens.”

Patton nodded sadly. He wanted to see him. He missed him a lot.

••^*^••

Logan stopped yelling when he saw the old woman. And he froze when he saw Patton’s coat laid out on the rock next to her.

“Who are you?” The woman demanded.

“Where’s Patton?” Logan demanded right back. “Why do you have his coat?!”

The woman glared. “What do you care for the coat?”

She thought he didn’t know. She was going to steal his son away right from his hands using the coat! Logan saw red as he stormed across the river.

“Where is he?!”

The woman stubbornly frowned at him. “Better than with you.”

Logan seethed, his fists clenching. “What have you done to my son?! Patton!”

The woman shoved him backwards, and it took every bit of self restraint he had to not shove back. He fell backwards into the river, and the cold water did nothing to cool his temper.

He jumped up, around the woman, and snatched up the coat. “Patton! Come here!” He yelled.

Suddenly he heard a door, and the woman was pushing him again as he heard the small, running footsteps.

Patton ran right up to him, his little face puckered up and ready to cry.

Logan dropped to his knees, grabbing Patton in a tight hug. The woman was trying to pull him away, but Logan held to Patton as if he was the only thing keeping him alive. “You’re ok. You’re ok! Patton, I was so scared!”

It took him too long to realize that Patton wasn’t reacting. He pulled back, grateful that the woman had back backed away. Patton’s face was wet with tears, but his eyes were staring ahead of him, unseeing.

He couldn’t be remembering. Oh, please, anything merciful, don’t let him be remembering!

Logan wrapped the coat around Patton’s shoulders, and Patton finally looked him in the eyes. Patton frowned, a frown so heartbreakingly confused Logan couldn’t stand it.

“Who are you?” Patton asked.

Suddenly tears were pouring from his eyes, and his throat was thick, hard to push words through. It had never been this hard to say the words.

“My name is Logan. I am your guardian.”

Patton looked around, at Logan, and at the woman, and away into the trees. “Where’s my Dad?”

If he’d been alone, that would’ve made Logan break down. “I don’t know, Patton. I’m so sorry.”

Patton looked at the woman, crying again, his voice hitching. “A-aren’t you my mom?”

The woman frowned, and knelt beside them. “No, dear, I’m not your mom.”

Patton sobbed. “I-I want my Mom! I wan— I want my Dad!”

He pushed away from Logan, curling up on the ground in his coat and wailing.

The woman was crying now too, trying to offer comfort, but Patton wouldn’t accept it from either of them.

Logan had never felt such a piercing pain in his chest.

“What happened to his parents?” The woman asked.

“H-his mother is dead. I don’t know about his father.” Logan said, his voice only coming out in a whisper.

“The poor dear,” the woman murmured, placing a hand on Patton’s shoulder.

It was selfish, he knew it was, but all Logan wanted was for Patton to cling to him while he cried. He hated, hated not being able to do anything. Hated watching his s— watching Patton cry like this.

It grew to be too much. Even with the woman watching him, Logan curled forward, his body heaving as he struggled, ultimately fruitlessly, not to give in to the despair. And his voice joined Patton’s.

It was a long, long time later, blurred by tears, when both he and Patton finally passed into unconsciousness.

Logan didn’t know until later that the woman brought out blankets, wrapping them both up in them, and keeping watch while they slept.

••^*^••

Chapter Twelve

••^*^••

When Remy landed, it was to Emile sitting on his doorstep, moping.

“I know I’m the life of the party, but this is kind of sad,” Remy said.

Emile nodded despondently. “I’m ready to go home now.”

Remy pushed aside the surge of worry. “Oh, my little old nest is home now?”

Emile gave him a kind of a smile. It wasn’t a proper one, but it was better. “No. My little new nest is home.”

Remy clutched a hand over his heart. “My nest! It has been rejected! It’s like you reject my very soul!”

Emile actually chuckled at that one.

Remy shifted back and Emile climbed up on top of him. He picked up Emile’s stuff, and from there it was barely ten minutes to his island.

Emile was strangely quiet while unpacking, though he did respond to Remy, just he didn’t start any kind of conversation himself.

And finally he was all unpacked, and he turned to Remy with a determined look on his face.

“Where have you been going?”

Remy shrugged. “Out.”

Emile’s lips tightened, but not in anger. “Out where?”

Remy shrugged, turning half away.

Emile looked dangerously close to sad again. “Can you stay? Please?”

Of course! One part of his brain wanted to say, but another, just as loudly, said the opposite. If you stay, they’ll get away. They’ll get away with hurting him.

While Remy hadn’t decided, Emile continued. “I just— I know it’s not your way of doing things to sit in one place all the time, but I don’t know if I can handle too much more of being alone. We don’t have to stay here. We can go anywhere you want, but please stay with me. I— I really need you right now.”

Remy stepped forward and grabbed Emile in a hug. “I’ll stay.”

Emile melted into the hug, letting out a long, relieved breath. “Thank you.”

••^*^••

Remy did stay. He stayed and talked with Emile about nothing in particular while Emile wove his yarn. And when they got tired of talking, they just sat together.

Remy went and did things all the time, but like any dragon, he also excelled on sitting on his hoard. And Emile was content to sit with him, a part of the hoard, and keep his hands moving so his mind didn’t have to.

••^*^••

“Hey, wait, you said I could do fire tricks for your friends,” Remy said suddenly.

Emile smiled, and then it dropped as he remembered why he hadn’t. “They, well, they aren’t… very good at being friends.”

Remy raised an eyebrow, and mischief sparked in his eyes. “Oh, then that makes them all the more perfect for fire tricks!”

Almost before he knew what was happening, Emile was riding Remy, and Remy was dropping little fireballs on their yards.

It wasn’t… it shouldn’t be funny. Not when he knew them. And liked— well, had liked them. But watching from high in the air when they scrambled out to put the fire out, Emile started laughing.

Remy was careful, he didn’t hit any people, or anything any more flammable than grass, and with that worry gone, Emile was cackling almost as much as Remy was.

At one point he lurched forward and nearly fell, which just made them laugh more once he was seated again.

Remy ended up flying him all over the country, playing mostly harmless pranks on any house that Remy disliked, which happened to be many of them.

••^*^••

Chapter Thirteen

••^*^••

“Where do you get the scales?” Virgil asked. In contrast to the night before, the morning had been very calm and quiet, and the two of them were each polishing a scale. It took hours and hours to do it, but somehow Virgil wasn’t getting bored. Maybe because he was able to feel the magic in his fingertips.

Dee hummed a moment, before looking up. “That’s quite a bit more complicated. Perhaps someday I’ll be able to show you.”

Virgil nodded, a bit disappointed at the non-answer. He watched Dee for a minute. His scale was a very pale yellow, and was turning clear faster than Virgil’s was.

Virgil started rubbing his a little harder, trying to catch up with Dee. A little harder, a little faster, and suddenly it broke. It was a good piece of it, snapped right off.

Virgil’s eyes went wide and his blood chilled. Dee hadn’t noticed yet.

He held the pieces together, covering up the gap with his cloth. “I—I um, bathroom.” He set the scale down and ran outside.

His brain shrieked, even as he kept his mouth shut tight. You only had one job! You didn’t just slack off, you broke it! It probably can’t ever be fixed! You think Dee will still be this nice once he finds out?

••^*^••

A few minutes later, Dee realized that Virgil hadn’t come back. He looked at his scale, to see how it was coming along. Dee sighed. Well, that was annoying. But he’d made the same mistake before, and this was a human, and a child. He probably had an extra or two hiding in the back of the cabinet.

And then he realized that Virgil had probably left out of fear. Dee put a hand to his forehead. Even sitting right beside him, could he not pay enough attention?

Finding Virgil would not be the hard part. The hard part would be to make Virgil believe that he wasn’t actually in trouble. And probably even harder would be to explain the mistake to him without making him panic again.

Dee frowned in thought. He still wanted to give Virgil the wings, and perhaps that would help to reassure him that Dee truly wasn’t angry with him. But, depending on the human, the wings could be unpleasant or even painful to put on, and if this were the case with Virgil, it would have the opposite of the intended effect.

Perhaps… well, he’d just have to try talking first. He wasn’t confident in his skills in that area, but hopefully he wouldn’t make things worse.

Dee walked outside. “Where are you?”

••^*^••

Virgil’s chest seized with panic when he heard the words. Dee hadn’t called his name, so the compulsion wasn’t forcing him out, but he didn’t want to wait and have Dee use his name. And he also didn’t want to come out of his hiding place.

“Please come out. I’m not upset. I’ve seen the scale, and I’m not mad at you.”

Virgil had been tricked by that kind of lie too many times to believe it.

He heard Dee walking around, and curled down tighter in his little hole, hoping Annabelle wouldn’t give him away.

“Come out please, Virgil,” Dee called.

Virgil felt the tug of his name. It wasn’t very strong, not forcing him, but he could definitely feel it. It was a warning. There was no way he could hide and wait this out.

Virgil backed out of the hole, scrubbing at his face and trying to keep from trembling. “I-I’m here.”

Dee was in front of him in an instant, and Virgil didn’t dare look up at his face.

But then Dee sat down on the ground. “Thank you for coming out.”

Virgil nodded, scrubbing at his face again.

“I truly am not upset with you,” Dee said softly. “I’ve broken scales before myself. It was a mistake, and you are not in trouble for it.”

Virgil nodded, waiting for the but.

“Do you know what the scales are for?” Dee asked.

Virgil shook his head.

“They’re made into some of the very best armor in the world. They’re extremely expensive, since it takes so long to make each one, and there are no shortcuts.”

Virgil stifled a sob. Of course they were expensive! And he was going to have to pay it back somehow.

Dee continued talking quietly. “You have to be very, very gentle with them. The more gentle you are now, the harder the scale becomes. But if you aren’t gentle when it’s delicate, it’ll break.”

Virgil nodded miserably.

Dee paused, his face getting a thoughtful frown. “Somebody was very much not gentle with you. But look how strong you are, that you haven’t broken yet.”

Virgil finally met his eyes, confused.

“I want to be the one to be gentle with you,” Dee said. “And I want to see you get to be so very strong someday.”

Tears sprang to Virgil’s eyes for an entirely different reason than before.

Dee held out his arms, and Virgil was immediately reminded of how safe it had been the night before. He still could barely believe it. He didn’t want to trust and have his trust broken. But he’d very much prefer a hug to standing here trying to be strong.

Virgil finally gave in, and Dee tucked him close in a very warm, safe hug. He didn’t even seem to mind that Virgil couldn’t keep the tears back any longer.

••^*^••

Dee felt like he’d managed to do it. Somehow he’d calmed Virgil. He waited until much later, after Virgil had finally had enough of the hug, after he’d gotten him a new scale, after dinner even, to tell him of his idea.

“I had an idea for a present I’d like to give you,” Dee said.

Virgil’s eyes went wide with surprise and excitement.

“I just wanted to ask you first, to be sure it’s something that you would want.”

Virgil nodded, his whole face lighting up. “What is it?”

“Wings.”

Virgil was practically glowing with excitement.

“They wouldn’t be quite like mine,” Dee warned. “I can put mine away and pull them out whenever I want, but these would act more like prosthetics.”

“I could fly?” Virgil asked, his voice a hope-filled whisper.

Dee nodded. “You could. It would take a bit of learning, a bit of practice, but you could.”

“I do! I do want them! Please!”

Dee was extremely pleased with Virgil’s reaction. “Now wait, before you decide, sometimes they hurt to attach.”

Virgil sobered. “How much?”

“I honestly don’t know. It could be very little, or it could be quite a bit.”

Virgil nodded slowly. “I want them still.”

Dee smiled. Really, even with all his strangeness, Virgil truly was an amazing little human. He carefully pulled out the pair of butterfly wings he’d gotten the day before. They had a dark, almost indigo pattern, and were perhaps a bit too big, but they were the best he’d found.

Virgil’s mouth fell open, and his eyes were shining. “They’re for me?” He whispered.

Dee nodded. “They are. Take off your shirt, and lay down on your stomach, and I’ll attach them.”

Virgil moved so quickly he dispelled the last few doubts in Dee’s mind as to whether he would really like the wings.

Dee had already made the adhesive putty, and put it in two lines on Virgil’s back, sticking the wings firmly to his skin. He’d asked for the potion to be made into a candy, and gave it to Virgil. Even as a candy, it apparently still didn’t taste good. That should ensure that Virgil’s body connected to the wings.

Then Dee got the bag of fairy dust. It wasn’t all his, there was no way he had enough extra, but at least a portion of it was, to ensure that it would get along with his own magic. He gently spread it along every inch of the wings, packing it in carefully around the base, where they were stuck to Virgil’s back.

Virgil started fidgeting and twitching, and Dee sighed. He’d dearly hoped that Virgil would be one of the ones to have no pain. He rubbed his hand between the wings up and down Virgil’s back.

“Sleep, Virgil, I’ll wake you when it’s time to fly.”

Virgil groaned in protest, but slipped off to sleep.

It wasn’t terribly long before the wingtips were twitching in little fluttery movements. Dee smiled proudly. With it being evening, he’d let Virgil sleep until morning, and then help him get into the air.

••^*^••

Chapter Fourteen

••^*^••

Patton was asleep in the old woman’s bed, wrapped in his coat. At least he could have some peace in sleep. But Logan was getting more and more worried, especially with Patton having suddenly gotten a fever.

The woman came inside, and sat down in the chair. She was silent for a long while.

“He isn’t human, is he? Not entirely anyway.”

At this point, Logan didn’t see any good in keeping it a secret from her. He shook his head mutely, his eyes still fixed on Patton.

“You really do care for him.” She said.

Logan just remained silent.

“Why are the two of you out in the middle of nowhere?”

“I’m trying to take him to the sea. Maybe… he has family there.”

The woman nodded slowly. “But not a father or a mother?”

Logan shook his head. “His father could be somewhere, but I don’t have anything to go on to find him. I’m just hoping that his family would be able to recognize his coat.”

“You’re a long way from the sea, honey.”

“I know.”

There was silence again for a very long while.

“Before you got here, he was talking about his dad. Who did he mean?”

“Probably me,” Logan said quietly.

“The poor dear. Then why wouldn’t you step in and be his father?”

Logan looked up, surprised. “I’m.. not.”

“I’m sure you’ve at least heard of adoption.”

“It’s… no, it’s… he still has family. I can’t take him away from them like that.”

The woman raised her eyebrow. “Still has family? I’d sure like to see them.”

Logan frowned. “I’ve explained already that I’m taking him to them.”

“No you haven’t. You’ve said you’re taking him to the sea, and hoping that they magically find you. Whether you find them or not, he has no one right now. It’s not fair to him to take away the last person he has.”

And that, that hurt. He couldn’t tell Patton he was his father. He couldn’t. There was no way he could compare to Patton’s real father. It wasn’t fair to Patton to make him think that Logan was what a father ought to be. He wasn’t. He knew he wasn’t. He wasn’t good for Patton.

Logan shook his head silently.

The woman scoffed. “Coward.”

He was still there, though. He’d keep Patton safe, as safe as he could, and take him to the sea. He’d be there for him until he didn’t need him anymore.

After that… well, he’d figure that out when he got there.

••^*^••

It was many, many hours later that Patton woke up.

“Dad?”

Logan was by his side in an instant, not protesting the name, though he didn’t accept it. “Shh, Patton, you don’t have to talk. Would you like to get into the water?”

Patton gripped the front of his shirt. He nodded. “Stay with me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you, dear.” Logan picked Patton up, and took him outside, sitting the both of them down in the river.

Patton huddled close to his chest, and his forehead was still so hot Logan could feel it through his shirt. He hoped the cool water would help bring the fever down.

A long time later, after Patton had gone to sleep again, still holding tight to Logan, the old woman came out of the house with a large map.

“I knew I had this somewhere!” She said proudly. “Look, if you follow this little creek downstream, it’ll eventually join up with the Stamrial Channel, which goes clear to Keatheas, and then into the sea. I don’t know if you care where on the coast you end up, but this way you can follow the water.”

Logan looked at the map intently. It would indeed get them to the sea. And would be much faster than if they went on foot. If he had some little boat, or raft, they might even reach the sea in three days, and they wouldn’t have to leave the water behind, or worry about people seeing them on public roads.

“This is amazing, thank you.”

The old woman beamed. “You two can stay with me until the little one is ready to travel again, and then it’s off to the sea with you.”

Logan smiled, a sliver of hope finally shining. If he got Patton to the sea, he might get better, and stay better.

••^*^••

Patton’s fever finally went down hours later. Ethel had some good, strong rope, and there was wood all around. Logan built a rickety little raft, and tested it to be sure it would float.

He wouldn’t be dry, but they’d be moving downriver.

Ethel insisted that they stay the night and get a good breakfast before leaving, and Logan insisted on paying her half of the rest of his money.

But finally, they were setting off again.

Patton was very quiet, and clingy, holding tight around Logan’s waist while he maneuvered then down the river.

Logan didn’t mind at all that Patton was clingy, but the quietness worried him. It wasn’t quite a comfortable silence, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

It was a long, long three days. Exposed under the sun, constantly wet, with many bugs seemingly constantly swarming them. But it was made far longer, far, far more painful, by Patton’s apathy. He held to Logan’s waist, barely even wanting to get down into the water. Even more rarely did he speak.

And Logan couldn’t figure out what was wrong! His fever had gone down, he was constantly wearing his coat, they were touching water all the time. What more could he do?

More and more his own failure as a guardian weighed on him. Even thinking back to Patton calling him Dad filled him with shame, since he now was constantly being shown how little he deserved the title. It hurt, but he couldn’t stop thinking back to those better days, trying to find what was different. What he could fix. How he could help Patton.

He’d already given up nearly everything he had for Patton. His livelihood, his home, all the rest of his belongings. He only had what he could carry with him despite the wet. What more could he give? He’d give it, to see Patton well. Whatever it was. Couldn’t someone tell him? Couldn’t they run into some fairy that he could make a deal with? Trade his own life for Patton to live happily.

All he wanted was for Patton to be happy, healthy, and safe. To have a real home. And more and more he was having to acknowledge that he couldn’t give that to Patton. He’d known it from the beginning, but the knowledge was wedging into his heart now, getting closer and closer to cleaving it in two the closer they got to the sea.

Logan held Patton tightly in a hug, looking up at Keatheas in the distance, where he could now see the city. It was soon, and he didn’t want it to be. Didn’t want to give his boy up. But it was necessary. Tears ran silently down his face and dropped into Patton’s hair. Patton who was just as silently hugging him back.

••^*^••

Chapter Fifteen

••^*^••

“Let’s go to the city!” Remy exclaimed, startling Emile into flaring his wings. The strange way the air moved in the gaps was an unpleasant reminder, but one he was beginning to get used to.

“Which one?” Emile asked.

“I don’t know, a big one. Keatheas. Why don’t we go to Keatheas? It’s only a little inland from here, and we can make a day of it. Let you stretch your legs, have some fun.”

“Together?” Emile asked, just to be very sure.

“Of course, together!” Remy said, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “Come on, let’s go.”

Well, if they were together, it could really be fun. “Ok.”

••^*^••

Remy wanted to get Emile to smile again. And not those weepy ones either. Real, proper smiles like he used to have every day.

So he let Emile take the lead, and was both surprised and happy when Emile went into the magical market. The good, proper side, of course. Remy didn’t think Emile even knew about the other side, and he’d like to keep it that way.

Remy looked around, as Emile looked through a bench of good-luck charms, and spotted exactly something he would’ve hoped for. Smoke bombs. They weren’t exactly magical on their own, supposed to bring various good things to the user or something, probably very fake, but that didn’t matter. He grabbed a pink one, paid for it, and stuck it in his mouth.

For the next five minutes, until all the smoke was gone, Emile was kept giggling with pink smoke rings bumping into him.

So that was perfect.

It was quite a nice day for market-shopping, too. Clear, but not too sunny, and with enough people to bustle around, but not so many that it seemed crowded. Remy was feeling more and more proud of himself for coming up with the idea.

And then Emile spun around and plopped a circlet on Remy’s head. Emile was grinning widely.

“It’s supposed to be good luck for those with an affinity for fire.”

Remy picked it off his head to look at it. It was a thin little thing, made of copper, with some kind of yellowy-orange stones twisted into it. He loved it. He set it back onto his head and picked Emile up in a growly, spinny hug.

Emile was giggling again, and it was amazing!

“I love it, Em.”

Emile smiled brightly up at him, exactly the smile he’d hoped to see. “I’m so glad you do! It seemed like it would fit you exactly.”

And that was it. Remy was buying his baby brother the best gift there was in the whole marketplace! Even if it cost his whole hoard.

Emile went back to browsing, which was perfect, now Remy could look for the perfect gift. He considered at first getting something wind-magic related, but dismissed the idea. It’d probably be too much of a reminder of his missing wing feathers.

He started looking among the good-luck charms, but those seemed piddly and fake. He couldn’t go by wind, and going by fire might be too direct of a ‘you’re mine’ type of message. Emile liked little trinkets, but he was also picky about which ones he liked.

Remy stuck within a few stalls of Emile, being sure to be within eyesight. But he was getting more frustrated at not finding anything. And then the idea hit him. What about something that could help Emile regrow the feathers faster?!

He’d never find it here, where humans sold magical items for other humans, but if he could get to the black market, he’d almost surely find something there!

The problem was, with as easily as he could protect himself, Emile couldn’t. It would be far too dangerous to drag Emile over there. But now that he’d thought of the idea, he just had to get it!

Well, it was getting close to lunchtime anyway. He took Emile to an inn and ordered them some food and a bed for the night. Emile deserved a proper bed, not just makeshift nests on the ground. After they’d eaten, he suggested a nap, and based on Emile’s yawn, he knew he’d won.

Once Emile was safely asleep, Remy slipped out of the inn, and down to the side of the city near the river. It seemed cooler and dimmer just being there, though perhaps that was just mist from the river. It was a quick in and out of the city, and it was where the shadier people operated. Everything operated on a who-you-knew basis, which was fine for Remy, since he knew just about everybody at least by name. It did make things a bit slow, though, and it was a good hour before he found the person who would know whether what he was looking for existed or not.

Supposedly, it didn’t. And then it might, but it’d cost far more than he could ever pay. And then it definitely existed, but it’s efficacy couldn’t be assured, and it was still extremely expensive. Remy bought it.

He walked out of the house, nearly whistling he was so pleased with himself. In the distance he heard a scuffling, and then a shout. His steps started heading that way curiously, and he was intrigued to see several men fighting over a young boy, and a pitiful looking raft standing ready in the river. And then he realized what the boy’s coat meant.

He shifted into a dragon, letting out a roar that scared away most of the men. One remained, clutching tightly to the child. Well, Remy wouldn’t stand for that. No one would be dooming some poor little selkie to a life of misery. No Ma’am. Not when he could do something about it. He wrested the boy away from the man, easily ignoring his feeble attempts to attack Remy, and flew away back to the inn. Emile would know what to do. He could help find the poor kid’s family.

••^*^••

Chapter Sixteen

••^*^••

Virgil woke up gently, feeling well rested, which was strange, and very pleasant. And then he remembered the night before, and leapt up out of his bed.

Dee was still asleep, and for the first time Virgil saw that he was sleeping in the chair. He hadn’t realized… but he should have, there was only one bed, after all. He felt a small worry start growing in his chest, but… Dee had told him to sleep in the bed. It wasn’t like Virgil had just taken it. He actually didn’t think he’d be in trouble.

And then his thoughts were taken over by the feeling of one of his wings brushing against the wall. He couldn’t quite feel with it, but he could feel it. It was like if something touched his hair. He tried fluttering his wings, but having no idea how to do it, he ended up more with a shivery shaking, and a random flap in the middle.

The one flap moved enough air to move Dee’s hair, and he rubbed his face, taking in a long slow breath before opening his eyes.

“Sorry,” Virgil said quietly. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Dee just gave a sleepy smile, stretching. “Good morning.”

Virgil was a bit surprised by the complete lack of a reaction to his apology. No ‘yeah, well I’m up now’ or ‘just hush so I can go back to sleep’. Not even an ‘it’s fine’.

“Morning.”

Dee stretched again, standing up and letting out a loud yawn. “Do you want breakfast first or do you want to try those wings?”

Instantly Virgil was all excitement. “Wings! I want to fly!” He only barely remembered manners at the last second. “Please.”

Dee just gave him another sleepy smile and walked outside, motioning him to follow.

As Dee went outside, his wings shimmered into existence, golden and absolutely beautiful. As pretty as Virgil thought his own were, they couldn’t hold a candle to Dee’s.

Dee yawned another time. “Ok, now I’m awake. Can I touch your wings?”

Virgil nodded eagerly.

Dee ran his hand carefully over the top edge of one. “Is there any pain?”

Virgil shook his head.

Dee moved behind him, gently spreading his wings all the way open. “How about now?”

Virgil shook his head again. “They feel fine.”

“Good. I just want to be sure.” He closed Virgil’s wings until they touched. “How about now?”

It felt a little weird, but not painful. “It’s fine.”

Dee started slowly opening and closing Virgil’s wings. “Feel the muscles moving as your wings move, so you can move them yourself.”

It felt weird. But Virgil was very excited about the possibility of flying. As Dee kept moving his wings, he started moving them himself, opening and closing slowly.

“There. You’re getting it.” Dee let go and moved around to be in front of Virgil. “Keep going, and once you’re sure you have it, try a little faster.”

Virgil flapped his wings slowly, and then sped it up, feeling the air start moving around him.

Dee smiled proudly at him, and Virgil felt a strange feeling start filling him up. It was warm and happy, and he liked it.

“Lean forward a bit, and try to catch the air with your wings, not too fast, but strong.”

Virgil tried, and it took a few attempts, but he started feeling the lift, and flapped his wings a bit harder, and his feet lifted off the ground.

“I’m doing it. I’m doing it!!”

Virgil looked up at Dee, overbalanced, and fell on his face. He jumped right back up immediately. “I did it!”

“You did, well done!” Dee said, moving forward as if he would hug him, but not quite reaching out. Virgil leaned in, holding onto Dee’s arms so he wouldn’t bump his wings.

“Let’s get some breakfast, and then we’ll get you properly into the air.”

Virgil whined. “Just one more try?” And then he caught himself. He shouldn’t have done that, he knew better, but he did it anyway, and he shouldn’t have talked back to Dee, especially when Dee was already teaching him to fly and what if he didn’t want to now, what if he took his wings away?

But Dee just chuckled. “You’ll need energy to keep you in the air, we’ll eat first.”

Virgil nodded obediently, very glad that Dee wasn’t mad.

Instead of getting food from wherever he normally got it from, Dee went to one of his sheds and pulled out a teeny jar of honey and some old, dried rose petals.

He spread the honey on one petal, laid another petal on top, and cut it in half, handing one half to Virgil. It was like a very wide, flat sandwich. And sweet. It was so sweet! Virgil loved it instantly, and as he got more excited towards the end, his wings started shivering and fluttering.

Dee grinned. “Ready to try again?”

“Yes!” Virgil wiped his sticky hands on his pants, since he was still shirtless, and started flapping his wings. His feet came right off the ground, and Virgil shouted in glee.

“Good!” Dee said. “Let’s get a bit higher.”

Together, they flew up to about the height of Dee’s house.

“You’re doing well, but before we go any higher, you have to learn how to land. You want to slow down a little, but not enough that you just fall.”

Virgil started slowing, and dropped. Not quite like a stone, but certainly nothing like he’d anticipated when he thought of landing.

Thud.

Well, that didn’t work. Virgil wasn’t very hurt, just a bit sore, but he was embarrassed.

“It’s alright, you can try as many times as you need,” Dee said encouragingly.

Virgil grinned, and got back into the air, and up, and then down— crash, jump back up.

Dee laughed this time. “You’re so cute, all excited. Er-sorry, handsome.”

Virgil didn’t mind being called cute, but he still turned away to hide the blush. He got back up in the air.

“Here, wait, watch me land before you try again.”

Dee dropped quickly, but started flapping harder just before he reached the ground, to land lightly on his feet.

Virgil nodded solemnly. He flew up just a bit more before going down. It wasn’t a light landing, but it wasn’t a crash. He looked at Dee, smiling proudly. Dee flew towards him and ruffled his hair.

“You’re a natural. You’ll be terrorizing the birds by tomorrow.”

Virgil’s smile grew even larger.

After a few more practice landings, Dee taught him how to move forward, and how to glide on breezes, and how to land on things like branches. Virgil was having the very best day of his life!

••^*^••

After they stopped for a rather late lunch, Dee was quite ready for a comfy chair and some calm scale polishing. Virgil sat next to him, polishing his own scale. After a bit, enjoying the quiet and the dim of the inside, and the repetitive job, Dee felt a weight lean against him.

Virgil sat up instantly when Dee looked at him.

“You can lean on me, I don’t mind.”

Virgil looked up at him, ‘you don’t?’ written all over his face. Dee was getting more and more attached to the many expressions made by his little face. Or perhaps... well, just maybe he was getting more and more attached to Virgil.

Virgil leaned against his arm, polishing slowly and carefully. It wasn’t terribly long before his hands went slack, only just barely holding on to the scale. Dee wasn’t surprised. Flying, especially for young ones, and especially with the stiff butterfly wings, was a tiring thing. He carefully set both of the scales aside, and picked Virgil up, laying him on the bed on his side, where he wouldn’t hurt his wings.

The swell of fondness as he pulled the blanket up over Virgil was strange. He wanted to hold this little life close to his chest and never let him go. He wanted to make him happy, and see that smile over and over again. Wanted to protect him from whoever would dare to make him afraid. Wanted to watch him grow, grow into someone great in his own right. He wanted, he wanted.

It was strange to want so much after having been so long content. But he didn’t dislike it.

••^*^••

A few days later, Dee looked into the collection, and pulled out the last unpolished scale.

“Oh. I guess it’s time to go to the city. Virgil?”

“Yes?” Came Virgil’s voice from somewhere above him.

“Would you want to come with me to Keatheas to sell the scales?”

“Where’s Keatheas?”

“It’s a city near the coast. That’s where I typically go when I have a batch done. If you’d rather stay home you can, but if you come with me, you can pick out your present instead of me just guessing.”

“I get a present?!” Virgil asked, dropping down in front of Dee in a very good landing. “What for?”

“For helping.”

Virgil’s eyes got big. “Really? I mean, yes. Yes I want to come. I really, really get to pick out a present?”

“Yes.”

Virgil suppressed a happy sound, shooting up into the air. Dee felt very proud of himself for being the cause of such happiness. Virgil was already growing, and growing so bright and happy.

••^*^••

Chapter Seventeen

••^*^••

Emile was very worried. Remy was just gone. Again. And he’d bought the room for the night. They wouldn’t have had to leave until the next day. Would he stay gone until then? Emile wouldn’t have thought so, but he wouldn’t have thought Remy would disappear at all.

And then the front door banged open, and someone was running up the steps. Emile opened the door a crack, and saw Remy, carrying a small child under his arm.

“Em! I need your help!”

He plopped the boy onto the bed.

“What—“ Emile looked from the boy to Remy and back again, his attention fixing on the boy, who looked exhausted and glassy eyed, not really reacting to anything. “What did you do?!”

“I didn’t do anything, they did!”

“Who’s they?! And who’s he?!”

The boy was curling in on himself at the yelling, and Emile took in a deep breath. It wouldn’t do any good to scare the poor thing. “What happened, Remy?”

“So I was getting you a present, and I walked out of the house, and these thugs were trying to take the little selkie, and I couldn’t just let them do that, who knows what they were gonna do to him, so I brought back here, cause you know everybody, and could probably find his parents, but they must have already done something to him, cause he’s all loopy like that.” Remy said, all at once, and gesturing at the boy.

Emile nodded, trying to decipher what must have actually happened from Remy’s story. He finally settled on kneeling beside the bed.

“Hey, there, buddy, can you tell me your name?”

The boy looked dazed, and it took a minute before he looked at Emile.

“Can you tell me your name?” He repeated.

“Pa’ ‘n.”

Emile hadn’t really figured out the name from the mumble, but it was close enough. “How about your dad’s name, honey, or your mom’s?”

To Emile’s dismay, the boy silently teared up, shaking his head.

“You don’t have parents?”

The boy’s face crinkled, and the tears started running down his face.

That… wasn’t a no. Emile hated pressing a crying child for information, but he needed somewhere to start from.

“How about any other family, like aunts or uncles. Who should I find for you?”

The boy let out a wail. “I want Logan!”

Emile wasn’t entirely sure what he could do now. He didn’t know the boy well enough to try hugging him, and he didn’t know any other proven ways of comfort that would work in this situation. “It’s alright, we’ll help you find Logan.”

The poor boy just curled on the bed and cried.

Emile turned back to Remy, who looked far more lost than he was. He covered up the boy with the blanket.

“Let’s give him a bit of time.”

They went down into the common room, back into a quiet corner.

“I only know one selkie, but hopefully she’ll know who Logan is. Are you sure he’s from somewhere near here?”

“No, he was down by the river. Could’ve been coming in or going out.”

Emile frowned. He hated that people would buy and sell other people, just because they happened to be born magical. It wasn’t like they could help it. His wings had an odd ache, and he determined that he would get this boy home safely.

••^*^••

After a while, when it was close to dinner time, they ordered some food and went back upstairs.

The boy was staring at the wall, his eyes red and watery, and he pulled the blanket up over his head when they came in. He was very quiet, with only pitiful little sniffs every little bit to show that he was still awake. Emile wished he wasn’t a stranger, that he could hold him and comfort him, but he didn’t want to add ‘hugged by a total stranger’ to the list of potentially traumatizing things he’d already been through.

“Would you like some dinner? We brought you some.”

He got down on the floor and held up his hands for the plate and fork, and once he had them, he pulled the blanket down to form a tent over himself and his food.

Well, that was fair. He didn’t know them, and really, how could Emile deny him some kind of privacy?

Still, looking back at Remy, he hoped they’d find his family soon.

••^*^••

Patton ate the food quietly, trying to muddle through the swirling dizzyness inside his head. He couldn’t think.

He pointed in the direction of the dragon-man, or where he last was before the blanket covered Patton up. “You aren’t my dad,” he whispered.

He pointed to where the nicer one was. “And you aren’t my dad either.”

He pointed straight ahead of him, since he didn’t know where Logan was. “And Logan….. isn’t my dad either.”

He felt tears again, and rubbed them away. They just made him feel more fuzzy. And he wanted to think. He had to figure it out.

“I have my coat. And I’m not my dad.”

Patton stirred the food around on his plate. How was he supposed to find his dad? He couldn’t think of anyone else. Well, maybe he could think about his mom. Moms and dads went together, so he could find his dad that way.

“Ethel said she was not my mom. And so she’s not my mom. Before her…” he got a flash of something in his mind, and a scream, and then someone mean, someone who still was not his mom. He didn’t want to think about that. But he wanted to figure it out. He wanted his mom, or his dad, or better yet, he wanted Logan. But he couldn’t have them until he figured it out. No one wanted to be his dad, or his mom. So he had to find the right ones.

Patton squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists and thought about that scream. Whose was it?

A series of unpleasant images swirled past his mind’s eye, making his tummy hurt and his mind feel all fuzzy again. And he still didn’t know who it was. He just felt yucky. And tired.

He wasn’t hungry anymore. He pushed the plate out of his tent and laid down. He wanted Logan back.

••^*^••

Chapter Eighteen

••^*^••

Logan was still just in shock.

He’d finally gotten Patton to the city, and they’d been jumped by thugs almost immediately. He’d expected something bad to happen, but there were many, so many, and it felt like there was no way he could fight them off. And then a roar, chilling his blood and providing enough of a moment to cling to Patton.

A Dragon.

It.

Was. .

Dragon.

Logan had never seen a dragon, only heard of them, and that only in legends, he’d never guessed they might truly exist, much less that he’d ever see one. And then the dragon was flying towards them, and Logan tried to duck down beneath it’s path, and take Patton with him, under him, safe.

But the dragon latched onto Patton as if he were some princess in the old myth, pulling him away despite Logan’s attempts to hold on. Logan screeched something that meant nothing and everything all at once, swinging with his fists uselessly as the dragon flew up, carrying his son away from him.

What could he do?

He had no way of getting into the air. No way of pulling the dragon down. No way to call Patton back.

And then it was gone. Flown away. The sky empty and dull with clouds.

Logan dropped to his knees. Staring. Up into nothing.

Shock, his mind registered dumbly. He was in shock. Trapped within his useless body.

Useless.

He was useless. He hadn’t done anything. All his striving ever since rescuing Patton had ended in nothing. He’d studied magic for gods’ sake! And he hadn’t even tried to use it. Not when it counted.

He was dimly aware that he was shivering, and resisted to pull to return to the world. He wasn’t worth it. What would he even do now? Would he wander into the city, rebuild his life as if he’d never been changed by his darling boy? Would he— could he? Was there any hope of finding Patton again?

The smallest sliver, he’d take it. The dragon had flown over the city. Patton could be there. Somewhere.

Or he could be taken far away. With no hope of detection ever again. Where did dragons live? In mountains, probably. There would be large caves to keep hoards in. Hoards that Patton would be added to, as if he were merely a possession.

Why?!

Why did so many view him as a possession?! A thing to be taken. A toy.

He is a child!

My child…

No. No, he was just as bad as any of them, trying to take Patton for himself. But it was hard! Because he wanted Patton so badly. It was selfish, nearly cruel, but he did.

He wouldn’t just take Patton. He couldn’t. It wasn’t fair to Patton, ripping him further from his true family, putting him under Logan’s thumb. And for what? To satisfy his own selfish desires.

There was a part of him still, shrieking to be heard. I would make him happy! I would keep him safe! He wants to be my son as much as I crave being his father! But he knew better. Patton had always wanted more, when he was with him. He’d read on Selkies, and they were meant to be free. Meant to be with family. They weren’t meant to be kept with humans. They needed the sea, and all the freedom that it held. They needed their pod, their family, and the safety it could give without keeping them from the freedom they so needed. And he knew he couldn’t be that for Patton. He’d fail on one or other, or quite possibly in something greater. And hadn’t he already, letting Patton be stolen right from his arms?

So no. He couldn’t keep Patton. And he had to rescue him. Had to return him home.

And yet… He’d be happy, if he could just return Patton to his family… the lie seemed dull. He’d be… satisfied? His job would be done, at any rate. He certainly wouldn’t be happy.

But it would mean a bit more time with Patton. And he’d know that Patton would be safe. Wouldn’t that make it worth it?

Patton may not be his. Not really. But Logan would do anything to have him back for just a bit longer.

Logan slowly came to himself, huddled on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. It was probably just the cold. He should get moving. He certainly wouldn’t find Patton sitting where he was.

••^*^••

Chapter Nineteen

••^*^••

Dee was packing carefully. He always had three batches of the scales, though now with Virgil, he might have to make that five. The oldest batch were thoroughly cured, ready to be packed up and carried away to be sold.

That was always his least favorite part, the selling. He’d been young the first time, and foolish. Far too gullible for his own good. But afterward, he’d have a pleasant day in the city, made more pleasant he was sure by Virgil’s presence.

And right now he could just focus on packing, and push thoughts of selling out of his mind. Each scale he wrapped up carefully in the old, used cloths, and packed them all into the full-sized bag. He just needed to pack some food, a change of clothes… oh. Virgil needed new clothes as well. Dee pulled his list out of his back pocket and added that.

It didn’t take much longer and they were all packed. Most of the time on these trips he bought most of what he needed on the way. He chuckled remembering three years ago struggling to carry the very large bag of stuff he’d bought back home.

Dee put the bag outside, and swept the house. He put out large amounts of food for the spider, and the robin, as well as several other animals that he had not yet introduced Virgil to, most notably the snake. And then they were almost ready. They’d leave in the morning, when he had enough time to make them both bigger, and to take Virgil’s wings off.

He was worried that the removal of the wings would upset Virgil, but he couldn’t exactly keep wearing them. Butterfly wings resisted growing, and might tear, and even if they didn’t, it would attract far too much of the wrong sort of attention once they were out among humans.

“That’s a big bag,” Virgil commented as he came inside, and Dee loved that he was feeling free enough at the moment to make comments on things. “Are we going to be normal sized for this trip?”

“Human-sized, yes,” Dee said, his tone serious. “Virgil, I need to have a talk with you about this.”

Virgil stiffened at his name, and his eyes became fearful. “Ok?”

Dee sat down in a chair, and motioned for Virgil to sit on the bed. “You know already that not all humans are good.”

Virgil nodded, relaxing slightly, and Dee felt a sudden rush of guilt that Virgil had assumed the conversation would be about himself.

“And some humans are… worse than not good.”

Virgil nodded again.

“But it isn’t just humans,” Dee said. “Fairies also can be both good and bad, and also many places in between.”

Virgil frowned, but nodded.

“And even good fairies can do bad things, just like good humans can do bad things.”

Virgil’s frown deepened, but he still nodded.

“There will be people in the city we go to that will try to do bad things, and try to make you do bad things.”

“Did they do bad things to you?” Virgil asked.

Dee’s mouth went dry. “Actually, they tricked me into doing bad things.”

Virgil’s eyes went wide. “Like what?”

Dee sighed. It was better for Virgil to know now anyway. “I made a deal, that I would only sell to one certain shop. I didn’t know that I was making the deal, but I did. And I didn’t know then, but I know now, that whatever I sell to that shop will be used by them to do bad things.”

“And you do it anyway?” Virgil asked, his innocence making the words dig much deeper.

Dee nodded. And then suddenly he had an idea. It was not a good idea, but it was better than any he’d had in all the years since he’d made that terrible deal. “Virgil!”

Virgil jumped. “What?!”

Dee tried to calm himself down, he didn’t want to pressure Virgil, he didn’t want to take advantage, but the idea was just too good to leave untried! “I cannot sell to anyone else, but if I freely give the scales to you, I can act as your agent and sell them for you!”

Virgil just frowned in confusion. “Ok?”

“It would mean I wouldn’t have to sell to that shop again. How did I never think of this before?!”

Virgil looked like he was getting uncomfortable, so Dee paused, took a deep breath, and was careful to speak calmly and with his voice at a normal volume. “Would you accept the scales as a gift? This is not binding, you can reject them at any time later and I will not be upset with you.”

Virgil still looked confused. “So if I take the scales, it will be good for you? And the bad things won’t happen?”

Dee nodded.

“What do I have to do with them?”

“Nothing, if you don’t want to. I would suggest that you ask me to manage them for you, and then things will go almost exactly as planned, except that you’ll be the owner of the scales.”

Virgil still had a confused frown. “Ok. Thank you.”

Dee couldn’t help the excited smile. A weight that had lain heavy over his shoulders for years and years was suddenly gone. “Can I hug you?”

Virgil’s confusion dropped away as he nodded, and Dee scooped him up, hugging tightly and spinning around. He felt happier than he had in a long time, and Virgil’s giggle as he spun him around only added to the happiness.

••^*^••

There were a few tears shed as the wings were removed in the morning and placed carefully in a safe place until their return, but Virgil seemed to well understand that he would be getting them back later, and that it was necessary. Dee was glad that Virgil was wearing a shirt again. It was really too cold not to be, but Virgil couldn’t put one on over the wings, and Dee had been reluctant to cut into his only shirt.

But that would be changing.

Dee fully intended to get at least three outfits for Virgil, as well as a good coat and boots. He intended to buy one, or perhaps two of them, at the human market, but he was going to get at least one nicer set of clothes from the fairies, so he could someday take Virgil to court. Roman, at the very least, would be extremely pleased to see how well he was doing.

The trip to Keatheas took two days, walking a bit slowly, and catching rides on whatever carts would let them. Virgil seemed to open up more and more, showing a brighter, more talkative side that Dee adored. And it seemed that Virgil had the same effect on Dee. All his life, he’d thought of himself as a quiet fairy, who didn’t enjoy any more company than was necessary, and yet he found himself extremely happy with Virgil. He was talking more, and more frequently than he ever had with Roman, and he was certainly far more honest with Virgil. Virgil hung on his every word, listening with rapt attention to the few stories Dee had, which only made him want to get more, if only to tell them to Virgil.

The walls of the city loomed overhead far sooner than he had ever remembered, and the farmer whose cart they were riding in the back of wished them luck as they found an inn to stay in for the night.

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty

••^*^••

The poor boy had stumbled along compliantly, but Emile kept being worried that he would trip and fall.

“Hey, sweetheart, do you mind if I carry you? You want to try a piggyback ride?”

The boy looked at him for a long minute, his eyes distant, before shrugging noncommittally and chewing on his lip. Emile knelt down, and Remy had to help lift the poor kid onto his back. He buried his face in Emile’s shoulder silently.

Emile exchanged a worried glance with Remy. What had those thugs done to him to make him act like this? Emile had seen children act like this before, but only when they were extremely sick or when they’d been hurt badly or inappropriately.

He trudged along, Remy trying to crack jokes for the kid, until they made it down to the beach.

“Hey, Remy has to carry us for a bit, and that might be just a bit scary, but we’re going to help you, ok?”

He just nodded into Emile’s shoulder.

It was a little difficult, trying to get onto Remy and to hold on to both him and the boy, but they managed, and Remy flew them to a little cove, where Emile knew some selkies would come when they wanted to talk with humans. He just hoped that one of them was there now.

“Would you like to get in the water?” He asked.

The boy shook his head, and that concerned Emile more than anything else had. Still, he made an effort to speak calmly, and as if he wasn’t worried. “Alright, that’s fine. Can you cover your ears for me? I’m going to call and see if any of my friends are around and I don’t want to hurt your ears.”

Emile bent over a bit so that the boy could keep his balance on his back without using his hands, and waited until he’d covered his ears to let out a piercing shriek.

It didn’t take long for a head to pop up out of the water, and then Saoirse climbed up onto the shore and shifted into human form.

“Hey, Emmy, haven’t seen you in a while. And Rem, of course, hate you like always.”

Remy, standing back a bit, just grinned.

“Oh, who’s this little guy?” Saoirse asked, her voice dropping to a soft coo.

“I’m pretty sure he’s a selkie,” Emile said. “We’re trying to find his family. He says he wants to go with someone named Logan.”

“Oh, I don’t know any Logan, honey,” Saoirse said sympathetically, brushing Patton’s hair softly. “But I can ask around. Do you know your mom’s name?”

Emile wished he could’ve thought to warn her before she said that, as great tears rose up in the poor boy’s eyes. He shook his head, sniffing pitifully.

“Ohhh, baby, I’m so sorry. Come here, do you want a hug?”

To Emile’s surprise, he held out his arms to Saoirse and let her hug him.

“I can take him with me and see if anyone recognizes him at all,” Saoirse offered. “He looks just a little… familiar… already…”

“What?” Emile asked.

Saoirse shook her head. “Well, he just looks a bit like you two. It isn’t a lot, but it’s there.”

Emile frowned, and then frowned deeper, looking at Remy, “You don’t think…”

Remy shrugged and rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t put it past him, knocking up a selkie.”

Saoirse covered the boy’s ears. “Hush! Not in front of the baby.”

Remy stuck his tongue out.

“If he feels comfortable going with you, I’d really appreciate it, Saoirse.”

Saoirse smiled brightly. “Of course he wants to come, don’t you, little cuddlebug?”

The boy just dug his head into her shoulder.

Saoirse’s grin faded into a worried frown. “I’ll talk with you later, Emmy.”

She slowly waded back into the water, tucking the boy’s coat around him and softly encouraging until he turned into a seal. Only after that did she transform herself, and the both of them disappeared under the water.

••^*^••

Just the feel of the water made Patton shiver. It felt so right, and yet so wrong. He wanted Logan more and more, no matter how kind these people were.

The nice lady selkie still had him in a pleasant hug, spinning downward through the water and making happy, cheerful sounds at him. But Patton didn’t want to return the sounds. He wanted Logan.

She took them down a long way, and then back up inside a cave. It was a large cave, and at the top there were openings to let some sunlight in. There were quite a few other selkies in the cave, and many seals.

“Hello!” Saoirse said loudly. “I could use a bit of help over here!”

As soon as she spoke, spoke without changing back human, Patton had a sudden intense memory.

He was sitting on his mama’s stomach, and they were floating along in the sun, and she was talking to him, teaching him how to speak in the way only selkies could.

It was gone as soon as it had come, leaving Patton shivering and crying.

“Oh, sweetie, what’s the matter?” Saoirse cooed. “Did I yell too loud? I’m so sorry.”

Patton shook his head, and tears ran faster, cause now he knew what his mama looked like. He knew, he’d seen her. The memory was fading fast, even as he tried hard to hold onto it, but he would know now, if he saw her. He was sure he’d know.

But several other selkies were gathered around them now, trying to calm him down, and distracting him. And eventually it was just gone, vanished like it had been a dream.

“What’s going on here?” A crotchety old lady asked. Just from her voice Patton didn’t like her, even though that was a rude way to think about someone.

“I’m looking for his parents,” Saoirse explained. “Especially his mom, since she might have been related to us at some point.”

Old eyes scrutinized him. “Well there’s no doubt of the father, he certainly looks like a bastard.”

Saoirse clapped her hands over his ears. “How dare you! He’s just a baby! And no one likes his dad, but you don’t have to be mean to him because of it. Besides, we’re looking for his mom.”

The older selkie hmphed. “Change back, child, let me see you that way.”

Patton wiggled slightly, and Saoirse abandoned her hold on him that hadn’t really worked to keep him from hearing anyway. He changed back to human, and held onto Saoirse. He didn’t really know her well, but she seemed the safest of anyone here. He wanted Logan.

“He does look familiar…” the older selkie said, and several of the others nodded in agreement. “But whoever she is, she isn’t with us now. And he’s too old to be from the splitting of the pod.”

“What about Aine?” A selkie asked.

The old one narrowed her eyes, staring intently. “It might be Aine. She’s been gone long enough. Is your mother still living, boy?”

Patton thought, and the scream rang through his head. “I don’t know,” he said, his voice small.

Saoirse changed back to human and picked him up in a hug. “Don’t worry we’ll find, what was that name, Lo-something?”

“Logan.” Patton said, and sniffed, tears welling up again. “I want Logan!” He cried, burying his face in her shoulder.

Saoirse started asking around again, but Patton didn’t pay attention. Logan wasn’t down here. Logan would be somewhere near the city or near the river. And unless he heard Logan he wasn’t going to pay attention to anybody, cause he just wanted Logan! Just Logan, and that was it. He didn’t care that Logan wasn’t his dad anymore, he just wanted him!

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-One

••^*^••

It felt like he’d searched the entire city, and yet Logan knew he hadn’t. He knew he didn’t have a real concept of the size of the city, and he also knew that he’d been going in circles several times before breaking out of them. He’d asked around if anyone had seen Patton, describing him over and over again until the words became rote and rolled off his tongue. He asked about the dragon, and was told that it lived on an island out at sea, and that it frequently flew over the land, sometimes for help and sometimes for trouble.

And then he heard that the dragon could shift into a person, and he nearly screamed at the person who was only trying to be helpful. But did they know?! A dragon would be hard to find, but it was huge, and easily seen, perhaps easily followed if he followed reports of it. But a man?! A man who he had never seen? How could he hope to find him?

He wouldn’t give up, he would keep searching, but the hopelessness of his situation only weighed more on him with every passing hour. He must look frantic. The people were beginning to avoid him.

And then he ran into a child, nearly bowling him over.

“I’m sorry, I’m-- I’m sorry.”

“Are you drunk?” The child’s guardian asked. “You shouldn’t be wandering like this, go home until you’ve slept it off.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to run into you,” Logan tried, but the child was clinging to his guardian, probably afraid of him. “I’m sorry.”

He turned away, but as he did, there was the slightest glint as the man passed the corner of his vision. Logan instantly spun back around. That was one of the things he did remember from his feeble attempts at magic, that a fairy disguised as a human would look normal to normal eyes, but drunk, or sick, or broken hearted, one could see the slightest glimmer of their magic.

“You’re a fairy,” Logan breathed.

The fairy’s eyes widened, and he suddenly shoved Logan against a wall. “Hush! You can’t just say that out in the open!”

“Help me, please help me,” Logan begged. “My name is Logan, take it, please, and help me find Patton.” Tears were running down his face, and he knew no one in their right mind would ever go near him, but he’d given the fairy his name, surely he’d help. Please, please help.

The fairy looked concerned, and embarrassed, and kept looking around to be sure no one was watching them. “Look, just come with me and we can talk.”

Logan was finding it much harder to get ahold of himself, and he followed the fairy into an inn.

“Alright, tell me what happened,” the fairy said, after putting his child somewhere away from Logan and sitting down on the bed.

Logan started from the beginning, from when he’d first found Patton, stories he’d never told a soul pouring out from him like water and mingling with his many tears. The fairy listened to the whole thing without a hint of becoming bored or of rejecting Logan, and he allowed himself to hope that he might finally get help.

The story finally over, Logan waited for the fairy’s response.

“You haven't eaten or slept much since he was taken, correct?”

Logan nodded, confused as to what this had to do with anything.

“Alright. Logan, you will eat the food I bring up to you, and then you will go to sleep.”

Logan felt an almost painful thrill run up his spine at the command, and he knew he would have to do it, no matter what protest he might have.

“When you wake up, I’ll help you find Patton,” the fairy said, and Logan broke down into fresh tears.

“Thank you.”

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-Two

••^*^••

Dee had a strange man asleep on his bed. Not that he didn’t sympathize, but it was entirely not what he had expected out of the trip.

Virgil poked his head through the door a bit. “Can I come in now?” he whispered.

Dee gave him a rather tired smile. “Yeah, come on in.”

Virgil scanned the room carefully, only coming inside once he saw that Logan was asleep. “What was all that?”

Dee opened his arms, welcoming the hug that Virgil needed as well. “He’s lost his son.”

There was a moment of silence. “Oh. Are you going to help find him?”

“Well, I was hoping we would help find him,” Dee said.

Virgil immediately nodded. “I want to help. Yes.”

Dee smiled and ruffled up his hair. “I knew you would. Why don’t you go ahead and take a nap? We’ll have a long night tonight.”

Virgil nodded and went to lay down in the second bed. Dee smiled. It wasn’t fair, really, how cute he could get to be just by tucking himself under the blankets. A pang shot through his heart at the thought of losing Virgil, and he promised himself yet again that he would help Logan find his son.

To start with, though he hated the thought more than almost anything else, he had to know. He went out and found that first shop.

It wasn’t the shop you’d expect to be run by such evil people. It was large, and new, and open, and right in the middle of everything, claiming to have ‘the largest assortment of magical supplies and items in Keatheas’.

Dee took a deep breath, and walked in the door.

“Dee!” the lady behind the counter cheered. He’d never learned her name. “Haven’t seen you in ages! How’s it been?”

“Please, you know I’ve never been one for small talk,” Dee said.

She quirked her lips. “No, you haven’t. So where are the scales?”

“I don’t have them, that’s not what I’m here for.”

The light in her eyes changed from welcoming to something harsher. “Oh? What are you here for then?”

“A boy was kidnapped a day or two ago, and you people always have your fingers in things like this.”

She shrugged, getting a cloth and wiping down an already sparkling counter. “I don’t know anything about a boy, and surely you wouldn’t think of accusing us of something as awful as kidnapping without any evidence.”

Dee smiled slowly, cockily. “Oh, of course not, I was merely thinking about becoming very annoying.”

She looked up at him, very unimpressed, but he knew as well as she did that every expression the two had exchanged was as fake as those brown ‘harpy’ feathers on the wall. “I will knock your price down again, Dee. Don’t think I won’t.”

Dee’s smile got a bit of real triumph in it. “Do it. I don’t care. This is more important to me.”

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Look, Dee, the kid got taken back. We don’t have him. It won’t help you to make enemies over this.”

“His father would say otherwise,” Dee said icily.

She shrugged. “I never said who took him back, just that we don’t have him.”

“But you know who it was.”

“That’s the kind of thing that’ll cost you, Dee-Dee.”

Dee froze at the familiar nickname. He wasn’t sure what was being threatened, but that was absolutely a threat. He smiled though, as if he didn’t know. “Well, as far as philanthropy goes, it’s not quite far enough to pay. Thank you, though, always a pleasure doing business with you.”

Her smile was bright and sharp. “And with you. Come back soon.”

Dee left the shop feeling far more than one pair of eyes focused on his back.

••^*^••

Both Virgil and Logan were asleep, which gave Dee time to think and plan. A dragon. And an independent one. What could a dragon want with a child from the middle of the city? Surely it was easier to take one out in the country. Unless the dragon could tell that this was a selkie child.

Dee shivered. He knew well why people took selkies. It was sick. And from Logan’s story, he hoped that Patton would never remember his young life. But a dragon? Well, there was also the possibility of this being a shifter.

He looked at the map the innkeeper had given him. The dragon’s island was too far away to swim to, but Dee wasn’t sure that he would have enough money to rent a boat and buy everything he and Virgil would need. And of course finding this child ranked above that, but the island could well be a dead end. It was a small island, after all, more a glorified rock than anything a human could call home.

Although, before he could tell how much money he’d have, he had to sell the scales. Or rather, Virgil would have to sell the scales, with his help.

Dee sighed. He really didn’t like entangling Virgil in this, no matter how willing Virgil might be to let himself become entangled.

••^*^••

Virgil woke not long after, though Logan was still soundly asleep, save the perpetual frown that had remained, despite the slightly magical sleep.

So Dee got himself and Virgil dressed in their newer, nicer clothes, and took Virgil to find somewhere to sell the scales.

He walked past several places that just gave him a vaguely bad feel, and from Virgil’s expression, he felt it too.

Suddenly Virgil grabbed his hand, hugging close to his side.

“What is it?”

“Sorry.” Virgil tried to back away, but Dee put an arm around his shoulder.

“It’s ok, but what is it?”

Virgil’s eyes darted over to a man standing outside a shop, eating something and watching the crowd. He didn’t look like anything special to Dee, but Virgil was currently hiding from him behind Dee, so there must be something.

“I know him,” Virgil finally whispered. “He’s mean.”

Dee glanced back at the man, starting to move forward again so he wouldn’t be suspiciously still. The man didn’t look like the kind of person that would be unkind to children. But then again, he already knew that his first impressions of people were often incorrect. He’d learned much since he was young, but not trusting his first impression had to be the hardest lesson to learn.

“Alright, we won’t go near him then. You let me know if there’s anyone else you want to stay away from, ok?”

Virgil looked up at him, surprise and gratitude mingling in a very adorable way that Dee wished he wasn’t seeing. Even as cute as it was, he wished that Virgil knew that of course he would go out of his way to make him more comfortable. But he just smiled and ruffled Virgil’s hair with his free hand.

Finally they stopped in front of a house. It looked normal to most people, but Dee saw the sparkling thread woven in the curtains that showed to those who knew that magical items were sold inside.

He knocked on the door.

Virgil tugged slightly on his hand. “I’m selling them, but you’re talking, right?”

Dee nodded. “You don’t have to speak a word if you don’t want to.”

The door opened, and a woman peeked out. She glanced from Virgil to Dee and then back. “I want nothing to do with selling kids.”

“That is not at all what we’re here for.” Dee said immediately. “We have fairy-made scales to sell.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! Yes, come in, please.”

She offered tea and sweets, which Dee made sure to wait until she’d eaten some of before allowing Virgil to partake. The actual bartering didn’t last long, especially with Dee going starry-eyed at her offered price. It was easily three times the price he’d gotten used to. And he’d known that they kept knocking his price down at every perceived slight, but he hadn’t known how much.

So as they left, both Dee and Virgil were extremely pleased with the results of the sale, and went back to the inn with a large amount of carefully concealed money.

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-Three

••^*^••

It was many hours later when Saoirse popped up from the water.

The boy was asleep in her arms, and she carefully got out of the water to sit next to Emile.

“How’d it go?” He asked.

“Well, his mother might have been Aine, but we haven’t seen her in ten years or more.” Saoirse whispered. “But the poor dear has had his coat passed around far too much for such a young one. Whatever you do, don’t let anyone take it from him.”

Emile nodded seriously.

Saoirse stroked his hair gently. “He’s having a hard time thinking clearly, poor thing. And he can only barely hear the song of the sea. He needs some stability for a while.”

Emile nodded. “But I don’t know where else to look for his family.”

Saoirse pursed her lips. “You could adopt him. I would, but I travel too much, and that wouldn’t be good for him.”

“Adopt? But I barely even know him! Remy only rescued him a day or two ago.”

Saoirse frowned. “And what, you’d just leave him to fend for himself?”

“Of course not, but I— I’m not a father. I don’t know what to do.”

Saoirse’s frown deepened. “You’re related to him, and you’ve had experience with kids.”

“Playing with them, maybe, I just… I’m not just going to leave him, Saoirse, but I can’t be a father. I’m foolish and flighty and I don’t know how to do any of the serious parts of parenting. And we don’t know each other! I can’t just adopt him like that.”

“Wha’s adopt?” The little boy asked, his words slurring with sleep as he shifted his position.

“Shhh, sweetheart, go back to sleep.” Saoirse said softly.

“But what is it?”

“It’s when you say that someone is part of your family now,” Emile said.

The little boy yawned. “Can anybody do it?”

Emile nodded. “As long as the person they’re adopting wants to be adopted, then yes.”

That seemed to satisfy him, and he drifted back into sleep.

“Really think about it, Emile,” Saoirse said. “Look for his mom a bit longer if you want, but if you don’t find her, he needs somewhere to stay for good.”

Emile nodded seriously.

Remy had left a while ago, so Emile and Saoirse talked for a while longer about possible places to look, people to ask, things to do, and other such things until the boy woke up.

Emile let out a shriek to call Remy, and then the three of them played small games together until he arrived and took the two of them back to Keatheas.

••^*^••

Patton woke up in the bed, alone in the inn room. His head was clearer now than it had been in a while, and he slipped off the bed as quietly as he could.

He was going to find Logan.

He was very quiet leaving the room, and very careful as he walked through the big main room, and he didn’t let Remy or Emile see him as he slipped outside.

The sun was going to set soon, but he could still see just fine. He had to find his way to the river.

He was going to find Logan, and he was going to adopt him.

••^*^••

The innkeeper kept trying to get his attention, so finally Remy detached himself from the gossip group and went around to the back near the kitchen.

“I already paid you, I’m not gonna do it a second time.”

“Well, you might. I have information you’d want to know.”

Remy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure, you have magic sheets for the beds and you want me to pay extra.”

“No, I have information about your kid.”

Remy was instantly interested, but hid it behind a yawn. “Yeah, yeah, I know now that he has nightmare troubles, didn’t need you to tell me. And I’m not paying for any noise complaint.”

The innkeeper looked like he was trying to conceal his annoyance, but it wasn’t working well. “No, it’s actually something important! You’ll regret it if you don’t know it.”

Remy shook his head incredulously. “And what are you wanting to be paid for this ‘esteemed, precious information’?”

The innkeeper frowned. “Five silver.”

Remy raised an eyebrow. “Five silver? Wow, I didn’t know you took me for a fool. Tell you what, I’ll give you five, but if I knew it already you have to give all five back.”

The innkeeper stuck out his hand. “Deal.”

Remy set the money on the counter and shook his hand. “So what is it?”

“There’s two men upstairs looking for him. They already have one kid, and that one doesn’t look like either of them.”

Remy’s expression didn’t change, but he could feel the blood draining from his face.

“One of them at least doesn’t seem too stable,” the innkeeper continued. “And the other took the kid on an outing earlier today, and came back with more money than you’d expect for being gone such a short time.”

Remy gave the slightest nod. “And have you sold them any information about us yet?”

“You have to pay more for that—“

Remy slammed a fist down on the counter hard enough to rattle everything on it and draw the attention of everyone in the room. He clenched his jaw tightly and took in a deep breath that came out smelling of smoke. “Why don’t we talk somewhere more private.”

He dragged the innkeeper back into the kitchen, which was thankfully unoccupied.

“Did you sell them information about us?”

The innkeeper looked properly scared, which he ought to be, as Remy was tense enough to start breathing fire any minute.

“Just who you are, and a map. They don’t know that you’re here, or that it’s your kid.”

Remy let go of the innkeeper’s shirt, and based on the way he stumbled back, he must have been holding him almost off the ground.

“Fine.”

Remy went immediately to grab Emile and take him upstairs, only to see the empty bed.

Emile stayed there to search the room, and Remy ran down the stairs.

“Who are they?!” He demanded.

The innkeeper startled, “I-I can’t just—“

Remy shoved him back, nearly snarling. “You tell me now or I swear you’ll have more trouble than you ever wanted.”

“They’re in the far room on the left,” the innkeeper said, pointing with a shaking hand.

Remy ran back up the stairs, trying to open the door and kicking hard when it didn’t immediately open. It opened on the third kick, and he stormed into the room.

There was one man just waking up, and another short man planting himself between Remy and the man, behind him hiding a small boy, but not the one Remy was looking for.

“Where is he?!” Remy yelled, not caring that he was surely drawing way too much attention from the other patrons.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” the short man said firmly. “Please leave.”

“Don’t act dumb, the innkeeper told me you were looking for the kid, now where is he?!”

“You had Patton?” The man on the bed said, scrambling off. “Where— you were the dragon.”

Remy didn’t recognize the man, but he assumed he must have been one of the thugs trying to grab the poor kid.

“Yeah, I was, now where is he?!” Remy yelled.

“Stop!” A weak voice pleaded, but as soon as he looked at the kid he shrunk back, clinging tightly to the shorter man.

Remy tried to pull back, to take a calming breath, but as he blew it out it was dark with smoke.

“What happened to Patton?” The taller man asked, his voice not harsh and demanding like Remy would have expected of a thug. He wished that they’d just stick to the easy stereotypes.

“As if you care!”

A hand on his shoulder made Remy turn abruptly, but it was just Emile.

Emile looked around the room, his eyes settling on the taller man. “What’s your name?”

“Logan.”

Remy’s anger abruptly fizzled out. “You’re Logan?”

Emile was much calmer and more collected about things. “Patton’s been asking for you. He’s missing, but he hasn’t been for long, we’ll help you find him.”

Logan looked like he could just about crumple over, but he stood a bit straighter. “Thank you.”

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-Four

••^*^••

Patton was trying to follow all the old rules Logan had given him. He didn’t look at strangers, and he kept looking right in the direction he was going. And when one nice lady stopped him, he said he was going to get his dad, and pointed to a nearby house.

She just smiled, and said that he should stick closer to his house when it was almost dark, before moving on.

Patton kept walking, following the smell of water, as it got stronger and stronger, and he finally reached the bank of the river. But now what?

He put his hands in the river, and it felt very nice, but didn’t tell him what to do.

He shouldn’t yell. Logan had always said that. Because if he yelled then it might be someone that wasn’t Logan that came to find him.

Maybe he could find the raft. That was a start.

Patton started walking downriver as the sun set, looking carefully for the raft, or even just pieces of it.

He found one piece, but it was just waterlogged and sitting there. It didn’t give him any clues at all.

Well, the rule when he lost Logan was always to go back home, and Logan would find him at home. But home was very far away. Maybe if he went back to Emile he could ask him to take him home.

So Patton walked back up to the spot where he put his hands in the water. It was very dark now, and he could see stars, little flickering lights in the flowing water. Logan liked stars, and Patton liked swimming with him when there were stars. He started to get sad for a minute and then he stood up. He was not going to be sad. He was going to find Logan, and adopt him, and then they would swim at nighttime together. And maybe even swim in the sea!

He held up the image in his mind, and it chased the sadness away.

So then he went back through the buildings. He had to go past the one that was yellowish, and then he had to turn not-left at the one where the corner was all cracked. And then there was a lady wearing green, and he had to… his brain stalled at the lack of people. There was hardly anyone anymore. So what was he supposed to do at the very full place if he couldn’t find it because it wasn’t full anymore?

Patton frowned, trying to remember where he was, and where he had to go, and how he had to turn to go there.

He walked one way, and realized it was wrong, and walked the other way, and it was even more wrong somehow. So Patton just frowned intently at the different roads, trying to figure out which one he was supposed to go on.

“Hey, there kid, where’re you headed?”

He wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. But maybe this one could help? “I’m looking for the inn.”

“Which one?”

Which one? There were more than one? Patton thought hard. Most of his memories of the inn were really fuzzy. “Oh! It has a horse!”

The man nodded wisely. “I know that inn. It’s not a nice one though, why don’t you come to my inn instead?”

Patton shook his head. “No, thank you. I like that one.”

The man put a hand over his chest and gasped. “You think it’s better than mine? You wound me.”

Patton didn’t like this person anymore. “Can you tell me where the horse one is please?”

The man shook his head. “You didn’t even listen to what I said. You’re a mean little kid, you know that?”

Patton’s lip quivered slightly. This person was kind of scary, and also called him mean, and he didn’t like being mean, and he wished so much that he had Logan! “I’m sorry for being rude, but can you please tell me where the horse one is?”

“See, I don’t think you’ve even seen my inn, and you’re still insisting that this other is better. Why don’t you come with me?”

Patton shook his head, and his eyes started to get teary. “No, thank you. I want the horse one. I can just go look by myself.”

Patton tried to turn away, but the man reached out and grabbed his arm. There was only a second of hesitation before Patton was screaming.

“Logan!! Logan, help!”

The man said something under his breath and scooped Patton up, covering up his mouth and taking him somewhere.

Patton kept screaming anyway. Logan would have to hear him! He had to be somewhere close! He had to!

And people started coming, but they didn’t look like Logan. Patton screamed and kicked, and once his kick actually hit, and the man dropped him. Patton just ran, not caring about where he was going as long as it was away from him.

There was a shout of ‘Stop!’ behind him, and Patton ran faster. People were chasing him and Patton was terrified. He ran as fast and as hard as he could, and his steps took him back towards the river. Patton jumped in immediately, and turned, swimming down to the bottom of the river to hide.

The people were jumping into the water too, and looking for him, but they didn’t dive deep enough to find him if he stayed hidden.

Patton trembled, clinging to a rock on the very bottom of the riverbed so that he wouldn’t get washed out to sea. They kept jumping in, and searching for him, and there were so many of them!

And he couldn’t hold his breath forever.

And then a bright light. It was fire. They had fire up there. And it didn’t look like friendly fire. It was angry fire, and it would burn him as soon as he got to the top to take a breath.

Where was Logan?!

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-Five

••^*^••

Dee and Logan were searching together, as quickly as possible while still being thorough. Remy and Emile were searching together as well, and Dee had told Virgil to stay in the inn and had magically sealed the door just in case, so that no one but Virgil could open it.

They’d been searching for a while when Logan suddenly bolted. Seconds later Dee heard the faint sound of screaming, and ran after Logan.

The closer they came to the sound the more it seemed that they were not the only ones in pursuit, and then the sound was cut off.

Logan never stopped running. Dee just chased after Logan, hoping he knew where he was going.

••^*^••

They were trying to be quick, but when Remy saw the third person pass them in the same direction he knew there had to be something.

“I’m going this way, Em, I’ll circle back for you.”

Emile nodded, and Remy shifted. He took to the air, and saw that there were nearly fifteen people headed for the river, though he was almost sure that two of them were Logan and Dee.

He couldn’t tell from this height and distance whether any of them was Patton, and he flew down to the river.

The faces looked vaguely familiar, and not in a good way. But it was hard when he couldn’t see clearly from the darkness. Remy let loose a plume of flame, too high to do any harm, but lighting up the riverbank.

••^*^••

Logan just barely saw the smaller shape disappear beneath the water, and then several other people plunge in.

It had to be Patton. It had to.

What he wasn’t expecting was several shouts of ‘You!’ and to get tackled before he could reach the water.

Logan swung his feet and his fists blindly, the firelight not helping him know where to hit, but having three people trying to hold him down certainly didn’t make it easy.

Dee caught up, and started pulling people off as best he could, which was less than Logan would have expected of a fairy.

But then Remy landed, and between the threat of fire and fang the men faltered enough that Logan was able to escape and plunge into the water.

The water was full of other moving bodies, and murky, and Logan has no idea whether Patton would be here or downstream. His first attempt ended in failure, as he was forced to surface to breathe.

On the shore, Remy was attacking whoever dared get near him, and several went down, rolling to try and rid themselves of the flames.

Logan tore his eyes away and plunged beneath the water, which was far easier than trying to keep above it.

••^*^••

As soon as he saw the fire Emile ran back in the other direction, and his eyes went wide seeing the chaos on the riverbank. Remy was attacking men, setting them on fire, and others were in the river.

Dee was in a fistfight with several, and the worst of it was, as Emile looked around, that he was recognizing faces. Many of these men were the same that had stolen his feathers.

He finally caught a glimpse of Logan as Remy’s fire illuminated the river, flailing more than swimming, before going under again.

••^*^••

Remy didn’t know who each one was, but he knew they were bad. They were a gang, if something so large and so organized could be called a gang, and he’d run into them before. They’d tried to capture him then, and failed, obviously. He was sure that they were the ones behind the attack on Emile. He’d known it was them trying to kidnap Patton that night, though he hadn’t known that Logan wasn’t one of them.

But despite all his attempts and short encounters, he’d never had a good chance to fight back against them. They slipped back into their shadows too easily.

Until tonight. Tonight he could let his fire burn and rid the world of at least some of them.

••^*^••

Dee had been punching for what felt like hours, scrabbling his way back up every time he was knocked down and just trying to stop one more from reaching the river.

Emile got there, screeching so loud it made every person wince and try to cover their ears. He couldn’t quite fly, but he certainly used his wings to his advantage, swinging them harshly into people’s heads.

Between the two of them they held back the rest of the people, and Remy was quickly disposing of them. Most tried to put the fire out and run, but that wasn’t an option for them all.

But there were several still in the river, diving to try and catch Patton.

••^*^••

Patton’s chest was hurting. He needed to come up for air. He was scared. He could see the people still dipping down and trying to search for him.

Except one, one who didn’t dip down and swim cleanly through the water, or paddle hard and evenly. One who was floundering and flailing like…

Patton couldn’t be sure, but hope surged up so high and so suddenly. He swam up quickly, coming underneath the person and pushing them downstream a bit and to the other bank of the river as fast as he could before he fully surfaced to take a breath.

“Patton!”

Patton burst into tears as soon as he heard Logan’s voice. He pushed them the rest of the way onto shore and then shifted back, grabbing Logan tightly and sobbing.

“Patton, Patton, I’ve got you, I’ve got you, I’m not letting go, never, I love you so much, Patton, it’s ok,” Logan said, his voice running endlessly.

Patton hugged closer and closer, though he couldn’t really get much closer and was probably squeezing Logan too tight, but he didn’t care.

On the other side of the river, everything was still chaos and terror and Patton was careful not to look.

As soon as he felt he could let go a little he leaned back to look up at Logan’s face.

His voice still hitched with sobs, but he spoke as firmly as he could because he was not taking no for an answer. “E-Emile said that if you want to— that you can adopt some—someone to be family.”

Logan looked slightly confused, but he nodded.

“A-and I’m adopting you! You-you have to be my dad now!”

Patton didn’t at all expect for Logan to burst into tears.

“You’re sad? You- you don’t want to be my dad?”

“No, no, no, Patton, I do! I’m sorry, I do so much!”

“Then—then you have to!” Patton insisted. “You have to!”

Logan cradled him close, sobbing into his hair.

But Patton wouldn’t let it be. He’d waited too long. “You have to say it!”

Logan pulled back just enough to look Patton in the eyes, though with how many tears they were both shedding it was awfully blurry anyway. “I-I’m your dad, Patton.”

Patton grabbed him in another far too tight hug and started crying harder again.

••^*^••

It was a while before the last of the thugs were gone and Emile heard the crying. It didn’t sound like hurt crying though, just the release of feelings too long held in.

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-Six

••^*^••

They all rented rooms in a different inn for that night.

Patton slept most of the next day, and despite his sleeping being deep and peaceful, Logan couldn’t bear to leave his side.

Emile seemed curious, and in an attempt to pay back in some way for all the help, Logan told him his and Patton’s story. And if he called Patton ‘my son’ more often than his own name, well, Emile was kind enough not to mention it.

This storytelling sparked several others, and Logan was left almost dizzy with how much he knew now about these kind strangers.

Remy had suddenly pulled out a gift that made Emile very emotional, and then the two of them were quiet for the next while as they put the salve onto his wings.

Dee took Virgil out to buy him a gift as well, and so Logan was left in a pleasant silence.

His brain was finally able to process some of the very many things that had happened. And one thought came to the forefront, more serious than the many happy ones. He had no money. No personal belongings. And was currently living on Dee’s charity.

He thought about it for a very long time, trying to think of how he was going to find a place for him and Patton to stay. How he could support them, and keep them safe from the many thugs that were probably looking for them even more intently now.

But all of those thoughts were driven from his mind when Patton stirred.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Dad?” Patton asked, rubbing at his eyes.

Logan smiled. “Yes?”

Patton’s smile lit up his face like the sunrise, and he jumped up to hug Logan.

No matter what else happened, Logan was going to be happy. With the joy filling him now, he didn’t think he could ever be sad again. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad!”

Just then was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Logan said.

Virgil came in first, holding both his hands in fists, and Dee followed him, smiling as proudly as Logan had ever seen someone look.

Virgil stood next to the bed, glancing at Dee once for support. He held out one hand, and opened it to show a key.

“I got to pick what my present was, and I picked to have a vacation house next to the beach, and I want to offer you a job to take care of it and stay there.” Virgil chewed on his lip, which only half hid his smile.

Logan’s jaw nearly dropped open, and he looked to Dee.

Dee shrugged, grinning. “We’ve come into a bit of money, and it was his choice.”

Logan looked back at Virgil. “Thank you. Virgil, thank you so much.”

Virgil’s smile grew even wider as he waved his hand, waiting for Logan to reach out so he could drop the key into his hand.

“You wanna come and see it?” He asked excitedly.

“Can we, Daddy?” Patton asked, almost as excited.

Logan nodded, still a bit stunned.

It was quite a walk from the inn, a bit outside the city limits, a small, sturdy house just above the beach.

Virgil and Patton ran all over the house excitedly. There were three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, and Logan wasn’t sure how Dee could afford to get something like this all at once, much less for a gift.

As if reading Logan’s thoughts, Dee spoke, looking out the window over the sea. “There’s a payment plan, and Virgil will own it in five years. I’m very pleased with his choice.”

Dee pulled a small bag that clinked with coins and set it on the windowsill. “You know, I’ve heard that there’s pearls near here, and I’m sure Patton would love to hunt them someday. Or perhaps you’ll start some kind of business of your own. But until then this should start you off.”

“Dee, you can’t—“

“I can do anything I want.” Dee said, turning with a smirk. “Logan.”

The touch of magic was slight, but there. Logan relented, smiling. “Thank you. If not for your kindness, and Emile’s and Remy’s…”

Dee just shrugged. “So! I figured Virgil and I would share the big room when we visit, and you and Patton can have the others. Feel free to let people stay while we’re gone though, maybe Emile. He seems like he’ll visit often.”

Dee led Logan on a tour of the house, pointing out things that Virgil wouldn’t have thought about, and tossing around vague ideas of when they might come back to Keatheas next.

••^*^••

Logan lay on his back on a piece of wood, bobbing gently with the motion of the waves and looking up at the stars. The night was clear, and the stars were beautiful.

Patton lay on his chest, humming softly and happily. And Patton seemed to him far more beautiful than the stars.

Logan gently petted his hair. “This is all I’ve ever wanted for you. I’m so happy.”

Patton squeezed Logan gently in a half hug. “I’m happy too.”

Logan smiled softly, and rubbed his hand down over Patton’s back, humming along with him.

••^*^••

Dee let out a long sigh once he was back in his own house with the door closed. He knew what to expect here, and he’d have long afternoons and evenings, quiet with just Virgil.

“I’m glad we’re home,” Virgil said.

“Me too,” Dee said, ruffling up his hair. “I’ll unpack, if you want to go check on Annabelle.”

Virgil lit up. “Yes! I hope she wasn’t lonely.”

Dee smiled fondly, putting away new clothes and pulling out the wings. They’d need a new coat of dust before Virgil could put them back on.

••^*^••

Remy finally landed.

“Who was that?” Emile asked.

“He said his name was Remus. That— that gang apparently causes fairies trouble too, and he wants me to help them fight against them. He said he talked with Dee about me.”

Emile’s eyebrows raised. “Do you want to do it?”

Remy looked up at him. “I really do.”

Emile smiled. “Then do it! Get that temper out in a way that helps people.”

Remy smiled slightly. “What about you? You’re a part of my hoard, I have to take care of you.”

Emile patted his face rather condescendingly. “I can take care of myself, Rem. I’ll hang out with Logan and Patton whenever you’re gone.”

Remy’s smile grew. “So you think I should go?”

Emile nodded firmly. “Yes I do.”

Remy tackled him in a bear hug.

••^*^••

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Epilogue

••^*^••

(Two years later)

Patton and Virgil were just a bit fidgety in their fancy clothes, having to sit still.

But then the speeches that they didn’t really understand were over, and they were clapping for Remy and a bunch of fairies to get flower crowns.

And then it was time for a feast! There were tables and tables and tables of food, and the only rule was that they weren’t allowed to drink anything but water, and not to bump into anybody.

After the feast was dancing! Logan picked Patton up and danced with him, and Virgil very happily danced with Dee, as tall as his shoulder now and practiced at some of the simpler dances.

After a while, only the better dancers were dancing, and the music was louder, more grand.

Virgil sat with Emile, next to Logan and Patton, and watched as Dee danced with Roman, and they got a prize at the end for being the best dancers. Virgil was very proud, because he’d practiced with Dee a lot to be ready for this party, so he felt like he’d helped win the prize too.

Finally the music dipped down low, and one fairy at a time sat up in the great chair to tell stories.

Virgil couldn’t believe they were all true, and turned to Patton, but Patton was falling asleep.

Dee came back then, drinking something that was not water, and when Virgil questioned him he offered one sip, but Virgil didn’t like it. They must have only made fairy drinks.

After stories for a very long time, Virgil started to nod.

Another dance started, but this one was very slow, and a group dance instead of pairs, all the fairies weaving in and out in complicated patterns. Virgil fell asleep in his chair, his dreams even more dazzling than the reality had been.

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