It was over. Piper couldn't quite believe it. After almost four years of waiting and worrying, of fear and anticipation ....it was over. And Lyneth, their darling little girl, was still theirs. The house was something of a disaster zone, admittedly, with Summer dust everywhere, the windows shattered, furniture overturned, but Oisin, it seemed, was relishing the challenge. Exhausted, the little family were left to themselves as the fairies they shared their home with banded together to make that home habitable once again. Every loose end was tidied up ....all but one.
With Des patched up as best she could, Piper left her husband and children together on the couch in the living room, warily moving to join their unexpected helper where he had retreated to the garden outside. She didn't know what to say; what she should say. He was obviously Fae, and yet he had helped them. She paused on the porch behind him, hesitating until finally the only words that made any true sense to her came to her lips. "Thank you," she heard herself whisper fervently, her voice tearful at the thought of what might have happened without him. "For my family. Thank you."
The tall, fair-haired Fae who had called himself Tiernan stood quietly, as silent as a winter night, waiting patiently for a chance to explain, while the little family comforted each other and made sure they were all safe and well. He waited, though he wasn't sure why. He'd done what he'd come here to do, and there wasn't much more to do but be on his way and let them recover in peace, now that the danger had passed. And yet he lingered, not because he wanted or needed their thanks, but because of something else. "It was the least I could do. I believe that is how the saying goes," he said, his back turned to her as he contemplated a rose or perhaps the fairy that was residing there.
Her arms wrapped tight about herself, Piper contemplated him thoughtfully. She'd spent too long believing the worst of the Fae to give her entire trust to this one just yet, not without some answers. "I need to know why," she said quietly. "I know you can't lie to me, not directly, but you can avoid answering the question. But I need to know that this really is the end of it. So why did you help us?"
"Your daughter can answer that question better than I. If she refused his offer, then it is over," he told her as he slowly turned to face her, something familiar in his expression, though she might not be able to put her finger on it. There were so many ways he could answer her question, all of them truthful, and yet, there were some truths she might not be ready to hear. "Because I am like her. I, too, was chosen to fulfill a role I did not want. I, too, was born of a human mother, but unlike her, I was taken away, robbed of the childhood your daughter finds so precious, robbed of a mother's love and affection. And so, I wished to save her from that same fate."
There was something about him; something in his tone, his inflection, the cast of his expression that tugged at something inside her. He reminded her of someone or something, but she couldn't quite place it. He had answered in much the way she had expected; no lies, certainly, but no real answers for her. "If you didn't want the role he offered you, why were you taken from your family?" she asked suspiciously, though she could guess the answer to that one.
"I was not given a choice in the matter. I was taken when I was just a small child. They thought I would forget her, forget the woman who was my mother, but I did not. I have never forgotten ....or forgiven," he explained. "They do not care for mortals, you see, and they do not understand love. Mortals - humans - are nothing to them. What should they care for creatures whose lives are so short?"
Piper watched him as he spoke, taking in those nuances of expression and tone, listening as much to the way he spoke as the words he gave her to mull over. "They," she repeated quietly. "So you're not one of the Fae who have been watching and threatening us. And the Hunter offered you a role to play, and took you from your mother. You have some kind of seasonal magic power that seems to come from Winter." Her blue eyes sharpened for a moment as all the years of research and learning came into vivid contrast in her mind. "You're one of his children. You're Lyneth's brother."
"I am one of many of his children, yes. I was exiled when I refused his offer, but I have been watching you and your family. I knew he would come for her sooner or later, and he does not like taking no for an answer." By definition, yes, he was Lyneth's brother, if only in part - both of them children of the Hunter, both of them conceived to fulfill the role their father had planned for them, both of them having refused that offer. Lyneth's family, at least, had survived it. Tiernan's had not, and he had vowed to stop the same thing from happening to her.
Alarm flared in Piper's gaze as she looked up at the familiarly unfamiliar Fae in front of her. "I thought he had no choice but to accept that no," she said, panic obvious in her voice. "That he can't do anything to force her to do what he wants her to. Surely he's wise enough to accept when he's beaten?"
"No, but he would have tried to force her by hurting her family. He did the same to me. My mother died at his hand, and ....some part of me died with her, but I did not have the courage to tell him no, not until later. I was ....too young. I did not understand, but I understand now, and I vowed on my mother's grave that I would not let it happen again. He will have his Queen, but not like this," he explained, his expression never wavering, no hint of emotion on his face, though his voice was full of grief and sorrow.
"And now you're all alone," she said softly. For all her distrust of the Fae in general, Piper knew there were exceptions to the rule she had learned of. This Tiernan had saved them at the moment Lyneth had returned to them - a moment later, and all Lyneth would have returned to would have been death and pain. He had done more for them than she could ever truly thank him for. Coming to a decision, she turned to call into the house. "Lynnie" Can you come here a moment, please?"
The Half-Fae man arched a brow, glancing toward the house, a look of almost panic on his face. He had not expected this, and yet, he had hoped for it with all his heart. Would she accept or reject him' Would she even care what he'd sacrificed for her sake" He could have been the Winter King - it had been his right and his destiny - and perhaps, he'd have even said yes, if only they had let his mother live.
Still in her ripped pajamas, rubbing her eyes sleepily, Lyneth came pattering out to join them a few moments later, wrapping her arms around her mother's hips as she blinked owlishly up at the strangely familiar Fae man. Piper looked down at her, one hand gently stroking the tousled head tenderly. "Lynnie, this is Tiernan," she introduced them properly for the first time that evening. "He saved our lives, and he made sure you had had a family to come back to. But he's all alone." She crouched down, letting her daughter curl an arm about her neck as she went on. "He's like you, sweetheart, but there was no one there for him to protect his family when the Hunter came for him."
The little girl stifled a yawn badly behind one hand, still studying the man who looked down at her. Then the soft smile Piper had been hoping for blossomed on the little face she loved so well. "I has a big brother, too?"
Tiernan looked between the little girl who was his blood and the mother who had birthed her, not quite comprehending what was taking place here. "We share the same father," he explained, knowing some part of her would understand, even if the child inside her didn't. "You told him no, did you not?" he asked, needing to hear it from her lips to be sure, not just make an assumption.
Lyneth's expression was solemn and sincere as she looked up at Tiernan, her beautiful eyes bright as she told him the whole truth. "I told him I would break his cycle so bad he would never be able to mend it if he ever hurt my family in any way, and that includes taking me away from them," she told him firmly. "And you're my family, too. You're my big brother."
With Des patched up as best she could, Piper left her husband and children together on the couch in the living room, warily moving to join their unexpected helper where he had retreated to the garden outside. She didn't know what to say; what she should say. He was obviously Fae, and yet he had helped them. She paused on the porch behind him, hesitating until finally the only words that made any true sense to her came to her lips. "Thank you," she heard herself whisper fervently, her voice tearful at the thought of what might have happened without him. "For my family. Thank you."
The tall, fair-haired Fae who had called himself Tiernan stood quietly, as silent as a winter night, waiting patiently for a chance to explain, while the little family comforted each other and made sure they were all safe and well. He waited, though he wasn't sure why. He'd done what he'd come here to do, and there wasn't much more to do but be on his way and let them recover in peace, now that the danger had passed. And yet he lingered, not because he wanted or needed their thanks, but because of something else. "It was the least I could do. I believe that is how the saying goes," he said, his back turned to her as he contemplated a rose or perhaps the fairy that was residing there.
Her arms wrapped tight about herself, Piper contemplated him thoughtfully. She'd spent too long believing the worst of the Fae to give her entire trust to this one just yet, not without some answers. "I need to know why," she said quietly. "I know you can't lie to me, not directly, but you can avoid answering the question. But I need to know that this really is the end of it. So why did you help us?"
"Your daughter can answer that question better than I. If she refused his offer, then it is over," he told her as he slowly turned to face her, something familiar in his expression, though she might not be able to put her finger on it. There were so many ways he could answer her question, all of them truthful, and yet, there were some truths she might not be ready to hear. "Because I am like her. I, too, was chosen to fulfill a role I did not want. I, too, was born of a human mother, but unlike her, I was taken away, robbed of the childhood your daughter finds so precious, robbed of a mother's love and affection. And so, I wished to save her from that same fate."
There was something about him; something in his tone, his inflection, the cast of his expression that tugged at something inside her. He reminded her of someone or something, but she couldn't quite place it. He had answered in much the way she had expected; no lies, certainly, but no real answers for her. "If you didn't want the role he offered you, why were you taken from your family?" she asked suspiciously, though she could guess the answer to that one.
"I was not given a choice in the matter. I was taken when I was just a small child. They thought I would forget her, forget the woman who was my mother, but I did not. I have never forgotten ....or forgiven," he explained. "They do not care for mortals, you see, and they do not understand love. Mortals - humans - are nothing to them. What should they care for creatures whose lives are so short?"
Piper watched him as he spoke, taking in those nuances of expression and tone, listening as much to the way he spoke as the words he gave her to mull over. "They," she repeated quietly. "So you're not one of the Fae who have been watching and threatening us. And the Hunter offered you a role to play, and took you from your mother. You have some kind of seasonal magic power that seems to come from Winter." Her blue eyes sharpened for a moment as all the years of research and learning came into vivid contrast in her mind. "You're one of his children. You're Lyneth's brother."
"I am one of many of his children, yes. I was exiled when I refused his offer, but I have been watching you and your family. I knew he would come for her sooner or later, and he does not like taking no for an answer." By definition, yes, he was Lyneth's brother, if only in part - both of them children of the Hunter, both of them conceived to fulfill the role their father had planned for them, both of them having refused that offer. Lyneth's family, at least, had survived it. Tiernan's had not, and he had vowed to stop the same thing from happening to her.
Alarm flared in Piper's gaze as she looked up at the familiarly unfamiliar Fae in front of her. "I thought he had no choice but to accept that no," she said, panic obvious in her voice. "That he can't do anything to force her to do what he wants her to. Surely he's wise enough to accept when he's beaten?"
"No, but he would have tried to force her by hurting her family. He did the same to me. My mother died at his hand, and ....some part of me died with her, but I did not have the courage to tell him no, not until later. I was ....too young. I did not understand, but I understand now, and I vowed on my mother's grave that I would not let it happen again. He will have his Queen, but not like this," he explained, his expression never wavering, no hint of emotion on his face, though his voice was full of grief and sorrow.
"And now you're all alone," she said softly. For all her distrust of the Fae in general, Piper knew there were exceptions to the rule she had learned of. This Tiernan had saved them at the moment Lyneth had returned to them - a moment later, and all Lyneth would have returned to would have been death and pain. He had done more for them than she could ever truly thank him for. Coming to a decision, she turned to call into the house. "Lynnie" Can you come here a moment, please?"
The Half-Fae man arched a brow, glancing toward the house, a look of almost panic on his face. He had not expected this, and yet, he had hoped for it with all his heart. Would she accept or reject him' Would she even care what he'd sacrificed for her sake" He could have been the Winter King - it had been his right and his destiny - and perhaps, he'd have even said yes, if only they had let his mother live.
Still in her ripped pajamas, rubbing her eyes sleepily, Lyneth came pattering out to join them a few moments later, wrapping her arms around her mother's hips as she blinked owlishly up at the strangely familiar Fae man. Piper looked down at her, one hand gently stroking the tousled head tenderly. "Lynnie, this is Tiernan," she introduced them properly for the first time that evening. "He saved our lives, and he made sure you had had a family to come back to. But he's all alone." She crouched down, letting her daughter curl an arm about her neck as she went on. "He's like you, sweetheart, but there was no one there for him to protect his family when the Hunter came for him."
The little girl stifled a yawn badly behind one hand, still studying the man who looked down at her. Then the soft smile Piper had been hoping for blossomed on the little face she loved so well. "I has a big brother, too?"
Tiernan looked between the little girl who was his blood and the mother who had birthed her, not quite comprehending what was taking place here. "We share the same father," he explained, knowing some part of her would understand, even if the child inside her didn't. "You told him no, did you not?" he asked, needing to hear it from her lips to be sure, not just make an assumption.
Lyneth's expression was solemn and sincere as she looked up at Tiernan, her beautiful eyes bright as she told him the whole truth. "I told him I would break his cycle so bad he would never be able to mend it if he ever hurt my family in any way, and that includes taking me away from them," she told him firmly. "And you're my family, too. You're my big brother."