Chapter 90: No Ordinary Life

Warning: Language


  Kalen had graduated a few years earlier; but had decided to stick around for a while instead of leaving right away.   His original plan had been to travel with his parents after graduation, but since they had ended up turning it into their honeymoon trip, he had decided that would just be...awkward.

  Instead, he had mostly flitted about the island, and spent his time on the beach with his grandfather, learning what his grandfather called, "valuable life lessons".  Things like, 'stay on top of things; and know your limits.' or, one of Kalen's personal favorites, 'sometimes you just have to knock the f*cking idiot out so they don't drown you too'.  Kalen grinned to himself.  His grandfather was one of a kind, and he sure was going to miss him.

  But, as much as he had enjoyed playing the beach bum these past few years, he was really starting to feel antsy.  It was definitely time to move on, and do that traveling he had always dreamed of.  He was going to start with Egypt, and work his way around the world, footloose and free, just the way he liked it.

 

  His bags were packed and ready to go, he was leaving first thing in the morning, and he could hardly wait.



~<>



  "What are you doing Grumpa?"  He had been underwater for several minutes, obviously looking for something, but whenever she went down there, she didn't see anything.

  "Looking for a good place to bury a body."

  "Hmmph."  Julia studied his face, trying to tell if he was joking or not.  She thought he was, but then again...

   She shook her head and decided to play along.  "Who are we burying?"

  "Well, isn't that freaking obvious?  Your newest boyfriend."

  Julia rolled her eyes.  "Grumpa."

  "What?  You don't believe me?"

  She splashed at him playfully.  "Oh no, I believe you, but we already had this talk, remember?  You are not allowed to kill my boyfriends."

  "Pity."  He sighed.  "I heard there's an underwater cave around here, it would be the perfect place to stash a body." 

  
   "An underwater cave?  Really?  We've been all over this place though, so how could we have missed something like that?"

  "Do you remember that Professor Dashwood guy?"

  "You mean the one you nicknamed Dumba*swood, the loony that you kept having to rescue last summer?"

  "Yeah," Colin shook his head, "That'd be the one.  He had this theory..."

  "About alternate realities and time lines, yeah, I remember.  He spouted that off to anyone that would listen." Julia remembered the guy being a real nut job, and he couldn't swim worth a d*mn.  So why he had insisted on going out on the open water was beyond her, at least he could have used a life vest, and saved her Grumpa the trouble of having to keep saving him from his own freaking stupidity. 

  "Dumba*s believed there was a hidden underwater cave, that only reveals itself when the conditions are right."

 

   Julia scoffed.  "He also believed that the Dread Pirate Roberts buried a king's treasure in a Kraken's cave, and we both know that's utter nonsense."

  "Well," Colin sighed again, "It turns out that he might not have been all wrong."

  "Grumpa, I am too old to fall for your fish stories."

  He chuckled.  "I had some f*cking good ones too."  Colin grinned in remembrance, those were the days.  "Your mother still falls for them though."  He shook his head again, and then said soberly, "This isn't one of those stories though.  I'm not f*cking around, since last summer, I've talked to a few more professors, ones who were way more f*cking credible than that wackjob."

  Julia was still skeptical.  "And you just happened to mention Kraken caves and pirate's gold to these other so called credible professors?"

  "Of course not, don't be f*cking stupid."  He waggled his finger at her.  "One would think you have no faith in me Squirt.  They talked, and I listened, sort of, bored out of my ever lovin mind.  Why the h*ll I torture myself by attending Nathaniel's mayoral fund raising parties is f*cking beyond me, but I do.  I must be a f*cking masochist." He muttered to himself, but then continued, "F*cking boring drones, the lot of them, at least Dumba*s is colorful in his beliefs."

 

 

  Julia was confused, and if he was pulling another one of his pranks on her, she was going to be f*cking p*ssed off at him, because she was starting to get dragged into his story.  "I don't understand, how..."

  "Two months ago, while diving right about here, I spotted a gold coin.  Didn't think too much about it at the time, but then the other day, I was at loose ends and f*cking bored, and I remembered the coin I had found.  So I decided to find out a little more about it, h*ll, why not?  It wasn't like I was f*cking doing anything else.  So I took it in to the f*cking experts, at that little sh*thole they call a museum.  I won't bore you with the f*cking long a*s details, trying to get nerds to just f*cking tell you the f*cking facts and nothing else is an exercise in f*cking patience," he grumbled, "but it turns out it belonged to one Lord Edward Robert Dregg, whose ship disappeared off the coast of China, back in the 18th century."

  "The Dread Pirate Roberts part, I am guessing."

  "That's the story.  His cargo, it was a sh*tload of what they called Kraken Gold, because it had the image of one on each gold piece.  Before I found that one, there was only one other piece of Kraken Gold ever found, at least, officially, and it is a part of a private collection in China.  But...here's the thing.  Why the f*ck did I find the Kraken Gold piece here?  So far away from China?  Lord Dregg never traveled this far.  So I started thinking; someone must have f*cking dropped it, on accident, most likely someone like dumba*s Dumbwood, which would explain why the h*ll he kept trying to drown himself last year.  I figured there might be some more gold there, so what the h*ll, I enjoy diving, and sh*t, I've got nothing better to do, so I went back."  He stopped.

  "And?"  Julia prodded him.  She was still half waiting for the punch line.

 

  
   "I found a fissure instead."

  "Here."

  Colin looked around.  "As near as I can guess, yes, here."

  "I knew you were f*cking with me."  Julia said, p*ssed.

  "Aw, f*ck.  I'm not, I know it f*cking sounds like it, but I'm not.  It's f*cking crazy, but I f*cking swear there was a deep fissure right about here, and a large cave was at the bottom of it.  I dove down, and looked around, found a few more Kraken coins."  He pulled a few coins out of his pocket and held them up for Julia to see.   "I didn't go into the cave though.  I don't know where the f*ck it goes, and I was by myself."

  "You broke the golden rule, at least twice."

  "I did."  He shrugged.  "I'll still kick your a*s if you do, but I want to find that fissure again, where the f*ck it went, I don't know, but I saw it, so it's here, somewhere."  He frowned.  "I think it somehow travels between times, like those portals that Jack is always going on about. When everything lines up, this particular portal f*cking appears, like magic, but then f*cking disappears once the conditions are no longer f*cking met.  What the h*ll the conditions are, f*ck if I know.  So, I'm looking for clues.  You game?"

 
  "Grumpa, if you're messing with me, I swear..."

  "Scout's honor, I'm telling the f*cking truth."

  "You were never a scout."

  "I wanted to be."

  "Liar.  You're not exactly inspiring confidence here."

  He laughed.  "You're so f*cking suspicious.  Fine, if I'm f*cking pulling one over on you, I'll give you my 69 GTO, free and clear."

  Julia stared at him, shocked.  That car was his baby, he wouldn't let anyone touch it, let alone drive it, let alone give it away.  "You really saw it."

  "I really f*cking saw it."

 

 

   "So, are you ready to hunt for pirate's treasure?"

    Julia groaned.  "I never thought I would say this, but, I'm in."

  Colin smiled at her.  "That's my girl.  Let's just keep this little side venture between you and me for now.  If this ends up being true, things could get f*cking dangerous really fast.  I already threatened the f*cking professors I talked to with dismemberment, so, we don't have to f*cking worry about them."

  "I can take care of myself Grumpa."  She reminded him.

  "I know you can Squirt, but it's better if you're never in that position to begin with."

  "I suppose so."

  "No f*cking supposing about it.  Now, let's get to work."  He handed her one of the coins.  "Keep it safe, and remember, always keep it the f*ck out of sight."

 

  ~<>~


  Julia leaned contentedly against Rian as he drove her to his house.  She had finally talked him into letting her see where he lived, which had been no small feat, for some reason or another, he said he didn't trust himself alone with her in his house.  So they had compromised, she promised to behave, and he promised to show her the outside.  Indoors was still off limits, which made her really curious about what it looked like, but all in good time, she reminded herself.  As her mother said, Rome wasn't built in a day.   "Have you ever heard of a Kraken?"

  He glanced at her.  "The sea monster that attacks ships?  When I was a boy, I heard a great many stories about it."

  "Like what?"

  "Well, it's arms could reach higher than the mast of the ship, and it would literally crush the ship into pieces.  I also heard it liked to eat small children."  He smiled at her.  "At least, that is what my mother told me when I ventured too close to the ocean."

  He so rarely revealed anything about his past, that Julia jumped at the chance to learn more about him.  "What was your mother like?"

  "I don't remember too much about her."  He said sadly.  "She died when I was young, maybe eight years old or so.  What I do remember though is the sound of her laugh, that she smelled like strawberries, I still love that scent because it reminds me of her, and most of all, I remember her wonderful imagination, she told the most amazing tales of knights and dragons and..."

  "Krakens?"

  He chuckled.  "And krakens.  We would sit on the warm sand, just watching the waves, and she would start telling me tales.  One tale she told, was that a kraken, a fierce monster of the Sea, cannot be killed, but it can be charmed, by a song."  He laughed, "I had almost forgotten about those Songs of the Sea that she had taught me, they would quiet the beast, she said."  He shook his head.  "I think she just liked to sing with me.  She had a beautiful voice." 

 

 "She sounds like a lovely person."

  "She was."

  "I'm sorry that you lost her at such a young age.  What was her name?"

  He hesitated for a moment.  "Bella."  He shook his head slightly, almost like he was amazed by something, but Julia decided that she was being fanciful again.  He repeated his mother's name, this time, softly.  "Her name was Bella."

  She squeezed his fingers.  "That's a very pretty name."  Julia paused for a moment, and then asked, "After your mother...after your mother passed away, did your father raise you?"

  "No,"  Rian answered, "he had died before I was born, in an ugly, brutal war.  I lived with some distant cousins until I was accepted into the Academy."

 "Oh, Rian, I'm so sorry..."

  He smiled at her.  "It's all ancient history now Julia, I'm okay, really.  And, " he said, "here we are."  He pulled into a driveway and shut the car off.  He jumped out and opened the car door for her, eager to show her at least part of his home.  "Welcome to my home."   He held out his hand, and she grabbed it as she stepped out of the car.  "Let me show you the view."  Julia groaned.  "What is it?" he asked her, puzzled.

  "I said I would behave, but you're not making it easy on me."  She grumped, but then she gasped once she saw said view.

 
   "That view is amazing!  Now I see why you live all the way up here on the mountain."

  "It's beautiful." He agreed.  "I find it quite...peaceful."

  "What's it like...inside your house?"

  "Small, and no, we are not going anywhere near there."

  "How small?"

  "Very small."

  "Rian!"

  He sighed.  "It consists of a bed, a small kitchenette, and an even smaller bathroom, that is it.  It is all I require, there, does that satisfy your curiosity?"

 

 

  "Hmm, how big is the bed?"

  "Julia."  He said mock sternly.  "You promised to behave if I took you up here."

  "But I am behaving!  I haven't said a word about what we could do on a bed..."

  He sighed.  "You are incorrigible."

  "That's the way you like me, admit it Rian."  She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. 

  "Humph." He replied, refusing to answer, but he wound his arms around her and held her close.

  A few moments of silence went by.  "So...how big is the bed?"

  He groaned.  "Big enough."

  She kissed his chin, and then the corners of his mouth.  "For two?"

  He closed his eyes.  "You love torturing me, don't you?"

  "Maybe..."

  He kissed her, hard.  "I think it's time I took you home."

  She pouted.  "Spoilsport."

  "Temptress."

  "I like that name."

  His smile was part exasperation, and part amusement.  "You would."




  ~<>~




  Jack slammed his hand against the panel, "Stupid piece of banana poo."  He muttered.

 

   "I was this close!  This close!"  He wanted to stab at it with his screwdriver, but he restrained himself.  The electrical panel sparked again, and more smoke billowed out of it. Jack growled.  "Hack it!"  Where had he gone wrong this time?



  ~<>~


  "It's not a good night for stargazing."  Rian frowned.  "But you can still see some of them, despite the clouds. Do you see those stars right there?"  Rian pointed.  "The ones that line up and resemble a w?"

  Julia looked.  "I see them."

  "That is Cassiopeia."

 

  "Cassiopeia?  Who was she?"

  "Legend has it, that Cassiopeia bragged that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, even more beautiful than the gods.  This angered Poseidon, the brother of Zeus, for he had created the most beautiful beings ever in the form of his sea nymphs.  Cassiopeia refused to recant, and in his fury, Poseidon created a giant sea monster..."

  "Like a kraken?"

  "Like a kraken, yes.  This monster terrorized and ravaged the seas, and the sea coast; the people, who were quite terrified for their lives, decided that a sacrifice must be made to appease the monster.  So they captured Andromeda, the only daughter of Cassiopeia, who was beautiful in her own right, and they tied her to a ship's mast, and set the ship free.

  Soon enough, the sea monster came, and it rose to its full height in front of Andromeda, and it was about to swallow her whole, when she began to sing.  The song was so haunting and pure, it stopped the monster in its tracks, and miracle of miracles, the song even lured it to sleep.  It sank deep below the waves, and there it slept, and all hoped it would forever sleep."

 
   "Is that one of your mother's stories?"

  He nodded.  "I have always found the night sky fascinating, even as a small boy.  It's so vast, so...big, and each one of those stars up there is associated with the name of someone who might have once lived amongst us; and each have their own tales to tell. My mother would tell me their names, their histories, their heroic deeds, and their epic fails."

  "Epic, huh?"

  "Fails yes.  I fear I am heading for one of those myself."

  "Really?"  She asked.  "Why is that?"

 

  
  He turned to look at her.  "Because I feel things I should not feel."

  She smiled at him, and kissed him softly.  "That is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me."

  He kissed the tip of her nose.  "You are still incorrigible, and I think it is time that I take you back to your dwelling place."  He stood up, and then offered her his hand.

  She took his hand, and said, reluctantly, "If you must."
 


~<>~




  "Julia, concentrate."

  Her dad's stern words brought her up short.  She had been lost in her thoughts again, "Sorry Dad, what did you say?"

  He frowned.  "Julia, you must pay attention, this is important."

  She sighed, "I know, I know, I know.  I'll do better, I promise."  The problem was, all she could really think about was Rian.  He was still being resistant to her efforts in introducing him to her family, the idea seemed to scare him.  Well, maybe scare wasn't the exact word, it was more like he was...apprehensive? Anxious even.

  A case of the nerves?  Her Rian?  He always seemed so...unflappable.  Sometimes she wished she could be more like him.

  It wasn't the first time he had been resistant to her ideas, though.  At one time he had been very attached to his medieval style clothing, but she had convinced him to try on some jeans, and a shirt, and he had discovered he liked them.  Sometimes he still wore his old clothes, but most of the time he wore the clothes she had helped him pick out. So there was progress there.

  He had also been resistant to the idea of them being a couple too.  He still wasn't fully on board with that idea, but she was making headway, surely it would be the same with him meeting her family?  She just had to be patient; true, patience was not her strongest suit, but surely she could persevere?  He was definitely worth it.

  The blast that suddenly hit her, stung badly, and she hollered.  "Ow!  Dad!  That freaking hurt!"

 

     "Julia, I said, pay attention."  He growled.

  "Sh*t, what the h*ll, Dad?"  She grumbled as she checked herself, she felt singed and wanted to make sure she wasn't on fire.  Assured that she wasn't really hurt, she glared at her father.  What the h*ll crawled up his a*s?  She refrained from saying that out loud, he seemed to be in a peculiar mood and she didn't want to antagonize him any more than he already was.

  "Julia, you need to take this seriously.  Some day you may need to defend yourself, against people who'll attack you, and maybe even our family.  They won't hold back like I do, they'll have no compunction against hurting you, or your mother, or anyone else, and I may not be here to protect you guys."

  Julia stared at him, he was speaking words of some kind, she was sure of it.  "What are you talking about?  What people?  Why?  Where in the h*ll will you be, if not here?!"

  Hawk sighed heavily.  He was bungling everything up, as per usual lately.  He was out of time, and desperate to know that his daughter could protect herself if he wasn't able to.  His mother was searching for him, and it would not be long, before she found him.  Found Julia.

 

  "I won't live forever Julia."  He said.  "I want to be sure that I have done everything I can to make sure that you will always be safe."

  Julia rolled her eyes.  "I'm not a baby Daddy, I can take care of myself."

  "Really?"  He challenged her.  "Prove it."  He gathered up some power, and hurled it towards her, this time she blocked it.  He smiled.  "Good.  Again." He didn't know what dangers Julia would face, when she faced the prophecy, but he needed to be sure that he did everything in his power to make sure she was ready for anything that it, or his mother, could throw at her. 


~<>~

 

  The house was plain, white, and well kept, with only a few plants around it, nothing that would make an ordinary person view it with a sense of trepidation.

  Hawk was no ordinary person though, and neither was the one who lived in the plain, white house.  In a few moments Hawk would know whether he would get the help he sought, or if he would end up dead, or worse.  His mission was too important to end in his death, so Hawk really hoped the guy was in a reasonable mood.

  He walked up the stairs, and pressed the doorbell.  At first he heard nothing, and thought he might have to return later, but then came the unmistakable sound of footsteps.  He braced himself.

   The door opened.  "What are you doing here?"

  Not the most auspicious of starts, but Hawk had no choice.  His family was in danger.  "I need to talk to you."

  A frown.  "Really?  Hmmph, come on in then."

  Now that Hawk knew his mother was actively looking for him, his choices were severely limited.  For him to disappear the way he had, and to set up the safe guards the way he had, his mother would view it as a betrayal on his part.  A betrayal that she, no doubt, would have expected, and maybe even hoped for; she would think he was trying to grab the power for himself.  That would even please her, he knew, in a twisted sort of way, and after showing him the error of his ways, she would praise his initiative. Hawk knew all of this, it was the way she had raised him to be afterall.

  Unfortunately, the real reason behind his betrayal, would not please her at all.   It would be the worst betrayal of all: switching sides, and worse than that, falling in love...with Skye...

  No, that ultimate act of betrayal would earn his death, but if there was any way he could keep his family alive and safe, then he would do it.  No matter the cost to himself.  He was a dead man walking anyway, he held out very little hope that he would survive the confrontation with his mother.

 Hawk followed his host inside, and down a small hallway into the living room.  Rhys gestured for him to have a seat, but Hawk preferred standing for this little conversation.

 
  Rhys Van Gould.  Cousin to one Reilly Kahekili, deceased now for a great many, many, many years.  Reilly was one of the few who had ever been strong enough to put a little fear into his mother, Raven.  Hawk had once thought Reilly a fool though, for choosing to not extend his life, now he understood Reilly's reasoning for it, and he even agreed with him.  The consequence though, of not draining others of their lives so that he could live longer, was that Hawk was aging now, just like Reilly had aged, while Hawk's mother still retained her youth.  And with that, her full power.

  Rhys, on the other hand, did not need to drain life out of others to live longer, his kind simply had a very long lifespan.   "You're Skylar's husband, right?  What do you want?"

  The tone was barely polite, but Hawk didn't let it bother him.  He had too many other things on his mind to worry about.  "I need your help, the family is in danger."

  Rhys' eyes narrowed.  "Go on, I'm listening."

  "You have the ability to read minds, correct?"

  "Yes,"  Rhys said slowly, "But I mostly block out the thoughts of others, I really don't want to hear what they are thinking," He shrugged, "It's usually stupid, inane stuff."   He concentrated for a moment, and then said, "You are blocking me though, and you are very good at it."

  "I have something important to tell you."

  "Do you now?"  Rhys grinned, baring his teeth.  "Will I like this something important?"

  "No," Hawk said flatly, "but I need your promise that you will not kill me until you hear all of it."

  Rhys glared at Hawk.  "I promise nothing." 

  "I need your promise, and your help, or a lot of people are going to die, like my wife, and my daughter.  I will do whatever I have to, to protect them.  Give me your promise, and I will open my memories to you, and you will know the whole truth, and the whole danger."

  Rhys' hand shot out and grabbed Hawk around the throat as he hissed.  "I could force it."

  Hawk didn't fight him, but stared steadily at him instead. This was the most important gamble of his life. "You will get nothing from me without my cooperation.  Kill me now, and you will know nothing, and you will be unable to protect any of them. We are on the same side, I promise."

  Rhys held him up a few minutes more, then dropped him in disgust.  He took a step back and growled,  "Fine.  You have my word, I will not kill you until I have the full story.  And then I will probably kill you."

 

  Hawk rubbed his throat, nodded, and then as he had promised, dropped his guards and let Rhys in.  It was always an uncomfortable feeling to have someone knocking around in your brain, especially if that someone was suspicious of your motives.  Speaking words would take too long, and it would be too easy for Rhys to misunderstand what Hawk was trying to say or do or explain.  No, as uncomfortable as it was for him to have Rhys in his mind, it was the most efficient and expedient way.

  Hawk held nothing back.

  Memories flooded him.  His mother handing him the knife.  "Do it."  Ivory looking up at him with dead eyes, and blood on her hands.  His father's last words, "I regret nothing, because my choices gave me you as my son."  The first time he saw Skye, in that little room, he with no clothes on, her with that enchanting blush on her cheeks.  The first time he held her hand, their first kiss, Prom night...on and on the memories flowed, until suddenly they stopped, and Rhys was no longer there.

  The exchange itself took mere moments Hawk knew, but it felt like a lifetime.  He stood quietly and watched as Rhys processed all that he had learned.  There were a lot of memories in a man's mind, so it didn't surprise Hawk any that it was taking Rhys some time.  Finally Rhys looked up at him and said, "Forget me, he's going to kill you."

  Hawk agreed.  "That's one reason why I need your help."

  Rhys chuckled bitterly.  "You think I'll stop him?"  He shook his head.  "Of course you do."  He answered his own question.  Rhys had been in Hawk's mind, he knew his thoughts, and the crazy hackneyed plan that he had come up with.

 

   
  "I want to kill you, why should I stop him?"  Rhys snarled.  "What you have done..."

  Hawk sighed.  "I know, but you will not kill me, and you will keep him from killing me,  because you know the truth, that without me, many will die, if not all of them, and Julia..."  Hawk's voice trailed off.  "Julia will become my mother's pawn, and she will become more terrible than either of us could ever imagine."

  Rhys was quiet.  "So you hope to use me as some sort of truth detector, and murder preventer."

  "Once they know who my mother is, they will no longer trust what I say, and I do not blame them.  However, it is very important that they trust what I have to say, it is a catch 22."  Hawk said helplessly. "They will trust you, and they will know that if I speak any false hood, you will tell them so."  He shrugged in frustration.  "It is the best way I can think of."  He spoke in a matter of fact tone, but he didn't feel anywhere near that calm about it.  Inside he felt a great amount of fear and distress, all of which was his own fault, but that didn't make it any easier.

  What would Skye and Julia think of him once they found out the truth?

  "So you want to do this now." Rhys said slowly.

  "We have very little time."

  Rhys nodded.  "Let's do it then."



________________________________________________________________________________________

  Notes:  What?  A short chapter?  From me?  And a kind of sort of cliff hanger?  Yeah, sorry.  It was supposed to be all in one chapter, but then the scenes started getting out of hand, and the chapter was really, really, horrendously long.  Even by my standards, lol :P  So I cut it, and that was the best place.

  Poor Kalen ended up being an afterthought, even worse, I almost forgot about him.  *hangs head in shame*  Yep, tis true.  It was only when I was looking up something that I remembered that--oh yeah!  Kalen hasn't graduated yet in the story---I gotta send him off somewhere.  So, he's "traveling".  

  I'm still not too sure about this pirate stuff---Julia and Colin ganged up on me though.  It'll suit Julia's roll, and it'll add to the plot I already had for her, it just complicates things a little bit.  I wrote that scene and the entire time I was thinking---what?!  Pirates?  Krakens?  I don't want to track down a kraken!  *feels lazy*  I almost deleted it half a dozen times, but, so far it has made the cut.  I haven't hit post yet though, lol :P  (Edit: I guess I hit post. :/)

  Rhys lives forever, I swear.  Partly because whenever I change hometowns, I forget to check the SP setting that disallows aging for vampires, and partly because, vampires live forever, lol  They have longer lifespans than fairies, and fairies live forever...well...maybe half of forever. XD

  Short note for a short chapter.  Next time is the big scene--the one that is getting away from me---I swear it is never ending.  I keep thinking---okay---and it ends---here.  Or not...lol

  Thanks for reading! =)

PS--I may have been a fan of The Princess Bride, and the Sims2 pirate... 
 


 

Chapter 88: Julia

 

 

  Warning: Language

  Skye carefully picked her daughter up, grateful for the few moments alone with her.  She loved her family, and she understood why they were so concerned about her, but their constant hovering over her was driving her mad.  She wasn't an invalid, she just had to be careful, her body was still healing from its ordeal.

  She was just thankful that she had only missed six weeks of Julia's life, it could have been much worse.  She could have missed out on all of her daughter's life.  She snuggled Julia, and breathed in her baby scent.  She was sad that Julia would be her only child, that she was physically unable to have any more.  Sad, and yet, she counted herself blessed to have her daughter, and she would do it all over again if given the choice.

  Her daughter was well worth it.  She looked down at her baby and smiled.  "Just think Julia, of all the fun we can have as you get older.  There will be tea parties, and dancing lessons, and frilly dresses and..."  Skye sighed happily.  "It will be wonderful."

  Julia started to fuss, and Skye tried to soothe her daughter by rocking her in her arms, but Julia was having none of it.  Her little lips pursed, and she began to wail. Skye raised Julia up, and blew raspberries on her daughter's tummy.  It was enough to startle a smile out of her, and interrupt her crying.

 

   "Hey, is everything okay in here?"

  Skye met the concerned glance of her husband.  "We're fine."  She assured him.

  "Hmm."   He answered non committedly, and he walked closer and put his arm around his girls.  "Hello Pumpkin, you're not giving your Mama a hard time now, are you?"

  Skye rolled her eyes.  "Hawk, she's a baby, babies cry."

  He grunted.  "I know.  I just..."

  "Relax Hawk, I'm fine, Julia's fine, we're all fine, okay?"  She smiled at him.

  He sighed.  "Okay."


  ~<>~


  "So, Kalen, I was wondering..." Rebecca paused for a moment for effect, "if you already had a date for Prom?  If you didn't...maybe we could go together?"

 

  Kalen thought Rebecca was a really nice girl, but he just wasn't interested in her, that way, and she never seemed to take a hint.  He was only at her house, because her brother was one of his good friends, not because he like liked her.  Besides that, he hated dancing, so why would he want to go to the stupid Prom?  It was a waste of time and money, he could be doing something much more fun.

  He frowned.  Just about anything was more fun than dancing.  "No, I'm not going.  How about you?"

  She shrugged, disappointed.  "I was thinking about going, but I don't have a date."  She looked up at him, her eyes hopeful.  "That's why I was hoping you were still free, so we could together."

  He hated to hurt her feelings, but he didn't want to give her false hope either.  "Sorry."


~<>~


  "Pwetties."  Julia pointed towards the window.  "Pwetties!"

  Hawk smiled at his daughter, ever since he had taken her outside to see the stars in the night sky, it was all she could talk about.  "Stars.  Yes they are pretty aren't they?"  It was hard to believe that Julia was already toddler.  It seemed like she had just been born a few days ago, but now here she was.  Walking, talking, and already strongly asserting her own opinions.

 

  "Pwetties." She said stubbornly. 

  "Yes, they're pretty Julia.  Those are stars, remember?"

  Julia frowned, and the hand held monitor next to her started to shake a little.  "No tars!  Pwetties!"

  Hawk picked her up.  "Okay Pumpkin, calm down."  He rubbed her back in soothing circles, and slowly he could feel her small body start to relax.  He was glad that his daughter had a stubborn streak as far as the Ocean was wide, she might need it someday, but sometimes...

  ...sometimes it was just a huge headache to deal with, and he wished for a more pliable daughter.  Especially when she got an idea in her head, and wouldn't let go of it, no matter what.  Today it was the stars outside, but what about tomorrow?  He sighed, it was up to him to teach her how to control her powers, so that no one, including herself, got hurt.

   She started to arch her back, and wiggle.   "Need down!  I pee!  Pee!"

  "Okay, okay, hang on."

  Julia decided he was too close, and she pushed him away.  "No!  I do it!"

  He held his hands up.  "Okay, Little Miss Independent."

  "I done!"  Julia announced.  She held her hands out.  "Ucky!  Ucky!"

  Hawk brought her over to the sink, and helped her wash her hands.  Skye had been determined to teach their daughter good habits from the very beginning, sometimes it even worked, like with the handwashing.  Julia liked to splash around in the water and wash her hands.  "There, all clean." he said as he wiped her hands dry with a towel.  "Now, I think it's sleepy time for you."

  "No!  I no seepy!"

  "Not sleepy?"  Hawk said in mock surprise.  "Don't you want to go swimming with Grumpa later?"

  "I sim!  Gunpa!  Me!  Me!"

  Hawk chuckled.  "Okay, me, me, you need to take a nap first, and then you can go with Grumpa."

 

   Julia laid down without further complaint, and closed her eyes.  Hawk watched his daughter for a moment, and tried not to feel jealous of his father in law.  His father in law seemed to have the magic touch with females of all ages, even the toddler ones.

 Julia loved spending time with her Grandpa, and would do anything for him.  Her mom and dad?  Heck no, she fought them over every little thing.  His father in law had over heard him talking to Skye about it one day, and had interrupted them to say, "The lil Spitfire has good taste birdboy, she must take after me."  And then he had given Hawk that grin that irritated him to no end.  That all knowing, blasted grin...


~<>~


  "Okay lil Firecracker, are you ready?"

  Julia kicked her feet in the water.  "Me!  Me!"

  He pulled her back, and swung her through the water.  "One!"  Julia giggled as he did it again.  "Two!"

  "Tree!"

  "Three!"  Colin threw her up high in air, and then caught her.

  Julia shrieked.  "Gan!  Gan!"

  "Do it again?"

  "Me!"

  "Okay Spitfire, you asked for it!  One, two..."

  "Tree!"

  He threw her up into the air, and caught her.

 "Mo!  Mo Gunpa!  Mo!"

  Colin laughed.  "My little adrenaline junkie." He said fondly.

 

   He happily threw her up into the air several more times, and then chuckled.  Skye would have a f*cking cow fit if she could see them.  Good thing for him, she was preoccupied with grading papers.  He brought Julia closer to the water, and let her splash about.

  Julia kicked her feet, giggling when she managed to spray him with water.  "Oh, you think that's funny do you?"  He pretend growled.

  She splashed him again, and chortled, pleased with herself.  "Gunpa wet!"

  Colin loved all of his grandchildren equally, and spent as much time with them as they would let him, but he was especially close to Julia.  They had really bonded, much to his daughter's chagrin.  Skye was such a f*cking worrywart, always worried that something was going to happen Julia, and she fretted about it constantly.  Colin grimaced.  If she could put her daughter in a f*cking plastic bubble, then she would, all in the name of keeping Julia safe.

  Trouble was, Colin could recognize Julia's spirit, for it was a lot like his own.  Rebellious.  Only time would tell, but Colin had a hunch that Skye was going to have her hands full with this one.

  He swung Julia up, and held her above his head.  He grinned at her.  "You think soaking Grumpa is fun..."

  "Fun!  Gunpa wet!"  She giggled, her eyes were alight with mischief.

  He dragged her through the water again, and she squealed.

 

  Colin tipped a giggling Julia onto her back, and helped her float.  Julia had no f*cking fear, and trusted him implicitly, which freaked the h*ll out of him in some ways.  He pointed to the puffy white clouds in the sky.  "Look Squirt, clouds.  There's a monkey cloud, he's going to tickle you"  He playfully waved his fingers above her as she laughed.

  She pointed up.  "Pwetties!"

  "Is that so?"  Colin looked up.  "Well, I'll be, Miss Julia, you're right.  Pretties they are!"

  She smiled smugly.  "Pwetties."



  ~<>~


   Hawk glanced up at his wife as she came into the kitchen, holding a very vocal, unhappy Julia.

 

  "She's being impossible today!"  Skye said, exasperated.  "She barely let me brush her hair, and she refuses to let me get her dressed!"

  "No dwess!  No dwess!"

  "See!?"  Skye closed her eyes for a moment, and searched within herself for one more strand of patience to deal with her stubborn daughter.  "It's Saturday!"  Skye wailed.  "I had so many things I wanted to do with her today, like mother daughter shopping!  They have the cutest dresses in that little shop downtown..."

  "No dwess!  No dwess!"  Julia hollered.

  "Well, Skye,"  Hawk said diplomatically, "maybe she's a little young for shopping.  We could take her to the park though."

  Skye's face fell.  "I suppose."  She sighed.  "I had so hoped, well, never mind that then.  Julia, how about we go to..."

  Hawk watched the bowl of fruit in front of him start to shake.  "Julia."  He said sternly, trying to snap his daughter out of an impending fit.  He was marginally successful, as the bowl stopped shaking, but Julia started wailing again.

  Hawk sighed, one disaster averted.  He feared that her powers might develop more quickly than her maturity, and that would be frightful indeed.

  "Are you pinching that cute little baby Skye?"  Luna asked, as she came over to see what the commotion was all about.  Hawk really wished Luna would be more careful with her words, Skye already struggled with feeling inadequate as a mother.

  "No."  Skye said, a little short.  "I'm just trying to get my daughter to..."  Skye's voice was drowned out by Julia's wails of no "dwess".  "Julia, please calm down baby."  She gently bounced Julia in her arms, but Julia wouldn't settle down, and continued to cry.  "She's just so impossible sometimes!"  Skye felt like crying along with her daughter.  All she had wanted to do was spend some time with her on her day off, and have some fun.  Motherhood was definitely not what she had expected it to be.

   "What the h*ll is all that noise?"  Julia suddenly stopped crying, but her lower lip still quivered.

  "Dad!"  Skye chastised her father.  "No cursing around her, remember?"

 

  "Hawk, would you take her, and see if you can do something with her, I just, I just..."  Hawk held out his arms out and Skye tried to transfer Julia over, but she resisted.

  "No!"  She howled.  "Gunpa!  Want Gunpa!"

  "Grumpa doesn't take howling monkeys."  Colin said calmly.  He watched as Julia processed what he said, and then calmed herself down.  He held back a grin as she smiled at him, all winsome and sweet once again.  He shook his head, the little faker, he was wise to her tricks.

  "Gunpa hug?"  She held her arms out to him, and Colin looked to Skye for permission, who wearily shrugged and handed her daughter over.

  "I don't know why she behaves so well for you Dad, but I'm grateful for it."

  "Because I'm not her parent."  Colin told her.  "Grandparenting is way more fun, than parenting."  He turned his attention to his granddaughter.  "Now you lil firecracker you, how about you and I have a little chat about that temper of yours..."


~<>~


  "Once upon a time, there lived an Evil Queen..."

  Hawk had decided a good way to introduce his daughter to his story, was through a fairytale story.   "This Evil Queen had two children, a boy, and a girl."

  Julia pointed at a picture. "Pwincess."

  "That's right, the Princess was sad, because the Evil Queen..."


~<>~


  "Terry, I need some back up over here!  We're losing our base!"

    "On my way!"

  Kalen thought Terry was a lot of fun, and she never seemed to look at him as anything more than a friend, which was perfectly all right with him.  He had no interest in having a girlfriend, just listening to his friends talk about theirs he had come to a conclusion.  Girls took too much money and time, and he wasn't willing to part with either.

  Kalen had plans, big plans for his life.  He wanted to travel the world, and explore history while finding artifacts from the past.  Hanging around in this town, tied to one girl, and even worse, having the burden of kids, it just didn't factor into his life.

  Kids, he had discovered, were a pain in the butt.  If having Kate hadn't cured him of ever wanting children, his cousin Julia sure would have.  Man she was so noisy, and she always got into his stuff, she had even eaten his homework once, not that anyone believed him. 

  Still, he liked the company of girls, he just didn't want any of the expectations or complications associated with them.  Terry fit that bill rather nicely.  "Woohoo!" he crowed as he blasted his way through an enemy line of soldiers.  "Behind you!"  He warned Terry.

  "I see him.  Gotcha!"

  "Kalen, would you guys keep it down!"  Tanner grumbled.  "I'm trying to work here."

 
   "Whoops!  Sorry Dad!"  His dad had been a little grumpy lately, like he had a lot on his mind.  He was hoping it was because his dad was finally going to propose to his mom.  He had just happened to see the engagement ring in his dad's hand the other day, but he had quickly pocketed it as soon as he had seen Kalen watching him.

It had certainly taken his dad long enough to get a ring.  Sheesh.


~<>~


  "Out pease?  Daddy?"

  Sometimes his father in law drove him crazy, but Hawk couldn't deny that he was good for Julia.  She hadn't thrown a temper tantrum ever since her and her Grumpa had a little chat.  In fact, she had even learned a new word, please, which had thrilled Skye to no end.


 

 Hawk could still see the occasional flare of temper in Julia's eyes at times, but then she would glance over at her Grumpa, and the temper would fade away.  Colin was nothing short of a miracle worker, not that Hawk would ever tell him so.  He was conceited enough as it was.

  "Come here Pumpkin."  He lifted his daughter up, and cuddled with her for as long as she let him.  In Julia time, that meant it only lasted mere minutes before she was struggling to be put down.  His Julia was a go getter, never content to just...hold still for a minute or two.

  Her energy seemed boundless, she would run and run and run until she passed out, and then she would wake up and run some more.  Sometimes Hawk feared he would be unequal to the task of raising her or teaching her what she needed to know.  In theory it had seemed easy enough, but he had not taken her personality into account when he had made his plans.

  In his mind, his child had been compliant.  Hawk knew how his mother would have dealt with non-compliance, but he did not want to break Julia's spirit, he loved his daughter's passionate, adventurous spirit; he just needed to help her temper it bit...


~<>~


  "Uh, Luna?"  Tanner cleared his throat nervously.  "I have something I wanted to ask you."

  "Okay."

  "Well,"  Tanner pulled at the neck of his shirt, was it just him or was it warm in here?  "We've been together, well, since we were kids, but together together, you know, romantically..."

  Luna smiled at him.  "I'm aware of all of that, yes."

  "Well, yeah."  He said sheepishly.  "Anyway, what I was trying to say, was, you know, I..."  His voice trailed off for a moment, and then he regathered himself.  "I don't know why I'm so nervous."

  "Because you're adorable."  Luna told him, and she grinned at him.

  He smiled back, and suddenly he wasn't nervous anymore.  "I have loved you for all my life Luna, through the bad times, and through the good times.  I love our life together, and I want to make us officially official. Would you make my lifelong dream come true, and marry me?"

  
  Luna was stunned, and couldn't take her eyes off the ring.

  "Luna?" Tanner prompted.

  "Yes! I'd be honored to be your wife!"

  "Whew, you had me worried for a moment."  Tanner said as he got up off his knees and put the ring on her finger.

  "I'm sorry."  Luna said softly.  "I was just thinking how stupid I was when I was younger, not to see what was right in front of me..."

  Tanner put his finger over her mouth.  "Hush now Luna, we're not looking back, remember?  That was in the past, and I am way more interested in our future together."  He pulled her in close to him.  "I think we should travel, and have some fun, once Kalen graduates."

  Luna thread her fingers through his hair.  "I've always wanted to travel."

 

 
  "I know."  He smiled at her.  "Think of all the adventures we could have!  I think we should go to France first, and check out the Museum d'Art.  I bet if you show them some of your pieces, they would even display your work.  You're a brilliant artist."

  Luna chuckled.  "Flattery gets you every where."

  "It's not flattery if it's true."  Tanner said loyally.

  "I love you Tanner."  Luna said, and then she kissed him.

 

  "I love you too."


  
~<>~


  Julia frowned.  It was her birthday, why couldn't she do what she wanted instead of what her mother wanted?  It didn't make any sense to her at all.

  
  Julia didn't care about the cake or the ice cream, she wanted to go night swimming with her Grumpa, and see the Glo-fish.  Stupid cake.  She didn't even like cake anyway.

  "Julia!"  Skye called.  "Come here Sweetie."

  Julia ignored her mother.  It just wasn't fair.

  "Squirt, get your a*s in here, or forget about going with me tonight."

  Julia squealed, and ran into the kitchen where her whole family waited, with a lit birthday cake.  She was going swimming after all!

  "Dad, language!"  Skye admonished, "Put a quarter in the jar!"  She then turned to Julia with a big smile on her face.  "There's my birthday girl!"  They started singing Happy Birthday to her, but she only half payed attention, she only had one thing on her mind.  She was going night swimming with her Grumpa!


~<>~


  "Come on Spitfire!"

  Julia shivered.   "The water sure is colder at night!" she exclaimed.

 
   "That's right, it's not for the freaking wussies, only for the strong ones like us."  Her grumpa bragged.

  "Mother says it's only for the crazies."

  Her grumpa laughed.  "Or those." He agreed.  Julia giggled, she loved her grumpa's laugh, it made her happy just to hear it.

  "Where are the Glo fish Grumpa?"

  "In the deeper water, come on Spitfire, get your a*s over here."

  "Ooooh, Grumpa, you said a naughty word."

 

  "I'll put another quarter in the jar when we get home."  He grumbled.

  Julia grinned.  "Mother says you're going to pay for her vacation to Egypt with your words."

  "She does, does she?"

  "Yep.  She says you're incorrigible, just like me."

  "I think you got that backwards Squirt."

  Julia frowned.  "Backwards?"

  "Yep, I think you're incorrigible, just like me.  Come on Spitfire, if you want to see those Glo fish, we better get our a*ses moving."

  "Two quarters!"

 

   "I'm glad you're keeping track, you'll make your mother proud."  He grinned at her.  "Come on, let's go."

  "Mother's not as fun as you."

  "Whoa, Julia, I don't want to ever hear you say that again, you hear?  Your mama tried for a really long time to have you, she loves you, and would do anything for you.  You understand me Squirt?"

  "Yes Grumpa."  Julia said dutifully.  Inwardly though, she still thought it.  Her mother wanted her to take stupid ballet dance class, and stupid piano lessons, and wear stupid dresses, and have stupid tea parties, all that stupid boring stuff.  Julia would rather be outside on the beach, or even better, swimming around in the Ocean. She wanted to be just like her Grumpa.


~<>~



  "Dad, do we hafta to do this now?"  The only thing worse than piano and dance lessons, was what her dad called, 'Survival Lessons'. 

  

 
  Hawk turned towards his daughter.  "Yes."  He answered.  "Don't you remember what we talked about?"

  Julia sighed.  "Yes, I have to learn to defend myself because there are evil people out there that want to hurt our family."

  Hawk smiled at her.  "That is why I must start teaching you, because there is a lot to learn.  The first thing you must know Julia, is how to control your power.  Once you can control it, then you can use it to defend yourself, and protect others.  Your powers will only grow stronger as you grow older, and you don't want to accidentally hurt anyone, right?"

  Julia nodded.

  "Okay, so, first, watch me, and then I'll show you how..."

  ~<>~



  "Malfunction.  Malfunction.  Malfunction."

   "Bob!"  Jack sighed.  "What have you gotten into now?"

  "Malfunction.  Malfunction.  Malfunction."

  "I really need to program more words for you."

  
   "Malfunction.  Malfunction.  Malfunction."

  "Yes, yes Bob, I see you're malfunctioning, hold still would you...Bob!  Have you been in the swimming pool again?"

  "Malfunction.  Malfunction.  Malfunction."

  Jack grumbled to himself.  "Malfunction alright!  Bob you can't go into the water!  I sure thought that last programing update took care of any swimming urges you might have."  He pulled out his screwdriver and opened up the panel to bob's postitronic brain.  "Back to the drawing board I guess."


 ~<>~


  "Julia?"

  Julia sighed.  Her mother was calling her...again.  How was she ever going to get ready for tonight's party with her mother bugging her every few minutes?


 

  "What Mother?"  Julia hollered back.

  "When did you say that party ended?"

  "I didn't."  Julia muttered to herself.  She walked into the room where her mother sat, grading papers.  "Two a.m., I think."

  "Two?  Oh no, miss, there is no way you are staying out that late on a school night.  I want you home by 10."

  Julia groaned.  How lame was that?  10!?  Ha!  As if!  That was simply unacceptable.  "Yes Mother."  She said politely.  Thankfully she knew a handy little trick that would confuse her mother's memories a little bit, which would allow Julia to stay longer.  Her dad was off on some mushroom gathering trip for a few days, so as long as she avoided her Grumpa, she could stay as long as she liked.

  She had tried out her powers on her Grumpa a few times, but for whatever reason, they never worked on him.  It wasn't like she could ask her dad or anyone why, because then she would have to confess to what she had been up to.  So if her Grumpa caught her, she was in big a*s trouble.  She had no intentions of getting caught though, no intentions at all.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: What a whirlwind of time, lol :P  I have a bazillion pictures of Julia, because I think she is just so darn adorable, but I decided using all the pics just because I have them, would only bog my story down.  Her early years aren't too terribly important, other than she's learning stuff, and she takes more after her grandfather than her mother.

  Poor Skye, she survives to raise her daughter, but her daughter is not at all interested in any of the girly stuff that Skye wanted to with her.

  Kalen is not interested in romance, he rejects all flirts, lol  He does however, have lots of friends! =)

  And, yay!  Tanner and Luna are finally getting married!  There probably won't be a wedding though--maybe a mention next chapter.  Weddings are always annoying glitch fests for me, so I stopped doing them.  Now everyone gets married privately, lol

  My kids call their paternal grandfather, Grumpa.  I have always thought it was pretty cute. <3

  Questions?  Comments?  Thanks for reading! =)