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Chapter 62: To the Emerald Isle

Faelen walked into the house ahead of Geoff, as normal, subconsciously looking around to make sure it was safe. He could tell Geoff was amused about something, but he wasn't all that curious about it at the moment; his mind was totally consumed by his pending trip. "I have to get ready to go, sir. Da's waiting. You'll see me off before I go? You'll be all right while I'm gone?"

The scent of Geoff's amusement became stronger, "Yes, Faelen. Stop worrying. I'll go downstairs and work on some of my homework, see what Gwen is doing, maybe. You can let me know when you're ready and I'll see you off." Faelen barely heard him, but nodded. He glanced around as he walked through the kitchen, sniffed the air cautiously, and proceeded ahead of Geoff downstairs. The TV was on; Gwen was sitting on the couch with a pile of rocks on, around, and in front of her. She would look at the TV for a bit when it sounded like something interesting was happening, then turn her attention back to whatever rock seemed to strike her fancy. She was watching some sort of drama thing, Faelen rarely watched TV so he didn't know what it was; he was usually too busy taking care of the house, Geoff, or working out. He poked his head into Geoff's room before walking into his own. Nothing was unusual anywhere. He heard Geoff sit down next to Gwen, the rocks clattered against each other as the cushions moved. "Hey, Gwen. These new or some of the ones you left here?"

"This one's new; I picked it up by the pitch at your football match. You were pretty good. I like a lot of the rocks here, they feel different. The dirt is a bit different but rich, too." Faelen could practically see Geoff's eyes glazing over. He checked his closet, trying to decide what to wear. He used to visit the old family every month before moving here, he was due for a visit, anyway, but the content of this visit warranted wearing something a little more formal. The temperature was probably fairly similar, Nova Scotia got a lot warmer in the summer than southern Ireland, but he was told it got colder here, too. He mentally tossed up his paws and just grabbed a dress shirt and slacks. He paused as he looked at them; they were the same ones he wore on his date with Liam. He smiled, his eyes tearing up a little, and started to get changed. Geoff was asking Gwen about the show she was watching. "Oh, I don't know. Some sort of soap. Bobby wanted to kiss me, so I was looking to see what it's all about. It looks gross, but boys like gross stuff, so it makes sense."

Faelen could smell Geoff's pending explosion from here. '3, 2, 1 and...' The rocks made a ruckus as Geoff leapt off the couch.

"WHAT!? Bobby? Robert McKinley? Why did that punk want to do that? You're eight! He's, what, eight, too, right? You two are way too young to be doing that!"

Faelen smiled, he could imagine their faces perfectly. Geoff would be standing by the coffee table, shoulders hunched slightly as he glared down at Gwen, breathing heavily, paws clenching and unclenching. His hackles would be raised and lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. Gwen would be practically ignoring him as she gathered up her rocks, putting them back into whatever place she'd designated for them. He could hear them clicking as she began. She'd occasionally glance up at him as if wondering why he was still there, completely unperturbed and disinterested. Only the slightest twitch of her ears would show her annoyance, as she began to talk, "I suppose you don't kiss Nathanial?" Oh, now that was unexpected. Faelen chuckled and did up his belt. He peeked around the corner; Geoff was standing there, right where Faelen guessed he'd be, gaping like a landed fish. Gwen glanced up at him, "What?"

"How...? Uhh... what?" Geoff shook his head, "I, well, I mean, yeah. Mom told you?"

Even facing in the other direction Faelen could tell Gwen was rolling her eyes, her ears always pointed to the sides of her head as she did that. "Yeah, dummy. It's not like you ever talk to me. You like boys? That's what Mom said, I guess it makes sense. I think boys are stupid, but you're a boy, too, so they wouldn't seem bad to you. If I had to kiss someone, I'd rather it be someone nice. I don't know why people are always talking about it, and you see it all over TV, too. It's icky. So, he's nice? This Nathanial? Mom said she likes him; he looked pretty cute, his whole family does."

Geoff sat back down, Gwen's ears twitched as her rocks rolled around again. He rubbed her head, her eyes rolled. Geoff still sounded a bit dumbfounded, "Yeah, he's nice. He's got a bit of a temper, and he can be really shy and timid, but I love him. Mom told you that, um..."

"It's a secret?" She nodded, as she put her rocks back in order, "I don't know why. But Uncle Rolph likes making noise for no reason. Does this mean I'm gay, too? When I told Bobby I didn't want to kiss him, he called me a dyke. I looked it up and he was either calling me a dam, a type of rock sticking between layers of a different type of rock, or a..." She paused and rotated her wrist as she snapped her fingers. She did that whenever she was trying to remember a word, "Lesbian. That's it. A gay girl. He made it sound bad, but kissing sounds bad to me."

Geoff was starting to boil over, again. Faelen cleared his throat, "Sir? I'm getting Da then heading out. Do you want me to get Avery? Or Conor? Your Da is probably the safer choice for this conversation." He walked over and rubbed Gwen's head, careful not to ruffle her fur; she hated when people messed up her fur. "Gwen, there's no way to tell if you're a lesbian at your age. It doesn't matter one way or the other. Besides, at your age you shouldn't be kissing and no one should be asking to kiss you. Bobby is the one who was doing something wrong, not you. His Mom would be furious if she found out; tell him that if he asks you again."

Geoff started to deflate, "Yeah, Da is the safer one to ask. If I'm blowing up, then Mom will be just as bad, if not worse. He's right, Gwen, you're too young to start kissing."

Gwen nodded, "Thought so." She picked up a piece of sandstone, "Hmm, there's a footprint in this. Neat." Geoff leaned over. "Inside. I can open it up, if I'm allowed to manifest."

Faelen walked over to the stairs, "Shouldn't be a problem." He listened for a second, Da was in the kitchen, "Da!? I'm ready! Gwen needs to talk to Conor!" He turned back to Gwen, "The Mages looking after this area know who we are and are our... friends, I guess."

Geoff gave him a funny look, "You guess? I think Jay would be a little hurt by that, especially if your da said it."

Faelen shrugged, "Yeah, Ella would be disappointed, too, but what about Arrie? Or their boss? Who's going to be the Investigators now and who's watching over their spots in the meantime?" He remembered something, "Hey, Gwen, have you ever tried making a doll from your rocks? One you can make move around while you're manifest?"

Gwen looked at him like he was mad, "Why would I do that? I don't like dolls. I like the way the rocks are now."

Faelen laughed, "True, but if you can move the rocks around you could make it do stuff for you and it'd be like a remote control toy or a pet. One of the Mages bugging us had one." He was thinking of the golem Lara summoned when she was fighting Nathanial. He shivered, "Twinkle, twinkle." Geoff yelped as he jumped up into the air and spun around to face Faelen. Unfortunately, he landed on one of Gwen's rocks and his hindpaw slipped out from under him. He tipped over and landed flat on his back on the coffee table; the thick wood didn't break but it groaned and creaked alarmingly. Faelen could hear Geoff's breath leave his body as the wind got knocked out of him. He ran over and heard the adults running to the stairs.

Gwen looked at Geoff like he was insane, "Uh, Geoff? Are you okay? I didn't know nursery rhymes were that scary." She picked up the offending rock and brushed it off, checking it for scratches. "Rocks are tough, even your weight didn't damage it in the slightest." She smiled, "Maybe a pet rock would be cool." She manifest, she was still very young and couldn't enter the manifest state easily, but by the time the adults reached the basement she had finished. The apparent texture of her fur was that of carved grey marble, and the brown spots on her turned pale grey, like lichen. Her eyes changed from their normal gold, just like her mother's, to a pink marble with gold striations. Taken on their own they were very beautiful, but as eyes they were damned creepy. While she looked like carved rock, Faelen knew her fur was just as soft as normal. He figured that would change as she grew older. She started poking through her small collection as Dirk ran into the room; he stood in the doorway, blocking it, as he quickly scanned around to take everything in. Conor waited patiently behind him, but Avery ducked under his arm to run over to Geoff. Dirk sighed softly, suppressing his annoyance, but stepped aside to let Conor by, too.

Faelen chuckled, "He's fine. He tripped on a rock and fell. He landed flat on his back, it knocked the wind out of him but it kept him from getting hurt."

Avery growled, "Gwen, how many times have I told you to keep your rocks out of the way?" She knelt by Geoff and rubbed his arm as he got his breathing under control. Conor shook his head and chuckled, but Faelen could tell he was relieved, too.

Gwen rolled her eyes, "They were until someone knocked them all over the place." She picked up two rocks and held them together, Faelen watched in interest as they seemed to flow together.

Avery shot a dark look at her daughter, but said nothing except, "Why are you manifest? I told you it was dangerous to do that here."

Faelen answered, "I said it was all right, for a little while. The Society is in turmoil, locally, and the Agents know about us anyway. They won't be able to tell who is using their power, or what type it is, unless it's Geoff. As for the rocks, Geoff was the one who knocked them onto the floor. It was an accident, Gwen was being very careful with them." He turned to his father, "I'm ready to go, Da." Gwen was adding a fourth rock, it looked like she was making a feral bear.

Avery helped Geoff up, "I don't like you countermanding my orders, Faelen, ask next time. You probably know better than I would, though."

Faelen bowed his head meekly. Geoff groaned, still struggling slightly to breathe normally, but turned to his mother, "He didn't countermand anything, Mom. It was a warning; you didn't forbid Gwen from becoming manifest. He said it looked safe and I agreed. The O'Conall's are in charge of our security; I trust his judgement, I hope you do, too."

Avery's fur bristled, "I do, Geoff, I even said I do. Now, don't take that tone with me, he may be your bodyguard, but Gwen is my daughter and what I say goes."

Conor put his paw on Avery's shoulder, "Gwen, you needed to talk to me? Let's see Dirk and Faelen off and have a hot chocolate while we talk." Gwen's eyes lit up, the pupil-less pale pink orbs made Faelen shiver slightly as he glimpsed them. She turned back to her doll, she had added seven rocks and poked at her collection for another. It looked almost finished, but quite crude.

Geoff huffed as he looked at it, "Pretty good, Gwen. You might want to look at the gate Nathanial made, he did a pretty good job on it and it's made entirely out of stone, too."

She smiled, her ears perked up and forward showing her interest, "Really!? Sure! I'd like to see him anyway, see if he's all that and everything. We can all walk over and see it; I want to talk to Daddy, too."

Dirk and Faelen both said, "No," at the same time. Dirk continued, "Sir, you gave me your word you'd stay here while I was gone."

Conor smiled as he shook his head, "You heard him, sweetie. If they get back before you leave tomorrow we can go see it."

Geoff frowned, "Come on. It's not far and Nathanial is there, along with the rest of his family. It should be safe."

Faelen frowned back at him, growling quietly deep in his chest, "If it were just the pups and Mr. Marks I wouldn't mind too much. Regardless, you gave your word, my lord, and I'm holding you to it. Gordon and Beriatana are out there looking for vengeance. You'll stay here."

Geoff shook his head, but he seemed a little chastened by Faelen's words, "Come on, it's Nathanial's grandparents. You met them, they seemed nice." The adults kept silent, probably thinking there was a little more going on than what they heard.

"Who summoned the Demon that... Never mind, no, I don't trust them and I don't think they're nice. Not yet. I might change my mind later, but, for now, stay far away from them, is that understood, sir?"

Conor stepped in, he smelt scared and angry, "Faelen, Dirk, I want to talk to you in my office." Avery seemed confused by Faelen's slip but it scared her a little.

They quietly walked up to Conor's office, Faelen closed the door behind him. Conor sat in his chair and leaned forward, elbows on the desk with his fingers interlaced in front of his muzzle, "You think Garret's parents summoned the Demon that Tainted him? Turned him into a Demon Mage?"

Faelen opened his mouth and closed it. He hesitated, but answered honestly, "Yes. I don't have proof, but I feel it in my gut. It's something Song Li said, he thinks Nathanial's grandparents are Tainted, at least one of them, and he seems to suspect that they summoned the Nosferatu. I thought about it and it makes some sense." He smiled a bit, "I figured you knew or suspected Garret was a Demon Mage. It's... partly true, he gets power from blood but he has a blood phobia and he never wanted to become one. He refuses to use any of that magic; he actually wants Liam to train him to become a monk."

Conor dropped his paws and leaned back, surprised. Dirk twitched slightly, a sure sign of surprise when he was 'on duty'. Conor's fingers drummed on the desk, the claws clicking rhythmically, "I... wasn't sure about him, he seemed like a decent person, but I was certain he had been Tainted a long time ago and was probably a Demon Mage. I felt I couldn't trust him. This is... incredibly surprising, I'm impressed. I didn't think I'd say that about a Mage." He snorted in disgust, "I can't believe I said that, what's worse is I meant it." He pinched between his eyes as he leaned on his elbow, "He's a good person, it seems he had some problems, but he's trying to work through them."

Faelen smiled, "Like trying to accept his son is gay and he's dating a Spirit?"

Conor chuckled, "Yeah, he's not the only one still wrestling with that development. But one question before you go, how serious were you two? Are you really that concerned about us leaving the house or that leery of us meeting Nathanial's grandparents?" His eyes widened as Dirk and Faelen snarled viciously before they caught themselves. Faelen struggled to assume a professional expression. "Never mind. We'll behave and stay put. You should get going." He stood up and followed them down to the basement.

Geoff was sitting in the recliner, rubbing the pads of his hindpaw. Avery was sitting by Gwen pointing out little details and making suggestions as her daughter refined her bear statue. It was looking a lot better, but still quite crude. Faelen smiled as he caught himself, it was incredible work for an eight year old. He had to remind himself she was still that young periodically. It was a pity Geoff never took the time to get to know her. He tried at times, but they both kept getting distracted or bored to tears by the other person. He noticed that Gwen had all of her other rocks in a basket tucked under the coffee table. Geoff saw Faelen and stood up, keeping most of his weight off his injured hindpaw. Avery noticed and stood up, too. Gwen put her bear down and followed her mother over to the door. Faelen and Dirk stopped by the door, Geoff's eyes looked a little misty, "See you tomorrow, Faelen. Take care." He pulled Faelen into a hug.

Faelen hugged him back before stepping away, "Yeah, you, too. I'll be back before you know it. Bye bye, now." He waved at the other McDougal's and walked through the teleporter. He hated this part. As he stepped onto the platform he felt himself compress into a tiny sphere or something, before shooting through the house to the outside. Then there was a blinding flash and he appeared in Ireland before shooting into the McDougal's home. He was 'unpacked' and he found himself standing in a similar room to the one he left, except it was on the other side of the Atlantic. The whole process was painless but really disconcerting. Nathanial's portals were much easier to deal with. He felt the momentary weakness and vertigo that came with the trip, his legs shook as he stepped out of the way of his father, and he braced himself against the door leading into the basement. He let out a shaky breath and rubbed his eyes, already feeling the usual sense of unease, confusion, and self consciousness that came with being alone. He really had trouble being away from Geoff unless he had something else to distract him. Then it hit him, 'Gods, I do have something to distract me. What are they going to say? What am I going to say? Oh, hi Granny Lorena. Did you know your husband was gay and cheated on you your whole marriage? Oh, and he wasn't a Spirit after all? Being a businesswolf was just a hobby, too; he was actually an assassin and his biggest customer was the alpha at the time. That's why he was allowed to stay here, you were just a cover.' His father's paw clamped over his shoulder, making Faelen jump and stifle a yelp.

Dirk's smile vanished, "You all right? I thought it was funny that you didn't seem to notice me here, but you really don't look that good. Was the trip rougher on you than normal? Maybe you should go to your room for a few minutes and relax."

Faelen took a deep breath and tried to slow his heart rate down. He wished he was as good at it as Liam. He took another breath, "Maybe I should, but I really think I won't be able to relax until this is done. I wish Liam was here, I could use some aromatherapy." Dirk tipped his head to the side, Faelen smiled slightly, "I need his scent, it calms me down like nothing else can. It works on Nathanial, too; there's just something about it, the herbs or maybe just knowing it's him that can make all the stress go away. His solidity, his competence, his essence, whatever it is, I need him."

Dirk chuckled, "You, my boy, are in love. I suppose it's a bit more if it works for Nathanial, but you sound love struck. I'm happy for you, if a bit jealous."

Faelen hugged his father, "You'll find someone, too, just give it time." He could smell his father become nervous, guilty, and a little aroused. Something clicked, "You... aren't jealous because I'm in love while you aren't, you're jealous of Liam. I know you think I'm good looking and you enjoyed having sex with me, but you aren't, um, falling for me, are you? I think you're really hot, too, but... well, it was just playing."

Dirk blushed, "No, I'm not falling in love," He didn't seem to be lying; he did smell incredibly embarrassed, "But I really did love having sex with you. After we had sex in the shower I was hoping it'd be the first of many encounters. You felt incredible inside me, you..." He broke it off with a shake of his head, "Walter is fun and all, but he doesn't hold a candle to you or Sensei. Even Jay can't. I'm jealous of you both; I hope neither of you ever end up taking the other for granted. Make every day count, Son, and make sure he knows how much he means to you." He could smell his father getting a little more aroused, probably replaying some of the scenes in his head. Dirk realized what was going on and stepped back, "Yeah, let's get this done. Uh, just don't hesitate to ask me if Sensei needs some yang." He unlocked the door and stepped into the hall beyond it, locking the door again behind Faelen. They walked down the hall, turned a corner and went upstairs. Dirk punched the combination into the keypad at the top of the stairs and led his son through the house to the front door. The house was next door to the Alpha's and only a short walk to the entrance to the Spirit Caves, the largest part of the Cork Clan. Faelen stopped on the front porch and took a deep breath, but broke out laughing when he noticed Dirk do the same thing. Dirk laughed, too, "Yeah, nothing is like home. I like where we are, but this will always be home to me."

Faelen nodded his agreement, but his heart felt heavy, "I wish I could say the same for sure. Does Liam have a 'home'? Will I? It sounds like he doesn't even remember his first life; he keeps saying he thinks he has a life he doesn't remember, but, really, it sounds virtually guaranteed he does. There are just too many clues pointing to that. I... don't want that to happen to me. It actually scares me. How can I be me if I don't remember the people who mean so much to me?" Dirk wrapped his arm around Faelen and pulled him close as they both stared out off the porch. They stood there for ten minutes, saying nothing but taking comfort in each other's presence.

They eventually turned and walked off the porch onto the road. They pushed themselves to maintain a steady pace; they could tell that if they didn't concentrate they would slow to a crawl, weighed down by their own heavy thoughts. At the gate to the caves the guard stopped them, "These caves are off... Dirk, Faelen. I haven't seen you two in a while. Still overseas?" The guard gave a short laugh, "Dumb question. The Dark Spirit isn't back, so of course you are." He opened the gate, "Well, enjoy your visit with the family. We hope the Dark Spirit gets to come home soon. Things have been quiet, so maybe it'll be safe by the solstice celebrations."

Faelen smiled, but shook his head, "Doubt it, Conor and Geoff want to finish the year there. It's a great school, the teachers are top notch, and the curriculum is good, too."

The guard, a lean wolf with dusty looking fur, looked shocked, "Mr. McDougal wouldn't keep the Dark Spirit over there for the whole year? He can't do that!"

Dirk glowered at him; he outweighed the guard by over seventy pounds (thirty-two kilos) and could probably tie him up in a bow without trying, "Mr. McDougal is Geoff's father and he's also a Water Elemental, he can do whatever he damn well pleases. He'll do what is best for his son, not what makes people happy. Whether it's one month, one year, or until graduation, it's none of anyone's damned business!" The guard paled and stammered, but Faelen and Dirk just stormed by him and into the cave entrance. It had a very well worn path, wide enough to accommodate two carts travelling side by side. The cave was never widened after automobiles were invented. It looked like an old mine shaft, complete with the old mine cart tracks, until it descended enough to pass below the sight of the entrance. There, a large set of blast doors blocked the road, on the left wall was an intercom, Dirk walked over and pressed a button, "Dirk and Faelen O'Conall here to see the O'Conall family. Password: D11O1001." The blast doors rumbled open to reveal an open courtyard. There were a few trees and small gardens growing under the bank of skylights in the ceiling and hydroponics lights set around them. Several stalactites, stalagmites, and pillars were left to provide additional structural support or because they looked nice. Dirk and Faelen wound their way through the maze of tunnels until they reached the small system of caves reserved for the O'Conall family. They walked in and went to Granny Lorena's rooms, it was reached by entering a circular cave with a small fountain in the middle, seven doors opened off of it, including the door they came in from.

Dirk knocked on her door, "Granny Lorena?"

A door to the left opened after a few seconds, Poppy Aedan poked his head out. He was a strong looking wolf, keeping with the O'Conall tradition, with lighter grey fur on his front and darker grey on back. He carried a very obvious family resemblance to Dirk and Faelen. He was wearing a black t-shirt and cargo shorts. "Dirk?" He sounded very surprised, "What brings you here, pup?" He smiled and shook his head, "Sorry, I should stop calling you that. I know it drove me crazy when Da used to do that to me when I was your age. Well, I hope you're both in good health. Mama is with Aoife right now." He tipped his head toward his baby sister's door. Faelen suppressed a sad smile as he thought of Liam when he spoke about his family.

Faelen nodded, "Thanks, Poppy."

Aedan looked more closely at Faelen, stepping into the courtyard, "Are you all right, Faelen? You look... distracted, almost nostalgic. You're a bit young to look like that."

Faelen shook his head as he laughed sadly, "Yeah, probably. I... need to talk to you, Poppy, actually all of Lowell's family. Are they in, do you know? I'd like to keep it small, first. I wanted to talk to Granny Lorena to get her opinion on how to bring it up with everyone, but you and your siblings need to know. There's other stuff, too, but that is more just for our family. You and Poppy Faeden, your wives, and Granny Lorena." Aedan looked curious and concerned but kept quiet.

Dirk shook his head, "Not just them, well, yes, strictly speaking, but a lot of what we have to say affects all of Lowell's descendants, and they all need to know. We can't explain it without talking about you, too. My story isn't overly relevant, but I'll face the music with you."

Aedan grinned, "Well, pups, if you want to talk then let's get some attention. Too bad I don't have a gong." He threw his head back and howled, loudly, carrying it for almost a minute. The sound bounced around the cave and echoed as it moved through the open door into the rest of the O'Conall caves. By the time he lowered his head the five other doors were open and several O'Conall's had walked into the courtyard. Aedan grinned, "See? Almost everyone is here."

Granny Lorena was standing by her daughter, Aoife. She looked like a shorter middle-aged wolf, still in very good health, but she seemed trapped in the eighteen nineties. She wore a full, deep blue dress with voluminous sleeves, a very narrow waist, and a pleated top with the pleats moving into a 'V' shape toward the waist. The fabric in the pleats was a lighter, dusty blue. Her fur was a dark grey, with brownish grey markings around the top and back of her head; her gold eyes were fixed on her eldest child, "Aedan, what is the meaning of this ruckus? Good evening, Dirk, Faelen."

Aedan bowed to his mother, "Evening, Mama. Faelen wants to talk to us about Da, 'us' being Da's immediate family and probably Faeden, too." He looked back at them, "Our wives are out kayaking around the island with some of the other O'Conall women. They won't be back till next week."

Dirk looked at Aoife in surprise, "You didn't go? Or you, Muireann? Kayaking on the ocean sounds perfect for you."

Muireann looked a little disdainful, "Just because I'm a Wave Spirit doesn't mean I have to like kayaking, camping, or any other barbaric hobbies."

Aoife laughed, "Muiry, loosen up a little. Kayaking can be fun and I really enjoy camping. You sound like a Fur, terrified of stepping out into nature and getting your paws dirty."

"Aoife! Take that back! I'm nothing like one of those vermin! How dare you!?"

Lorena rolled her eyes, "Silence! Both of you! Muireann, I've told you to never use that word around me. Furs aren't vermin and to use speciesist language like that only demeans the person using it. I raised you better than that. Aoife, you know as well as anyone that many Furs enjoy camping, too." Lorena shook her head as she addressed Dirk and Faelen, "Come on, pups, let us drag these children into my home and talk." Aoife stuck her tongue out at Muireann while she followed her mother, winking at Faelen and Dirk. Muireann's jaw dropped in surprise and outrage, but she followed quietly. Two more Spirits joined them: Faeden and Ciaran; the rest filtered back out of the courtyard. Faelen took a moment to look at Lowell's children. Aedan was the eldest and Faelen's great grandfather; he stood a little taller than Faelen, had the same blue eyes, and was very fit, though he didn't have the bulk that Dirk did. Muireann was the next oldest, she was a very pale blue-grey, almost white, with darker grey markings. The dark grey was the same colour of the North Atlantic in winter. She was stunningly beautiful; her blue-grey eyes were slightly darker than her brothers, she was also much shorter than her siblings, the same height Lily was. Ciaran was the third child, the overlooked one. He was very average, in height, weight, and looks. He had flat grey fur with brown-grey markings, he was five foot ten (one metre seventy five centimetres), and very slender. He was also the quietest of the four; Faelen knew next to nothing about him, only that he worked for the Alpha and it often took him away from the Clan for weeks to months at a time. The youngest was Aoife, she wasn't beautiful like her sister, 'cute' was the word most often used to describe her. She had large ears and eyes, like she had some fennec blood though her ears weren't quite that large. Her fur was greyish-brown with blackish-brown markings; her eyes were gold like her mother's. She was the same height as Ciaran and a little lighter, as her bones looked a little more delicate. Her figure was more boyish that Muireann's, too.

Lorena waved them over to her living room, "Sit, I'll put the kettle on. Have you pups had supper yet? Or tea? I can never remember what time it is where you are. Are the McDougal's here, too?"

The living room was very... traditional. The gramophone was set up beside a tall sloped back upholstered chair, a wooden bench with cushions on it was against the far wall supposedly passing for a couch, and a matching loveseat sat perpendicular to it. Dozens of pictures and portraits decorated the room, half of them were of Lowell. Ciaran, Aoife, and Aedan sat on the couch. Muireann and Faeden sat on the loveseat, Dirk fetched a chair from the dining room, while Faelen just sat by his father's hindpaws on the floor. Faelen always thought the room looked very nice, but it was horribly uncomfortable. Dirk raised his voice slightly, "We've had lunch, Granny Lorena, we left just before tea time. The McDougal's are still in Nova Scotia, this isn't a... pleasure visit."

Faeden sighed, "I can tell by the way you two are holding yourselves. It's eating you up. You have something to tell us about Poppy Lowell?"

Lorena called out from the kitchen, "Not until the tea is poured, pup! Hold your horses. Muireann come over here and help me make some sandwiches. Aoife, bring out these biscuits."

The two women went in to help their mother while the men tried to fill in the uncomfortable silence with talk about the McDougal's, the Clan, and troubles with Hunters. Aoife brought out a plate of shortbread biscuits and went back in for some more food. Faelen got up and passed around the plates for his elders before taking two for himself, he had trouble eating them his stomach was so knotted up. It was only about five minutes before the women came out and finished setting up a light tea. Lorena sat back in her chair, "Dirk, dear, now what has you two in such a tizzy? You think you found something out about my late husband, hmm?"

Faelen lowered his head as Dirk answered, "I didn't, directly, but my son has. This isn't going to be easy, to tell you about or to listen to, so please let us say our piece before exploding."

Aoife laughed, "You're so sure we won't like it, or don't know it already? What could you learn about a Spirit who died a hundred years ago while you were on the wrong side of the pond? Daddy wasn't perfect but he was a good person. You couldn't find anything about him that'd be bad." Lorena's fingers were trembling around her tea cup as she gazed into the milky fluid. She was scared and still seemed to be grieving a bit.

Ciaran's gentle voice slipped through the temporary silence like a piece of falling silk, "Mama? You know what they're going to tell us?" She didn't lift her head and kept her gaze locked on her teacup as she shook her head.

Faelen asked softly, "You know he wasn't a Spirit, don't you?" She didn't say anything but jumped from her chair and ran from the room. Her cup fell to the rug and lay there as the tea soaked into the thick fabric. Her children sat silent in their chairs, stunned. Faelen dropped his eyes to his hindpaws and felt his father squirming slightly behind him. Ciaran was the first to recover; he said nothing but slipped quietly out of the room to follow his mother. Faelen barely heard him leave. Faeden leaned back with a sigh and put his arm over his eyes.

Aoife opened her mouth a few times before she choked out, "How? How can you say that? How do you know? You're wrong. You have to be."

Aedan answered before Faelen could, "He isn't wrong. Da wasn't a Spirit."

Muireann jumped up and stalked over to her brother. He looked up in surprise just as she hauled back and slapped him across his face. She went to slap him again but he grabbed her arm and then tripped her. She hit the ground hard but screamed up at him, "Take that back! Don't say such horrible things about Daddy! Faelen is just a stupid pup, he doesn't know anything! He never met him, how can he pretend to know something his own children don't? How can you sit there so smugly and agree with him? I can't be a halfbreed, a mutt! It's impossible!" She was struggling to get free from her much larger and stronger brother. He just flipped her over and sat on her back as he held her arms.

"Shut up, Muiry."

"Don't call me that!"

"Shut up, Muiry."

"Argh!!" She was absolutely livid now, screaming and crying as her older brother sat calmly on her. Faeden rolled his eyes and went to the kitchen to fill a large bowl with cold water. Faelen looked up at his father, feeling horribly guilty. He never expected this response. Faeden walked back out with the water and dumped it on his aunt's head. Her screech went up several octaves.

Aoife was sitting in her seat, legs drawn up in front of her, as she watched her brother and sister blankly. "Muireann, you can stop that. No one cares that you're throwing a tantrum; we never did unless you tried to hit us or went to break our stuff." Her voice was barely a whisper as she said, "Daddy? Why didn't you tell us?"

Faelen's was barely louder, "He was scared. He didn't want to lose you. He was ashamed of lying to you for so long."

Ciaran led his mother back into the room. She was still shaking, tears ran down her face, but she was mostly composed. "Muireann, stop that ridiculous behaviour this second. Aiden, let your sister up. Why is my rug soaked?"

Faeden shrugged, "Sorry, Granny. I thought it'd cool Muiry down. She was boiling over."

Granny Lorena sighed. Aiden got up and sat in his seat, Muireann glared at him as she got up and walked to her seat, smoothing out her sea-green dress. Lorena sat down and Ciaran sat by her hindpaws, leaning against her legs. She put her paw on his head and rubbed around his ears, "Start from the beginning, pup."

Faelen sighed, "That's a bit long of a story and most of it isn't my tale to tell. However, in the new school I'm going to I met a young rottweiler named Liam Smith. After a bit of a rocky start Geoff and I became friends with him and a Mage pup named Nathanial Marks. I found myself becoming... fond of Liam and we went on a date."

Jaws dropped around the room; Aedan, Faeden, and Muireann went to say something but Lorena raised her paw, "Continue."

"I... fell in love with him; he fell in love with me."

Aoife cut in, "Did you...?" Her mother glared at her.

Faelen nodded, "Yeah, it was great," Almost everyone looked disgusted, except Lorena and Aoife. Aoife looked interested. "But something unexpected happened. My spirit became bound to his. His curse became mine." He sniffed, "Liam is an Ancient One; he was Lowell O'Conall in his last life." No one in the room seemed able to respond, "Liam... was devastated, he views his existence as a curse. He's lived and died around nine times, each time he's been ripped away from everyone and everything he's known but is forced to live with his memories of them. Ancient Ones have an additional 'gift'. They have perfect memories, they can't forget. He remembers you, each day he spent with you is almost like yesterday for him. He wonders if Aoife ever got to Tibet, he regrets not being able to see Muireann in her wedding dress, and so on. He..." Faelen had to stop to clear his throat, "Loves you all, he's ashamed of lying to you, he's afraid of losing you, he's probably just as afraid of coming back into your lives and dying on you again. His, our, lifespan is the same as a normal Fur's."

Faeden bolted upright, "Our!? What do you mean our!?"

Faelen tried to curl around his hindpaws, "When one of us dies, so will the other. When he's reborn I should be, too. The first Spirit Ancient One." Dirk sobbed quietly behind him and grabbed a tissue.

Faeden flopped back, "Oh, gods. The Fates can be cruel."

Muireann sniffed, "It seems Daddy is ruining everyone's life. It's what you get for being a fag and sleeping with a Fur."

Faeden leapt up to his hindpaws and spun around to face his aunt; he must be getting a good workout, "Shut the fuck up, you damned bitch! That's my grandson you're talking about!" Muireann leaned away from him, paling.

Aedan growled, "Don't talk about Da like that, either. It's not his fault his lifespan was so short."

Ciaran looked up at his mother, "You aren't saying much, Mama. You don't seem very surprised."

Everyone fell quiet to listen to her answer, "I-I'm not. I knew, in some way, that he wasn't a Spirit. I didn't really care and neither did the Alpha. He was too valuable to the Clan. I just don't know why he picked me, he never loved me, but he still wanted to marry me."

Aoife looked crushed, "He... what? How could he do that to you?"

Lorena smiled quietly, "The feeling was mutual, I didn't love him, either. It was a marriage of convenience, perhaps that's why he chose me." Faelen wasn't sure if she was lying or not. She looked at Faelen, "You said he's gay? You both are?"

Faelen nodded, "Y-yeah. We are, and yeah, he was. He was very fond of you, but he wasn't in love with you. He doesn't talk about any of you often, it's too painful for him, but his voice carries a lot of warmth."

Muireann had tears running down her face, "And I guess he expects us to let him waltz back into our lives after a hundred years? And people say I'm self-centred!"

Aoife and Aiden chorused, "You are."

Faelen tried to head off an argument, "He doesn't, no. He knows it's hurt you, a lot. It's why I'm here, to talk to you first and to see if any of you want to meet him, he hopes you do. I-I'm going to marry him when we graduate."

Faeden walked to the couch and took Ciaran's seat; his voice was a little harsh, "You have your duty to the McDougal's and Geoff first, Faelen."

Dirk blew his nose before answering, "He has Geoff's blessing, as well as Conor's, Da. He also has mine."

Aoife raised her eyebrows, "You're all right with having a gay son, Dirk?"

Dirk nodded, "That's the second reason we're here. I have to talk to Granny Lorena, Aedan, and Da about something."

Muireann leaned back against the armrest dramatically, arm over her eyes, "Let me guess, you're gay, you weren't in love with Mary Anne, and she wasn't a Spirit, either."

Dirk chuckled, "Spot on." Muireann almost fell off the loveseat.