FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 138: Hope of a Child

Faelen sunk back into his chair and dropped his head onto the table with a thump. "Fuck." This was not going well at all. Once he'd mentioned Geoff was also gay, it seemed that people had heard too much. Aunt Eirne and Ainbertach just up and walked out. Sure it was a lot of information to digest -- Conor had trouble just accepting Geoff was gay at first -- but couldn't they have let them finish? No, probably not. Granny Tuathla was already having trouble keeping this part of the news straight. It might be better to let them talk amongst each other for a bit.

Roisin walked over to her niece. "Kiera, when did you hear all this?"

Kiera rubbed her temples. "After the wake. Dirk and Faelen told me most of it then. I met Poppy Liam the next day after the funeral. If you're asking about the Dark Elemental, I escorted him and Nathanial on a walk on Friday. I found out during that. It's...still hard to wrap my head around everything, but at least I don't have all that Victorian baggage to try to unlearn."

Roisin smirked. "Apparently. You went a bit far 'defending' Dirk."

Kiera grinned evilly over at her big brother. "Hey, I'm allowed razzing him. It's not like he's never given me grief over the years. Besides, it's revenge for not telling me sooner."

Aedan groaned. "Well, tease him somewhere else. He's my grandson, and I love him, but I don't want to see or hear anything gay. Call me Victorian or old or whatever. I don't care. It's just something that'll probably take a long time to get used to."

Aoife laughed. "Well, you better work on it, then, because I don't think you're going to have much choice in the matter, especially if the Dark Elemental becomes alpha and you stay as a bodyguard." Aedan groaned again.

Ciaran stood up. "Mama, I'm going for a walk. Do you want to join me?" Lorena nodded.

Faelen raised his head. "You should probably give the rest a bit of time to talk amongst themselves. Why don't you go out the back door; there's a gate in the wall leading to the forest." There was virtually no chance Ciaran could get lost, since he could just follow his own scent back to the house. "I'll show you where it is. I want to talk to Nathanial anyway."

Liam held a paw out to his daughter. "I need to talk to you, Aoife. Let us go sit on the front step."

Faelen quickly trotted over to Liam. "I love you." He bent his head down to brush his lips over Liam's in a quick kiss and ignored Poppy's Aedan's renewed groans.

Liam smiled up at him wanly. Faelen could see the torment behind his eyes, caused by the stress of the meeting and the anticipated difficulty of the conversation with Aoife. "And I you, my love." The Rottie glanced over at his eldest son. "And shush up, Danny; 'twas a most chaste gesture of affection. If you keep acting like a child, I shall give him a _proper_kiss, one that would fog up every window in the house."

Lorena followed Ciaran to the main doors out of the ballroom and chortled over her shoulder. "If you recall when he was twelve, Lowell, he acted the same way whenever you kissed me farewell. It was the exact same type of kiss Faelen just gave you. Maybe our son just hates chaste kisses."

Aedan stomped over to the table holding the snacks. "So I find it awkward seeing my da kissing my great-grandson! Fucking damn well sue me! _And_they're the first guys I've seen kiss! Gods, Mama, you know how gays were treated in the 1800s and how we were taught to view them!" He crammed one of Nathanial's biscuits in his mouth and talked around it. "This isn't easy!"

Liam arched an eyebrow. "No, lad, I can tell. That's a large biscuit you're trying talk through." He shook his head. "Seriously though, I do understand where you're coming from, but you won't get used to us if we're always sneaking around your back. We'll stay well within the bounds of decorum."

Liam could handle Poppy Aedan well enough, so Faelen hastened to catch up to his uncle and great-great grandmother, who'd wandered out of the room. The two Spirits were looking at a vase of fake summer flowers. Lorena commented, "These flowers look a bit out of place considering it's autumn." She sighed and rubbed one of the silk petals. "Muireann made such lovely displays." Ciaran reeked of guilt.

Faelen pondered that for a moment. "Uncle Ciaran, you...aren't provoking Aunt Eirne and Draighean on purpose are you? To punish yourself for Aunt Muireann?" Lorena turned from the flowers to look at her son.

Ciaran's back stiffened almost imperceptibly. "What an odd thing to say, Faelen. I merely told them the truth; if they betray the clan or our family, I'll deal with it. If they didn't want me to say anything 'mean,' then they should have adhered to their duty. That's hardly punishing myself. It'll blow over in time."

What his uncle said was true, but Faelen didn't believe that was the entire truth. Ciaran was usually far more discreet and passive about such things. He'd normally have just asked them to swear or offered leading questions so they came around to the conclusion he wanted. His aggressive confrontation was way out of character.

Lorena's eyes narrowed a touch. "I never thought I'd have to ask you to be more discreet, Ciaran, but you're making an already difficult day far worse. If only for Aoife's sake, try to keep things as peaceful as they can be."

Ciaran looked instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, Mama. I wouldn't do anything to risk her pregnancy." A tiny smile lurked at the corner of his muzzle. "My baby sister, a mother."

The trio began walking down the hall toward the basement stairs. Lorena put her paw back around Ciaran's elbow. "I was starting to think she'd never marry or have a pup. Now I'll finally get to see her comeuppance." Lorena glanced back at Faelen. "You may have heard that a child is often like their parent was at the same age, and that all the trouble the parent visited on their parents is paid back in full. If that's true, Aoife is in for some turbulent years ahead." She laughed with genuine warmth. "What a bundle of energy she was. I don't know how Lowell kept up with her on those walks."

They began walking down the stairs. Ciaran patted his mother's paw. "And even then he still had the energy to try to teach Aedan how to fence, ride horses, and dance. As well as all the other lessons and such he gave us."

Lorena rolled her eyes. "Ugh, don't remind me. The number of times Aedan came home with a broken bone because he fell off the horse. Or he knocked over something while trying to dance."

Faelen surreptitiously sniffed the air and listened for certain _activities_before opening the basement door. Fortunately, he noticed nothing untoward.

Nathanial and Geoff looked up from the homework table as the three Spirits left the stairwell. Nathanial looked rather morose. "A-Are you done? I n-noticed some...damage upstairs when I sensed people leaving the room." He met Lorena's eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't changed the displays in the hall. I really should have after Liam pointed it out, but he said it wasn't important. I really didn't mean to--"

Geoff cut him off by pulling him over in a sideways hug. "Shut it, Pup. I highly doubt she was 'offended' by some stupid flowers in a couple of vases." He nuzzled Nathanial's ear before looking over his sheepish boyfriend's head. "So, uh, are you done? How'd it go?"

"No, we aren't done." Faelen gestured to his relatives. "I'm showing them out to the back yard so they can get some air. I'll be back in a second." Though if Nathanial already knew about the broken tea set, his primary reason for talking was done. His two friends nodded, so Faelen walked through the laundry room and storeroom to the back door. He opened it and pointed. "See just past that stand of pines? The gate opens out into the forest; there aren't any real trails, and it's completely wild, so be careful. The ballroom is around the corner to our right, close to the front of the house."

Lorena nodded. "Thanks, Faelen. Go talk to your friends."

Ciaran tipped his head. "Thanks. We probably won't go into the woods; they look too dense for Mama to make it through in this dress."

Faelen grimaced a bit. "They are dense and with a lot of underbrush. I should have thought of that." They parted ways with Faelen hastening back to the living area. He did notice that Nick and Micah were in the gym pummelling the heavy bags now. Faelen sat across the table from Geoff and Nathanial. He sighed.

Nathanial smiled timidly. "Not going well?"

Faelen reached over and took Geoff's cup of tea. He swallowed a mouthful before answering. "No." He paused to consider it. "Well, it could be going worse, but it's far from going well. Uncle Ciaran is being difficult and provoking his wife and daughter. I think he's trying to make his life difficult as a punishment for the pain he's caused."

Geoff snorted. "Yeah, well, he deserves it, but he's making everyone's_life difficult if he's causing trouble during this meeting. This is about Liam, Dirk, and _you. It's got nothing to do with him, really. And if he gets his family all up in arms about you guys, how the hells can I get the O'Conalls' support for Nathanial and me? Without your family backing Grandda Luke, there's no chance we can get those homophobe laws repealed. That'll leave all of us in trouble."

Faelen remembered his report to Conor after the funeral and how Da said he wouldn't even consider dating without some certainty he could make it work. While none of Lowell's descendants were on the clan council, they did have a lot of influence in the O'Conall family, and even a fair bit with the McDougals. If they could get all of the McDougals and O'Conalls on the council to back them they'd have over half the votes -- enough to send the question to the clan for a vote, but less than needed to alter a law without the plebiscite. If Ciaran alienated Ainbertach, just Ainbertach, that could jeopardize the vote. Ainbertach worked closely with more clan members than any of Lowell's other descendants. Eirne was popular and very social, unlike Ciaran, and would have far more influence, too. Draighean took after her mother that way, and as a working Spirit she brought in very important resources from the mundane world, things government ID were needed for. Though to be fair, Faelen was pretty sure she wouldn't let a fight with her father screw over changing the law. It sounded like she had no issues with the news itself, just her father's behaviour.

"Faelen?"

Faelen suddenly realized someone was saying his name.

Geoff sounded a little worried. "Hey, Faelen?"

"Sorry, sir, I was just lost in thought."

Geoff must be concerned; he didn't comment on the 'sir' at all. "Obviously. I said your name three times. Was it that bad? Do you really think they'd side with Rolph? Will we have to leave the clan after all?" The Elemental took Nathanial's paw. "It wouldn't be entirely bad; I'd get to stay with Nathanial forever and could actually be open about it, but it's _home."_Nathanial squeezed Geoff's paw and snuggled in a bit more. The Akita looked at Faelen in open worry.

Faelen shrugged and decided to put the best face on it; both of them were far too prone to bouts of almost paranoid anxiety. "I think the worst is over. They had a lot of information dumped on them all at once. It sounds_like simple things when you look at it dispassionately, but everything they've heard is very emotionally charged. We're taking a half-hour break so they can talk it over with each other, and then come back to hear the rest of it." He emphasized the next portion. _"No, I highly doubt anyone would side with Rolph. They all know why he's blacklisted, and it actually sounds like most of them were there when Granny Lorena made her case for it."

The corners of Nathanial's muzzle twitched downward before the pup glanced at Geoff and seemed to change what he was going to say. "Well, if you have a half-hour break, what do you want to do for the other...twenty-odd minutes you have left? Geoff and I are obviously in the middle of studying, but we could take a break. It's too short of a time for you to join us. Nick and Mikey are practicing kung fu, if you want to join them." Geoff perked up at the thought of exercise, but Nathanial wiggled his paw, which still clasped Geoff's. "No, doof, we are doing homework or keeping Faelen company. If Faelen chooses to go to the gym, we're getting back to it."

Geoff let Nathanial's paw go and tossed his pencil onto his notebook. "Gods, I hate homework. How much more do we have?"

Nathanial looked over his books. "Well, I have about two or three more hours." Geoff groaned. Nathanial tipped to the side to bump against his boyfriend again. "That's what I have; I missed school again, remember. You just have these ten math problems to finish, and a review of the chemistry notes to do. If you want, you could get a bit more reading finished on the book for English class."

Geoff rolled his eyes. "What a fucking crock of shite! I finished it last night after you fell asleep. Gods! Talk about fucking depressing. Who in their gods-damned right mind thought that this_crap was worth publishing, let alone deserved an award, _or something that should be mandatory reading in high school?"

Faelen picked up Geoff's copy of the book, The Red Pony. Written by some guy named John Steinbeck back around the Great Depression, and the cover proudly proclaimed it to be 'a masterpiece of American fiction.' Apparently Geoff didn't think it was a masterpiece. Faelen didn't look forward to reading this short book after hearing Geoff's explosion.

Nathanial picked his copy up sadly. "I'm guessing this isn't a nice tale about some kit and his pony? They don't ride around a pastoral countryside getting into mischief or finding some sort of buried treasure?"

Geoff's lips curled back to show all his teeth. "Hardly. The message in it can be summed up by saying, 'Life sucks, everything is futile, you'd be better off dead.' Yeah, just what you want pups to be reading in the middle of the most turbulent period in their lives." Nathanial dropped the book like it burnt him.

Faelen glanced up toward where he could sense Liam; maybe he should get him to talk to Nurse Neuranski and arrange some sort of exemption for Nathanial. Make Mrs Korsakoff pick a different book for Nathanial to write a report on. "Why don't we move to the couch and listen to some music?" Geoff would probably pick something up-tempo, and a change of seating often corresponded with a change of topic.

Geoff was more than happy to comply. "Sure!" He hopped up and slid Nathanial's chair back, a gesture that pleased the pup to no end, before scooping Nathanial up into his arms. "Come on, Myo." The amorous Wolf glanced at the offending book and pointedly turned his gaze back to the blue eyes of his boyfriend. Geoff tipped his muzzle down a bit to kiss Nathanial. "So, what music do you have?" Faelen had to wait for them to be seated before he could hear the answer; Geoff's muzzle and tongue kept Nathanial's too occupied to form words.

Nathanial's eyes had glazed over, but in a good way. "M-Me? Um, well, lots of Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Kay Kyser--"

Geoff cut in. "Who? Uh, what genre is this? I was expecting Rammstein, Godsmack, Black Label Society, you know, metal. I wouldn't have been surprised to hear pop, or alternative, even."

Nathanial shrunk in on himself. "W-Well, Nick has lots of that, but I like swing, big band, early jazz, and some of the early rock. Mostly stuff from the 20's into the 50's." He sounded really earnest as he protested, "B-But I kind of like some of Nick's music, and there are other genres I like, too; it's just, those are my favourites." Geoff's incredulous expression made Faelen chuckle. Nathanial twisted a bit in Geoff's lap to look almost pleadingly at Faelen. "So, so, uh, what do _you_like?"

Geoff opened his mouth to indignantly assert, 'Metal, of course,'_but the words died before they even started. His eyes said _many things, but two dominated: hope that Geoff was right and Faelen actually _did_really love heavy music as much as Geoff, and an apparently very sincere desire to hear the truth.

Faelen didn't like loud music -- it hurt his ears. He decided on honesty. "Actually, show tunes. I loved watching musicals with Avery, and I had a lot of fun singing and dancing with her, too. Then, the old rock from the 50's and 60's. Elvis Presley, the Beatles' earlier stuff, Simon and Garfunkle..." He trailed off under Geoff's withering glare; his master _hated_the 60's folk rock, and didn't like his mother's taste in movies, either.

"How many things that I've believed about you for our whole lives are_true,_ Faelen? You don't like football, you don't like my music, you don't really care for the guys I thought were our friends, you aren't straight_or_ a full Spirit. Have I actually known anything about you?"

Geoff's questions hurt. Really hurt. And it was mostly because Geoff was right: he didn't know about most of Faelen's preferences or tastes. 'Whose fault was it, though? Geoff's for not asking--?' Faelen cut the thought off. Geoff did ask, but he asked the wrong questions. Or did he? No matter how he worded them, Faelen would have answered the same way -- the way Geoff wanted the questions to be answered. "You've known I loved you. That everything I did and do is all to make you happy. I might have been wrong to hide my likes and dislikes from you, but I've always known how hard it was for you to cope with the expectations everyone had for the 'Dark Elemental.' I wanted you to be able to just do what _you_wanted and for there to be a person you could relax around. Somewhere you didn't have to worry about someone else's expectations." Faelen stared down at his clasped paws resting on his lap. "You've grown a lot these last few months, Geoff. You've found happiness beyond me, acceptance for who you really are beyond me, and, well, I think I've grown, too."

Maybe he was as guilty of elevating the 'Dark Elemental' as everyone else, but just in a different way. Rather than projecting his expectations onto_Geoff,_ he was trying to live up to expectations for himself that were just as unreasonable, and entirely self-made, all for the sake of his obligations to that same 'Dark Elemental,' the same as everyone else. Would Da have been upset if Faelen said he liked musicals more than action films? Would that have been a betrayal of his duty? Hardly.

Geoff reached over and hauled Faelen close, squishing Nathanial between them. The Akita smelt rather amused by that, though he smelt far more grateful about something, likely that there wasn't any shouting. Geoff muzzle stretched over Nathanial's shoulder and into Faelen's neck. His breath tickled when he grumbled. "Don't make me doubt our friendship anymore, okay, Faelen? Please, just tell me what you like and don't like. Don't make me wait for someone else to ask you before you say the truth."

Faelen decided to lift the mood a bit and lightly quipped, "You have a great-looking dick, and it's really hot watching you fuck Nathanial's incredible ass." The temperature of the poor pup stuck between them soared by several degrees.

Geoff was taken so by surprise that he burst out laughing. He settled back into the couch and squeezed the pup in his arms. "Anything_involving my pup's ass is hot, so I can only imagine how hot it is to see me plough him." He conspiratorially whispered, "Damn, you should've seen Da fuck him if you wanted hot. I was less than a metre away when it happened, and the sight of Da's heavy balls swinging as he drove his dick deep into my pup was fucking _incredible."

Nathanial shrunk in on himself again. "G-Guys, come on. I'm right here."

Geoff growled. "Damn right, and your ass is right on my dick. We just need to ditch the clothes, and we can give Faelen his favourite show. I know it's my favourite, too, even if I'm a participant."

Faelen chuckled and lightly tapped Geoff on the back of the head. "Later, Geoff. After my family goes to bed, we can drag our boyfriends to bed and fuck them together. Besides, I never said it was my _favourite_thing to watch; I just said I thought it was hot. My favourite thing to watch is Liam's ears waggling in the breeze while he says he loves me." The way the muscles in Liam's face softened when he said those words, how his eyes seemed to deepen into bottomless brown pools, and, mostly, the gentle swaying of those absolutely adorable ears.

Nathanial laughed, pleased by Faelen's answer and more by the shift in topics. "You almost made Liam blush. He certainly noticed you're thinking about him."

Faelen's mood dampened at the reminder of what Liam was doing. "How's his talk with Aoife going?"

"It looks like they're done talking about anything serious. She's a little down compared to earlier, but still happy." Nathanial pinched the tuft of fur on the end of Geoff's chin and gently pulled down. He kissed Geoff as soon as his muzzle was in reach. "Thank you."

Geoff's chest puffed up in pride even though he was confused by the sudden thanks. "Uh, no problem. I'll gladly kiss you whenever, if that's what this is about."

Nathanial kissed him again and let the tuft of fur go. "No, it's for doing what you did. For doing what you thought was necessary for us to be together without alienating your clan. For working to let all the gay Spirits there come out, like Faelen and Dirk. For making the O'Conalls so happy, even though you're scared. Mostly, for being you, my prince of darkness."

Aphrodite had certainly blessed those two from the day they met, and the ensuing kiss made Faelen wonder if he should go visit Nick and Micah or just head on back upstairs. A raging boner and shorts full of pre wouldn't be appreciated in the second part of the meeting. Faelen adjusted himself and was just about to stand up when the sound system kicked in. A rapid beat played on a snare drum was soon picked up by a double bass.

Geoff released Nathanial's muzzle. "This sounds familiar." Faelen recognized it from the movie The Mask. Gwen had watched it _many_times in the spring. The cartooniness of the Mask amused her while she studied the emotional interactions of the characters -- the romance, jealousy, vendettas, and so on. Faelen could see Micah really enjoying the film, too.

Nathanial smiled. "Yeah, it's called Hey, Pachuco. I got it from The Mask soundtrack; there's a lot of music in the film I really enjoyed, and this one reminds me a lot of Sing, Sing, Sing. I think it's the drums and bass line. I figured you'd like this because of the strong beat." They spent the next while flipping through favourite bits of music from each person.

Back in the ballroom, everyone took their seats, though Sorcha sat at Eirne and Draighean's table, making Ciaran sit with Aedan and Roisin. Granny Lorena looked pretty tired, but her voice didn't betray it. "Very good. So, just to recap..." She took a deep breath. "Lowell was an Ancient One -- is an Ancient One -- and has been reborn as Liam Smith. He is, and always has been, gay, and he's fallen in love with Faelen, who is also gay. Their souls have been connected somehow, so when Liam dies in about a hundred years, Faelen will die, too. When Liam is reborn into another life at some unknown point in the future, Faelen should be as well." She looked around the room. "Are we all clear on that?" Everyone nodded, even if a few did so reluctantly. "Now, Dirk is gay, too, and had a child with a Fur by donating sperm. This was a business transaction, not a romance."

Aunt Eirne's jaw dropped. "What? So you've never had sex with a woman? Not even that Fur?"

Dirk's head snapped back, and his muzzle curled up in distaste. Kiera opened her mouth to defend him, but Faeden kicked her shin.

Faeden shook his head. "Why should he, Eirne? Kiera already gave her...graphic answer to that, and it still stands. Dirk is gay. He's attracted to men. Why should he toy with some poor girl and force himself to have sex with someone he's not at all attracted to to prove he's not attracted to her or any other woman? We're not talking about Brussels sprouts, here. We're talking about people's hearts."

Kiera still wouldn't let the matter lie. "Why should gay people have to prove their orientation!? Do you need to prove you're straight? He says he's gay! Leave it at that!"

Eirne shook her head. "Of course I don't need to 'prove' it! I'm normal. He's the deviation!"

Liam leant back in his chair. "True, lass, he is a deviation. So is being a Spirit. As is a Nightshade Spirit amongst Spirits. How about being a Hellenist in Catholic Ireland? Isn't that a deviation, too? Should I demand proof you actually honour Lord Hades? Everyone is a deviation in some fashion, and no one should have to make excuses for who they are or prove the truth behind their nature...within reason."

Eirne shot back, "Like proving you're a Spirit when you join a Spirit clan?"

Liam smiled. "Quite so. That's a very good reason for requiring proof. I'm skilled enough to be able to cheat on those tests, and Ruarc was quite willing to help an Ancient One blend in, particularly one offering all that I did."

Ainbertach asked a question Faelen had personally wondered about. "How? Sure, you might be able to win some fights, maybe even without taking someone by surprise, but how could a non-Spirit possibly masquerade as a manifested Spirit? You're a Fur, and it should be impossible!"

Faelen kept a straight face. Nathanial wasn't a Spirit, either, and he had-- quite unintentionally -- tricked other Spirits, who honestly should've known better, into thinking he was a Dark Spirit. This was even after telling them he was a Mage, and with his scent confirming it.

Liam stood up and stepped toward Ainbertach. Faelen felt a bit of weakness in Liam as he drew on a lot of chi, and suddenly Lowell appeared in Liam's place complete with an old suit -- and the tie Faelen saw in the print Nathanial got from Taipei. All those in the room gasped, and then Lowell's form shifted to become a little longer in arm, with longer claws, more pronounced teeth, and his eyes shone with Timeus's Soul Fire. The changes were very subtle, almost unnoticeable, other than his eyes.

Aedan's hoarse voice was barely audible. "Da." Ciaran clapped a paw onto his older brother's shoulder, but he, too, looked shaken by the spectre of their late father.

Lowell kept his attention on Ainbertach. "I'm a 'Wolf Spirit,'_lad, and _you are a Wolf. As are all the other members of the Cork Clan. That's how I said I could cause Spirits to lose their breath, how I could crush their wills, how I could make their muscles seize up and joints lock, and my ability to speak to feral wolves and other canines made the masquerade complete. None could gainsay this, and none could win in a duel. No one even had cause to suspect this was anything but the truth."

Faelen considered this; if he met someone who claimed to be a Wolf Spirit, how would he think they'd look when manifested? Lowell's colouration was already very standard for a feral wolf, and he would be extremely surprised if their features changed. The extra length in the arms would be attributed to the quadrupedal nature of the wolf, and the longer teeth and claws would merely add to it. It was the eyes that would be the most important change, and those flames satisfied that expectation fully. No, he wouldn't have doubted it at all, particularly if his nose confirmed the claim. It also explained why Lowell told Ciaran he was an Ancient One; if Lowell's 'powers' were just skills gained through martial arts and chi manipulation, Ciaran would've realized that as Lowell taught him those exact same skills.

Lowell flickered and vanished, leaving Liam behind. Aoife and Poppy Faeden raised their paws in protest and opened their mouths for a moment. Lorena turned her head to dab her eyes with a handkerchief.

Ciaran's normally placid voice carried a bit of a quaver. "Da, that..." He took a breath. "That was you. I remember that suit, and that was the tie Muireann bought you for your birthday in '84. You looked just like you did when we were teenagers."

Even Sorcha sounded emotional when she spoke. "How did you _do_that? Are Ancient Ones shapechangers?" Liam began shaking his head to say 'no,' but Sorcha was already going down memory lane. "I remember when Muireann bought that tie. It was in the Huguenot Quarter, in a small enterprise run by a tailor named Picard."

Faeden perked up. "I think I heard people talk about that shop. The tailor always referred to his pups by their birth order." Aedan suddenly looked at his son warily, as he usually did before Faeden told his worst jokes. "The eldest was in charge of fixing the malfunctioning machinery, so Picard kept telling him, 'Make it sew, Number One.'"

Aedan shook his fist at his 'number one.' "Gods, Faeden! I'll give you five if you don't stop it!" Faelen could tell that Poppy Aedan actually thought that one was funny. He didn't know either of them watched Star Trek.

Tuathla ignored her husband and father-in-law. "Was Hadji Bey's open then? Hedone herself blessed his sweets." If Faelen remembered his religion lessons correctly, then Hedone was the goddess of pleasure, delight, and enjoyment. Her name didn't seem to bother Liam, but it was hard to imagine a god more innocuous than the bringer of joy. Liam watched the back and forth with amusement; Faelen could tell the Ancient One was pleased the conversation had drifted away from him.

Aedan answered his daughter-in-law. "No, it opened in 1902. I remember because Da brought some Turkish Delight back after a trip into Cork around Faeden's second birthday. I think it was one of the best things I've ever had." He glanced at his mother and quickly added, "After anything Mama makes, of course."

Granny Lorena waved her paw at him. "Shush, you. No, I've never made sweets that good, and from the sounds of it, your son thinks Nathanial is a better cook than I am, anyway."

Faeden grinned cheekily. "Yep, just you wait. These snacks are nothing compared to his meals. Gods, that quail. I'd take that over Turkish Delight any day."

Tuathla closely examined a piece of sushi before eating it. Her eyes widened. "What is this? It's really good."

Da picked one off his own plate. "These are sushi, Mama. A Japanese dish made of vinegared rice and some other ingredients -- anything really, but usually raw fish."

Ainbertach had had enough food talk. "I don't give a damn who's a better cook or what this food is. I don't even care whether or not Dirk had sex with that Fur. He had a child with her. That child is Faelen. We get it. I even understand the rough concept about this...energy imbalance we cause. I don't_get why we're discussing this as something we need to _hide. The law is the law, and it's our duty to uphold it."

Liam smiled tightly as he resumed his seat. "Indeed it is. It is also our duty to protect the clan regardless of the laws. Our duty is to support the alpha. Our duty is to aid the McDougals. Our duty is to protect our family. Furthermore, if you insist on upholding these immoral laws, you must also be aware you are in violation of them. You are my descendant, and you are not a full Spirit. You likely face exile along with all those in this room, except Dirk, Lorena, and me, who would be killed. Alpha McDougal might avoid execution, but he would certainly lose his position. Conor could be executed too, and Geoff would almost certainly be unable to avoid death, despite his status as Dark Elemental. With all this before the clan, do you think there would not be turmoil as some moved to defend us? Do you think the entirety of the clan would allow their Dark Elemental to be executed? Conor would not sit quietly by; he would fight to the death for his son. As would many others, myself included. You speak of inciting civil war, Vyar, and some laws are worth breaking to avoid that, particularly ones that serve no purpose."

Dirk's eyes glittered as he observed his cousin... His cousin who sat within arm's reach. Ainbertach suddenly realized that and tried to unobtrusively scooch his chair away. The Bone Spirit leant toward him, but rather than threaten, Da tried to reason. "We're buying time, Ainbertach, that's all. We want to repeal the laws, just like most of the Western mundane world has, so we can live freely and legally. We also know why the law prohibiting Spirits from mating with non-Spirits came about, we know why our presence harms others, and we know how to prevent it. With that, there's no reason to keep that law around, either. We just need to ensure mixed marriages are done with full knowledge of the risks and how to keep safe. All I'm asking for is time."

Sorcha rubbed her temples. "So we're back to this. The Dark Elemental. No offence, pups, but compared to that, all your other news is really unimportant. Even the truth about Lowell pales to this. Civil war." She shook her head. "Gods. It would be. Even if he's gay, even if he's sleeping with that Mage friend of his, I'd still fight to protect him. He's our Dark Elemental! How could we betray him?"

Eirne frowned. "Isn't he betraying us? If he's having sex with a Mage, Sorcha, isn't he showing he doesn't give a damn about anything we hold dear? Especially if it's a male! We can't get pups from that! He has a duty to have as many pups as he can; he's an Elemental! And not just pups, but the strongest ones possible. I would've been vehemently opposed to him marrying that Cadogan girl he's friends with, that Daisy Spirit, for just that reason. She's pitifully weak, and he needs an extremely powerful mate to do everything he can to have more Elementals, just like his father did."

"Like I did?" Lorena's tone demanded an answer. "Isn't Aedan strong? Ciaran? Aoife? Look at any of Lowell's descendants and tell me they're in the lower half of the clan. Look at Dirk. Even Ainbertach said Dirk is probably stronger than any non-Elemental, and he's still in his thirties._What of Faelen? He's _less than half-Spirit, and his mother wasn't an Ancient One either, but I'd wager he could hold his own against almost anyone. He took on Demon Mages, Demons, and Hunters while he's only _sixteen."_Faelen didn't think he did too well, though.

Eirne dodged the questions. "That only matters if Geoff has pups!_How is a fag going to have _pups?" Dirk cleared his throat extremely loudly. His aunt sniffed. "More than one."

Faelen bristled. "How many do you have?' She recoiled as if slapped. It was a rather low blow.

She opened her mouth to start a tirade, but Aoife interjected. "I'm pregnant."

Her sister-in-law looked over in surprise. "Yes, dear, we've heard."

Before Eirne could turn back to Faelen, Aoife continued. "Geoff's the father." It seemed no one had a response to that.

All those who knew that already stayed silent until that sunk in. Tuathla hesitantly queried, "But the Dark Elemental is gay, right? That is_what we were just talking about? And isn't he sixteen, the same age as Faelen? Aoife? He's a _pup. You had sex with a gay pup?"

Aoife shook her head violently. "No! No, of course_not! I got a...er, _jar of, well..."

Tuathla quickly raised both paws in front of her. "Okay! Okay, even I get it. He's a donor, but far more importantly, a father."_She shrugged. "That's all I care about. As long as the Dark Elemental has several pups, I don't care how it happens. Personally, his private life beyond that is private." She tapped her fingers on the table. "And...this way, he could, well, _donate to more than one woman. It wouldn't be adultery, and there wouldn't be a jealous wife to stop it. If there are any female gays, whatever they're called, in the clan, we could have a fairly robust population of pups from him." She cocked her head. "How long have you been trying? It can't have been long, I hope."

Aoife's large ears turned red. "First try."

The stink of jealousy mixed with jubilation coming from the married women. Roisin shook her head. "First try? I-I... Congratulations! That's... Wow. How? Just luck? What was your diet like? Did you do anything..._special?"_Aoife's ears pinned back in mortification. Even Faelen felt himself heating up as he remembered hearing Liam convincing Avery to 'help.'

Liam smoothly slid into the conversational gap. "I am a healer, Roisin. I can, over time, determine the fertility cycle of male and female Spirits. Aoife was coming off her fertile period while Geoff was in the midst of his. It was a fortuitous happenstance. I was able to tell this in this_particular case because I was familiar with their energies and how they differed from fertile periods to infertile ones, but I would need a much longer time to determine _when they occur. I do not know if Geoff will be fertile again in a matter of weeks, months, or years."

Eirne smelt almost desperate and sounded it, too. "You can tell if I'm fertile? Am I? Please! I'll swear anything if you can help us!"

Draighean took her mother's paw. "Mama."

Ciaran looked over his table at his wife. Love coloured his voice, and it carried chords of hope. "I asked, Eirne. He can, but it's a matter of time. Once we get the teleporter fixed he can examine us every few days, and maybe work out our cycles. Da might even be able to make something to increase the odds of conceiving. I've already promised to do whatever he needs to make this work. You needn't do anything you don't want to; I swear to you that I'll do whatever is required so we can become parents again."

Eirne met her husband's eyes. "We might have another child?" They were not the only couple staring at each other as hope blossomed within them. Ciaran nodded. Eirne whipped around in her seat and leant toward Liam with her arm stretched across the table toward him. "I'll talk to whomever you need me to talk to in order to change whatever laws you want. The Dark Elemental is having pups, and the rest I don't give a damn about. I just want another child. Please."

Liam smiled kindly and shook his head. "I will require your assistance in talking to the council and the O'Conall elders, but that is something you should take up with Conor and the alpha. The first thing I must ask is your discretion in this matter -- I cannot spend my entire time checking every member of the clan for their fertility cycles. You are my daughter-in-law; this is the very least I can do for you."

Sorcha and Tuathla nodded at each other before turning to Liam, too. Sorcha spoke for them. "We promise to keep it quiet, Liam, and we'll speak to whomever you ask, just like Eirne promised. The hope of a child is worth far more than you've asked in return."

Liam shook his head. "I'm not trying to bribe you, Sora. I meant it. When you married my little Danny, you became my daughter." Faelen stifled a sigh; the constant emergence and retreat of Lowell was really beginning to wear on Liam's chi, but Liam didn't even seem to notice it happening. "I don't know if you saw the painting I made of Danny holding your baby boy, but I'd dearly love to see him look like that again. It'd mean more to me than you could imagine."

Sorcha's eye filled with tears. "I didn't see it, but I remember how he looked." She stood up and walked toward her husband, who met her halfway. They hugged each other tightly. "Oh, Aedan, I'd almost given up. It took eighty-three years of trying to have Roisin after we had Aedan. I'm already getting old."

Aedan kissed her forehead. "You'll never be old to me, but I had almost lost hope, too."

Da smiled sadly at his grandparents before glancing at Faelen. Faelen had never really thought about having a blood-sibling; the McDougal pups were his brother and sister in his mind and in his heart, but it was obviously something Da had thought of.

It wasn't long before the other couples embraced, lost in the renewed hope of having more children. The single Spirits smelt quite depressed as they felt their solitude keenly before Lorena rose and gestured for them to leave the room. Faelen led the way to the reading room and the adjoining sitting room, where they sat and began socializing. Everyone, even Ainbertach, seemed happy, now that the meeting was finally over.