On a Wing and a Prayer

Part Five

She lands by the entrance that will take her home...and to Aerian. She closes her eyes a moment. 'Thank you,' she thinks, 'thank you...for letting me meet D.' She's not sure who she's thanking for that particular privilege. She looks back once more before forcing herself onward.

The return to her home should fill her with pleasure...but it just leaves her cold. She walks the streets she'd been playing on as a child and rues the day she met Aerian. “Natalie?” No, merciful gods, not...

“Hello, Jared.”

“What are you doing here?” her oldest brother asks and then sees her expression. “You...but WHY?”

“Because he's going to destroy two people I care about if I don't. Just let me do this, Jared.”

“Who other than Virdi is he threatening?”

“He's not.”

“Then?”

“Someone believes they owe me a debt for saving their life. I just am NOT repaying them by having them die. Please, Jared, you have to understand...”

“You deserve better...”

“I won't argue. I just...I can't. I won't be the reason they both die.”

Jared looks at her. “Just trust me that Virdi would die and leave it at that, please.”

“If there is nothing else I can do...”

“There is not.”

Jared hugs her tightly. “You've always deserved better.”

“Who doesn't? Just do me a favor...”

“What?”

“Watch over D for me.”

“D? The vampire hunter?”

“Yes.”

He releases and looks at her. His green eyes widen. “You love him.”

“That is too soon to say. I just...I know I would never forgive myself if he died.”

“Natalie...”

“Please, Jared. Please...do this as a favor to me. Keep him safe.”

He finally nods. “I will watch over your D.”

She wanted to say that he wasn't HER D but doesn't bother starting that argument. She merely steps back. “Thank you, big brother. Give Father and Vega my love.”

“I will.”

She walks around him and continues on her way. If she stayed much longer than she was going to start crying and that wasn't something that she needed to do right now. She had to be strong. There would be time for tears later.

Her feet finally lead her to the one place she never thought she'd willingly go; Aerian's home. The male liked his comforts...and the large mansion clearly revealed that. She pushes open the gate and walks to the front door before rapping on the door and waiting. She isn't standing there long before the door opens revealing the blond menace himself. “Natalie,” he says in actual surprise, “to what do I owe THIS visit?”

“You win,” she says quietly, “just leave my brother out of it.”

She sees a triumphant grin replace his shocked expression. “I knew you'd warm up to me.”

“Aerian...”

“Right, of course. He can come back and I'll ignore his...less than virtuous nature.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Of course. You are here aren't you?”

“Yes,” she says quietly, “I am here.”

“And that is all that matters.”

She was going to regret this, she just knew it. However...the alternative was worse. She steps all the way into the mansion and lets the door shut behind her. Aerian waves his hand around, “Welcome to my humble abode.”

“Nothing having to do with you is ever humble, Aerian,” she tells him.

“Mmm...maybe not but that's the fun of having power.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Virdi knew the moment he woke up that something was wrong. He then feels the letter and picks it up, the foreboding feeling only worsening. He unfolds it;

Virdi,

I know you are going to be furious with me but take a minute to try and let me explain. Aerian isn't going to be so easily taken care of until he gets what he wants so...I am giving him what he wants. My freedom is NOT worth him killing you and D. I would rather cut my own heart out than watch you two perish because of me. Try to understand...please, older brother.

She hadn't signed it but then she was probably in a hurry. “What did she do?”

“What do you think?” he asks looking over his shoulder at D.

“She's going to let him make her miserable.”

“To my sister, it's preferable.”

“To what?”

“To losing the people she loves.”

“You, I understand, but she met me recently.”

Virdi finds himself smiling despite the situation. “Yes, well, you've done a number to her already. She counts you among the list of people she loves, Dunpeal.”

D is silent a moment before stating, “That is a dangerous thing to do.”

“What, love you? I am sure it is but Natalie's heart loves who it will. I am sure she already knows that. I am sure she knows that you probably aren't going to feel the same. That's not what she's concerned about. Right now all that matters to her is the fact that she loves YOU which means she has an obligation to protect you.”

“She is foolish.”

“I never said she wasn't,” Virdi answers, “because you are right, she is most definitely foolish. However, her heart is in the right place. Now, we have to decide if we are going to just stand here and let her make the biggest mistake of her life or if we are going to go and rescue her.”

D gives him a look. “I have a debt to repay.”

“That's answer enough. Let's go and let me break another rule; never bring outsiders home.”

“Will this kill you?”

“No, this isn't punishable by death...just exile.” It was a small price to pay. Natalie needed help whether she wanted it or not and he knew that the Dunpeal would give such aid. He would say it was because of the debt he owed his sister but Virdi wasn't buying it. He wasn't buying it one little bit.

“I am not sure your sister wants you exiled.”

“Well, I don't want her married to that idiot, either.”

“So, it's a no win situation all around.”

“Pretty much.”

“And if you ARE banished?”

“I'll deal with that when it happens. I want Natalie safe. I won't watch my baby sister be controlled by someone. Not now, not ever.”

“Let's go.”

Virdi nods. “I can teleport us straight to my house.” D nods and Virdi grabs his arm before focusing and bringing them to the foyer of the house. He knew his father wasn't going to be happy but...once he learned what was going on, he was going to be eve MORE displeased.

“What are you DOING?” a voice demands from the stairs.

“Hello to you, too, Vega,” Virdi answers, “Where's father?”

“Out, now explain!”

“Look, I don't have time for that. I need father.”

“Virdi...”

“If I don't get father then Natalie is going to end up married to Aerian!” Virdi snaps not at all in the mood to cater to Vega.

He sees his brother still and knew as much as he acted like an ass, he loved Natalie. “What the HELL is going on?”

“It's a long story that pretty much is summed up by saying that Aerian is a manipulative bastard.”

“I am going to KILL him!”

“That probably won't help Natalie.”

“What has she gotten herself into?”

“She went to him...willingly.”

“What could have possessed her?”

“That's what I would like to know.”

Virdi looked back at him to see both his father and Jared. Jared looks incredibly upset and he could only guess that he met Natalie on her way to Aerian's. “Sit down, D,” he says softly to the other man waving to a chair.

“I'll stand,” comes the simple response.

“D,” he says, “sit down.” D looks at him. “Just do it.” He was going to keep D as far out of the range of what was about to happen. The dunpeal sits on the chair he pointed at which placed him almost clear across the room and behind him. “Aerian knows that I prefer men,” he answers before his father could repeat Jared's question.

“That bastard,” Vega seethes, “He gave her no choice.”

Virdi shook his head. “No, he didn't.”

He watches Jared look at D for a moment and wonders what Natalie said to him. “Jared?”

“She wants him looked after.”

Ah. Virdi can't say he's surprised to hear that. “Of course she does.”

“Can we kill him?” Vega's question makes him look at the male who was staring at their father with a look of seriousness that made most fear him.

“No, we cannot kill him. Aerian is unscrupulous but he's broken no laws.”

“Bastard.”

“Vega...”

“There has to be SOMETHING!”

“He hasn't threatened her, Vega.”

“What do you call THIS?”

“I meant physically.”

“I am not so sure about that,” D cuts in.

The patriarch looks at him and D tells him about Natalie's fear after her “conversation” with Aerian in a dreamscape. “Now THAT is a direct misuse of his power.”

“So NOW can we...”

“VEGA!”

“What? He's going to make her MISERABLE!”

“Vega, if she goes willingly then we'll have no choice but to allow it.”

“She's trying to protect D and Virdi,” Jared says softly, “Until she knows they are safe than she's not going to do anything to jeopardize them.”

“We are going around in damned CIRCLES!”

Jared sighs. “I know,” he says softly, “I know Vega.”