Chapter Fifty

Altair Ain

The night was disastrous.

Upon returning home to Altair Ain Athena promptly railed at her Sister and Queen that she was an idiot who didn’t know what she was doing.  According to Athena Colleen had not made the Decree properly and left the door open for their Mother’s soul to still be damned for all eternity.

“I did not.”

“You did!” Athena screamed. “’That they will be judged fairly’, that’s what you said, you twit!  You should have said that they WILL pass to the Elysian Fields!”

Colleen stopped and thought about it before she replied. Had she said that? Honestly, she didn’t know.  When, what Hades termed Oblivion made its entrance Colleen became confused and frightened.  In the end she didn’t know what her exact words had been.

“Don’t believe me? Open the scroll.” Athena dared. “It took down every word you said.”

Had she made such a monumental error?  Colleen gripped the ancient scroll afraid to open it and see that she had.

“This is what you said.” Hades intoned darkly and somewhat disappointedly. “Let us hope it is enough.”

Athena pulled her long dark hair away from her face to scream at her sister, “You idiot! You have no business on the throne!” With that she turned on her heels and nearly sprinted out of the living room but a voice stopped her from exiting.

“Thought I heard voices,” David said from the bottom of the staircase.  “See we still got problems.” He noted as he looked around at all those gathered and the unhappy expressions on their faces.  “So anybody know anything about some…I dunno….some creature made of…well… nothing, actually?”  David told the tale of the events here in Altair Ain while the others were off making their Decree.  “Got any ideas?”

Everyone turned to Hades.  “Oblivion.”

“You said that on Olympus, would you mind elaborating?” Aiden asked in a strained voice.

“I cannot.”

“Cannot or will not?” Amy piped up.  “What the hell is that thing and why is it after Mom? Why does it care about her soul?”

“What the hell is going on around here?” Lilly asked her Mother. “We go away for a few weeks and everything falls to shit.”

“Yeah,” David mused and then told them that before they could return he’d had Calla taken onboard Thor’s ship at least for the remainder of the night. “Look I didn’t know what that thing was and I wanted her away from it.” He said quickly in his own defense before one of them could make a stink.

Colleen nodded her head in agreement and her jaw tightened. “She’ll have to be brought back, I don’t think Morpheus can travel to Thor’s ship, can you?”

“No, I cannot. Keep her there if you want, Sa’Tan but the Queen is right, Lady Calla will need to be brought back here for her treatments.”

“All right, I’ll let Thor know.” David agreed.

Although she didn’t feel very regal at the moment Colleen turned to Hades and narrowed her eyes on him. “Inadequate as I may be, I’m still your Queen, you will answer them and me.”

Hades looked to Morpheus and Poseidon for back-up and found little.  “I am but a humble servant,” he said slowly.

“Yes, my humble servant and don’t you forget it.” Colleen returned. “Answer.”

“Unfortunately my Queen, you are not the only one I serve.”  Once more his eyes looked around for support.  “I am only trying to help her. Don’t you trust me, my Queen?”

Colleen let out a sharp laugh. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Uncle, but I’ve lived around Olympians long enough to know not to trust any of you. Each of you would stab the other in the back if it suited your purpose.”

“Oh, she got something right.” Athena huffed.

“Shut up, Aggie.” Aiden threatened. “If you know something and you won’t tell us what it is then how can we prepare a good defense?” He asked Hades.

“You’re doing just fine,” Hades assured him and those around him.

Sensing that Hades was about to make a hasty exit David spoke. “Why did she reach out to him?  I mean, it is a him, right? I assume when you say ‘Oblivion’ you’re talking about that entity you keep trapped down there in the Underworld and not just plain old nothingness.”  David had seen the pit where Hades kept his pet or so that was how David had come to think of Oblivion during his time in the Underworld. Maybe it wasn’t a pet like Cerberus maybe it was a prisoner one that was jailed in the deepest darkest pit of hell for a damn good reason.  He was very glad that he’d made the decision to have Calla taken aboard Thor’s ship for the time being. Perhaps she’d be out of Oblivion’s reach onboard the starship.  “Why would she want it touch her? Why would she reach out for it?”

Hades wanted to tell him but he couldn’t.  “You ask good questions now find good answers.”  With that Hades did take his leave for the night.

The conversation over Poseidon told Athena to get a good night’s rest and he would return for her in the morning when they would go to Russia and Athena would attempt to open the pathway.  The King of the Seas and the King of Dreams did not return to their respective palaces for the remainder of the night instead they followed Hades to the Underworld. They did so not to nag him to spilling his secrets but because Poseidon needed to tell them that the Mortals had built weapons with which to wage war against them.  That they’d used her behind the backs of both King and Queen and used Calla as some type of lab rat for nearly 35 years.

Colleen and Paddy returned to their home for the night but Lilly wanted to stay in the main house.  Instead of going home she wandered up the stairs to the big bedroom the five of them had once shared.  It was just exactly the way she remembered it when they were all five or six. Grandma hadn’t changed a thing in all of those years. Five beds still stood in the center of the room in a semi-circle, each with its own night stand and lamp.  On the walls the art projects of elementary school children still hung happily.

“Are you going to stay here tonight?”

Lilly turned around to see Brigid standing in the doorway with her duffel bag.  “I was thinking about it.”

“Mind some company?”

“No.”

Brigid tossed her bag down on her old bed and looked around with a sigh.  Before she could speak someone else was barreling through the door and then she heard them letting out a grunt of disgust.  “Nice to see you too, Athena.” Brigid said without turning around to see her younger sibling standing there.  “Throw your stuff down on your bed, looks like we’re having a slumber party tonight.”

They each had their own rooms here in the main house, of course they did.  However, tonight it seemed as thought there was comfort and possibly even safety in numbers.

“Guys welcome too or is it just a girl thing?” Aiden asked without waiting for an answer he tossed his bag down on his old bed.  Funny how they’d all decided to stay here tonight without consulting each other.

“I think we can manage not to pick on you too much but just for tonight, Adie.” Brigid said with a smile as she tossed a pillow at him.  They’d picked on him mercilessly when they were younger, well he was the only boy in a house full of females.  Aiden took more than his share of his ribbing when they were coming up most of it took place right here in this room. “Hey, someone’s missing. Where’s Amy?”

Before she came upstairs, Amy asked David if Annie ever came home and when he said no she went to the room where they laid Danny for the night.  When she entered Morgan Le Fey was sitting with him and swabbing his forehead. The little boy was breathing heavy and he was bathed in sweat. “I’ll sit with him for a while.  You go on home, Grandmother.”

Honorary title or not it was just as sweet to hear Amy call her ‘Grandmother’ as it was when Calla called her ‘Mother’.  “If Annie doesn’t come home by tomorrow I’m going to go and get her.”

“I’ll go with you.” Amy agreed taking the cold damp cloth from Morgan’s delicate hand and then sitting on the bed.  “Good night, Grandmother.”

“Good night, Amy.” Morgan replied and laid a soft kiss on the young woman’s forehead.

Poor Danny sweated and groaned in his sleep as though he were in great pain. “Everything’s gonna be ok, kiddo, don’t worry.” She promised the sleeping boy as she pressed her hand to his. Behind her Amy felt a presence and turned to see Aiden standing there.

“How’s he doing?”

“Not good.”

“What are you doing in here?”

“Taking care of my brother.”

“All right, don’t get defensive.” Aiden held his hands up. “I just meant, well, ya know, with your history with Nick and all….”

“Nick’s an ass,” Amy shot. “So’s Annie for that matter, doesn’t mean Danny should suffer.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Aiden agreed. “Look, we’re all down in our old room so when you’re ready come on down and join us, ok?”

“Ok.”  Amy went back to swabbing Danny’s head.  She’d never love Nick she’d never feel anything for him but shame and anger—she tried to love him and forgive him the way Mom had done but she just couldn’t make it. Most days she couldn’t bring herself to look at him let alone talk to him. Pisser was Nick loved her that was obvious. He was always trying to reach out to her, give her advice, help her with things and she wanted nothing to do with him. That couldn’t be clearer but it didn’t stop Nick from trying. Although she tried not to, Amy took great dark delight in ignoring him and pretending he didn’t exist because she knew how much it hurt him.  None of that was Danny’s fault. No matter what horrible things Nick had done in his life, Danny was still Amy’s brother just as Kiki was her sister and they were good kids. The best things Nick ever did anyway. They shouldn’t have to suffer because their Father was an asshole.

An hour later Amy was weary and Danny was sleeping a bit  more peacefully so she took her leave and made her way to the bedroom all of them had once shared.  Before she could enter she heard raised voices. “What’s going on in here?”

Not ten minutes ago Brigid had been unpacking her bag for the night and she stumbled upon the half-necklace Aiden had tossed into her bag and burst into tears. Lilly, the ever-good sister, tried to comfort Brigid and find out what was wrong when she saw the necklace in Brigid’s clenched fist.  She grabbed hold of the medallion, turned it over, and saw the large ‘L’ she’d had engraved upon it. “Where did you get this?” Lilly screeched and yanked the necklace away from Brigid who was happy to let it go. In an almost non-discernable babble of sobs and tears she told them about Dexter and how he’d conned her into sleeping with him earlier today.

“Dexter?! This belongs to Steve! I gave it to him! You’ve been fucking my boyfriend??”

“N-n-no.” Brigid stammered. “Lil-Lilly I’d never do that to you.”

“Then how did you get THIS?” Lilly angrily shook the golden necklace at her sister. “I gave it to him just today! It was a Christmas present!”

Brigid didn’t know about that either. This was where Amy walked in the door and told them all to pipe down.

“Got a picture?” Athena asked seemingly from out of nowhere.

“What?” Lilly said harshly.

“Yeah,” Aiden agreed. “How ‘bout it? Either of you got a picture of this guy?”

Lilly left Brigid to rummage through her purse while Brigid did the same. Lilly came back with her digital camera and flipped through the images stored there until she found of Steve and then showed it to Aiden. “Happy?”

“You?” Aiden asked as he looked at the screen and felt his heart sink.

Brigid pulled a photograph out of her purse, actually it was a strip of photographs. A few weeks ago she and Dexter had gone to a local arcade and they had one of those funny old photograph booths where you put your dollar in and then you got a strip of five pictures back. She took handed it to Aiden.

“His name isn’t Dexter and it isn’t Steve, it’s Jack and he goes to Villanova with me.” Reluctantly he turned the camera and picture strip around so both sisters could see them and know they were the same man. 

Before either Lilly or Brigid could get a good look Athena snatched the pictures away. “Johnny.” She whispered in disbelief.

With dread in her heart Amy looked over Athena’s shoulder. “Eddie.” She said and looked at the others.

“You’ve all been fucking the same guy?” Aiden asked.

“Guess so,” Amy said in a distant voice, “so let’s call him by his real name, huh? Wolfgar.”

“You’ve been fucking your own brother?” Athena screeched. “What the hell else is new with your end of the family?”

That proved to be the breaking point. Amy flew at Athena and in turn Lilly and Brigid went at each. Everything degraded into a shouting matching which included much hair pulling, scratching, clawing, pushing, shoving, nasty accusations regarding one’s sexual habits, along with the throwing of objects and Aiden ducking for cover while the four girls went at each other over none other than Wolfgar. They shrieked and bitched at each other as though the other had gone far out of her way to stab her Sister in the back.

“Stop it!” Aiden finally shouted as he tried to bring some semblance of reason back to the situation.  “This is what he wanted. Don’t you get it? He used all of you including me.”

Amy and Athena were on the floor of their old bedroom with Amy on top while Athena pulled her hair from below and Amy tried to prevent Athena from scratching the hell out of her face. “You fuck him too?” Amy sneered as she glared over at Aiden for just a second and then looked back at the girl who had been such a thorn in everyone’s side over the course of their lives. “If you wanna get technical about it, Sister dear,….you’ve been screwing your own Nephew.” Amy shot then slapped the dark hair young woman hard across the face. “How’d ya like it, huh? Did’ja like suckin’ his cock? Did’ja let him fuck ya in the ass?”

From the other side of the room Brigid let out a sickening groan realizing she’d done the same and Lilly drew in a breath as she realized the man she’d fallen in love with was her cousin.  While Amy and Athena were absolutely livid Lilly and Brigid looked very much deflated.  Brigid lost her virginity to the man who was trying to tear their family apart and from the look on her face, Lilly, poor Lilly had actually been planning the day that she would bring him home to meet the family, maybe even the day that she might take his name. 

“I’m too stupid to live.” Brigid moaned. “I don’t believe this.”

Aiden turned to his wounded Sisters with kind eyes. “It’s not your fault,” he said in a soothing voice. “To answer you,” he said to Amy who was reluctantly rolling off Athena and letting her up, ““Ah, no. I didn’t sleep with him but thanks for asking.” Aiden said with a shake of his head.  “I did befriend him.  He’s been right here with us all along and we didn’t even know it.  Now we do and we know what the bastard looks like.” He pointed to the strip of pictures on the floor. The strip which 40 seconds ago had been whole but was now ripped to shreds.  “He used you and me so don’t be angry with each other be pissed at him.”

One thing Athena and Amy had in common was the firm knowledge and belief that men came and went, that was the nature of the male beast.  While each had a delightful time with the man they now knew was Wolfgar neither of them had put any stock or emotions into their relationships with him but Lilly and Brigid had. They were crushed.

Mortals.

With Amy and Athena it was a question of Pride and Territory but for Brigid and Lilly it was a matter of the Heart and the Head.

Not that the matter was resolved or all hurt feelings could easily be put aside but they stopped fighting and began to offer each other support, at least for the moment. They had all been duped by their common enemy and were seeking to get even. To that end it was better United than Divided even if they ground they walked up was littered with broken glass.

That was how last night had gone and if that wasn’t bad enough, when they got up this morning with strained but tentative peace still between them, they discovered Annie had returned home in the night and she’d brought a guest with her.  It was Lilly who first brought this fact to everyone’s attention when she looked out the bedroom window to note that; “Annie’s car’s in front of the house. She must be home.” Annie always took her car to the airport when she went to the SGC and she left it there no matter how long she was gone.

“I wonder if she’s checked in on Danny yet.” Amy mused and slipped into her bathrobe as she fluffed her curly red hair.  Pushing Lilly aside a little she looked out the window and down upon the sleepy house. “Probably not.” With that Amy disappeared from the bedroom only to reappear in the room where Danny was sleeping. His mother was no where in sight and the room looked to be exactly they way she’d left it last night. “What’s wrong with her?” Amy shook her head and then teleported to a place she almost never visited; Nick’s house.  All was quiet in the living room in fact nothing but the cat, Missy, moved on the first floor.  Annie must be sleeping.  One step, then another and Amy thought she heard someone moving around up there. Maybe Annie wasn’t sleeping after all, maybe she was awake and getting ready to come see Danny. Before Amy could call out Annie’s name she heard another sound.

“Ahum,”

Low and deep.  A few moments later the sound was repeated and accompanied by a twin.

Annie had a guest. A male guest from the sounds of it.  Nick was going to be pissed beyond belief but, in the wicked angry part of her, Amy felt that perhaps Nick deserved it.  Yes, perhaps he had it coming.

“Yeah, oh, don’t stop.” Annie pleaded in a heavy voice.

Amy was torn between staying near the bottom of the stairs or of ascending them to see if the bedroom door might be open just a crack. Just enough to see the man making love to Nick’s wife.  Whoever he was he was doing a good job by the sounds of it.  She’d meet him soon enough.

Soon enough turned out to be sooner than she thought as a half-hour later Annie and her new friend were sitting at the dining room table looking very cozy as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes while waiting for their breakfast to be served to them by the household staff.  Randy, Annie told all of them, was Calla’s physical therapist when she stayed at the SGC. As none of the others had the pleasure of meeting Randy prior today David had no choice but to back her up on that when she turned to him and said; “Isn’t that right?”  She went on to say that Randy had come all the way to Altair Ain just to help Annie with Calla’s recovery and, of course, with the ongoing fertility treatment of the UPs. By the way, since he didn’t have a place to stay, he was staying with her.

Aiden dropped his piece of toast onto his plate and looked at Annie with narrow eyes. “In Nick’s house?”  

“It’s my house.” Annie corrected very dismissively and completely unmindful of the heavy stares focused on her and her new friend. “Where’s Danny?” She asked in the same tone, almost as though her son were a side note in her life.

“Wow, you finally asked.” Amy said not hiding her anger.  Even though he had yet to say a word to anyone at the table she didn’t like Randy. There was something smarmy and oddly familiar about him. Then again, she’d know her share of men like Randy; looking for an easy lay and a short term fling.  Should she tell them or should she keep Annie’s secret? Amy pondered it for a while longer.  Annie’s secret would come out soon enough, by the looks of things she didn’t have any intention of keeping her fling with Randy the Physical Therapist secret from anyone least of all Nick. “He’s sick but Colleen already told you that.  So did Morgan. So did Mom.” She said thoughtfully. “He’s upstairs you should check on him.”

“Well let’s let him sleep for a while, shall we?” Annie said and took a sip of her coffee. “So what’s wrong with you? What’s with all the long faces? Who died?” That was a bad joke but she saw no reason to apologize for it. They all looked as though they hadn’t slept in days and if she wasn’t off her game Annie would say that Athena had a black eye and someone had scratched Amy’s neck but both wounds looked days old.

“It’s a family problem.” Athena told Annie. Seemed there were a lot of ‘family problems’ around here as of late.

Did she have to remind everyone around here of this simple fact? “I am family.” Annie retorted.

Brigid and Lilly, both still too upset to even look at food without wanting to hurl just sat at the table next to each other watching and listening to the others bicker. 

“Yeah, but he’s not.” Athena said and stuffed a piece of french toast in her mouth. “Besides, I don’t have time to sit around here, I have to go to Russia and open the pathway. Poseidon’s on his way, I can feel him.” No more were the words out of her mouth then, in a gentle gleam of aqua light, the King of the Seas appeared at the breakfast table.

“How’s my Niece this morning? Have you brought her home yet?”

“Not yet.” David answered.  “Don’t worry, I’ll have her back on time and Thor is taking excellent care of her I’m sure.”

“Why is Mom on the Asgard ship?” Annie asked. “She needs to be here where I can monitor her.”

“A half hour ago no one knew if you were even going to show up.” Aiden shot then looked over at Athena. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“I got it covered.” She said confidently and then tossed her long raven locks over her shoulder. “I’ll be back….with company, so have a big dinner waiting. Ready whenever you are, Uncle.”

As Athena and Poseidon disappeared all left in the dining room hoped she was right. Even, Annie who suddenly discovered that she cared very much whether or not her wayward husband came home. “I guess I’ll go check on Danny.” When Randy stood up with her she told him to go down to the clinic and supervise things.  Calla had earmarked the money from the auction toward expanding the health clinic in Altair Ain and the UPs had been busy setting those plans into action since the money came in.  “Let everyone undergoing the treatment know that we’ll want to see them today.”

Danny was still sleeping. He was bathed in sweat so heavily that his blankets were soaked through with it and he’d tossed them to the floor at some point during the night. His blue pjs were plastered to him. “Danny? Hello, sweetheart, its mommy.” Annie said gently as she sat on the side of the bed to take his hand. It was hot and he was very pale. “Danny?” She said in a louder voice. “Come on, wake up, honey.”  Annie shook him a little but he didn’t raise, he only groaned a little as though he were in pain. “Danny!”

“Told you he was sick. From what I hear everyone’s been telling you he’s sick but seems you’re too busy boinkin’ Randy to give a shit.” Amy accused from the doorway.

“Please, Amy, I don’t need this now.” Annie huffed. “I am not boinking….”

“Save it, sister.  I heard you this morning, I was there. I came to get you so you could get your ass up here and have a look at Danny.” Amy closed her eyes and made mock moaning sounds to taunt Annie.  “If you think the rest of them don’t know then you’re totally stupid.  You got a lot of balls to move him into Nick’s house, I gotta give you that much.” She was almost complimentary.

Annie didn’t want to sit here at the bedside of her sick son and justify her affair with Randy.  “I need to get him down to the clinic.”

“Current theory is that Wolfgar slipped him something.”

“How would that happen?”

Amy told Annie about that bit of unpleasant family business which caused the Jackson girls to wear such long faces this morning.  “He’s been around for a while so there’s no reason to think he couldn’t get to Danny….Kiki too.”

That took the remainder of the wind out of Annie’s sails she slipped her arms under Danny to pick him up. Knowing Annie intended to carry Danny all the way to clinic Amy pushed her aside and picked him up easily. “I’ll do it. Meet you there.” With her sick brother in her arms, Amy disappeared from the guest bedroom only to appear in the clinic and wait for Annie. “Your mother’s got her head up her ass but she still loves you, little man, she’s gonna fix you up, don’t you worry.”

End of Chapter Fifty of
Golden Years
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
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Chapter Fifty-One