Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Tuatha de D ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Title: "Tuatha da D"

Author: Mistress of the Sword

Archived: PSoH Fanfiction Group, Fanfiction.net

Chapter 1/? (Prologue) Started: 01/19/05

Disclaimer:Don’t own, don’t claim to, and don’t make any money off of this.

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      ~Come, climb on my back.~

      ‘No.’

      ~Why not?~

      ‘Because I don’t trust you.’

      ~What have I ever done to you that should make you so mistrustful of me?~

      ‘Well… nothing really. But you’re a horse. And horses don’t talk.’

      ~How would you know?~

      ‘Because they just don’t!’

      ~But you’re a human. And humans never listen.~

      ‘Now you sound like Count D.’

      ~Then perhaps this Count D is someone you should listen to if you will refuse to acknowledge the words of your own kin.~

      ‘You can’t be my kin. You’re a horse.’

      ~You say that as if it makes a difference.~

      ‘I’m going now.’

      ~Where do you wish to go? I will take you.~

      ‘Look, I’m not riding a talking horse.’

      ~What makes you think I’m a horse anyway?~

      ‘… You’re a really big dog? Or something??’

      ~Or something. Climb on, I will take you for a ride.~

      ‘I don’t want you to take me for a ride.’

      ~What do you want?~

      ‘What do I want?’

      ~What is your deepest desire?~

      ‘My deepest… desire?’

~~~~~

     “Open this door!”

     Harsh pounding on the chipped apartment door pulled one plainclothes detective of the LAPD from his not quite peaceful slumber. The wood was jerked back, saving it from further abuse, to reveal a head of tousled golden hair. Bleary blue eyes regarded the new comer with supreme indifference, even as his mind registered the unexpectedness of her presence.

     “Leon, where’s Christopher? We agreed to let you have him because you said you would make sure he was enrolled in a school that would take care of his special needs, only to find out that you suddenly changed your mind and you’re keeping him! What is the meaning of this?!”

     The middle-aged woman at his doorstep wore her customary ‘power’ suit, as he liked to call it. A three piece ensemble in a rich blue color that set off her eyes with a pearl necklace and matching ear rings. Her short cut hair curled around to frame her face and was positively quivering with her suppressed anger at him.

     “H’llo Auntie! What’n un’spected s’rprise,” the young man mumbled, attempting to smile. It would have worked too, but the effect was ruined by his yawning halfway through.

     “Don’t give me that! Now where’s Christopher?” the woman snapped impatiently.

     “Chris isn’ here right now,” he stepped back to open the door more, inviting his relative inside. Leon raised his hand to rub an itch on his chin, thinking that he should probably shave before he goes to work. Maybe just a shower. If he could get rid of his aunt quickly he could go back to bed and not shaving would give him an extra five minutes of sleep.

     Wait-why the heck is SHE here?

     Leon slowly closed the door behind her while his mind began registering the reason for her visit. The conclusions that he was drawing were waking him up very quickly. She was here to collect Chris, and she was going to put him in a school herself. He leaned against the shut door, regarding this new threat warily. He could feel his shoulders tense as his mind immediately began to slip into defensive mode.

     He noticed his aunt’s lip raised in disdain at his apartment; filthy as always, with rather pornographic posters plastered across the walls and ceiling. Leon winced internally at the realization of how bad the apartment looked for his case of being able to take care of a six year old. There was no way she was going to allow her ‘son’ to be raised in such depravity. She was planning on taking Chris with her. And there was no way anyone would believe him if he told them that the posters were there to cover the water stains and cracks in the walls.

     Even though it was mostly true.

     “Where is he?” she demanded again.

     “I told you, Chris isn’t here. He spent the night at a friend’s house.”

     “Your brother needs to be somewhere that his special needs can be treated! Please explain to me why you decided to go against our agreement and withdrew Christopher’s registration from the institution?”

     “I’m not sending him to an institution because to be quite honest I don’t think there’s an institution in this whole world that can cater to his ‘special needs’. Now if that’s all you came by to say then I’m going back to bed. I can probably get at least another hour’s sleep before I have to get ready for work.”

     “Don’t you dare take that tone of voice with me! Take me to Chris right now, I’m taking him back home! The only reason I agreed to let him stay with you is because-”

     “Is because he just found out about mom and you’re scared to death of the thought of having to answer him when he regains his voice and asks about dad,” Leon finished viciously.

     *Smack!*

      Leon wrenched his head back around to turn burning eyes on his aunt. She recoiled a step, shocked by her own actions. An angry red imprint graced her oldest nephew’s face, evidence of her own fear at the truth in his statement. They stared silently at each other, the tension swirling threateningly through the room.

     Finally Leon broke the dangerous silence.

     “If that’s all you came by to say, then please excuse me.” He twisted the knob at his back and smoothly slid to the side, leaving the door open in a silent demand. She inclined her head, in an equally silent concession that she had stepped out of bounds with her actions. When she was beside him she stopped and lifted her hand to lightly touch the mark she had left. She raised her eyes to his, letting her regret show clearly in their depths.

     “I’m sorry. I’m so worried about him though.”

     His face softened the slightest bit.

     “I understand. We don’t want the same thing that happened to me happening to him. I can help prevent that, I just need to be alone to find the best course. I thought the school was right, but then I realized it wasn’t. I know I don’t seem like much but…Trust me?”

     Leon’s aunt closed her eyes a second before opening them. Taking a deep breath she nodded.

     “Alright. We’ll do this your way. But if at any time you don’t think you can handle it, please get him someone who can. Please?” the last word came out as a whisper.

     “I will.”

     And then she was gone.

     Leon rubbed his face tiredly. Once more retreating to the sanctuary of his bedroom, he realized that he suddenly felt exhausted. A quick glance at the clock let him know that he now had less than an hour to sleep before he had to get ready for work.

     “Hell of a wake up call.”

     He collapsed back on his bed, pulling the covers over his waist, and, despite the worries now attempting to crowd the back of his mind, sank once more into troubled dreams.

      ~What is it you want? What is your deepest desire?~