You Wanna Piece of Me?

“What the fuck just happened?” Jon said, eying the spot where Lucie had been. His hands flexed on Excalibur’s hilt, not quite believing the whole thing was over.

“We will explain everything when we are back at your house,” Fiona answered. She looked around warily, and gave a shiver. “I still do not like the feel of this place.”

“Let’s get gone then,” Richie said, turning toward Stonehenge. He had his hand possessively on Morganna’s arm and was pulling her along with him. Mid-stride he stopped and turned around.“What about him?” Richie asked, hitching his chin at Alec.

“What aBOUT him?” Jon shot back. “The fucker was in-in-in-COLLUSION with the fucking Devil. Fuck him.”

“Hey man,” Richie said, eyeballing Alec, who was still lying, bleeding, on the ground. “He saved my life.”

Jon took a deep breath and looked from Richie to Alec and back. The man had a point. “Okay, okay, he can come too.” Jon looked at Fiona. “We can bring him back through the ring thing, right?”

Fiona nodded, and they made their way to the center of Stonehenge. In the blink of an eye, they were back in Jon’s garden, and trudged wearily into the house. They trouped into the kitchen and fell into chairs, Alec a little bit apart from the others.

“Is everyone alright?” Morganna asked softly.

Jon and Richie looked at each other. “Yeah, we’re alright,” Richie said. “But we have a shit load of questions.”

Fiona nodded. “I thought you might.”

Jon and Richie spoke at the same time.

“Why was that so easy? Why did your brother just up and leave? ” Richie asked.

Jon said, “Who or what the fuck is Alec?”

The men looked at each other and chuckled. Richie flapped his hand in Jon’s direction. “Answer his first. Though my patience is finally worn through. I want answers. To everything.”

“It’s about damned time you start demanding to know shit,” Jon mumbled. “So about Alec,” Jon said, looking squarely at Fiona. “What is he?”

Fiona shook her head. “It is not my story to tell.”

“I don’t give a shit who tells it, as long as someone does,” Jon said.

Fiona nodded to Alec who sat up a bit straighter and winced. When Morganna moved to check his wound, Alec waved her off. “It is healing, it is just painful. As always.” He looked at Jon and slowly stood to offer his hand. “Good evening,” he said. “My name is Longinus.”After a long moment, Jon shook his hand.

Nodding, Longinus reclaimed his seat and gave a brief rundown of his history with Lucie; starting with the crucifixion and the spear, through the curse that was laid on him, through the centuries of spying on the Chosen for Lucie, hoping to hasten the end of days so that he may finally die. Longinus took them through everything, ending with what had just happened at Stonehenge. By the time he had finished his recitation, the sun had started to peek through the trees.

“When I saw what you intended to do,” he said to Richie, “to sacrifice yourself like that without concern...” He trailed off and sat back down, looking out the window and trying to compose his thoughts. “Here I am, wishing for death but denied it by a vengeful master. There you were, with everything to live for, willing to give it up in a moment.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such selflessness. I want to die more than almost anything in this world, but not at that cost.”

Richie shook his head. “It wasn’t without concern, man. I really didn’t want to die.” He approached Longinus. “’Thank you’ doesn’t seem like enough,” he said. “You saved my life.” Richie pulled the other man up out of his chair and wrapped his arms around him. “Thank you,” he said quietly, his throat choked with emotion.

“You’re welcome,” Longinus answered simply, then turned to Jon, waiting to see if he would be forgiven. For some reason, it mattered to him more than he thought it would.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Jon asked. “I mean, we were like brothers; why didn’t you feel like you could tell us about this? That you were immortal? We would have understood.”

Alec just shook his head. “Now? Perhaps. Then? Back when you were young and foolish? No. You would not have believed me.”

“Aw sure we would’ve, man,” Richie said. “After we ran your ass over with the tour bus a time or two.”

Alec joined the pair in a chuckle then groaned as the pain of his wound gripped him. “Perhaps then you would have believed me,” he conceded. “However, I do not think I would have liked being run over by a bus.”

“No, no you wouldn’t have,” Jon agreed. “So what now?”

“Now I go back to my existence and you go on with your lives. I will heal, as I always do, and I will await the end of the world – without helping this time – so I can be at peace.” He stood and started from the kitchen. “I will always treasure our friendship.”

Jon stood and crossed to Alec. “We’re still brothers, you know,” he said. “In the end, you saved my best friend’s life. You may have done some shitty things in the past, but you did the right thing when it counted. Thank you.” He gave Alec a bracing hug, clapping the other man on the back. "Besides, you know the Jersey Syndicate rules – it’s damned near impossible to get in, but once you do...” he trailed off, waiting for Alec to pick up the rest.

He didn’t disappoint. “It is definitely impossible to get out,” Alec said with a smile.

“Will you be alright?” Jon asked, eying Alec’s blood-soaked shirt.

Alec nodded. “It will take a little time, but it will heal. Good job today,” he said, and nodded once before leaving the house.

“Well,” Richie said, crossing to the counter to start a pot of coffee, “that was fucked up.”

Jon shook his head and leaned his ass on the counter across from Richie. “No more so than the rest of this freak show.”

“So,” Richie said, turning to the fey, who had moved their chairs closer together. “Why was it so easy to beat the devil? That just doesn’t sound right.”

Morganna offered a wan smile. “You did not beat him,” she said, “you merely thwarted him this time. In another thousand years, the time will be right again for him to try, and another set of Chosen, with another set of Guardians will try to do so again.”

“That brings up another question,” Richie said, “but you have to answer the first one first. Why was it so easy?”

Fiona cut in. “Your bond,” she said bluntly. “The magic created by the strength of your bond kept Lucie from using his magic directly against you. Do you not think he has as much power, if not more, than we do?”

“Yeah,” Jon said, “that’s kinda why we asked the question. What do you mean, ‘our bond’ kept him from hocus-pocus-ing us?”

Morganna shook her head. “I do not know exactly, only that the unconditional brotherly love you share with one another is powerful. Matched with your dogged determination – ”

Richie interrupted, “Jon, that’s code for your stubborn-ass hard-headedness.”

“Shut up fuckwad,” Jon countered. “Let the lady finish.”

Morganna smiled. “Thank you. Matched with your determination and the magic in the swords,” the men hefted the items in question, still reluctant to lay them down, “made it difficult for Lucie to perform his magic. Did you not notice that the demons never appeared exactly where you were?” She waited while Jon and Richie processed this bit of information. “No harm ever befell you in your home.”

“Huh, I didn’t think about that before,” Jon said. “So we were able to win the day because I don’t hate this schmuck?”

Fiona laughed. “Basically, yes. He could not work his magic in your direct presence.”

“Oh,” Jon said, a wicked twinkle in his eye. “So the Devil suffers from a little performance anxiety, huh?”

Richie laughed. “Hey man, I hear they got a pill for that.”

Jon burst out laughing himself. “Oh that's cold, brother.”

It took a moment for the men to get themselves under control. “So what happens now?” Richie asked Morganna. “You said something about – ”

“What happens,” a deep voice said by the kitchen doorway, “is that you go on with your lives, and I will take the swords back to their rightful resting places.” Merlin had appeared in the garden, but his arrival had gone unnoticed by the fey. He took it upon himself to enter the house and find the foursome.

“Take the swords?” Jon said, instinctively backing away from the wizard and holding the hilt tighter. “We really don’t need them anymore?”

“You truly do not,” Merlin said. “You have fulfilled your destinies as the Chosen, and vanquished the Fallen for another millennium. Your time with the weapons has passed.”He went first to Jon, and waited for him to hand over Excalibur.

“Damn,” Jon said once the sword was in Merlin’s hands. “It feels like something’s missing. Like a piece of me is being ripped away.” His eyes nearly teared up when Merlin disappeared the weapon.

“Aw damn, man,” Richie said, as Merlin approached him. “Don’t tell me shit like that.” Just before Merlin got to him, Richie asked, “If I’m really Accolon, isn’t this MY sword?”

Merlin smiled and shook his head. “Alas, no. It will be needed the next time the signs come to pass. You must give it over so the next may use it as wisely as you have.”

“Shit,” Richie said, and handed Merlin the sword.

“And how is your leg?” Merlin asked, looking down at the torn fabric of his jeans and the torn flesh beneath.

“It doesn’t hurt quite so much as it did,” he answered, following Merlin’s gaze. “I just hope it doesn’t – hey!” Richie was astonished to see his leg totally healed. “What – who – how?”

Merlin just smiled and made Dorado vanish just as Excalibur had. “You have done well,” Merlin said to the fey. “But you know there is one last task before you may return Home,” he said.

Fiona and Morganna nodded, though they looked incredibly sad.“Aye, Merlin,” Fiona said. “We have not forgotten.”

“Yes,” Morganna added. “We will do what is expected.”

“Very well,” Merlin said. He nodded once and blinked out.

“What does he mean?” Richie asked, looking at Morganna.

She rose from her chair and leaned into Richie, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Surreptitiously, she stroked the earring Richie had given her. “We can talk about that later. After.”

“After?” Richie said, momentarily confused. When he met Morganna’s violet eyes, however, all confusion vanished just as surely as the swords did. “Oh,” he said. “After.” He swooped Morganna up into his arms and left a chuckling Jon behind in the kitchen with an equally determined Fiona.

As Richie and Anna left the room, murmuring softly to each other as lovers do, Fiona sidled closer to Jon. She didn’t want to give him the opportunity to ask his question again. As single-minded as he was, it would be hard enough to distract him as it was.She smiled up at him as her hands smoothed the few wrinkles from his soft gray t-shirt, enjoying the play of muscles as she went. “Shall I pop us up to your room as well?” she asked, her voice husky.

Blue eyes twinkled as he smiled down at her. “I have a better idea.” He bent and scooped her up, so that she hung over his shoulder, one strong hand cupping her ass to keep her in place, the other held the back of one of her knees. He held her tightly as he strode for the door.

Fiona giggled softly, as she watched his ass. It was spectacular....even from upside down.


**********

The next morning, Fiona starred at her reflection in Jon’s bathroom mirror. Somehow, she knew she had to find the strength to do her duty. She wasn’t sure how she would go on from here, even with the knowledge that she was being allowed to go Home. Home would have everything she could ever want or need.

Except Jon.

He had been so much a part of her life for so very long that she knew she’d never be able to get over him. So much of her life had been spent protecting his, and the Council hadn’t even left her that. With Jon and Richie having completed their destiny, there would no longer be any need to protect them from her brother.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her back on her reflection. She had to coax Jon into a walk along the riverbank behind his home like she and her sister had planned. She patted the front pocket of her pants, feeling the bump that was the small velvet drawstring bag that held the memory dust. Any fleeting hope she’d had that it might be gone was dashed.

She stepped back into the bedroom and paused to soak up one last look at her love. She watched as he rolled over, reaching out for her, heard his soft sleepy growl when he discovered she was gone. She would miss that sound.

His soft growl whenever he was annoyed had always been irritating to her, but now, it was almost endearing. How had he gone from annoying assignment to the most important thing in Creation so fast?

Sitting on the side of his bed, she tenderly stroked his back. “Jon, you need to wake up. I made coffee.”

He flopped over on his back and smiled sleepily up at her. “What’s got you up so early this morning?” He flashed her a lecherous grin. “C’mon back to bed; I’ll make it worth your while,” his voice was gruff and hoarse from sleep, and it was hard for her to believe that his siren powers had no effect on the Fey.

Regretfully, she shook her head, and tried to ignore his appeal. “We need to talk.”

Jon had always hated those four words. And, there was just something in her voice that told him he wasn’t going to like them after this either.

Fiona managed to get him moving, and after stopping downstairs for cups of coffee, she led him down to the river. She and her sister had planned on starting at opposite ends of the property and walking toward each other along the river to meet at the old wooden dock in Jon's backyard, spending their last few minutes with their lovers to say good bye.


**********

A flash of movement caught Morganna’s eyes as she stared out the window. She looked down and saw her sister share what had to be a bittersweet kiss with Jon. She sighed and turned from the window as her sister angled Jon toward the river. As Morganna watched them disappear, she knew she had to soon follow suit.

She turned back to the bed , blinking tears from her eyes.Morganna would risk recycling in a heartbeat if she thought it would be safe for her to break the rules and not use the small pouch of memory dust that weighted down her skirts as surely as if it were a lead weight. But she knew that she and Fiona would have to hide from The Council. Which meant Jon and Richie would have to give up everything to hide with them. She could never ask Richie to give up his world. His career. His daughter.She loved him too much for that.

“Hey pretty lady,” a deep voice rumbled from the tangle of sheets on the bed. “What has you so sad? I thought I did a pretty good job on you last night.”

Morganna smiled. She would miss his wit. “Aye, that you did,” she said, crossing the room to sit on the bed by his side.

“Do that magic trick where your clothes disappear,” Richie said, even as he gathered up her skirts in his hand.

“I cannot, not right now,” she said. “Would you do something for me?”

“Anything,” Richie said, sitting up and noting the look of utter despair on Morganna’s face.

“Would you get dressed and come down to the kitchen?” She stood up and swallowed hard. “There are some things you must hear.”

“Sure thing, Anna, darlin’,” Richie said, sliding his legs out from under the covers. He stood and gathered Morganna in his arms. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

Morganna nodded, and left Richie to get dressed while she escaped down to the kitchen. When he joined her several minutes later, she poured them each steaming mugs of coffee and handed him one. He watched her over the rim of his mug as he took a bracing gulp.

Morganna glanced out the window and saw her sister and Jon approaching the meeting point. She was out of time.“Walk with me,” she said, “and I promise, I will tell you everything.”

Richie took one more bracing gulp from his mug. He had a feeling he would need it.