Nick

Nick's parents had gone to a Witches Council meeting and he was alone in the house. Worse, there was no way to communicate with them since the power in his area was still very much out. No don't think about that, he scolded himself as he moved, the storage containers into the closet. Yesterday him and his family had packed all salvageable food into containers as well as water bottles. No oven, microwave, or fridge, jeeze he'd never really thought about how much power meant until it was gone. He was trying not to think about how all of his dad's grocery money had been spent on survival supplies. They had even gotten a solo stove.

Nick looked through the door and nearly fell over in surprise at the sight of Rayanna and Arssaya standing beside her. Nick felt panic build up in his chest. Calm down, she's not even the same species, that's kind of sick, I mean, she's thousands of years old, right? It doesn't matter that her lips taste good, or that she looks at you with those big brown eyes, she's still a very old sneaky fairie with ulterior motives. Nick chided himself, then another thought came to him. I'm only inviting her and Arssaya in so we can go to the rave thing. That's logical, right? He turned back to eye the rather attractive problem on his doorstep. I wonder if she really likes me? Then his treacherous hands wiped themselves on his jeans and attempted to fix his hair. "No stop it, you're not a sap, you're through being a sap!" he yelled out loud.

"Nick could yee let us in please?" Rayanna said.

"Nick, open the Goddamn door right now!" Arssaya yelled. Rayanna gave the other girl a disapproving look.

Nick scowled, he opened the door and said. "You claim you want nothing to do with me, then you bully me in my father's home"

"The TV is six inches from the kitchen table," Arssaya responded trying to turn it on and not getting a response. "How have you been liveing for the past week?"

" Ugh it's freezing in here, can't you turn up the heat?" Arssaya demanded.

"Sure and I'll turn on the radio as well." Nick snarked.

"So still no power," Rayanna realized.

"Can you at least turn on a light?" Arssaya asked.

"Ladies, observe," Nick turned on the battery powered lantern from the annual father-son camping trip.

"You can flip a switch, I'm riveted." Rayanna deadpanned.

"Is that an inflatable life raft?" Arssaya added, her eyes landing on all the things.

"Well given this veil thing drops bits of Fairyland anywhere I'd imagine there's a high possibility a river could end up in dad's apartment." he paused, "Speaking of which would the veil affect a closet? I'm thinking its a pretty smart shelter." he looked at Rayanna a bit smug.

"Maybe or yee could be impaled by someone's shoe." the faerie observed.

"Um, a rope, tarp, propane stove?" Arssaya looked around.

"Is your family not preparing?" Nick asked.

"We have food, water, and a first aid kit," she finished triumphantly.

Nick laughed in her face. "Are you kidding me, Arssaya? This is the apocalypse, your cute emergency kit is not going to cut it!" Nick knew the Whitneys weren't exactly rocket scientists, but honestly.

"Well i didn't know okay, I don't know about any, or this how long I'll last." Arssaya looked like she was about to cry and Rayanna gave him a nasty look.

The slender fair haired girl brought her over to the kitchen table. "Look, Arssaya, we know yer trying, and we want ta help, yee need ta stay strong and hold in just a wee bit longer. Yee can go ta yer parents after ta night and tell them about what yee need." Another glare toward Nick "Which I'm sure Nick with all his infinite knowledge will be glad ta share." Arssaya gave her a weak smile.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm being a baby." she berated herself.

"Yeah, I'll draw you up a list," the witch promised.

"What part of bad eyes don't you get?" Arssaya demanded.

"It'll be a very big list." Nick responded. Then he got a pencil and paper and began to write

"I brought food." Rayanna placed a tupperware container on the table. Nick just now noticed what looked like dessert in the container.

"Is that warm fudge?" he asked mouthwatering.

"It's Dutch Fudge," Rayanna explained.

"She insisted on helping prepare every dessert we had this week." Arssaya nudged her lightly. "The way you act like a mini domestic housewife is kind of creepy."

"I like ta bake sweets, all that lovely decorating," Rayanna responded.

"So where did you learn?" Arssaya asked her.

"I used ta asist a baker." Rayanna responded.

Nick plucked a piece of fudge from the container and took a bite. He was suddenly engulfed in an intense form of heaven where chocolate Santa's with wings sat on puffy sugar clouds strumming harps over a lush coco river. He came down from his fudge induced bliss with a loud " Muuuuuuph!"

Arssaya reached for a piece curiously, Nick slapped her hand away. "You know, gentlemen would share," Arssaya huffed.

"And a lady would know to keep her hands off my Goddamn fudge!" the witch retorted through a gooey mouthful of sugary goodness.

"Glad the gentlemen likes it," Rayanna grinned.

"I thank thee milady, for thy sweet treat," he said jokingly.

"Which one?" she asked teasingly. Nick swallowed nervously then collected himself in time to quip.

"Sorry, milady, tis the sweetness of fudge, blocking out thy sweet taste from my subconscious." he countered.

Rayanna threw back her head dramatically "Faithless knave! Leaving me for a flavor of richness. A pox on thee!" she teased.

"Great, it's Friday night and I'm hanging with the dorks." Arssaya grumbled.

Nick felt the familiar feeling of hurt course through him. "Um, you want a drink?" he asked them.

"No." Rayanna responded slowly crossing her legs. Nick swallowed dryly as he saw a flash of ankle. Arssaya rolled her eyes in response. Rayanna gave them both an amused look, the lips he'd tasted a few days ago curved wickedly yet enticingly just the same.

"Well. I want one sooooo." Nick struggled not to rush to the refrigerator. He took a carton of milk out and a cup from the still unemptied dishwasher. He poured himself a glass and chugged it feeling less like a mouse in a trap.

"Well, I've got to go to the bathroom." Arssaya got up and went in the direction of his toilet.

"If yee want ta calm your nerves, Scotch Blue is far better." Rayanna remarked breaking the silence.

"This century has different drinking laws, we're still underage." The witch stated inwardly wincing, was he that obvious?

"Da yee always follow the rules?" she challenged him.

"Rules are very comforting," he said defiantly.

"Fine, some rules are made to be broken." The girl said easily.

"Well, you're a fairie, of course you'd see things that way." Nick snapped,then winced. "Sorry that was unkind." He felt instantly remorseful as her face fell.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed yee, and I'm always doing things like that." Rayanna assured him.

"No, no it's fine it was a good kiss..I just..." he trailed off unable to put his ideas into words. "You confuse me." There, he sort of admitted it.

"That's fair, yee confuse me as well." Rayanna stated.

"I do?"

She nodded. " Last night on the phone, we seemed okay. Now you're acting like a skittish lamb being stalked by a lion." She tilted her head and twirled a piece of her hair. She looked adorable like that, no not adorable more like sex.. No stop it! She's a fairie. Nick blinked to stop himself from going there.

"How am I sure you're not a lion?" he challenged.

"Lioness, the correct term is lioness." she responded barring her white teeth.

"You're not denying it being a predator," The witch stated smugly.

"Everyone is in some shape or form," she responded casually. "Life is a balancing act, in order for something ta live something else has ta die. Gaia is cruel."

"That's a morbid way of looking at things," Nick mused, taking another sip of his milk.

"Arssaya may not wish ta reveal it, but I believe you hold a special place in her heart."

Nick scoffed at that. "Yeah right, Arssaya has a heart?" Secretly he felt a bit warm at the thought that Arssaya had gone out of her way. "How do you know this?" the witch questioned.

"She still has the sketch yee drew of Princess Powers." Rayanna commented.

"Really, she still has it?" he exclaimed before remembering himself. " I mean yeah so?" He added a forced snort.

Rayanna gave him a knowing look. "I don't think it's stupid at all"

"Really? I'd offer to show you my sketches, but they were lost along with my room," he said glumly.

"Yee could always do new ones." she interjected.

"Did you see the back of the Princess Powers sketch?" Nick asked awkwardly.

"There was a back?" the Leanansidhe responded. "Oh, are we discussing the picture where Nick has Princess Powers turn evil, and kill Captain Overbite?" Arssaya strode back over to the table, her tone accusing.

"Actually, I debated having Captain Overbite kill Princess Powers," Nick confessed.

"Wonderful." The pale haired girl drawled. " Like unhappy endings then?"

"No I was just in a bad place, and...certain people didn't make things better." he emphasized.

There was a long silence.

"Well, this is completely off the record and I'll deny it if you tell anyone." His former friend paused " Could you um revamp the Princess Powers character, back into a hero. Maybe give her a spin off comic." The fair haired girl flushed.

Nick couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't make fun of me! Sorry it's stupid and childish" she muttered.

"You misunderstand, You loved reading my self-made comics all along"

"I didn't....okay, fine, I loved your lame ass comics. So will you do it?" Arssaya looked hopeful.

"Sure I'll give her a panda sidekick, too. Just don't squeal over every panel." Nick smirked.

"I do not squeal over paaaaaaandas!" Arssaya shrieked as the witch picked up a safari magazine on the table and flipped to the table of contents where a large panda chewed on bamboo. Rayanna snickered loudly.

"You set me up, you asshole."

Nick gave her a triumphant look. "I wanted to get one squeal out of you for our guest."

Arssaya scowled. "I hate you, and Princess Powers better get a panda."

"Anything for my number one fan," Nick teased.

"Anything?" Arssaya smiled sweetly and scooped up a piece of his fudge .

"You fiend!" he gasped. Arssaya chewed it in an antagonistic manner. "Rayanna stop her!"

Rayanna laughed. "Now children!" Then a sad look touched her face briefly as if something unpleasant occurred to her. Then it was gone and she was all warmth again. He felt a prickle in his stomach, something didn't feel right. Suddenly he didn't feel so well the room started spinning he gripped the table.

"Nick! Nick!" Arssaya shouted, the dizziness passed and the first thing he saw was Rayanna giving him a blank stare.Arssaya noticed Rayanna's face " What did you do!" she demanded angrily.

"Sit down and I'll explain everything."

Arssaya stood her ground. "No, you're explaining yourself right now!"

The other growled. "Am I?" Rayanna reached into a drawer and pulled out a knife.

"Ray, what are you doing? put that down!" Nick said nervously. The girl simply sliced her palm, " Ouch!" Nick felt like a knife had sliced his own palm, looking he gasped seeing the open cut on his palm. Rayanna held out her own bleeding palm, her skin sealed itself up.

"I'm not asking again. Sit down." the fairie said simply her eyes locked on the other girls. Nick looked at her in stunned amazement

"Non si fidano le fate," Rayanna reminded him " Yee should have listened ta your grandmother, Nick."