"And he just gave them to you?"

"Yes. Didn't ask for anything in return."

Raphael shook his head.

"It was him that helped me get Rouge May back." The vampire squeezed his witches hand as the four of them looked at the horns sitting on the coffee table. "That demons, too charming, I always feel like he must be up to something. Maybe it's knowing who the father is."

"Could he have done something to them?" Asked Myron as Chara distractedly drew patterns on his hand with her fingertips.

"It's possible." Replied Rouge. "He is a demon and they aren't known to do things for free."

"Except he does. He helped get your bride back. What's he asked for in return?" All four looked up as Cassiel walked in with the Oracle holding onto his arm. Walking slowly he sat her in a chair and turned to glare at his brother with his arms folded.

"Should we be judged by our father for all time no matter what we do?"

"That's different." Replied Raphael.

"How is it?"

"Our father isn't the actual devil."

"His behaviour might have indicated otherwise." Snorted the hybrid as he perched on the arm of the Oracles armchair.

"I get he's your friend."

"Yes, he is my friend. Therefore I know him a damned sight better than you. He's a good man, you judge him by his father but you don't know him or who his mother is. Just because he was partly born of evil doesn't make him evil."

"Who is his mother?"

"He never says."

"She's ashamed of him." Chimed in the Oracle her gaze, as ever, staring off into the distance.

"You know who she is?" Asked Rouge, sitting forward and looking intently interested.

"I know all." Said the Oracle, turning her blank gaze to the witch.

"Who?"

"Should I tell all gathered here your secrets, Rouge May?" Sitting back, Rouge blushed profusely and felt uncomfortable under the pupiless gaze of the all seeing deity.

"His mother wants none to know her shame." Cassiel glared daggers at his brother.

"I would have thought knowing the pain of a parent who hates you, you could be more understanding of a man who's own mother rejected him."

Myron cleared his throat.

"Do you think they can be reattached?" He asked, looking pointedly at Rouge May who was still squirming under the Oracles gaze.

"Yes." He felt Charas grip on his arm tighten. "But I can't do it. I'm not powerful enough."

"Merlin can." Said the Oracle in her sing-song voice, her gaze once again unfixed on anything.

"My fathers not going to travel from his keep."

"Take her to him. Tell him I said he'd do it, as a favour to me."

"I'm not sure he'll believe me." The Oracle didn't answer as they all stared at her. Gazing up at the ceiling she tilted her head a little and blinked but didn't utter another word.

"Can we try?" Asked Chara.

"Try what?" Asked Kaia as she walked in with baby Artemis in her arms. She paused and stared at the coffee table.

"Are those your antlers?" Chara nodded as she looked at her sisters gleaming gold horns on her forehead. "Oh Char, your beautiful antlers."

"She'll get them back." Said the Oracle, still gazing at the ceiling.

"I never know if she's listening or not." Whispered Raphael in Rouges ear.

"I'm always listening to all the voices, I hear all, I see all." Came her sing-song response. Cassiel took her hand and stroked it.

"Take my Chara to your father Rouge May. The horse gave back her leg, the wizard will give back her antlers. In the battle she will sing." With that the Oracle got up and taking Cassiels arm let him escort her out.

"I don't sing." Said Chara with a scowl.

"Maybe she means metaphorically?" Supplied Kaia who was trying not to giggle at the idea of her always serious sister prancing about a battlefield singing, maybe a bit of dancing too.

***

Rouge called her father again before huffing and sitting on one of the giant rocks.

"Why does he not come?" Asked Chara, looking about the huge stones that made up Stonehenge.

"Wait here." Said the agitated witch as she pulled a mirror out of her handbag and handed it to her vampire. Myron rubbed Charas shoulder as they watched Rouge mutter to herself and disappear into the mirror.

"Papa? Mama?" Called Rouge as she climbed out of her childhood bedroom's mirror and started out of the room. She made her way to the main living room and found both of her parents sitting at the dining table with a feast of fresh fruits and pastries in front of them.

"Rouge, sweetheart. Join us." Said her mother, guesting at an empty chair.

"Didn't you hear me calling?" Asked the red haired witch as she folded her arms over her chest.

"I'm eating breakfast." Replied her father, reaching for another pastry.

"I have people outside."

"Shouldn't have come at breakfast time." Shrugged Merlin.

"The Oracle told us to come."

"The Oracle? White hair, terrifying eyes? Knows it all? I didn't know she was back."

"Rouge May told you a few weeks ago dearest." Said Nimue quietly. Merlin thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, she might have done. I remember her visiting." He looked up at her. "You visit more than you used to."

"Yes she does, dear. It's so nice to see more of her." Smiled Nimue as her husband made a non committal noise in his throat.

"Why?"

"Do I visit more?" Asked Rouge in a hurt tone.

"No." Said the old man irritably. "Why did the Oracle tell you to bring people here? I don't like people."

"To reattach a golden hinds antlers."

"They're extinct." Said the ancient wizard, dismissing her answer with a shake of his hand.

"They aren't extinct. Raphaels brother is fated to one. We found another with the Oracle. I told you last time I visited." Ninue stroked her husband's hand.

"She did, dear." He looked from his wife to his daughter then picked up another pastry.

"Yes, yes, I remember. I'm not senile you know." Rouge stopped herself rolling her eyes.

"Will you do it?"

"Do what?" He said as he popped another piece in his mouth.

"Reattach the hinds antlers?" She asked in an exasperated tone, he chewed thoughtfully.

"How'd she lose them?"

"She cut them out."

"Herself?" Exclaimed Nimue in horror.

"Yes, the Oracle told her to."

"Oh so the Oracle makes the girl mutilate herself then expects me to fix it. Silly child, can fix her own mistake."

"Papa, please. It's not like that. She was hiding her from Zeus."

"Will it annoy Zeus if I do it?" The old wizard loved to poke at the god knowing he couldn't touch him.

"Yes. It might."

"You should have said that at the start." He waved his hand and Chara appeared next to Rouge. The hind looked startled and crouched slightly as she stared about the gloomy chamber.

"Chara, this is my father Merlin." Said Rouge quickly before the hind drew her sword.

"When I finish breakfast I will reattach your antlers." He said as he pointed to another empty chair. "Sit, both of you. Eat. It's breakfast time, it's in civilised to visit people before breakfast. Wine?"

"Not with breakfast Papa." Said Rouge as she sat down and gestured for Chara to do the same.

"Wine is good with any meal." Said the ancient wizard as Nimue stood up and poured them each a glass of juice.

"Orange juice, Merlin. We have orange juice with breakfast." He looked into his own glass of juice, then shrugging and drank it and held out his glass for a refill.

"So, Where's these antlers?" Chara pulled them out of the small brown leather bag she carried and placed them on the table.

"They look more like tiny horns than antlers." He said squinting at them.

"They grow when she becomes a doe."

"No they dont. They are on the dinner table." Rouge took a deep breath, her father was clearly having a bad day and back chatting at him wouldn't help. But by the Hecate she wanted to.

"Once you've reattached them they will."

Chara thought the peculiar wizard would eat forever. The family seemed so strange and disjointed. Ninue and Merlin seemed nothing like Rouge May and vice versa. Nimue seemed more like the wizard's mother than his wife.

While Nimue cleared away the food and plates Merlin picked up one of her horns and studied it, then looked at the crater like scars on her forehead.

"It's going to hurt." Said the wizard as he placed the horn into one of the craters.

*""

Myron paced the stone circle in agitation while Raphael sat on a fallen rock and watched the clouds.

"How long will they be?" Asked the centaur as he eyed some humans trying to work out why they weren't running from his screaming.

"I wound up sitting here for three days once." Replied the vampire with a sigh as he glanced at the humans. "Don't worry they can't see us, as long as we stay inside the stones."

"Three days!?"

"Merlin isn't all there. Well most days. Some days he's as sharp as one of your blades." Just then a shrek filled the air making the humans milling around outside the stone circle look around in fear.

"That was Chara." Said Myron, his voice filled with fear and anger as he bucked on the spot. Moments later the shriek came again. His hooves thundered on the ground as the centaur snorted and bellowed at the ground.

"Chara!"

***

Pain exploded through Charas temple as her first horn was slammed back into her skull. Seconds later the wizard did the same again. As Merlin attached the second horn his fingertips brushed the hinds skin. An image flashed before his eyes of the creature falling to the floor at his feet an arrow protruding from her chest. The vision was gone by the time her scream had died. He touched the side of her face trying to see more then sighed. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the girl as her hands cradled her head and his daughter dropped to her knees beside her.

"For Hecates sake Papa, you could have warned her properly." Ignoring Rouge's admonishment he grabbed one of the hinds hands and examined her fingertips.

"Do you want the nails back?" He asked, he didn't know what was going to happen but it seemed one day this creature would take an arrow for him which softened the old wizard to her. "It won't hurt as much." Tears streaming down her face Chara nodded and gasped as a burning sensation filled her fingers and toes. It faded as Merlin let go of her hand and moved across the room stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"What did you see?" Rouge knew that look on his face and knew he wouldn't have done more than asked for no reason.

"Not much." The witch bristled at his vague answer.

"You clearly saw something meaningful enough to make you show her compassion." He shot his daughter a contemptuous look.

"No one should know too much about their future."

"She worked for the Oracle for centuries. What did you see?" Merlin waved his hand dismissively then without dropping to the floor he lifted both his feet into the arm and crossed his legs.

"Papa?" Demanded Rouge as he closed his eyes and hovered in the air. "Papa!"

"Rouge sweetheart. You know he won't answer you. Do you want some cake to take with you?" Sighing in exasperation the witch shook her head.

***

Myron gathered Chara into his arms as her and Rouge appeared between two of the stones next to him. Raphael gave Rouge's angry expression a quick look and decided against crossing the distance between them.

"Are you ok? I heard you scream." Eyes still red from tears Chara nodded.

"Yes. I have my antlers again." She held her hands up, "and my nails." Myron kissed her forehead between the still inflamed skin around her newly reattached horns.

"Good visit with Dad?" Asked Raphael from a safe distance.

"He's insufferable." Snapped Rouge. The vampire nodded but kept his distance. Nothing put his witch in a worse mood than a visit with her parents and he was still in the dog house for locking her in their room and running off to rescue the Oracle without telling her.