Aftermath

[Chris Strongheart]

OOC: picks up after here
OOC2: Tag any of Chris's teammates or any Specialist that feels like talking to Peter

: Peter sat by his stepdaughter's bedside, holding one of her hands in his own. "Have the sand merks robbed you of your memory? Will you sleep like this forever? Oh, my darling, darling child," Peter whispered quietly, stroking stray locks of hair off of Christine's forehead.

Tears streaked down his face as he watched his stepdaughter slumber peacefully, lost to the outside world. Surely there had to be a way to awaken her - he only hoped that meant the young ones didn't have to go on a quest to battle Ommadon in order to retrieve the Red Crown, possibly the only thing that could awaken Christine - they weren't ready. None of them were, now that he thought about it. And he was far too old to be thinking about leading a quest. He doubted that a kiss would awaken his daughter - she never spoke of having a relationship with anyone.

Breaking the news to the rest of the family was going to be decidedly painful Peter thought. Not to mention, breaking the news to whatever friends she had made. That would be one of the more painful things he'd have to do.

Well, first things first, breaking the news to the dragon prince. He only hoped that it would go somewhat smoothly. He shuddered to think how Sky would react to knowing that one of his teammates was injured during a mission and they had no idea how to help the injured teammate.

"Exactly how am I going to tell him this? Gee, Sky, bad news. It seems that during one of the missions your team had to go on, Christine was injured and they don't know how to help her," Peter muttered under his breath. "No, no, that doesn't sound right." He sighed softly and shook his head. "I'll have to tell him somehow. I just don't know how."

He sighed again and settled down to watch Christine, all the while trying to figure out how to tell Sky what transpired. And how to tell her teammates that he wasn't angry with them and that it was okay to visit. It was going to be a painfully long night.

The dragon doll that she usually slept with lay forgotten on the floor, half hidden under the uniform jacket. A fresh lump formed in Peter's throat when he remembered her coming to visit - wearing the Red Fountain uniform and looking so very proud.

"Dad, can you believe it? I got in!" Christine cried as she ran into her father's study in his house in Boston. "It's a super elite school. Granted, it's an all boy school but with a little fussing and a lot of hoping and praying, I can pass as a boy and attend. Oh, tell me you're happy for me, Dad? Please?"

Peter glanced up from a pile of papers, a red pen poised in his hand. "That's great, dear," he responded absently.

"You didn't even hear a word I said," Christine said, not bothering to hide the bitter tone. "I just told you that I got into that really elite school for heroes and you just blew me off. Thanks, Dad."

Peter winced when he heard the bitter tone. "I'm sorry, little princess. I was distracted and I know that's not a good excuse. Tell you what, I'll treat you to dinner and I'll get you that new stuffed dragon you've been eyeing for a while."

Christine's eyes lit up at the thought of getting a new stuffed animal - and a dragon to boot. "Sounds like a plan. Chinese?"

"Of course," Peter said. "I know of that new Chinese eatery... Supposedly one of the best in the area. Almost as good as our take-out place."

Christine grinned.

Peter got up slowly and walked over to the jacket and picked it up. He spotted the dragon on the floor and picked that up as well. He draped the jacket on the back of her desk chair and silently made his way back to his daughter's side and tucked the dragon doll in her arms.

He glanced up to see someone standing in her doorway. "Yes?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't break. "You can come in. I don't bite."

[tashii]

OCC: Not a specalist but was there when it happened.

"Sorry, I did not mean to intrude upon you. I can come back later."

[Chris Strongheart]

: "It's... all right," Peter said quietly. "I'm Peter Dickenson, Christine's stepfather. You are?" He never really met his stepdaughter's friends, and she never really spoke much about school.

[tashii]

"I am Hachi Tashii but please call me Tash. I'm sorta a friend to Chris. I was there when it happened. I wanted to see how she was doing and give her these." lifting up the wildflowers she had in her hand. Slightly embarassed "I didn't think anyone was going to be here."

[Chris Strongheart]

: Peter nodded absently. "She's still asleep," he said quietly, stroking the back of her hand. "The doctors aren't sure when she'll wake up, let alone, if she'll wake up." Peter fell silent and struggled to compose himself. "I never thought this would happen."

[tashii]

"We never to think that it is going to happen to us. It is always someone else. It can happen but never to us." Tash stated.

Glancing up at Peter. "Mr. Dickenson, have faith that she will wake up. Believe that she will get better. That is the strongest magic there is."

[Chris Strongheart]

: "The last time I had to experience this, it was with my wife," Peter said. "Of course, we weren't married then..." He sighed. "I never thought it would be my stepdaughter. She was always so careful..."

[tashii]

After studying Peter for a few minutes. "Careful as in repression?" she finally asked hoping beyond hope that this was not the case.

[Chris Strongheart]

: "For a long time, she denied one of her gifts, the one she shared with her mother. They're both seers. Christine wanted nothing to do with it. Didn't think it was right. But over the last few days, before this," he said, absently gesturing to his daughter's sleeping form, "her gift reawoke and she was having visions almost non-stop."

[tashii]

"If you repress then they do tend to come back rather strongly and never in the best of circumstances." Tash sighed. "If it does not pain you greatly will you tell me about when Chris's mother was in the sleep."

[Chris Strongheart]

: "It was a long time ago, back when I was much younger. I was summoned to her world to take part in a quest. And yes, I am a bit uncomfortable talking about that. Well, to make a long story short... Mela, my future bride, used her gift to check up on our status on the quest. But, the moment she chose... was when the sand merks attacked my group. She heard the chattering via her gift. It drove her nearly mad and then she collapsed - falling into a state much like Christine's. She didn't recover until the quest was completed..."

[tashii]

Sorry to open such a topic. But if 'Mela' was freed from the curse then their is a very good chance that Chris can be freed from it as well. When and where is the quest going to happen? If you know." Tash added.

[Chris Strongheart]

: "The when I don't know... The where.." he sighed quietly. "It'll be in the Magic Realm - earth's last outpost for magic. It's hidden away, protected. But I know Carolinus will bend the barrier to let those who need to come through come through."

[tashii]

Gasping "The last haven of magic on earth. So it does exist." getting up she started to pase. "He is right then there is still magic on earth... What was that myth that he told me... It was something about the creation of it... Oh, he will be so happy." she muttered before remembering where she was. "Sorry" she told Peter. "I tend to over do it when I trying to remember things."

[Chris Strongheart]

: Peter said nothing, just arched an eyebrow. A mental "riiiiiiight" danced through his head. He cleared his throat. "If you don't mind me asking, how *did* you met my stepdaughter? She never did tell me. She just said she met some new friends and that was it."