Disclaimer: D.J.I.N.N. is based on copyrighted material owned by Disney and is a profitless fan venture. Wait, why am I doing this again? Oh, yeah... reviews.

Author's Note: Chapter Ten, hoo doggy! How far we've come, huh?

I can't believe I just typed, "hoo doggy."

Chapter Ten: The Many Faces of Love

"She seems nice."

Will looked up at her mother as she set the table for dinner. "Who, Dee? She is. All things considered, she's fared pretty well." The last part was almost a dare for Susan to say different.

"I know," Susan replied. "Really. I understand that, and though this isn't the way I would have preferred to get grandchildren, I'm also very proud that you're doing this."

Will blinked in surprise. "Oh, well... it's no big deal. It was either get a kid or a cat. I have enough cats at the shelter."

Susan smiled at that. "Well, the only real concern I have are these foster parents Dee told us about; I hope they won't cause trouble, and if they were that bad we should report them."

"Dee gave Irma their names last night; she said she'd check them out Monday. If Dee needs to talk to a counselor, well, there's always Taranee. I'm on this, Mom, really."

"I know, I know! It's great to see you so... eager. I have a feeling this girl is going to be good for you."

Will stared at her mother for several long seconds. "Wow, you really are desperate for grandchildren."

"Hush up and hand me the napkins, smart aleck." Susan caught the napkins as Will threw them at her and laughed; even if this girl did bring some trouble into their lives it was worth it to see Will trying something new.

Since moving to Heatherfield nearly two decades ago Susan had done everything possible to make a better life for her first daughter. She had pressured Will into studying hard from junior high through college so that she would never be in the position that her mother had been after her divorce. Susan had wanted Will to be independent, able to stand on her own and she had proven to be able to do just that. Unfortunately, Will seemed to have taken the lesson to the extreme.

When Cornelia had given birth to Ingrid she had began taking her figure-skating and modeling careers seriously to provide for her family (her baby's father had for some reason been unable to get work except as a bodyguard for his cousin Elyon as she showed her art around the world, something about being born outside the country.) This left Ingrid primarily in the care of her grandparents, but since the Hales weren't able to keep up with the rambunctious child and handle the teenaged Lilian Cornelia's friends had helped with the girl's upbringing.

Especially Will. Whatever maternal urges Susan's daughter might have had were sated as she bonded with Cornelia's offspring. Balancing school and working at Herbert Olsen's pet shop Will had also taken on the role of mother to Ingrid and done a fine job with the girl, Susan thought.

Even if Ingrid was a walking natural disaster with unlimited energy and a tendency to unwittingly destroy Susan's property with her antics. It helped that she was so lovable and sweet, or Susan would never let her run loose in her house again. She had always thought Will was a handful, only to have Ingrid come along and show her how wrong she was.

Even now Ingrid was more responsive to Will than Cornelia or any of the other girls-women, Susan reminded herself. It was proof-positive that Will would make an excellent mother, yet until Dee had shown up she had shown no inclination to be one. Or find someone to start a family with.

The logical argument was that Will was capable of making her decisions and had chosen to remain single and childless of her own accord. Still, Susan felt very strongly that this wasn't the case and blamed someone else for Will's lonely existence: Matthew Olsen.

Susan couldn't say for sure whether she had ever liked the boy Will had started dating at thirteen; Will had kept Matt separate from her mother as much as possible for reasons she didn't know and they had only been together a year before a talent scout had discovered Matt's band. Actually, more like Matt himself as he sang a song composed in honor of his girlfriend.

In one of those ironic twists that convinced people that God was playing a sick joke on them, that very song had taken Matt away from Will and launched him and his band into stardom. Months turned into years as Matt toured all over the world and made album after album, stopping by to see Will a few times a year but missing everything that was important in her life: birthdays, proms, even graduation.

And all the time Will had waited for the spotlight to fade and the final concert where Matt would take off his guitar and walk off-stage into her arms; this never happened, at least not for long. The only positive effect was that Will began to focus on her school work with frightening intensity, becoming the Salutatorian to Taranee's Valedictorian. It hadn't taken Susan long to recognize the familiar (and familial) signs that Will was working hard to stave off heart-break at being perpetually stood up by her man.

Yet when Susan suggested Will try dating other boys she had fixed her mother with a stare that made it seem like Susan had just endorsed adultery. This had continued through high school and college with the contact between the two dwindling from extended visits to short voice-mails. Beatrice and Ingrid were born and they helped Will forget for a time, but they weren't her children that she wanted to have with that Olsen boy. That Olsen boy who was living it up like he was the second coming of Elvis Presley while Will waited for him to come home like a soldier gone to war, only he was fighting off crowds of fanatical girls instead of anything life-threatening.

That really, really pissed Susan off. Did Will ever realize that she was the second love in Matt's life, next to music? Susan didn't know; all she did know was that the death of Matt's grandfather had finally ended the relationship only five years ago. In another small but sad irony, Will and Matt's on-and-off relationship had lasted almost as long as Susan's first marriage.

After it was officially over Susan had begun the long campaign of setting up Will with the most respectable young men she could find. Whether Will was still hung up on Matt or not, she politely fought Susan at every turn and even the minor victories of a dinner date were quickly dashed by Will's pickiness.

It was like Will was bored by the very men Susan wanted as son-in-laws; Susan was very well aware that was exactly the case, as Will had actually fallen asleep while listening to one of her dates talk about his high-paying job. Will was giving them a fair chance like she said she would, but there were no sparks of the kind that had kept the romance going with Matt even with months of absence.

Granted, not every man could be a famous musician but Susan knew that Will wasn't that shallow; she had honestly loved Matt like Susan loved Dean. Life was just passing her by, a fact that Susan was unable to accept. Could it really be that hard for Will to find personal happiness instead of basking in the glow of her friends' careers and families?

And then this Dee showed up. Will was making plans, showing enthusiasm for the future and staking her claim around the girl like she was a gold mine. As forthright as Will was being about matters Susan knew that there was something that was being kept from her, a feeling she had had ever since coming to Heatherfield years ago. There was no hint of what was being kept secret or even if there was one, but Susan knew that something more had happened last night than was being said.

She had never had this feeling with Beatrice, who was just as much an open book as a teenager as she was as a child. And now this Dee was another piece of a puzzle that Susan felt she'd never solve.

All Susan could do was give a metaphorical shrug and just try to be happy for Will. She'd feel even better if Will started dating again. One step at a time, though. One step at a time.

"And this is my room," Bee said to Dee as she opened a door in the hallway. "It's a little messy-it always is-but I'm working on a few projects at the moment so it's a little worse."

It was like walking into a lab, Dee thought to herself. There was a chemistry set on one dresser with different-colored liquids in the vials, one of those new computers that was little more than a monitor with a screen saver running equations and various other scientific tools scattered around the room haphazardly. "Cool," Dee said appreciatively.

"Thanks" Beatrice said as her face flushed, like she wasn't used to compliments. "I love science, I'm such a geek! What do you like to do for fun, Dee?"

Eat was the first thing that came to mind. "Uhhh... don't really have a hobby." The Guardian thing was pretty cool, but no way she could mention that. "School was okay, but I wasn't in love with it or anything. PE was okay, I liked volleyball..."

"So does Ingrid," Bee said. "She loves all sports, but she never joins a team or anything. I bet you'll like Miss Lin's art class, everyone does. Do you want to watch a movie before dinner? That new super hero movie is coming on tonight, it looks real good. But if you want to watch something else..."

"Actually, I kind of did want to see that movie, but..." I couldn't sneak into the movie theater. "Yeah, let's watch it." The new aunt and her niece went into the living room and Bee excused herself to ask Susan if she could order the movie ("Mom handles that stuff, Dad is hopeless with money.")

Left alone, Dee wandered around the living room looking at the pictures on the walls. Lots of family portraits, of course, and some vacation photos of the Collins at one of the Disney theme parks with the Mickey Mouse ear hats; most of them she recognized from the family album. One picture showed W.I.T.C.H. in green-and-purple outfits obviously inspired by Guardian uniforms performing a dance routine, while another was Will in a pretty dress that was likely her senior prom; it surprised Dee that she didn't have a guy with her.

Dee was walking by a device that looked older than her and Bee combined when it said, "Hey."

Adaptable if she was anything else, Dee was already getting used to being the Appliance Whisperer and she merely said, "Hey," back at the machine. "Who are you?"

"Carlos, CD player," the machine said in the voice of a twenty-something Latino man. "Not that I get much play these days, unless Mr. and Mrs. C get the house to themselves and need some soft tunes to get in the mood."

"Ewww..."

Carlos chuckled. "If you think that, you might want to stay off the couch. Signing off, B-Rice is coming back. Catch ya later, D."

Sure enough, Beatrice re-entered the living room and shook her head at Dee. "Geez, you'd think I was asking for a C-note to order the thing! Mom's a little cheap..."

"I heard that!" came from the kitchen. A chuckle that might have been Will followed the comment.

"Anyway..." Bee picked up the remote and started to punch in buttons. "Do you want to stretch out on the couch, Dee? You look a little beat."

"Uhhhh... I think I'll take a chair. Thanks."

"Beep, beep, beep..."

"Ingrid, stop that at once! Your mother is not a truck!"

"I'm just kidding, No-No," Ingrid said as she helped her mother get out of the car. "I know that Mom is bringing two little miracles as a special delivery."

Cornelia chuckled wryly. "It's alright, Nola, I've had years of experience with Irma's sarcasm and I feel like a truck. A big fat truck. Remind me to run over Caleb when he gets back. And then back up and do it again."

Nestis leaned in close to Jamila and whispered, "Do Ingrid's parents fight a lot? Miss Cornelia seems mad at her husband."

Jamila smiled and shook her head. "That's just talk, they're very sweet to each other once they're together." Part of Jamila's attraction to Caleb had been seeing how good a father and husband he was to Ingrid and Cornelia. Jamila had no doubt that once Caleb was home-and, strange to think it, back in this world-he would immediately tend to his wife and endure her hormonal barrage. Jamila privately regretted the twenty years that separated her and Caleb; it did not seem likely that she would ever find someone like him for herself and it had surprised her very little that Caleb was a hero on Meridian. It just seemed to fit him.

The girls carried Cornelia's bags up to the Hales' house while Elizabeth stayed with her daughter, holding the arm of the exasperated supermodel as they navigated the perfectly straight and level concrete path. Ingrid transferred one heavy bag of Paris' latest fashions to an equally burdened arm and pressed her hand on a flat gray panel nest to the door; the material of the panel molded to every line and fingerprint until it verified that she at least had the hand of Hale, Julianna Ingrid. She then bent and held an unblinking eye to a small glass circle at the top of the panel; a thin beam flickered and mapped all the blood vessels in Ingrid's retina, passing all the information back into the system to undo the second lock.

For the final lock, Ingrid said in a clear voice. "Ingrid: Guardians Unite." This password was the standard one that said, "Everything is fine, please open up." The other one that said, "Everything is not fine, call Aunt Irma and the cops," was "Ingrid: Phobos." Ingrid's grandmother had no idea where she got the passwords, but Cornelia and the girls knew the inspiration.

As the security system cleared all three tiers of authorization the physical locks on the other side of the door disengaged and opened automatically. "I hope Aunt Will gets something like this for the apartment-not that Dee isn't good security, of course."

"This Dee girl must be pretty formidable," Elizabeth said. The girls chuckled at the understatement.

"But our best security is on the inside," Ingrid said. "Napoleon! Mom's home. Get your furry butt over here and say hello!" A yowl came from inside the house. "Guess he was taking a nap."

"If you girls would put Cornelia's bags in the bed room I'll unpack them up later," Elizabeth said as she helped Cornelia onto the large couch in the living room. As the girls made their way through the halls an old black cat with a grey face and stomach lazily turned around a corner and yawned widely. It fixed its reproachful green eyes on Ingrid, clearly annoyed at being awoken.

"'Sup, 'Leon," Ingrid said cheerfully. "Mom's in the living room." With a long stretch of his body, Napoleon walked down the hallway, threading his way through the girl's feet and greeting them by rubbing his body against their legs... while seemingly avoiding Ingrid's. "Hmph! Maybe I'll finally let Aunt Will 'fix' you after all." Napoleon turned his head and glared at Ingrid, then stuck his tongue out before continuing on his way with his tail stuck up in the air.

"I swear," Jamila said, "Sometimes I think that cat knows exactly what you're saying." Ingrid and Nola exchanged one of their rare expressions of mutual mischief, years of existing with each other allowing them to communicate with their eyes and curled noses. Both were looking forward to surprising their friends with another revelation and the only question was if they should wait for Dee to arrive.

After Cornelia's bags were put away the Guardians returned to the living room to find Napoleon laying on Cornelia's stomach while she scratched his ears. "He seems starved for attention," Cornelia noted.

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "All he does is sleep, how could he be hungry for anything?" Napoleon gave a start as one of the twins kicked and jumped off Cornelia to wind his ways through Nestis' legs. The new girl bent and picked up the cat who meowed and widened his eyes in order to look more kitten-like, quite a feat for an animal nearly two decades old. "You're such an affection-whore, 'Leon."

"Me-rowwww," Napoleon protested, his voice much deeper than that of most cats. Contrary to her earlier behavior, Ingrid reached over and rubbed his ears just as affectionately as her mother had.

"I'll start dinner," Elizabeth said as she entered the kitchen.

"I could eat a horse!' Cornelia said. "I'm not kidding, I could!" The girls laughed, Nestis and Jamila stopping and looking embarrassed at the slip. Ingrid slipped her mother's shoes off and started rubbing her swollen feet. "Ooooh... thank you, baby. How did you know?"

Jamila thought that Ingrid looked more embarrassed at Cornelia's praise than when she had ripped her pants while playing basketball a year ago. "Uh, Aunt Irma's feet hurt all the time when she had Tommy. Yours smell a lot better, though."

"Thank you, honey." Cornelia placed her hand on Ingrid's head. "You're getting so tall... you could almost pass for your father when he was your age, if you weren't so pretty."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Dad was a hottie at that age judging from the photos... right, Jami?"

"Ahem?" Jamila said, looking thrown by the question. "Er... I... can't recall..." Ingrid thought about pointing out that Jamila had been looking at a hanging photo of the younger WITCH and Caleb at their junior prom, but there was being funny and then there was just being cruel.

There were three things that Caleb absolutely could not stand in life: the late Prince Phobos, swooning female admirers (Irma called them "fan-girls"), that threw their underwear at him or tried to sneak into his quarters and-perhaps most of all-dressing up.

He tugged on the collar of his dress jacket like a man trying to loosen the noose that was choking the life out of him. The fancy blue uniform worn by the Royal Guard at formal occasions was his greatest foe, one he only conquered through a battle of attrition that lasted throughout the ceremony in question. He thought longingly of his loose tunic and old brown over-coat that had been co-opted by his daughter many years before, though Ingrid had only recently grown into it; had he won freedom against Phobos only to submit to the tyranny of respectable attire? Cornelia would have choice words to say about his lack of regard for fashion, he could imagine.

The thought of his wife and children being alone back on Earth made him even more impatient to just get this ridiculous affair over and done with. Though Elyon had assured him that Cornelia was soon to be under the protection of all five of the new Guardians (and Caleb had every faith in the girls' abilities, of course, having trained two of them) he wouldn't be able to breathe easy until one hand was on his unborn sons and the other gripping his sword. Likely, Cornelia would have also have words about his bringing the sword to bed again after he supposedly broke the habit when they married. As he recalled... "I didn't marry the sword!"

"Not that sword," Caleb had said with a smirk, trying to be smooth. What had happened next? Wild love-making? No, he remembered something furry... Napoleon's tail? Oh, yes... he'd spent the night on the couch with the cat. His love's sense of humor was sometimes hard to gauge.

But before he could see his family he had to suffer (quite literally) through his ceremony. The whole ball was both to honor members of the rebellion and serve as a hob-nobbery for various leaders of the League of Worlds, a federation of universes and planets that had formed in the years following the dissolution of the Veil that kept Phobos confined to Meridian.

WITCH (and by extension Caleb) had played a large role in forming the League which was based on a similar organization from Earth called the United Nations and, once consolidated, ensured that no tyrant like Phobos would ever be able to begin an interplanetary conquest without facing the might of a dozen worlds. The system of mutual aid also helped keep disputes and problems from requiring assistance from Candracar, which had allowed Caleb's wife and their friends to retire from Guardianship at an unusually young age.

Meridian was a major player in the League and one of the worlds afforded a seat on the governing council due to its assistance in forming the organization; as Elyon had put it in one of her speeches, "Meridian once drove the worlds apart, now we bring them together." Caleb himself had trained more militias on more worlds than he could remember and would be sure to meet many old friends tonight. Ordinarily he would be thrilled to swap war stories, but the creature that had attacked Will and the new Keeper was disconcerting him. He reminded himself that the girls had always gotten along fine without him and to just enjoy himself...

If the damn suit didn't kill him first.

Caleb sighed and exited his quarters, checking to make sure that no females were waiting to ambush him from the shadows of the hallway like last time; he doubted Drake would ever let him hear the end of it for having a three-hundred pound kitchen worker old enough to be his mother getting the jump on him. Everything looked clear, so-

"Oh, Caleb!" a shrill voice cried out from the end of the hallway. "Let me have your babies!"

Caleb whirled and braced for the impact of a large woman, only to be hit by something worse: the mocking laughter of Drake and Aldarn. Caleb realized with a grimace that it was his old friend and the god-father of his daughter that had provided the faux woman's voice. His two supposed-allies were laughing heartily at the look on his face, a murderous look that would have struck fear in many others. "If Ingrid didn't like you two so much, I'd kill you both and feed your corpses to Gargoyle."

"Oh, no!" Aldarn said in that shrill voice. "Dear me!"

"You sound like a eunuch," Caleb stated. "And your uniform isn't on straight. Tighten it up; you're representing Meridian tonight."

Aldarn fidgeted with his own uniform. "I'd rather wear a dress than one of these things."

"A blue dress would go great with your skin," Drake suggested.

"You think? I always figured red."

Caleb shook his head. "I cannot believe we freed the kingdom with you two clowns. No wonder I needed the Guardians' help."

Drake and Aldarn made pained faces and clutched their chests as if mortally wounded; Caleb could only wish that were so. "That hurts us, sir," Drake said. "But at least you got a good wife out of it. Heh, so did I, come to think."

"And I didn't?" Aldarn countered. "Besides, Valin only said yes because she felt sorry for you." Drake rolled his eyes and smacked Aldarn in the back of his bald head; within seconds the two were circling and taking mock-jabs at one another.

Sighing heavily, Caleb stepped forward and smacked both of them on their heads to break them up. "Move out, royal jackasses, before I tell your wives why you're late." That sobered up the two better than any physical punishment Caleb could dish out and the three Royal Guards headed toward the throne room.

The emotions Caleb felt whenever he entered the throne room of the royal palace were akin to an Earthen child coming back to the principal's office years after getting in trouble: mild trepidation mixed with relief that one had survived the many visits. Under Phobos' reign Caleb had been brought to the prince on several occasions after being captured; that tended to stick within one's psyche.

Even as the guards opened the door for him he half-expected to see Cedric's smirking face as the villain condescendingly explained that half of Caleb's life was a lie and Phobos was waiting to pronounce judgment on him. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the crowd of party-goers and a distant Elyon on her rightful throne appeared instead.

His contentment was slightly shaken when a cheer and applause from the crowd washed over him. It wasn't until Drake and Aldarn waved to the crowd that Caleb realized he was the object of the adoration.

It seemed like every being between him and Elyon wanted to shake his hand as the three made his way to the queen's side, even if they didn't have hands (one party-goer stuck a tentacle at him that might have been a hand; Caleb had bowed to the armor-shelled creature.) When they finally freed themselves of the crowd they were welcomed not just by Elyon but Caleb's father Julian (also under assault by a dress uniform), Elyon's adoptive parents and the wives of his "clowns" as well the surprise visitor of Vernacula, Aldarn's sister. Valin, who appeared to be a beautiful woman with long dark hair, leapt onto Drake and wrapped her legs around his waist before licking his nose; Caleb had been on the receiving end of those on occasion, though Val usually reserved them for her mate. It was still pretty funny to see Drake's expression as he returned the gesture.

Vernacula, one of the most popular singers in the multiverse, gave Caleb an appreciative glance before devoting her attention to her current love interest who, like all her love interests, was a near perfect physical specimen of whatever humanoid race he belonged to. Caleb had known her since they were children and had been aware of her affection for him and borderline hero-worship since he had helped rescue her from Phobos when they were teens. With the green skin of her family and pink hair she currently wore waist-length, the affectionately named Verna was surprisingly attractive considering she was Aldarn's sister, Caleb thought.

There had been some friction between her and Cornelia almost immediately, but eventually she turned her affection towards others. She still flirted with Caleb on occasion seemingly just to mess with Cornelia and, as Vernacula explained, remind her to treat her husband well as Caleb was still highly desirable to women. Caleb had to admit to himself that he loved the look on Cornelia's face when she was burning with jealousy; she always "staked her claim" on him afterwards, so Caleb had quite a bit of gratitude towards Verna. It was one of those "claims" that had produced his sons, in fact.

Orube of Basiliade was Aldarn's wife and a former Guardian of Candracar that had been the Keeper of the Heart when Will went to live with her father for a time. Orube looked mostly human but with pointed ears that attested to the bloodline of the cat-like people of her home world. She wore a long robe reminiscent of the council of Candracar which suited her as a diplomat of the center of Infinity (an occupation that would have surprised Caleb when he first met the harsh warrior as a teen) and the student of the Keeper of the Aurameres, Luba, also a Basiliadan as was the current Oracle.

Unlike the wild Valin, Orube's light violet hair was up and arranged in an elaborate head piece that reminded Caleb of something Hay Lin would wear while working at the Silver Dragon as a hostess; likely the Air Guardian taught her the style at some point and Caleb didn't doubt any one of the hair implements could double as a weapon. Maybe that was why she was so successful at diplomacy, Caleb mused: everyone was too scared to disagree with her. Except maybe Aldarn, who whistled at her appreciatively and caused Orube to roll her eyes. "You didn't have to get all dressed up for me, O," Aldarn said. "But it looks good on you."

"I suppose I should thank you for the compliment," Orube said, "but I doubt you'd care what I was wearing after all this time." Orube's work often kept her away Meridian for weeks at a time, a difficult position but Aldarn often joked it meant she would never get tired of him. Indeed, Orube embraced her husband and kissed his cheek, a bold public gesture considering her strict upbringing on Basiliade and almost equivalent to a Valin nose lick for Orube.

Caleb remembered that the first time the two had met Orube had knocked Aldarn on his back for his mangled attempt at a come-on, which only seemed to reel his friend in tighter since Aldarn was a fair hand-to-hand fighter in his own right. "I didn't even see it coming!" Aldarn had exclaimed excitedly after Orube had stomped off and Caleb was trying to stop his friend from bleeding.

"I see you arrived safely, Captain," Elyon said in a polite manner. "I trust you were not waylaided by any assailants from the kitchens?" Drake and Aldarn snorted with barely concealed laughter as they held their wives.

Caleb fought to keep a smile on his face as it in turn fought back for the right to turn into a grimace. "No, milady, everything went well, though I did have to break up a fight between two unsavory types."

"Oh? Were they dangerous?"

"Hardly, milady. They could barely throw a punch." The two unsavory characters glared at Caleb as he smiled neutrally at them. "What are your orders for this evening, your highness?"

"Just enjoy yourself, that's all I ask. But not too much," Elyon added, narrowing her eyes at a gaggle of giggling women that were staring at Caleb's butt; some of them were the rulers of their own worlds which made it all the more pitiful to the Queen. At least she wasn't so blatant about it. "A certain former Guardian asked me to keep an eye on you a long time ago and I promised her I'd zap you if you got out of line." Elyon pointed a finger at Caleb and a yellow spark emerged from it like her digit was a live electrical wire.

Caleb laughed and backed away slowly. "That won't be a problem, believe me. There's nothing I want more than to see my girls again." Something clicked in the little-utilized "decorum" section of Caleb's brain. "Not that I'm not humbled and appreciative of this ceremony, of course."

"It's alright, Caleb," Elyon said as she leaned back in her throne. "I know it's been hard on you being away from your family-and it's been rough on Ingrid and Cornelia, too. Meridian-and me especially-will never be able to repay you for what you've done. But... if you want, you can skip the ceremony. I could make up some excuse or maybe create a doppleganger of you..."

Caleb shook his head. "Thank you, but I know this took a lot of work to set up and I should honor that by attending in person." He paused, then said, "But as soon as it's over, I'm Folding out as fast as I can." He touched the ring on his left hand for emphasis; it and the Earthen wedding band on his right hand were the only ornamentation he wore, not counting the dozens of medals on his chest. But those two rings symbolized the two women who had given him a life: the Folding ring of his tragic mother he'd found in her old prison cell on Mount Thanos and the wedding band of Cornelia that he'd made in the forge of Aldarn's father.

Elyon nodded. "I understand perfectly. I'll just tell everyone your wife called and ordered you home on the double." The queen's inner circle laughed at that, each of them familiar with Cornelia's... strong personality.

Elyon's foster father Alborn led his wife Miriadel out onto the dance floor; though human only in appearance due to the magical Glamours they had worn for most of Elyon's childhood, their foster daughter smiled at them with the contentment of a child whose parents were still deeply in love, though Caleb also noticed a hint of sadness in her expression.

He thought it was due to Nola's absence, but it was something that he'd seen many times before and resolved to ask Yan Lin what could be the matter with the queen; despite being surrounded by them for years, Caleb still had no aptitude dealing with women. They were strange beasts. The only one he remotely understood was Orube-bond of warriors and all that-and even then she'd married Aldarn; how did one make sense of that?

"Come on, hubbie!" Valin cried as she yanked Drake toward the dinner tables, "They've got my favorite candied fuits from Zamballa!" Caleb saw Drake's eyes widen in horror and sympathized; when Valin got on a sugar high things tended to get broken around her, much like Caleb's daughter was prone to do.

"Would you care for some punch, dearest?" Vernacula's latest conquest asked her.

"I would love some," Vernacula said as she stroked his goatee (Caleb thought it was a goatee, anyway) with a finger. "Oh, Caleb, after the ceremony I'm singing a song I wrote especially for the occasion, but if you have to go..."

"I'm sure I can wait," Caleb said and Vernacula gave him a small peck on the cheek as she walked away.

Elyon shook her head. "You would think she'd have given up by now."

"Given up what?" Caleb asked, honestly confused. Elyon fixed him with a condescending look and mumbled something about neither Cornelia or Vernacula looking for brains, whatever that meant. "Ahem, anyway... what do I do now?"

"Just schmooze, I suppose," Elyon said. "I'm just going to sit here and look important-and pretty, of course-since no one is going to ask the queen of Meridian to dance." The last part was said with irritation. "I tell ya, Caleb, sometimes I just want to chuck the crown and run away somewhere I can be a serving wench just so I can get hit on by miners or soldiers. Being royal sucks sometimes. I can't believe my rat-brother wanted this so badly. It sure is a gilded cage."

Caleb smiled devilishly. "He was probably compensating for other areas. There have been rumors..."

Elyon chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard those, about his..." She stopped, her head tilting to the side as she stared out into the crowd. There was a face that... she didn't recognize it exactly, but...

"Milady?" Caleb asked, noting the strange look. "Is something wrong, Elyon?"

"Er, I... nothing." What was it about that face that had caught her attention? It was definitely a man, but... she looked at Caleb and saw he was in full bodyguard mode. "Really, it's nothing. Really. Just relax, Captain, I'd let you know if something was up. Now, schmooze, remember? If you have to be here you should at least enjoy yourself."

Caleb looked at the crowd of dignitaries and shrugged. "I'd think I'd enjoy myself more if they were all trying to kill me."

And that's where Ingrid gets it from, Elyon thought. "It's a good thing you're headed to Earth, Meridian is just too boring now-a-days. Hey, isn't that Randor?" Elyon pointed to a muscular middle-aged man with a brown beard and eyes who was walking towards the throne with a brunette woman of similar age; both were dressed in finery but lacked the delicate constitution that most royals possessed.

It made sense if one knew that Randor had been a common yet skilled soldier before being named King of Eternia and Marlena Glenn herself was an astronaut from Earth who was sucked into a natural Fold to end up on Randor's homeworld; Elyon had written a paper about her for history class when she was a girl and nearly freaked out when she had unexpectedly met her heroine during a W.I.T.C.H. mission. "Randor, Marlena! Welcome to my home! Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"Very much so," Randor said as he and my wife gave Elyon a small formal bow, the proper gesture between those of equal station; Elyon would have preferred to hug their necks but this was a formal function, unfortunately. Randor had been a great mentor to Elyon during her early reign and it was he who had suggested what would one day become the League of Worlds. "You look as healthy as ever, milady."

Marlena playfully elbowed her husband in the ribs. "You're supposed to tell her she looks lovely, dear. I'm sorry, Elyon, I fear that I've scared him off from complimenting other women."

"I'm not afraid!" Randor protested. "And she does look healthy. Right?" He looked at Caleb for back-up, but the Royal Captain just raised his hands in a gesture that said, Leave me out of it! If Randor was under attack by a hundred enemies Caleb would have jumped right in, but there were limits to the trouble he was willing to get into for the man. "Besides, she's young enough to be our daughter; I can't just tell her something like that, Alborn would have my head."

"But you compliment Adora all the time," Marlena pointed out.

"But she is our daughter," Randor pointed out.

Marlena gave Elyon an exasperated look that made the younger queen laugh. "Well, let's not let my incredible beauty sour relations between our worlds," Elyon said dryly. "Are Adam and Teela here? I haven't seen them in forever."

"The Prince and the captain are keeping watch over Eternia in our absence," Randor said. "Everything is peaceful now that Keldor is imprisoned in Cavigor, thanks of course to the Guardians. Other than some bandit raids it's practically idyllic."

"Bandits?" Caleb said, remembering the report he'd read earlier after his duel with Drake. His old comrade Blink had telegraphed him from Torus Leeun and gave a detailed account of the new Guardians mopping up the bandits with impressive ease; Caleb wanted to kiss Taranee for helping to install Meridian's telegraph lines as this information only took hours to reach him instead of the day it would have taken by carrier falcon. "Are they a big problem?"

Randor frowned in the manner of a man that didn't want to reveal his troubles; still, he trusted Caleb and Elyon explicitly and said, "It's causing a... stir, to be sure. We're hardly in dire straits, with the Masters and He-Man making quick work of them. The unfortunate part is that while we've destroyed several of their bases we haven't recovered much of what they've taken. It's like all the stolen goods have dropped off the face of Eternia." Caleb got the meaning behind Randor's words: Or it's been Folded off-planet.

The possibility was disturbing, as the League-wide Folding Gate system was heavily monitored to prevent that exact scheme from working, yet Meridian's forces were having the same problem with their bandits; that meant that someone possessed the knowledge and the ability to open Folds under the nose of Elyon and the entire armed forces of which Caleb was part. That would make the lost wealth that much harder to recover and worse, it indicated there might a larger conspiracy at work. Maybe this was why the new Guardians were chosen now, Caleb conjectured. Dammit! And on the eve of my sons' births, too. Is this because of my mother's blood, that conflict rules our lives? Caleb immediately dismissed that thought; Randor came from a long line of noble warriors and he was having his share of troubles as well. Thinking the universe was out to get him was the kind of self-centered thinking Nerissa would have used, reason enough to avoid it on that principle.

Caleb looked at Elyon who nodded and said to Randor, "We've been having the same troubles, Randor. Just a few hours ago the Guardians stopped a bandit attack on a caravan."

"Oh?" Randor said. "I assumed the Guardians were retired?"

Elyon smiled proudly. "Well, I will announce this later, but the new generation has been chosen and not only are Ingrid and Nola among them, but Will has decided to adopt the girl chosen as the Keeper of the Heart."

"Congratulations to both of you!" Marlena exclaimed. "You must be so proud of her, I'm not surprised either was chosen, Ingrid is quite a fighter and Nola is so mature."

"Adam could learn a thing or two from both," Randor said in a deadpan voice that earned him another elbow jab from his wife. "You see her, Caleb? That's why I didn't worry about surrendering my sword before I entered the room, my wife is the most dangerous weapon in my arsenal!" Everyone but Marlena laughed as she gave her husband a good-natured slap on the arm. "But in all seriousness, we should start coordinating to determine if these attacks are related. I'd like you to be involved, Caleb, if your liege will permit it."

Before Caleb could politely decline Elyon answered for him. "Sorry, but Caleb is about to start an extended leave so he can take care of Cornelia after she delivers his twin boys." More congratulations were heaped on a flustered Caleb. "It wouldn't hurt if you could play Dad with Dee as well, I don't think she's had many good men in her life. I think you'll like her, she stood toe-to-toe with Nola and didn't even blink."

Another teenage girl to deal with? Caleb thought morosely. By the Oracle... I'm supposed to be retired. "I, ah, I'll try to do that. Drake will be replacing me as Captain and I have every confidence that he can handle Meridian's end of the investigation." Even if he's a clown in uniform. "We'll send our best agents to investigate..."

"Then I assume you'll be sending me?" a voice said from behind Elyon's throne.

Caleb's hand reached for the sword that was usually strapped to his back before he recognized the voice and relaxed-but only a little. "Belantha! Don't do that."

A throaty chuckle came from behind the throne. "Ooh, so jumpy! Are you still so scared of me, Long Sword?" A woman dressed in black pants, equally black gloves and an also black sleeveless tunic that showed off a fair amount of cleavage sidled out from behind the throne and sat on the arm of Elyon's chair like she had every right to do so. She was beautiful, but more in the sense that a panther was a lovely creature; with her short ebon hair and brown skin she was almost invisible compared to the lightly-dressed Queen. Her dark eyes looked amused to Caleb, which was pretty much how she always appeared to him.

The amusement was even more unsettling if one knew Belantha's story, or at least as much as Caleb did. He had first met Belantha when Phobos had sent her to kill him; back then Caleb had thought of her as just another sellsword, albeit a very skilled and sexually-obsessed one. After a few run-ins with W.I.T.C.H. it was revealed to him and the girls that the feared assassin was little more than a slave bound through the blood of her father by the Prince to serve him-more specifically, those in his bloodline like Elyon.

When Phobos met his final fate it seemed that Belantha was finally free, only to find out she was now bound to Elyon. Though Elyon offered to free Belantha of the blood-binding, the requirements to undo the pact of dark magic and blood required an equal amount of dark magic and even more blood; since Elyon wasn't giving her assassination orders Belantha had decided not to worry about it and had taken a job as an agent of the Queen. Overall, it was a step up from being the Prince's assassin as she was not required (and was in fact encouraged to avoid) killing people while still exercising her impressive skills in stealth and information-gathering.

Belantha took a goblet from a server when Caleb realized something. "How did you get in here? I ordered all exits under guard."

"All conventional exits," Belantha said. "Not many of these stuffed-shirts would want to leave by crawling up a length of rope from the tower above this one. Don't worry, Long Sword, my boy's watching the balcony, no need to get your panties in a twist. I love that Earth saying! By the way, milady, how are Mrs. Lin and the girls?"

"How did you know I saw them?" Elyon asked, amused at her agent's deduction. "That visit was under the strictest security."

Belantha gently clucked Elyon under her chin with a finger, an act practically blasphemous for any subject of Meridian yet par for the course when it came to Belantha. Sacrilege was-among other things-her stock in trade. "Simple, Braids. I can smell Mrs. Lin's cooking on you and you're not eating anything because you're full; it can't have been more than an hour or two since you were there. Yes, I'm very impressive, stare if you want." Marlena gave her husband a FIRM squeeze on the shoulder when she realized he was staring at Belantha quite a bit.

"I don't suppose you were there long enough to hear about the bandits?" Caleb asked.

"Been here since everyone was staring at you when you arrived, pretty boy. And no, I don't know where they're keeping the stuff they stole, all the... informants I've questioned don't know, either, it's very need-to-know for a bunch of bandits." Belantha downed her drink and tossed the empty goblet at a server's platter with a flick of her wrist; it landed perfectly on its base without the servant even noticing. "I'm guessing there's some sort of supply train where the bandits unload their spoils to other parties. It's taking me some time to get it all worked out, but it shouldn't be too much longer before I find these gorkars. Congratulations on your girls making Guardian, by the way. It's about time Candracar made a smart move."

Though the comment was made flippantly, Caleb couldn't help but wince. One of the biggest errors in judgment by Candracar had not only produced a mad-woman that had nearly conquered the universe, it had indirectly produced him. That was partly why Caleb had dedicated himself to making sure Meridian would be secure from now on; it was his way of validating his existence as more than a mere pawn of his mother's, though he knew that was a foolish thought.

"If the bandits are using criminal connections," Julian mused, " I bet Roiya could look into it. Well, for a price."

Belantha snorted and looked irritated. "That old cow?! Maybe if she took her supplements and ate enough fiber; that pirate should have had a burial at sea by now." Caleb and Julian exchanged an amused glance; Roiya Hall was a famous pirate (and old paramour/enemy of Julian's) who held the incredible position of being the only thing that could get on Belantha's nerves. Because both women were players in the same game they were frequently at odds, both using the age of the other to insult their contemporary.

"Valin!" Belantha yelled out across the throne room, forgetting about her rival for a moment. "You crazy bitch! What have you been up to? I haven't seen you since that bar-fight near Mount Threbe."

Valin bounced over to the throne, carrying a dish full of candies and sweets in each hand. "Hey, B! What 's the haps? The food is great at this shindig, try these candied Zamballa berries!" Valin stuck a berry in her lips and held her face close to Belantha's. Belantha grinned and leaned in to pluck the berry from the other woman's mouth, giving Valin a small peck on the lips as she did so.

Caleb looked over at Drake to see if Valin's husband was jealous; if the dropped jaw and wide eyes were any indication, he was not.

"Do you want a berry, honey?" Aldarn asked his wife hopefully. Orube hit one of the nerve endings in his neck and he dropped to the floor, a fairly typical exchange when he suggested something she didn't like. "Punch, then?"

"Don't tempt me," she replied, glaring at Belantha. The two women had traded blows over the years and not just physical ones, but philosophical ones as well. "So, assassin, how do we know you are not working with these bandits?"

"Simple, kitty cat," Belantha said lightly. "None of them as cute as our good Queen Elyon." She winked at the matriarch, who blushed at the praise.

"So she's..." Randor whispered to Caleb.

"Yeah," Caleb replied. "Among other things."

Orube looked like she was about to launch into one of her legendary rants when a soft voice said, "Excuse me?" Everyone turned and saw a young man in his twenties dressed in simple but undeniably regal clothes. He bowed to all assembled, royals and commoners alike, and continued. "I am Maqi of Arkhanta, an honor to meet you all."

"Hell-looooo," Belantha said, taking in the younger man's firmed body and mentally undressing him. Either he was secretly concealing a dagger in his pants, or he was just her type. Too bad that he was sneaking glances at Elyon, who was surprisingly staring as blatantly as Belantha was.

"Maqi?" Caleb said in surprise, even as he realized it was the young boy he had met on the world of Arkhanta during a mission with the girls. Back then Maqi had been a sullen, silent boy with sad blue eyes whose father had captured a banshee to grant his wishes for a better life for his remaining family; while the blue eyes and blond hair were the same right down to the customary thin braid that hung down across his face, the silent child had become a strong and proud man who looked equally at home in the throne room as he would have been working the fields. His face was thin and handsome, all the soft roundness of youth given way to features that reminded Caleb of Maqi's father, a man he had not seen for years.

"Caleb," Maqi said warmly, shaking the older man's hand and surprising him with the strength in his grip. "It's good to see you after all this time. Arkhanta has only recently joined the League and I was hoping to run into you and perhaps the Guardians." He turned to the others. "Forgive me, Caleb helped my father and I through a difficult time in our lives. I am officially Prince Maqi of Arkhanta, my father is King Ari and I bring greetings from our humble world.

Elyon's mouth gaped in a manner not befitting a queen at all, then snapped back together as she found her voice. "Um, yes. Thank you for your courtesy, Prince Maqi. Meridian welcomes you this evening. Is there anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant?" Belantha looked like she was ready to offer suggestions, but the decorum section of her brain kicked in like Caleb's had earlier. Besides, Braids wanted this one bad, Belantha could tell, and there was no small amount of interest on his part as well. If they wanted a third, now... Belantha was just fine with that, but it didn't seem likely. Well, she was busy, anyway.

"You've already shown enough kindness, Your Highness," Maqi said. "It is good enough to simply be in your presence again."

"'Again?' I'm sorry, but I... don't recall us meeting before." Elyon panicked; surely she would have remembered a hunk like this, for god's sakes!

Maqi only smiled as he explained, "I doubt you would remember me, as I was a mere boy when we first met. The honorable Hay Lin brought me to Meridian when the Guardians were re-establishing Candracar's connection with the known worlds. We met briefly, but you were very kind and beautiful." The prince looked a little embarrassed at that description. "You took me flying with you and the Guardians, it was most thrilling."

"Oh! Of course!" Elyon now remembered fully when had met the young man. It made her feel relieved-and very old, as Maqi had only been ten when she was fourteen, meaning he was around twenty-five now. Elyon could practically hear Irma making growling noises as she accused Elyon of being a "cougar." "You've grown so much," Elyon observed, feeling stupid as she said it for no apparent reason.

"I have the bounty of Arkhanta to thank for that," Maqi said. "Many of the vegetables and fruits at the banquet are from my home; our small contribution to the League's welfare."

"Hardly small," Randor countered. "Kingdoms rise and fall on their stomachs, young Prince. Even on self-sufficient Eternia we ship in your crops for their richness. Every world contributes to the good of the League."

"I thank you for your kind words, King Randor. Arkhanta does not have the military forces of Meridian and Eternia, so we do what we can to serve."

"Large armies are also a sign of weakness," Julian said, "whereas the lack of need for one shows strength of a nation's character. If by chance Arkhanta has need of warriors, well, that is what the League is for."

"It is truly a great thing that Queen Elyon has brought to the know dimensions," Maqi said as he smiled at the matriarch. "We are indebted to you, Your Grace, you and the Guardians."

Elyon flushed red. Dammit, Brown, queens don't do that! "I-It was Randor's proposal originally, I... can hardly take credit."

"Only because Meridian and her allies came to our aid," Randor countered. "You won't escape due credit so easily, Elyon!" Meridian's Queen endured the laughter of her friends while Maqi fidgeted and looked unnerved. "Is something the matter, son? You look as if something is on your mind."

Maqi chuckled nervously. "Forgive me, I... I fear I must have missed some lesson of etiquette and I find myself at a loss."

"I care little for etiquette," Elyon said, happy that Maqi wasn't as confident as he appeared. "It's a necessary evil, but it's feels so dishonest. Whatever it is, please speak your mind, Prince Maqi."

Maqi looked relieved. "I was worried because I do not know the proper way to ask the Queen if she would dance with me."

Everyone stared at Maqi, then they stared at Elyon to see her reaction. "Uh, I... " Belantha discreetly kicked Her Highness in the leg to prod her into saying... "Yes! I... that is not an unreasonable request." Elyon rose and straightened her dress, then walked over to Maqi and held her hand out. Maqi took it and bowed at her, clearly thrilled to have the chance to dance with her.

They moved out onto the floor, the many whirling couples seemingly turning aside to give the two room; Elyon wished she could have credited to her powers, but her mind was too off-center to do any magic at all when Maqi placed his hand on her hip and she on his shoulder. "You lead," Elyon said. "I'm tired of being the boss."

Maqi laughed. "If you insist." Elyon soon found out he could dance as well-and quite well-though it took her a while to get in sync with him sine she had so little practice herselg. There must be something really wrong with this guy, Elyon thought. Maybe he's gassy or he bites his fingernails. No way is he as good as looks.

Then again, stranger things had happened to her before. Maybe this would be a good strange, something that finally worked out. Distance won't be a problem, I can Fold and Tele-Transport anywhere. He's sweet, courteous and ohmygod-level cute. I bet he's good with kids-Nola will love him!

Because Elyon was pretty sure she did already.

At an abandoned mine outside of Heatherfield proper, the dimension was being invaded by evil.

The light of the Fold died in the gloom of the main mine shaft as Selene bent her legs to fit inside the too-small space. The Beast had made an undignified entrance as her head had smashed through the support beams of the shaft. One annoyed scream later she was picking the dirt clods out of her hair and hissing malevolently at her situation.

Her mistress was either a skilled strategist or a fool. As far as Selene was concerned the fastest way to the Heart was through the small forms of the Keeper and her brood, but her orders were to remain hidden and watch for an opening to steal the talisman. It was a wise course of action, actually; her confidence at her ability to best the Guardians contained a sliver of doubt at matching their combined power. If Lord Cedric could not defeat them those many times...

Glowing green eyes narrowed at the small patch of light that was the mine entrance. Fine, then; cunning and guile would be the weapons used for now. For now.

Green light surrounded Selene as the change began. She fell forward onto her hands as all but two legs vanished into her shrinking thorax; her torso began to shrink to a more human size and a pinker pigmentation instead of her purple skin. Pupils went from slits to round, nails shortened as hands became more delicate. Her remaining two legs twisted around in front of her and her limited experience with this form caused her to fall to her newly developed knees. The purple armor plates faded into weak skin, making Selene feel as vulnerable as a hatchling.

She hated being human, if only in appearance and shape. Almost as much as she hated her human mistress.

Rising shakily, she braced herself against the wall as she staggered outside the mine. A little more steady in the open air, she stood and surveyed the surrounding area while shivering in the October breeze. It wasn't this cold last night... what had changed? The answer came to Selene as she stared at her naked self. Coverings were in order, apparently.

The town was miles away and Selene wasn't sure how long it would take her to get there on ridiculous human legs. She fumed at the situation until something occurred to her: she was only human on the outside.

With a cracking sounds that would have made any onlooker wince, Selene’s legs twisted until her knees were above her back like those of a cricket. Dropping to all fours she began to run toward the forest at the speed of a frightened deer, hopping over fallen trees and small ponds as she innately headed toward the largest population of beings/prey.

After all, she was a hunter by nature, and any good hunter knew how to use camouflage to get close enough to strike without warning.

Author's Note: Did you guys like Valin and Vernacula? Then go read strayphoenix's story "Vernacula" for more of these Meridian beauties. It was stray's idea to marry Valin to Drake and I think they make a great couple. We have a sort of "OC Exchange Program" where my Belantha from Dark Gossamer Wings and her V's appear in each other's stories. If you read Vernacula it will explain some of Val's seemingly odd behavior.

The irrepressible pirate Roiya Hall away is from Knightoffaerun/Darev's excellent "Chink In Your Armor: Unlikeliest Heroes", a story that has us singing its praises and I definitely recommend it for fun dialogue, good ole gore and a starring role for Caleb in a universe where Nerissa won and things aren't looking good. Thanks again for letting your girls hang out in my story, stray, Darev. Now get them out of here before they kill me!

For those who only know the show Orube and Maqi may be surprises. In the comics Orube was brought in to replace one of WITCH who quit and she was never a Guardian in the traditional sense, but helped out on occasion.

In one of the comic's What If? specials she took over as Keeper of the Heart in a possible future when Cornelia left to live with Caleb on Meridian. I'm taking that premise and making it into sort of a third season of WITCH since when the show was canceled I, like many authors, considered continuing the series through fanfiction. But since that would have required too much work I've starting combining my story ideas together to save time.

I'm avoiding comics spoilers as much as possible since I hate being spoiled myself (unless it's with reviews) while trying to draw as much from the comics as I can to build a history for DJINN. Since WITCH had defeated most of their enemies few will be returning and I have many original characters to appear in the chapters and stories ahead, don't worry about too many comic spoilers.

And remember: comic scans online are free, but they won't bother with the WITCH brand here in the States if we don't pay the price (of the graphic novels, that is.) That's the public service announcement for today.

The ships between Orube/Aldarn (stray really liked that one) and Elyon/Maqi are my own invention since Aldarn does exist in the comics and the two royals have never met (to my knowledge) in the WITCH comics; I was planning to use (with her permission) an OC stayphoenix created when I got the idea to use Maqi; I've already hinted at comic Elyon's main squeeze in the last chapters for the comic fans, but I say no more about it. Maqi was a cute blond kid in the comics and it's likely he'll grow into a handsome man; then, I was a cute blond kid, too, so that's not a definite possibility (see my avatar; scary good likeness, no longer blond or cute.)

Though this isn't a crossover fic in the traditional sense, Randor, Marlena and the characters they mention are all from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, specifically the newer 2002 series from Cartoon Network. Their son Adam is better known as the alter-ego of He-Man, though his parents (still) don't know this. Adora is his twin sister, AKA She-Ra and their uncle Keldor is the evil Skeletor. No wonder Elyon likes them, they have the "evil relative" condition in common. Look for them to appear in a Never Too Young story.

Mind you, DJINN isn't the future version of the NTY series but they share some common history. I drove stray nuts trying to explain my twisted logic about that, but you don't have to read either story series to get the other, it's just some Easter Eggs for ya'll to find. Or to have thrown at your heads by me, in truth.

What a weird chapter: my OC, Stray's OCs and characters from another show all mingling. Mind-bogglin'.