Tess was lying on the couch with her head in Ayden’s lap and the container of ice cream wrapped in a towel on her stomach. She ate a spoonful of rocky road as they watched yet another Xena episode. It was almost noon and they should have been trying to find the orb, but she really wanted to watch more.

“Why do they let him come with them? He’s completely useless.”

Ayden shrugged as he grabbed the spoon from her, took a bite and gave it back. “He’s a nice guy and he’s funny. And he was useful in that one episode with the dagger,” he pointed out.

“But he’s stupid. And why doesn’t he just tell her he loves her already?” She rolled her eyes.

“Sounds familiar.”

“Yeah, well you were dumb, too.” She smirked.

He smiled ruefully. “I know.”

Just then, there was a knock. Tess hit the pause button and got up. She set the ice cream and control stick on the coffee table and they went to answer the door together. A man stood there with a wary look. He was a tall, strong-looking man, with shoulder length wavy blond hair and green eyes. He had on blue pants and his black t-shirt said more cowbell.

“Gabe?” Ayden asked.

“Yeah” he said slowly. “You guys are from… that place?”

Ayden nodded. “Kelstone. I’m Ayden and this is Tess.”

Tess eyed him. “Did you bring the orb?”

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Ayden stepped back. “Sure.” He shut the door after him, then went to sit on the couch with Tess while Gabe took an armchair to the side.

“So, where is it?” Tess asked.

He ignored her question and asked one of his own. “Is Kelstone that place with the winged kids?”

“Yeah, they’re fairies,” Ayden answered.

He looked up and down at their clothes. Ayden was wearing brown leather pants and a blue t-shirt. Tess wore matching pants with her leather corset top and her lace up boots that held her daggers–the ones she wasn’t supposed to have brought here. “So what… is this world a bit medieval or something?”

“That’s what mom calls it,” Tess said.

“Are there other creatures too?” he wondered. “Like elves maybe?”

“Yep.”

“So it’s like some fantasy game gone real or what?”

Ayden shook his head. “No, the portal was just disguised to look like that. It was Fate’s way of bringing Falcon, well you’d know him as Greg, and Julia into our world.”

“So, that’s where Greg went? You two know him?” Gabe asked.

Tess nodded. “He’s my dad.”

Gabe laughed. “Right.”

“He is,” Ayden said. “I know that only eight or so months have gone by here since you saw him last, but on Kelstone it’s been twenty years.”

“Oh!” Tess said, remembering the necklace she always wore. She opened the golden locket with the lotus engraved on it and showed Gabe the small picture inside. “There’s my dad, my mom, and my little brother, Gavin.”

“That’s not exactly photo quality is it?” Gabe said skeptically. “That could be anyone.”

She frowned as she looked at it. “It’s a good painting,” she said defensively. Her aunt had done it. She closed the locket and let it swing back against her chest. “Anyway, he’s my dad. Go ahead, ask me anything about him.”

He hummed for a second in thought. “Okay. Um… favorite color?”

“Green.”

“Eh, that’s easy. What’d he usually do on his days off?”

“Play fantasy games, hang out with you, and sometimes go to those medieval event things with you and enter tournaments,” she answered.

“What family does he have?”

“On Earth? Just my grandma Tessa, who I’m named after, but she died from cancer when he was seventeen. Oh!” Suddenly she got up and dashed out of the room.

Ayden told him more while she was gone. “He told us that he met you at a role playing game store, you started talking and then ended up going to lunch. Soon after that he got you involved in those events and helped teach you sword fighting.”

“He still teaches people to fight,” Tess put in as she came back into the room. “Taught me since I was little.” She handed him the picture of her grandma and dad. “See, look like them, don’t I?”

Gabe looked at it, then looked at her before he gave it back and ran a hand through his hair. “Wow.”

“Believe us?” Tess asked.

He nodded slowly. “Um… guess so.” He shook his head, looking astonished. “So, what’s Greg doing there? Why didn’t he come back?”

“The fairies brought him and Julia there so that they could defeat an evil high priestess named Kieran,” Ayden told him. “Once she was gone, he said he just felt like he belonged on Kelstone, so they stayed.”

“You’re sure this isn’t a video game thing?” Gabe asked.

Ayden smiled. “It’s very real.”

“So, he saved your world?” he asked, still with a skeptical tone.

“Yeah, it was quite a quest too,” Tess said proudly. “They faced everything from goblins to trolls, giant spiders to hellhounds. And Mom almost died from a poison arrow.”

“There are monsters too?” Gabe laughed disbelievingly. “This sounds more and more like a Dungeons and Dragons game.”

She nodded. “Dad says it’s a lot like that.”

“Is there magic too?”

Ayden nodded this time. “Yeah, I’m a mage.”

“Do something then.”

“Can’t, magic doesn’t exist in this world.”

Gabe huffed a short laugh. “Convenient.”

Tess rolled her eyes. “What proof do you want?” she asked. “Oh, check this out.” She lifted the bottom of her top to show him an inch long scar. “That’s where I got stuck by a skeleton’s sword.” She turned to show the matching scar on her back. “All the way through.”

“That doesn’t actually prove anything,” he pointed out.

Ayden smiled. “No, but she likes to show off scars.”

Gabe nodded. “So, isn’t there a healing spell?”

“Duh or I would have died,” she said, rolling her eyes at the ridiculous question.

“Then why do you have a scar?”

“A healing spell only quickens the natural process,” Ayden explained. “It doesn’t stop you from getting scars. Not even healing clerics stop that, though you have a way better chance at not scarring with them.”

Gabe sat there quietly for a minute, absorbing what they were saying. Finally, he asked. “So what’s Greg do there? Go on quests?”

“No,” Tess answered seriously, ignoring the slight amusement in his voice. “He just went on the one.”

“Two sort of, when we went to save you,” Ayden said.

“Okay, two.”

“Save you from what?” Gabe wanted to know.

She sighed. “From being sacrificed to the God of Darkness to bring Kieran back from the dead. But it was really Matt who saved me even though he was the one who was supposed to sacrifice me. Bit of a long story, I guess.”

Gabe just nodded.

“Anyway,” she continued, “Mom hates fighting, so they don’t do the adventurer thing like Ayd and I do. Mom runs an orphanage and Dad’s the captain of the guard,” she told him proudly.

Gabe about choked, but after he thought about it, he shrugged. “Well, that does fit him. So, who’s this Julia person that went in with him? He didn’t know any Julia.”

“She used to work with him at Fletcher and Dunn. She was an administrative assistant,” Ayden said.

Gabe laughed. “No way. He said she was as lively as a corpse.”

Tess growled at him. “My mom is awesome. You shut up about her.”

Gabe raised his hands for a moment. “Hey, his words not mine. Guess there was more behind that phony smile of hers after all.”

Ayden put a hand over Tess’, which was balled up in a fist at her side. “Maybe we should talk about something else,” he suggested.

“Yeah, like where’s the orb?” Tess asked.

Gabe sighed. “I didn’t actually mean to take it. It was just so amazing. It was all swirling with colors and literally sparkling like it was magic.”

“It is magic,” Ayden said. “It’s what keeps the shield around the secret city of the fairies to protect them from the rest of the world. If people get in there then everyone in our world is in danger, because the paths of life are there and could be tampered with.”

Gabe swallowed, looking guilty. “Well… you see… when I got back here it stopped swirling and sparkling. But it was still really pretty and I thought I’d just get some extra cash…”

“What are you saying?”

“I kind of sold it on eBay.”

“By the gods,” Tess groaned. “Where’s that? What’d the person who bought it look like?”

“It’s online. I shipped it to them,” Gabe said. “I have the address though. It’s not too far, just northern California.”

“How far is that?” Ayden asked.

Gabe shrugged. “Two day drive.”

They relaxed. “That’s not too bad. What do you mean drive?”

“In the car.”

Ayden frowned. “We were told to stay away from that. Do you have any horses?”

Gabe laughed. “No.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, “Hey… why don’t I just take you?” he offered. “I can drive and I’m not doing anything anyway.”

Ayden nodded. “Okay. Glad you’re being easy about this.”

“Yeah, but next time why don’t you try not stealing things,” Tess told him.

Gabe ignored her. “Cool. We can use Greg’s car.”

“You don’t have one?” Tess asked.

“No. I’ve been using his since he disappeared.” He shrugged.

“Okay, we’ll leave in the morning,” Ayden said. “And his name is Falcon now.”

Gabe shook his head. “Man, he’s so lame.”

“What’s with you insulting my parents?” Tess growled.

“No, it’s not like that. Come on, I’ll show you.” He got up and went into the office. He found a binder on the shelf and opened it up to a page before handing it to them. “See? He totally just became his D&D character.”

Ayden started reading out loud, “Character name: Falcon. Player name: Greg. Class: fighter. Level: eleven. Race: human…” He glanced down at the rest of the page. The character even used a long sword like he did.

“So?” Tess said.

“Nothing, it’s just funny.” Gabe studied her for a moment. “So’d he really teach you sword fighting?”

“Yeah. And he’s one of the best fighters on Kelstone, so is my uncle Cael.”

“Not really her uncle,” Ayden explained when Gabe looked confused. “Cael and his wife Lotus helped defeat Kieran. They’ve been best friends of her parents ever since, kind of an adopted family.”

Gabe nodded, then he walked over to pull open the closet door. He stepped back to show Tess the swords and armor inside.

She grinned. “Awesome,” she said and hurried to them.

“What do you use?” Gabe asked her.

“My daggers,” she said, pointing to her boots, then grabbed one of the swords and inspected it. “I wasn’t supposed to bring them though. We aren’t allowed to bring anything or take anything back. But I don’t go anywhere without them. So, you fight?”

“No Tess, I can’t heal here,” Ayden told her.

She turned around and offered Gabe a sword. She lifted a brow. “Well?”

“Tess, no,” Ayden repeated.

“Oh, I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried about you,” Ayden told her. “It wouldn’t be nice to maim your dad’s friend.”

Gabe slid past her and grabbed two blunt weapons. “How about practice swords instead?” He laughed when she looked as if he was offering her a handful of cow dung.

“Great idea,” Ayden said.

Tess sighed. “Okay.”

“I’m pretty good actually,” Gabe told her.

Ayden smirked. “Not as good as she is,” he said confidently.

“Yeah, no one beats me,” she said cockily. “Well, except for Dad and Cael.”

“And Matt,” Ayden added and chuckled at her glare.

“We’ll see.” Gabe grinned, then pointed into the closet. “Want armor?”

“Yeah right,” she scoffed.

Gabe decided against it as well and led the way to a small yard on the side of the house. Tess took it easy on him. He was pretty good, even if he wasn’t anywhere close to her skill level. And as usual, she couldn’t resist showing off, especially her flips. At one point, she swung herself up into the tree, ran along the branch, flipped up onto the roof, and then flipped again, landing lithely on the ground. All in all, Gabe was amazed by her and she returned to the house with a smug grin on her face.

After that, Gabe decided to show her a different kind of fighting. He pulled a black machine out of a small cabinet beside the TV and put a disc into it. He grabbed two controllers and sat on the couch.

“What’s that?” Tess wanted to know.

“It’s a gaming console,” he answered. He handed her one of the controllers when she sat beside him and explained the buttons.

Meanwhile, Ayden grabbed the game case and started reading the little booklet inside.

“And this controls the little people on that?” she asked, motioning to the TV.

“Yep. Now just move the arrows until you get the fighter you want, then press X.”

“Awesome,” she murmured. When the fight began, she started pushing buttons and grumbled, “What’s she doing?”

“That’s her fighting style.”

“What’s with the huge boobs popping out?” she asked, frowning. “And high heels? Oh yeah, that’s great for fighting. This is why people like Viv don’t fight.”

Ayden chuckled at that.

“Who’s Viv?” Gabe asked.

“Vivyka,” Tess said. “She’s a friend of ours who’s a bit of a slut. Likes to wear tight skimpy outfits and heels. But she’s not a fighter.”

“No, but she likes swords.” Ayden laughed.

Tess laughed, too. “True.”

Gabe smiled. “I like her already,” he said lightly.

“Well, she’s different now that she’s with Korin. She’s all tame. And this woman is really stupid,” she grumbled again at the TV.

“It’s a game,” Gabe said.

“Well it’s dumb,” Tess said. “I don’t want her. Go back to the choosing place.”

He humored her with a chuckle. He picked the same tiger man and she picked a big half-naked blond with lots of muscles. “Yeah, I like him better.”

“Looks familiar,” Ayden said, rolling his eyes.

“Matt doesn’t have long hair,” she told him. “Looks more like him, actually.” She glanced at Gabe for a second.

“So, the chick can’t show chest but the guy can?” Gabe asked.

“It’s different,” she argued.

“Not really. I’m sure you like looking at a beautiful male body as much as I like looking at a female’s.”

“Look,” Tess said, getting away from the subject. “At least this guy can fight, not just dance around like that woman was doing.”

Gabe just smiled.

A bit later, Tess huffed. “There is no way that move would work, it’s impossible.”

“It’s a game,” Gabe repeated.

She flinched as his fighter picked hers up, turning him upside down, and then dropped to his knees so that her guy’s head smashed into the ground. “That’s brutal.”

“It’s called a tombstone pile driver,” Gabe told her.

“I think Matt would like that one,” Ayden commented.

“Yeah, I’ll tell him about it. Could be fun on a goblin or something.” A moment later, she smiled. “Oh, I like that move.” Her fighter grabbed Gabe’s by the wrist, he kicked his guy’s head one way and then again on the way back. “I’m gonna use that on Matt.” She grinned.

“Don’t think you’ll be able to hold him long enough to do it,” Ayden said.

“Hmm, you’re probably right,” she conceded. “He’s too damn strong.”

“Mind if I try?” Ayden asked. Gabe nodded and handed over his controller. Ayden sat next to Tess and went back to the fighter selection screen. He picked a small girl with dark hair and, as Tess was quick to point out, a stupid dress that was ridiculously short.

A minute into the match Tess was grumbling. “What the hell! You’re kicking my ass! How are you so good?” she demanded while Gabe laughed.

Ayden shrugged. “It’s called reading, Tess. There’s a book that tells you how to play and some of the button combinations for the moves. I can push pause so you can read it,” he offered.

“I don’t need to,” she said with her best cocky attitude. “I’ll get you, just wait.”

But she lost three more matches. “Damn it, your fingers are faster than mine.”

“I’m good with my hands,” he said with a shrug.

“Oh I know,” she said, grinning impishly and making Ayden blush.

He won another two matches before he got bored with the game and gave the controller back to Gabe. While she started playing against him again, Ayden grabbed some books from Falcon’s office, then sat next to her again and read.

“You know what I could use?” Gabe asked a few hours later, “Pizza.”

“Yeah.” Tess agreed, not looking away from the TV. “Can you make some Ayd?”

“I’ll see if we have the stuff.” Ayden said as he got up.

“You guys know about pizza?” Gabe asked.

Tess shrugged. “Sure. Dad makes it sometimes.”

“It is just too weird that Greg… Falcon has kids, especially a grown up one.” He shook his head. “Anyway, we can get it delivered. Hand me the phone.” He told Ayden, then grabbed a wallet out of his back pocket and took out a couple of green pieces of paper.

“What’s that?” Tess asked.

“Money.”

“My dad’s?”

“Why would you think that?” he asked.

“Because Dad said you were a bit of a bum and he paid for everything.”

“Tess,” Ayden said quietly, his tone telling her she was being rude.

Gabe took the phone from him and smiled. “So, you’re an adult right?”

“Yes. Just turned nineteen,” she told him.

“And who buys you everything?” he asked with a smirk.

“He’s my dad,” she told him.

“He’s my friend,” he retorted. “Besides, he might have paid for a lot, but ask him how many times I cleaned the house, ran errands, or did his damn laundry.”

“I have someone who does stuff like that for me,” Tess told him. “He’s called my boyfriend.” She laughed.

Gabe nodded. “Well, we never actually dated, though there was plenty of sex,” he said with a straight face as he looked at the phone, as if he was trying to remember the number. “But it was nothing serious.” He shrugged. He waited a moment, then looked over at Tess and Ayden’s wide eyed expressions and started laughing.

“Dad said you were funny,” Tess told him, rolling her eyes. But then she glanced over at him again. “You were joking, right?”

“Yes,” he told her with another chuckle as he started dialing.