FLASHBACK

"Nate! Nate, come on, this isn't funny anymore! Na----te! NATE! Where are you?!" Aelan screamed as he walked around in the forest.

"AELAN!" he heard Nate scream frantically in the distance.

"Nate?!"

"Help me!"

Aelan ran through the underbrush, trying to pinpoint his brother's screams. He finally got through the denser part of the forest and ended up in a clearing where he found the oak tree with maple leaves on it. There, he found Nate on the ground, clawing at it for dear life as the bottom half of his torso looked like it was in a hole. Seeing his twin, Nate started to scream his name in a panic. Aelan ran to his brother, grabbed onto his arms and started pulling against him.

"Stop playing around!" Aelan yelled.

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M PLAYING AROUND?!" Nate screamed. "Something's got me and is trying to pull me into the ground! Don't let go, Aelan!"

Aelan sat down and dug his heels into it to try and get some leverage but whatever had a hold of his brother was much stronger than him. Nate was slipping.

"It's too strong! You're slipping!"

"Don't let go of me!" Nate screamed desperately, feeling his brother's grip started to slip.

To counteract it, Nate dug his fingernails into Aelan's arms to try and keep himself from being pulled in but all it did was just make him rake his nails deep into Aelan's arms as whatever had him yanked him down.

"I can't hold on much longer!" Aelan yelled.

His foot slipped, destroying the mushroom ring that Nate was being pulled into. The massive oak tree suddenly seemed to come alive as two large red glowing eyes opened at the base of it's large trunk and a hole that was like a mouth opened up, anger flowing from the ancient tree.

"Laad the ham denna!" I shouted in a gnarled, crackly manner.

Aelan screamed, immediately letting go of his brother in shock and fear. Nate was sucked into the ring, the ground covering over him and muffling his screams as Aelan sat there in complete fear, trembling at the tree as it glared into his eyes.

"Anee parai aarham topijopigai yegia honaein thamarj aapseis katajothon!"

The eyes got brighter and bright and brighter...

END FLASHBACK

**************************

Aelan woke up screaming, tossing back and forth in his bed. He was a horrible person! How could he have ever let go? How could he have ever abandoned his twin like that? The door opened and Hama walked in, grabbing a hold of his shoulders to calm him down.

"Aelan-"

"Let me go! I have to save my brother!"

"Aelan, Nate's been missing for ten years. How are you going to find him-"

"Please! Please... He's being held captive by fairies and he has to find his way back home!"

"Okay... Hold on one minute."

Hama left and Aelan got up, trying to open the door even though it was bolted shut. He pulled on the door, trying to get out. He didn't have much time! I have to save him... he said in his mind. The door opened again, Hama pushing Aelan from the door. He put his hand on Aelan's shoulder when he felt a small prick in his arm and found Hama had stuck a needle in him. He looked at his nurse with confusion and hurt.

"I'm so sorry, Aelan. I know you want to save your brother but you need to get better first..."

"No... you betrayed me..."

He went limp and Hama pulled him back to the bed and then secured him with wrist and ankle binds to make sure he stayed put. He pushed some of Aelan's hair out of his face and looked at the poor kid sadly. He hated cases like these, where they were normal enough not to be crazy but crazy enough not to be normal. A horrible fight on the line of okay and cray. He left the room and went to the nurse's station.

*********************

When Hama got to the nurse's station, everyone was gone. That made it easier to do what he wanted to do. He sat down and dialed out on the phone. He hoped Leon would answer so early in the morning...

"Hello?"

"Is this Leon Splinter?"

"Yes, this is he... Did something happen to Aelan?"

"I'm Hama, Aelan's nurse?"

"Oh, yeah... What's up?"

"Nothing happened -per se- to Aelan, but I just wanted to inform you that he was going into hysterics a moment ago regarding his brother. I had to give him a sedative to calm him down, which he was not very happy about..."

"I see. Well, I should be coming by there again pretty soon, so that may help."

"Great!"

"Question though: you think you could sneak in my brother with me? It's a delicate situation and I can't leave them alone. I have to be there with them."

"Um..."

"It's Nate. The one who was missing? He's been found but... things aren't normal. They need to see each other."

"I'll... I'll see what I can do."

"If you get fired, I'll ask my boss to find you a position at the hospital where I work. Despite what it seems, I'm a pretty good nurse and my boss could hook you up here at the hospital, if you wanted."

"Well, I hope I don't get caught so... I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to calm him down without the sedative?"

"Pizza is good and..." Leon laughed. "The Ninja Turtles."

"The Ninja Turtles?"

"As crazy as it seems. Just... yeah..."

"Okay, I'll try it out."

"Oh, and pizza is pepperoni with pesto sauce and a ton of red pepper flakes."

"Really?"

"Just go with it."

"Alright then..."

They hung up and Hama made a face, wondering what Leon meant about things not being normal.

********************

Leon hung up the phone and sighed. It was going to be very tricky getting Nate and Aelan back together and not make Aelan go into anymore hysterics. Leon rubbed his eyes, looking at the time. It was way too early in the morning... He got up to go to the bathroom and then went to check on Nate. He opened the door to the spare bedroom and peeked in. Nate was fast asleep, clinging to that fork for dear life, but snuggled in the comforter and looking at peace; tranquil. He looked so different from the night before...

Leon smiled and closed the door, making sure to not disturb the salt in front of the door. He went back to his room and tried to fall asleep, although it was proving difficult. He wanted to make himself a rum and Coke, but he closed his eyes. The reason for his drinking was in the next room. He had no more reasons to drink. He eventually counted sheep until he fell asleep again.

***************************

Leon woke up with a jolt, finding himself on the couch of the living. He looked around, wondering what the hell happened. Last he remembered, he was in his bed trying to count sheep. He found a glass on the coffee table with soda can next to it and a bottle of rum on the other side.

"God dammit..." Leon growled, trying to get up from the couch.

He sat up and put his hand to his head, a hangover pounding in his head. He hadn't had a full one in a long time... There was a knock on the door and Leon groaned, standing up and stumbling to the door. He fumbled with the locks and then opened the door, finding Hael standing there.

"Oh."

"Good morning."

"Why are you here? Don't you have a house?" Leon asked, rubbing his temples.

"Is Nate here?"

"Yeah, he's sleeping. Why are you here?"

"So I wasn't just dreaming last night..." Hael looked at his brother for a moment and made a face. "Are you going to let me in?"

Leon just grumbled, opening the door wider to let Hael in.

"Where is he?"

"He's in the spare bedroom. You can check on him if you like but don't wake him up... and mind the salt."

"Salt?"

Leon motioned for him to follow him and lifted the book from the night before, where the mangled body of a tiny person with wings was still attached to the back of the book.

"Um... ew? Why am I looking at a fly?"

"It's not a fly. It's a fairy. Look at it closer." Leon said, shoving the book in his brother's face.

Hale made a face as he pulled away but took the book and gave the spot a better look. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that it wasn't a fly or any other type of bug. Even in death, the humanoid body was clear to see.

"Are you shitting me..."

"Believe me, it was weird. It was like a ghost possessing the house. Nate was the one who delivered the final blow. After that, he wouldn't even attempt to go to sleep unless I lined the door and windowsill with salt and let him sleep with a fork."

"Sleep with a fork?" Hael asked in confusion.

"Well, he wanted a knife but we settled on the fork."

"Why?"

Leon grabbed his tablet and pulled up the browser where he had been doing research.

"I found this site about coming in contact with the Faefolk and what to do if you come into contact with any malevolent kind. The best thing is raw iron but modern testaments say that steel will also work. To keep the Fae from coming into the home, you can use salt to ward them off or cause problems."

"You could also include big ass book."

"And stomping on it multiple times..."

"LEON?!" they heard from the back of the apartment. Suddenly there were footsteps thundering down the hallway. "LEON! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Leon and Hael ran to the hallway immediately where they found Nate huddling at the far end of it, curled in a ball and trembling. Leon blocked Hael as he approached his younger brother slowly.

"Nate? Nate, it's me..."

Nate looked from under his arm. "Leon?"

"Yeah, it's me... and Hael."

"Hey, buddy..." Hael input.

Nate lifted his head, sniffling from crying. "Are- are you guys for real?"

"Yes, we're real, Nate. You're okay and you're safe."

"I know it's hard but don't worry." Hael said.

Hearing the words of encouragement, Nate unfurled himself, making all the scars and bruises visible to see. Hael made a face and turned to Leon angrily.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were drunker than you thought last night and did that to him, didn't you?" he snarled, grabbing Leon by the collar.

"Of course not!" Leon screamed.

"It's not his fault, Hael!" Nate yelled. "He didn't do anything to me. It was the Fairies..."

"Fairies can't cause that much damage, at least not just one."

"Fairies aren't just teeny tiny flying bug looking things. These are the old school Fae, the ones from ancient folklore. They are the ones who steal children, eat babies, cast curses on unsuspecting victims just because they can. They hate humans and would do anything to make them suffer... They aren't Tinkerbell."

"But why did they hurt you? What did you do to make them so angry?"

"I'm human? I escaped from Avalon? I breathed in their general direction? I have no idea."

Leon straightened out his clothing. "Come on, let's get out of the hallway and get some breakfast going. You look like you really need some food." He said, looking at Nate.

To further confirm, Nate's stomach let out a growl and he put his hand on it. Leon held out his hand and helped him to his feet.

*******************

Leon scrambled eggs in the kitchen as Nate scarfed down some bacon he had just fried up, eating like he was never going to eat again.

"You need to slow down before you choke." Leon mentioned.

"I'm starving!" he said, bacon falling from his mouth. "I feel like I haven't had food in years... I mean... technically I haven't so..."

"True." Hael said as he nibbled some bacon himself.

"Where do you work?" Nate asked. "Leon said he was a nurse."

"Yeah, Hael, where do you work?" Leon asked with a knowing smile as he turned around to divvy out the eggs for everyone."

"It's just a normal job."

"Oh come on, let's hear it." Leon prodded.

"Am I missing something?" Nate asked.

Hael just stuffed his mouth with bacon as he mumbled something.

"What was that?" Leon asked, holding the spatula to his ear. "I don't think we heard that."

"I'm a dancer at a club."

Nate turned his head. "Like... Magic Mike?" Hael nodded. Nate grinned. "For real?"

"Yeah."

"Your brother has grown to be a respectable adult has he not?" Leon said in a mocking tone.

"I make good money." Hael said with a shrug.

"Is it for men or women?"

"It's a unisex bar, so the crowd varies. I'm just a dancer so, I mean, as long as no one touches my junk, I don't care."

"Are you ripped?" Nate asked, the first sign of any other emotion in his hazel eyes.

"Show him your abs, Hael."

"Stop mocking me." Hael growled.

"Oh, shove it up your ass, man. After all the years of calling me up just to tell me how much of an asshole I am, I will bask in the glory of making fun of you in front of our long lost baby brother."

"I wanna see." Nate said.

Leon started eating his eggs as Hael lifted his shirt up, revealing quite a chiseled eight pack and even showed the top of a deep V above his waistband. Nate's eyes widened.

"WOAH! You're jacked!"

"I kind of have to be..."

"That's pretty awesome. You must have to work out in your sleep to keep that up."

"I just make sure to do something every day."

"I bet Mom and Dad hate you for it." He said with a laugh.

"The better for them to." Hael said, putting his shirt down and drinking some orange juice. "It's not like they have been supportive in this adventure. Especially with you gone and such."

Nate's face fell and he immediately became somber again. Leon made a face and leaned over, whacking Hael in the head.

"Ow! Sorry..."

"It's okay." Nate said. "I mean, who would have ever thought, right? Being gone for ten days for me ended up being ten years for everyone else..."

"What did they do to you, Nate?" Hael asked, truly wondering. "How could you stay the same and not change?"

"The Fae are magical. They do it because it fucks up human lives. They hate humans."

"But why would they make you not grow up or have longevity?" Leon asked.

"It's not longevity, it's time manipulation as well as time differential of the plane. They live in Avalon, which is on a different plane, so their time is different. They also have the ability to make a void of sorts with the fairy rings, which is why when you read legends of things like this happening, they are usually found still in the fairy ring.

"As to why they did it, there is only one reason: they hate humans. It causes contention and heartache and confusion by making the remaining family suffer, thinking their loved one has gone missing. It also does the same thing to the one who is trapped... it's all a game to them."

"If that's the case, then how did you escape?" Leon asked.

Nate didn't say anything more as Hael finished his food. He got up and rustled Nate's hair, startling him.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go home and get some sleep. I know it's been a trial for you, Nate, but I'm so glad you're finally back home. I missed you."

"I missed you too. I'm glad I got to see you."

"Hey, do you want me to get some clothes before I go home?" Hael asked, looking between the two. "I'm pretty sure you don't have stuff that fits."

"I was going to get some later." Leon said.

"Were you going to just leave Nate at home by himself?" Leon shrugged. "Brother of the fucking year... I'll get some clothes for you and bring them back. We don't need something to happen to you while Leon is gone."

"Okay but nothing slutty."

Hael made a face as Leon snickered.

Once Hael was gone, Nate finished his breakfast and then leaned on the bar.

"So, what are we gonna do? I mean... how does all this work now? Are you going to make me stay here by myself as you go to work?"

"I called in today, so no, you won't be alone. We may go and see Aelan."

"Really?" he asked, brightening.

"I'm sure what seeing you will do to him, but at least he'll know for sure that you're alive. He's the only one who never gave up on you being alive... or that your disappearance wasn't normal. He got kind of messed up because of it though."

"It's a side effect of what the fairies did to him. When he was trying to rescue me, he broke the fairy ring and so they cursed him with madness. Destroying their property is like murder to them."

"Do we have to worry about another pest coming in?" Leon asked, motioning to the dried up carcass on the book.

"I'm sure that's not the last of them. I honestly don't know what I did to incur their wrath, but I know that me escaping Avalon made things worse."

"I see. Well, you don't have to worry anymore. We -I- won't let them do anything to you anymore. You're safe and I'll do everything in my power to keep you that way."

Nate looked at his plate for a moment. "Do you promise?"

"Of course, Nate. Nothing will keep me from it. Do you trust that I will do everything I can?" He nodded. "Then trust that I will do whatever it takes to keep you from being taken again. I'm not going to make the same mistake again."

Nate nodded, feeling a little better.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

the plot thickens...