Axel

After lunch, Avery led us to a rather remote area outside of the small village. There was what looked like a rocky knoll with a small opening. It reminded me of a burial mound without the grass. She stepped to the opening and placed a small cloth and a wooden saucer. She poured what looked like milk into the saucer, then laid berries and fresh flowers on the cloth. She spoke a few words in Irish too low for us to hear, then stepped back and motioned for all of us to sit.

"Legend has it that this is one of the passage tombs the Tuatha Dé Danann used to pass between this world and Tír na nÓg. My mother and eventually my Maimeó would bring me here as a child. When we were children, Victor came with his Maimeó as well for various festivals. Looking back now, I can see that their silly dances and stories were their way of teaching us to honor our ancestors. The older I got, the more I understood, but now, well now, it's like I can feel it in my veins." Her expression was pure light.

The longer we were around her, the more I found myself drawn to her. Marc and I had discussed it at length. We can't even remember how we learned about Sean's disappearance, but we came running, knowing what was wrong and that she needed us.

"After I lost my family, this became a place to feel connected, and I wanted to share it with all of you." She gave a sly smile, "I also wanted to see if anything would happen now that I've been officially outed as a sídhe."

"I think you mean now that both of us have been," Victor grinned. "Hey, wait. If I'm part sídhe, then why did I keep getting lost on the moors that day?"

"So the two of you would meet," a woman's voice said from the knoll.

"Grandma," Victor gaped as he stood shakily and walked toward her.

"Ó, mo bhuachaill luachmhar," she whispered as she pulled him to her. She was tiny just like Avery, and had to reach up to hug him.

"Uh, not to be disrespectful, but aren't you dead?" Marc asked quietly.

The old woman let out a raucous laugh and nodded, "I like this one, and yes young man, I'm dead. You happen to be sitting in front of a cairn, so that makes it easier for those of us who know how to cross the veil briefly. Now, we have much to discuss and not much time."

She sat between Victor and Avery as she greeted each of us by name then started, "Sorry Victor, but it was me that kept blocking your path that day. You were meant to meet Avery long before that day, but your idiot father kept interfering." The woman rolled her eyes, then sighed, "But then again, the Morrigan had other plans, and if you had met before the right time, she wouldn't have found all of the rest of you." She bumped Avery's shoulder and gave her a sly wink, "You've got your hands full with this bunch. Lots of babies in your future, milsean."

Avery blushed, "I did tell my husbands we would have our own sports team."

Victor's grandmother eyed the group, "Hmm, did you tell all of them that?"

"What?" Avery asked with a confused expression. "Of course I did, just ask them."

The old woman met my gaze, "Did she tell you that?"

My mouth went dry. "I...I'm not her husband, ma'am."

She smirked and laughed, then changed the subject. "So, now that your identity has been revealed, you need to be prepared for those who want to influence you. Be careful you don't open the gate."

"Wait, that's what the woman told me at our wedding, but what gate?" Kota interjected. "Is it a real gate, how are we supposed to know?"

The woman laughed, her eyes dancing with mischief, "I can't tell you exactly. What I can say is that Avery will know it when she sees it, just as I knew and so did Maggie. It looks different to each of us."

"Am I the only banshee, or are there others?" Avery asked her.

"Oh there are hundreds, child, but you are the strongest. You walk between the world of humans and sídhe. This gives you greater power, but it also places a target on you. There are those who will seek to influence your gift - use it for their own gain." She looked around at the rest of us. "Your gifts will come along quickly now, too. The doctor has already tasted his, as well as the two prophets. Those visions and dreams will get stronger. Trust them and act on them, just as she acts on hers."

"Who else is having visions?" Silas asked. No one spoke.

Victor's grandmother pointed at Brandon, "They were your dreams. You sent them to him because you denied them. You are the second prophet."

His eyes widened, "But...but I'm not married to her, I just met her."

"And..." Avery's eyes met Brandon's then scanned the rest of us before looking at her husbands who just grinned. Is this old lady implying what I think she is? I started to ask, but she snapped, "Feck! Sorry loves, but my time is up. Keep an eye out for Maggie, she'll come when she can. Oh and Luke, make sure you teach Erin all the traditions. Her day will come as well." And with that, the old woman vanished.

Marc

We all sat in Avery's living room having spent hours discussing the events of the day. She had fallen asleep in Silas's arms and they were in her room now.

"So was your grandma always that cryptic, Vic?" Corey asked.

He laughed, "Not that I remember, but I didn't spend nearly enough time with her, and then my parents...well, you already know."

We nodded in agreement. He had shared the blackmail that caused him to leave the group with us. "That reminds me," Sean piped up, "You had some fairly harsh words for the Academy when we were in that truck, Raven. Can I ask what made you hate them?" I felt myself and all of my former team bristle. I'd forgotten that the Blackbournes were already out when it all fell apart.

"They are not who they claim to be. Pretending to do good at the expense of all of us. I'm surprised your little bird never told you the truth," Raven said. "She learned quickly - they only use, never really help. Kaylie learned too."

"Well, that's cryptic as fuck. Just what did the Academy do that was so bad?" Gabe asked, throwing his hands up in frustration, "Get to the damn point."

"Did you ever find it odd that they had all of us working, but kept several of us in risky situations?" Axel asked. "Think about it, Sang was being horribly abused, Kaylie and Will too. Gabe was in an unstable home, and Nate's dad was volatile as hell. Marc's sister was a human trafficking victim, Victor was being taken advantage of and abused - all of it - they knew, but to keep covers, they buried it."

"But they helped my mom," Kota countered.

"In exchange for you joining the Academy and bringing your schoolmates with you," I said. "We were kids when we all started. They were putting children who had failed family situations into settings that skilled professionals would have avoided because we were expendable to them."

I saw the look of shock and realization hit their faces, just as it had ours all those years ago.

"Wait, where is Kaylie? I haven't heard any of you mention her until just now," North asked.

"Dead along with her brother," Brandon spat. They all made comments of surprise, but he cut them off. "Same shit as always, they pressured her into a job with the threat of turning her in on her supposedly forgiven stealing charges and putting her brother in foster care if she didn't take the solo mission. What they didn't tell her was that it involved a drug cartel. After they forced her to testify, the cartel targeted her and her entire family, slaughtering them to make an example for any others who might testify."

"That's what sent you over the edge," Nate said softly.

Brandon snorted, "Yeah. It should have been me on that stand, but I was too fucked up and high. We had both been in the cartel, just on separate missions. The night I saw her fucking a dude, I lost my shit and started using. I kept it hidden for a while, but the pull got to be more than I could ignore. They said my drug use made me an unreliable witness otherwise..." He let his words fall and we all winced at the implications.

"What did they do to Sang," Owen asked hesitantly.

"Hid her biological grandparents from her for years. Her husband is the one who finally pieced it together," Corey told him. "Cliff is MI6. They met on a joint venture between the two organizations and got married for real a couple of years later. Her mom's family is loaded and lives in the UK. The Academy knew but wanted her so desperately they hid it all. Once she found her family, they made sure her identity was legit and her ghostbird status was long gone. Hell, the Academy even threatened to have her charged with crimes she committed on their behalf to try and keep control over her. If Cliff didn't have the status he did, I doubt she'd have gotten away."

Luke gripped Victor's hand, "I told you everything happened for a reason. It sucks what your family did, but if they hadn't, all our lives might have been seriously fucked up by the Academy." He kissed his forehead and smiled, "You protected us even more than you knew."

"So what's the plan now?" Sean asked. "We all heard what his grandmother said. Are you five staying or going?"

Axel and I exchanged a knowing smile, "We'd like to stay."

Raven grinned, "I'm staying for feisty fairy."

Corey and Brandon both looked concerned. "I have no idea what will happen, but I want to stay for a bit if she's okay with it," Corey said.

"I'm torn. I want to stay, but I need to get to work so I can send money to Elijah's grandparents," Brandon said.

"Well, here's an idea," Victor said, leaning forward. "What would you think about me hiring you to do some repairs to both houses? We're planning on finding a rental for her last portion of school - about five weeks, then I want to be able to come back here and let her decide what she wants done with the properties. However, in the meantime, they both need repairs."

"Man, I don't want charity," Brandon protested.

"It's not. I'd been working on my place along with Silas and North, but when Sean disappeared, well, we haven't exactly had time and I for one have no intention of living apart from my wife for any period of time," Vic chuckled. "Besides, you guys could come up on the weekends and we can see what happens."

The two brothers looked at each other, having a silent conversation before they finally nodded and accepted his offer.

Author's Notes:  Bit of a builder chapter.