The Clock Struck Twelve

Grandma

I put the bags of clothes I had gotten for Eros down outside the door and pulled out my key card. I scanned the card and watched as the light went green before opening the door and picking up the bags, stopping the door with my foot as it started to swing closed.

There was a small hallway with a bathroom off to the side before you got to the actual room and as I walked down this hallway I heard something unexpected.

"Two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine," said a woman's voice, "I'm not the oldest but I'm close. I was a part of the council that first came up with the idea to put the supernaturals into hiding. It was the Egyptian representative, Ra was his name, that first proposed it. At first we though it would be impossible, but we managed and I believe it saved our race."

I poked my head around the corner and saw the female Irish representative holding a glass, of what I could only assume was wine, while she talked to Eros.

She was in a red evening gown with her blond hair curled to perfection in a way that some how reminded me of a movie star from the thirties.

"You're still going down in number though," Eros commented with concern in his voice.

"True, but not as rapidly as we once were. We were not without our casualties in the war humans waged and we are only able to have children every one thousand years. Even then circumstances need to be perfect. We are being rude though," the Irish representative said in a whisper, "Your love has come back and we have done nothing to greet her. Come here child, I want to look at you."

She stood up with all the grace of a Russian ballerina and walked over to study me.

"Rose, child, I have been waiting twenty years to meet you. I was so happy for Patrick when he told me that you were going to be born. I intended to meet you as soon as I could but circumstance forced me to wait a few years. Then you were gone."

Tears started welling up in her eyes as she looked me over.

Suddenly she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

I had no idea what to do.

"I'm sorry child," she said pulling back and wiping her eyes, "you must think I'm a crazy old bat. You have no clue who I am and I'm crying all over you. My name is Emma McFea. I'm your grandmother."

When I was younger I'd tried to picture my grandma when dad would talk about her. I'd never imagined she would look my age when I met her.

"Come child," she said putting her arm behind my back and guiding me over to the couch where Eros was sitting wrapped in a blanket, "come talk with us."

"We were discussing some of the particulars of your race," Eros said holding his arms out for a hug.

I threw the four bags of clothing in his lap instead and went to sit on the chair across from my grandmother.

"What you mean," I said with a slight smile, "is that you were going to go get some clothes on, so that your first conversation with my grandma won't be while moving the wrong way will scar her for the rest of her very long life."

"Yes Alpha Lady," Eros said standing up with the bags clutched tight in one hand and the blanket in the other.

I watched as he walked past me and into the bathroom.

"He seems like a good one," Emma said bringing my attention back to her.

"Were you really going to have a discussion about the reproductive capabilities of our species with my match?" I asked with mild irritation.

"That does seem to be where the conversation was going," Emma said crossing her legs and taking a sip of her wine, "You were raised by wolves, dear, someone needs to tell you about our kind."

"Then tell him about our special abilities or our dietary habits, don't give him a sex talk."

"It was not my intention to give the little prince an oddly awkward talk," she said with a small smile, "I really came here to talk with you, dear. Actually, a very different topic has been on my mind."

"And what's that?" I asked despite knowing where this was going.

"How well have you thought through this proposition of yours?"

"You put the supernatural creatures into hiding to protect them from the humans," I said, defending position, "but now they are in danger again. This time from ignorance more than anything. You have seen the humans go from living in caves and hunting with spears to flying in airplanes and putting men on the moon. You can't tell me that humans have not changed. All we would need to do to make all humans accept this world is make it normal."

"Calm down, dear," Emma said with a slight smile, "I was just asking a question. Don't forget, it was I who gave this little proposition of yours a chance. I just wanted to know that you are not rushing anything. You are dealing with a delicate situation and if you're wrong we will be forced to throw humanity back into the stone ages. Centuries of knowledge will be lost."

"And if we don't do this countless lives will be lost on both sides."

"If you're wrong," she said with a raised eyebrow, "they will be lost anyway. There is a religious term for what would happen. I believe the word is Armageddon."

For the first time since deciding to go through with this plan I felt a small amount of doubt worming it's way into my mind.

"I see you did not consider this. Yes child, if you are wrong more lives will be lost than if it is just left alone. Children will be left without care givers and families will fall apart. If you are wrong, you will cause the pain that you wish to avoid, only you will cause it in every family in the world."

As she spoke I  tried to dispel the doubt that had entered my mind. It wasn't helping anyone. 

"Nothing  gets better in the world if those who  see a solution are too afraid to pursue it." 

"That is true," Emma said furrowing her delicate eyebrows ever so slightly, "That is true, but you could have proposed something less drastic. For instance, you could have proposed a new law prohibiting the kidnapping of children. If we commanded the leaders of each race to enforce a law such  as this we could avoid a great deal of the suffering you have seen."

"That doesn't address the other suffering that I know about."

"You can't cure the world of injustice child," Emma said with a look of sympathy on her doll like features.

"But if I don't try then I have become someone less."

A look of confusion crossed Emma's face but it was gone in a second, "You could never be less, Rose. You are a fire bird, a born ruler, and nothing will change that. Not even an acceptance of the faults in the  world."

"Does a government stop putting criminals in prison because there are always more out there?" I asked, ignoring her statement. 

"I suppose not."

"There will always be problems in the world, yes, but if I am one of the ones charged with fixing those problems and I neglect my duties I have become anarchy."

"We are not supposed to fix all the problems of the world. We are supposed to keep the world working."

"And to do so it needs constant up keep."

"What you're proposing isn't "up keep" child it's more like remodeling."

"Up grading."

Emma smiled and took a sip of her wine before looking off into space for a few seconds.

I studied her for those few seconds, trying to glean her thoughts from her expressions but it was no use. I could tell that she was thinking and nothing more.

Suddenly she turned to me and smiled, "You seem very passionate about this. I hope the council decides correctly."

I was trying to figure out what that meant when she looked behind me and said, "Ah Eros, I'm glad you're back. I have been instructed to tell you about the dietary habits of the phoenix."

A/N This may be subject to change, but tell me how you like Rosie's grandma.