Andrew at that moment, was just as confused and shocked as Stephanie.  I can’t believe what just happened.  I can’t.  Things like that don’t happen - they CANT happen... can they?  Andrew was sitting in his apartment’s living room, staring at a blank television, still mute from his encounter with the being calling herself Danu.   I thought this stuff only happened to people in movies... I wonder if Stephanie is gonna be okay too?  She’s probably just as freaked out as I am.

Andrew couldn’t help but smile a bit - he couldn’t tell what Stephanie saw in a guy like him.  He had what he liked to call ‘problems’ - but she stood by him, time after time whenever he was down, cheering him on and trying to lift his spirits.   She was a genuinely good person - and it wasn’t the first time he felt he didn’t deserve someone like her in his life.   He got a little bit introspective for a moment.  What was it that Danu saw in him?  A good heart?  Bravery and courage?  That’s it - is that all I have?  God knows what Stephanie sees in me, let alone a friggin Celtic goddess.   Maybe she made a mistake picking me?  He thought - although he couldn’t tell at that moment if he meant Danu, or Stephanie.

Indeed, his thoughts were all whirling about.  Andrew didn’t talk about it much, with anyone except Stephanie - and even then not much - but he was kind of waiting to die... or at least he had been.  He wasn’t sure anymore, frankly.   Ever since Stephanie - originally Keith - came into his life 15 years ago his life had steadily improved, and he was sure he had her to thank for it.   He realized he’d given up a long time ago - and without Keith’s urging that life was good and that Andrew had people who cared, he might have given up all those years ago.  I hate this body.  He thought. Fat, broken, sick, old, wrong.  I have so many things I want to do, and I can’t do them.  Danu’s right – I’ve wasted my life.   If I’d tried, I wouldn’t be fat.  If I’d actually chosen to DO something I wouldn’t be 35 years old and have little accomplished for it.   If I’d cared about my health I’d have been less sick - and although perhaps the migraines would still be there, I can’t necessarily say the same about the diabetes.   Danu’s right - I have no one to blame but myself for all this.  He paused. Well, maybe the asshole who crushed my knees with his car running a red light helped - but people beat injuries like that every day.  God I suck.   How the hell did this happen? He asked himself.  Thinking back to earlier today, he tried to piece together how his life got turned upside down in such a short time.  

*              *              *

How did I get here? Was the first thought running through Andrews head.  The second was how much his back and knees hurt, and how dizzy he felt.   Oh hell - am I going to pass out here? He grabbed a railing for support - he was outside a street side restaurant - a chicken and ribs place near downtown.   I always wanted to try eating here...  But why the hell am I here?   I don’t remember...  Fear started to make Andrew uneasy, and a cold chill blew up his coat and along his spine.  It was a wet, miserable October day.  I gotta get out of this rain, Andrew thought.  I need to think a minute.  He checked his wallet - he had enough for a pop and maybe some fries - maybe thinking a bit would make things clearer.  “God I hope I’m not going crazy...”    Andrew opened the door to the restaurant - Doctor Js Chicken and Ribs - and went inside. It was warm, dry and quiet.  A sign said ‘Please be seated’, so he found a booth and sat to try and figure out what happened.  

“Can I take your order?”  A voice asked.

“Huh?  Sorry - I was drifting.”  Andrew said.  The waitress was in her mid 30's with short black hair, and a name tag that said Suzy.   “I guess I’ll have a root beer and some fries with gravy thanks.”

“Great – I’ll be right back.”  Suzy headed towards the kitchen, leaving Andrew in peace.

God I’m out of it this morning.  He thought. The clock above the bar said it was 11:45 am.  Andrew was still scared - he just didn’t know what to do about it.  Nothing seemed to be a threat here - unless you counted the miserable excuse for top 40' songs on the jukebox.   Andrew was startled from his reverie by a woman’s voice... 

“Andrew Kincaid?”  The voice said.  “May I please sit down?”

                Andrew turned to see a tall, slender woman of middling age - maybe late thirties, early forties - with such a commanding presence, his jaw dropped.  She was very, very pretty - like someone ten to fifteen years younger would look, without compromising the sense of maturity and the sense of authority that went with age and experience. Her hair was long and blonde, in elaborate braids, and her clothes looked serviceable and stylish at the same time.   If he had to describe her features, the only word that came to mind was elfin - she looked to Andrew like the epitome of a fairy queen, if one was to be caught wearing mundane human clothing, or met in the real world and not the realm of Faerie. 

The woman watched his open jaw for a moment, and shrugged, sitting down.  “I’ll take that as a yes.”  She straightened her coat a bit, and placed her purse down on the booth bench next to her.  “Andrew, it’s impolite to stare.”

Andrew shook himself out of his stunned moment.  “Ummm... Sorry.  It’s been a strange morning.  Can I ask how you know my name?”   Now that the shock of seeing the strange woman was wearing off, Andrew was beginning to worry. First I end up eight blocks away with no memory of going here, and now some stranger knows my name without telling them.  What the hell is going on?

“I’ve been watching you a long time, Andrew.  I think I might be making a mistake in this, but a dear friend suggested that you and your girlfriend would be a good fit for what we need at this time.”  She scowled a bit, as if wondering what to say next.   “You’ll probably try to forget or disbelieve what I tell you, so I say to you now, everything I am about to tell you is Truth.”   The way the woman spoke, it didn’t seem as much as an explanation, as it did a command - command that said sit up and pay attention - this WILL be on the test.

“Your life is not as you know it - your parents raised you, but your mother did not give birth to you.  I did - after your father passed away, I gave you into the care of the people you call your adoptive parents to raise you until such a time as I came for you, or not.”  She paused her tale – Andrew’s fries and root beer arrived.  She waited until the waitress left, then continued.  “ I debated whether to ever come see you or not, because frankly son, you’ve been a bit of a disappointment.”

“What the FUCK!?  Andrew thought. I’m adopted?  How the hell can she be my mom – she’s practically the same age as I am - she must be crazy...  And yet even as Andrews thoughts processed, he knew in his heart he was wrong - that this woman spoke the truth, and he was her son as crazy at it sounded.   He could feel the energy radiating from her resonating in his own bones - like a song that was syncing for the very first time.  It scared him, but it gave him some strength too.  Maybe my dreams were real!  He thought, elation building...  Maybe I’m going home?  

Andrew had always felt detached from the world a bit - like it wasn’t his first go-round, and he had been here before - maybe several times.  He never was sure, but in his dreams, he’d often see places that couldn’t exist - that existed only in dreams - or in the realms of the fantasy games he and Stephanie played so often.   It was there he felt he truly belonged, not here in this mundane world with no hope and no future.  He felt the real world was the world of spirits - where animals and objects spoke, and gods and spirits walked amongst them - and that this world, our world was just a waking shadow of where he should be.  Where he’d wanted to be all these years.   It was only when Keith - now Stephanie - came into his life that he realized the mundane world had its pluses as well, and started trying to make headway and make a better life.  And now that there was a chance he could leave all of this behind - including Stephanie - he found he didn’t want to.  Not without her... He’d rather die than abandon her like everyone else had done in her life.

He struggled with these thoughts for a few minutes, then realized the strange woman was staring at him, waiting for him to say something.  “Um... Who are you, ma’am?”

“My name is Danu, of the Tuatha De Nannan.  I’ve come to talk to you, finally.  Andrew, I need you now to do something for me, but I’m really not sure you’re ready.  You’ve thrown away every advantage you had, and wrecked your body and spirit wishing for something you cannot have.  I know about your dreams, Son - I sometimes see you when you wander to our realm when you sleep, but you always forget come morning.  You feel you deserve something more - that you have a greater purpose - and you do...  But I don’t know if you are worthy of receiving it.   I don’t want you to waste this one last chance either.”

“Last chance?”

“Yes. You have lived before, Andrew, though not as you are now.  You were a child of the gods once - you went by the name Quicksilver, and you brought joy to many of my people.  When you died, we tried to save you - but couldn’t.  All we could do is try to let you live again when fate would allow, and hope you would come back to us.   And instead, you sit on your ass, letting your body get old and fat, broken and slow, and you whinge and cry about how come it’s not better.   It’s not better because you need to take action to initiate change, son - change doesn’t occur unless something makes it change.   If I hadn’t come, you’d have lived out your life, died miserable, always missing something you couldn’t define - and then we would have to wait centuries to see you have another chance.  I can’t wait for centuries - so I have come to you now.  You either need to man up and face this - or tell me to leave. What will it be? There is no turning back.  Will you undertake a great quest and become the hero you were born to be?”

“Quest?  I... I don’t know how to...”  Andrews head was spinning - both with resentment and bitter guilt - but also the realization that maybe, just maybe most of his problems were of his own making - and many could be fixed, with enough effort.   It was a powerful revelation...   He thought a moment longer as well.   Hadn’t he and Stephanie talked about this - about what they’d do if something like this ever happened?   There’s no way in hell he was going to say no... unless she couldn’t come with him.   “I won’t leave without Stephanie.  I won’t.”

“I understand son...  One of my good friends is going to have a similar chat with her later today – she’ll be able to come with you, if you both want to.   Just realize that a quest is dangerous - one or both of you could die in the attempting of it.   The life I’m offering you is filled with wonder - but also terror.  It is not easy, but it can have many rewards.   You are a Scion - a child of the gods - and your role in this world is to be a hero, to lead the rest of humanity to be better than they are in every way.  To save them from the things that go bump in the night... The rest will have to wait until later.”  She cleared her throat, and picked a few fries off of Andrew’s plate - they were mostly uneaten.   “My request is that you go to the Black Forest in Germany, northeast of the city of Freiburg, and travel into the forest until you reach the town of Biederbach.   Plaguing that town is an immense wolf - a throwback to an ancient time named Greyfang in the old tongue.  Kill me that wolf, and bring me its pelt - and I will judge you worthy of being called my son.  If you can do this, I swear to you that one day you will come home to stay, if you wish it.”

Andrew didn’t hesitate.  “Yes...  I’ll do it.  I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I will.”

Danu smiled.   “You may have lacked the will to make much change in your life - but that was then, and this is now.  You have always had a brave and kind heart.  That is your strength - that and your love for Stephanie and hers for you.   You will need to rely upon one another like never before - but be strong.  The prize is worth more than you will ever imagine.”  She slid a business card across the table, and stood.  Grabbing her purse, she pulled out a small package - a bundle of papers and envelopes, really.  “You’ll need this stuff too Andrew. Make me proud. Call me when it’s done.”

With that, she got up, and left.  Andrew was still too stunned to follow - and it began to dawn on him that she must have been the reason he came - she must have drawn him here, somehow.   He took the package and business card she left, and tucked them in his coat pocket for later.   No one seemed to be watching him - there were only 5-6 people in the entire restaurant.  Must be a slow day, he thought.  He sat there, picking at the fries and soda for almost an hour before he was able to compose himself enough to go home.

*              *              *

Andrew was still thinking, deep in his reverie, when he heard a key in the door.   Steph must be back - but already? Her shift goes till 11am.  What happened at work?  Was she visited too?   He got up to go see how she was doing...