Fandom Aid fanfiction for the_glow_worm. Part 2.

[sunlit_music]

This is part 2 of my fandom aid fanfiction for the_glow_worm. Thanks so much for taking part in this cause! :)

Fandom: The Demon's Surrender, by Sarah Rees Brennan. I don't own it, of course.

Characters/pairing: Nick/Mae ageing, with a focus on Nick (as requested). Their family and friends appear every now and again.

***

Nick liked Sin. She’d always been honest, she cared about Alan and fought by their side loyally so many times he’d lost count. She was simple and easy to be with. Comfortable.

People who were easy to be around never seemed to affect him as much as the ones who challenged him, however. The people he loved the most were the ones who gave him no rest. Mae was brave, honest and loyal. She refused to give up on him, and forgave him without letting him get away with walking over anyone. She was full of love and warmth, not holding onto grudges unnecessarily. Mae could always be counted on tell him what she thought. She showed him here true feelings and always tried to understand. And her persistence in trying to understand made him want to understand others too.

When he saw other people trying to understand others and giving without expecting anything in return, when people cared for others and continually risked themselves for their loved ones, he thought of Mae.

Jamie was tough too, in his own way. He was loyal and never gave up on him. Jamie never seemed to be intimidated by him, no matter what. He never stopped talking (something which always bothered Nick) and half the time he didn’t make sense. But Jamie always treated Nick as if he was decent. He always shared something with Nick, whether it was kindness, trust or time. And that made Nick want to give something back.

Jamie gave him a headache and Mae could drive him crazy. Alan had lied to him and nearly broken him in half. But they were the ones that changed his mind on anything and convinced him to become more human.

***

“Where did you get your wild dance moves, ma’am?” asked Jamie, whirling Mae around.

“I got them from hearing the beat of wild jungle music. It drove me crazy, and the music’s left my head since. I have to dance or I shut down. Where did you get your wild dance moves, kind sir?”

“I stole them from someone. Shh, don’t tell anyone.”

Sin was teaching Alan how to dance. She remembered not to fuss about his leg, and didn’t make him lean on her like she used to. Alan had been nervous about dancing at first, but he was smiling and that made Nick happy. Nick turned to Sin. “You owe me an archery lesson,” Nick said.

“So I do.” Sin twirled around Toby and landed on the sofa, grinning. “Behave yourself, and I’ll see if I can fit you into my schedule tomorrow.”

Alan’s daughter Kate was giggling with Mae, who was crouching beneath her and making funny faces.

“I’m taller than you now!” she exclaimed.

“Everyone’s taller than aunt Mavis,” smirked Nick. Mae threw a cushion at his head in reply. Sin held up Kate high in the air.

“Now I’m taller than you!” exclaimed Kate.

“Nobody is taller than me,” said Nick. His lips twitched in the smallest smile.

“Are you sure?” Kate said seriously. She lifted her hand. “How about now?” Nick gently lowered her hand and shook his head, eyes laughing.

“Nope. I’m still taller.”

***

“You could always try asking people how they’re feeling,” said Mae, tugging at her hair absent mindedly.

“Why?” Nick raised his eyebrows.

“To show that you care. Being interested in someone and how they are makes them feel better.”

“You’re never going to stop teaching me how to be human, are you?” he asked.

“You’re never going to stop being a pain, are you?” But she was smiling affectionately as she said this.

They didn’t have children, because Mae didn’t think she had the patience to be a mother. Nick wasn’t sure if he had the patience or love to be a father. Children needed patience and love. They needed understanding and so much kindness. To Mae, Nick was wonderful. Nick couldn’t understand why. He was many things, but maybe he wasn’t patient and loving enough to give children a normal childhood, given his traumatic upbringing and the fact he was a demon. Asking him to provide something he couldn’t give would be cruel. Nick knew that he’d learnt so much in becoming more human, but he wasn’t sure if he could be completely empathic.

***

“Your uncle once asked me if he could be a wild stallion[2].” Alan was playing chess with Kate as he was talking.

“What was your answer, Dad?” smiled Kate. She was now sixteen, tall and graceful like Sin. Her dark red curls were Alan’s, however.

“I said, “No, Nick. You can’t be a wild stallion until you’re forty six.”

“Wasn’t it two hundred years old, and not forty six?” asked Nick, while teaching Nancy some self defense moves.

“Oh, something like that. It was a number between one and one thousand, I do know that much.” Alan waved his hand airily.

Mae snorted.

“That’s specific,” she said drily. Alan laughed and declared checkmate.

***

Alan and Sin were both beaming at Nancy’s university graduation. Nancy hugged her parents and friends fiercely. She was smiling through her tears and looked so incredibly happy.

“You know what, Alan? I thank God that Nance inherited your brains and not mine,” Sin said. “Nance, I’m so proud of you.” Sin fussed over Nancy and dusted some lint off her. Well, lint that she could see. Nick couldn’t see any.

“Oh, hush! You’re much smarter than you think you are.”

“Don’t you regret it? Sacrificing college for me?” Nick asked. He felt sad that Alan had given up so much for him.

“I had to choose between your safety and happiness, and my own education. You’re one of the best things that ever happened to me. My own education doesn’t even come close.” Alan smiled, but there was a twinge of sadness in his eyes.

“I do miss it every now and again, but I have a close family and wonderful friends. I’ve got more than I ever dreamed of having.” His eyes softened as he kissed Sin.

“I became a car mechanic in the end. Kind of pointless making me go to school then, you know?” Nick grinned.

“I wanted you to have the choice to do whatever you wanted to do. It’s much easier to get a job if you finished school,” said Alan. His lips twitched. “And the ladies love a man in uniform[3].”

***

“You hold the handle lightly and firmly. Like this.” Nick adjusted Jamie’s grip on his knife.

“Thank you for caring enough to teach me how to wield my dangerous knife[4],” said Jamie, pretending to be terrified. He’d been practicing self defense with Nick for so long he was much more confident with weapons. Jamie pretended to hide, then snatched the knife from Nick, wielding it expertly.

“I let you win,” yawned Nick. But he was secretly proud of Jamie. Mae could tell. Nick tired more easily nowadays. It didn’t stop him from sparring with his brother or friends, however. Nor did it prevent him from racing in his car like a maniac (with or without his powers).

Nick’s back ached, and Mae gently teased him, calling him “my Old Man.” He usually responded by calling her Mavis, or “my tiny lunatic[5]”. He sometimes minded that his back ached or that he was slower, though. He was surprised how he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. Maybe he was so used to it that he’d adjusted.

“Are you scared of what’s going to happen when we’re older?” Nick asked. ‘Like becoming more sick and dependent?”

“Sometimes,” Mae said honestly. “But I’m glad that I’ll be facing whatever lies ahead with you, and not alone.”

***

Alan was the first to get grey hair.

Mae was the second, but it was impossible for anyone to tell. She still dyed her hair pink.

“Aren’t you going to age gracefully and let your hair whiten, Mavis?”

Mae slapped his shoulder playfully.

“The day I do that will be the day you know something’s wrong,” she chuckled. “And stop calling me that.”

“Okay. Mavis.” Nick smirked.

Mae punched him lightly on the shoulder again.

“Mavis is a very appropriate name for an elderly woman.” Nick grinned wickedly.

“Mavis is a terrible name for any woman,” corrected Mae. “Nicholas.”

Old age wasn’t so scary, in a way. He had Mae by his side. He had Alan and Sin, and Jamie and Seb. His family. Things weren’t so frightening when you weren’t alone and had people you loved by your side.

“Mae.”

“Yes?”

“I’m glad that you’ve taught me how to be more human.”

“That’s all right.” Mae smiled. Nick held her hand briefly. Not because it comforted him, because demons usually touched people or each other either to hurt or possess them. Touching someone hurt like hell. But he did it to comfort her and because seeing her happy made him feel better.

“I’ve lived so many lifetimes and forgotten them. But I won’t forget this one,” Nick said firmly. “I learnt how to survive in a human body and become more human. I did the impossible. Maybe I’ll keep this lifetime and it’ll all end here. I’ll find a way.”

---

[1] In The Demon’s Covenant, Mae says she supports Jamie becoming a back up dancer as this involves glitter. Jamie is against this.

[2] Alan actually tells Nick in The Demon’s Surrender he can’t be a wild stallion as he’s too young (something to that effect).

[3] Alan mentions this in The Demon’s Lexicon.

[4] In the Demon’s Covenant, Jamie actually says, “Nick. Thank you for my scary knife.” I love Jamie’s sense of humour.

[5] In The Demon’s Surrender, Nick mentions that he’ll never stop getting “you tiny lunatics” (aka Mae and Jamie) out of trouble.

Comments

[the-glow-worm.livejournal.com]

OMG, I loved it! Thank you so much for fulfilling the prompt so wonderfully. This was full of great moments. This line:

“Mavis is a very appropriate name for an elderly woman.”

made me laugh out loud. Such a Nick thing to say, ahahaha. I thought this was a really excellent fic, thank you again! :)

[sunlit-music.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! :D It's the sort of thing I can imagine Nick saying to Mae. I'm glad you liked the story so much.