The Last Fire Phoenix - completed

A/N: This chapter is beta by Kylee.

Chapter Twenty-nine:

Dan lay in his bed tossing and turning, praying that nothing bad had happened to Alistair and his son Maya since yesterday. Suddenly, without warning his door swung open, surprising him. He sat up right away. He blinked twice unable to believe his eyes. Standing at the wide open door was his son Maya.

“Dad!” Maya called out with joy before racing toward his dad and embracing him tightly.

“Maya! I'm so happy to see that you are alright,” Dan said softly with joy as well.

“Of course I am, what made you think otherwise?” Maya asked.

“It's just that yesterday I got this feeling that something awful had happened to you or Alistair,” Dan admitted to his son about his worries.

Maya lost his happy smile and sadly turned his eyes away from his dad. Dan took it as a bad sign. “Alistair! Maya do you know where Alistair is?” He asked and when Maya didn't answer him he started to get worried.

Marcus came up to Maya and took his hand, “Let's tell him together,” he suggested and received a nod from Maya. The two of them faced Dan and after a long hesitation, they blurted out to Dan, “Alistair died yesterday!”

Dan fell to his knees, tears filled his eyes and came rushing out right away. “Alistair died? How… who killed him?” He demanded an answer from Marcus and Maya.

“He died saving my son,” Marcus answered.

“Alistair was killed by the phoenix clan Dad,” Maya said to his dad.

Dan cried harder, “Alistair damn you! Why did you die before I could tell you about our baby you stupid idiot? Why did you leave me again? I hate you!” he cried out loud.

Julian who had heard the bad news, went over to Dan’s side and put his arms around him. “I'm sorry Dan, I know how much you loved him. Alistair didn't die for nothing Dan. He gave his life to save his grandson. That is something you should be proud of him for,” Julian said softly.

A confused Dan looked up at Julian. Marcus who was beside them heard what Julian said and he was confused as well, so was Maya. “What do you mean by that Julian?” Dan asked his friend between sobbing.

Julian looked up at Marcus and took his hand and Dan’s hand as well. Dan and Marcus looked at each other in confusion, then they turned to look at Julian. With a smile he announced to them both and to everyone who was present in the room, “Dan do you remember your baby from twenty years ago? The baby that your parents told you died right after you gave birth to him?” Julian waited for Dan to reply to his question before continuing on.

“Yes I remember. I will never forget that day, the baby that I looked forward to holding and loving with all my heart. My dreams were shattered that night when he was stillborn,” Dan said sadly.

“Well Dan, this might be a surprise for you. Your baby was alive back then. Your parents lied to you that night,” Julian told Dan the truth about that night.

Dan couldn't believe his ears, his own parents had lied to him. “What did they do to my baby?” he asked Julian, hoping to God that his parents had not killed his child.

“Your parents put him in a basket and then threw him into the river. They had every intention of killing him.” Julian didn't get to finish as Dan started crying harder. “Don't cry Dan, your baby was rescued by me and he is right in front of you. Marcus is your son!” Julian announced.

Dan looked up through his tears at Marcus and saw that Marcus’ eyes were filled with tears as well. “You aren’t lying to us are you?” they both asked Julian.

“I would never lie to you about something as serious as that Dan and Marcus,” Julian reassured the two.

Marcus was the first to move. He threw himself into his dad’s arms and hugged him tight with tears in his eyes, Never in his life did he ever think that he would meet his real parents but here he was hugging his dad, the man who gave birth to him. His dad had not abandoned him. He was glad to learn the truth after all these years.

Dan was also happy to learn that the son he never got a chance to love was alive and breathing right in front of him. The only sad part was that Alistair would never know. He cried hard, “Oh Alistair, I wish that you were still alive and here right now to meet our son,” he said silently inside his head.

Maya and everyone else in the room clapped their hands and congratulated Marcus and Dan for finally reuniting with each other. “I'm so happy for you Dad and Marcus.” Maya said with happy tears.

“So who is Marcus’ father?” Anthony voiced the question that Marcus forgot to ask.

Marcus looked at his dad, waiting to hear the name of his father. “Alistair is your father Marcus,” Dan announced to them still crying, then more tears came rushing out.

Marcus bit his bottom lip and looked up at Maya. He saw Maya shake his head. Then Maya approached him and Dan. “Dad get up, we have to leave. Alec wants you to attend his wedding with the Peacock King. He has a surprise for you that I think that will cheer you up. Am I right Marcus?” Maya looked directly at Marcus. The two communicated silently with each other.

“Yes Dad, we should get out of here. I am not very fond of Maya’s father,” Marcus admitted as he tried to get his dad to move so that they could leave.

Dan looked up at both his sons and agreed. He walked alongside Julian out of Ramsey’s castle. He stopped near the door and before he left, he turned to Ramsey and slapped him hard across the face. “That is for what you did to me Ramsey!” then he slapped him again. “This one is for lying and using me to get to Alistair.” Then he punched Ramsey right in the face, “And that one is for the end of our friendship!” Dan stormed out of the castle.

The demon king and his men were waiting right outside just like Ramsey said. Maya ran straight towards the demon king and flew into his arms. He kissed him passionately and whispered, “I'm sorry,” over and over again to the demon king. “Where is our son?” he asked.

“Our son is with Alec and Ian," replied the demon king. "They decided to join us since Alistair insisted that he wasn't going anywhere until he rescued Dan."

Maya laughed, "Well I can't say I blame him. He really does love my dad Kai, and no amount of injury could stop Alistair from seeing my dad. Even now when he is unable to move a muscle, he still insists on seeing with his own eyes that the man he loves is safe and that no harm will come to him. Alistair might be a ruthless killer who works for you Kai, but he is also a man who stays true to his heart.”

“Alright I get it, enough with this chit chat. I want to return home as soon as possible. There are important things that I must do when I get back,” the demon king said gruffly. Then he pulled Maya up onto his horse.

Maya wrapped his arms around the demon king’s waist and rested his face on his back. He looked over across from him to see Marcus and Dan. “Tell me, why didn't you just barge inside the castle and kill everyone Kai?” he found himself asking as he watched his dad and Marcus.

“I would, but what would I tell my son when he grew up and asked me “Who killed my grandfather Father?” How would you expect me to answer our son?” the demon king replied.

Maya laughed softly. “I didn't know that you cared about such small things Kai,” he commented.

“Neither did I, but I guess having a family changes a man, or in my case a demon,” said the demon king. Then he gave the horse a kick and they went off ahead of everyone else.

Cain was shocked beyond words. He didn't know what to say when his beloved Marcus introduced Dan as his dad. He scratched his head, trying to come up with anything to say to the man before him, but Dan beat him to it.

“Cain, promise me that you will always love and cherish my son Marcus with all your heart,” Dan said to the nervous man.

“I swear with my very own life that I will love and cherish Marcus with all my heart. If I break my word, let lightning strike me to death!” Cain put up three fingers as he said this.

Marcus and Dan laughed just as Anthony came towards them with the horse Maya left behind. Anthony gave the horse to Dan and told them that the demon king and Maya had already left to see Alec. Then Anthony returned to Gareth side. Dan climbed onto the horse and looked up at the sky. Alistair entered his thoughts. He looked at his son and Cain and wished that Alistair was there at that very moment with him. Tears ran down his cheeks once more. He quickly wiped them away before Marcus could see them.

“Dad, we are going to see Alec. There is someone there will be very happy to see you, and you also will be very happy to see him,” Marcus hinted to his dad without giving out the truth about Alistair.

Dan gave Marcus a small but sad smile and nodded his head. He doubted that he would be happy seeing anyone besides Alistair, but he wasn't about to break his son’s good heart. He watched Cain help Marcus onto the horse. Cain’s eyes reflected the love he had for Marcus. Dan was happy to see that. As soon as Cain climbed onto the horse behind Marcus, they rode off, heading in the same direction as Maya and the demon king.

Anthony watched his friends disappear from his view then he turned to Gareth. “So where are we heading to?” he asked.

“We are going home, now that my father got what he came for,” replied Gareth, as he turned their horse in the other direction. “Father, we are going on ahead!” Gareth yelled out to his father, and off he went, riding into the forest without waiting for his father’s reply.

Vince grinned happily now that he was left alone with Julian. “Come on, if we want to catch up to them before the sunset, you are going to have to take me up on my offer,” he said with a smirk.

Julian glared up at the fox demon. “Don't think that I don't know what’s going on inside that perverted head of yours, you perverted demon fox!” he told the man.

“Would you be willing to get on the horse if I promise not to touch you until the moon falls from the sky?” asked Vince.

Julian already knew that he had no other option except to take the fox demon up on his offer. He sighed first then he grabbed hold of the hand that was put out to help him up onto the horse. “You had better keep your word, you horny fox. If you don't, I will cut off one of your tails, do I make myself clear?”

"Yes, very clear!" Vince replied with a victorious smile on his face. The two off them set off into the forest. Julian put his arms around Vince’s waist and rested the side of his face on the man’s back. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the cold breeze that brushed his cheek.

Inside Ramsey’s castle, Ramsey was fuming mad with rage. He turned his room inside out, looking for the golden feather that was the source of his power. Avery just happened to walk by and see how messy the man’s room was. “There is no need for you to take your frustrations out on your room just because you didn't get to kill Alistair,” he commented from the doorway.

Ramsey spun around and stalked over to Avery. "Did you steal my golden feather?" he accused the boy.

“What? Are you kidding me? I just got here you bastard!” Avery snapped. He raised his hand and slapped Ramsey for accusing him of a crime he didn't commit. Then he stormed away.

Ramsey was furious. He stormed after the boy and scooped him into his arms, carrying him back to his room. He dumped the boy onto his bed. "The only one here who would take things that don't belong to them is you boy! My servant would never betray me!” Ramsey ripped the boy’s clothes off, and in a fit of anger, he forced himself on Avery.

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Urian grasped the golden feather tightly in his hand. He was overcome with joy that he had finally found it. Now his husband and his dad’s life would be saved. He pulled out a small glowing blue crystal ball and chanted the spell that would bring him back to the future. Blue light surrounded him and before he returned to the future, he smiled when he remembered what a good looking baby he had been. He was glad that he got to see himself as a baby.

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It was almost midnight when Dan, Marcus and Cain arrived at Ian’s second home. They were greeted by none other than Alec. With a big happy smile on his face, Alec immediately pulled Dan in for a hug. “Oh I missed you so much Dan!” he uttered.

"I missed you too, my good friend," Dan told Alec, then they both laughed.

"I'm glad that you are okay Dan. Now why don't you go up to your room. It is upstairs, down the hall to your right. It has the door with bluebirds craved into it," said Alec.

"Thanks Alec. I really could use some sleep right now after what I have been through today," said Dan and he went upstairs to his room. He forgot to say good night to his sons. He didn't realize it until he was standing in front of the door to his room. “What kind of dad am I to forget to say goodnight to my own sons,” he muttered to himself as he opened the door to his chamber.

“Dan!” A very familiar voice called out to him from inside his room. He looked up and found Alistair sitting up in bed with his back against the pillow, looking directly at him. Dan was speechless. Slowly he made his way towards the bed, and ever so slowly he reached out. Before he could touch Alistair to see if he was real or not, Alistair grabbed his wrist and pulled him into his warm chest, embracing him tightly.

“Maya and Marcus, they kept their promise to me. They said that no matter what they would rescue you for me and have you return to my side. I am so glad that I chose to believe in them Dan. You don't know how happy I am right now,” Alistair murmured through the tears that had suddenly found their way down his cheeks.

“You’re alive Alistair! Please tell me that I am not dreaming that you are alive,” Dan said softly as tears trailed down his face.”

“Yes, I'm alive Dan, thanks to Maya and Alec. If it wasn't for them, I would have already died,” Alistair reassured the crying man in his arms.

“But Maya and Marcus told me that you died!” Dan said.

“It was Maya’s idea to make Ramsey think that I died so that he would let you go. Seeing you right here, right now tells me that Maya idea worked.”

“Oh Alistair, I'm so happy that you are alive! I had so many things that I wanted to tell you,” Dan said as he rubbed his face on Alistair’s chest. “I have two wonderful news to tell you Alistair,” Dan announced.

“Really? I can't wait to hear it,” Alistair said softly.

Dan lifted his head up and looked into Alistair’s eyes. “Alistair, the first news is that Marcus is our son, the son that I thought had died twenty years ago. Julian told me everything today how my parents deceived me, and how they threw Marcus into a river with every intention of killing him. Julian saved our son, and if it wasn't for him, Marcus wouldn't be alive and we wouldn't have been able to meet him Alistair.”

“Marcus was his and Dan’s son. Somehow Alistair didn't find that hard to believe. He remembered the conversation he had with Marcus, and swore to do whatever it took to make up for all those years that Marcus grew up without him or Dan by his side. He was overjoyed like every other father out there who found out that they had a long lost son. A son who they thought was lost to them forever.

Marcus smiled at the sight before him, he had been standing there for five minutes, not daring to make a sound as he did not want to disturb his parents. However his baby had other ideas. He cried out loud, alerting Marcus’ parents of their presence. "Sorry to disturb you two, but I thought that Dad would like to see his grandson," said Marcus.

Alistair waved Marcus and his grandson over to him and Dan. When Marcus reached him, he hugged him tightly with all the love a father had for his son. "I'm glad to find out that I have a wonderful son like you Marcus." Alistair said. "You must be disappointed to have a man like me as a father though," he added.

"I have to get to know you better first before I can say that I am disappointed in you Father," Marcus told Alistair.

Alistair didn't know what to say to that. Dan laughed, "He has a point Alistair," he said. He took the baby from Marcus and held him in his arms. "I never thought that I would be a grandparent to two wonderful boys," he murmured, not forgetting about Maya’s son. Marcus knew what his dad meant when he said that, and he smiled.

“So what is the second news you were going to tell me Dan?” Alistair asked, reminding Dan that he still hadn't told him about the other good news.

Dan looked up with a big grin on his face. "We are going to have another child Alistair. I'm pregnant!” he blurted out the news.

Marcus was overjoyed with the news. Alistair would have jumped up in joy if he wasn't still recovering from his wound. “You make me the happiest man in the world, do you know that Dan? I am glad to have you by my side now more than ever before!” he told Dan. “You will be happy to know that I am no longer working for the demon king. We can go off and live a peaceful life somewhere in a place where no one knows who I am and I can go by a different name.”

“Alistair, are you sure?” Dan asked.

“Yes,” replied Alistair.