Nightmares Made Real (Sion, R, Non-canon)

Iona slammed her hand on the snooze button, turning off the irritating beeping that filled her bedroom. Her head was pounding and she tried to fall asleep again, cuddling her covers close. The next thing she knew, there was a heavy pounding on her apartment door.

"Iona! Iona! Wake up lassie! I canna' open the store on me own!" Her grandfather's thick Scottish accent filled the second floor before he commenced rapping her door with his cane once again. They were lucky he owned the building. Their two apartments made up the second floor, while his shop sat in the first.

"I'm up, Grandda, I'm up!" She called and sat up in bed, cradling her throbbing headache. She was going to need some major painkillers for this hangover. Iona glanced at her alarm and groaned. With no time for her regular morning yoga routine, she hopped straight into the shower before dressing. When she came down the stairs the smell of her grandda's breakfast--runny eggs and black coffee--made her stomach turn. She tied on a linen apron in the back of the store, feeling Angus' sharp eyes on her the whole time.

"There's a tincture for you on the shelf, lass," he told her sternly, watching as she drank the bitter brew to the last drop. She recognized the taste of willow bark, peppermint and evening primrose oil. There was no hiding her underage partying from her canny old grandfather--this was a staple hangover cure they recommended to the customers of Fletcher Apothecary and Sweets. Iona muttered a thanks before heading to the front of the store and doing the open routine. She heard her grandfather's unmistakable limping walk with his cane move to the door and unlock it as she pulled up the last of the window blinds.

"We almost opened late. Again. You canna stay out so late, carousing--"

"I know! It won't happen again," Iona exclaimed, dusting the counter.

"Tha's what ya said the last time, Iona."

"I mean it. Last night was just...Aleksander had business partners in town. We had to show them a good time, I couldn't--"

"Damnation! That boy is nothin but trouble for ya, lass! Look at ya, you should be halfway through university right now. And whate'er happened to any of your girl friends?"

"Aleksander loves me, grandda! I won't hear your mongering!" She turned her stoney stare at him, their matching emerald eyes meeting before they heard a soft cough. They turned, looking thoroughly embarrassed to find one of their regular customers had been audience to their spat.

Dysis was something of a regular in the store since he lived relatively close by with his family. His mother had a killer sweet tooth and his little sister wasn't much better, though she had to be careful not too eat too much for her tiny fangs. Didn't want them rotting or anything.

The place they had moved too wasn't too bad, there was pretty decent human/nonhuman relations in these parts. As a rule things were 'okay' everywhere but some were a bit worse then others. The Dhampir was just grateful to be born in a time things were much more tolerant and opening then in the past, his grandparents on his dad's side definitely had stories to tell.

After grabbing a few things and deciding to check out, he witnessed Iona and her grandfather arguing. It wasn't any of his business, but he felt awkward just being there and due to his enhanced senses it wasn't like he couldn't hear anything.

So he decided to get their attention with a slight cough. "Sorry to bother you two, just letting you know I'm ready."

"Oh no, it's us who are sorry," Iona said, her fair skin blushing deeply. She took the basket of goods and started ringing up his purchase.

"Sorry abou' tha' lad," Angus apologized before patting his granddaughter on the shoulder and heading to the back room.

"Just family spats, you know?" Iona gave a half-hearted grin. "Ah, honey drops. Your little sister will love these. Did you see we have some new raspberry cordial candies? I bet she'd them as well. Here," she slipped a few into his bag, "A taste test, on me." She smiled before telling him the total of his purchase.

Dysis smiled back a bit as he reached for his wallet to pay for his things. "So drama with the old man aside, how have you been? And you should visit some time when you get the chance." He really had missed Iona since she moved away those years back after high school. The two had been joined at the hip since they were kids. If one of them was around, it was almost a sure bet the other would be.

Part of him still had feelings for Iona, but with her boyfriend he knew nothing could come out of it for now. He didn't like them though. Something was..off about them. He didn't know what it was or it was just his jealously talking.

"Oh, things have been alright. With the economy the way it is, people are looking towards more alternative medicines rather than see a doctor so business has been pretty good for the store. We have had to send a couple of patrons in though, there are just some things modern medicine is better equipped to handle than our herbs and tinctures," Iona took the offered cash and counted it before handing Dysis his change. She missed her old friend. They'd been so inseperable when they were young that she'd pretty much had the freedom to stop by his house whenever she'd needed or wanted.

"I do miss your mom's cookies," Iona started with a nostalgic look on her face. Still, Aleksander wouldn't like it. He would never forbid her from seeing anyone, but he much preferred she spend her free time with him. Then she smiled. Aleksander was out of town for the night on some business thing. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

"Would it be alright if I stopped by tonight after I close the shop? We could catch up and reminisce on old times, if your mother doesn't mind me stopping by."

Dysis smiled slightly. "Not at all. I know mom and Miranda have been asking about you and they both want to see you again. So this is a excuse to drop by. I'll tell her you're coming tonight." He got got his things, making sure he had everything. "I'll talk to you tonight. See you Iona."

* *


It was around the evening time May was cooking the meal for the night, humming to herself as Miranda peered around the corner. When not watching her mother, she decided to follow her big brother around practically everywhere he went. Dysis didn't mind. Not really. Miranda was just being herself and when Iona came back, she'd go to following her around since she hadn't seen her in a while. It had been a few years, she was three at the time. Now she was roughly about five.

"I wonder how Iona has been doing. It would be nice to talk to her again. I'm not sure I like her boyfriend though.." May had always wanted her son and Iona to get together. She wondered why they didn't. The only answer she had was Dysis waited too long to say anything.

"She seemed fine, I'm sure we can catch up with all the things she's been up to when she comes back." Dysis said as he crouched down in front of Miranda. "All right. Iona is coming so I need one of those million dollar smiles and that charm of yours. You can do that for me, can't you? Pinky swear on it?" He asked, holding out his pinky.

"Okay." Miranda said, nodding as if talking it seriously. "Is she your girlfriend now?"

"No." I wish. "Iona's a good friend still." Dysis said as he got up. "Let's just give her a warm welcome. It's been a while since we've been together like this."

Iona smiled back, "I'll see you then."

Later that evening after closing the shop, Iona quickly changed her outifit before bidding her Grandda goodnight and slipping away. Afraid of very little, she walked the few blocks to Dysis' house, never having forgotten the way. She tugged her green and blue plaid button down shirt into place and tossed her hair back from her face before knocking.

It was about a few moments before May opened the door, giving a bright smile at seeing Iona. "Hi! Welcome back, its been a long time young lady." She moved aside so she could enter. "You've really grown." Iona had always been a pretty girl, but it seemed the last few years she had really grown into her beauty as she fully matured.

Not too long before Iona took even a few more steps into the house, a blond-haired blur tackled her leg. It was Miranda. "Iona! You're here!"

"Thank you Mrs. Funano," Iona walked into the house, barely having time to remove her tennis shoes. "Ooof!" Iona laughed and looked down at the little girl attached to her leg, "Hi Miranda. Wow, you've gotten big!" She ruffled the girl's blonde hair a little before scooping her up and resting her on her hip.

"Nao, 'ave you been a good littil lass?" Iona affected a thick Scotch accent like her grandda's, smiling at the girl's familiar giggles to the strange sounding words.

Miranda actually did giggle. "I'mma been a good girl. Where is grandpa?" Miranda called Iona's grandfather 'granpa' anyway. It was just a habit she picked up and he didn't seem to mind.

"He probably was just busy. We'll get to see him later." May began walking back towards the kitchen; she had finished the meal cooking already. All she had left to do was get everything out. "How have you've been sweetie?"

Dysis was putting plates down for everyone when Iona showed up carrying his sister. "Hey. Go have yourself a seat anywhere. Glad you could make it." He didn't have to worry about work or anything tomorrow so that gave him time to stay up and relax with Iona around.

"Grandda's good. His leg's been bothering him a little, but otherwise he's his usual cantankerous self. I'm good. Working at the shop keeps me busy," Iona headed towards the dining room, not setting Miranda down from her hip until Dysis told her to find a seat. She blinked when she passed by Dysis, having forgotten how tall he was now. She picked a chair and sat, feeling a little awkward since she hadn't had time to visit with them in a few years.

When all was seated, May smiled a bit. "So have you decided to go to school like you said or just work? Dysis goes to school now, few years to get his teaching degree so he could become a history teacher."

"A college history teacher." Dysis corrected. "I don't want to go anywhere near highschool again." It hadn't been a bad experience per say but it wasn't anything he'd like to repeat. Back in high school, he had been rather popular with the opposite gender due to his half vampire heritage giving him his looks. A lot of them that were there were more of the shallow type and he had no interest in it. It took more then looks for him.

"Oh, well umm...I went to college for a little over a semester, but it just didn't work out," Iona bit her lip. She only ever felt ashamed of dropping out in front of people who'd known her before college. The people who'd seen what a good student she was and known her passion for helping people. Then she smiled over towards her old friend, "Professor Dysis sounds good." She remembered how popular he was with the other girls in high school as well. "You know, there are sororities at colleges," she smirked as he made a face at her tease. "I think you'd be a great professor, but just warning you--college girls can be worse than what you've dealt with before."

Dysis didn't actually make a face at the tease, though he did look amused. "I think its a necessary evil I'll just have to deal with. I'd still rather do college then highschool."

May found herself wondering why Iona had dropped out. "Ah, I see. If its not for you, it wasn't for you. Not everyone does college, though I wish I had done it when I was younger. But enough about this old woman. It's just good to have you back. Tell your grandfather me and Miranda said 'hi' and want to see him one of these days. I think we might come over to the shop instead."

Iona smirked again. Dysis had only gotten more handsome in the years she'd been gone. He'd have college girls falling all over him. She remembered how it was for him in high school, with all those flaky, moon-eyed girls following him everywhere. She'd had to help him make his escape too many times to count.

Iona didn't comment further on college though, not when she heard what she took to be disappointment from May. "Grandda would like that, having you visit the shop. How've you been Mrs Funano?"

May shrugged slightly to that. "I've been mostly just running my clothing store, hasn't changed too much in the years. I got a new babysitting to look after Miranda, its hard at times with me and Dysis but I have his help so it helps a lot with things." She noticed Iona drop the subject of college, so she opted to leave it alone for now.

Iona looked over at Miranda enjoying her meal. "I'd watch her for you if I could. I just don't have a lot of free time between working at the shop and being with Aleksander." Oh man, that came out wrong. "I mean, I go to a lot of his business meetings and stuff to help him out." She closed her eyes, that still had sounded bad.

"So, Dysis, did you say you were working and going to school? Where do you work?"

May decided to leave it alone; it wasn't really her business. Even if she didn't like Iona's boyfriend it was ultimately her choice. She didn't think the boy was any good though but that wasn't her call. It was Iona's. She deserved a lot better then that.

"Big brother helps animals!" Miranda said with a bit of pride. "And its really neat and stuff."

Dysis looked amused at his sister. "Basically I just work part time at a animal shelter. I always liked them so decided to do something with it."

"That's great," Iona smiled, amused at Miranda's description of Dysis' job. "I bet it's a lot of fun, getting to play with all of the cats and dogs. I've been trying to push Grandda into letting me get a pet. It could even be the shop mascot, but he isn't going for it." She shrugged. The meal was good and she complimented May's cooking before they were finished with the dinner. Iona insisted on helping to clear the table when they were done, saying she'd done so before and could help out now too.

May didn't have any issues with Iona helping out with getting things out the way and Dysis did his part too. It wasn't too long between the three of them things were back to normal as if they had never had a meal in the first place.

"If you like, I could escort you home." Dysis offered. "If nothing else just a excuse to talk more."

Iona thought a moment. She didn't go many places without an escort these days. If Aleksander himself couldn't drive or walk her somewhere then he had one of his assistants do the task. She didn't really like it, as she was very accomplished in self defense and liked her freedom, but there was no refusing them. This on the other hand, was simply a friend wanting to spend more time with her.

She smiled, "I'd like that. Thank you." She tied her shoes on, bidding May farewell and thanking her again for dinner before ruffling Miranda's hair.

Dysis nodded and moved to open the door for Iona when she headed out, closing and locking it behind him before starting to walk alongside her. "It's almost like old times again; for the most part. Except we're older now. It's been years but feels like everything's changed and at the sametime not much at all." He shrugged. "Hard to explain but that's how I feel."

"Almost," Iona said with a sigh, tucking her vibrant hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry. I'm just...I don't think I'll be able to see you very much." She actually felt her throat constricting a little. It was true, despite a little awkwardness, the dinner and the walk did feel a lot like old times.

Dysis was dissapointed but deep down he knew that already. For his friend's sake he tried not show that it bothered him too much. "Hey its okay. Part of life is as we grow older people just go their own ways. It doesn't mean we aren't still good friends just have different priorities now. We aren't going anywhere. When you need us and have time, we'll be there."

Iona smiled lightly, slipping an arm about his waist for a side hug. The top of her head barely came to Dysis' shoulder and it was amusing to think that there'd only been a couple of inches difference in their height until he'd sprouted up in middle school. "Thanks Dysis. It's good to know I still have you in my corner."