Practice (Tag: Alidia) rated M

Victoria wanted to hear she laid on her stomach. "Please Rahim...." she gave her puppy look. Alidia grasped Rahim's hands to signaled it'd be okay.

"Well, thisss one took placcce shortly before World War 1. We both lived in London. She was a rich man'sss daughter and I was a gargoyle. I should let you know right now that English gargoylesss ssstand out from others around the world. They are more...animal looking in the faccce and have bird-like wingsss as opposssed to the usual bat or glider onesss of other clansss. Her name was Jessssica, and mine was Griff." Rahim began.

Haley and Aaron sat with Victoria. "Wow...world war 1?" Victoria exclaimed "awesome..." "Tori...shhh let Rahim continue..." Haley said. "I bet she was engaged...to a jerk but once she saw you...instant love." Aaron said. Haley and Tori looked at Aaron, wide eyed. "What I read your books..." Aaron admitted. The girls laughed.

"Actually, she wasn't engaged, yet. But he wanted her to find a young man who could provide for her. Her father was already an old man by that time, and ridiculousssly religiousss. The gargoylesss of London hid in plain sssight by running a shop in the Sssoho region of the cccity, usssing long capesss to hide mossst of them. The cussstomersss alwaysss mistook them people wearing a masssk. But there was one among them who wasn't content to jussst mind the shop and helped the humansss that needed protecting; that was me, or me as Griff, if you get my meaning." Rahim explained.

Tori giggled. "What did you guys look like?" Haley asked. Aaron just paid attention.

"Do you mean me and Alidia at that time? Or the clan in London?" Rahim asked her mother. In his defense, the question was a little vague.

"Alidia or I mean Jessica....and you Griff..." Haley smiled

"Ah, I sssee. Well, Jessssica had black hair and green eyesss and wore a pink Victorian ssstyle dressss and hat. She was thin and of average height. As for Griff, he had ssskin like bronze, a faccce like an eagle, brown hair and dark eyes. He liked to wear a blue double-breasssted jacket, matching shortsss, a leather belt, and sssilver armbandsss. He was very tall and mussscular." Rahim answered with a smile.

They looked at Rahim and then their daughter. "We can see that..." "Can we continue with the story please..." Victoria asked.

"Yesss, of courssse. Now where was I? Oh yesss, Griff being ressstlessss about ssstaying in the sssafe haven of the shop. On many nightsss, he patrolled the cccity of London to keep people out of trouble. It was one sssuch night that he encountered Jessssica being attacked by sssomeone who mussst have thought she was a prossstitute. She ran when Griff came to her ressscue, right into a ssstreet with a carriage coming toward her, but he pulled her out of the way before she could get hurt." Rahim continued on.

"Yeas....go Griff..." Victoria cheered and then giggled. Her parents smiled.

"Jessssica resssponded by crying into his chessst onccce the carriage had passssed. You have to underssstand that after having two shocking traumasss right after each other, she was willing to take whatever comfort she could get. Even if it looked like him." Rahim explained, solemnly.

Haley and Aaron nodded. Victoria just sat there, listening to every word.

"Griff took her home, but she wanted to know more about her ressscuer. She asssked if she could sssee him again, and he promisssed to take her to sssee his clan'sss shop the next night. It didn't take long for Jessssica'sss father to figure out that his daughter had a gentleman on her mind, but he found out that her gentleman was more than he thought when he ssspied on her. Unfortunately, her father was not their only problem." Rahim went on.

Alidia was still passed out. And her family was enjoying this. "Rahim who was it..." Victoria asked.

"Griff bringing Jessssica to his clan'sss shop was met with mixed resultsss. His brother, Leo, was proud of him for what he did and happy that he'd made a lady friend. His sssissster, Una, was a different ssstory altogether. She did not like Jessssica, and she made sure everyone knew it too. One had to think she was jealousss of the girl because she could hold Griff'sss attention ssso easily." Rahim answered.

"Wow...what a meanie..." Victoria said. "I'd kick her butt..." The parents chuckled.

Rahim had to smile at Victoria's comment. It was cute to hear a little kid talk tough. Besides, it let him see a bit of Alidia in her little sister.
"Una kept telling her brothersss that Jessssica would bring trouble to their door, but Griff wouldn't lisssten and she was forccced to let it go. Essspecially with Leo sssupporting the two as a couple." Rahim told them.

Victorica smiled. "Go Leo the lion...bite off Una's head...show who's boss..." she giggled. Her parents just shook their heads and laughed.

"Unfortunately, Jessssica'sss father was not ssso ressstricted. He began making plansss to introduccce eligible young men to his daughter in the hopesss that she would lose interessst in Griff and sssettle down with one of them. She rejected every man who came to call on her, until her father decccided to choose one himssself and arrange the marriage. Meanwhile, Una, who had followed the girl home one night, was torn between keeping her mouth shut or telling her brothersss about the old man'sss plan." Rahim continued with the story.

"Ohhh I hope she said something..." Victoria said. "Tori honey...hush Rahim trying to tell us what happens..." Aaron said.

"Believe it or not, Una chose to tell Griff what was going on. She told him jussst in time. He had enough time to ssstop the unwanted marriage, thanksss to his sssissster realizing how happy Jessssica made her brother." Rahim replied.

Victoria smiled "The meanie was good after all...yea...she was a goodie...."
Aaron and Haley smiled as they sang a song that was familiar to Alidia and Victoria:


Alidia smiled as she rose her hand to Rahim's cheek caressing it. Victoria smiled as she swayed to her parents singing. She looked at Rahim and smiled when she saw her sister's hand "This is my mommy and daddy's song. But they have different songs for me and Ali..." she took her ghostly hand and rubbed them Alidia's free hand.

Rahim smiled at this. It seemed that Alidia was apart of a musical family. Somehow, he expected this from her.

Victoria smiled as she began singing. Her parents sat down, smiling. Hearing her sister's voice made Alidia flutter her eyes open. "Ohhh Toribug...." Alidia said as she embraced her sister. The two sisters laughed like old times.