"For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth." -Bo Bennett
'~-Spencer-~'
September 21st, 2017
I watched as the alter reached her arms to open the cabinet.
"You're a Magi, remember?" Maxine paused at my words, laughing as it clicked in her mind.
A moment later, a cup of hot chocolate appeared in her small hands as she sat at the island bar.
"Thanks." She simply stated, taking a sip of her drink. There was something odd about her voice, though.
"Of course: though it is hilarious seeing you try to reach the cabinets." I mused. Maxine glared at me and showed me her middle finger.
"If I were in my own body, I would be just as tall as you." She commented, setting down her empty cup. Her voice deepened as she relaxed.
"I can only imagine. Also, if your voice is deeper than what you've shown me, that's fine. I don't care if you sound different- I'm still your friend." Maxine's eyes met mine with hesitation.
"I guess that I just don't know how to be anyone else." She swayed on her heels anxiously, referring to how Xavier had treated her.
"That's okay. Is Maxine even your name?" I asked.
"No," She whispered, her voice higher pitched.
"Then what is your name?" Hesitation once again floated in those gorgeous pools. A sigh escaped her lips.
A much deeper voice slipped from the alter's lips.
"Maxwell." Silence followed his confession.
I laughed. "You're a guy?"
"Surprise?" He laughed alongside me, his lips curling up in a genuine smile.
"Only slightly. I've noticed your more masculine tendencies and just assumed you were a tomboy." Maxwell leaned against the couch with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Well, you assumed wrong, Princess." A blush crawled up my cheeks at the nickname.
"P-princess?" I asked, stuttering as he laughed at me.
"Yeah, that's your nickname. Do you want me to change it?"
I shook my head. "I don't care, really. I'm not exactly used to that."
Maxwell nodded, moving his position so that we were closer. His eyes searched mine for a moment, though I was not sure what he was looking for.
"Alright, I get it." He brushed past me and walked up the stairs towards our room. A couple of minutes passed by before he exited, coming downstairs in a black hoodie and sweatpants. Maxwell smiled at me, looking very comfortable.
"I was wondering something." He stated, pulling slightly at his hoodie. "There's another person in the system that you didn't mention- a child. Her name is Jesse. I think that I can pull her to the front, and you could meet her."
"You're a gatekeeper?"
"What's that?"
"A gatekeeper is an alter who controls switching or access to front, access to inside or certain areas inside, or access to certain alters or memories. The existence of a gatekeeper is highly stabilizing for a system because gatekeepers can, to some extent, prevent unwanted switching, failure to switch when necessary, or failure to switch to the correct alter. They can help to prevent traumatic memories from bleeding from the alters who hold them to alters who could not yet handle them. They might police the boundaries between. Because gatekeepers have control over which alters have access to the front, they themselves are often or always near the front and so witness everything that happens to the system. They might experience vast amounts of abuse and might present as ageless, emotionless, and nonhuman as a way to process this and cope. Gatekeepers may or may not also serve as an internal self helper." I rambled.
Maxwell blinked at me. "I have no idea what the hell you just said."
"Um, gatekeeper alters can control who fronts, basically." He nodded slowly, letting out a laugh.
"I can see why Amelia finds you attractive." He mumbled beneath his breath, but I didn't quite catch it.
"Sorry?"
"Nevermind, it's not important. What do you think?"
I thought to myself for a moment, a grin slowly spreading across my face.
"I would love to meet her."
Maxwell leaned against the couch, burying his head in his hands. His breathing slowed as he began to dissociate, and I placed my arm around his waist for comfort. I watched as his consciousness faded and was replaced by another, not being able to help how fascinated I was by it.
"Hi?" A young voice greeted me.
"Hey there, little one. What's your name?" I asked her, even though Maxwell had already told me what her name was.
"Who are you?" Jesse timidly questioned, pulling her hands to her face in a protective fashion.
"My name is Spencer. I'm here to take care of you, okay?" She nodded, looking into my eyes with wonder.
"I'm Jesse. Are you like Sun?" I grinned at her.
"Yeah, I am. How old are you, Jesse?"
Jesse looked at her hands, counting on her fingers until six of them were up, and showed me.
"You're six?" Jesse smiled. "I'm much older than that."
"Like a grandpa?" I laughed, pulling her into my arms.
"Not quite. I'm not a grandpa yet. Although I am a dad." She looked up at me.
"Can you be my dad?" My jaw dropped as my heart soared.
"Of course, I can!" Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as a newfound warmth wormed its way into my soul.
"I have a dad! You're my dad!" Jesse giggled, jumping up and down in her spot.
A small noise came from one of the rooms. Derek stood in his doorway, his face portraying his melted heart.
"Who's that?" He asked softly, appearing next to Jesse.
"This is Jesse. Jesse, this is Derek, your brother."
She giggled, prying herself from my arms to embrace her brother.
"Hi!" Her eyes met his, and I watched his body relax.
"Hello, Jesse." Derek cooed at her.
I pressed my lips to my son's forehead, to which he smiled.
"This is such a great family, isn't it?" He wondered aloud. "Despite what may have separated us in the past, we're all still here in one piece.
"That's true," I agreed. "And honestly, there's no place I'd rather be than here, with you and the system."
"Ditto."
'~-Amelia-~'
August 5th, 2019
I glanced at Matt, who was setting up the lights for the broadcast. Five minutes remained until I would be live in front of almost two billion people- at least, according to Spencer, that's how many humans on Earth had access to a television.
"You seem stressed," He commented, an amused look behind his violet eyes.
"Obviously," I glared at him. "I'm about to decide the fate of all Magi living on Earth."
"Makes sense. I know you can do this, though. The Council would not assign this mission to you if you could not handle it." Matt stated matter-of-factly.
"I know," I whispered, suddenly becoming interested in the floor beneath me.
"Mimi, I believe in you." Matt walked over to me, resting his hand on my shoulder. "It doesn't matter if they love you or not because I love you, Sweets. Don't ever doubt that."
I smiled at my brother, pulling him into a hug.
"Thank you. I needed that."
"Places!" Someone called from the background as Magi scrambled to their places. I nervously fixed my mother's white robes.
"You look beautiful. Now, go get 'em." He whispered to me as I stood in front of the camera.
I took a deep breath in as the countdown started, and a few heartbeats later, I was in front of the world.
'~-Spencer-~'
Emily Prentiss brushed past me as the television program was interrupted. Today was supposedly a casual paperwork day for my team, but I knew that a greater message awaited us on the static screen.
"Greetings to all. It has come to my attention that you have seen recently the sightings of powerful creatures beyond your understanding. It has also come to my attention that awful beings of my own kind desire to hurt you." Confused mumbles broke out amongst the BAU.
"My name is Amelia Divine, and I am the queen of the Magic Web. This 'web' is made of interwoven planets and species that I rule over, though I do not seem the type to." I noticed the off-script comment and smiled along with her.
"I am just like you in some ways. I have a husband and four children- two of which I adopted. My people are much similar to you as some have learned over the years living on Earth to adapt to the cultures of your world. To you, we have only existed for a short amount of time. Within us, we know that ten thousand years ago, almost half of our species settled on your planet. A monumentous decision such as that divided the Magi for many years, resulting in our concealed identities. We were afraid to end up like others that you treated so harshly- your own kind, that you slaughtered relentlessly because of the color of their skin, their religion, or even because of who their heart belonged to- in which it was nobody's business but their own. But now, we have seen immense growth in the morals of this world- though some work still must be accomplished. So, we ask that you please welcome us as we fully integrate into your world. Thank you, everyone, and may Irene guide your paths for many millennia."
Amelia lowered her head into a bow as the screen cut to our national flag.
"What was that?" David Rossi, the oldest member of the team, asked in disbelief.
"There have been multiple sightings of seemingly ordinary people discovering that they have powers- am I the only one keeping up with this?" I questioned while most of my team nodded in response.
"I am, I swear. It's all over the internet, so I don't know how anybody could miss it!" Penelope Garcia squeaked, her bright floral dress swaying as she stood by my side.
"Thank you, Garcia. Well, it looks like humans were contacted by aliens. I never thought that I would be able to say that in my lifetime," I commented, a tiny smile playing with the corners of my mouth.
"Wow. I hope this isn't some ridiculous prank. Honestly, I'm excited to have these 'Magi' co-exist with us." Tara chirped, her words sending waves of relief trembling down my spine. This acceptance would make telling the team a lot easier.
"I wonder how some people may take it- I mean, think about it. Some random aliens show up and say that they get to live with us? There will be some very unhappy campers." Matt laughed.
I was eternally grateful for the acceptance of my family. I had long spent many hours gathering the courage to unravel the tangled web of lies I had fed to them, but each time I failed to do so purely because of one fear. I feared their hatred of me- the phobia crept into the darkened corners of my brain and fed off of my lies and isolation. Never telling them about my family had caused sparks of disruption to course through the neurons in my mind. This weight would sit with me no matter where I went- even if I weren't with my team. It plagued me so greatly that some days I thought I might burst, even though it was not anatomically possible.
I knew then that I had to tell them at some point soon. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but sometime, I would destroy my secrets and lay my life in the hands of the people I had grown to love. It was only a matter of time.
Though I could've never thought the anger of the people would culminate so quickly, as immediately, humans rejected my kind in favor of themselves, calling us selfish and monsters.
There were very few humans I could trust- I knew this from the beginning. However, I favored keeping my team safe over the truth: for I did not want Maeve's fate to be bestowed onto those I loved the most. They, at times, felt like the family I had been craving for years. My team confided in me as I confided in them, even going as far as telling them that I had a girlfriend again.
As days turned into nights filled with anxious thoughts, I wondered if my people would ever be accepted by the cruel nature of the humans.
Just a little more time was all they needed.
At least, I hoped.
"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." -Dwight D. Eisenhower