Disclaimer:

The Asterix universe is not mine. It's Goscinny's and Uderzo's, and Jean Yves Ferri's, and Didier Conrads'. The make me long for fall for the first time ever!

This is a sequel to Phyllis….so it will be infinitely easier to follow after reading that fic. Just so you know.

Together with Bonny, Phyllis has returned to her parents, Lucius and Myra, and her younger sister Joci. The last one regrets not being able to develop her healing powers the same way her mother and sister did. Which leads her Phyllis to pick up contact with the Forest house. Though Myra is reluctant, the family decides to travel back to Gaul so Joci can study there as well.

…

The sun burned down on the village we all know so well, creating a lazy atmosphere that was only interrupted by short fish fights, since the hot weather made them even smellier than usual. Asterix stretched, comfortable on the bench in front of hut, observing the fight with mild interest. Getafix was watching too, beside him on the bench. Obelix was participating, of course.

Soon the nights would be at their shortest, and the villagers seemed to make up with extra naps at daytime. Today was a bit of exception. It had been an especially long and cold winter, and Asterix didn't mind the hot weather at all. Since fighting Mesmeron, he and Obelix had not been on any major adventures, but they had been busy. Even with magic potion, and Getafix other cures, the village had not escaped the cold's weather influence. Getafix had gotten a serious flue himself, and it had taken him over a month to fully recover. Asterix and Obelix had gathered supplies on a regular basis, since Getafix was not the only villager who had fallen ill. Which meant Asterix had assisted him in brewing some potions. Not nearly as difficult or secret as the magic potion, though. In fact, Asterix was fairly sure Phyllis mastered all the basics he had recently been taught, and probably more. Healing took energy and it was useful to have alternatives. He didn't really know this, thought, since it had never come up. All things considered, he had learnt a great deal. And given Getafix time to recover.

He had just finished that train of thought, when he spotted some visitors at the gates. Watchix was guiding them, chatting away to the Roman looking small man next to him. A taller woman accompanied them. Something in her composure drew his attention. Maybe the way she took in the village, studying every villager with interest.

Asterix frowned. It was not very usual for them to have roman visitors, if you didn't count the legions. Which he didn't. He looked at Getafix, but before he could speak, someone plopped down on the other side of the bench.

"Are you Asterix?"

The light and enthusiastic voice of the teenage girl next to him, did not sound familiar, but he recognized Phyllis light green eyes as soon as he looked sideward. They looked less particular framed by dark blonde curls, but they were definitely the same color. The girl smiled when she saw he recognized her. She held out her hand.

"Joci," she introduced herself. "Phyllis' little sister…though that's not really true."

Asterix shook her hand, and realized she was right. Joci was 15, but she was quite a bit taller than Phyllis. She obviously took more after her mother, more likely to be at eye level with Cacofonix than with him. And she would probably grow taller still.

He looked around, and then back to Joci. "I'm Asterix, yes," he confirmed. Joci beamed at him, studying him, obviously too busy doing just that for any further explanations. But as Obelix and Dogmatix approached, she jumped up. "Dogmatix!" she exclaimed, picking the surprised dog up before greeting Obelix as well.

Asterix walked towards Lucius and Myra. They had just finished greeting Heroïx and now beamed at him as well. They were a strange combination. Lucius clothing was Gaulish, safe for the sandals, as was his wife's. She wore sandals too. They seemed to agree on that. He realized Lucius was, despite his name, quite obviously partly Greek. But his somewhat sharp face was softened by warm brown eyes, and his greying hair. Phyllis looked more like him than her mother. Myra reminded him more of Manilla, though he was not sure if she would appreciate the comparison. Both looked happy, and at ease, and maybe he just imagined the lines in their faces, knowing they had missed their oldest daughter for eight years. There was nothing imaginative about the way they smiled at him. They knew who he was. Which meant Phyllis had found them. But she was not with them.

Myra was the first to shake his hand, studying him so intently he looked away at Lucius, who laughed. "Phyllis told us about you. It doesn't show though, does it?" He shook Asterix' hand too. Asterix laughed as well. "Not at all," he answered. "Is she not with you?" One of the wings on his helmet folded, and Lucius looked at it as he answered: "She and Bonny went straight to the forest house," Lucius answered.

"Leaving us to deliver groceries to your druid," Joci said, rumbling in the bag she was carrying. She pulled out a neatly rolled up paper, tied shut with a black ribbon. "And invitations to the opening of the Forest house. I finally have the chance to start training there!"

….

Traditionally, visitors were welcomed with a large banquet, and so Obelix and Asterix wasted no time going hunting. At their return, the tables were already set. And after they lit the fire, the feast could start. Not wanting to make a bad impression, they let Cacafonix join, though Fulliautomatix made sure he made no attempt to actually sing.

Myra and Getafix were soon having a very serious conversation about potions and healing, and Obelix and Joci seemed to get along great, talking about pets and animals in general. She was, so it seemed, a playful, cheery young girl, well-protected by her family. Asterix couldn't shake the thought that Phyllis had been her age when she had met Mesmeron and lost her friends.

Lucius saw Asterix looking at his youngest daughter. He placed himself next to the small Gaulish warrior.

"It took some time to get Myra convinced, but Joci really wanted to go to the Forest House, and when Phyllis started backing her up…let's just say things went fast." He paused. "Phyllis had already studied there for four years when she was Joci's age."

"It's hard to picture her like that," Asterix said, inclining his head towards Joci. Lucius gave her a thoughtful look.

"Maybe that's because she never really was like Joci, even then. Phyllis grew up travelling around with us. Meeting my patients, merchants… roman soldiers" Lucius added after a moment. He wasn't sure how much Phyllis had told Asterix about Marcus. But it mattered little, because Asterix was thinking of something else.

"I'm a bit surprised she supported going to the Forest House," He said. He leant back a little. Actually he was even more surprised Phyllis had gone there without her family. And a bit disappointed she hadn't come to invite them personally. But he felt ridiculous even thinking that.

"Bonny is returning there too," Lucius said. "And apart from Joci, we'll live close by, but not actually in the Forest House. But you are right, Phyllis was not extremely happy over going there. She just feels Joci should not suffer from what happened in the past. Which is why she let us make a detour, inviting you all. She wanted some time to repair the damage done by Mesmeron…and herself. Before Joci arrived there." "And before you arrived there," Lucius added mentally, but he didn't voice that part. He knew his daughter felt more than just gratefulness for the cunning little warrior. Even if she didn't actually say so. But he wasn't about to share that knowledge.

Asterix frowned, the wings on his helmet folding backwards as he did. "The magic potion would have helped a lot with that….but I guess she didn't want us to see it either."

It was a very good guess, in Lucius opinion. He just smiled. "Phyllis tried behaving like those eight years didn't happen, tailing me for a few weeks wherever I went. Before deciding it didn't work like that. So now she's focused on the future, and she's urging us to do the same... It is a great thing to watch," he commented, before turning his attention to Heroïx, who was about to start yet another lengthy speech…