So, I'm not really a fan of Frederick – even though there was that moment when he was being all brotherly with Ingrid after the mandragora, but I just didn't want to spend the time making him all shady and up to stuff. Therefore, he's just kind of normal (ish) in this one. Also, I feel like the show over emphasis's it SO much that we all get the point.
Didn't really get a chance to proof this one at all, sorry guys. Might come back in a few days to brush it up. Hope you enjoy!
XOXOXOXOXO
Joanna, Freya, Frederick, and Wendy were milling about the kitchen in what was becoming their typical morning routine. Frederick was helping Joanna cook. Freya was drinking as much coffee as a person her size could handle, while telling them all about her latest dream. Wendy, on the other hand, was quietly sitting at the table enjoying her tea, oblivious to the chaos around her.
The rest of the morning stayed pretty quiet and normal. Right up until, near the end of breakfast, Joanna sneezed. She cringed slightly and looked to her sister whose eyebrow was already raised; they shared a worried look while Frederick dropped his head to the table in defeat and groaned.
"Bless you?" Freya said, confused by everyone's reaction. "What's the big deal? Is this another mystical curse I don't know about? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything?!"
Fredrick lifted his head to stare at his sister incredulously. "It's worse," he said, his voice slowly morphing into lesson mode. "When we get sick, we don't just get kind of sick. It's like when regular people get the flu, except that nothing really gets rid of it - there's no quick fix or spell. It's not harmful, but it's pretty miserable. We get sick and pretty damn useless for a week or so."
Wendy grinned proudly. "Not me."
"That's different," Joanna replied, rolling her eyes. She couldn't help but be amused at her sister's childlike bragging, but that didn't mean this was an appropriate time for it.
"It's a cat thing," Wendy whispered to Freya, bumping her shoulder playfully against her niece's shoulder.
Joanna crossed her arms and frowned. "Yes, yes, your aunt doesn't catch it and we're all so very happy for her. If I can elaborate on what Frederick was trying to explain. It's not just that we don't feel well, it also does things to our powers.
Wendy mouthed to Freya, Not mine, and winked, then caught Joanna's glare and quieted down. She could see now that the cold had already began to progress in her sister. Earlier she had thought Joanna had just been tired, but now the signs were clear.
"So no magic until this clears up. To be safe we shouldn't practice until everyone is fully cleared. As Wendy graciously pointed out, she can use hers. "
"Well, I've never been sick like that before. So, I should be okay right? I don't feel like I'm getting anything," Freya said, sounding for to hopeful for her to actually believe it. Her luck as a witch wasn't exactly the good kind.
Frederick got up and refilled the kettle with water. "Yeah, nice try. We all get it, there's no escape. It's super contagious between people with magic, but rare also. We can only get it from people with magic, so the fact that mom kept you guys pretty isolated is probably why you've never gotten it before."
Wendy rose from the table and began to tap numbers into her phone. She rose it to hear ear, but didn't say anything.
Joanna smiled at her daughter, trying to hide the guilty look. "The spell I used to subdue your powers, it may have worked on the colds too. Up until now you've only ever caught regular colds."
It was Freya's turn to drop her head to the table. "Great, I'm supposed to be covering for Killian and working a double today."
Frederick laughed. "Well that's not happening. I give it two hours before you're whining in bed about how miserable you feel and asking me to entertain you. You were always a pain in the ass when you were sick." He grinned at her shocked expression before adding, "Not to mention so damn needy."
Freya started to stand up to go after him, but wavered slightly a bit dizzy and sat back down, glaring at him instead.
Freya thought about this for a moment. "So who did we get it from?"
Joanna shook her head. "To be honest, I have no idea. There have been so many old faces around here lately there's no telling." Suddenly she looked up and met Wendy's gaze. "We need to call Ingrid, she was going to head over this morning to pick up some more boxes."
Wendy nodded "Taking care of it," she said, motioning for her sister to shush. The call had gone to voicemail and she quickly left a message telling Ingrid not to come over today and started to explain what was going on.
Frederick pointed to the window above the sink. "Little late for that. She's here," he pointed.
"Shit," Wendy said, looking over his shoulder. "Let me catch her before she gets inside. Frederick, just – take care of them," she gestured towards her niece and sister. "You know what you're doing."
"Wait, why is he in charge?" Freya asked, a little jealous at what she thought was favoritism. She enjoyed having her brother back home, but she was used to being the baby of the family. Ingrid was the responsible one, but she didn't particularly like to be in charge of things. That was usually where Freya came in.
Grabbing her hand, Joanna began to explain. "It takes longer to affect the men, though they get it longer." It was Freya's turn to sneeze and her mother wrapped a comforting arm around her.
"All right you two, upstairs and into bed. I'll bring some tea up in a few minutes," Frederick said, finishing off the touches of a homemade tea mixture. "Freya, you may want to get a shower before it really settles.
XOXOXOXO
"Ingrid, hey," Wendy said, shutting the front door behind her. The sun was behind Ingrid and she squinted slightly as the other woman approached.
Ingrid brought a tissue to her nose as she spoke, "Hey Wendy. What's going on inside?" she asked, seeing the protective way her aunt hovered against the front door. She hadn't been sick since she was a child and was pretty annoyed about it. She loathed feeling helpless.
Wendy smiled sympathetically. "Nothing that you can't be around now. We hoped you didn't have too. Everyone's sick – well, everyone but me and it hasn't really settled yet for Frederick, but he'll be sick soon enough too." She stroked her niece's face feeling how warm she was. She seemed worse off than the others.
Ingrid closed her eyes at the cool touch and let out a small whimper. "Why aren't you sick?" she asked, her voice weary and strained. It was the same voice she had as a child when she didn't get her way. She had always been very guarded, even around the people she loved and being sick just weakened all her defenses.
"Cat thing," Wendy said, a soft sympathetic smile gracing her lips. She stroked her thumb gently against her niece's cheek before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and guiding her inside. "Come on then, you're staying here until this passes."
Ingrid started to argue, but one look from Wendy and she was nodding in agreement. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, sniffling quietly. They walked inside and Wendy led her straight to the table.
"Yes," Wendy said, pushing her into a chair. "You can rest and let me take care of you." She grabbed the rest of the tea Frederick had made and set it in a mug of hot water to steep. "Drink that and we'll get you upstairs."
Ingrid leaned forward to smell the tea. It was bitter and sharp, but not particularly unpleasant smelling. She looked up at Wendy with the closest thing she had to a pout. It wasn't her way to emotionally blackmail, no matter how playful or innocent. "I really don't want to be any trouble and I feel fine, at least let me help you if I'm gonna stay here. You can't do it all by yourself."
"She's not," Frederick said, entering the room. "I won't get sick for about another week. I can take care of mom and Freya. Mom's the easy one and I was always the best at nearly keeping Freya out of trouble. She hates being sick."
Ingrid smiled curiously. She'd barely ever seen her sister sick, but Frederick, like the rest of the family, seemed to know so much about them. She was starting to find the familiarity comforting and not as frightening as it had been in the beginning. Growing into her powers had helped raise her confidence enough that she had somewhat balanced back out. She had nothing to be defensive about and it had taken her some time to adjust to the fact that these people were here to help her grow into who she was, not judge who she wasn't.
Wendy ran a hand affectionately through Ingrid's hair. "Honey, you're probably not going to want to know this, but you always used to get it the worst." She pushed the cup of tea closer to Ingrid and nodded for her to drink.
Ingrid picked up the cup and started to take a sip, but before the tea could reach her lips, she paused. "How come I get it the worst?" She cocked her head in curiosity. Once again finding her aunt to be the only one who really offered her any answers. A part of her felt like she was always finding things out mid-problem. Moving out had only made that worse.
Wendy shrugged. "I dunno, you take after me, but I used to be even worse than you. There's a few perks to being cursed though, now I don't get it at all. Oh and no magic, it doesn't wonky things to your powers, all of you."
"What about everyone else? How do they handle it?" Ingrid asked. She began to sip her tea, finding the honey it was laced with counteracted all the bitterness. It still had a sharp taste beneath the surface, but she rather liked it.
Frederick sat down at the table with his own cup of tea. "Mom has the easiest time, but that's probably because she takes it easy and actually rests. Freya and I get it somewhere in the middle, but I usually bounce back faster than she does. It doesn't affect my powers as much either. Also, you may have it the most serious, but Freya has it the worst."
Wendy nodded in agreement, not wanting to go into it any further. "Alright, finish your tea, then it's off to bed." She got up from the table and put Frederick's empty cup in the sink. "They get settled okay? She asked him.
"Yeah, mom wanted to take a shower and then head to bed. Freya on the hand was still grumbling about having to spend the afternoon in bed – and this is just day one." He grinned at his aunt as she scowled. "Be nice to your sister. She is actually sick you know."
He nodded with a bit of shame at the chiding. "I did call Killian and let him know about work. He said he's pass the news on to Dash. That's gotta at least count a little in my favor."
Wendy squinted her eyes in judgment. "Only a little." She grabbed Ingrid's cup and put it into the sink with the others. The young witch already looked exhausted just from the morning's events. "Let's get you upstairs then," she said, stepping closer.
"She can have my room, well her room," Frederick offered, knowing he wouldn't be spending much time in it. He still kind of preferred sleeping on the couch anyways. It was a great spot to keep an eye on everyone and what was happening.
Before Ingrid could protest Wendy placed a quieting hand upon her shoulder. "Thank you Frederick, but I'm gonna put her in with me. That way I can keep an eye on her and you'll still have some place to sleep. Don't forget, just because you have it easier that doesn't mean you won't get it too."
Wendy leaned forward with her arms wrapped around her niece and kissed the side of her head. "Come on honey, time for bed."
Ingrid nodded her consent. It wasn't even lunch time yet, but just from the small morning activities she was exhausted. She let Wendy draw her too her feet.
Wendy wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the stairs. She called out behind her, "If you need me Frederick, just come get me."
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Okay here's part one. More to come soon. For those of you who asked, I am working on a second chapter to "My Anchor; My Strength". Should be up within the next few days. I'm getting ideas faster than I can write them - so lots more to come.
Thank you all for the kind reviews on my previous postings. I hope you enjoyed this one as well. If anybody wants to bounce some ideas around hmu and we can figure out how to get this started. TC all!