Author's Note: Christmas is almost upon us and we are all feeling the pinch at the moment here in England, bargins here there and everywhere and the usual Christmas rush is driving us all mad regardless of our financial circumstances. Personally I am living off barely anything until my student grant comes through in the New Year, but I have managed to find the family presents and find the money to get my hair looking good for Christmas instead of the bird's nest it currently is.

Thackery and Elizabeth did not have to put up with such festive madness due to their religious and economic practices, and at this time of year I can not help but envy the Puritans and their simple way of celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Somewhere along the line we went a little off track and got caught up in the need to overspend on expensive gifts and eat excessive amounts of food, but the concept is still the same and we celebrate his birth with family and friends...with christmas dinner and presents!

Merry Christmas!

Skyla123

xxx

Salem Village - 1735

The burying ground was quiet as Widow Taylor was finally laid to rest.

Thackery was sat in a tree just above the grave, watching the woman who had looked after him for nearly forty years be buried in the earth. Time had eased her pain over losing both her children, but she had never forgotten them.

He watched the Reverend say the last rights over the grave as the villagers mourned the loss of their sister, and to pray for her soul to be reunited with her lost daughters in Heaven. Thackery's tail twitched at that part, knowing full well that only one child would be waiting there for her while the other was still lost.

The last of the earth was scattered over the grave, and the villagers returned to their homes leaving Thackery alone with the dead. He did not mind, since it gave him a chance to think about all that had happened since Elizabeth's mother had taken him in.

The village had seen much turmoil after the Sanderson's were hanged, the people becoming paranoid that other witches could be at large within the community. The fear lead to a witch trial that had never been seen before in the colonies, and had sealed Salem Village's reputation as the home of witchcraft and death.

It had started in Reverend Parris's household.

The Reverend had never been the same since the hanging, and people had noted a darkness that had crept into his sermons. Betty and Abigail had also begun acting strangely, having visions and fits in the house after listening to Tituba's tales of magic from her homeland. Thackery had stayed out of their way as much as possible, staying close to Widow Taylor as the strange events became more frequent and stranger.

Eventually at his sister's insistence, Parris had sent for the doctor who diagnosed teenage high spirits as the cause of their excitement. Parris was not satisfied with this diagnosis, and sent for his friend who was also a doctor. His friend immediately diagnosed that they were possessed by a witch, and Parris sent for a witch finder and a judge to seek out the witch.

Betty and Abigail were soon joined by other girls in the town, who all at one point or another had listened to Tituba's tales. The girls named three women in the town as witches, one of which was Tituba herself. The first two women denied any involvement with the Devil, but Tituba confessed and named the two women along with six others as witches.

Thackery could not believe such a thing could happen, that they would buy such fantasies and be prepared to hang innocent people because of them. He knew the feeling of true magic and there was none at work in the village, but the accusations kept coming thick and fast till the jail was over flowing with women and men accused of witchcraft by the children. And during the trials, one girl from the village attempted something that made Thackery's heckles stand on end even forty years later.

She tried to brand Elizabeth as a whore and a witch.

Mary Brady had been infatuated with Thackery when he was still human, constantly trying to get his attention and being spiteful to Elizabeth when he was not around. Elizabeth had never cared for what she had said, but Mary was bitter and jealous even after they had both disappeared. So one day during the height of the trials she came to Parris in the church to 'confess' her secret knowledge about Elizabeth.

Thackery had watched her from under the front pew that Widow Taylor sat on that day, hiding behind her skirts so no one would see him and suspect her of witchcraft. Mary stood in front of Parris and began her speech loudly so the whole room stopped to listen to her.

"I must confess to thee sir about thy niece Elizabeth Taylor, for I saw her perform dark magic on Thackery Binx before he was taken by the Sanderson's!"

Parris had the sense to look angry at the accusation, especially since Elizabeth's mother had stopped breathing normally when Mary had said Elizabeth's name. Thackery was just struck dumb by the stupidity of it.

"What do ye mean by this, girl? My niece was no witch!"

"No! I tell thee she bewitched him when she came to Salem, for he never paid me the same attentions after she came. She seduced him with her magic and body, for he had sworn to me that he lo-"

A pew was violently pushed back at that statement. Thackery had to dig his claws into the wooden floor to stop himself from flying at the foolish wench, but his mother had heard enough and stormed towards the girl.

"Thou are a liar, Mary Brady! My son had no interest in thee, and he would never say such a thing to a silly child such as ye. He is dead and gone, child! And as for accusing poor Elizabeth who is also lying dead somewhere with him, thou must be touched in the head for saying such a thing!"

"It is true, Goodwife Binx! Elizabeth was a witch! She seduced him away from me, I saw her dancing naked in the woods chanting for him to fall in love with her and not with me-"

Widow Taylor had shot to her feet and before Thackery could register the movement, a loud slap echoed around the room.

"Hold thy tongue, you stupid child! My daughter was stolen from me by the Sanderson's and yet you dare to stand in the house of God and in your jealousy accuse her of such indecent things! "

Mary was on the floor holding her red cheek, tears pouring down her face as Widow Taylor glared at her with Parris and his mother beside her. The whole room was silent, the people quietly waiting for what would happen next. Thackery shifted position so not to be noticed by the judges who had a look of confusion upon their faces, and one eventually broke the silence.

"Parris, is what this child said true? Was thy niece a witch?"

Parris shot him a look that would have curdled milk.

"Nay, she was not. This is nothing more then petty jealousy on the girl's part."

"Aye, thou could never accept that my son did not like thee could you Mary? And thou was always jealous of Elizabeth…"

Mary tried to protest her innocence and the truth of her lies, but the judges dismissed her 'confession' and threw her out of the church. Widow Taylor was shaking in anger and was taken home by Parris, who was also livid with the events of that day. Thackery was beyond angry, and went into the woods to yell his frustrations at the trees.

It was not long afterwards that the girls accused the Governor's wife of being a witch, and this event signalled the beginning of the end of the trials. The people in the jail were issued with pardons and released, and pardons were given to all but two of the people who had been hung. The girls never had visions of witchcraft again, and poor Tituba was sold by Parris not long after the pardons were issued.

The village had been quiet after that, expanding slowly till it was almost the size of Salem Town. And it was no longer on the edge of the known world since the expansion of the colony had seen towns spring up further inland. Thackery had seen all this and yet had never aged a day, and all the while Widow Taylor grew older and finally died with him at her side.

It had been a good death, in her sleep as she dreamed of her girls. Thackery could not help but wish that Elizabeth could have been there, but thanks to Winifred and her sisters she was not. Parris had moved away with Betty and Abigail, leaving Widow Taylor alone in Salem for thirty years with her memories and the ghosts of her past for company.

Thackery looked at the evening sky and wondered as always where Elizabeth was, and if she was alright without him. He missed her and Emily deeply, so much it was a physical ache in his heart that never left him. He often wondered what Emily would have looked like if she was still alive, tormenting himself with images of his grown up sister playing with her own children.

But they were nothing compared to the images he thought about himself and Elizabeth.

Thackery had realised the moment she had been taken from him how much she meant to him, and it was that realisation that caused him so much pain. He could see her in his mind as she had looked the last time he saw her, and all he could think of was how beautiful she had looked to him. He often chided himself when his dreams went down a certain road that made him ashamed the next morning, but he preferred such dreams to the nightmares he often had of that day.

But the nightmares could not compare to the reality that his sister was dead, and the girl he loved was not by his side.

And it would remain that way for eternity…