All I Have To Do Is Dream
Chapter 20
Alex and Harper worked together to finish Justin's initial task of cleaning up their picnic. Since Justin took care of most of the trash, it was done pretty much in no time at all. Since the energy had been returned to where it originated, everyone looked busy as they, too, packed up or spoke to Mr. Hagerty about playing again in the redo. When Alex had the blanket and basket in her hands, Harper hugged her side and said, "I should get goin'. My parents are expecting company and would want me home. I don't have the heart to tell them that the Chinese take out carrier doesn't count as company." Alex laughed and leaned into her friend, her way of returning the hug even though her hands were full. Harper adjusted the hat on her head and then started towards the exit to the park.
Alex saw as Harper left that her parents were just entering Waverly Park. "Mom!" Alex called, running towards them. She put the blanket and basket at her feet as Erik's words entered her mind. 'She got better, duh.' Of course, she added in the 'duh' part because if sounded better in her head.
"Mija," Theresea said fondly, "how did you do?"
"We made it to the final round, but were disqualified because we're all underage. How are you feeling?" Alex asked in return.
"Like I slept for 19 hours," her mother replied easily. "There was the s,ightest headache when I woke up, but I think it ebbed away." Therese took Alex's face in her hand. She could see that her daughter had been through a lot, possibly all in that one day. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here to watch you all play. I really loved your song choice last night when you were rehearsing."
"It's okay, Mom. Really. Maybe we could play it again for you some other time," Alex offered.
"I would like that."
This whole time, Jerry remained silent as he waited for Alex to catch up with her mother. Alex considered him for amoment. She could plainly see how guilty he was, and resembled a kicked puppy at the moment with his own remourse of the things he has said to Alex. She went to her father, and hugged him around the waist. "I love you, Sweetheart," he said, placing a kiss on alex's forehead. "We can talk about everything- what you told me about Harper- tonight if you want."
Alex was glad that she wouldn't have to talk about it right then, especially since she was still feeling elated by the spell wearing off and the conversations she had already with Justin and Harper. She nodded. "Sounds good."
"Where are your brothers?" Jerry asked.
"They went to find rthe owner of this dog who keeps following Max around. He's been looking for her all day."
"Really?" Theresa asked, and Alex nodded again. There was a strange look on Theresa's face for a second, but no one spoke to ask what might have been wrong.
"So... The spell is completely lifted?" Jerry asked after a silence, even though look at his daughter clearly answered his question for him.
"Yes. No more guitars and microphones. We won the doughnuts and coffee anyway. Mr. Hagerty felt sorry for us for getting so far only to be disqualified," Alex explained.
"Ah," was all Jerry said in responce as he thought about Max on a year long sugar high at the hight of puberty. They were all in for an interesting year, but he was glad that everything seemed to have worked out.
After finding Max on the first trail he tried, Justin lead the youngest Russo onto the next trail as they both continued the quest to find the owner of the brown dog. the way Max acted made Justin wonder is Max ewas even trying. "Knock it off, you," Max said as he once again tugged on the tambarine to get it out of the dog's mouth. Apperently, the brown dog dind't know that the game had been over for a while now. "To tell you the truth, Justin, I can't remember what she looked like, just the fact that she was taller than me and really blonde."
"Would you recognise 'er if you saw 'er?"
Justin asked, still slightly distracted by the conversation he had with Alex. When Max didn't answer right away, the oldest Russo looked over at his little brother.
"I don't know," Max admitted after a long moment. He otherwise didn't seem to concerned by this, and the brown dog, as it had for most of the day, seemed content at Max's side. The boys finally made it ouf of the trail, and just when they were about to head for the next, they heard their names called.
Justin was happy to see his mother out and about. Max and the brown dog trotted behind Justin and they all met up near the entrance/exit to Waverly Park. The boys each received feirce hugs from their mother, and it was a happy moment. The brown dog, seeing that it was a good moment, leaned into Max with his tail wagging so hard, the youngest Russo almost lost his balance.
"So, tell me more about this dog," Theresa requested, bending down to pet it. The brown dog licked Theresa's hand and his tail began to practically whip Max's inner knee now. "Oh, you're a good dog," Theresa coo'ed.
"I don't know, I was hangin' out on the blanket, and the dog just came up to me on his leash. I asked the woman with the leash if I could play with her dog, and she seemed happy to let me. But after I played with him, she was gone, and I haven't been able to find her since then, and now he follows me everywhere. I'd rather he followed me than to wander off and get hit by a car or dognapped by lighter happy teenagers." Max looked sicked by the thought.
Jerry looked at Theresa, who seemed to be inspecting the dog, lifting his legs one at a time and running her fingers over his short fur. The dog took it all in stride, licking Theresa's face and hands whenever they neared his mouth. "Its definately a boy. Chocolate lab?" Theresa wondered out loud.
"What does that matter?" Justin asked.
"It doesn't," Theresa replied with a small gesture, "but what does matter is the fact that he's got a spot on his shoulder that's in the same shape and spot of Max's birthmark."
At this Jerry snapped into action. "Are you sure?" he asked, even as he went to look for himself.
"Dad? Mom?" Justin asked, voicing all three of the teens' confusion. They watched as Jerry also looked the dog over. Then he stood up tall, giving the dog a quick pat on the rump before looking at Max.
"I need to ask you a few questions, Max."
"Um, okay," the youngest Russo replied cautiously, wondering if he had somehow gotten himself in trouble without even knowing it.
"What were you thinking about in the minutes leading up to the dog coming to you?"
"Uh- Well, I was thinkin' 'bout school and what it might be like to go to a wizard college."
"You were?" Jerry couldn't stop himself from asking.
"Don't look so surprised," Max said, slightly defensive and bitter. "If I want to be a superhero, I need to be real smart so I could come up with anything on the spot, like make a small bomb out of a paperclip and a stick of gum."
"Seeing as there are no actual elements to make a bomb with those ingredients, I doubt that could happen, superhero or not, Max," Justin said, but his tone was light, and Max just shrugged at this.
"Alright," Jerry said, as if to indicate that he wanted to get back on topic, "how did the thoughts make you feel?"
Max was silent for a moment. "I'd rather not say. I don't wanna sound all Full House-y."
"Okay, you don't have to tell me." There was a silence as everyone looked at Max, wondering what really went on inside his head sometimes. "So, what was the first thought you had upon seeing the dog?"
"I was thikning that he was an awesome looking dog, and if I had a dog like him, I would share my doughnuts with it."
"And what about the women who let you play with 'im?" Jerry asked.
"I only remember that she's blonde and tall," Max admitted, "but even as I try to remember her face or even her voice, it is hard. Its almost like she dind't even exsist."
"Its possible that she didn't," Jerry said. "She might have been a Guide."
"A Guide? To what?" Alex asked. Jerry didn't respond directly to her when he spoke up again.
"Max, every wizard, whether or not they win the Wizard Competition, receives a Companion- a- aspiritual pet of some sort- at one point in their lives. These Companions are bound to one wizard and they to it, and tend to share some of the wizard's strength and weaknesses. They also are very resilient to magic, which makes them great for practicing spells on. Now, a Guide is an entity that is still a bit unknown in the wizard world, but they are the ones who unite the wizard and Companion and set up the first meeting. Ususally it is either on purpose, with a walk in the park, and others times they make it seem like an accidental or fated meeting, like a stray dog who just happened to find you. It has been knwn that Companions come to a wizard at their most difficult time, usually before or after the Wizard Competition."
"So," Justin said slowly when it seemed that Jerry was finished with his explaination on what a Companion and a Guide was, "why Max? Why not Alex or me?"
"You already met your Companion, Justin," Theresea said softly. Right then it dawned on him and a tear fell from his eyes.
"Willie," he choked out.
"Yes. He was a stray just outside the subshop. I was still pregnant with you. the pregnancy was complicated, and I worried about you. Sometimes, I still have dreams about that time. But Willie came right up to me and followed me around. It was clear that he was old as it was, so when we finally decided to just let him inside, he and I would just lay on the bed or couch together. He helped me through it when your father was away manning the Sub Station. When you were born, though, Justin, he seemed to come alive, and he stayed with you. I noticed when you were born that you and Willie both shared a mark on the back of the neck. That was when Jerry told me what Willie was to you."
"He wasn't supposed to live for as long as he had, but he held on for you," Jerry said. "We've- okay, I've always left the gate open back then, but he never left. He loved you too much to want to go anywhere without you. I think he left that day to spare you the pain of his passing. As a Companion, he sensed that sort of thing, and he knew it was time."
"So it wasn't my fault?" Alex asked.
"Well, you still left the gate open that day, so in a way, yes, but it wasn't your fault that he chose that day to leave."
There was a long pause as everyone thought about this, and alex wondered just when her own Companion would come to her, what sort of 'difficult time' she would have to endure before it did if her time in the closet and then coming out of it didn't qualify.
Max finally spoke up. "He's mine?"
"In the best wording, yes." Jerry said.
"We're keeping him?" Max asked, and everyone could hear the hope in his voice. Jerry nodded.
"Even if we wanted to get ridda him- which we don't- we couldn't. He's your Companion. That blonde woman brought him here just to meet you."
Max jumped up and shouted "YES! I get a dog!" the brown dog jumped up on Max, his paws on the boy's stomache, and Max grabbed his paws and began to dance around. "C'mon, you! Let's go home!"
"That's a good idea," Theresa said. "I'll make hamburgers and tater tots for dinner." With that, all of the Russo family, including its newest furry emember, all began to walk home, Max chattering excitedly about the new dog supplies he would need to get for his Comanion.