Q & A #41
"Night, sweetheart." Spike kissed his daughter on the forehead.
"Night, Daddy. Night Mommy." Meredith hugged her parents, then snuggled down into the sheets.
She waited until they had gone back to their room. She was supposed to go to sleep. Daddy said it was sleepy time for little girls. But she wasn't at all sleepy. And they would hear her if she got up to play. Her daddy had very good ears, as she had learnt by experience.
She'd left her dolly Elsa in the corner of her room. She wanted to play with her. So Meredith concentrated and watched the doll float up from its resting place and hover over the bed. She tried not to giggle. This had to be silent fun. Slowly, Teddy rose off the bed and into the air beside the doll. She watched them as they danced, back and forth, dipping and twirling above her.
If she hadn't been concentrating, she would have seen him, standing in the door, the book she had left in his room in his hand. He watched, not moving. Watched the toys hover and weave over his daughter. A chill gripped his heart. "Meredith?"
"Daddy?" The toys suddenly dropped onto the bed.
"What were you doing?" He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his daughter with new eyes. "How did you do that?"
Her face crumbled. "I didn't mean to. I wasn't supposed to show. Auntie Willow will be cross with me."
He took his crying daughter in his arms. "Auntie Willow. Did she do this? Show you how to do this?"
She sniffed. "No. I just do it." She hugged her father, burying her head in his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't hear you. I always can hear Mommy, but I can't hear you. Don't be mad. Please don't be mad."
"I'm not mad, my darling. Just concerned." He patted her back. "How long have you been doing this?"
"Always." She snuggled against him, calming as his voice grew calm. "I move things. And I hear things. I hear people, even when they don't move their mouths. Auntie Willow says I have a gift. But I don't like it."
"What else does Auntie Willow say?" he asked, trying to keep the rage out of his voice.
"She says never tell. She says only she should know." Her tears started afresh. "Stay with me, Daddy. I'm scared to sleep alone."
"Okay, sweet pet. Lie down and we'll cuddle." He lay beside her, his mind racing. When her breath slowed and he knew she was asleep, he rose from the bed. First he would tell Buffy. Then they both needed to have a little talk with Auntie Willow.
"Night, sweetheart." Spike kissed his daughter on the forehead.
"Night, Daddy. Night Mommy." Meredith hugged her parents, then snuggled down into the sheets.
She waited until they had gone back to their room. She was supposed to go to sleep. Daddy said it was sleepy time for little girls. But she wasn't at all sleepy. And they would hear her if she got up to play. Her daddy had very good ears, as she had learnt by experience.
She'd left her dolly Elsa in the corner of her room. She wanted to play with her. So Meredith concentrated and watched the doll float up from its resting place and hover over the bed. She tried not to giggle. This had to be silent fun. Slowly, Teddy rose off the bed and into the air beside the doll. She watched them as they danced, back and forth, dipping and twirling above her.
If she hadn't been concentrating, she would have seen him, standing in the door, the book she had left in his room in his hand. He watched, not moving. Watched the toys hover and weave over his daughter. A chill gripped his heart. "Meredith?"
"Daddy?" The toys suddenly dropped onto the bed.
"What were you doing?" He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his daughter with new eyes. "How did you do that?"
Her face crumbled. "I didn't mean to. I wasn't supposed to show. Auntie Willow will be cross with me."
He took his crying daughter in his arms. "Auntie Willow. Did she do this? Show you how to do this?"
She sniffed. "No. I just do it." She hugged her father, burying her head in his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't hear you. I always can hear Mommy, but I can't hear you. Don't be mad. Please don't be mad."
"I'm not mad, my darling. Just concerned." He patted her back. "How long have you been doing this?"
"Always." She snuggled against him, calming as his voice grew calm. "I move things. And I hear things. I hear people, even when they don't move their mouths. Auntie Willow says I have a gift. But I don't like it."
"What else does Auntie Willow say?" he asked, trying to keep the rage out of his voice.
"She says never tell. She says only she should know." Her tears started afresh. "Stay with me, Daddy. I'm scared to sleep alone."
"Okay, sweet pet. Lie down and we'll cuddle." He lay beside her, his mind racing. When her breath slowed and he knew she was asleep, he rose from the bed. First he would tell Buffy. Then they both needed to have a little talk with Auntie Willow.