Here's the next chapter.
Lyra: Thanks for your reviews. You are absolutely right about the space. I did indeed have a space between POVs but it didn't appear when I posted, and neither did some other formatting. I will try to repost it, along with this chapter as a plain text file and maybe it will appear as intended. I'm sorry that I killed off some off your favorite characters, but remember that this was Don's memory, and his point of view might not be necessarily accurate. (Not giving anything else away, but the major events that happened before the story will be revealed in due course)
As Saturday morning arrived, the Wescots were gathered around the kitchen table eating breakfast together. Ever since Xenia could remember they always ate breakfast together on Saturday, and they her parents made an extra effort for it ever since they started having irregular work schedules. Some weeks it was that Saturday breakfast was the only meal they shared all week, and as such it was a chance to catch up on each other.
"How did you do in your English test, Xenia?"
"Pretty well, I think. I might have gotten the gerunds wrong but I believe I aced the multiple answer section." said Xenia, eating her eggs. Her mind was half on the conversation and half on her upcoming visit to her aunt.
"You need to study a bit harder, Xenia dear." interjected Mrs Wescot."Your last English tests scores were horrid."
"Oh mom, I did okay this time, didn't you hear? Besides I have the 5th highest average in the class." said Xenia, in an tired way.
"And if you could raise that abysmal English grade, you could be first."pressed on Mrs Wescot.
"Oh come on Harriet, she doesn't need to be the first in everything, I think she's doing fine." cut in Mr. Wescot.
As her parents took up the conversation once again, Xenia kept eating her eggs, somewhat bored. This conversation had happened before, in surprisingly the same wording quite a few times. The truth was that she didn't like English, and barely gave it any thought. It amazed her sometimes that she hadn't flunked it yet, but she had Jo to thank for that, as she helped her out with it, while Xenia helped her with her math. She had heard all the stories of her mother being one of the top students in her school and kind of understood her desire to have her follow in her footsteps, but it annoyed her a bit that being the 5th best student didn't seem to count, wasn't good enough for her.
Mr Wescot looked at his wife and smiled.. "Harriet, I know you want her to be as good at school as she can be, but its no use, she has my genes too, doesn't she? You do remember how awful I was at school, don't you? I wouldn't have passed half my classes if you hadn't helped me through them."
"I know, Don," said Mrs. Wescot, exasperated "but that's no reason for Xenia not to try her best, is it? She doesn't need to be the top student, but she could at least try!" she said determinately, but her husband was just smiling and looking at her eyes.
" Oh alright, Don." she said, resigned, and turned to her daughter. "Xenia dear, don't think I am disappointed in you, you do fine work, but I noticed that even you don't seem to study for English, please make an effort, won't you? Thats all I ask."
"All right, mom" sighed Xenia, finishing her eggs. "Can I go meet Jo? We are going over to Aunt Ginny's today" she said getting up from the table, and taking her plate to the dishwasher.
"How are you going way over to the other side of town?" asked Mrs Wescot, inquisitively.
"By bus. We asked Aunt Ginny and she said that the no 15 stops right outside her office, so we only have to take one line." explained Xenia. "She will wait for us there."
"Alright then" said Mrs. Wescot, still I don't know why you got this desire to visit your aunt all of a sudden."
"Well, she promised me to take us for ice cream if I visited her. She offered it last Christmas." said Xenia, glad to have remembered this little bit of info."I want her to meet Jo, too"
Mrs Wescot smiled and said "All right then, but don't eat too much ice cream dear. And tell her we say hi"
"I won't, and I will " promised Xeniaand started to leave.
"Oh honey," shouted Mr Wescot as she was leaving, "turn on the radio, the news are starting in a bit."
Xenia flicked the switch on the radio and threw the remote to her dad, then started walking toward the stairs to get ready.
The radio was already playing the familiar jingle that meant that the news was just starting. The announcer's voice came on:
"Jonathan Galford here, with the Saturday Morning Report. Last night's bombing of the underground station at Tower Hill, as well as the two bombings earlier this week were confirmed as being the work of the NDE. This brings the total of attacks attributed to the terrorist group calling themselves "NDE" this month to 4 and this year to 7. As you may remember, this group that first surfaced over a decade ago, got well known after causing a number of random bombings, had fallen into obscurity until the beginning of this year when they struck again at King's Cross station. It was long believed that this group is part of an underground cult that is paving the way for the 'day of the reawakening' although there hasn't been any more information available on them.All we know about the group was mentioned in a letter they sent at their last attack 12 years ago, along with their trademark card with a skull and a snake that was what they used to identify themselves. These recent attacks haven't had any human casualties yet, but police specialists are at a loss on whether this has been intentional. The groups first cycle of terror didn't have any regard for human life and the failure to catch even a member of this group had led to the resignation of the then chief of Scotland Yard. Based strongly on the lack of casualties opinions vary on whether this group is indeed the same group of people that performed the attacks over 12 years ago. If so, the question in everybody's mind is why did they stay silent for over a decade before striking again. More importantly, does the recent increase of attacks in the last week mean bad news for the safety of the general populace? We are expecting a speech from the Prime minister later today. Our reporters will keep you informed about any news as they break. In other news…"
Mr Wescot, who had been listening intently to the report, turned towards his wife to find her looking just as white-faced as he thought he must be. "It can't happen again, can it?" he voiced to her.
I mean, we thought they gave up, resigned to reality…
"Apparently they didn't give up." Said Mrs Wescot, who had grabbed her husbands' hand tightly. "But why now?? Why after all these years?"
"You don't suppose they found a way to… no, it can't be.." Mr Wescot trailed off
"That's impossible." She nodded her head "You know that we tried for years afterwards, tried everything, it couldn't be done." she looked determined. "I don't know who is behind this this time, but if they think they can bring him back thay are insane. In any case, they are going to kill people again if they are not stopped. There is only one thing to do."
"you mean.." Mr Wescot's voice trailed off.
"Yes" said Mrs. Wescot, determinedly, "Go get the phones. We're getting the Order back together."
"But what about Xenia? Will she be safe? If those bastards get near our daughter…" said Mr. Wescot trembling.
"Xenia will be fine." She reassured him. "They don't know who she is. They have no reason to go after her. She'll be safe there with Ginny and Fred" she said.
Mr. Wescot looked at her for a moment, and then Mrs. Wescot drew her husband into a tight hug. After a moment they both got up, and went out of the kitchen. There was a lot of work to be done.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenia was already packed for the journey, having put her set of robes and hat in her school bag, and as he put on her trainers, she grabbed the bag, and ran outside, yelling a goodbye to her parents who were still apparently listening to the news. She wanted to get to Jo's house as soon as possible so she decided to take her bike there, and she'd ride it back at night. She found Jo waiting on the doorstep, her bag at her feet.
"Come on Zee! What took you? I was just about to call." she said, getting up.
"Mom started at me again for my last English test." said Xenia, pushing her bike in the Allington's shed.
"Ah, well you said you did better this one, so maybe she'll get off your back." Said Jo, encouragingly. "Now, let's move, the bus stop is this way"
The two
girls walk towards the bus stop, quickly to keep from missing the bus. They were rewarded for their haste by the
bus arriving in less then a minute, and they were on their way. Xenia's aunt
lived across the city so the bus ride was going to be a long one. The girls
talked about the people they watched out the window, and the trip appeared
shorter then it actually was. When the bus neared their stop Xenia and Jo
marveled at the buildings. The area was of the newly rebuilt part of London,
the buildings shining with metal and glass. As they the bus stopped and the
girls got off, a woman was waiving to them from 50 feet away, sitting in a
small coffee shop.
"Aunt Ginny!" cried Xenia. The girls ran over to the table where Aunt
Ginny was sitting.
"Hello Zee, and friend of Zee" said Ginny, with a smile. She was
wearing a navy blue business suit, her hair dyed blonde, she looked like a hard
set businesswoman. She was wearing a pair of designer sunglasses, which she
took off as the girls sat down. Jo noticed that her eyes were warm and
friendly, and that didn't fit in with her appearance at all.
"Aunt Ginny, this is Jo. Jo, meet my aunt Ginny" said Xenia, smiling at her. Ginny was the only one in the family who used Xenia's nickname, and Xenia enjoyed it. As she didn't have any brothers and sisters, or even cousins in her family, her aunt was the family member that was closer to her age, and even though she was only a year younger then her parents, she always seemed younger.
"Pleased to meet you Jo" said Ginny. "What'll you girls have?" She waived for the waitor to bring them some menus. The girls got a couple of insanely large sundaes and soon enough they were eating them. "So how's my favorite niece doing?" asked Ginny sipping down her coffee.
"I'm good aunt Ginny," said Xenia, between spoonfuls of ice cream. "Oh, Mom and dad say hi."
"Is my brother still working night shifts?" asked Ginny with concern.
"Yeah, he's been working hard." said Xenia, her spirits suddenly failing.
"Better times will come, Zee. Don't worry." said Ginny reassuringly. "Now tell me, how is school, how are you doing there? Are you still the little genius your dad was bragging about?"
Xenia laughed. "I'm doing well in all but English, but mom is making a big deal out of it."
"Oh, don't worry." Ginny said, her smile widening. "I remember your mother
telling my brothers and me off about our performance all the time, and we didn't turn out too bad." She nodded at
her outfit.
Xenia smiled at that. "You're right, aunt Ginny. How is your business going?" she asked.
"Oh, its going well enough." she smiled again. Truth is business is better this year then ever before."
"What do you do Mrs Wescot?" asked Jo, who had been eliminating her sundae.
"Call me Ginny darling, and I work in mediation" said Ginny.
"Mediation?" asked Jo, confused. "What does that mean?"
"It means I help people that need to do stuff or sell stuff, find people that need or want to buy the same stuff."
"And that's a job?" inquired Jo. "Do you make a lot of money from it?"
"Oh, I get by Jo. There are always people who need help" said Ginny, looking at Jo from the top of her coffee. At that point her cell phone went off. "Ginny. What? No, no Fred, I told her not to move ahead with the deal till I return.what? NO! Do not make a move till I get there. Ginny out."
She flipped the phone into her purse. "Girls, we're going to have a small break in our day." she looked angry at something and her eyes were on fire. "But there is a bright side. You'll get to see my offices"
Xenia and Jo, looked at each other. If Ginny has to work, then they won't be able to ask her about the wand. "Oh don't look like that" pleaded Ginny, "it will only be 20-30 minutes tops, then I'll take you girls on a drive around the town."
"Will uncle Fred be at the office, aunt Ginny? I haven't seen him in a while either"
"Of course he will be. He's there now, It was him on the phone in fact," said Ginny in a hurry."You'll be able to see him too. So what do you say??"
"Lets go." said Jo. "Yeah, work can't wait" added Xenia.
"Great. Let's get going then!"
Ginny left the money for the ice creams and her coffee on the table and she almost ran towards a large skyscraper in the distance, almost dragging the two girls behind her. Getting in it, she rushed then in an elevator. When they reached their floor they walked very quickly down a corridor, and they stopped at a smoked glass door.
Ginny stopped a minute and composed herself, straightened out her clothes and opened the door. The office front hall was an oval room with wooden panelling on the sides, and a reception counter on the other end,with two corridors on either side of it. A dark haired woman sat there, and looked up as soon as they got in the door. Ginny passed by the receptionist's counter, who waived towards a room down the left corridor mouthing something to her, and Ginny nodded. She turned to the girls. "You go through there to your uncle Fred's office," she pointed towards a door on their right "and wait for me there." They nodded and she was gone in a flash. The girls looked at each other, shrugged and walked towards the door on the end of the corridor. They knocked on it, and heard a voice shout "Come in!". So they opened the door and went in.
The room was totally different from the office before it. It was a long dark room, full of rows of shelves packed to the top with stuff. At one corner a light shone over the shelves so the girls walked towards it.
"uncle Fred? " called out Xenia, tentatively.
"Xenia!" a voice bellowed from the place where the light came from. "Ginny said you were coming over here today!. Come on in here"
The girls crossed the room towards the light. There they saw a large cubicle, with three walls of it taken by a three-sided desk, full with various folders, stamps, but also electronic boards, what looked like old computer parts, some some bottles that looked like they contained paint. Across a shelf over the right side there were 4 monitors of varying sizes that were showing various locations. Jo recognized one of them to be the lobby outside. In a swivel chair right in the middle sat a large man with vivid red hair that was longish in the back, with the large forehead, that would grow into a bald spot in a few years.
Fred grabbed Xenia into a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. "How's my little niece? How's the pride of the family?" Xenia was quite taken aback. She wasn't used to her uncle being so open to others, he was as long as she remembered him a somber, morose character. This was quite out of character. "He-hello uncle F-fred, can I breathe again please?" she choked out. Her uncle left a giant roar of a laugh and let her down. "Sorry about that, Xenia. Its just that I haven't seen you in ages. I can't believe how much you've grown. I remember you being" he stretched out his hand to about Xenia's waist," this tall." He turned towards Jo.
"Who's your friend here?" he said smiling at Jo.
Xenia replied "This is my friend Jo, we go to school together."
Fred took an old fashioned bow and said "Fred Wescot, pleased to make your acquaintance"
Jo laughed at this, and so did Xenia, who couldn't believe this was her uncle.
"Uncle Fred, forgive me if this is rude but - -"
His eyes twinkled. "You want to know where did your totally evil and grumpy uncle Fred went?"
Xenia flushed. "I wasn't going to say it like that!" she protested.
"Nevertheless, it was true. I had been a real grouch the last time you remember me" His smile stayed on but his eyes went a bit wider. "Truth was I had some problems for a while, but I put them behind me. Now I'm back to being the person I used to be. I can finally be your totally evil and funny uncle Fred!" he grabbed a party streamer from the table and blew it at them.
The girls laughed at this. Xenia still thought that it was weird seeing her uncle laughing and joking all of a sudden, but she found his happiness was infectious and couldn't help smiling with him.
"Uncle Fred, what are all these gadgets?" she asked, looking at all the electronics on the desk.
"That's the tools of our trade, my dear" he answered jovially.
"Tools? What do you need microelectronics for mediation?" asked Jo.
"Mediation?" he said, taken aback. "Oh well yes, it pays to be prepared, when you deal with people, in our line of work you need be one step ahead." He got up, pressed a few buttons and the images on one of the monitors changed. Fred examined the rotating images on it and satisfied that everything was all right, he switched it back to the original. He smiled back at the girls.
"How would the two of you like to see some magic?"
The girls froze at the sound of that word. They turned around to face each other. With all the haste and the new surroundings they had both forgotten the main reason for their trip here, and now they had been both reminded of it and possibly had an answer."Y-you can do magic, uncle Fred?" said Xenia expectantly.
"Of course I can! Its easy if you know how." He winked at them.
"Please show us, Mr. Wescot!" said Jo, a pleading note in her voice.
"Well, if you really want to.." said Fred, and turned towards the desk, and started looking through the drawers. "Now were did I put it, I know I had it in here" he said, searching in all the drawers.
Xenia and Jo looked at each other again, their eyes crackling with excitement. Uncle Fred was the one that had the wand, and now he was looking for another wand, just like the one they had found and would show them magic.
"A ha! Found it!" he exclaimed, and pulled out …
a deck of cards.
As quickly as their enthusiasm had risen, it deflated. Uncle Fred was going to show them card tricks.
Uncle Fred, who had his bad to them preparing the deck, didn't notice the girls' faces, and went on to do his first trick. It was quite a good trick, and the ones that followed were just as good, but the girls, feeling utterly disappointed, didn't seem to enjoy them at all. After the fourth time uncle Fred got less then the cheers he expected he asked them "Don't you like magic tricks, girls?"
Before they could give an answer to assure him they did, the receptionist came in the room. She approached the girls and Fred and said "Girls, I'm afraid your aunt is going to be busy for at least another half hour." She turned to Fred. "Morrissey got wind about us, and is threatening to blow our deal." Fred got up, the cards tumbling to the floor. "He what? How did he do that?" "I don't know. Ginny is going to try to find out. Don't worry, you know how persuasive your sister can be."
She turned her face to the girls. "by the way, we haven't been introduced girls. My name is Mrs. Dora, but you can call me Tonks." She extended her hand to them.
"Tonks?" said Jo, realizing who this woman was. "Is your father Mr. Ted Tonks?"
The woman looked stunned at this. "You know my dad?"
"We met him at my gran' s place two weeks ago." explained Xenia. He told us about his old house being destroyed and how you got him a room there.
Comprehension dawned on Tonks' face. She smiled "Ah I see." Her face fell a bit. "Yes, that was a horrible thing, but your grandmother was so kind to rent him a room. I didn't want him to be with strangers at his age."
"It's alright" said Xenia. "Its good for her as well, she was all alone in that old house, and mom and dad were worried about her "
"Too true." said Tonks. "You know Xenia, you probably don't remember me, but I visited your parents when you were just a baby. How are they doing? How's Harriet?"
"Mom's fine, works a lot" said Xenia.
"And bugs Xenia about her grades all the time." added Jo, smiling
"Just like I remember her. She hasn't changed." She grinned. "And how about your dad, Ron?"
"Don." corrected Fred quickly.
"Right. Don" amended Tonks. "How is he doing? Is he still working at that gymnasium?"
"Gymnasium? I don't remember that at all. He's a security guard, been one for years"
"Really? Shows what happens when you don't keep in touch. Of course I've been busy too. I've only started working with Ginny and Fred a year ago." She looks at the cards on the floor. "I see your uncle Fred here's been showing you his "magic" tricks, has he? Let him down easy will you?"
"Oh now don't start. You didn't mind when I showed them to you, did you? You were all Ohh and aahh!" said Fred looking at Tonks.
"yes, I admit I was.. the first 3 times I saw each trick. But you really need to learn some new ones." She winked at him."
"And who says I haven't?" replied Fred. "Do you think I have showed you all my tricks?" he said to her, while giving her a look.
"Well you can show me your tricks whenever you like Fred" said Tonks, now grinning at him. The girls, forgotten, looked at each other and shrugged. At that moment the phones rang, and Tonks ran out to pick it up. Fred, picked up the cards that fell to the floor, still grinning. "Don't tell her yet, but I still haven't learned any new card tricks. Now I have to learn some by tomorrow."
The girls looked at Fred, then burst into a fit of giggles that carried until Ginny came into the office.
"Girls, I'm sorry. We're going to have to do this again another week. I promise I'll come and pick you up myself, but we have to go now."
"Can't we stay with uncle Fred and Tonks?" said Xenia, who was hoping to get a chance to ask her uncle about the wand.
"Sorry Zee, they're leaving too." said Ginny, sadly. "Listen, I promise I will take you and Jo to the Zoo a Saturday in the next month, okay?"
Jo looked at Xenia, and saw her own disappointed look being returned to her. They hadn't been able to ask what they wanted, and the mystery will remain unsolved.
