"Oh yeah, I forgot." Mary said with a grin, "Still uncomfortable whenever we start talking about the supernatural aren't we?"

"Eh, quit teasing me, Mary…"

With barely noticeable flicker of breathtaking silver eyes, Will broke the silence. "So was the flight here nice? I hear that they've gotten some vicious little winds going around."

The comment instantly brought a chorus of groans and Simon momentarily forgot his dislike of Will as he said with disgust, "Bloody turbulence caused all the drinks to spill, and no one could keep their food down. You should have seen the WC," His brows knit together, "stank like a pigsty and just as messy."

Will whistled in disbelief, a ready smile on his lips.

"Right. Speaking of pigsties, you have to hear Mary's story of how-"

"WILL STANTON, YOU BE QUIET!" His sister shrieked, in mock fury. "Or else I'll show them your most embarrassing baby pictures-"

"What?" Will protested, "That's blackmail!"

Soon the kitchen was filled with warm laughter as the others joined in.

The guests were shown to their rooms, Will being charmingly polite and amiable as they took a quick tour of the house.

"And this is my garden." Will said with a soft genuine smile as they followed a twisting path to a tiny hidden glade. Jane gasped softly in delight as the company stood in front of the garden. It was designed in the shape of a circle and a cross, the borders being beautiful rose bushes, with pure white petals that lightly wove to and fro in a gentle breeze. The delicate aroma teasingly lingered in the air, lightly scenting their hair.

In the center of the cross was planted a straight and tall rowan, and a tiny natural fissure in the ground from with a gurgling brook sprang. At the carpet of soft moss spreading outwards from the tree lay a book with a ribbon stuck between its pages, and a slight indentation in the moss showed where a body had rested on it, presumably reading the book.

Bran leaned forward solemnly and lightly caressed a rose, the bloom blending in perfectly with the pale skin on his hand.

He looked at Will almost hesitantly, golden eyes flashing a tentative question at him. Will silently stepped forward in response and tenderly touched the bloom. It seemed to readily surrender itself into the Old One's hand. He took the rose and placed it in Bran's hand.

"For you." He said, almost formally as he stepped away. Will took another rose and turned and gave another rose to Jane, noticing, with a slight but fading smile, the look in her face.

"And this for you, fair lady."

"Poetic, aren't we?" Simon grumbled, intruding in the almost mystical moment. "Jane's no lady."

Jane flushed crimson in annoyance and embarrassment, trying surreptitiously to kick her overprotective brother, not quite meeting Will's eyes.

Then Will started absently and laughed softly. "Oh dear, did I drift off into my 'mad' English poetry again? Sorry for that, you know how random the English are."

"Tch," Bran snorted, rolling his eyes. "Since when were you not a crazy English? You folk are loony as jackrabbits."

This comment induced a series of laughs and comments at Will's expense, where he pretended to fiercely scowl at them, issuing ridiculous justifications.

"Come," Will said abruptly, peering at his old fashioned, moon-faced watch. "I think Mary wants us back at 8:00 p.m. sharp, we're eating dinner at the Villa."

Later…

Will frowned as he led the company over the estate grounds that belonged to Mary, who had purchased the comfortable home with her salary from being a successful doctor well on her way to fame. There was something in the air that caused his skin to prickle. Worriedly, he wondered fleetingly if the Dark had somehow managed to come back again-but it could not be…or could it? The thought sent a brief chill up his spine, to think that he, the only Old One left to guard this world, would have to fight alone against another rising.

Mary greeted them with a big shout.

"Finally, you're back! I thought you'd all decided to spend the rest of the evening in Will's garden. Or maybe you were all asleep after listening to Will talk about the wonderfulness of his garden and such."

Will groaned. "Give me a break, Mary," The Old One complained with a exaggerated note of wronged grievance in his voice. "I'm not that boring. Besides," Will jabbed a finger triumphantly at his watch. "I brought them back right on time."

"Sure," Mary rolled her eyes as they continued their friendly sibling banter, "so did you guys have to run all the way over here? "

"Actually…" Bran shot a sly look at Will, a slight twitch of lips barely visible as he continued, "We ran ahead of him so we wouldn't have to listen to him and his poetry."

"Ack!" Mary said, feigning a fake spasm, "Not the poetry!"

Will sniffed at them. "Nothing's wrong with my poetry," He teased back, "You just can't understand it."

"Which makes it wrong to us normal folk." Simon sneered.

The pleasant warm breeze seemed to die and an odd eerie silence settled over the group at Simon's hostile words, with a barely concealed insulting tone in it.

Will paused and tilted his head at Simon, with a strange look in his eyes.

"Yes." The Watchman whispered, an odd solemn timber to his voice that made all present shiver, almost in dread, "I am the only one who will ever understand."

Jane broke the melancholy mood.

"Of course you're the only one who can understand them, for heaven's sake, you created them! But I do rather like them, Will."

"You do?" Will said, mildly confused, but he offered her a small smile that made her face light up with joy. "Well thank you, Jane."

"Alright people," Mary said decisively, going over to the white minivan, fumbling for the car keys. "In you go. Simon, you want to sit in front?"

"Sure." Simon said reluctantly, unable to find a good excuse not to. The car shook and dipped slightly lower as the loaded in, Will squeezed into the middle of the backseat with Bran on his right and Jane on his left. Will helped the Bran and Jane find their seatbelts, blinking in surprise as the two sported identical flushed faces when he was done.

"Are you guys hot?" Will asked with a mild rise of his eyebrows. It was a cool autumn evening, definitely nowhere near hot, but the two heads quickly shook, almost too quick, and mumbled a "yes" could be heard.

"You can roll down the windows if you want." Will suggested, and the two quickly complied.

"Brr…" Simon muttered, "It's bloody cold in here now. I just turned on the heater, too!"