26 TSoT/MMW: Coquito Plays Cupid

"Plates they will shift/Houses will shake/Fences will drift/We will awake/Only to find/Nothing's the same"

–Death Cab for Cutie, song "Home is a Fire"

11 am, One Month Later, Weekend, January 2046, Vera Manor Foyer, Seattle, Washington

Putting up Christmas lights was festive, fast, and fun but removing them reeked of sadness and took forever, Maggie grumbled to herself as she walked around, grabbing handfuls of star-shaped tealights from odd walls and snatching up fast-disintegrating candy canes from Mason jars whose outsides were covered in sugar-spun mini Santa figures. The time-dependent glamour powder that she used last month would run out at the stroke of midnight, and there wasn't any time to lose.

Meanwhile, Matilda and Macy removed the ornaments from the living room Christmas tree as Jordan disentangled the stringed lights from the second Christmas tree, located inches from the crystal chandelier in the front entryway (or foyer, according to Matilda's dad Harry, ever-the-schoolmarm). Why did we get a second tree? Jordan thought to himself. Wasn't one plenty? Of course, he had fallen for Maggie's innocent doe-eyed expression of how they had two Christmas trees every year, one extra to make up for all the holidays Macy had missed with her and Mel over their childhood. It was impossible to argue with sentiments like that, he smiled to himself as he wound his arm over and through the evergreen boughs, unaware that his and Maggie's pet cat Coquito was quietly ascending the branches on the opposite end, its silver eyes staring up toward the chandelier.

11:08 am, Vera Manor Foyer, Seattle, Washington

Suddenly, the entire first floor of Vera Manor shook then went dark.

"Is everyone safe and accounted for?" shouted Harry once the dust settled. He heard all voices answer in the affirmative, much to his relief.

The culprit was none other than the cat. Coquito. Who had in a moment's inattention, sneaked up to the top of the foyer tree and bit an electrical cord adjoining the chandelier. Macy used telekinesis to gently lift the cream-colored feline and place him softly on solid ground, despite his meowling protestations. "Oh Coquito," groaned Maggie. "What have you done?"

11:20 am, Vera Manor Foyer, Seattle, Washington

"We need an electrician—" began Jordan. "I can search online—"

"There's no time!" Maggie all but wailed. "The glamour's wearing off already, and Harry's gonna have to perform hundreds of memory charms if we want the power to come back on—"

"What if we called a magical electrician?" Matilda spoke as everyone turned to her in surprise. "What?" she asked.

"But we don't know anyone, Tilly," said a very much concerned Harry.

"I do," Matilda responded. And I really don't want to ask him for help.

11:25 am, Vera Manor Kitchen, Seattle, Washington

Matilda ducked out of the living room for the cozy ambiance of the kitchen, where she pulled her phone out and dialed the very person she hoped she would never see again for his own safety. Wyatt.

She heard a single dial tone then an all-too-familiar voice. "Val?" he murmured incredulously. "Is that really you?"

"Um." Matilda swallowed hard. "Yeah," she whispered.

"Where've you been? I heard you were transferred, I didn't know—why didn't you say—"

"Wyatt—I'm sorry…" she interrupted. "I need your help…or your granddad's help. It's urgent."

He paused for a beat. "Isn't your dad a Whitelighter?"

"It's not that kind of problem," she sighed. "Coquito chewed a cord and knocked out power in the entire first floor of Vera Manor. And we're in the middle of a glamour spell removal—"

"Shit," Wyatt breathed. "You risk exposing non-magic mortals to—"

Matilda nodded. "Obscene amounts of magic."

"Ok, we'll be right there. What's the address again?"

11:40 am, Vera Manor Foyer, Seattle, Washington

Upon hearing a knock at the door, Macy opened it, finding herself face-to-face with a tanned gentleman with cropped golden-colored hair, and a much-younger tall, dark-haired fellow. "You must be…?"

"Leo Wyatt and my grandson Wyatt Junior. At your service."

"Oh! Oh—" Macy stammered. "Come right on in." As they entered the foyer, they continued to chat. "You look kind of familiar," she remarked, peering at Leo, who it appeared, had heard this line many times before.

"I had a stint in the paranormal television industry back in the '90s," he casually responded. "Lots of odd jobs for predominantly-female bosses."

Macy nodded, if not somewhat skeptical. "And you, Wyatt, if you don't mind my asking—how do you and Matilda know each other?"

Wyatt turned a pale shade of pink. "We work together at Purgatory Corporation. Or worked, past tense. She transferred last month and I haven't seen her since. And…" he hesitated but pressed on. "We first met at Camp Wanaka. I was her mentor—"

"That's news to me," Maggie interjected, having snuck up on them unnoticed as she laid a hand on Wyatt's shoulder to suss out any possibility of nefarious means. There were none. And he definitely held a candle for a certain red-haired—

"Matilda!" Macy cried out, and a familiar auburn-haired girl stepped out from the corridor shadows. "Keep an eye on Coquito in the kitchen, will you?" Turning back to Leo and Wyatt, Macy pointed to the now-defunct electrical cord swinging aimlessly above the Christmas tree. "Coquito bit off more than he could chew—is there anything you can do?"

"I think so," Leo replied. "It might take me some time. Wyatt, why don't you keep Matilda and Coquito company while I fix this?"

"Ok, Gramps," Wyatt passed them and walked toward the fiery-haired goddess of his dreams, who had left with no plan to return. Matilda wordlessly scooped up Coquito as he followed them both into the other room.

11:50 am, Vera Manor Foyer, Seattle, Washington

After checking out various chandelier specifications on his phone, Leo examined the wiring attached to the chandelier from where he stood for several long minutes. Macy and Harry watched from a nearby entryway while Maggie and Jordan hurriedly busied themselves cleaning the rest of the holiday décor.

"Do you need a ladder—" began Harry, noticing Leo reaching for a screwdriver in his toolbelt. In response, Leo rose several feet in the air to unscrew the chandelier cap.

"Nah, I'm good," he replied to Macy's astonishment.

"What are you?" Macy exclaimed as Leo threaded several new lamp wires, reaching for the corresponding sockets. Clipping off the chewed area, he restrung the chandelier's split-and-strip wires, capped, and rehung the entire object. And voila! After placing his screwdriver and nail set back in his toolbelt, he floated back down.

"Your husband should be able to explain that to you," he replied, giving Harry a pointed look as he dusted himself off. Macy turned to Harry. What's he talking about? her eyes seemed to say.

"Love, he's a Whitelighter."

11:51 am, Vera Manor Kitchen, Seattle, Washington

"Val," Wyatt spoke at last, as they seated themselves at the kitchen table, while keeping an eye on Coquito, who curled up on the counter for a nap. "I've missed seeing your face." It was only a month, but it felt like far longer. Though they still worked in the same building for logistical reasons, her reassignment to the advertisement division meant he hadn't seen so much as a single glimpse of crimson curls, and by extension, the lady that he had come to love. "Honestly, what hurts me most is…" he paused, collecting his thoughts. "You didn't say goodbye."

"I'm sorry," Matilda looked straight ahead toward Vera Manor Garden, focusing on the sodden branches of half-dead begonia bushes, latent and dormant, waiting for Persephone's Springtime return.

A couple more minutes passed as they sat in silence. "Why did you leave?" he finally asked.

"Among many reasons," Matilda parsed her words carefully, "an evil creep wants the pyro power I have—even if I'd rather die than give it to him—" Wyatt made as though to speak, but Matilda shook her head. "No, not you, dumbass," she half-muttered under her breath as he stifled a laugh. That's the Val he knew. "A blue-faced creature, the Portender. He doesn't hurt women, but he harms men. Badly." She turned to him. "That time at the market I acted weird? He was stalking me. I couldn't let him hurt you."

Wyatt sucked his breath in sharply, and again made as if to speak. "Val, I can handle him! I'm part Whitelighter—" Matilda shook her head.

"He would've knocked you into a coma." She hesitated, then continued. "But deep down—you're wondering why I fled? Without saying goodbye?"Wyatt nodded slowly. Matilda stared at her lap, as she felt her eyes prick with tears.

"I was afraid you'd leave me first."

11:58 am, Vera Manor Foyer, Seattle, Washington

"B-but—that's impossible!" Macy sputtered. "All the Whitelighters were killed—back when we ascended—"

"All known Whitelighters—" Leo chimed in, as Harry nodded. "My family faked its death by house explosion, and we've lived undercover ever since."

Huh, how about that. Macy was about to ask more questions when Leo called Maggie over from the living room and handed her a tiny spray bottle. "What's this?"

"Pet-friendly non-toxic spray to prevent Coquito from messing up electric cords in the future."

"Wow, awesome, thanks!" With that, Maggie returned to her un-decorating spree as Macy, Harry, and Leo watched from where they stood.

"I'd like to trade 'shop talk' about our mutual Whitelighter powers—if, of course, that's ok with you?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Sure, that'd be awesome," Leo replied with a grin.

"Leo, why don't you go make yourself at home in the living room—I think Maggie and Jordan are wrapping up there," Macy said, as the three exited the foyer.

11:59 am, Vera Manor Garden, Seattle, Washington

After Maggie and Jordan finished clearing up the living room, Maggie crept into the kitchen to retrieve a sleepy Coquito and told Matilda and Wyatt to go off into the garden. "I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do," she slyly winked, with a not-so-subtle raise of her shoulders.

Matilda stared outside; was it her imagination, or did the area beneath the ivy trellis grow dark? She took a double-take, noticing that the tealights began to glow, creating a somewhat…romantic…appearance. "Um, Aunt Maggie, did you do something to the patio?" But Maggie had disappeared upstairs to help Jordan remove more holiday décor. Matilda sighed as she followed Wyatt outside, closing the door behind them.

12:10 pm, Vera Manor Living Room, Seattle, Washington

"So you're telling me you don't need to float upward?" Leo asked Harry incredulously. Harry shook his head.

"I simply orb," Harry said, "like this," as he orbed with a simple swirl of air, popping toward the ceiling, then back down again.

"Sweet," responded Leo, impressed. "Elders must've leveled up a notch, I keep having this white star thing before I show up. Gets rid of the element of surprise, y'know what I mean?" Harry shifted his weight as he nodded in agreement.

"About that, the Elders…" Harry began. "They—"

"I know," Leo fixed his green eyes on Harry. "I'm Head of Magic School, I tend to hear things—like Elder extinction—and the Source of All Evil—it's a pity, what happened to Marisol—"

"Right," Harry coughed indelicately as he attempted to change the subject, as Macy was eavesdropping from the entryway, her hands clenched on the polished wood. "So, school! I used to work in academia myself," he remarked.

"Really? What did you teach?" asked Leo.

"I was Chair of Women's Studies at Hilltowne University, back in the day," Harry replied.

"Sweet."

"Not to interrupt this nostalgic moment, but Leo, would you like something to drink?" Macy asked, looking toward Harry from where she stood. "A signature cocktail perhaps?"

"Sure, that'd be nice," responded Leo good-naturedly as Harry rose to assemble the accoutrements.

12:10 pm, Vera Manor Garden, Seattle, Washington

Matilda sat opposite Wyatt on the picnic table bench, staring at one of the myriad glowing tealights, covered in a subtle shroud of forest green. "Do you realize," she said, fixing upon Wyatt's visage, "just how hard it was coming into work in the beginning, having to temper my feelings? Trying to conjure fire in the same room as you? Do you know how many times I considered quitting, because of the way I felt you looking at me?"

"Do you think I did that on purpose? That's a rhetorical question," Wyatt added. "You know those weeks after camp ended?" Matilda nodded. What about them? "I tried to remove my feelings," he continued, as she gasped aloud. "Or I asked around. I wanted to stop feeling the pain of missing you."

"What happened?" Matilda could hardly breathe as she awaited his response.

"I had a change of heart after talking to my dad. He lost my mom and said he'd never remove memories of her, no matter how much things hurt toward the end," Wyatt said simply.

"I'm glad he talked sense into you."

"Yeah, me too," he answered as he reached across the table with his outstretched hand, which Matilda took as they stood, eye-to-eye. "But please, Val, let me in. We can go after the creep. You're not alone, ok?" Matilda nodded as he swept an auburn tendril from her visage and softly kissed her on the lips.

12:30 pm, Vera Manor Living Room, Seattle, Washington

"Pimms Original," Harry presented three glasses, one for Leo, and one each for Macy and himself. "A quintessential British drink, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks," Leo said, taking his drink and sniffing the rim curiously. "What's in it?"

"Pimms, fresh lemonade, and garnishes of mint, orange, and cucumber peel," responded Harry.

"You know, before we drink, I wanted to thank you and your sisters," Leo regarded Macy in awe. Interestingly, his facial features reminded her of Gideon from "Heaven's Vice"—

"For what?" Macy managed to say, her eyebrow raised just a notch.

"For stopping the Apocalypse. For saving us all," he replied. "Feels like yesterday the sky lit up like an "American Horror Story" episode gone wrong."

"Well, uh," Macy paused, then recovered her composure. "Thanks for paving the path for us, Whitelighter abilities and all." She and Leo smiled at each other in mutual understanding.

"A toast!" Harry interrupted Macy's thoughts. "To the past, present, and future of magic."

"Cheers!" The three clinked glasses and took a heady sip.