Disclaimer: I own nothing and profit none.
A/N: Okay, so clearly I fail at NaNoWriMo. But I got about halfway there! (Do I get points for that? No?)
I'm still determined to finish it out, though, and I hereby declare this chapter to be the end of Part One. Part Two will be in January with the same deal: 2,000 words a day and never say die. Maybe with a little practise I'll do better next November! (Yes?)
Total Word Count: 23,024
Late in the evening, Will was digging through his closet by the twin lights of the Underground Moon shining through his bedroom window and the glow of the lamp on the table. Hands down, the best part of the new Sanctuary was that Magnus had designed his room with some incredible form of insulation. The perennial freeze of stone floors and walls was all but non-existent, at least in his room. Henry's was noticeably cooler, which made Will wonder exactly what had been done to his room. It was on a long list of questions, however, the answers to which were coming to him, though slowly and often only prompting further questions.
Tonight, however, the temperate nature of his rooms was only a consideration of the periphery of his mind. Most of his concentration was taken up by the somewhat battered box he managed to unearth from its deliberate hiding spot underneath a stack of blankets in the back corner of the wardrobe. Frowning unconsciously, he hefted the box and moved to the bed where he settled it next to him, then proceeded to ignore it as he stared out of the window.
Dinner had been a delight, warmth and laughter and everything he could want out of an evening. Playacting at chivalry, Will had walked Magnus back to her rooms at the end of the evening, although he would hazard a guess that she would wind up back in her office before the morning. At her door, though, there had been a moment.
Will closed his eyes and could feel the expectant weight of that moment even now. He knew without a single word or even glance that should he step forward, slide a hand into those soft curls, and seek a kiss, it would be granted. Moreover, returned. With interest.
He'd hesitated, glancing at her lips, before his higher senses kicked in. With a rueful smile, he had leaned in to lightly brush for cheek with a soft kiss before they exchanged quieted goodnights.
How many people could say that they had the same problem on two continents? Will chuckled humorlessly. His plan to stay away from Declan until he regained a sense of equilibrium wasn't going to work out very well if he fell for Magnus instead. What was wrong with him?
His frown deepening, he rose from the bed to pace. Was he just looking for someone to be there for him, to assuage the pain of losing Abby and their future? Was he trying to just replace her role in his life, rather than face the old fear of being always alone?
He didn't think so. Not entirely. His feelings for Declan and Magnus predated Abby, after all. But until he could say no, absolutely, then he really had no business pursuing either of them. They deserved better than to be a rebound or a crutch.
Still, he huffed a breath, falling back onto the bed, now what? Exile in New York? Or, there was that mysterious assignment that might happen, down in Sydney. Or would that be up, from Underground?
Shaking his head to pull his thoughts away from silly directional arguments, he mapped out his plan. Mysterious assignment, failing that, New York. Got it.
Determined, he sat back up and pulled the not-forgotten box towards himself, popping the flaps open. Cherry and jasmine spilled out into the open air from the tumble of a scarf and a handful of photos hiding further layers in the box. Hurriedly, Will closed it once more.
Sitting nearly motionless, but for one hand tapping gently against the cardboard side, he let the memories come, then gently dismissed them. They were the past and, one day, he would be able to face them and move on. Then, maybe, he would deserve to try again.
The morning dawned far too early, even with the re-closed box' return unto the shadowy depths of the closet, but Will took his scant few hours of sleep and headed for the morning meeting. This at least was the same as before, the early promise of the day before Magnus had the chance to fill them in on the latest craziness. Although the meeting itself was quite different, the size of the Sanctuary and the accommodation of the staff from so many defunct Sanctuaries made a total personnel meeting unfeasible. The morning meetings now were Magnus and the House Heads, with Declan and Anya teleconferencing in, and sometimes Will. Later meetings would take place between the Heads and the staff in their jurisdiction of duties. It was all rather complicated on the surface, but once Will had wrapped his mind around the layers, it did seem to be working. It helped that on Fridays there was one long meeting for all the staff, which always turned into an extended social affair.
It was surprisingly nice, overall. Will had been worried when he'd first been brought into the scope of Magnus' secret plans that his old world, the family that he'd spent a lifetime searching for, was at an end. In time, however, it instead felt as though he'd simply gained a larger, extended family. Which, in fact, was a feeling that he was supposed to foster among all residents down under, he had been informed by Magnus. The Underground was not just a Sanctuary, but a large, communal city and a home for all its inhabitants. Part of his responsibilities was to ensure that it remained a home and not an institution or a prison, a job that he had willingly embraced.
For now, though, he admitted reluctantly as he settled into his customary seat to Magnus' right, his presence would undoubtedly hurt his task more than help. In a city of mostly sensitive and largely Abnormal residents, it never took very long for people to notice tension between their two fearless leaders. Or, he mentally amended, sneaking a glance at Magnus absorbed in her notes for the meeting, their fearless leader and her faithful Tonto. Whom he still suspected had an easier time of things.
"Do you have your plans for the exchange idea with you?" The fearless leader in question pulled him from his thoughts. "There's room for it on the agenda if you're prepared."
"Yeah," he pulled a folder from his stack. "This would be a good time, actually, we're at the point where input from the outside could help streamline things. A general reaction might be good to have too," he continued, half to himself, "people need time to consider the idea."
"I don't anticipate any reluctance," she contributed, "but there may well be questions concerning logistics, so there's no time like the present." Making a note on the agenda sheet, she succumbed to her piles of paper once more. Will granted himself one fond smile at her busy, interested expression before turning to review his own notes as the other resident Heads trickled into the room.
Overall, the meeting proceeded as smoothly as usual. There were the usual tussles between departments that Will could practically script by now and he managed to veer the agenda a bit off course himself by innocently raising the question of striped hallways, a motion that was tabled by Magnus after the ensuing fifteen minute debate with a Look that promised further retribution, but it was largely orderly. The floor was turned over to him and Anya for the introduction of the rotation proposal without incident, although Will could read as clear as day the glance that spoke volumes about consequences should the word 'stripe' make even a passing appearance in his brief. He smirked at her, just enough to keep her worried, but he had no real intentions towards mischief. This project was of importance to him as well as Anya and the whole of the Sanctuary, more than enough reason to keep in grounded in the serious. But there was no need for her to know that, if thinking otherwise might keep her amused.
He began his prepared spiel and, in his entirely biased opinion, the matter went off like hotcakes. He and Anya spent a hectic twenty minutes fielding questions and another ten posing their own, until the body gave them permission to draft a finalized implementation plan with the points mentioned for approval.
Will contented himself with only one arch look in Magnus' direction before the meeting moved on.
Which was probably just as well, as what the meeting moved on to was the mysterious assignment in Sydney. Although, to be fair or unfair as the case might be, the only person in the room it was a mystery to was him, apparently. Maybe he should have thrown in a comment about stripes, after all.
All in all, he considered as the details were laid out, it couldn't have been better if it were tailor-made for him. Which given the source, he abruptly considered, it might have been. Will cast several covert glances Magnus-ward, but if she had arranged this trip she was playing it close to the vest and pretending an interest as deep as a marginally involved party.
Far too sneaky for her own good, that one, he resolved to remember that for the future. Of course, he'd resolved similar notes a score of times in the past to no effect, but maybe this time would do the trick.
In any case when the Council agreed on the plan and offered it to him, Will said with sincerity that he would be glad to take the mission. Several months spent organizing and finalizing affairs concerning the relay of abnormals from Australia without the Sydney Sanctuary was exactly what he needed.
Just to be safe, he shot Magnus an extra smile with a knowing brow after the agenda had moved on. She pretended to ignore him. Will might even have been taken in by it, if he hadn't seen the twitch of her lips that she couldn't quite suppress and the momentary appearance of a dimple. So busted.
One good turn did deserve another - or revenge was a sweet dish. Whichever cliche came into play, he motioned discreetly for Declan to remain connected as the Heads filed out of the room. Magnus, naturally, remained behind when she spotted him lingering purposefully near her chair.
"Yes?" she asked, returning to lean against the back of it as Yusuf cleared the door last, leaving them in relative peace. "Did you have questions about Sydney?"
"Nope," he denied blithely before motioning towards Declan's display. "Someone told me that he missed you when I left London," he dropped into the suddenly dead silent room, "and I don't think it was your habit of stealing personnel that he meant."
"Will," both chimed in almost as one with equally exasperated tones.
"She misses you too," he ignored them both to speak to Declan, "and I'm guessing for more than your 'infuriating arguments'." Giving both visages, which were determinedly Not Blushing, a broad grin he slipped out of the door before they could come to some unspoken agreement about killing him.
Satisfied that they would talk around things in a manner clear only to the two of them not that he'd gotten the ball rolling, Will hummed a little as he headed to his Underground Office. He needed to set things in order for an extended absence when he would be reachable only electronically. He should probably also take a stab at packing afterwards. Surely he would soon be too busy to be morose or anxious and that could only be a good thing. Likely he wouldn't even need the full time in Sydney to get a grip on himself once more.
The Underground Sun was lighting a brilliant swath across the floor of his office when he arrived, turning the entire room into a treasure of warm hues and cheerful glimmers of color. None of it registered with Will, however, as he stepped over the threshold and realized that he had been humming a song from what seemed a lifetime ago. A desperate song, bourne from love and delivered on top of a tower now nothing more than rubble.
Maybe he could leave for Sydney tonight.
End Part One