Visions
Author's Disclaimer: The only thing I own are the ideas, characters, and concepts not cannon to the original Charmed series. Everything belongs to the producers, creators, and other persons entitled by law.
Author's Note: I began this story several years ago and I never saw it to fruition. I found myself recently attracted back to it with the 20th anniversary of Charmed just occurring. I hope you enjoy this story.
Summary: The children of The Charmed Ones face the trials and tribulations of adulthood, magic, and a new threat on the horizon.
Chapter 9: Embrace
Tamora Mitchell awoke with a tight, sharp pain in her lower back. As the sleep started to settle from her tired eyes, her surroundings came into focus. Her attention was immediately drawn to the sunshine pushing its way through the half-closed blinds of the window. She ran her manicured hand over her face and took a deep breath. It finally came to her that she was asleep on her brother's couch. She must have dozed off after their heart-to-heart. She glanced at the clock on the television cable box and noticed that it was still early enough that her work day would not be thrown off.
She sat upright. The apartment was quiet. It was absolutely silent. She knew her brother must have left to work already and she didn't know if Nate was still asleep or even in the apartment.
She stood up on her wobbly legs from a night of contorted sleep on a couch and padded her way to the kitchen. The first thing she noticed was a mug with a green tea bag already in it; waiting for hot water to activate its life force. There was a post it with her brother's less than desirable handwriting. It was a simple note: a wish for a good day and a small heart. She smiled.
She went over to the Keurig® and started it up; the gurgling of the water starting to warm was a sound her found rather soothing for some odd reason.
She noticed that the apartment was clean and simple. She took a seat at the two-person kitchen table and glanced over the papers and books that adorned the Swedish-manufactured table. She had no idea what she was reading and she immediately knew it must be for some research project that was Nate's. She suddenly felt bad that Nate had become so embroiled in their latest magical calamity. She knew as a professor herself the pressure one was under but she could not imagine the stress of having to do research and publish articles and books to remain relevant and to gain promotion. She felt bad that he must have put some of his work on hold.
She felt uneasy sitting alone in her brother and his partner's home. She had rarely spent time in this apartment. She always so busy and put work first that time spent with family was minimal. She saw Kat regularly because Kat would come to the school on her off time and she had dinner with Chris and Bianca frequently but it was always at Chris's insistence. At some point, her entire life became embroiled in Magic that she forgot to live her own personal life.
She riffled through some of the papers when she came across one that was different from the rest. It was not an academic publication, a student paper or Nate's own handwritten notes. It was a bill. An expensive one at that. She was reading it over and taking in its detail when she heard Nate enter the kitchen.
She immediately looked up and placed the paper back where it was and turned to see her brother's partner.
"Good morning," he said rather happily as he reached for a coffee mug on the counter that Henry laid out for him with a similar note.
"Good morning," Tamora said sounding like a child who got caught in the cookie jar.
"What are you looking at?" Nate asked as he took her steaming mug of tea from the base of the machine and in quick fluid motion started his own coffee. He walked over to the table and handed her the tea and taking a seat. He leaned back and crossed his legs to look at the papers on the table before her.
Tamora did not know what to say. She just looked at him and took his presence. She did not spend a lot of alone time him and quite frankly was unsure of how to act.
"Just some notes that you left here," said quickly hoping that he would not press the issue further. She was wrong.
"And?" He looked at her over his glasses.
She pursed his lips and was choosing her next words with care.
"I saw the bill," she said quietly; ashamed.
He nodded his head, "I see."
Tamora felt guilty that she uncovered her brother and his partner's secret. She was one of the first to admit that her relationship with Nate was not a close one but it had always been cordial. Due to her magical training and dedication to the craft, she felt having a mortal in the mix would disrupt the familial balance but also create potential exposure risks. She knew in the early stages of meeting Nate she knew that her less than friendly demeanor was interpreted as a form of homophobia but that was never the case. She accepted her brother for who is and would never fault him; she was just suspect of Nate's mortality.
"I didn't know that you were planning to start a family," Tamora said kindly with friendly smile.
Nate nodded and took a breath, "We have been talking about it. We are exploring our options. The bill you say was to have our DNA tested for viability. We are tossing around different options but adopting would be hard given the family's unique position."
Tamora nodded her agreement and Nate's emphasis on the word unique was not lost on her, "It would be hard to bring a non-magical child into the fold for sure. There was a time that we thought Henry would be without magic and I can vaguely remember Mom and Dad trying to figure out how to live both a mortal existence for him and a magical one for Kat and me."
"I think that is why we haven't moved forward. I am not sure what is best," Nate said honestly as he got up and retrieved his coffee.
"I have never aspired to be a parent; in fact my life is revolved around magic and the school but I think that you and Henry would be great parents. He loves kids and I think that is why he enjoys teaching so much and just seeing you with Patrick these last few weeks has been heartwarming to say the least," Tamora replied while sipping her tea.
"I am also hesitant at this juncture given his recent premonition and the uncertainty that comes with that," Nate offered. His tone was distant; he was guarded against Tamora as he tried to navigate their relationship.
"The one about Kat?"
"No, the one he had where he saw my death," Nate said as he shivered at the thought.
Tamora immediately sat upright in her chair and put her tea with a thump; some hot liquid spilling over the brim onto the papers on the table. She ignored the spill and Nate's eyes honed it on it.
"What do you mean your death?" Her tone was serious and laced with concern; a concern that Nate found foreign.
"The night he had the premonition in his sleep of Kat dying. We were talking on the couch and he saw me lying dead in our bed and a demon. The demon threw a fireball at him and he was injured. He didn't tell you?"
"No, he did not," Tamora's tone now impertinent.
"I know he told Wyatt? I assumed he told everyone," Nate said as he took a sip of coffee and reached for her mug to remove the papers from underneath it.
"Henry is good at keeping secrets." Tamora stated plainly.
Nate nodded, "He is good at it."
Tamora let out a weak sigh and leaned back in her chair, "Henry has always had the most secrets of any of us. It's not easy living in our world and the mortal world. Magic is a secret that can be soul crushing enough."
"You seem to manage it alright," Nate offered kindly.
"That's because I rarely live in the mortal world. I live at a magic school and spend my time in the throes of magic and witches. I am removed from the life that my brother and sister live," she said sadly.
"Do you wish things were different?"
She rolled her neck and look up at the ceiling for a moment as she carefully crafted her response to his rather personal question, "I think at times, yes. I wish I was more mortal than witch but this is my calling."
"There is nothing wrong with that but I think it would be nice if you came around more and visited. I know Henry would love that."
"Henry, as you know, is a complicated man. His secrets are many and run deep. Magic aside; he lived most of his life in fear that we would reject the fact that he is gay; which we would never. I also think that with magic, his power alone allows him to see the future and I don't think he shares what he sees as much as he should."
The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Nate got up and walked away from the table. Tamora was momentarily concerned that she had offended Nate when he returned no more than a minute later with several pieces of paper in his hand.
"I need to ask you something," he said rather seriously to Tamora, who reached for her mug of now tepid tea. She nodded her approval for him to continue.
"This premonition has got me thinking about a lot of things. If something should ever happen to me, this is a copy of my will. I had it drawn up about a week ago. Henry does not know nor can he know," Nate spoke sullenly as tears started to moisten his eyes.
"Nate, you cannot think like that," Tamora pressed on.
"His premonition about Kat came true and I need to be prepared in case something happens to me," Nate said pragmatically. Tamora understood his intention and was able to rationalize it but found herself emotionally unwilling to accept his request.
"His premonitions are not always reliable," she countered.
"You don't necessarily believe that," he scoffed at her. He was right and she knew it.
"What is it that you wanted to ask me?"
Nate took a deep breath and wiped an errant tear from his eye, "If something happens to me, I need you to make sure that he is okay. Furthermore, all my money and assets are willed to him. We are unmarried but I need to make sure he gets everything. The apartment is my name but I am working with the landlord to add his to the lease so he won't be displaced. Tamora, I can only trust you with this and please do not tell him," Nate said stoically as if it was rehearsed.
"I won't," she said quietly.
"And one last thing, if I should end up in a situation like Kat and the doctors are unsure of how to save or help me, I need him to let me go. I don't want to be like a Kat for the last two weeks," Nate said with an inflection that was pushing back a probable sob.
Tamora was surprised to find herself crying. She was not one for emotion but she was staring at a man who was asking her one of the most important things a person can ask. She nodded her head and pushed a tear away, "I will make sure and I will take care of him but you are going to be fine."
"I think deep down both you and I know that I may not survive what is to come," Nate smiled sadly and Tamora reached across the table and pulled him into a tight embrace.
She could feel his tears on her neck and she knew he could feel hers on his. She squeezed and he sobbed.
"We will protect you. I will protect you," she whispered.
End of Chapter 9.
Read/Review.
Thank you for continuing this story. This chapter is short but it's meant to be.