July 4th 1987
July fourth had not always been such a horrible day for Minerva McGonagall. No, actually July the fourth was once just another summer day. Hogwarts classes were long over and the summer holidays were in full swing. The day, like any other summer day, brought beautiful Scottish sunsets, songs played by crickets, fireflies dancing through the night, and long walks in the warm summer breeze. Minerva never really gave this date very much thought. Why would she?
Until, that is, the events that occurred just six years prior. Now suddenly the day stuck out in her mind. Minerva always felt its approach. It weighed down on her in a way she could not explain. The coldness of the day pushed the warmth of the summer aside.
Six years. It had been six years. She should be over it by now. She should have moved on by now. She should not feel this way every time this day came around. Yet, she did. She hadn't gotten over it. She hadn't moved on. She was stuck and she didn't think that this cold, dark feeling would ever go away.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer, Minerva? I don't think you should be alone right now," Malcolm McGonagall told his elder sister. He knew this day was always hard on her and he wished she would let him help her but time and time again all Minerva ever did on this cold, lonely day was isolate herself even further. Minerva had been staying with her brother and sister-in-law for a couple days now and, to Malcolm's great displeasure, had decided to leave today of all days.
"I'm fine," Minerva said, looking back at her brother and giving him a very unconvincing smile. She just couldn't handle talking to anyone right now. She just needed to get away from people for a little while. She loved Malcolm and Daisy and their boys, Lando and Flynn, of course she did but right now all she needed was a nice drink in a small Muggle pub where no one would try to talk to her. "Thank you for having me over, Malcolm. Give my best to Daisy and the children. I'll see you all soon."
"Alright..." said Malcolm still a little uncertainly, giving Minerva a hug. "Take care of yourself, Minerva. I'll see you around."
She nodded and said one last goodbye before walking out the door into the warm summer night. A light breeze blew up the sleeves of her coat but it was different from what she remembered. It was colder. Despite the weather, Minerva pulled her coat tighter around herself, trying her best to warm herself a little bit as she walked down the path. It didn't work very well.
Minerva finally made it to the edge of Malcolm's property, looked around to make sure no one saw her, and pulled out her wand. She apparated away from Scotland and reappeared in London.
Ah, London. Truly a city that could understand how she felt today. The grey moody skies, the rushed of people avoiding each other, the old falling apart buildings trying to hold themselves together among the new skyscrapers.
Minerva walked to one of her favourite little London pubs. She walked into the dimly lit and quiet pub towards the bar where she ordered a whisky. She liked this place. It never got too busy and the people who did come here, came to drink alone. Occasionally a young couple would stumble upon this bar and be pulled in by its charm, coming in and making noise, but most nights it was a nice quiet place to get a drink and forget about things for a while. No one here would try to start a conversation with her here. The bartender handed her a glass without a word and she took a sip, letting the amber liquid warm her from the inside a little bit.
For a while Minerva drank alone. Letting the day engulf her in its coldness. Letting her thoughts wander to the 'what ifs' and the 'if onlys'. Things she should have said, things they should have done, things she missed with all her life and would do anything to get back. If only they had gotten more time. If only she hadn't waited so long to say yes.
Then. Then suddenly she stopped. She heard the door behind her open and for some reason Minerva had a sudden urge to look back. She indulged herself and saw him. A tall man with messy jet black hair and caramel brown skin. She watched him sit down at the bar, a few seats away from her, and order a whisky as well. The bartender handed him a drink and he drank it slowly for a while. Minerva couldn't say why exactly but she just couldn't take her eyes away from him. He finally noticed her staring and met her eyes.
Those eyes. Light grey and stormy, reflecting the London sky outside. They were the most amazing eyes that Minerva had ever seen. They drew her to him in a way that she could not explain. It looked as if a storm was brewing behind them and Minerva felt herself wanting to learn more about this man.
The man noticed that she did not look away when he caught her staring and gave her a crooked little smile. "Alright?" he asked, voice just above a whisper. Minerva nodded and quickly looked away, apparently having snapped out of her trance. He smiled a little, this all felt very high school. He decided to try and start some conversation. The problem was that he was very out of practice when it came to talking with pretty women. "Looks like it might rain, huh?"
The weather? Really? Stupid. That was so stupid. He shook his head and glared down at his glass.
"Yes," Minerva said, not looking up from her own glass. This wasn't what she had wanted, she reminded herself. She just wanted to drink alone. She didn't want to talk.
"What's your name?" he asked, looking the woman up and down. She was very beautiful, though she did not seem to have a very welcoming aura. She had dark black hair tied in a high bun and bright blue eyes. She wore a plain dark green blouse, black trousers, and a long black coat. He wondered what her story was. He wanted to learn more about her.
"Minerva."
"That's a nice name," he said with a smile. "Roman goddess of wisdom, right?"
"I suppose."
"Are you very smart then?" What the hell is wrong with you?! That was even stupider than starting a conversation with the weather.
Minerva looked up from her glass and raised an eyebrow at him. "I would like to think so," she said. Was this supposed to be flirting because if it was, this man was definitely not very good at it. Minerva couldn't decide if she was flattered or annoyed. She supposed that it may be a mixture of both.
"Of course," he said with a smile, glad that she wasn't scared off by his stupidity. He let himself relax a little and tried to control any other stupidity that might try to come out of his mouth. "I'm Jay. Jay Collins."
Minerva nodded and looked back down at her glass. She felt like she had heard that name before but wasn't sure where exactly. She was sure that she had never met Jay Collins before, she would have definitely remembered those eyes, but she was sure she had heard the name before.
There was a long silence before Jay sighed and turned back to his own drink. It seemed he had blown it. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. He probably shouldn't have questioned her intelligence.
Minerva sighed. For some reason she did want to talk to him. There were very few people that she would seek out conversation with on a day like today and somehow this Jay Collins man, in the few minutes of knowing him, had become one of them. She wanted to say something and continue the conversation but she didn't know what to say.
"Ah... what do you do for work, Mr. Collins?" she asked finally, looking back up over at him and giving him a little smile.
"Please, call me Jay," he said with a smile, taking this invitation for conversation and moving over into the seat beside her. "I run a company."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, not that exciting," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Not that big a deal. What do you do, Minerva?"
"I'm a teacher," Minerva replied. "Secondary school."
"What do you teach?"
"Um, physics," Minerva said. It wasn't a complete lie. Transfigurations was most like the Muggle discipline of physics. The theory required following mathematical formulas taking into account the body weight of the object to be transfigured, the viciousness, wand power, and concentration. She had heard many Muggleborns in her class complain of the class's likeness to their previous science classes, physics in particular.
"Wow, physics. So you are smart," Jay said with a smile.
"You doubted me?" Minerva asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, of course not," he replied with a laugh. Damn, this woman could arch an eyebrow like no other.
"Are you married, Jay?"
Jay's warm smile faded and he closed his eyes. Shaking his head, he said, "uh, no. I was but she got into a pretty bad car accident years ago now and... didn't make it."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up," she said quickly. She of all people shouldn't have asked a stupid question like that. If he had been married, why would he talk to her like this anyway?
"That's alright," Jay said with a sigh. "You didn't know."
"My husband actually passed away a couple of years ago as well," Minerva said quietly, looking down at her glass of whisky. As soon as the words left her mouth she was astonished with herself. She barely talked about her personal life with people she had known for years yet here she was talking to a complete stranger about it.
"I believe we've both just figured out why we're both sitting here drinking whisky alone tonight, huh?" he said, giving her an understanding look.
"I believe so."
More silence. This silence was not awkward and uncertain like the last one, however. They both felt comfortable drinking together silently.
Finally Jay broke the silence though. "Do you have children, Minerva?"
"No," she said with a shake of her head. "Do you?"
Jay smiled a little. "I have a son," he said, thinking about the little eight year old boy waiting for him back in his hotel room. "His name is Daniel. He's quite the kid. He's eight."
Minerva smiled a little as well. She and Jay talked quietly for a long time. Minerva hadn't realized how late it was until she glanced down at her watch and saw that she had been sitting here with Jay for over four hours now. She decided that it was probably time for her to head home so she stood up and said, "It was very nice to meet you, Jay, but I should really get going now. It's getting quite late."
"It was very nice meeting you as well, Minerva," he said, standing up as well. "Let me get your tab for you."
"Oh no, that's not nece-"
"No, no, I insist," Jay said with a smile, handing his card to the bartender before she could do anything about it.
"Well, thank you," she said, smiling a little. "That is very generous of you."
"So... will I see you again?" Jay asked.
Minerva smiled. "Well," she said thoughtfully. She hadn't really had any plans to come back to London after she went back to Hogwarts but now suddenly she wanted to. "I'll be back here next Saturday."
"Then I will be as well," Jay said with a smile. "If that's alright with you, of course."
"I think I would like that," Minerva said with a small smile. "I look forward to seeing you again, Jay Collins."
"You too, Minerva McGonagall."
He watched her walk out of the bar before turning back to the bartender with a very stupid smile on his face. The bartender smiled at him as well.
"She's never talked to any man that's ever approached her in here," he said. "You're the first one. Good job."
Jay smiled. "Thank you," he said. "She's really something."
Outside, in an alleyway close by, Minerva apparated to the Hogwarts gates and walked up the path towards the castle. She felt a little tipsy and, to her surprise, very happy. She hadn't felt like this in a very long time and hadn't thought that she ever would. Jay Collins was really something and she couldn't wait to see him again next Saturday.
She made it back to her office and sat down in her desk. She looked down at the Muggle and Wizard newspapers that littered her desk and started to tidy them up a little bit when something caught her eye. There in one of the Muggle newspapers was a picture of the man she had just met smiling and shaking hands with another, older man. Collins Enterprises strikes huge deal with Stark Industries. Jay Collins was the CEO of one of the largest companies in the United Kingdom!
"Not a big deal," Minerva mumbled to herself with a smile and a shake of her head before she finished tidying up her desk. She got up, pulled the torch above her desk to open the secret door, and walked into her private rooms to go to bed.
Saturday, December 20th 1997
"Yeah, I know," Lucy murmured quietly into the phone. She was talking to her friend, Anne Linwood, on the phone in the kitchen. She kept looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. "It was weird."
"Yeah, oh my god," Anne replied. "I - I don't know what to say Lucy."
"You don't have to say anything," Lucy said.
"Well, as much as I think it's stupid that she was gone for so long, it is good that she did come back right?" Anne said. "I know that you probably don't want to hear that but coming home is at least a good first step."
"I guess," Lucy muttered. "Daniel forgave her right away. I don't know why he would do that. Why isn't he angry at her like I am?"
"Did she say why she was gone for so long?"
"She just said that she had work to do."
"Oh... that's not a good answer."
"No, it's not," Lucy said darkly. She looked back over her shoulder but the kitchen was still empty. "I just wish he would yell at her and tell her that what she did was horrible! I want him to be on my side. Why is he on hers? He's supposed to be my brother and he was here when she wasn't. She left him too so why isn't he acting like a normal person about this?"
"I don't think there is a normal way to act," Anne replied. "This isn't really a normal thing."
"It's supposed to be team Lucy and Daniel," Lucy muttered. "Why is he not on my team anymore?"
"Lucy, I don't think that's what he's -"
Just then Minerva walked into the kitchen. Lucy looked over at her. "Ah, yeah. That's good, Anne," she said quickly into the phone. "I'll talk to you later."
"Did she just walk into the room?" Anne asked with a laugh.
"Yes," Lucy said as Minerva sat down at the kitchen table. "Bye."
"Bye, Lucy," Anne said, still laughing.
Lucy hung up the phone and looked over at the table where Minerva was sitting. Minerva smiled at her. "Were you talking to your friend from school?"
"Ah, yeah," Lucy mumbled, walking towards the door. "Where's Daniel?"
"I think he and Nina are in the home office," Minerva replied as she unfolds a newspaper. "Something about finalizing their schedules for the next semester."
"Oh," Lucy said. She looked at Minerva for a moment looking like she was about to say something before changing her mind and running towards the office.
As she approached, she could hear Nina and Daniel talking and laughing. She opened the door and saw Daniel sitting at the desk looking at a program booklet for business at the University of Kent. Nina was sitting on top of the desk with her legs crossed with her own nursing book in hand.
"If I take it at twelve, I can be off by - oh, hello, Lucy," Nina said with a smile, looking over at the little girl in the doorway. "What's up?"
"Um... are you two busy?" Lucy asked.
"Not really," Daniel said with a smile, putting down his booklet. "We have all break to do this. What do you need?"
"I - I wanted to talk to you, Daniel," she said, quietly. "About... stuff."
Nina hopped off the desk and smiled at Lucy. "Alright, why don't I go and let you guys talk then."
"Thanks, Nina," Lucy said with a small smile.
"Of course, love," Nina said, tousling her hair as she walks by. She closed the office door behind her.
Lucy walked around the desk and stood beside Daniel's chair. He swirled it around so that he could face her and gave her a little smile. "What's up, kid?"
"Daniel... I - I," Lucy mumbled. She felt really sad all of a sudden and felt the tears fill her eyes. She crossed her arms and glared up at her brother. "I'm mad at you!"
"What? Why?" Daniel said, smile fading away. "Did I do something to upset you?"
"Yes! You're - you're not on my side anymore!" Lucy exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're on her side and you don't care about me anymore!"
"Lucy, what are you saying? Of course I care about you," Daniel said, pulling her closer. "I'm not on anyone else's side. It's team Lucy and Daniel remember? It always has been and it always will be."
"Not anymore," Lucy said as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "You forgave her just like that! How could you do that? How could you not be angry? I'm so angry at her and you don't even care that she left!"
"Lucy, I was angry too," Daniel said. He pulled Lucy into his lap and sighed. "I was so angry with her but I talked to her. She's so sorry. You know, she's hurting just like we are. She had her reasons for leaving but she's back now so it doesn't matter."
"It does matter! She was gone for two years and now I don't need her anymore," Lucy said, crossing her arms. "She should have just stayed away. I don't want her here."
"Yes, you do," he said. "I know you do. She's your mum. Of course you do."
"I don't."
"Lucy..."
"I have you and I have Nina and Uncle Raj and Maria. I don't need her," Lucy said. "I wish I could trade her for... for someone else."
Daniel took a deep breath and turned her around in his lap so she could face him. She looked at him with her tear stained face. He reached up and wiped the tears away. "Listen, kid. I know it still hurts and I know you miss him so much. So do I, but we can't change what happened no matter how much we might want to. We have to keep moving forward, even if every step hurts a little bit, because one day it will stop hurting so much. Maybe it won't go away entirely but it won't feel this bad at least," he said quietly. "We've both lost someone we really love but we can't let that loss push other people that love us away. We have to let the people that love us stay. If she didn't love us she wouldn't have come back but she did so she does. She loves us and wants to help us. We shouldn't push her away because we need her right now. I know you think that you don't but you do. Nina is amazing and I love her but she can't be Minerva. She can only be Nina and you can't expect her to be anything else."
"I don't want her to be anything else," Lucy whispered. "I just... I just want things to be normal again."
"I know. So do I," he said. "We'll get there, Lucy. We will, eventually. But no matter what, it's always going to be team Lucy and Daniel. You can't get me off your team that easily, man!"
She smiled a little. "I like team Lucy and Daniel," she said. "I don't want you to not be on my team."
"I'll always be on your team," he said, tousling her hair a bit.
"I'm always on your team too," she said with a smile.
"Good," he said, putting her down. "Now, why don't you go get a glass of water and calm down. Uncle Raj will be here soon and you don't want him to see that you were crying, do you?"
Lucy shook her head. She wiped her face more to make sure there were no more tears to give her away before running off to get a cup of water.
Minerva was still in the kitchen when she entered. She looked up at Lucy and gave her a little smile but Lucy ignored her, walking to where Nina was standing instead. She asked for a glass of water and Nina gave it to her before leaving to keep planning her courses with Daniel. Again it was just Lucy and Minerva in the kitchen now.
Lucy put her glass down but before she could run away again, Minerva spoke. "Lucy," she said, putting down her newspaper. "Do you mind coming and sitting with me a minute?"
"Ah..." No good excuse came to mind. "Okay."
Lucy walked over to the table and sat down across from Minerva, looking down at her hands. Minerva looked at her with a sigh. "I'm guessing you remember your nani, aunts and uncles, and cousins."
Lucy nodded.
"Lando and Flynn are both graduated now," Minerva said. "Lando runs a bookstore in Edinburgh and Flynn works with dragons."
Lucy looked up suddenly. "Dragons?"
"Yes," Minerva said with a smile. "He's a dragon trainer now. He works on the Irish Dragon Reservation in Northern Ireland."
"That's so cool," Lucy said. "Does he get to ride dragons there?"
"I'm not sure. You can ask him when we see him," she said.
"Nani was in Germany?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, she had some work to go there. She gets in tonight and I'll send her a letter to tell her that we're all coming over. If you want to you could send a letter as well."
Lucy shook her head. She didn't want to write a letter. She would just ask all her questions on Tuesday.
"She'll be very worried when she finds out everything that's happened while she was gone," Minerva said with a sigh. "I'm sure she'd like a letter from you telling her you're okay."
"She didn't need one the last two years," Lucy muttered.
Minerva didn't say anything and Lucy looked down again quickly.
"Sorry," she whispered. She was such an idiot. She hadn't realized that she was talking out loud. "I shouldn't have said that."
"That's alright," Minerva said softly. "I know that you're still angry and you have every right to be, darling, but... don't be angry at them. They were just doing what I asked. Nani wanted to come see you so badly but I asked her not too. I -"
"Why would you do that?" Lucy asked, looking up again and glaring at her mother. Why would Minerva stop Lucy's grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins from coming to see her? Why did she want her, Daniel, and Jay to be lonely? "That's not very nice."
Minerva sighed. "It's complicated, love," she said. "It was just better for them not to keep coming down to Rochester all the time."
"Why would it be better?" Lucy asked angrily. "Why wouldn't it be better for Nani to come visit and see us? We spent Christmas all by ourselves. I didn't get to see anyone on my birthday or Daniel's. Aunty Amelia didn't come over even once all because of you. I don't understand why that was better. Why would it be better for us to be all alone?"
"Sweetheart, that's not -"
"Don't call me that. I don't like it," Lucy said, getting up quickly. "I don't want to talk to you right now."
She ran out of the kitchen. Minerva put her head in her hand and sighed. Why did all of her conversations with Lucy have to end like this? She heard the doorbell ring and voices in the front entrance. Quickly, she straightened up and wiped her cheeks before Daniel, Nina, and Raj walked into the kitchen. Raj Patil was a tall, handsome, muscular Indian man with black hair combed back neatly and brown eyes. He looked older than Minerva remembered. His hair had greyed considerably and he looked more tired. Raj had been Jay's best friend since they were eighteen and met at Oxford. After Jay dropped out to start Collins Enterprises, Raj became his business partner. He held a briefcase in his left hand and his warm smile faded upon seeing Minerva's face.
Minerva stood up and walked around the table. "Hello, Raj."
"Minerva," Raj said in a tone that no one would describe as warm or friendly.
"It's nice to see you again," Minerva said, giving him a small smile and sticking out her hand for Raj to shake.
He shook her hand but did not say it back. Instead he said, "hmm... where's Lucy?"
"I think she's in her bed-"
"Uncle Raj!" Lucy said, running into the kitchen.
Raj turned around and smiled at her. "Hello, sweetheart!" he said, picking her up into his arms and giving her a hug. Apparently Lucy was alright with him calling her sweetheart. "How are you?"
"I'm okay," Lucy said. "Can we go skating now?"
"Yes, we can," Raj said, putting her down. "I just have some things to discuss with your brother first."
Lucy sighed. "Okay..."
"Why don't we go get ready while they talk," Nina said, giving Lucy a small smile and holding her hand out for her. Lucy nodded and took her hand and Raj thanked Nina.
"Ah," Daniel said awkwardly, looking between his stepmother and his uncle. "We can go talk in the office."
"That is a good idea," Raj said with a small nod. "Please lead the way Daniel."
Daniel nodded and walked from the room. Minerva looked at Raj who motioned her ahead of him. She followed Daniel towards the office and Raj walked behind her. When they made it to the home office Daniel offered his uncle the seat at the desk and, after some insistence on Daniel's part, Raj took it. Minerva and Daniel sat down in front of the desk. Daniel looked away, awkwardly playing with his fingers. Minerva watched Raj carefully. He leaned back in her husband's chair and set his briefcase on the desk.
"I would like to thank you, Raj," Minerva said, finally breaking the silence. "I know that you have done and continue to do a lot for my family and I very much appreciate it. Thank you for looking after them while I was away."
"It's nothing to worry about," Raj said dismissively. "They are my family too."
"Of course," Minerva said.
Raj took a deep breath. "Minerva," he said delicately, "you have been absent for two years now so you must understand that your sudden reappearance could raise some questions in our - my," he wasn't going to bring Daniel in with him like that, "head."
Daniel appreciated his correction. He had defended Minerva during their phone call and he was glad that his uncle had been listening to him. Raj understood that Daniel did not share the same concerns that he did and he respected that.
Minerva thought his words over carefully, a frown appearing on her face though Raj could not be sure if that was from concentration or from her being angered by his words already. Minerva finally gave him a small nod. "That is, I suppose, understandable," she said. "Daniel and Lucy both had questions of their own, I would expect no different of you."
"So, you are will to address my concerns? Even if the ideas I bring up anger you?"
It all felt so formal. She couldn't remember ever having a conversation with Raj like this before she left. He had always been so friendly, a little goofy, and never very serious. Minerva missed that goofiness. She knew that everyone in this house had lost a little bit of their goofiness in the last few weeks but she did hope that eventually it would come back and they would be happy again.
"I believe that our goals are the same, Raj," Minerva said. "We both want to protect Lucy and Daniel so I can appreciate your concern for them."
"Excellent," Raj said though he did not smile. "Two years. Two years without a letter or a phone call. Then you show up here now. You must admit the timing seems a little suspicious."
"Timing?" Minerva asked with a frown. "I do not understand your meaning."
"I just want to be sure that the fact half of Jay's estate now being up for grabs did not affect your decision to return."
Daniel winced at the words and avoiding looking at Minerva even more.
"I - what?" Minerva said, still not completely understanding what he was saying.
"This house now belongs to you. Half of Jay's money, half of Collins Enterprises, all of Jay's land in other countries. Investments, bonds, accounts," Raj said. "All now available for you."
Minerva could not believe what she was hearing. How dare he accuse her of only coming back for Jay's money! She hadn't even given that stuff much thought. All she cared about was Lucy and Daniel.
"I am here for one reason and one reason alone," Minerva said dangerously. "That is my children. I do not care about estates and money. All I care about is Lucy and Daniel."
Raj opened his briefcase and pulled out some papers. "These documents allow Daniel full ownership of the house, Collins Enterprises and any other property under Jay's name. If you sign them my concern will be put to rest."
He held them out to her. Minerva stared at them for a second before taking them from him and reading through them.
"Signing this will give you legal precedent for forcibly removing me from this house on the terms of trespassing," Minerva said, glaring at Raj.
"I will not do that."
"You're asking me to trust you when you don't trust me?"
"I'm asking you to put my fears to bed," he said. "My top priority is protecting Lucy and Daniel from those who may try to take advantage of them. If that is you, so be it."
"I will not sign this," Minerva said, flipping through to the next page and reading it over as well.
"Min, just do it. It won't make a difference," Daniel said. "I'm the owner of the house. I won't kick you out."
Minerva looked at him with wide eyes. "You can't possibly believe what he's saying about me!" she exclaimed. "I have never done anything to indicate that I was only with your father for his money!"
"I didn't say that!" Daniel said. "I would never say that. And Uncle Raj didn't say that either. He just wants to be sure."
Minerva turned back and continued reading the documents. Daniel and Raj watched her carefully. Suddenly her eyes widened again. When she looked up her face looked furious. "You want me to give up custody of my daughter!"
"I -"
"No! How dare you!" Minerva yelled. "The house is one thing but my daughter! I will not give up custody of her!"
"Lucy is young. The money Jay left her will go to her guardian until she is eighteen as well," Raj said. "I just want to avoid -"
"No," Minerva said venomously. She looked over at Daniel. "I would like to talk to Raj alone. Please go get ready to leave as well."
Daniel nodded and scrambled to his feet. He did not need to be told twice to leave this horribly tense and awkward situation. He raced out the door, closing it behind him.
When he was gone, Minerva turned back to Raj. "How dare you," she said angrily. "How dare you imply that I am here for money. How dare you try to take my daughter away from me. I will not be signing any of these documents and I would ask you do not talk down to me in front of my children ever again."
Raj took a deep breath and closed the briefcase in front of him. "Minerva," he said slowly. "I would never try to take Lucy or Daniel away from you. If you sign these documents I give you my word that nothing about the arrangement you and Daniel have made here will change. My worries will simply be put to bed and we can move on."
"Your word?" Minerva said. "How do you expect me to trust your word when you are trying to have me sign away custody of my daughter?!"
"I have never once given you any reason to not trust my word," Raj said. "I have always kept my word. Can you say the same?"
"I - I promised Jay that I would return and I am here, aren't I?" Minerva yelled. "How dare you sit in his seat and ask me to give up my children! My last connection to him!"
"I promised Jay that I would look after his children and I have been doing that! Do you know how many reporters I've had to stave off? How many times I had to make sure Daniel and Lucy actually got out of bed in the morning? How many calls I had to make to their schools? How much more responsibility I had to take at Collins Enterprises so that Daniel wouldn't feel pressured into dropping out of school and coming on?" Raj said angrily. "I never once complained or left. I am here to stay. I can't be as sure about you."
"I am here to stay as well," Minerva said, getting up and throwing the documents he had given her on the desk. "I have already told you how much I appreciate what you've done but I'm here now so hopefully it will be a little easier on you. I don't need you to believe me, Raj. I just need my children to trust me again. Daniel does and that should be enough for you."
"Daniel is only eighteen. He is not in any position to make unbiased calls right now."
"Daniel is an adult."
She turned and headed for the door. Raj sighed and shook his head. "You broke their hearts, Minerva. I'm just trying to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Minerva took a deep breath, pushed her tears back, and opened the door. She slammed it behind her and walked towards the stairs. She could hear Daniel, Nina and Lucy talking in the foyer as she approached.
"This coat is too big! It's not that cold. Can't I just wear a sweater?" Lucy said.
"Nope. It is not sweater weather," Nina replied with a laugh. "It's going to get cold on the ice. You have to wear this."
Minerva sighed. That should be a conversation Lucy should be having with her, not Nina. She walked into the foyer and forced herself to smile. "Ready to go?"
"Yes," Daniel said, looking up at her a little uncertainly. "You okay?"
"Of course," Minerva said, moving to the closet and grabbing her coat.
"Where's Uncle Raj?" Lucy asked as Nina zipped up her coat and fixed the hat on her head.
"He should be coming," Minerva said. She did her best to not sound angry but wasn't sure if it really worked. Lucy looked up at her with a frown but before she could say anything Raj came into the foyer.
"Oh good! You're all ready to go," he said with a smile. He walked over to the closet to grab his coat as well. "Excuse me, Minerva."
Minerva moved out the way quickly and stared at him. Raj was very good at putting on a mask when he needed to. A skill, she was sure, came in quite useful in business. Raj put on his coat, grabbed his keys and opened the door. "We'll take my car," he said. "Let's get going."
Lucy raced after him and took his hand as they walked towards the car. Daniel motioned Nina and Minerva out before leaving himself and locking the door behind them.
"Don't be too hard on him," Nina said quietly as they walked towards the car. "He cares about Lucy and Daniel a lot and sometimes says things he doesn't mean because he's trying to protect them."
"I think he meant everything he said," Minerva muttered. "And I think Lucy agrees with him."
"No, she doesn't," Nina said. "She doesn't even know what that means. She doesn't think about money and estates. She's just still upset about you not being there. She'll get over it in a few days when she sees that you're here to stay."
Minerva didn't say anything. They made it to the car and Nina got into the back with Lucy. Minerva was about to follow her when Daniel stopped her.
"You can sit in the front," he said.
"It's alright, Daniel," she said, giving him a small smile.
"No, I insist," he said, moving to get into the back.
Minerva sighed and sat down in the passenger's seat. She looked back at the kids and watched Nina help Lucy put her mittens on. She sighed and turned back to the front. Raj looked over at her with a frown. He looked back and saw what she did. He realized what she was upset over and rolled his eyes. He started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.
They made it to park and walked over to the frozen lake. Other people were already there skating around the lake. Nina helped Lucy put on her skates and Raj took her hand to help her over to the lake.
"I'm not very good," Lucy said as her uncle caught her before she fell.
"It just takes practice, love," Raj said with a smile. "I'll skate with you and then when you're ready you can let go of my hand and try on your own."
Lucy nodded a little uncertainly and skated shakily beside him. Minerva got on the ice and moved around a bit.
"It seems it's a little like riding a bike," she said. "You don't forget."
"Skating's not too hard," Daniel said. He looked over at Lucy. "I think it's more about confidence than anything else."
"Yes, if she wasn't so scared of falling she would be an okay skater," Minerva said.
"You making fun of her when she falls probably doesn't help ease her fear," Nina pointed out.
"I don't make fun of her," he said. Nina gave him a look and he laughed. "I don't."
"I'm more inclined to believe Nina, I'm afraid," Minerva said.
"You too are annoying," he said with a shake of his head. He sped up to leave them behind. Nina laughed and followed after him.
Minerva smiled and shook her head as well. She skated around for a bit before running into Lucy and Raj again. "How's it going?"
"I can skate by myself now!" Lucy said excitedly. "Watch! Watch!"
She skated forward, still a little shakily but no longer holding Raj's hand. Minerva smiled. "That's wonderful, love."
"I'm going to find Daniel and Nina," she said as she kept going away from Minerva and Raj.
Raj kept skating behind her and Minerva debated going the other way when a group of skaters forced her to go the way of traffic.
"You're a good skater," Raj said, looking her over quickly. "Lucy said that you didn't know how to skate."
"I guess she doesn't remember us going skating when she was younger," Minerva said quietly.
Raj didn't respond. They kept skating in silence for a while before Lucy stopped in front of them and looked back. She waited for Raj to come over and motioned him down. Raj leaned down so she could whisper into his ear.
"I have to go to pee," she whispered.
"Oh," Raj said, straightening up. He looked around a little awkwardly. "Um, well, we should find Nina."
"What's wrong?" Minerva asked with a frown.
"Ah... Lucy has to use the restroom," Raj said.
"Oh," she said, frown turning into a smile. She thought it was kind of funny how awkward Raj was acting. "Well, I can take you. Come on, Lucy."
Lucy looked around quickly but didn't see Nina anywhere. She sighed and took Minerva's hand, skating with her back to their shoes. Minerva helped her change out of her skates and took her towards the bathrooms. She waited outside while Lucy used it.
"Alright, I have to use it as well," Minerva said when Lucy came out. "Can you please wait here for me?"
Lucy nodded.
"Don't run off. I don't want you to get lost."
Lucy nodded again and Minerva went into the washroom. Lucy leaned against the wall as she waited, very patiently, and looked around the small lodge. There was a kiosk selling hot chocolate. Maybe Minerva would let her buy some.
"Hello!"
Lucy looked up to see a young man with messy blonde hair looking down at her. He had a small black notebook in his hand and a pen behind his ear.
"Hi..." Lucy said uncertainly.
"Jordan Weller," he said, sticking his hand out for her to shake. "You're Lucy Collins, right?"
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Lucy said, not moving to shake his hand. Her hands were still behind her back as she leaned against the wall.
"I'm not a stranger," he said with a laugh, dropping his hand. "I know who you are, don't I?"
Lucy stared at him, not really sure what to do. She had always been told not to talk to strangers but she had never really been told how to get out of talking to a stranger when her parents weren't around. She couldn't just run away, Minerva would be angry with her. She had asked Lucy to stay put and had literally used the words don't run off. Lucy didn't know what to do. She hoped that Minerva came back out of the bathroom soon.
"I'm a reporter for Scope Magazine."
"I'm not supposed to talk to reporters either," she said. Uncle Raj had told her not too. He said that they had no right to talk to her and that she didn't have to answer their questions. He had told her to tell him if a reporter tried to talk to her.
"Why not?"
"Because you write mean things about my dad," Lucy said quietly.
"I'm not going to write a mean article," Jordan said. "I'm a nice reporter. I just want to ask you a couple questions about your father and how you're doing now."
Lucy shook her head, tears filling her eyes. She didn't want to talk about her father or how she was doing now. She wanted this man to leave her alone. She wished Raj was here. He would know what to do.
"It won't take very long," Jordan insisted, only making Lucy more upset and frustrated. She couldn't see a way out of this. "I'll be very quick and you won't have to answer any question you don't want to answer. Are you and your brother back at school?"
"I don't want to talk to you," Lucy said quickly, shaking her head violently. "I just want to go skating."
"You're already going out and doing fun things, this soon after the funeral?" Jordan asked.
"I - no - I don't know," Lucy said. Was that bad? Should she not be having fun? Was she being disrespectful to her father? The tears rolled down her cheeks and she shook her head. "Please leave me alone."
"Don't cry! I just wanted to ask you a couple questions," he said quickly.
Just then the washroom door opened again and Minerva came out. She saw this man talking to Lucy, saw the tears falling down her cheeks and frowned. "What are you doing?" she asked the man angrily, stepping between him and her daughter.
Jordan looked up and said, "hi, I was just talking to Miss Collins here. It's nothing for you to worry about, Ma'am."
"Well, considering she's my daughter and you're making her upset, it is something that I need to worry about," Minerva said. "Now, please leave before I call security."
"You're Mr. Collins's wife?" Jordan said, straightening up and giving her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, I would love to talk to you as well, Ma'am. I would love to know more about you and your husband's relationship towards the -"
"Leave. Now."
Minerva's voice sounded dangerous and menacing. Jordan stopped what he was doing. He looked like he was about to say something before deciding against it and turning on his heel. He walked away briskly and Minerva sighed. She crouched down in front of Lucy as Lucy wiped the tears away from her cheeks.
"I told him that I wasn't allowed to talk to strangers," she whispered, "but he wouldn't leave me alone. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."
"I'm not mad. It's not your fault, sweetheart," Minerva said. She said it without thinking and waited for Lucy to apprehend her for calling her that but she never did. Minerva took this as a good sign and took Lucy's hands in hers. "Are you okay?"
Lucy nodded. "They keep trying to talk to me and Daniel," she said. "Uncle Raj makes them go away. I'm glad he listened to you too."
Minerva smiled a little. "They should listen to you too," she said. "You shouldn't have to talk to them if you don't want to."
Lucy nodded again.
"Alright, why don't we get going," Minerva said. "You want to keep skating, don't you?"
"Yeah," Lucy said with a nod. She pointing at the kiosk selling hot chocolate. "Can - can we get hot chocolate first?"
"Of course," Minerva said with a smile.
She straightened up and Lucy took her hand as they walked towards the kiosk. They bought hot chocolate for themselves and Daniel, Raj and Nina as well before heading back to the ice. Minerva helped Lucy get her skates back on and handed out the hot chocolates when they found everybody. Lucy told Raj what happened while she was waiting for Minerva and he frowned. He looked around quickly.
"Do you see him?" he asked. "Is he still here?"
Lucy looked around before shaking her head.
Raj sighed and looked at Minerva. "Did you get the name of the guy?" he asked. "Or the magazine he works for?"
"No," Minerva said. "He didn't say."
"He told me," Lucy said. "He said his name was Jordan Weller and that he worked for Scope Magazine."
"Of course it's Scope," Daniel said with a frown. "They're always writing stupid tabloid-y articles about us."
"I'll call them and lodge a complaint when we get home," Raj said. He put his hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Princess. He won't bother you again."
Lucy nodded, hugging Raj's legs.
They skated for a little while longer before finally deciding to head home. Nina went to the kitchen to start on dinner and Lucy went to help her. Daniel had some work to get done in his bedroom and Raj went into the living room. Minerva sat down in the kitchen, talking to Nina and Lucy as they worked before being given a job herself. She was to grab any dishes that may be hiding out in the living room. Minerva walked over to take a look when she heard Raj's angry voice. She stopped and listened to his half of the phone conversation.
"Your reporter was completely out of line," he said angrily. "Cornering her when she was alone. She's a six year old girl!" There was a pause and Minerva looked through the archway to see Raj pacing around angrily. The cord of the phone prevented him from walking too far. "And I understand that... I understand how magazines work, Mr. Kelp, but what your reporter did not only violated journalistic codes but codes of average human decency. They are both still grieving. Lucy and Minerva do not need to be questioned about Jay or Collins Enterprises right now."
Minerva was surprised that Raj was defending her. She thought he would focus on the reporter's disrespect of Lucy.
"To talk to Lucy, Mr. Weller would have needed permission from her parent. Permission Minerva did not and will not ever give," he said. "Especially with the way he talked to Minerva and the questions he wanted to ask her. I don't want to see anyone of your reporters near either of them or Daniel again. Find your stories elsewhere."
With that Raj slammed the phone down into the holster and flopped down in the couch with a sigh. Minerva entered the room. "Does that happen often?"
"Not too often anymore," he said, massaging his temples with his fingers, "but still happens sometimes. A journalist will recognize them and become a little too eager for a story. They used to hang around just behind the gate so they could try to talk to them when they left the house."
"That's horrible," Minerva said.
Raj nodded. He stood up and walked towards the door. "If something like that happens again, let me know," he said. "I will handle it."
He walked passed her and Minerva turned to watch him go. She was still angry with him for trying to get her to sign away custody of Lucy but she had to admit that he took good care of the children.
"Thank you, Raj," she said quietly.
"Don't worry about it," he said with a small shrug as he left the room. "Anything for Lucy and Daniel."