AN- Thanks to all who reviewed. This update is for you!
A few things to note:
- Yes, Dylan really has summoned his father from the dead (I got the inspiration for this from 'Charmed'. They summoned dead family members on that show all the time.)- he's not alive…but he is temporarily back in the land of the living.
- And, for those that don't remember (it was mentioned in the 1st movie)- their fathers name is William Piper (just incase you thought I was making the name up)
Enjoy!
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(Last time…)
Dylan covered his eyes as a bright flash of white light emitted from the twelve candles. It faded after a moment, and he blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes. The room looked different now. There was something ethereal about it.
And he was no longer alone…
"Dylan." A man said, smiling gently down at the stunned boy.
Dylan drew a deep breath.
"Dad?"
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Dylan could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he stared at the familiar, and very real, figure in front of him. When he had come up with the idea of using magic to contact his dad, he had been fairly certain that it was hopeless. He may have been a Cromwell, but contacting the dead required some serious power and Dylan didn't think he really had a chance.
And yet, by some miracle, he had actually done it.
His father was standing in front of him.
The spell had worked, and the moment he had dreamt of for so many years had arrived…
"Is…is it really you?" Dylan stuttered, struggling to overcome his shock. The figure certainly looked like his father- he had the same sandy blonde hair and deep brown eyes that Dylan remembered- but he had to be sure. He had to know that the image in front of him wasn't simply a combination of his own desire and fatigue.
The man smiled again and gave a nod of affirmation. "Yes, it's me." He replied quietly. "And I am very glad that I am able to speak to you at last."
Dylan drew several deep breaths and attempted to gather his thoughts.
He wasn't sure how long the spell would last, and he knew that he couldn't afford to waste these precious minutes. Shaking, and feeling more then a little overwhelmed, Dylan pushed himself up off of the floor and got to his feet. His eyes remained locked on his father's surprisingly solid form, and it took all of his will power not to launch himself across the room and breakdown into the comfort of the other mans arms.
There were things that he needed to know…things that he needed to say…and he wasn't going to let the shock of the situation overtake him.
He had to remain calm, no matter how much he wanted to let his emotions show.
This was quite possibly the only chance he would have to ask the questions that had been weighing him down for so many years…
"You're actually here …" Dylan muttered as he took a small step towards his father. "I…I didn't think it was really possible…"
To his surprise, his father gave a small chuckle. "Well…almost anything is possible with magic, isn't it?" he paused. "Although I suppose you're more of an expert then me."
Dylan froze, somewhat surprised that his father had used the 'm' word so freely. His response implied that he did know about his mother's secret…and about what his children had become.
Deciding that he needed further confirmation, Dylan drew another deep breath. "So you know then…about magic I mean. And about mom…"
William Piper nodded. "Yes." He replied, answering the question that had been occupying Dylan's thoughts for several long years. "Your mother told me everything. I knew there was something special about her from the moment we met. She kept her magic a secret for the first few months, but after I proposed to her, she confessed. She said she couldn't lie to me if we going to be spending the rest of our lives together…" he trailed off and smiled sadly at the memory of happier times…and at the thought of what might have been.
"You knew for all of that time, and you never said anything?" Dylan asked, mixed emotions welling inside of him. On the one hand, he was happy to know that his father loved his mother despite her….uniqueness…but he wasn't quite as thrilled to know that both of his parents had been withholding the truth from him and his sisters.
The older man gave his son an apologetic look. "We both decided that it would be best to keep you and your sisters away from the magical world." He began. "You mother had decided to give it up, and I was just a clueless mortal…we didn't think there was any point in trying to teach you about magic or Halloweentown. We thought it was for the best. We wanted things to be normal…we wanted to protect you."
Dylan nodded, trying to accept the fact that they had both had good intentions.
They never cold have predicted what was going to happen on his twelfth Halloween.
They never could have foreseen that all three of their children would inevitably become wrapped up in a world of magic.
Dylan sighed and took a moment to glance around the small dark dorm room. "I guess your plan didn't really work, huh?" he paused. "Do you…I mean, even though you're…do you know about Marnie, Sophie and I?"
"Yes." The man replied, looking directly into his sons eyes. "Of course. Your mother told me that you would all probably be special, and Marnie was showing signs of magic even before I died." He paused. "And just because I'm gone, doesn't mean I don't check in on you guys. I know that you've all been using your magic, and that you and Marnie are at Witch University."
Dylan felt his heart rate increase. "How?" he asked, his voice hardly a whisper.
"I may have moved on from this life," William Piper began sadly. "But my spirit continues to exist. There are other dimensions…other realms…and although I can no longer remain in this one, I can still check in from time to time. I love you all so much, and I have been with you every step of the way."
The boy nodded. He could not even begin to understand that complexities of the universe, but he knew that what his father was telling him was true.
He had never really left them…and he never really would.
"Are you mad at us?" Dylan asked, finally choking out the question that he so desperately wanted to ask. "Are you ashamed? Do you wish that we had stayed in the mortal world?" he paused, trying to fight of the tears that were prickling behind his tired eyes. "I tried to be normal." He began again, his voice quieter then before. "I tried so hard…for you. I always wanted to make you proud- even after you were gone- and I didn't think you'd be proud to have a freak for a son. But I couldn't fight it dad…no matter how much I wanted to. This is who I am. I…I'm a warlock. And I'm so sorry that I let you down."
Silence hung in the air as Dylan finished his emotional outpouring. It felt so good to get all of that off of his chest. He had been holding it in for far too long…almost eight years…and, painful as it was, it needed to be said.
After a few moments, he heard his father give a long sigh. He wanted to look up and meet him in the eye, but he couldn't force himself to do it.
He was too ashamed.
Too embarrassed.
And he knew that his father's disappointed gaze would confirm his deepest fears…
"Oh Dylan." The older man began, shaking his head sadly. "Do you honestly think that I could be mad at you for being yourself?"
The boy opened his mouth to respond, but found himself at a loss for words.
"You couldn't be further from the truth." His father continued gently. "I am so proud of what you have accomplished. You're a brilliant young man, and you've come so far…" he paused, his voice beginning to shake with emotion. "I couldn't have asked for a better son."
Dylan let out several deep breaths as he attempted to absorb what his father had said.
Did he really mean it?
How could his father possibly be proud of him?
He had been a social outcast in the mortal world- his father's world- and had finally turned his back on it in favour of a magical life…
"Please don't tell me that you've been burdened with these feeling for all of these years." The man began again, breaking Dylan away from his thoughts. "I have never been ashamed for you, or your sisters, and I never will be. I will never regret meeting your mother or having three very special children…our time together may have been cut short, but you all gave me the best years of my life. I love you all…so much."
Dylan finally forced himself to look up at his father, no longer able to fight back his tears.
An enormous sense of relief washed over him, and his body shook as years of pent up tension slowly began to fade away.
He hadn't failed.
He hadn't let his father down…
"I love you too dad." He whispered as he took another step towards him. "And I miss you."
His father smiled sadly as he reached out and placed a gentle hand on his son's cheek. "I miss you too." He replied, savouring their last movements together, trying to memorize every detail of his sons face.
After a few brief moments of silent bliss a look of sadness crossed the older mans face. Dylan could tell instantly that their reunion was, far too quickly, coming to an end.
"I have to go now." His father said quietly. "I'm being pulled back…"
Dylan nodded as he allowed his hot tears to stream down his face. He wished that his father didn't have to go…but he knew that there was no choice. The spell was only temporary, and he was lucky that it had worked at all.
He was thankful for the little time that they did have, and he knew that he would always treasure it…
Dylan felt his father's touch leave him and he watched as the man slowly began to fade away.
"I'm so proud of you Dylan." His father said, his voice weaker then before. "Don't ever forget that."
"I won't" Dylan choked.
"And please tell everyone how much I love them."
The boy nodded. "I will."
The man gave him one final smile as his form became increasingly transparent.
Dylan smiled back and, a few short seconds later, his father was gone.
Now alone once again, Dylan stared at the spot where his father had been standing, trying to deal with the myriad of emotions that were swirling around inside of him.
He didn't know how he was supposed to feel right now. He was upset to see his dad go…and filled with the same sense of loss that thoughts of his father had always evoked.
He was also, however, filled with an immense feeling of satisfaction. Although their time together had been brief, he was happy that he had been able to talk to his father…and happy that he had been able to see him one final time.
His exhaustion overcoming him, Dylan Piper collapsed onto his bed, his cheeks wet with tears of both sorrow and joy.
He could sleep soundly tonight.
His questions had finally been answered…
And the shame and guilt that had burdened him for so long, had finally begun to fade away…
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It was half past midnight, and Gwen Piper couldn't sleep.
She had gone to bed over two hours ago and, after much tossing and turning, had concluded that her attempts were futile.
So, instead, she had decided to make herself a cup of herbal tea and was currently channel surfing in the small, but cosy, family room.
She wished that the kids were home to keep her company. Both Dylan and Marnie were night owls and, had they been home, she was certain that at least one of them would still be awake and willing to talk. She briefly contemplated calling them on the witches' glass but quickly reminded herself that they wouldn't want to be bothered by their sentimental old mother in the middle of the night.
As much as it pained her to admit it, Gwen knew that her two oldest children had grown up. She also knew that things would never be the same again.
Sighing loudly, Gwen put down the remote and starred blankly ahead at the silent television.
This was certainly not how she had pictured spending her middle age…
She was alone, in a big old house…without her kids…and without her husband…
She had never intended for things to turn out this way and yet, somehow, they had. Gwen knew, however, that unpredictability was simply a fact of life. No matter how much you wanted something, or how hard you wished for it, sometimes, things were simply out of your control.
Twenty years ago, it had seemed that her life was finally heading in the right direction, and she had been foolish enough to think that she had everything figured out. She had left Halloweentown (a place when she had never quite fit in) and found happiness with a wonderful and caring mortal. William had not known anything about her or her families legacy…to him, she wasn't "a Cromwell", she was just Gwen- and that was all she had ever wanted to be. He had made her so happy and, despite having to leave her parents and her childhood home behind, she thought she had finally found her rightful place. By some miracle, he hadn't even been scared off when she confessed that she was a witch- sure, he had been shocked at first and it took him a few weeks to recover from the shock, but he had stuck by her. He had loved her…
Their marriage had been a happy one, and it had been made even better by the arrival of their three beautiful children. They rarely spoke of magic, or her old life…they lived in the moment, and savoured every day they spent together.
Things had been perfect…
Too perfect…
And, looking back, it almost seemed that their tragic separation was inevitable. Good things never seemed to last. William had died, very suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving her alone to deal with their three heartbroken children…
She had done her best to stay strong- for them- but on the inside, she had never recovered from the loss of her one true love. She still thought of him every day, and she knew that the void she felt would never go away.
Despite her best efforts, things had gone even further downhill after her husband's death. A few short years later, the kids (much to her displeasure) had followed their Grandmother into Halloweentown and discovered their magical heritage. This brought about a whole new set of problems, and had eventually led to the current situation.
When she had first discovered she was pregnant, she and William had discussed how they wanted to raise their children. She knew that it was very likely that their kids would inherit her magic, but they both agreed that things would be easier if they didn't burden their kids with this fact. They lived in the human world, after all, and there was no need for their children to know anything about broomsticks, potions and magical creatures…
The plan to withhold this information had, however, backfired. Terribly. And, although there was nothing she could do about it now, Gwen could not help but wonder if they had made the right decision.
The discovery of magic on Marine's 13th Halloween had led to a lot of tension in the Piper household. Marnie and Sophie had been eager to embrace their powers and her mother was eager to help them do so. This led to a lot of clashes between Gwen and the other three females in the household- even though the secret was out, she had still tried to cling onto the bit of normalcy that they had left. Her girls had, however, resisted - and now both were off in other dimensions developing their craft.
Dylan had been entirely different challenge. After that Halloween, Gwen had been heartbroken to find that her son was extremely angry at her. Dylan did not want to be a warlock and, in the year after the incident, he had become increasingly moody and avoided discussion of the 'm' word at all costs. Her sweet little boy had pulled away from her, and she knew that he (quite rightfully) blamed her for the situation.
Her mother hadn't really helped matters. Even though Gwen had assured Dylan that he didn't have to use his powers if he didn't want to, Aggie (who simply couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to use magic) had attempted to teach the boy spells and potions along with his sisters. After much debate, Gwen had finally put her foot down and Dylan was spared from his Grandmothers lessons. Realizing that his mother really was on his side, Dylan had then begun to confide in her once again, and their relationship had been somewhat repaired. They still didn't discuss magic though, and Gwen had been more then a little surprised when she had caught her son practicing spells in his bedroom one night.
It was then that she had realized that her attempt to raise her kids as mortals had failed on all three counts. She wasn't disappointed really- she knew what it was like, and even she found herself itching to use magic on occasion- but she was, however, consumed with guilt. The decision to keep her kids away from magic had obviously backfired, and she realized that telling them the truth from the beginning would have spared them all from the tension and arguments which had taken place over the last several years.
She had realized that she couldn't tell her children how to live their lives, and she knew that she had been a fool to try.
They had chosen their own paths and- unfortunately for her- all of their destines seemed to lie in a world of magic.
Drawing a deep sigh, Gwen glanced over that the family photograph that had been taken a few short weeks before William's death. She wondered how different things would be if he was still alive. At the very least, she wouldn't be alone right now. They would be missing their children together...in the comfort of each others arms.
But he wasn't there.
And she was alone…
Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder why she still clung to a mortal life. It would make more sense just to give it up and join the rest of her family in Halloweentown. But, she supposed, staying here, in this house, was her way of holding onto her husband. This place was full of memories, and she wasn't ready to leave it. She didn't think she ever would be…
No…this was not how she had pictured her life…
But this was still where she wanted to be.
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It was 1am, and Ethan Dalloway was sitting at his old wooden desk, starring at his closet in silence.
Even though he couldn't see it through the closed door, he knew that the potion bubbling on the other side was almost finished. It just needed to simmer for a few more hours, and then he would finally be able to drink what he needed and regain his powers.
He knew he should be trying to sleep, but the recent events in his life made relaxation difficult. His conversation with Marnie- in which she had decided to end their relationship- still had him stunned. He couldn't believe it…he thought things had been going so well…and he though regaining his powers would only make things better…
But in his preoccupation with the power restoration ritual, he had let their relationship slip and messed everything up.
He hoped there was still a way to fix things.
Maybe she had been so overcome by the heat of the moment that she had said things she didn't really mean…
Maybe she would rethink the situation and realize that she had acted to irrationally…
Sighing, Ethan stretched out his legs and leaned back in his chair. He had briefly contemplated giving up on the powers restoration thing…but he had already come so far, and even if he and Marnie didn't get back together, he could at least say that something good had come out of this week. And who knew, maybe he could wow her with his magic and win her back. Maybe if he explained what he had been up to, she would understand…
Ethan glanced up at the clock and sighed again.
Just a few more hours…
Once the sun came up, he could wake Dylan, and finally get this over with.
By this time tomorrow, he would finally have his magic back.
All he had to do now, was wait…
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In another dimension, Edgar Dalloway smiled.
Tomorrow…
He thought gleefully
Tomorrow I will have my revenge…
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A/N I know it was more reflective then action packed…but I assure you that the good stuff is coming…IF you review ;)