Chapter Eleven

Note: I am so sorry this is late again. A silly thing called life got in the way about halfway through. Now that I'm actually have somewhere to be most days, it might be going a bit slow but I have sworn to myself that I would finish this fic and I will. I'm almost done anyway. There should only be one, maybe two more chapters and an epilogue. Get excited, folks. =]

Also? Thank you so much the reviews. They're what pushed the last half of this out of my brain and onto the page.

* * *

"Crap!" Faith and Charlie both dived for Dawn at the same time and Faith slid under her just before her head hit the ground. Charlie was only a split second behind her, sighing in relief when Faith had her securely.

"Mom!"

"Mum!"

Charlie's head whipped up and his jaw dropped. Sanna and... It couldn't be. Of course Dawn was here so it would make more sense than it wouldn't.

"Natasha?"

"Hey Dad. Still not happy with you, FYI. Faith, is Mom all right?" Faith nodded and hoisted the unconscious Dawn up to Connor, who laid her on the couch.

Charlie stopped. "What do you mean not happy with me?"

Sanna and Natasha traded glances. Not good.

"Sanna?"

"I've been in LA this last week," she said, looking sheepish. "Tash has been here."

"LA? What?"

"You know that little thing I came back from, oh, one week ago? Let's just say it was a lot more interesting than I let on," Tash admitted.

"Camp? You met on camp?"

They nodded together. "Duh," Rach added sarcastically.

Charlie rubbed his hands over his eyes. This explained a lot. Sadly, it also brought up a whole lot of questions like what everyone was doing in his mother's living room.

"Grandmere, I have... the... tea. What happened?" Victoire put the tray down and gravitated towards the twins.

"Mum saw Dad and she fainted."

"You know, I don't think I can remember Mom ever fainting. Wow. Way to go, Dad."

"So, hold on." Charlie was still stuck back at the whole swap thing. "You've been here. You're the one who's been arguing with me and getting into fights with Cassidy and-"

"You got into a fight with Cass?" Sanna glared accusatorially at Tash.

"It was a verbal fight. I haven't punched anyone all week. Well, except for those garden gnomes but they deserved it."

Sanna laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry I missed that."

"Yeah, Teddy thought it was a hoot."

Charlie interrupted again. "Hey, we're still discussing this. How long did you think you were going to get away with it?"

"A while," Tash replied.

"Well," Sanna interjected. "I barely got away with it. Turns out we didn't factor in super smell."

Tash facepalmed. "Who got to you first? Connor or Angel?"

"Connor, who then told Angel. Before telling Mick. You know, Connor, you really suck at keeping secrets."

Connor just raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up."

Charlie gave up on trying to get a straight answer from them and let his gaze fall to Dawn. She really hadn't changed. There were a few more lines, mostly laugh lines, a few crow's feet at the corner of her eyes but she was still gorgeous. He tore his thoughts away. He was engaged now. Things couldn't just go back to the way they were. Things changed and as a rule, they didn't just magically change back.

"Well," Molly said, heading for the tea tray Victoire had brought it. "Who'd like a nice cuppa?"

* * *

Dawn awoke to the sound of laughter and the smell of tea. Her eyes blinked open slowly and she took in the sight of her daughters sitting with their friends, apparently gossiping. Faith, Connor, Molly and Charlie seemed to be having a more serious conversation, though by the way Faith was smiling and Molly was looking at her disapprovingly, she wasn't letting it get too serious.

Charlie was the first to notice her eyes were open. He froze, much like she had at first, and Dawn took the chance to really look at him. Goddess, he was still handsome. This would have been so much easier if he hadn't been such a wonderful person. She froze in turn when he made his way over. Neither noticed when the conversation died around them.

"Hey," he said, sitting at the edge of the couch.

"Hey yourself. Long time, no see."

He snorted at her attempt to lighten the mood. "You could say that. I see a hell of a lot of you in Sanna."

Dawn smiled. "She's wonderful."

"So's Natasha when she's not yelling at me."

"Yeah, Tash gets kinda shouty. I blame Buffy most of the time."

"Solid strategy."

"I like to think so." Dawn sat up, feeling the back of her head for any bumps. Oh Goddess, she'd fainted. That was embarrassing. "Sorry for fainting on you."

"Actually, you kind of fainted on Faith. But no problem. Can't say I blame you."

Dawn sent a gratuitous smile to Faith, who mock saluted her. "So, what are we going to do?"

Charlie sighed. "I don't think it's possible or a good idea to keep doing what we have been."

"No, I can't see that working out either. We could try joint custody, or something but I suppose they're only kids for another year."

"They'll always be kids," Charlie said with a smirk.

"Can I blame that one on your side of the family?"

"Oh yeah, Mione would get a good laugh out of that one."

Silence stretched between them. Dawn was trying her best not to jump into his arms and Charlie was trying not to think about anything, especially his now fiancée and his ex wife. His eyes widened. Oh crap.

"Ah, Dawn? How much do you know? How much has Sanna told you?"

"You're engaged," Dawn whispered, the first time she'd said it at all. Something heavy settled in Charlie's gut. It might have been guilt but he didn't want to look too closely at it.

He nodded. If it had been anyone else, Dawn would have laughed at the situation but it was her and this whole freaking mess was plucking tiny bits off her heart one by one and eating them. She didn't know she was crying until Charlie pulled her into a hug. Dawn wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt with a sob.

Molly took that as her cue to usher everyone out of the room. The twins complained but the matriarch of the Weasleys was firm until everyone was in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Dawn shook her head. "No, it's fine. It-It's your life. You can live it how you want to. I can't-can't tell you what to do," she hiccupped.

He held her tighter. The only time he'd felt worse was the day she'd left England and he hadn't had the guts to go after her.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to pull away. She gave up when he wouldn't let her. "I didn't mean to cry all over you. It's just... overwhelming."

He stroked her hair and she sighed, reveling in the familiar gesture. Though how something could be familiar over a fifteen year gap was beyond her. It just felt right, but at the same time it was wrong. She gently removed his grip on her and placed his hands in his lap. He was engaged and it was wrong to sit here and expect him to comfort her. Even as it was, she couldn't meet his eyes.

"We can't separate them again, Charlie. They've only got another year of school left but I figure it's just best to ask them what they want."

Charlie desperately wanted to ask her what she wanted but he couldn't make the words form on his tongue. "You're right, of course. We can try a few things out and see how they work."

Dawn nodded, trying to restrain more tears. Goddess, she was a mess. "I mean, it's not like we can't visit or anything. I could contact the US Ministry and get connected to the Floo line in LA. That should make things easier."

Charlie laughed humourlessly. When Dawn frowned at him, he explained. "Nothing about this is easy."

"Well we have to do something."

"I know, I know. I'm just saying that whatever we choose to do, it's going to be a change and we'll just have to get used to it." He didn't really want to fight on the first day he'd seen her in fifteen years.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Let's just... figure something out. The sooner we do, the sooner everyone can get some sleep."

"Do you guys have anywhere to bunk down for the night?"

"We booked a couple of rooms at a hotel nearby. Or at least as nearby as you can get."

Charlie wanted to offer up somewhere to stay and Dawn wanted him to but they were adults now and they couldn't do the spontaneous thing anymore. This was bigger than either of them.

"Nonsense." The two of them started as Molly came back into the room, the twins slinking behind her. "I refuse to send family off to unknown parts when we have plenty of room right here." Dawn tried to argue half-heartedly but Molly interrupted her. "No, I won't hear of it."

Dawn and Charlie shared a look that did not go unnoticed by Tash and Sanna. The twins shared their own look and slipped out of the room to grin at the four who were standing behind them in the hallway.

"So?" Victoire asked impatiently. In the time Dawn had been unconscious, the others had brought her up to speed on the plan.

"We're all staying here tonight. From the looks of things, Mum and Dad haven't really settled on anything. Hopefully, it'll take a couple of days."

"I doubt it. The adults are going to be needed back in LA soon. Connor and Faith, at the very least."

Rach nodded. "But we can stay here with you lot for as long as it takes."

Mick nodded emphatically. He'd be damned if he wasn't there for both of them.

"All right, you lot," Charlie said, coming around the corner. "Upstairs. Tash and Rachael, was it, in Sanna's room. Sanna and Victoire in Victoire's room. Boys in Bill's old room. Sanna can show you where it is." When Tash rolled her eyes, Charlie pointed a finger at her. "Don't you roll your eyes at me. I've seen the looks between those two and there'll be no sharing rooms while I'm here."

"Oh please," Sanna said. "Like you noticed. It would've been Grandma Molly or Mum who noticed and made a point of mentioning it." She patted his hand to soften the sting. He ruffled her hair and nudged her toward the stairs.

"Go on. From what I hear, you haven't slept since yesterday LA time. You could all do with a sleep." As much as the teenagers wanted to argue, he was right. It was late in England and Sanna hadn't slept at all since revealing their plan to Dawn.

"Fine, but only because you asked nicely," Tash said sweetly. The group went to make their way upstairs but Tash turned around again and ran into Charlie's arms for a hug. "I just wanted to do this and have you know it's me you're hugging."

Charlie smiled sadly at her. "It doesn't change a thing. Now quit stalling. I'll be here in the morning."

Tash snorted. "Correction: we'll be here in the morning. You'll be in bed with the covers over your head."

Without another word, she rejoined the others and they actually finished walking up the many steps to their rooms. Sanna showed Mick and Clay where Bill's old room was, up on the flight above theirs. Mick kissed her quickly on the lips with a grin before Clay dragged him through the door. Sanna shook her head and hurried back to her room, where the girls were sitting on the bed, chatting.

"So, how are we going to get rid of Veronica Aubrey?" Tash asked as Sanna joined them.

"You could just be your charming selves," Rachael offered.

Victoire laughed. "You could always ask Draco. He's good at being annoying."

"That's not the word that I'd use," Sanna laughed.

"Come on, guys. We come from two of the strangest families in the world. This should be easy as."

"We should have brought Spike," Rachael lamented. "He could have just eaten her and be done with it."

"We're thinking the wrong way," Sanna said. "You're trying to get Veronica to get rid of herself. All we have to do is prove to Dad that he made the wrong choice and cancel the wedding."

"I think Dad's halfway there all ready. You saw the way he was making with the eyes at Mom."

"You know what I think?" They looked at Victoire, who stretched and yawned. "I think it's time we all went to bed. No one's going anywhere tonight and we can just keep at it in the morning."

"Do you guys mind sharing?" Sanna asked, glancing at Victoire and Rach.

"Not particularly. We're just going to be sleeping, after all."

Rachael nodded in agreement. The two girls left and the twins looked at each other. Sanna smiled at her sister and that was all it took for Tash to burst into tears again. They collided, arms going around each other, and Tash hid her face in Sanna's shoulder. Neither of them said a word as Tash let out her pent up feelings. The last fourteen days had been extremely trying and emotionally draining for both of them, but at least Dawn hadn't been a royal pain in the butt. Not only had Charlie been extremely stubborn on the issue of Veronica but Tash, who hadn't known what she was hoping for but knowing it wasn't that, was left feeling unwanted and abandoned on top of it all.

When she was feeling better, or at least like she could hold herself together, they separated and sat next to each other on Sanna's bed. "I'm sorry," Tash said quietly.

"For what? There wasn't anything you could do about Charlie."

"Actually, I was talking about weeping like a little girl but yeah, I'm sorry for that too."

Sanna punched her in the arm. "Don't be an idiot. You can't fix stuff like that," she said, remembering Mick's words back in LA. "The heart will do what it wants."

"Speaking of hearts, what's going on with you and Mick, huh?"

Sanna blushed, heat rising from her neck to cover her face and ears. "It's... I'm not entirely sure what it is, exactly. I know I like him and I'm almost positive he feels the same."

"Almost positive?"

Sanna blushed harder. "He may or may not have kissed me."

Tash squealed. "Oh my gosh, no way!" She paused before making a strange face that Sanna couldn't decipher.

"What's wrong? You don't approve?" Dread squeezed Sanna's heart tightly before Tash's light slap banished it.

"No, silly. Of course I approve by I just realised I was thinking about my sister and my best friend kissing. Gross, much?"

Sanna laughed in relief. "Well, we'll try not to be that way in front of you."

"Please and thank you. So how was LA?"

"Amazing. I didn't actually meet a whole lot of people, just Mum and the Scoobies. I have to say, it was a lot easier having Connor and Angel as the cavalry."

"I still can't believe we didn't factor in super smell. I feel so stupid."

"Yes, well, just be thankful that they agreed to help. Imagine if they'd gone straight to Mum with it."

"Oh Goddess, that would have been a mess. I wouldn't even have met my cousins."

Sanna paused. "You remember the part where I told you they were just the eldest, don't you?"

"Duh. Though to be honest? It's still kinda wiggsome. I'm not used to having a bajillion relatives."

"There's not a bajillion. There's only 19... There's only 20 of us," Sanna said, smiling.

"Oh wow, I pushed us over the 20 mark."

"Don't worry, if it hadn't been you, Ginny's kid would have."

"Oh right, the Malfoy spawn."

"Merlin, you have been hanging out with Teddy and Victoire, haven't you?"

"Who, by the way, would make the cutest couple ever. Apart from you and Mick that is."

"Oh, hush." Sanna was still a little in denial about that. She just couldn't believe that someone like Mick could even be remotely attracted to her. She was sure that he'd turn around and have a change of heart.

"You know he's the best person ever, right?"

"Right. But anyway, I think we should actually get some sleep." They looked at each other before bursting into giggles.

"Yeah right."

* * *

Dawn woke up after what felt like only five minutes of sleep. She contemplated going back to sleep but knew that the day ahead of her probably deserved a bit of preparation. She peered out the window and saw the sun just peeking over the horizon. She sighed and went about getting ready for her day. She was currently residing in Ginny's old room, which was about as far from Charlie's as she could get, thankfully. She couldn't have said what she'd done if she'd needed to pee in the middle of the night and had 'accidentally' run into Charlie. It probably would not have helped the situation at all. Remembering what they'd been like when they'd been married, she could probably say with certainty that it probably would have made things a lot worse.

After showering and dressing, she tied her long hair back into a plait and went downstairs to check on her girls. Her girls. Goddess, that still took a lot of getting used to. She opened the door slowly, knowing some of these doors had a habit of squeaking rather loudly. She ducked her head in and her heart melted a little at the sight before her.

One bed in the room was empty. In the other, Tash and Sanna lay side by side, facing inwards and holding hands. They looked so happy and at peace, like they were meant to. For Dawn, it just reinforced the need for them to spend as much time together as possible, and she still didn't know what that meant or how to go about it. She didn't want to take both girls away from Charlie but she didn't want to let go of them either.

She sighed, closing the door softly. She leaned her forehead on the wood and fought back tears. Not for the first time, she wished there was someone who could tell her what to do, to point the way. She wished her mother was still alive. She had the strongest urge to curl up next to her and have her belly rubbed. She stood up straight. No. She was 35, for Goddess' sake. She needed to act the mother this time. With another glance at the closed door, hiding the two girls from her view, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. May as well help Molly with breakfast while she was up.

* * *

The smell of bacon and eggs cooking woke Charlie from a sleep filled with troubled dreams. He rolled out of bed and only years of practice saved him from falling straight to the floor. He stretched and rubbed blearily at his face. He stumbled to the shower and back out ten minutes later, still looking tired but alive at least. He dressed and went to walk out the door but he hesitated at the door of Percy's old room, which he'd spent the night in. His ex-wife was out there. So were his two daughters.

He thumped his head against the door. It caused his thoughts to falter for a moment so he repeated the movement a few more times, just as a small reprieve. He'd been tossing and turning all night, trying to find a way around this whole mess and he couldn't. He wanted his girls to be happy, he wanted Dawn to be happy, but despite everything he still cared about Veronica. Probably not to the extent that he should but he cared about her and he knew this problem would hurt her.

He growled and threw open the door, frustration giving him the courage needed to move past the physical barrier. Of course, that same frustration left him standing helplessly at the first floor landing, concerned about what lay at the bottom of the stairs. Not afraid. He wasn't scared, simply concerned, but he knew that last night had sent them spiraling onto a path that could either end well or, more likely, in complete and utter disaster.

Giggling broke him out of his reverie. He turned and saw Sanna and Tash coming quickly down the stairs, skipping every other step.

"Careful," he called.

They glanced up and grinning, they skipped the last three to land in front of him.

"Wotcher Dad," Tash said.

"Hey, that's my line," Sanna pouted.

Charlie laughed and pulled an arm around each of their shoulders, leading them downstairs. Now that he had one on either side, he could tell the difference. Tash had just a bit more muscle than Sanna, probably from the lifestyle that she'd led in LA, and Sanna was just that bit taller.

They walked into the kitchen to find Molly and Dawn bustling about, working around each other to get breakfast ready for the number of visitors. Faith and Connor were nowhere to be seen but Clay and Victoire were sitting awkwardly next to each other at the table. Sanna and Tash immediately joined the two at the table but Charlie was stuck in the doorway, staring at the ease with which his ex-wife interacted with his childhood home. He still didn't move as Rachael and Mick joined the children at the table, though he glared when Mick sat a little too close to Sanna for his liking.

A hand on his shoulder distracted him from lecturing the boy in his head. He turned slightly to see his father smiling sadly at him. "Hey Dad."

"They grow up quick, don't they?"

"It seems like forever when you're that age," he agreed. "Ginny didn't grow up this fast, did she?"

"Fast enough that I'm still not sure she should have grown children." Both men dutifully ignored the man the baby of their family was married to. It was an unspoken agreement between all of the Weasley men that Ginny's husband was to be referred to as thus and was not to be mentioned unless brought up by someone else first. It frustrated Ginny but it was the only way that her husband was able to live free from rampaging Weasley brothers.

Both men were silent as they watched the picture in front of them. Finally when breakfast was ready, Molly snapped.

"Oh for goodness sake, will you two come into the room and sit down properly? It's plain unnerving having you standing there without a word."

Both Arthur and Charlie had the grace to blush and went to do what the matriarch of the family commanded, though Charlie met an unsure Dawn's eyes. It almost froze him in his tracks but the glare of his mother kept him moving. Instead of sitting down, he approached Molly cautiously.

"Do you need help setting out breakfast?"

Molly softened and pressed a plate of fresh toast into his hands. He did his job and returned to see Molly conspicuously busy at the stove. He turned hesitantly to Dawn who was looking down at the bowl of eggs as if they had betrayed her in some way.

He swallowed audibly, aware that everyone at the table had stopped to watch the proceedings. "Dawn?"

She smiled, eyes too bright. She offered him the bowl and when he went to take it, their hands brushed. Neither let go and it was in that position that Veronica Aubrey entered the kitchen.