Chapter Twelve

The kitchen was still. Nobody moved, the bowl of scrambled eggs sitting in between Charlie and Dawn's hands like a benediction and an accusation all at once. Veronica stood at the door uncertainly, glancing nervously between the stunned two, unsure of this new development. Sanna and Tash shared an undecipherable glance and nodded once to each other.

This seemed to break the spell over them and Dawn dropped the bowl, stepping away from both it and Charlie. Charlie put it on the table and went to Veronica.

"Hey," he said, kissing her cheek. She returned it out of habit, still looking a little shell-shocked. "I didn't realise you were coming over."

"We talked about it yesterday, remember? You weren't at the cottage so I came here to check." Her eyes didn't rest on Charlie at all. They flitted about the kitchen, eyeing its occupants. They seemed to keep going back to Dawn.

"Shit," Charlie cursed his lapse in memory.

"Language," Dawn muttered from the other side of the table where she was standing behind Mick and Sanna. Charlie couldn't help but notice she looked like she was about to be sick.

"I'm Veronica," the other woman said. She seemed hesitant to enter the room at all.

"Dawn Summers."

Veronica's expression didn't change so Dawn had to surmise that she had either come to this conclusion on her own or she didn't know her name.

Tash was feeling particularly cruel today. "Mom, I'm going to wake up Connor and Faith."

"You will do no such thing, missy. Sit back down." They could see the moment where Veronica registered the presence of both girls. Her eyes widened and by the look on Charlie's face, the subject had not been brought up yet.

"Charlie?"

"Let's go outside and I'll explain everything."

Veronica nodded, turned on her heel and left the kitchen before anyone could say anything else to upset her worldview even more.

Dawn groaned and sat down in the closest chair. "Tash, is it Tuesday?"

"Must be 'cos it isn't Thursday."

Charlie didn't hear anything else as he followed Veronica out onto the porch. She was leaning against the porch railing, arms folded, looking insecure. He put an arm around her shoulder and she didn't move. He guessed it was better than shunning him completely.

"So that was Dawn. She's pretty."

"I'm sorry, Ronnie. I didn't know she was here until last night. She popped up suddenly with Sanna and-"

"Wait, Sanna? But Sanna was at dinner."

There was a pause as Charlie considered his next words carefully. "I wasn't entirely truthful when I said I had one daughter. I have two. They were twins. Before you say anything, until last week I hadn't seen Natasha since she was 1. They swapped when they met at summer camp."

Veronica didn't say anything and Charlie couldn't help but think that she was handling all of this very well.

"So Natasha was at that dinner?"

"Yep. Sanna's been in LA with Dawn since they got back."

"Did Dawn know?"

"No, she was just as clueless as us. Sanna told her because..." Charlie frowned. "Actually I'm not sure why Sanna told her."

Veronica was quiet again and it was starting to frustrate him.

"Ronnie, will you say something?"

"Like what, Charlie? Yes, I'm hurt you didn't tell me that you had another daughter and yes, I wish you had. What else is there? Please tell me, because I don't know what to say exactly."

Charlie ran through his hair in frustration.

"I get that you're confused," the woman next to him said quietly. "Everything's been tipped on it's head and it can probably only get worse before it gets better."

"Ronnie?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think..." He growled and plowed on. "I don't think... 'us' is a good idea. At least not at the moment. I don't know what's going to happen with the girls but I know that I can't concentrate on everything all at once. It's too much."

She nodded, gently displaced his arm from around her shoulders, and stood in front of him, meeting his eyes for the first time since she arrived in his mother's kitchen. "I think... I think it's a good idea but Charlie, I think we should cancel the wedding."

His brow furrowed. "What...?"

Tears appeared in Veronica's eyes. "I don't think we should get married. I think we should just finish this right now."

Charlie tried to pull her into a hug but she shook her head, stopping him.

"I love you, Charlie. I know that we're different and that we aren't two peas in a pod but I do, and this thing has obviously left you feeling conflicted and torn and I have a feeling I'm not going to come out of this with a ring on my finger either way so I'm ending this now."

"Ronnie..."

She kissed him chastely on the lips, slipping her engagement ring into his slack hand. "I'll owl you in a few days."

He nodded sadly. "Take care of yourself, Ronnie."

He didn't watch as she moved off the porch but he heard the crack as she Apparated away. He stood there for who knows how long, thoughts paused, staring at the brick of his childhood home, blissfully unaware of the world. He had a strange emotion pressing in on his chest but he didn't want to examine it at the moment. He could leave that for another time.

"Daddy?" He hadn't heard the door open.

"Yeah?"

"Are you all right? Breakfast is getting cold."

"Right."

There was a hesitation and Sanna wrapped her arms around one of his. "Where's Veronica?"

"She left. The engagement's off."

"I'm sorry." She genuinely was, he could tell. He raised his free arm and cupped the back of her head, kissing the top of it.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

"Dad? Can we go inside now? I like my bacon hot."

He contemplated what was awaiting him inside and decided that he could risk it, if only for the girl currently wrapped around his arm. "Let's go. We wouldn't want you to have to reheat your bacon."

"You know it tastes gross when you have to reheat it."

"It tastes the same, love."

"No, it really doesn't. All those dragon burns have affected your taste buds."

"Whatever you say, squirt."

* * *

The rest of the day went by quietly, Charlie the quietest of them all. Faith and Connor were making plans to get back to LA and they had long since given up the idea that anyone else would be joining them. The teenagers had been adamant that they would be here to support the twins and Dawn. No one had any clue as to whether Sanna or Tash would be coming back to LA in the end and by the way that Charlie studiously hid from everyone, it didn't look they would figure it out anytime soon.

When Charlie didn't appear for lunch, Tash decided that she would find him. She didn't find him inside the Burrow and when she went outside, all she found was Faith enjoying a cigarette by the side of the house. Molly had already told her under no uncertain circumstances that she did not like leaving the kitchen window open only to have a cloud of smoke billow in.

"Faith?"

"Hey little T. Found your dad yet?"

"I'm starting to think he went home. I can't find him anywhere."

"That's what I'd do."

"Faith? Did you know my dad? You know, before this whole shamozzle."

"Yeah, only met him once, though. Me and your Aunt B were at the wedding. G-Man flew us over and back again. We looked killer in those dresses, yo."

"Did you see it? That Mom and Dad weren't going to last?"

Faith took another drag and let it out again before she answered. "All I saw was that D looked happy. Charlie-boy too."

Tash leant against the side of the house and slid to the ground. "Why can't they just get back together?"

"Shit doesn't work that way, T. People mess up, it's how we roll."

"People are stupid, then."

"You're telling me," Faith muttered. "All right, I'm going back inside. Don't get yourself into trouble, a'ight? I'm not pulling your ass out of the fire." They both knew she'd do it in a heartbeat but they left it there, in mutual agreement. Tash would try not to do anything stupid and Faith would follow her and kick ass if need be.

Tash absently thought that if growing up meant you weren't happy then she'd rather be considered a child for the rest of her life.

* * *

Charlie reappeared for dinner, having freshly showered and changed. No one spoke about why he'd gone and where, leaving him to stew silently until Dawn approached him after the meal. They disappeared outside, and the moment the door closed, Sanna threw down the tea towel she was drying dishes with and Tash poked her head out of the sitting room and they crept out the back door to follow them.

The two adults hadn't spoken yet, instead walking off towards the road. They obviously wanted privacy. Sucked to be them.

"Charlie, we can't do this to them." Dawn decided to cut right to the chase.

"I know. Trust me, I know, but what can we do?"

There was a frustration filled pause as the parents tried to figure something out. The girls moved as close as they could without being immediately obvious and settled in to wait.

"Who's to say that we can't stay where we are? I mean, it's not ideal but if we can't come up with something, we can make it work," Charlie said.

"If I get the Hyperion hooked up to the Floo system, it'll be easier to travel."

Tash was ready to cry out in dismay. This isn't what was supposed to happen! Why did adults have to mess everything up?

"Dawn..." Charlie had had enough of crying women to last him a lifetime, thank you very much.

"Don't you dare ask me if I'm crying, Charles Weasley. I can cry all I damn well like."

"I was just going to say that everything will sort itself out."

Dawn snorted. "Yeah, right. Hello, have you met me? Pretty sure my entire family attracts disaster. The only way anything ever turns out right is through a buttload of sacrifice."

"Isn't fifteen years enough sacrifice?" He asked quietly.

That stunned Dawn into silence.

"Dawn, I think-"

"We can't, Charlie." A meaningful look between them spelled out exactly what she meant to the twins. Their parents were not getting back together.

Frustrated tears leaked out of the corners of Sanna's eyes. This whole stupid week had been for nothing. This whole ordeal to reunite their parents had failed fantastically. What a waste of time. Her thoughts shuddered to a halt when a hand slid into hers and squeezed. She looked at Tash and saw the exact same feelings shining out of her eyes. Sanna felt the need to correct herself. No, it wasn't a waste of time. She had finally met her mother, her aunt and the myriad of people who had attached themselves to the Summers women. She'd met the sister she'd never known she'd had. Of course this wasn't a waste of time. She squeezed back.

"I'm sorry," Dawn said, interrupting her daughters' epiphanies. "I know this ruined your relationship with Veronica but we can't put the girls through that emotional rollercoaster." She took a deep breath. "I can't go through that emotional rollercoaster. If anything happened again... I'm sorry, Charlie."

Tash and Sanna snuck away as quietly as they came, trying to swallow the overwhelming feelings in their guts. They didn't even bother going through the back door. They opened the front door to hopeful faces and they shook their heads, walking past the others and upstairs to Sanna's room.

They collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I can't believe it," Tash whispered.

"They were making things so complicated."

"It's Mom's fault."

"I didn't hear Charlie complaining."

"At least they said they wouldn't keep us apart."

"What, for the few weeks before we go back to school and won't see anyone until Christmas? That was really charitable of them," Sanna muttered sarcastically.

"I hate this." Tash sat, then stood up. "I hate them for doing this to us. I hate this whole stupid situation." She drove her hand into the wall, looking in satisfaction at the hole in the plaster, even as pain radiated up her arm at the jarring impact.

"What was that for? The wall didn't do anything to you," Sanna said, coming over to inspect the child of her sister's stupidity, feeling a little squeamish at the little cuts on her knuckles.

"It was looking at me funny." Sanna just gave her an exasperated look.

"Come on, Grandma Molly will know if it's bad."

They trudged back downstairs and found Molly looking morosely at her knitting. "Grandma?"

"Yes? Oh dear," she said, taking one look at Tash's hand which Sanna was holding gingerly in two of hers. She tutted and she gently prodded it to gauge Tash's reactions. She pulled her wand from her knitting basket and muttered a spell over it. Tash felt a gentle coolness soothe her hand and sighed in relief. "It wasn't too serious but it'll be sore for the next few days. I don't think it would be wise to use it too strenuously."

"Thanks Grandma."

"Now, do I need your father to take a look at whatever you took offence to?"

"The plaster in Sanna's room is a little cracked."

"How much is a little?" The reproach in Molly's eyes was clear.

"There might a be a hole?" Tash smiled at her hopefully.

The scolding was interrupted by Dawn and Charlie re-entering the house. Tash pushed her hand behind her back, away from her parents' prying eyes. No need to let them know that the twins realised what was happening. Dawn went upstairs while Charlie sat the furthest away from everyone else in the sitting room. Molly did not miss the glares the girls were giving him. It was then that she guessed just why there was now a hole in Sanna's room.

"Upstairs, you two." They opened their mouths to object but as soon as Molly raised an eyebrow, they scampered up the stairs, glancing back to make sure Charlie wouldn't up and leave again.

"Charlie?"

"Don't, Mum."

"Making mistakes is what makes us human, dear. Making them twice makes us a fool." Molly took her knitting basket out with her as she too, disappeared up the stairs, leaving Charlie alone in the empty sitting room.

* * *

That night, as everyone succumbed to sleep, Dawn went to check on her girls. They were lounging on the floor, chatting. "Hey Mum."

"Mom, what's up?"

Dawn's heart ached but she smiled and closed the door softly behind her. "We're probably leaving tomorrow."

Tash opened her mouth to argue but Sanna nudged her in severely in the calf with her foot. Tash glared at her but Sanna spoke up instead. "When will you have the Floo set up?"

"I just talked to Willow. She'll contact them tomorrow. You guys will be the first to know, I promise. She's also coming to get us tomorrow. We're taking the Willow Express back."

"Who's coming with us?" Tash asked, despite Sanna's vicious glare.

"Tash..."

"No, Mom, explain to me why I have to leave my sister behind. Again."

"Natasha, not now."

Tash stood up, glaring at her mother. "Yes, now. You have no right to keep us apart!"

"I'm not trying... That's not what this is about. This is about trying to make this work and right now, it isn't working so we're trying something different. We will keep trying until we settle on something so don't, don't you dare accuse me of trying to keep you apart. Do you think I enjoyed having to leave Sanna behind? Do you think I just loved having the British Ministry of Magic telling me I could only take one child? You don't know everything so hold your tongue."

Tash's anger was forgotten in the wake of Dawn's. The older woman stood there, chest heaving, trying to swallow back tears as her daughters looked at her, confused.

"Mom..."

"Not right now. Get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning." Dawn turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm an idiot."

"Maybe, but it's genetic." Tash snorted humourlessly and let her feet carry her towards the bed. Her knees folded and she fell listlessly to the mattress.

"I just want everything to work out, San. All this dancing around each other is stupid."

Sanna didn't say anything but went to hug her sister close.

* * *

There were tears in Sanna's eyes as she watched Tash knock on Charlie's door. They were leaving as soon as they said their goodbyes. Leaving again.

"Dad? Dad, can I please come in? We're going back."

Silence greeted Tash's plea. Sanna heard the growl before she saw Tash kick the door.

"Fine. Just keep hiding because that fixes everything, doesn't it? I'm sick of this whole thing and I just wanted to say goodbye but now I don't want to. Stay in your stupid room, for all I care."

"Tash?" She whipped around to find Charlie walking down the stairs. "Did the door say something to upset you?"

"Oh."

"I was just saying goodbye to your mum."

"Oh."

"C'mere." Tash dashed into Charlie's open arms, clinging with all her strength. "It'll be fine, I promise. Willow said the Floo's getting set up in a couple of days and you two can come and go as you please." Tash nodded, trying to hold back the tears that had been her constant companion since she had arrived in England.

"I'll still miss you."

"Come on, it'll only be a few days. Chin up."

Tash was able to summon a watery smile for him and he smiled back.

"See? Not so bad. You might want to go get your mum, then, if you're ready to go."

"I'm not sure ready's the right word."

"Go," he urged, pushing her gently toward the stairs. "And don't think we've forgotten about that hole in the wall. You're going to have to come by later and help me fix it."

"That had better be a promise."

"If you want it to be."

Tash found her mother sitting in the middle of the bed, meditating with tear-stained cheeks. She waited until Dawn relaxed and opened her eyes. "Mom?"

"Ready to go, hun?"

"If you are."

Tash couldn't see a hint of humour in Dawn's smile. "Ready as ever."

They met with the others in the sitting room. Willow chatting happily to Sanna, since they hadn't really spoken to each other when she'd been in LA. Sanna was still fascinated with Wiccan magic, much to Charlie's dismay. If she kept it up, the next year at Hogwarts could be very interesting.

"Hey Tash. You ready to take the Willow Express?"

"As long as it's smoother than last time. I'd rather not end up in the fountain again."

"Nope, got it all worked out. Even have a spot cleared in the atrium for us."

"Cool beans."

Sanna stood slowly from the couch and Tash fought hard to stop her face from falling dramatically. Sanna looked like someone had kicked her kneazle. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Well, I suppose I could Floo in a couple of days. You know, just to check that Dad isn't trying to drink the table under itself." Charlie looked like he wanted to protest but Molly nudged him harshly.

"And I guess I could come over to see Mum's getting enough sleep."

"I'll see you then."

"You betcha," Sanna said, mimicking the Americans' speech pattern.

Sanna was the first one to crumple, but Tash followed soon after. They knew that it would only be a few days but the last two weeks had been so intense, the thought of them getting separated again was just a bit too much.

Dawn was loathe to pull them apart but if they didn't leave now, then her resolve might break and they might move to Romania instead. "Tash?"

"Yep, I'm good. Nothing wrong here." As she pulled away from Sanna, she tapped her chest, exactly where her locket still rested. Sanna smiled for what must have been the first time today.

"See you soon, Tash."

"Right back atcha, sis." Everyone moved outside where Willow had marked their departure spot with a circle, large enough to fit everyone.

"Now remember, keep your limbs inside the circle and don't distract me."

Everyone from LA stood inside the circle, Tash as close to the border as possible with Sanna on the other side. As Willow said a word and gestured, a strong wind rose up out of nowhere and blew dust into everyone's eyes. Just as they were blinking them open again, the people in the circle were gone and Sanna felt the worse for it.