I'm telling you, I'm on a roll. It certainly helps that school keeps getting cancelled and I get to lounge about and do nothing but write. But that's not the only thing. This is just so much fun. I guess Cedric is fourteen months old here. Oh, and yeah, I could have divided this chapter in two, but they have similar themes so I kept them together. Well, enjoy!

It is a familiar sight now – Winifred sitting at the kitchen table with Cedric in his highchair. She holds a plate of all sorts of mushed vegetables as she tries to maneuver a spoonful of peas into her son's mouth. "Come on Cedric," she coaxes. "Open up for mommy."

Cedric presses his lips tight together and shakes his head fiercely. "Uh-uh. Blech."

Winifred groans. "No, not blech. It's good for you. See?" She pretends to take a bite from the mash of green. "Mmm, delicious." She rubs her stomach and licks her lips.

Cedric continues to shake his head. "Fy Cake. Fy Cake." He reaches out and opens and closes his hands as if to grasp the desired treat.

Winifred sighs. "No, no Fly Cake." She wags a finger at him. "Not until you eat your lunch."

Cedric scowls. "Humph." He jerks his head as far from her as possible.

Winifred blows out a breath. "Alright." She sets the plate and spoon down. She pushes herself away from the table and stands. "Well, when you decide you want to eat your lunch you can holler." She walks toward the sink.

Cedric's eyes bulge. He opens and closes his mouth repetitively, an occasional desperate grunt coming out. Then he finally finds a word, "Mama!" He reaches for her.

Winifred doesn't look back at him. "Mommy has other things she has to do before your father returns with Charlette. I can't sit at the table for hours." She waves her wand and the dishes bounce out of the sink.

"Mama!" Cedric's lip trembles. "MAMA." He bursts into sobs.

Winifred orders the dishes back into the sink and turns toward her son. She smiles gently. "Don't cry, Ceddy-kins." She sweeps across the room to where he sits. "Mommy isn't going anywhere." She runs her fingers across his cheek.

Cedric sniffles, but he cries die down. He coos as he leans into her touch. "Mama,"

"Yes, Cedric. Mommy's here." She sits down again and takes the spoon in hand. "So please eat a little bit? Alright, love?" She holds the spoon inches from his lips.

Cedric frowns, but he opens his mouth a second later.

Winifred slips the spoon into his mouth. "Mmmm, yummy." She grins. When he opens his mouth she draws the spoon back and picks up another scoop of food. They repeat the process until the plate is mostly empty and the sound of the door catches their attention.

"Oh gosh daddy, it's so great!" Charlette's voice washes over every inch of the house as the two step through the door. "The prettiest!" She cups the jewel in her hands as she stares intently at it.

"Only the best for my little sorceress." He tickles at her chin.

Charlette giggles as she tilts her head up to beam at him. "And it matches my wand." She draws her wand out and shoves it far in front of her. It is a soft lavender, the same shade as the jewel around her neck.

"I know how you like your things to match."

Charlette gives a single firm nod. She pivots and places herself in front of him. "Now let's practice!" She grins from ear to ear.

Goodwin hums thoughtfully to himself. "Well…" He glances at Winifred.

Winifred is busy lifting Cedric from his highchair. "Looks like daddy's home." She situates him on her hip. "Isn't that exciting?"

Cedric nods fervently. "Dada! Dada!"

"Alright," Winifred laughs. "Let's go see him." She spins on her heel and makes her way to her husband and daughter. "Goodie," She smiles. "Did it go well?"

Goodwin returns her sentiments. "But of course dear." He chuckles. "How could it not?"

Winifred rolls her eyes. "Of course."

"Dada!" Cedric opens and closes his hands in Goodwin's direction.

Goodwin chuckles. He takes Cedric from Winifred and bounces him lightly in the crook of his arm. "Hello there Cedric. I missed you too."

Cedric leans toward Goodwin and nuzzles him. He coos softly.

Goodwin returns Cedric's affections.

Charlette watches with narrowing eyes. "Daaaady," Charlette reaches up and tugs at his robe.

Goodwin glances down at her.

"I want to practice." She looks hard at him.

"Not now m'dear." Goodwin pats her head, a frown passing his lips as he is forced to decline. He would practice every moment of every day with her if he could. There's nothing he loves more than teaching the art of sorcery, especially to his children, but there are other responsibilities.

Charlette's jaw drops. "But-But…"

"Oh, Goodwin, go on."

Goodwin perks. He lowers Cedric so that their faces no longer touch. "It's alright, Winifred. I'm not really in the mood to-"

Winifred snorts. "Sure you aren't." She holds her arms out to receive Cedric. "And I'm not a woman." She gives him a pointed, but amused look.

Goodwin smiles sheepishly. "Alright, dear." He sets Cedric in her arms and quickly turns back to Charlette. "Ok, Charlette." He claps his hands together. "Let's get started."

Charlette's face lights up. "Yay!"

Winifred turns her attention to Cedric. "It's time for your nap anyway."

Cedric yawns and his eyes flutter.

Winifred smiles tenderly down at his drowsy expression as she walks off to her room to lay down with him. She is rather tired herself, more than she'd ever admit in front of Goodwin. So she takes this opportunity wholeheartedly.

Goodwin heads for the couch in the room.

Charlette scurries after him, wand in hand. "What are we gonna practice today, daddy?" She settles in front of the couch, her legs tucked beneath her and her hands resting on her knees. Her bright blue eyes fix on Goodwin.

Goodwin situates himself on the couch. "How about a floating spell?" He raises a brow.

Charlette gasps. "Yes, yes, yes!" She bounces up and down.

Goodwin grins from ear to ear. "Alright," He holds his wand out. "The most important rule is slow and steady does the trick."

Charlotte nods. "Yep, I know. You say it every time daddy." She giggles.

Goodwin smirks. "Indeed I do." He stands and glides to the bookcase in the corner. He grabs a book from the self and returns to the couch. "Now," He flips through the pages. "Ah, here we are." He turns the book so that she can see it. "Now," He looks hard at her. "Read the spell carefully."

Charlette leans forward. She scans the page. "Ok." She nods. "I got it." She grins up at him.

Goodwin nods in return. "Let me show you first. He flicks his wand in her direction. "Floaticus Haver Aboon."

Charlette stares with slowly widening eyes as she watches her body lift from the floor. She squeals and laughs as she is carefully turned about in the air. "This is the coolest!" She throws her arms out. A grin stretches over her entire face.

Goodwin chuckles. "I'm glad you think so." He gently sets her back on her knees as he says, "Floaticus Downitso."

Charlette remains where she is placed, but she wiggles around in her excitement. "You know all the spells!" She cheers. "And I want to too."

"You will. You'll just have to practice." He hands her the book so she can read over the spell once more. "Now," He reaches for her necklace and undoes the latch. He holds it out. "Use this as a target."

Charlette nods fervently. "Yes, daddy." She holds her wand out and stares intently at the necklace. "Slow and steady…" She breathes to herself. She waves her wand and says, "Floaticus Haver Aboon." The jewel shifts upward. Charlette catches her breath. In the next instant the jewel jerks sideways. It zips around the room, nearly crashing into the lamp before spiraling back toward her. She shrieks and ducks, narrowly avoiding being smacked in the head.

Goodwin snaps to attention. He utters the counter spell and the necklace freezes. It sinks to the ground, limp and lifeless as before.

Charlette tentatively lifts her head. She peeks around her and finally lays eyes on the rogue jewel. She lets out and breath and her shoulders slump forward. "I messed it up. I'm sorry daddy." She drops her gaze to the floor. "I guess I'm not a very good sorceress."

"Nonsense!" Goodwin leaps to his feet. "You a perfectly capable sorceress." He kneels at her level and cups her chin in his hand. He tilts her head up to look at him. "You just need to practice."

Charlette averts her eyes. Her spirits remain low.

Goodwin smirks. "You know, even I messed this spell up the first time I tried it."

Charlette jerks her head up and her eyes snap to him. "What? You? Really?" She gapes. "No way."

"It's true." He shrugs. "I was a perfectly terrible sorcerer." He chuckles. "But with a little help from my father and some serious practicing I became one of the most well known sorcerers in all the kingdoms."

Charlette grins. "Then I will too!" She nods once. "Let's go again." She holds up her wand.

Goodwin chuckles. "Maybe later, m'dear." He ruffles her hair. He stands to his full height. "I need to go check on your mother." It's a bit strange she hasn't returned yet. He wanders in the direction of their bedroom.

Charlette crosses her arms and sticks her lips out in a pout. She huffs. She knows he would rather teach her magic all day. She knows him. But still he insists on cutting their lessons short time and time again. It's that baby – stupid little Cedric. "Ceedric…" She glares in the direction her father disappears. Ever since he was born they've been paying less and less attention to her. "Humph!" She leaps to her feet and trudges after her father.

Goodwin stops in the doorway. He smiles as he looks over and sees Winifred fast asleep with Cedric held close. He supposes she has been rather overworked lately – taking care of two children most hours of the day. He slinks into the room and comes right to the edge of the bed.

Charlette comes up from behind and freezes.

Goodwin stares for split second, then he slides into bed. He scoots in close and wraps an arm around Winifred.

Charlette's mouth gapes and her eyes widen. Her brows knit together and her lips curl downward. She leans heavily against the frame of the door, her knees suddenly weak. That's it then. They want to push her out. Fine. Whatever. A sniffle leaps forth unbidden and she sucks in a sharp breath.

Goodwin's ears prick. He twists around and looks toward the doorway. "Charlette," he whispers. He holds out a hand. "Come on, m'dear."

Charlette glowers at the offering. After he ran off and left her. And if she hadn't made a sound he would have forgotten her completely. Still…she sighs. She can't deny she wants this – to be a part of their tiny world. So she slinks forward, up to the edge of the bed, and crawls onto the sheets.

Goodwin wriggles so more of a space is left between him and Winifred. He then twists his arm around and scoops Charlette up. He slips her into the space between him and Winifred and wraps his arm around the both of them.

Charlette tries not to, but she can't help it – she smile. She nestles into her father's chest and sighs in content. She balls two patches of his red robe in her tiny hands and almost immediately drifts off to sleep.

Goodwin strokes Charlette's head with his other hand as he lays and watches each of the people in his family. It's a good life. He couldn't wish for more.

…

A week passes and Charlette practices the spell every chance she gets. In no time at all she has the basics of the spell. She can't do anything fancy like Goodwin and she has to really focus to get it to do what she wants, but that doesn't deter her. Even now she is honing her skills. She points her wand at the lavender necklace and murmurs the floating spell. It rises and swishes back and forth gently all the way. It does, however, stay its course, unlike that first time. She stops it just in front of her line of vision but she does not break her concentration.

Winifred lifts Cedric from his highchair and sets him on the floor. "Play nice." She settles down at the table and reclaims her book. She flips to page one hundred and readies herself for a good, long read. She has surely earned it.

Cedric totters out of the kitchen. He lurches forward and grabs onto the wall, nearly smacking his head onto the corner. He pushes back and rights himself easily. He continues on his way, headed for the couch where he knows daddy is sitting. If mommy doesn't want to play then surely he will.

Goodwin lays stretched out along the couch. His breathing is soft and his eyes half shut as he drifts in and out of a nap. His hat slides down so that his eyes are covered.

Cedric comes fast around the corner. A grin stretches across his face as he spies daddy on the couch, just where he knew he'd be. He stumbles and runs hard into the arm of the couch. He blinks and for a long moment stands motionless. A frown blossoms on his lips, but he does not scream. Daddy fusses when he screams over silly things. So he simply tries again. He works his way around the couch and prepares to pull himself up on the cushions.

Then he freezes. Cedric perks and tilts his head in the opposite direction. Something shiny catches him eye. Something purple and hanging in the air as if by magic. His eyes light up and a grin stretches across his face. "Petty." He breathes. He shuffles so he is facing away from the couch and propels himself forward. He opens his hand in preparation to seize the shiny object.

Charlette gasps. She jerks her hand and the necklace goes flying.

Cedric follows the course of the necklace and does his best to back up. He only ends up falling hard on his butt. He grunts and his face creases with upset. But in the next instant the necklace plops into his lap. His delight returns full force and he scoops the jewel into his tiny hands. "Oooh…petty." He squeezes it to see if it will budge under his touch like some of the balls mommy has him play with.

Charlette's mouth gapes and her eyes widen. "No!" She scrambles across the floor. "No Ceedric! Put it down!"

Cedric glances up at her and understands, but he ignores her. He opens his mouth and tries to stick the jewel in. He nibbles at it, wondering if it isn't for squeezing it might be for chewing.

"EW." Charlotte shrieks. "That's so gross!" She snatches at the necklace. She finds a grip on the chain and pulls. "Give it back! It's mine!"

Cedric lets it leave his mouth but he quickly clamps his hands around the jewel. He pulls just as hard as her. "Mine!"

"It is not! Daddy gave it to me! Just for me!" She groans with her efforts. "Bad Ceedric! Bad!"

Cedric's lips trembles. "Nu-uh. No bad! No!"

"Yes! You bad little boy!"

Cedric gives an especially hard tug and flips backward with the force. He blinks up at the ceiling, stunned. Then the chain dangles down in his face and he realizes with a smile that he is the victor of the tug of war. He giggles.

Charlette's face burns red. She jerks her wand up and practically screams, "Floaticus Haver Aboon."

Cedric lifts off the floor in one sharp movement. He sucks in a sharp breath and his eyes grow wild with confusion mingled with fear as something he has never experienced before happens. He is so consumed with the phenomenon that his grip on the necklace loosens and it slips from his grasp.

Charlotte catches the precious gift and instantly drops it like a hot potato. "Yuck." She sticks her tongue out. "Bad Ceedric." She maneuvers him so that he is facing her. "Making it all gross with your drool." She folds the corner of the rug over and wipes both her hand and the necklace.

Cedric's panic ebbs at the sight of her. He waves his arms as if flying, laughter bubbling at his lips. "Fy! Fy!"

Charlette snorts and rolls her eyes. She picks the necklace up and clutches it at her chest. She idly flicks her wand up and down, knowing that he won't merely float gently up and down like he would if Goodwin were to do it.

Cedric spins as his body is jerked up and down like a plane headed for a crash. Still, he cackles.

"Charlette!" Winifred's voice is sharp as she suddenly appears in the living room. "What did I tell you?" She plants her hands on her hips as her narrowed eyes bore into her daughter.

Charlette meets Winifred's glare with one of equal intensity. "He took my stuff. My special necklace. So I had to get it back." She gives a sharp nod.

"I don't care what he did. You do not cast magic on your brother." She murmurs a spell of her own and nullifies Charlette's magic with the strength of her own. She floats Cedric away from Charlette and into her own arms. "Or any person for that matter."

Goodwin yawns and sits up. "Oh, come now Winifred." He waves his hand dismissively. "It was only a little floating spell. She couldn't have done any real damage."

Winifred turns hard. "And you," She points a finger at him. "What were you doing? Letting them fight like that? You're the parent – mediator – so mediate."

Cedric ducks his head and whines. "Mama," He tugs at her shirt.

Goodwin scoffs. "It was nothing, Winifred. I was watching. If I thought they were going to get hurt I would have done something. Trust me."

Winifred snorts. "Yeah, that's why our son was being tossed like a ragdoll when I walked in."

Goodwin sighs. "You worry too much Winifred." He stands. "Just look at it this way. Our daughter is becoming quite the little sorceress." He smiles at Charlette and ruffles her hair. "Only a week to get the spell down."

Charlette grins up at her father. The instant she returns her gaze to Winifred she narrows her eyes. "Yeah." She nods once. "I'm quite the sorceress mother."

"I don't care if you're the king himself." Winifred stomps toward the two. "You don't use magic on people." She knew plenty of sorcerers that turned out rotten by making the first fatal mistake of casting spells on people. It's a slippery slope after that. "Especially not little Cedric."

Cedric pops his head up toward her. "Uh-huh?"

Winifred chuckles. "Nothing Ceddy-kins." She tickles his chin.

Cedric giggles.

Goodwin shakes his head. "Ease up there Winifred the Whirlwind." He makes his way over to her.

Winifred rolls her eyes, but she can't hide the smile on her lips. "You're hilarious."

"Really though, she knows better than to run around cursing people. Come now, dear. You think she is going to be one of those nasty kids who only knows how to use magic for evil?"

Winifred sighs. "No, of course not." She shakes her head. "But I just don't like seeing her test any sort of magic on Cedric." She hugs Cedric a little closer. "She might not mean to, but she could seriously hurt him. He's only a baby."

Goodwin turns, standing side by side with his wife. "Charlette," When she looks at him he continues. "Do as your mother says, alright? Don't use magic on Cedric."

Charlette huffs. She crosses her arms. "Then tell him not to take my stuff." She clutches the necklace tighter.

Goodwin gives her a sharp look. "Charlette."

Charlette blows out a breath. "Fine." She rolls her eyes and flops her head forward dramatically. She drags herself to her feet and trudges over to where they stand. "But I can still use it on other kids right?" She flashes a grin.

Goodwin smiles despite himself. "No, m'dear. Not for a while yet."

"Ever." Winifred chimes.

"Here," Goodwin takes the necklace from Charlette. He twines the chain around her neck and snaps the lock into place. "This way he can't take it." He winks at her.

Charlette clasps her hands at her waist and smiles. "Yes, daddy."

"Now come on darlings," Winifred says to them. "Let's play a new game. Together."

Charlette nods. "Yes, mother." She holds her hand out and up toward her.

Winifred smiles and slips her hand around her daughter's. "I love you, Charlie."

Charlette smiles softly. "I love you too mom." Then they all go out to play in their small yard, a rare moment of complete and utter peace. A moment that smells of lavender.

So what did you think? Did you like it? I had fun! ^^ Hopefully you did too. Please review!