Sarah Heap rode the silver spiral stairs up the tower as fast as they would carry her, which flung several unsuspecting wizards off the stairs and several more clinging to the railing for dear life.

She had had more than enough of this ridiculous belief that Marcia Overstrand seemed to have. Septimus had not been aloud to come home for Edd and Erik's birthday, and very soon if she didn't sort out the high strung Wizard he would miss his father's as well.

She reached the top landing and walked across the landing and knocked on the door as hard as she could. She looked where he knuckles had been a moment ago and swore she saw a slight dent in the wood.

The door opened and revealed a slightly wide eyed Marcia Overstrand. Sarah took a deep breath and stared in before her nerve could fail her. "Listen here Madam Marcia, I don't know who you think your apprentice is, but he is my son, and he will be coming to the Palace this evening to spend time with his family." Sarah stressing the words 'my son'.

Sarah was unaware of the crowd of Wizards gathering behind her, but Marcia could see them clearly standing with their mouths agape. This was going down hill quickly.

"My Septimus and I were apart for the first ten years of his life," Sarah said heatedly. "And, Madam Marcia, I do not intend to spend the next ten years seeing as little of him as I did the first ten. So I will thank you to let the boy come home for his father's birthday today." Sarah Heap finished her rant and after a breath of silence there was applause.

Marcia' space was crimson from embarrassment, and she said through gritted teeth, "Septimus is doing some homework at the minute, if you could be patient enough to let him get to a stopping point." Marcia made the effort to restrain her tongue in front of half of the tower who were clearly not on her side in this.

"I think I'll come inside and wait," she said stepping past Marcia without waiting for a reply.

Sarah was going to teach this woman to keep her from her son.

The boy having heard the commotion came out from his room took one look at the scene before him and knew he had to get his mum out of there before she crossed The line.

"Just finished Marcia," Septimus said trying to be cheery for his mum but not so much that Marcia would think he was excited to leave. Having a family was exhausting.

"Then the day is yours," Marcia said tightly glaring at Sarah behind her back.

"Come along Septimus," Sarah said wrapping one arm around her son's shoulder and purposefully walking towards the door making Marcia jump out of the way so as not to be run over. Septimus was her baby who had been stolen from her so long ago, and she was going to get to know him whether the everyone in the castle liked it or not.

Marcia sat on a small chair beside Septimus' bed and put a cool damp cloth on his forehead. A fever had been going through the castle and as Marcellus had nearly begged for Septimus to help Marcia had let him. She regretted her decision immensely. He was breaking out in a cold sweat and mumbling intermittently, his eyes would mo e back and forth under their lids, and he jumped and twitched at every sound and touch. He looked so pale and thin it made Marcia hurt.

So for the last three days Marcia had sat by his side, water for him to drink and cold compresses and what little food Marcellus had said his stomach could handle. She had only taken a few naps since he had dragged himself home from the infirmary across the river.

Marcia was nodding off once more when there came a vicious knock at her door. Marcia ground her teeth in anger, only one person knocked on her door like that, and right now she could do with out her.

Marcia stood and stretched before walking towards the door and running her fingers through her hair in an effort to look slightly less bedraggled.

She yanked the door open with a particularly inhospitable "What?"

Sarah Heap took a step back. In all the years she had known Marcia this was the first time that she looked like an average person having an extremely bad day.

"Where is Septimus?" she asked sternly.

"In bed."

Even for Marcia this was blunt, "Why is he still in bed? It's nearly three in the after noon!" Sarah said amazed that Marcia let the boy sleep in past seven.

"He's sick, as you would know if you'd bothered to read the letter I sent three days ago."

"Sick how sick?" Sarah's voice was rising

"He will be fine," Marcia said harshly almost daring Sarah to say otherwise.

Marcellus chose that moment to arrive. He thought about turning around coming back in a few moments but it was a small miracle that he'd gotten the stairs to work once let alone twice more.

"Ah there you are Marcellus," Marcia said seeing a way out of the irritating conversation.

"Ah yes sorry I'm late, trouble with the stairs," he looked back at them dubiously, "but I have Septimus' medicine, if you'll excuse me Mrs. Heap I will administer this dose quickly and be out of the way."

"No you may not," Sarah said forcefully stepping in between Marcellus and the door way. It was one of her worst nightmares come true. Marcia was standing in as his mother as she had for a very long time, and Sarah was only recently able to stomach that thought, and now Marcellus, who had dark circles under his eyes and a dozen other patients he could have been devoting his attention to, was coming to her son's side and from Marcia's expectant tone had been for some time.

"I want to know what is going on here," she demanded angrily.

"Your son is ill with a fever that has been going through the castle, and I am surprised you haven't been at the infirmary seeing as you helped so much during the out break of the sickness." Marcellus was an expert at disarming angry women, but Sarah would not let the passive aggressive remark end the argument.

"He needs to come home where someone will keep an eye on him and take care of him." Sarah said accusingly. "He needs someone who can take care of him."

That was too far for Marcia to ignore, "He is with someone who can and will take care of him! He is sick and if you take him out of bed and drag him to the other end of the castle you will be making him worse! I will give you updates as things change, bit for the moment Mrs. Heap, get out of my house I need to take care of my apprentice." and with that she grabbed Marcellus by the sleeve and closed the door firmly in Sarah's face. Marcia snapped her fingers and silenced the incessant banging as Sarah tried to continue the conversation, but Marcia had more important things to attend to.

Marcellus set about mixing the medication into a small glass of water. She lifted Septimus' head so the alchemist could give it to him with out him choking. After that it was another long wait to hope he improved.

She returned to her apprentice's side and felt to cloth on his head, it was warm already. Marcia sighed and exchanged once more before taking hold of his hand, and running her thumb across his knuckles.

"Mmmuumm..." Came a weak voice and Marcia's breath caught.

"I-I can get her for you if you want," Marcia said thickly. Marcellus could see Marcia's pride crumble as her beloved apprentice said that one word.

Septimus just looked at her uncomprehendingly and smiled a bit though his lips were badly chapped and cracking from the movement. "Thank you mum, I love you." Septimus said resting his other hand on top of hers and closing his eyes again.

Marcia din't know what to do or say to that, but she didn't move. she held his hand tighter and ran her free hand across her eyes. Marcia looked at Marcellus who stood smirking at the foot of the bed. "Not one word," She said threateningly.

Marcellus raised his hands in surrender but did not stop smirking.

"I'm going to take care of you, I promise, everything will be alright." Marcia swept his sweaty bangs from his forehead and after a moments hesitation she gently kissed his temple and whispered, "I love you too Septimus."

Neither mentioned it after Septimus got better, Marcia was unsure whether or not he even remembered it, or if he'd just been talking to a fever made hallucination, and Septimus was embarrassed that he had called Marcia mum out lout to her face. He remembered what she said though and he'd even heard the confrontation just across the living room from his door. It was nice to know that while he had adopted Marcia into his family she had done the same to him. And though Marcia would have rather worn galoshes everyday for the rest of her life than admit it, after that trying episode she and Marcellus had become close enough to even be considered friends.

A/N: ok that is it for this evening, it's nearly two am and I am tired. Hope y'all enjoyed it please review and tell me what you think or do what the wonderful myaddamsfamily did and leave a prompt.

Did anyone else notice that in the begining of Flyte Sarah is pestering Marcia about why sep looked pale and is he eating right, and half way through fire or so Marcia is asking Sep this exact same questions? It made me feel so warm inside. God these two are adorable

good night guys!