Title: So It Goes
Author: ZombieJazz
Fandom: Chicago PD
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Chicago PD and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. The character of Ethan has been created and developed for the sake of this AU series.
Summary: Hank Voight and his family try to cope with their struggles at home and work — and the dynamics those conflicting circumstances creat for their blended family in a time of transition. The series focuses on Voight, his sick and disabled son — and what's left of his family and their strained relationships, particularly that with Erin Lindsay and Jay Halstead as they work at establishing their own lives as a young couple.
This is a collection of one-shots/scenes using the characters as represented in the AU established in Interesting Dynamics. The chapters currently represent scenes happening in approximately S04 of the series or early 2017.
As I continue to update, they'll just provide one-shot snap shots into the characters' lives and likely some recasts of scenes from the show.
This is not a linear narrative with a beginning-middle-end. It's just scenes. It is generally set so it begins around the mid-point of Season 4 (or about January/February 2017) and may occasionally draw reference to (and have SPOILERS) from the series.
A notification is provided at the beginning of each chapter about where it happens in relation to the other chapters, if they are out of sequence. Chapters will be re-ordered semi-regularly (i.e. if you're reading this weeks or months after the chapter was originally posted, it's likely now in the right place, so just ignore the notification).
SPOILER ALERT: There are MAJOR spoilers in this collection from Interesting Dynamics, So This is Christmas, Scenes and Aftermath. This series also contains SPOILERS related to the finale of Season 3 of Chicago PD and will have occasionally spoilers from Season 4 of the show.
PLACEMENT: THE MUCH AWAITED HARRY POTTER CHAPTER! THIS CHAPTER COMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER CHAPTER 26 - Breaking Barriers.
Jay grinned at Erin. She was standing there, restlessly tugging at the edges of the bills her had gripped in her fingers while she gazed up at the drink signage – like she'd never ordered a drink before. She seemed completely stunned by it. And it was making him smile. Maybe too much. Because she must've sensed his gaze and glanced at him, her forehead crunching in a way that was also kind of cute – not that he'd tell her that – even though there was a touch of disapproval and question wrapped up in the look before.
"It looks like you're making a very serious decision," he raised his eyebrow at her.
She just made a little noise and turned her eyes back to the placard as they waited in the never-ending line that was barely inching forward.
"It is a serious decision," she said. "Look at the prices."
And he made his own sound. But stopped himself short of telling her that they were on vacation, that it was a theme park, that it was something she wanted to do, it was something she was doing for Eth. That the whole trip was a slurge, that they didn't know when – if – they'd ever get back. So make the slurge. Enjoy it. It was why they were there.
But they'd already had that conversation that day. He was surprised when it'd happened. When her and Eth had been debating between a regular old wand or an interactive wand. When they both came with obscene prices – but the interactive one was definitely more obscene. But she'd still looked at him then too. For permission. To spend the fifty bucks. When she wasn't one to ask permission. When she'd been raised by a guy who preached that sometimes it was better to give an apology (not that Jay really believed that Voight was one to give an apology, though he did occasionally admit he was wrong) than it was to ask permission. That Erin pretty much lived her life in a way that tried to project her independence. That she didn't need anyone – especially a man (even though Jay knew that that act was just one of the many walls she put up. She might not need a 'man' but she definitely needed – and wanted – people in her life. Sometimes more than she'd let herself admit.). That she didn't wait around on other people to make decisions for her – or let them make decisions that affected her.
And the bigger irony outside of all that was was that she was looking at him for permission to spend fifty bucks. Fifty bucks when he didn't want to even quite admit to himself yet how much he'd spent on their Star Wars Galactic Night. So, Erin – buy the fucking wand.
He actually didn't know how they couldn't buy the wand. Not when the wand had "chosen" them. Jay wasn't sure if it was the highlight of the trip – but it was definitely on the list of at least the highlights of the day. He knew it'd be something Erin and Eth would be talking about forever. That it'd be a memory that they'd share together – between themselves – for a long time to come. And maybe that was even more reason to buy the fucking wand.
Jay had been kind of … unenthusiastic wasn't the right word … but he just wasn't all that into the whole Harry Potter thing. He knew it was the whole reason they were making the trip. He got why Erin had hatched the plan to try to direct and distract some of the negativity and anger Eth had swirling in his life in the fall. He appreciated that the Harry Potter books was something that Voight's wife had shared with Erin. Something the two of them had had together and a way to sort of connect with her and to ease her into the family. Jay got why Erin wanted to share that with Eth too.
But Harry Potter? He was really kind of take-it or leave-it. More on the leave-it side of things. He hadn't even read any of the books or seen much beyond a few scenes of the movies. And that was fine by him. Even with the whole "book club" they'd started with Eth, he'd admit he left most of the reading part to Erin and just endured the movies as they finished each book. Though, he was sort of feeling now like maybe he ought to at least crack the cover on a few of the books. Get caught up with the two of them. It wouldn't take long. Eth wasn't exactly a speedy reader.
But now, standing in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and watching the looks on Erin and Eth's face. Just fucking wonderment. And happiness. These shared little inside jokes and Easter Eggs they were picking up as they walked through the place. It was pretty fucking awesome. Different – maybe even better – than watching Eth in Jurassic Park or getting is own geek on with the kid at Galactic Nights. Getting to observe it in her – to hear it in her voice, to see the way Eth looked at her, the way he smiled when Erin just kept on sharing these quiet little tidbits about the kid's mom when Jay hadn't heard her say much about her ever before – it was better. So fucking better. Maybe the best part of the trip yet.
He'd admit that he still wasn't feeling all that enthusiastic about it when they made their way into the park that morning. Or maybe it was more that to get to Harry Potter Land they had to walk through the entire park. And even more it was that they had to walk by all the rides and shows and exhibits that Jay's fourteen-year-old self wanted to see. Jaws. Back to the Future. All the disaster movies. King Kong. Alfred Hitchcock. Beetlejuice. Blues Brothers. Ghostbusters. Transformer. The sort of things you related to pop culture from when he was growing up. And the rides that he was pretty aware he likely wasn't going to get to see or experience. Because their vacation really was disappearing into a black hole at this point. It was going by so quickly. And there just wasn't going to be time.
The reality was too, that they were there for Ethan and they'd likely defer to him about what shows and exhibits and rides and whatnot he still wanted to see. That they'd likely have to accommodate a return trip over to Jurassic Park. And that there were still other things they wanted to do besides Universal. There were still things that Erin wanted to do. Though, she really hadn't put forward much of anything she wanted to do beyond this – taking her baby brother into the Wizarding World. And then she'd expressed some interest in getting out to the coast. Seeing the ocean. Going back with something that resembled a tan, because she'd decided she was "pasty". Her words, not his. Jay didn't think she was that bad – that pale or that white – as she thought. But she was generally her worst critic about that kind of stuff. And Jay honestly didn't think what kind of sun they got on the trip was going to make much of a difference, because he'd seen Erin with her version of a "tan" before. It wasn't exactly tan either. And he'd pretty much decided that her complexion had a whole lot more to do with growing up for years in a state of malnutrition combined with Chicago weather. Or more – Chicago winters. A day at the beach wasn't going to fix that.
But, if she wanted a day at the beach – they'd do that too. Because he'd gotten his day at the Space Center. He'd gotten his night sharing Star Wars stuff with Eth at Hollywood Studios. And Erin deserved to get what she wanted out of this trip too. And if that was a day (or two) in Harry Potter World and a day laying in the sand (something Jay had never really seen much of an appeal in since being in Afghanistan) – that that's what they'd do.
And that was fine. More than fine because that little boy in him that had longed to do some of the rides they'd walked by had shut-up by the time they got to the entrance of Diagon Alley. More specifically, they'd stood in gob smacked amazement at the entrance to Diagon Alley for a good ten minutes. If they'd been impressed with the immersive detail of the other parks they'd been in so far – and they had – this just took it to a whole different level. Diagon Alley might as well actually exist. They were standing right in it. Gazing at all the shops windows from the movies – and presumably from the books.
They'd managed to barely peel themselves away to have breakfast at Leaky Cauldron because Erin – or Eth … or maybe the two of them – had decided they were going to experience the whole Wizarding World as chronologically accurately to Harry Potter as they could. And, Jay'd been pretty fucking sure in that restaurant that once again, it was going to be fucking hard to peel themselves out of the seats to look around more. Part of that was because the place again just looked like you were transported into another world – some rural little British backwater pub. The other part of that was the food. Eth had been way too fucking impressed that he'd gotten real pancakes – that were fluffy – with real maple syrup. Jay had been pretty sure that the kid was going to be wanting a second plate. And, he'd feel about the same, if he hadn't ended up eating part of Erin's plate when she'd decided she was way too American too enjoy a traditional English breakfast. That was fine. He was happy to relieve her plate of its black pudding and beans for her. Though, it'd ended up being a kind of a heavy breakfast.
Though, they'd had some time to work it off and for it to settle before they hit any of the rides. Because when they had peeled themselves out of the Leaky Cauldron, the next stop in their Harry Potter tour had been Gringotts' Money Exchange – because apparently it was necessary for Eth to get rid of his Muggle money to fully enjoy the rest of his day.
It'd been humorous. And well done. It'd definitely looked like a bank – either out of the history books or at least the movies - and the animatronics goblins at the tills had been fully interactive. Jay suspected they must have cameras and mics in the room to pick up what guests were asking and say – and even doing – to get the things to react according to some buttons being pressed by eavesdroppers backstage somewhere.
They hadn't fully realized how interactive the things were until him and Eth were standing up near one of them and Erin had used her flash on her phone to take a picture and the thing had bellowed at them. Eth had near jumped out of his skin. Jay had told the thing to take it down a notch and had gotten told off. But it'd opened up a rapid-fire of questions at the thing about Harry Potter and complete and utter randomness that only a thirteen-year-old kid could come up with. All of which they'd gotten told was "not my area of expertise". Though, they had received a unique answer for every other one – until the thing had gotten annoyed again and told them to move along. They actually were moving along until Eth had remembered the reason they were there – to get his Wizard money.
"Hey, wait! What about our money?" he'd said.
And the goblin had still picked up they were talking to him and had spewed off something about how the exchange worked. Jay was not in the know about the Harry Potter denominations but Erin had handed Eth a ten and he'd received a bank note. More like a piece of paper with a 10 printed on it. But he seemed thrilled that he now could spend it in the rest of the park during the day. Jay knew that $10 bucks wouldn't get far in Universal.
They'd queued through the rest of the bank after that to get on the Escape from Gringott's ride after that. Even the fucking queue had been another completely immersive experience – every step of the way. Paintings on the wall – enchanted moving and talking. More animatronics goblins. Full armor – made goblin size, some of it moving too. Having to get their "security photo" taken by a camera that looked like one of those old originals before they were allowed into the vaults. And then weaving their way (supposedly) down, down, down underneath the bank. The ornate building they'd been in looking more and more like a dungeon as they progressed in the line.
They passed animated newspapers – with more moving pictures – and headlines that warned about the state of the Wizarding World. Just like every other ride they'd been on, it felt like they spent more time than most just looking at all the little displays and intricacies. That Eth was happy to take in each one. To have them help him read and see the newspapers. To watch each little animation as they inched forward. Only that day Erin seemed more patient. She was less likely to be the one to hurry him along after they barely moved for minutes at a time. She was taking her time too. Her and Eth pointing and babbling about the books and movies. Erin explaining some things that were happening because even though Harry went into the vaults in the first book – so they were doing it at the beginning of their day – the ride was set in one of the later books that Eth hadn't yet gotten to, so he was missing some of the references. He was only on book five. Order of the Phoenix. Had only seen up to the fourth movie on their movie nights – because Erin refused to let him watch the rest despite the trip because she didn't want him to ruin the books even though Eth kept telling her that he already knew what happened. But he seemed to have not snuck ahead when he was home. The ride was apparently set in the seventh book – and the eighth movie – and Eth clearly didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle together to entirely follow along.
Erin seemed happy with that, though. Happy to just be sharing with her little brother. Happier than he'd seen her in a while. Just relaxed. Just clearly valuing the time. And she just kept telling Eth these little bits about his mom. Over and over. About times Camille had taken her to the book launch. About reading them together – and their own little Harry Potter book club. About how much his mom liked the books. About how she'd read all of them out loud to Justin. How she'd been excited about hearing Universal was going to open a park. How she'd said some day they'd do a family vacation there. How Erin was just really glad to get to be sharing the books and the movies and the park and the vacation with Eth. How Camille would be really happy about it too – she thought.
Eavesdropping on that was almost better than the queue. Maybe even better than the ride. Because Jay was just … glad Erin had real people in her. Real parents. A real mother who wasn't Bunny. A good role model. Someone who'd really, clearly fucking tried and fucking cared. And just added all that example to the person Erin already was. The friend and partner and fiancée and sister and daughter. Just the full package.
There was other eavesdropping going on in the queue, though. Shadowy conversations on the opposite side of doors – with characters and voices that Erin was able to pinpoint for them all. They'd finally reached the office of the goblin that was assigned to taking them down into the vaults. Another full multimedia presentation had ensued. It'd been about the only place so far at Universal that hadn't been set up in a way that Eth had been able to see much of anything. So Jay had guided the kid over to the far wall – out of the way – and closer to the front, and then hoisted him up on his back in piggy-back. Eth's arms and crutches dangling against his chest while the kid rested his fucking pointy chin against his shoulder and just stared – without moving, entirely transfixed – for the entire little show. A move that had earned a squeeze of his hand from Erin – who then gripped it, keeping a hold of it for the rest of the display too.
When the necessary keys were finally located, they were instructed to head to the "lifts". But they lingered where they were – gazing at the goblin's office and waiting to again take up the rear of the group they'd been attached to. While waiting for the elevators a warning had come on that "Muggles" might find the journey to the vaults to be a "high speed rollercoaster ride". Eth had cringed a bit at that but they'd reminded him that he'd survived Guardians of the Galaxy in the dark – and it had been a literal rollercoaster. All their reading about Gringotts said it wasn't really a rollercoaster. And even though it hadn't been, Jay still thought they likely should've put off the ride a bit (at the risk of longer lines) to give their stomachs a bit more of a chance to settle after breakfast.
Eth's hesitance about the ride grew when a goblin listed off a shitload of medical conditions that shouldn't ride. But he'd still gotten on the elevator. It was more little theatrical effects to make it look like they were headed down to the depths of the earth when they weren't. But Eth still gazed upward in complete fascination with it. The kid just constantly wanted to know how things were done and how it worked. Jay was surprised Eth didn't have every piece of electronic everything in Voight's house constantly ripped apart to see how it was made.
Jay could tell that Eth was still second-guessing if he was going to ride, though. But when they got to the carts, he'd decided they were lying about it being a rollercoaster. That it looked just like a motion simulator and kind of like the carts made to look like terrain jeeps over on the Indominus ride. So he was in. He seemed relieved. And so did Erin.
Though, Jay thought they both looked a little green when they got off. The ride was definitely a little violent in its cranes and whips and jerks. It didn't exactly help that it was in the dark and involved 3D glasses and lots of things happening on screens as they darted by. With the way Eth's eyes worked, that just wasn't the best combination. But he still seemed to have gleefully enjoyed it.
It started your anticipation quick. Sending you just a short way down the track before it suddenly started to click, click, click and you watched it adjust for an unknown decent into darkness. And then you were plowing downward into the darkness before all the action on the screens engulfed you. The carts they were in rotated and rumbled and jerked around as they moved around the depths of the vault trying to help Harry, Ron and Hermione – and tried to escape Voldemort, Bellatrix and a bunch of other attacking trolls, spiders, and dementors. Strobes, smoke, wind and flashes – it was another bit of sensory overload. But Eth was still all smiles – even if he was a little pale - as the lap bars came up at the end.
"Again?" he put to Erin.
She'd smiled widely and looked at Jay – again that silent ask for the unnecessary permission. It was her day – her thing. The thing she wanted to do with Eth. He stopped asking while at Galactic Nights. Even though he knew they weren't hitting all the things she wanted to do – or that maybe she didn't really want to do that park at all. But she'd come. She'd been there. She'd enjoyed the time – with him and Eth. And them interacting with all the Star Wars shit. And it was the same. He was getting to experience all this through them. And that wasn't a bad thing. They were fun to watch too. It was always good to have an excuse to look at Erin without her getting all … whatever about it.
"Should do it now," he said. "Before the lines get crazy."
So they had. Slightly faster. Though, maybe a little greener after they got off. Eth had been quite pleased that he'd gotten "spoilers" for his upcoming reads. Erin had used it to try to nudge him to read a bit faster. He sort of waxed and waned with it. Especially now that he was into the thicker books. The one he was working on now was over 700 pages, and that was a little much for a kid who struggled to get through the 250 page young adult novels. But Jay knew Eth would feel a sense of accomplishment when he did manage to slog through the remaining books – all of them pretty thick on one of the shelves at the townhouse.
They'd wandered some of the shops on Diagon Alley after that. Following in Harry's footsteps to shop for school supplies. Though, it was more that Eth was on a mission to find something for Eva and her brother. And that Burgess had asked Erin to pick up a couple things for her niece. They'd spent the most time in the rode shop. Eth and Erin had both tried them on. They'd tried to get him to too but he wasn't quite into being that tacky about the whole theme park visit. It was taking it to another level. So he'd been tasked with being their fashion photographer instead. And responsible for sending some of the shots off to Voight. He wasn't sure those shots would be on the list of ones the guy wanted to see. But maybe you never know. If there had been talk years ago about a family vacation to the Wizarding World – something that Jay had trouble imagining Voight ever placing himself in – but maybe he would want to see at least two of his kids, his family, was finally getting that vacation.
There hadn't been any talk about getting the robes. Thankfully. Too fucking tacky. Erin would agree. Though, she had walked away with a bag at the Magical Menagerie store. Another one they'd spent too much time in with Erin and Eth geeking out about all the creatures in the Wizarding World – these ones stuffed versions. Their browsing wasn't sped up any because they kept getting distracted with yet another little show in there. The naming of each and every Pygmy Puff purchased. And it seemed like about every second little girl to come into the place wanted one of those ass-ugly over-sized florescent cotton balls.
Thankfully it wasn't a Pygmy Puff that Erin had bought. It might've earned similar comments as the ones she'd made about the Star Wars tshirts she'd vetoed. But she'd gotten a snowy owl for Henry. Something that she'd again said she was pretty sure Camille would've purchased for her grandson if she'd been there with them. And he wasn't going to argue with that. Eth wasn't a toddler and wasn't a big stuffed toy kid – and never had been, it seemed – but he seemed quite taken with the owl and excited to get to give it to their nephew.
Eth had been sure to point out that Harry got ice cream on his first trip to Diagon Alley when they'd walked by Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Palour. The excuse that'd been provided was that he didn't need ice cream at 10 a.m. (nor did they want to risk dairy and sugar entering his system all in one go –that might be asking too much of his weakened body when they were already testing its boundaries that week). But Jay actually thought it had more to do with Earl Grey and Lavender ice cream not sounding remotely appetizing – especially when it came with a $8 price tag for a cone.
Eth had dropped it, though. He clearly knew it wasn't a boundary worth arguing about. Or maybe he was really just more focused on hitting up his and Erin's next priority - Ollivander's was the next priority. Stepping inside that shop had been a trip. He hadn't really understood why they were waiting in line twenty minutes to look at wands but he'd shut the fuck up about it. And as soon as they got in the door, he'd understood. Because it looked like they were standing on the set of the movie. They were right there. Just like they'd been right there in the Discovery Center over in Jurassic Park this was as real – more real – than anything they'd seen on the screen. Piles and piles of wands towering on all the shelves that surrounded them. Dim lit lanterns and candles casting off the light in the cramped space that bordered on claustrophobic – something he'd had to just slightly still himself in to manage, checking for all the exits and finding a decent space so he could keep his back to the wall and not get knocked around from multiple directions. To maintain a nice little bubble of personal space as best he could.
But that'd again been something he'd been able to push back a bit – set down – when it became apparent that this wasn't just an overcrowded shopping experience for an overpriced wand. It was actually a little show.
They shop keeper – the keeper of the wands – had set up a whole little spiel about a "wand pairing", reminding them that the wand chooses a wizard. Erin had searched for him when that was happening and gestured for him to come and stand with her and Eth closer to the front. Sticking close to Eth usually allowed them a bit of an extra personal space in a crowd because most people seemed to steer clear of the cripple kid. And if they didn't – Erin was there to elbow them out of the way so Eth had room to maneuver. But Jay had only shaken his head. They were close to the front. The show had started. He was going to have wade through a swarm of people to get to them and he likely was still going to be crowded and jostled around over there even if Eth did have a bit of a bubble. Erin had raised an eyebrow at him, a silent question about if he was okay. He just nodded. He was. He was just going to stay put.
Though, he sort of wished he hadn't because the wand keeper had proceeded to pick someone out of the crowd to be paired with their wand. It'd been Eth.
Jay was pretty sure that the kid had again gotten some attention because of his visible disability – the crutches, the scars, the mangled ear, the thick goggles they had on him instead of glasses for their days in the park – and maybe because of the disability assistance band he had around his wrist and the ticket hanging in the lanyard off his neck.
Eth getting centered out so much on this trip wasn't exactly something that any of them were entirely comfortable with but it'd also reached the point that they'd accepted it was a privilege they needed to use sometimes to make the trip manageable. Something they needed to use to make sure they could see as much of the parks as possible – because Eth couldn't put in 10-, 12-, 16-hour days inside their gates. Six was pushing it. And as uncomfortable or self-conscious it maybe made any of them – they were also starting to accept that some of the little perks were nice.
And the reality was that Eth didn't get a whole lot of perks in regular, everyday life at home – so they might as well just right it off as part of the holiday. Part of the vacation experience. And for all the bullshit Eth dealt with with his health and his appointments and the tests and treatment and poking and prodding and school and shitty little kids – he'd more than earned getting some privileges and expectations once and a while.
But the kid still played shy with it a bit. The kid still didn't like people looking at him or centering him out. And that had been the route he'd gone that morning. He'd given quiet answers when the guy had asked if he was there for his wand. He'd given an even quieter answer when the man asked his name.
"Ethan," the guy said, "ah, yes, I've been expecting you."
Eth gazed at him but then looked at Erin. "Maybe you should help my sister get her wand. She knows more about magic and stuff."
But Erin just gave Eth a little nudge. "But you're the boy who lived," she told him, "and he's been expecting you."
"Erin …" Eth sighed a little.
The guy seemed to catch on to Eth's apprehension . Or maybe it was more the look Erin gave him – or the words she'd used, the stated but unstated story of why they were there, what had happened to Eth, and why she wanted to share this experience wit him, not just for her or him but for someone who wasn't there – but he'd caught on without missing a beat.
"Oh, yes," he nodded. "Ethan and Erin. I'm glad to know you've brought your sister. I have been expecting you both. For many years."
He gave Erin another little nod and gestured for them both to come forward out of the crowd. They had, going to stand in the front. An angle that wasn't great for Jay to get any pictures or video from where he was standing, but he'd almost rather be watching it anyway. Though, Erin seemed a little disappointed that more of the experience hadn't been caught on tape. He got that. But he also just wanted to see it and remember it more. Experience it with them – because they both looked so nervously excited. Awkward to participate in this little bit of make-believe but loving it at the same time.
They'd had their "wand arms" measured as the shopkeeper went over the various possibilities of what might end up at the core of their wands. Not just their arms. Their index fingers and their head and the space between their eyes.
The wand keeper had first pulled out a birch wand with unicorn hair at its core – or so he claimed – and handed it to Eth. He'd instructed him on a spell –that was supposed to open the drawers on a tall wooden filing cabinet. It'd definitely opened the drawers – VIOLENTLY. Nearly the whole cabinet started flying open and slamming shut.
"Hmm, that is not your wand," he'd directed at the kid, who finally was managing a bit of a smile, as it was pulled it out of his hand. "Don't worry. Your wand is here. We will find it."
The next one was handed to Erin. A wand of ivy with dragon heart-strings at the core. Jay wasn't too sure that wood of ivy suited either of her very well, but he thought the concept of the highly fake dragon heart-strings sounded much cooler than some fucking unicorn hair.
That time the spell was supposed to make a wand box levitate off an upper shelf down to them. Instead Erin had managed to send multiple shelves in the shop cascading – sending the audience standing under them to jump and hold their hands above their heads. Though, the theatrical trick didn't send any actually tumbling down. A simple flick of the wrist and the wand keeper had the whole toppled shelf fixed.
"Well, definitely not your wand," he told her and tugged it away from them.
He'd gone back to Eth again. This time the kid got a wand of holly with a phoenix tail feather core. The kid just glowed at that. Jay didn't get it. But had later been told that it was the wand Harry Potter had so Eth had thought it was definitely what they paired everyone with in the wand shop.
It had definitely not been his wand, though. Instructed to make a flower pot's buds bloom, Eth had instead caused them all to droop over and die – until to magically be restored to their full height and open tulips by the wand keeper as he again retrieved the wand from Eth, who seemed a little reluctant to give it up but relented.
Erin's next effort was a wand of hawthrone with a unicorn hair core. She was asked to ring the bell above the shop's door – just once. It hadn't. Well it had – but then it'd kept swinging until it sounded like Cathedral bells were ringing all around them.
The shop keeper had clapped his hands with some glee. "Not your wand, but I feel we're getting close," he said as Erin returned that one. "The best results always come when there's the strongest ability between the wizard and the wand."
Harry Potter's magically little jingle had come up at that. The music filling the space. The guy had pulled a dusty box out from under the counter – blowing it off to give the full effect. And then another.
An ivy wand with phoenix tail feathers at its core had been handed to Erin first. And then he gave careful, slow and delicate examination to the second box before pulling it out and presenting it to Eth.
"A wand of rowan. Sixteen inches, with phoenix feathers at its core," he said handing it to the kid.
Just as it had gotten handed to Eth and his fingers wrapped around it, the a spotlight and wind came up around him. Not that it was really needed – his face had lit up as soon as he had it in his grasp but this just highlighted it even more.
"Ahhh! A perfect fit! How wonderful for you both!" the guy had declared. He clearly loved his job a little too much. Or was an expert at acting like he did. But Jay didn't care. As fucking tacky as it was – seeing Eth like that, seeing Erin like that – it was worth it.
It was worth it to hear the guy tell Eth too: "A wand like that tells me that you are strong-willed and you will be successful in life. You are destined to make your mark."
Because sometimes that was a message that Eth really needed to hear from more than them. That he needed fucking reaffirmed for him from more than just family. And because – it was the truth. A kid doesn't make it through as much as Eth had been through so far in thirteen years without having a whole level of toughness, stubbornness and fortitude in them. Eth had that and it would eventually pay dividends for the kid. Jay made himself believe that.
The shop keeper had given Erin a quiet smile too. "An ivy wand is a wand of healing," he told her. "It is for the strong and resilient. Very determined you must be. And a very good friend."
"She is …" Eth told the guy quietly.
And it'd only been too appropriate too. So Jay didn't know how after all that – any of that – Erin needed to think about shelling out the fifty bucks each for the wands. Tacky as it was, he thought they were definitely mementos – fucking reminders – that both of them needed sitting out on display after they got home. Now and always.
AUTHOR NOTE:
I know … the much awaited — and out of order — Harry Potter chapter. Be thrilled if you like it … because much like any of the chapters in their vacation, this one went longer than intended, so at some point in time there will likely be a second Harry Potter Land chapter to hit on the elements and conversations that I had wanted to include but didn't reach this go.
As for people who are reading The Way From Here … since there's been some questions … right now, I'm not sure if I'm going to write anymore in it. I had originally intended to. But some of the conversations and context that I had wanted to explore ended up moving up in chapters rather organically. So even though there are other scenes I had thought (and am still thinking about) writing, I do feel that the current last chapter provided enough context and a bit of closure to leave it as an organic ending. If I were to write more, I feel like the originally intended ending (and getting to it) would be just to write out some scenes and would sort of rehash some things already covered. I may change my mind but may not. Right now, as I've mentioned in the TWFH author's notes, I do have other things going on with my writing, which means my time, interest and ability to think about or write FF is somewhat limited.
Beyond that, some of TWFH was starting to feel rather forced. Like I was trying to write out of the corner the show had created. Also, I hadn't really wanted to write more after the season started. And at this point, I'm pretty sure the season will have started before I get to writing another chapter for TWFH.
I'll still be watching CPD. I want to see where they go with it. However, I won't be watching it on a weekly or regular basis. Maybe a monthly. I'm also not looking at it as the same show. The entire context and premise at the core of the show will have to shift. And, though, I'm interested to see how they adjust and realign Voight in that, I'm not sure it can be done in a realistic or watchable manner. I'll give it a chance. But I'm not sure if it will keep my interest with the changed dynamic and the trickle down of how that has to (or should) impact reactions of characters and plotting of the show.
I can almost guarantee that as I watch the show less and less my postings of CPD will become less and less. I just simply don't both to write shows I'm not watching.
But, yes, I will miss some of the characters and interactions in the AU too. SO maybe I'll revisit it on occasion. Clearly I needed a break from the tension and convoluted maze in TWFH for a while. So you got this chapter. Yeah you! Maybe it will mean you'll get some more in the future too — before things got all screwed up on CPD.
As always, your readership, comments, feedback and reviews are appreciated. It does help in keeping me somewhat motivated and interested in coming back to this AU. Thanks for reading.