"What happened?" Virginia asked as soon as Alice teleported back to her room. "Your note just said that you had had a family emergency and would be gone for the night."

Ellen, who was standing beside her, added, "We've made sure that one of us was in the room all the time, in case you came back."

"Did something happen to Clark?" Virginia asked. "He wasn't in his room when I went to check. Neither of the professors were where we could find them…even detention was delayed until tomorrow, and everyone I met at breakfast wanted to know why."

"Clark is fine," she said as soon as her roommates let her get a word in. She should have probably given more information in the note she had left. "It was my little sister Nancy…she's fine now…but something or someone opened a portal next to her bed, and she fell into Otherworld. Grandfather's manus got to her in time to protect her but wasn't able to get her out, and she was able to reach me in my dreams to show me where she was. I got Hieronymous up, and he called Potsdam who taught me how to make a Spiral Gate. They went in, fought a bunch of goblins, and got her back."

The two other girls sat back down, not even looking back to make sure their beds were behind them. "Wow," Virginia got out in a croak. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I've changed my mind. Everything does not happen to me; it happens to you."

"I can't really disagree with that," Alice noted.

"But you sister is all right?" Ellen wanted to confirm.

"Not a scratch on her," Alice said. "A little traumatized, yes, but otherwise uninjured. Hieronymous was the only one that got hurt, from what I saw he was trying to fight a small horde of goblins and their shaman at the same time, but he's all healed up now."

"I thought you said he didn't go into Otherworld," Ellen said slowly, probably thinking of their conversation about the décor she had chosen for the reception in the private room at the Glenn.

"For this, he did," Alice said. "I think there's a chance he might get over that phobia, now."

"What is going to happen to your sister, though?" Ellen asked. "They're not going to risk this happening again, and you make it sound like she was targeted."

"We think she was, but I don't know who opened the portal yet. Potsdam said that we are going to talk about what to do about arrangements for Nancy after lunch," she sadly confirmed. "She said she was going to research our options. I have the feeling that they all will involve Mom and Dad's minds being wiped of any memory of her."

Ellen gave her a hug, which was a good thing because she felt she needed one then.

"If I may ask," Virginia said, "why are you wearing a housecoat? You were in a nightgown last night."

"I got goblin blood on the nightgown, and had to find this," Alice replied.

Of course, Virginia wanted to know the entire story about the fight to save her sister, and Alice was happy to give her details as she found a uniform and dressed. Talking about it helped distract her from thoughts of her parents never seeing their youngest daughter again. She did not tell them about Violet's ghost, as she thought that she should receive permission from her husband first because it had been an experience that had been very personal for him.

...

Alice had never been in Potsdam's chambers before. The large window overlooked a garden, letting bright sunlight illuminate the room. Pictures of flora covered the walls of the sitting room, while magically preserved examples had been placed in vases or still grew in decorative pots around the room. The air smelled of life, and it was comforting it its own way.

Clark sat in one of the two armchairs, leaning on one of the arms, apparently lost in thought. Alice sat on the small couch with Hieronymous, the fingers of her right hand intertwined tightly with those of his left.

She thought that her husband would have a better idea of what might happen to Nancy than she herself did, but suspected she already knew the worst case scenario. Potsdam had asked that they meet her in her rooms at one o'clock, after she had finished talking with the authorities and had cast a sleeping spell on Nancy so she would nap during their conversation.

The cuckoo clock finally chirped 'one' and right on cue, Potsdam entered the room and took the other armchair. There were no smiles from her today. Alice squeezed her husband's hand, expecting the news to be grim.

"For your sister's safety," Potsdam begun, "she needs to begin tutoring in White magic as soon as possible. Considering her strength and the danger that dark spirit put her in, she will require a tutor's constant supervision and protection. Because your parents are not included in the Velvet Curtain, she will need to be removed from their home."

Alice felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach, unable to draw breath for a few moments. She had known, but to hear Potsdam say it made it real. "She's only five," she said when she was finally able to speak. "Mom braved cancer for her…and they are going to make her and Dad forget? Is there any other way?"

Clark's head had dropped, and his eyes were shut tight as if he was trying to will the situation away.

Potsdam grimaced. "Not with White magic, no Alice. Nancy might start unintentionally controlling the minds of any normal person that comes into contact with her, opening portals to other worlds, or there could be a repeat of last night but without her being rescued in time. It would be noticed, as well as dangerous."

Alice noted the use of her name, instead of one of the multitude of nicknames the professor normally used for her students. Perhaps it was only when the situation was dire that Potsdam dispensed with the pet names.

"Your grandfather insists that if she cannot be with her mother, at her age, she should be with you. Or at least be able to visit you frequently, since you are something of a secondary mother to her. Aside from the obvious reason for this, emotional upheaval might affect her powers, so under the circumstances Nancy needs to be near you, Alice, as much as possible," Potsdam continued. "While young children may visit relatives here, they cannot reside here during the school year unless their legal guardian is on staff. It is not a rule I can change, or we would be flooded with young children whose parents live in the Otherworld."

Alice looked hopefully at her husband, but what he said was, "I assume Lord Carleton would have to disown her to make her available for adoption and he is unwilling to do so?"

"Considering that your father would almost certainly decide to block the adoption," Potsdam said, "since any children not born into his House would have to be admitted by him, yes."

It would make a Carleton his heir apparent, as she would automatically be Hieronymous' first child…unless they conceived a child immediately, though Alice was not sure if House admittance was granted at birth or conception. Her own education aside, she did not feel that they were anywhere near ready for a baby of their own yet…there had to be a better way. Unfortunately, Alice guessed that her father-in-law would rather eat glass than allow an heir of House Grabiner without any Grabiner blood. If he had not been so set on preserving House Grabiner through natural succession, Aloysius probably would have adopted a child of his own years ago in case Hieronymous never married. Theoretically, she guessed that Nancy could be married off to the heir apparent of the head of another House as Alice had done, clearing the way for Hieronymous' biological child to inherit. However, Aloysius would want the contract guaranteeing that marriage in his hand before allowing the adoption, and Alice had no intention of arranging her sister's marriage.

"And what about during the summer, when it is not during the regular school year?" Clark asked.

"I could allow your sister and her tutor to reside here during the summer, yes," Potsdam said as she finally smiled. "One proposal is that you stay here during the summer, Alice. You could advance in your studies, as well as spend time with your sister. During school she would have to stay with your grandfather, but he could have a portal constructed in town to allow Nancy to visit you on weekends. Your grandfather is currently interviewing applicants for the tutor/nanny/bodyguard position."

"If that's the best we can do…" Alice said. "Wait, you said that that was just one of the proposals."

Potsdam nodded. "The other is that you and Hieronymous act as her foster parents, and you would need only your grandfather's ascent to do so. You would have to reside off-campus. I do allow other instructors to live away from Iris, though this is less convenient than having them live here. I do not normally allow students to live off campus, but as the wife of a teacher that would give me an excuse to make an exception for you, Alice. After all, students are allowed off campus when they are monitored by an instructor. If you live off school property with Nancy, the tutor would reside with you. Once you have chosen a house, and your dowry is more than enough to purchase or lease one, your grandfather would have it warded by a professional. Right now he seems a bit peeved at the locals."

Alice thought that might be the best option, but she would have to get Hieronymous to agree with her. After all, raising a child that was not his own was a large boon to ask and the burden would be falling on him more than if they let Grandfather raise Nancy and only kept her themselves during the summers. "If she got enough control to defend herself and not cause problems, could she come back home?"

Potsdam tilted her head. "Yes, and no. She would be allowed contact with your parents, but they would not know that she was their daughter. The standard procedure that is used when the child decides to have their parents forget about them would be used."

"But Nancy did not choose this," Clark said, sounding frustrated. "She never intended this to happen. Someone tried to assassinate her, so she has to leave the only home she's ever known."

"I'm not saying that it's fair," Potsdam sighed, "or that I do not have my own reservations about separating a child this young from her parents. I am just saying that there is no other choice within the confines of the law."

"Have Mom and Dad's memories been wiped yet? If not, Nancy should be able to say goodbye." For Nancy's own sake…she would not be able to see their parents again for years. It would be the last time Mom and Dad acknowledged Nancy as their daughter. Something in her wondered if anyone had suggested making Nancy forget about her parents to help her adjust to her new life better, but she was sure Grandfather would have stomped on that idea. Her sister needed to be able to remember that her parents had loved her, even if they had been made to forget about her.

It occurred to her to wonder if it would be better for her parents to think that Nancy had died rather than simply having their memories erased. They would remember Nancy and what a joy she had been in their lives…but the grief they would have over a lie…. At any rate, Alice was glad that that much was out of her hands. It was not a decision she felt that she was prepared for.

"Already arranged," Potsdam confirmed. "What your parents believe is that she is at a friend's house right now, and that this evening your grandmother is showing up to take Nancy to Disneyland. You will be fitted with a spell so you look and sound like your grandmother, you will help her pack a suitcase, and leave to meet your grandfather. He then will really take her to Disneyland for a few days before they return to his home. He thought it might make the transition a little easier for her."

"It might," Clark admitted. "She's been asking Mom and Dad to take her since she could talk, but they couldn't afford it."

It was left unsaid, but she knew that as soon as she and Nancy left, the authorities would modify her parents' memories, pack her sister's things, and erase her image from the family photos as if she had never been. They would do the same to the memories of their friends and family so no one remembered her sister.

At least her parents would still have the twins for company. As long as they could keep their mouths shut about Nancy and managed not to cause any catastrophes themselves, they would remain at home with their memories intact.

Alice grimaced, realizing that this was the first time she had considered the twins in all of this. At least this would impress upon them the seriousness of magic and its use. They would be less likely to try something dangerous and get themselves killed once their plugs were removed so they could do magic.

There was her silver lining.

When Clark returned for the summer, she guessed that he could drive the twins to the school or her new house so they could all spend some time together. It was not optimal, but she suspected that her grandfather had been pulling strings to even make the situation workable.

"We're the ones breaking the news to her?" Alice guessed.

Potsdam nodded. "I thought it might be best. Just let me know when you are ready, and which choice you've made, and I'll lift the sleep spell. I'll be in my office until then. Your grandfather will be arriving at three, so she can meet him before things get underway. Even if you choose to live off campus, he will still need to keep her until a house is ready."

The plump professor then got up from her chair, turned around, and left the room.

After the door closed, she noticed a sharp intake of breath from her brother. Clark had his face in his hands, his body starting to shake with sobs.

Unable to hold it in any longer herself, Alice turned and hid her face in her Hieronymous' robes and started to cry. Her husband wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair while he murmured to her. She did not register the words, but their tone and his embrace were soothing as she released her tears. Her family would never be the same again. It wasn't right. Her parents did not deserve to have their daughter taken away from them anymore than Nancy deserved to be deprived of her parents. She was not sure if the fact that they would not remember Nancy made it better or worse.

When she finally came out from hiding in her husband's robes, she noticed that Clark was gone. "I told him we needed to discuss this," Hieronymous said in answer to her unspoken question.

Alice dried her eyes, her vacation from reality over. "Yes…I…can we keep her?"

"That depends," he answered. "Are you ready to be a mother? This is essentially what will be happening. Your relationship with her will change. You will be raising your sister, even if there is a nanny to help."

Alice nodded slowly. "I think I will be able to do it. Grandfather was right. I'm something of a secondary mother to her anyway, and I think that it's what would be best for her. Since I'm sure school will only become more demanding, it's good that a nanny will be there with her when you are working and I'm in school." She bit her bottom lip. "Hieronymous…do you think that you would be able to be her foster-father? I know it's a lot to ask of you, and I know she must remind you a lot of Violet…."

There was also the fact that she knew that men and women did not attach to their own children the same way, or at the same rate. Her father had confessed to her that he did not immediately love her when she had been born, even though he had known that she was his daughter and that he and her mother had wanted a child. He had grown to love her over time, as opposed to her mother who had started forming an emotional bond to her as soon as she had become aware of Alice's presence inside of her. She assumed that this scenario would be similar. She loved her sister and was willing to take her as her own, but Hieronymous had been rather abruptly presented with this situation. Alice thought that he would do it, if only out of love for her, but it would be better for everyone concerned if he was able to love Nancy too.

Hieronymous sighed, leaning back farther in the couch to stare at the ceiling. "That's true. When I first saw her, I even called her 'Violet.' The situation brought her heavily to mind, and as much as she looked like Violet would have as a child…. For the first couple years after she died, I dreamt about what it would have been like had we never gone to Otherworld. I remember dreaming we had a child that looked just like Violet…like Nancy. Had we not gone, the child would even have been about Nancy's age right now. I tried to stop torturing myself like that, but the thoughts of what could have been still resurfaced from time to time."

Alice's brows furrowed. "You see her as a possible replacement, for the child you wanted to have with Violet." There had been a void in his heart that she had filled, and perhaps there was another that would suite her sister…a site already prepared for a graft. Unless she was mistaken, what Hieronymous was telling her was that he could love Nancy as if she were his own, and that it would not be difficult for him to do so.

"I…cannot dispute that," her husband sighed. "The similarities are too strong, not the least of which that I lost any chance of having a family with Violet and gained Nancy in a similar fashion."

Ah, he saw Nancy as an instrument of his redemption then. While Alice would have rather her sister be able to stay with their parents, at least this event had produced some good. It had been something her husband needed that she had not been able to provide herself. "How would you feel about making a home that included Nancy then?" she asked.

"I…think I owe it to her, if it is what she wants. She should be given the choice. I am a stranger to her, after all," he replied.

"That was not the question I asked, husband," Alice deadpanned. "And even if you are a stranger to her, you are the one that is married to the sister she loves, and that charged down a lot of scary monsters to save her life. And considering her skill with White, you are probably less of a stranger to her than you might think." After all, Nancy had known a significant amount about Hieronymous last summer, when she had asked when she would meet her 'new brother.' It was possible that she had increased her repertoire of knowledge about him since then. For all she knew, Violet had told Nancy things about Hieronymous that he himself had forgotten.

Hieronymous smiled. "It will be different for me to deal with a child that age, and one that is not my student nonetheless. I confess that I do not know much about being a good father, not having had one myself, but it would be my pleasure to do my best."

Alice's face lit up and she threw her arms around her husband. "Thank you, thank you!" Perhaps Nancy could not be with their parents, but she would be able to give her sister the next best thing. Though, thinking of which…Alice drew back a little. "I do have a confession…she has one teensy little fault that might cause you inconvenience."

"And what might that be?"

"She tends to crawl into my bed when the bad spirits keep her up at night," Alice admitted.

Hieronymous groaned. "In that case, I hope your grandfather has a professional warder on call. Or perhaps you can convince her to climb in with the nanny instead. Otherwise, that little habit could inconvenience us both."

Alice could not help turning red. She had also assumed that once they moved into their new home, she would be his wife in every sense of the word. Now that Nancy had managed to calm his guilt about Violet, maybe they would be ready for that soon. "Do you think we could have a honeymoon? A real one?"

Hieronymous smiled. "Of course, to wherever you want to go. You could even ask your steward if you already own something suitable. Your grandfather probably put something a bit more substantial than a remote cottage in your dowry. On the other hand, unless you want to go over spring break…and that might be cutting it close to when the potion should be wearing off… it would have to wait until after regular classes are dismissed."

"I think I want to see my parents during spring break, I haven't seen them much since last summer. I kind of want to check on the twins too, to see how they are handling this," Alice said. "And it should take us time to find a house, and get it setup and warded anyway."

Hieronymous nodded. "It's a month and a half until classes are out. That would probably be about correct for timing, especially if your grandfather insists on comprehensive ward testing before we move in."

"He should just let Nancy and her nanny sleep there for a night, and see what wards are still standing in the morning," Alice suggested. "Come to think of it, he probably should not allow her anywhere near high security areas of his bank…." The wards would surely be left in shambles.

"I do have one question, if you will allow it," Hieronymous said with a grin. "I have now 'saved' you from my manus, and your youngest sister from goblins. Will I be obligated to snatch your final sister from death at the hand of some Otherworld denizen as well? You Carleton women might just be the end of me yet."

...

Note: This situation (a very young child from a 'normal' family starting to use magic and not being able to be 'plugged'—not to mention being targeted) has not happened in recent memory, so the authorities do not have a standard procedure about how to deal with it. Like most bureaucracies, not having a procedure to deal with it puts them into a mild panic. Not having a law that applies for this particular situation meant that they used the one for a slightly different situation (the one in effect for the Wildseeds who chose to have their parents forget them), paving the way for a legal challenge everyone knows Lord Carleton would only be too happy to file since not only is Nancy too young to make the Choice, but she isn't even technically a Wildseed either. But the courts take time, as in the normal world, and something must be done with Nancy in the meantime.

So…I haven't heard anything from anyone for a few chapters, and a fair amount has been happening. Good? Bad? Indifferent? Would it work if I started holding the rest of the story hostage until someone tells me? ;)