Astra didn't think she would find herself on the steps of John Constantine's manor again. Nor would she find herself in Northumberland nine years (chronologically on Earth) later. She wasn't sure if anyone has taken residence since the last time she was there. It is a possible situation unless the lingering presence of her birth mother's spirit has scared potential buyers away. Astra found the key to the front door under the mat. She unlocked it, exhaling before she enters inside. Closing the large door with its stained windows, her high-heeled boots stepped across the patterned floor. She turned on the light and looked around at the interior. Every piece of furniture in the mansion sported a dust cover. "I guess John has not altered the place," she said to herself.
The tall brown-skinned witch ventured to the study room and sensed that she isn't alone. She observed the ghost in question idly coasting. Upon recognizing the visitor, the specter swiftly floated in her direction. She tracked her to the living room, where she projected herself into the television. Astra removed the dust cover and kneeled in front of it. Natalie Logue's face appeared on the screen within seconds. "Hi, Mom," she greeted tentatively.
The older enchantress' lips curled into a motherly smile. "Hello, my darling. What can I help you with?"
"I want to know if..." She stopped herself and breathed again. What she was preparing to converse about is not a casual topic. She slowly uttered her next words. "What do you remember after I was condemned?"
Astra saw the smile on her mother's face slowly diminishing. In a calm tone, she replied, "I blamed myself and consumed some poison I found in the kitchen cupboard. Alex found me after I secluded myself in the den. He lashed out at John when he tried to console him. He eventually stormed out."
"Did he ever come back?"
Natalie crestfallenly shook her head. "Not since that night."Astra was disappointed at this reply. She inquired further, only to encounter more discouragement in her mother's straightforward answers. She ultimately dismissed herself from the manor just before sundown.
Astra returned to the rural inn she has been staying in the last couple of days. She climbed the stairway to the third floor. Piqued, she unlocked the door to her guest room. Spooner Cruz, who was waiting for her arrival, saw her making a beeline to her bed, where she tumbled face first on the pillow. The petite Latina positioned herself next to her best friend. "I take it, the visit didn't go as planned."
Astra turned her head away from the pillow, moaning, "My mom couldn't help. Apparently, he'd not come back to the manor for years." She readjusted herself, complaining, "I don't even know why I'm doing this."
"You found the mysterious note requesting that you find him." An exasperated side-glance from her friend leads her to realize the unheeded sarcasm. She defensively responded, "I'm just saying."
"What if I do run into him? What am I supposed to say, 'Hey, Dad, how have you been? Last time you saw me, I was a cursed nine-year-old girl?'"
"I mean, it's a start." Astra remained unamused. "You have the possible chance to reconnect with him. Not everyone gets that." Spooner's father, Celso, died when she was very young. She has thought about him as much as she missed him. Sometimes, she worried about her mother living at home alone because of this. "I'm going down to the dining room to grab a bite. Wanna come?"
"Maybe later." Spooner nodded and walked out of the room, giving her space. Astra didn't have to submit herself to this futile chase. Having made peace with her mother's death, she figured there was no point to find her dad. She had convinced herself that he was long gone after that hapless night. That all changed when she discovered a note addressed to her. Although she has disposed of it, she can still remember what it was inscribed:
Dear Astra, your father is alive. He still lives in England if you wish to find him.
The sender didn't enclose his or her name. The handwriting was unfamiliar to her, so she figured it was not any of the Legends. John was not the kind of man who writes letters. It could be anyone. She opened the window and took in the air, clearing her head. Not long after, an alerting sound in her comms device interrupted her train of thought. Someone began speaking in her ear. "Hello? Astra, are you there?" It's her boyfriend, Behrad Tarazi.
She replied, "Yes, I'm here." Her frown breaks into a small smile. "How are things back in the Waverider?"
"Oddly enough, not full-blown crazy. How about you? Did I get you at the wrong time?"
"No, apparently today was a blunder. I went to see my mom—er, the ghost of my mom. She told me what she knew, but it wasn't enough." She tried to shift the direction of their conversation. "How's Gideon?"
"She's all right, though she keeps wondering why you left." He paused before suggesting, "Why don't you tell her about this?"
"I still think this could be a prank. If it is, I don't want her to know."
"Astra, are you okay seriously?"
"At this point, I'm starting to think I should call this off. Obviously, he's not in Northumberland."
"This is important to you. I also know you're not a quitter." His voice sounded soothing to her. "Instead of a name search, what if I ask Zari to run a facial recognition? We just need a picture to scan into the server."
Astra has become very reluctant after the three attempted searches failed. She didn't expect a miracle, but she can use one now. She sighed, "I had something in my room that could help. It's not an official picture; it's a close resemblance. It's in a shoebox in my closet."
"Great, I'll let you know after the scan is complete. And, Astra, we will find your father."
"Yeah? You really think so?"
"I strongly believe it."