Charlie's Day Out

Summary: Charlie expresses to Cedric that he feels left out because most of his family is always on some sort of adventure or mission, so Cedric decides to spend some bonding time with his son.

Disclaimer: Charlie (in the story) and Serena (mentioned), Nina (mentioned), and a few other OCs belong to me, as well as the Conjuror's Board. Nana and Deth (both mentioned) belong to MarionetteJ2X. Craig Gerber owns everything and everyone else.

A/N: This was a cute idea suggested by Fictionary the Fairy! 😊This takes place six years after my season 5 stories, meaning that Charlie is six and Serena (mentioned only) is eight. This is meant to be a very short but hopefully sweet story. Haha.

*Story*

Charlie sat in his bedroom, playing with a few figurines his Uncle James had gotten him from some of his adventures. One of the figurines looked like him: a little boy with auburn hair, brown eyes, and a dark purple outfit. The other figurine looked like his father, minus the gray streaks of hair that he was used to. He sighed, his bottom lip poking out as he let the toys fall to the bed, a yawn ripping through his tiny body.

Sofia and the girls were away for the day, on another mission that he didn't know much about. Nana and Tanya were powerful, and Serena had a lot of powers herself, but Charlie was the youngest with the least amount of special energy. Sure, he had some as the son of two powerful magic wielders, but he was still trying to nurture that talent. Because of this, he wasn't usually able to go on those trips, especially since Sofia wanted him to be safe and protected. While he understood, he did feel left out sometimes.

He heard a soft knock on his door, and he turned around, throwing his legs over the side of his bed. "Come in," he called, his voice sounding a bit sadder than he'd meant it to. He smiled when he saw Cedric poke his head inside, a tray of fly cakes in his hands. "Papa!"

"I figured you might want a snack," the sorcerer said, slipping into the room as Wormwood flew behind him, landing on the boy's shoulder. He placed the tray on the bed, watching his little boy scoop a treat into his hands, immediately and happily consuming it. He chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his son's hair. "I suppose that's a yes."

Charlie grinned as he finished the fly cake, looking up at his father. "Thanks, Papa. I was kind of hungry…" He reached up to Wormwood, scratching his head, hearing him hum in contentment. "I was kind of…"

"Kind of what, Charlie?" Cedric wondered, folding his hands into his lap.

"Kind of lonely, I guess… Mama and the girls are gone, and I know you and Auntie Cordelia work a lot together, and I don't always see the others very much. So…"

He smiled, nodding. "I know, little one. Actually, I came not only to check on you and feed you, but to tell you that I'm about to travel to the Conjuror's Board for a showcase of some new magical items. Would you like to travel with me?"

Charlie lit up for the first time that day, nodding excitedly. "Are you kidding? I've always wanted to go to the Conjuror's Board!"

"It's not that exciting," Wormwood remarked, yawning. "Just a bunch of self-important wizard has-beens trying to show off their experiments." He grimaced as Cedric shot him a pointed look, especially after noticing the little boy's fallen expression. "I mean… For a bird, it seems that way. I'm sure for you humans, it's way more interesting. Besides, I promised Nina I'd take her and the kids for a flight around the kingdom later."

"You're such a pushover," Cedric joked, laughing as his old friend scoffed. "Charlie, go get your shoes and we'll leave in about ten minutes. Sound good?"

"Yes!" After Wormwood flew off, he jumped to the floor, twirling around excitedly. "Oh, Papa, do you mind if I wear my robe you got me for my birthday? I want to match you."

The older sorcerer had to hold a hand to his heart to steady his feeling of immense pride. His little boy wanted to look like him… He had Sofia's hair and sweet personality, but there were many of Cedric's traits within him from when he was a child. He was kind of shy, curious about magic even if he wasn't necessarily wonderful at it, and a desire to mimic his father. But unlike his own experiences, he wouldn't allow Charlie to go through the same traumatic moments he had. He would encourage him and guide him as a parent and mentor, as much as he possibly could. "Of course, son. I'd love that."

"Yay!" He hurried off to his closet, emerging not long after with his shoes on and a robe that looked nearly identical to Cedric's. "Ready!"

Cedric nodded, reaching out a hand to his son, who took it. "Wonderful. Let's go then."

The showcase at the Conjuror's Board was much bigger than the father and son duo had expected. And surprisingly, there were many other children there, all of them running around and playing with wands or other magical items.

"You didn't have any magical things to show here, Papa?" Charlie wondered as they walked together, looking at the different items.

"Well, not right now," he admitted. "I haven't actually been in the way of making much of anything recently, actually. Not since life has been so busy." He wasn't sure why that admission made him feel incompetent, but it did. Sure, he'd helped Sofia on her missions, or helped raise their children, or any other important task… But surely, many people here had responsibilities and still made time to create such incredible magical items. Charlie must have assumed he was just lazy, or incapable of such feats… "Not exactly 'magical father of the year,' eh?"

"Oh, that's okay, Papa," the little boy assured him. "You're the best dad in the world already! You don't need to make anything at all! You're awesome at magic, and you do so many neat things to help people. I was just curious, is all." He waved at a few passing children. "Hi! My Papa is magical and really fun!"

"He looks like it!" a little girl giggled, while her brother nodded enthusiastically. "I love your matching robes!" She looked up at her own father. "Daddy, can we get matching robes?"

"Sure, pumpkin. When we get back to our realm, we'll do just that."

Charlie turned toward Cedric, grinning as he folded his arms. Now that was a Sofia expression if he'd ever seen one. "Believe me yet?"

"You're so much like your mother," he laughed, patting the boy's shoulder. "And yes, I certainly do."

They continued their trek through the Conjuror's Board showcase, admiring all the items and chatting with each other. All in all, they had a great time together—just the two of them. As rare as it was, it was much needed and appreciated.

When they returned home, Cedric noted that the girls still weren't back yet, but it was getting late. He tucked Charlie into his bed, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Sleep well, Charlie."

"Papa, will I be a powerful sorcerer like you someday?" he asked innocently, his soft brown eyes wide as he looked intently at his father.

"Oh, I think you'll be even better." Cedric withdrew his family wand, passing it to the boy, smiling as he held it and stared at it in awe. "Perhaps you'll surpass me in every way. In fact, I've no doubt."

The little one giggled. "I don't know about that, Papa, but I do love magic." He set the family wand aside, and he propelled into his father's arms, hugging him. "And I love you!"

Caught a bit off guard but quickly regaining his composure, Cedric chuckled and hugged the boy back. "I love you too, Charlie." He gently rocked his son back and forth, holding him just a little longer. "More than you'll ever know."

The end