Chapter 41 - Sometimes life needs backup.
December 30, 2005

Gemma stared at the page of the economics book she was supposed to be reading over the holidays. She'd been reading for the last twenty minutes and hadn't absorbed any of the information. There were too many other things to think about, to worry about. She tossed the book down and stood up, stretching. She wondered what was happening in Peru, if everyone was planning to come here now that they knew Valentina was in London. She wished she were included more in the discussions about security around the farm and what the plans were. As soon as they'd all returned from New York she'd been relegated back to child status.

"We can't just leave!" hissed a voice in the hallway.

"We'll be back before lunch."

"And Mum and Dad didn't say we couldn't go play in the woods."

Gemma sidled over to the door and flung it open. Cadmus was staring down Finn and Colleen, and all three jumped, looking towards her guiltily.

"What are you on about?" she asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Gemma could come with us," Colleen said, grabbing Cadmus' arm. "She's practically a grown up."

"She thinks she is," he muttered derisively, casting her a sidelong look. Gemma stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know the Frasers," Colleen asked, looking at her pleadingly. "From the next farm over."

"I know Silas Fraser is a tosser who made my one term at the village school bloody miserable when I was ten," Gemma said in a dry tone, crossing her arms.

"There's three others, younger than him," Finn said. "Jack is ten like Colleen. We played with him sometimes. They're allowed to roam the woods more, like we are."

"And you want to go out and play now, when things are all in a uproar?" Gemma scoffed. "Not likely."

"No," Colleen said urgently. "We need to tell Jack not to come. If the boundaries are all moved and reinforced…who knows what could happen?! He might get hurt trying to find us."

"He'll be all right," Gemma explained, trying to be patient. She sighed and ran a hand over Colleen's hair. "Non-magic people will just sort of wander past us or something. The spells won't hurt him."

Colleen and Finn looked at each other. "Jack's magical," Colleen said in a quiet voice. "We found out last year, before Finn went off to school. He didn't know what it was, and well, we saw him accidentally make a car go off the road. Nobody was hurt or anything," she added quickly. "The car was going to hit a dog."

"He turns eleven this year and will get his letter like Colleen, so we thought we should explain things." Finn unconsciously mimicked Kieran's cadance and stance as he made this pronouncement, straightening his shoulders and planting his feet, his voice daring someone to argue with him. "We told him that we could do those things too and that next year he'd get to go to a school to learn more."

"And that was all you told him?" she asked, skewering him with her eyes. "Nothing about being a werewolf?"

"That was all, I swear!" Finn said anxiously, Colleen nodding along.

Gemma looked at Cadmus, who rolled his eyes and shrugged, she then glanced at the clock over the mantle. They could probably make it there and back in an hour if he was home. "All right, I'll go with you," she said. "Let me get my shoes."

They bundled up in coats and hats and made their way out to the farmyard. Gemma was very skeptical that they'd even make it out of the yard without someone seeing them, but somehow all the adults seemed to be busy elsewhere, and the younger kids could be heard yelling and laughing from inside the house. So the four siblings swiftly transformed and raced away, tearing through the fields and woods.

Gemma pulled up sharp near a creek, not yet frozen over, and sniffed the air. The others turned to wait for her her and she transformed back. "We should walk the rest of the way," she said, still breathing heavily. "We're too close to people. Don't want someone getting spooked."

The others changed as well and Finn pointed along the creek. "We've played here. Their farm is further up." They began to trudge through the icy woods, following the creek. It was a cold and dreary sort of day, clouds low in the sky. They could hear voices laughing and water splashing, and soon saw four boys along the creek bank, various sizes but all with matching freckles and different colored knit caps pulled down over matching curly light brown hair.

"Jack!" Colleen yelled, waving, as they approached.

Gemma eyed them as the boys turned en masse to face the newcomers. Silas was there in a blue cap, taller and more adult-looking than she remembered, but staring at her with that smug smile she did remember. The others stair-stepped down, appearing close to Cadmus and Colleen's ages, along with a younger one that was probably five or six.

One of the middle sized ones in a red cap, who must be Jack, came over, grinning, and held up a hand for Finn to high-five. "Home for the hols? How was first term at school?" But as he got closer he lowered his voice and practically whispered, "I've told my brothers about me. Took 'em a bit to believe that, but they don't believe me about the school. I kept my promise and didn't say anything about you. But could you tell them?"

Colleen looked at Gemma pleadingly, but Gemma shook her head, hands shoved into her pockets. "We can't. You'd be in so much trouble if anyone found out you'd told him," she said, tilting her head towards Jack.

The younger girl sighed. "We just came to say that you shouldn't come 'round for a while. We might be attacked, and so there's all kinds of protective spells around the farm now. If you try to come close you might get hurt."

"Jack, you should introduce your mates," Silas called, coming over to join them. He smiled at Gemma in a way that was clearly trying to be charming.

"Uh…this is Finn and his sister Colleen," Jack said, waving a hand between them. "Their dad made that bench that mum's got in the scullery. We met at the market."

"Oh, right. He's called Keiran, isn't he? Dad's met him down at the pub. You're the ones that go off to boarding schools or something. I'm Silas," he offered, sweeping off his cap and holding out his hand for her to shake.

Jack leaned in close to Finn. "What did you mean you might get attacked?" Unfortunately he was not as good at whispering as he apparently thought he was, and Gemma watched Silas' face frown in confusion and then concern. And then both Finn and Colleen attempted to explain in competing whispers.

Gemma ignored the hand and sighed. "Yeah, I know who you are." She turned to Finn. "Listen, we said what we came to say, let's go home."

"Bit stuck up, aren't you," Silas said, touching her arm as if he meant to stop her leaving. "What did I ever do to you?"

Ugh, of all the nerve! "Besides putting a dead mouse in my pocket?" she hissed, jerking her arm away.

The boy was dumbstruck for several seconds, eyes wide and mouth gaping at her. "That…that was…you?" he finally stammered, taking a step back.

"Tripping me as I came in the classroom, throwing paper at my head," Gemma went on, ticking the items off on her fingers.

"It's a good thing she doesn't have magic if he did all that," she heard Finn whisper behind her.

Silas was shaking his head, his cap twisted in his hands. The other kids were all gathered around, drawn by the prospect of an argument. "Look, I'm sorry," he said, his face now trying to look apologetic. "I don't remember tripping you, so I think that was an accident. John Whitlock dared me to put the mouse in your pocket. He'd been taking the piss …well, because of the paper. They were notes, most of 'em. I was trying to get your attention. And then…you never came back to school. I'm really sorry."

"Forget it," Gemma sighed, feeling suddenly very weary. "Let's go home," she said to the others, turning away.

"Wait, what did he mean about you being attacked?" he asked, reaching out to touch her again, and then immediately pulling back his hand.

"I could use a memory spell on them," Cadmus offered under his breath.

Gemma gave him a withering look. "It's nothing," she said sharply. "Just something to do with Jack."

That apparently was the wrong way to phrase it. Silas immediately bristled, squared his shoulders, and moved as though to place himself between Jack and then rest of the them. "Look, if you think Jack attacked anybody—"

"I did it!" They both spun towards shout of triumph. Jack was holding Finn's wand and levitating his cap into the air.

"You daft pillock, what'd you give him your wand for?" Cadmus shouted at his brother, heading to intercept Jack.

Gemma opened her mouth to add in her own admonishment, but before she could say a word, Silas, who couldn't possibly have any idea what was really happening and was probably only trying to protect his brother, grabbed Cadmus by the shirt front. "You leave him alone!" he growled.

But his voice was drowned out by another growl, as a small dark wolf barrelled into him, knocking him to the ground and tumbling over itself. Cadmus, being released from his grip, fell backwards as Silas hit the ground hard.

"Colleen!" Gemma screamed as the wolf regained its footing, shook itself, and changed back into the ten year old.

"Cadmus wasn't doing anything!" Colleen shouted at Silas, who was scrambling backwards away from her her with wide eyes. Suddenly she grew very still and turned to look at Gemma, tears welling her eyes. "I…I didn't mean to!" she wailed, throwing herself in her sister's arms.

"I don't…I don't think she bit him," Finn said in a shaky voice as he helped Cadmus to his feet.

The younger boys were frozen in shock, but Silas, in a fight or flight scenario, apparently tended more towards the fight. He immediately scrambled to his feet and drew a hunting knife from his pocket, brandishing it towards the rest of them as he herded his brothers behind him.

"Want me to try that memory charm now?" Cadmus muttered to Gemma.

The kitchen should have felt warm and safe and cozy as Daisy finished putting lunch together. But she was a bundle of nerves, finding herself continually running a hand over her belly, pausing to make sure the baby was still moving and kicking regularly.

"I don't want to be afraid all the time," she muttered, half to herself and half to the silvery shadow of a wolf in the corner, as she tossed the salad in a large wooden bowl. A bright golden light shimmered near the table, and Daisy turned to watch it coalesce into the figure of a man, sitting casually in one of the old kitchen chairs. "What is it you're afraid of?" he asked, smiling at her gently.

Daisy wiped her hands on her apron and joined him at the table, letting out a bone weary sigh as she sank into the chair next to him. "I'm sorry," she said, and then felt her face crumple and buried her head in her arms on the table. For several moments she couldn't speak as the sobs wracked her body. The man sat there quietly. When the tears began to subside and she could breathe again, he placed his hand gently on her head, smoothing back her hair. "It…it took us so long to get pregnant," she whispered, her throat raw. "And even though I was happy for them, it was hard to watch Artemis and Catherine keep having children. So when we finally were…" She had to stop for a moment as the tears gathered again, burning her eyes. "I couldn't ever…see him," she said, looking at the man earnestly, trying to find the words to explain. "I never had any glimpses of his future, of us together as a family, the way I sometimes do with everyone else. And then when I lost him, I realized that was probably why. I couldn't see him because I don't get a future with him. But…lately…I haven't seen this one either. And ever since we discovered Valentina was alive…I'm so afraid it will happen all over again, that…" She couldn't finish the thought. Hot tears were rolling down her face, and she swiped at them with the edge of her apron.

The man let out a deep sigh and took her hand. "To bear children is to bear a burden unlike any other. You are participating in creation in a world that is no longer perfect, but has been ravaged by sickness and pain and death. And for so many months there is nothing to be done but wait and hope without any assurances that everything is proceeding as it should. And that is only the beginning of the journey. For the rest of your life you will feel the weight and struggle of the temporal wrestling with the eternal. It is a tremendous exercise in faith."

She stared at the tabletop. Faith. She'd always thought that was kind of her superpower, having faith even when others didn't, pushing all the doubts and questions aside and just living like she believed. But she couldn't summon it up out of nowhere this time. Wisps of dark curls hung down in her face. She wanted to hide her face, wanted to hide all of her. He was probably so disappointed. When push came to shove, she didn't have it, she lacked the faith that usually came easily to her. "I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely.

"You're sorry for feeling fear?" he asked.

"Well, shouldn't I know better?" she said, brokenly, shaking her head. "I've seen what you can do. I shouldn't let it get to me. I should fight against it."

The man hummed slightly in a way that clearly indicated he was not convinced. "Fear is a tool that helps keep you safe. If people didn't ever feel fear they would do all kinds of ridiculous things." He paused and then offered her a wry smile. "Well, more than they already do."

"I get that, but, I don't want to feel this way all the time," she said in desperation. "Can't you take it away?"

"I could," he acknowledged with a nod, "but if I said it would be for the best if I didn't take it away, would you believe me?"

Daisy looked at him. Physically, he reminded her a bit of Gareth, strong and golden and self-assured. Though she expected he could look however he wanted. But he was so calm and compassionate, like Papá. She remembered the first time she'd was given her own bed to sleep in. That process had taken a couple years, getting the five of them to feel safe enough to even try. And when the first night came, it had felt so big and scary. The boys in one room and the girls in another, and each of them in their own bed. Even though Cat and Izzy were still in the same room, Josh and Gareth weren't there, and she wouldn't be able to immediately find any of them, touch them if she woke and the night was completely dark and frightening. But Oscar had left a small lamp lit and asked her to try, to lay there and let her body relax and sleep. "I am just on the other side of the door, Querida," he said sofly. "Even if you can't see me, you can know I am there and you are not alone. And I promise nothing will harm you."

The man smiled. He knew what she was thinking, of course he did. "Even if you can't see me, you can know I'm there and you are not alone," he echoed softly. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense. "Your child will live. But as the years go by, can you try to turn towards me when you feel afraid, instead of worrying about forcing the fear away?"

His smile became warm and reassuring, and Daisy couldn't help but smile back. "I'll try," she nodded, feeling more hopeful and lighter than she'd felt since they discovered Valentina was alive. "Do you ever get tired of me coming to you with so many things?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.

He laughed, "Heaven forbid! It is quite literally my job to help you. I'm happy to talk with you about anything and everything at any time."

Daisy bit her lip. "About Valentina…will she try to attack us again?" she asked in a whisper, feeling her face scrunch up. She'd probably wind up with wrinkles on her forehead before she turned thirty. "Even though you said her days were numbered and the kingdom would be given to another?"

He nodded, his eyes serious and sad. "Enemies are full of wrath when they know their time is short. But you must be strong and courageous. I will not fail you or forsake you." He slid the chair back and stood up. "Now, I will let you get on with your lunch. Everyone will be back shortly." His face grew thoughtful, and he added, "Later…you'll know when…tell Joshua I understand how he feels. I too am a shepherd."

He vanished before she could even blink, and she rose slowly and awkwardly from the table to finish up the lunch preparations. A soft shuffle of feet caught her attention and she turned toward the door. Ana was coming in to the kitchen, Leo, Nathaniel, Conor, and Caleb trailing behind her. "Oh, I was just going to call you to come and wash your hands. Lunch is ready."

Leo and Nathaniel headed for the sink, grabbing a small step stool for the younger boys to use. Daisy helped Conor first, his chubby fists spraying soap suds as he clenched them together.

"Ummm, Daisy?" Ana asked.

"Yes, sweetie?" she said, turning to see the dark-haired girl frowning as she looked out the window.

"Where is everyone? Mum said we should play with Colleen and to ask Gemma if we needed something, but we can't find them."

Daisy stared at her, trying to quickly asses where everyone was. Hawthorne, Jane, and Joel were out shopping to make sure the farm was well-stocked in case they had to be sequestered on site for a while. Ellie, likewise, was stocking up on potions from the nearest apothocary. Catherine was working her last shift at the clinic in the village before they closed over the New Year holiday. Kieran, Xavier, and Joshua were seeing to their regular farm chores and working to move the sheep to a closer field. Artemis and Remus had gone back to Hogsmeade for the morning to drop off their beach things and gather up more winter clothes and check in with Kreacher. The children…the children had been overlooked. Things were in such a tizzy it was likely just assumed they were being seen to. There were so many adults around all the time it was almost impossible for any of them to wander off or get into mischief without someone noticing. And yet, Kieran and Ellie's four were missing.

She glanced over at her wolf. They are returning. Daisy breathed a sigh of relief. "The others will be here soon," she reassured the girl. "And then we'll find out what they were up to."

Remus heaved a sigh as he finished repairing the last piece of furniture. He could hear his wife muttering angrily to Kreacher as she cleaned the kitchen. They had arrived at their cottage in Hogsmeade to witness a scene of utter destruction. Every room had been ransacked, furniture broken and overturned, papers and books scattered up and down the stairs, knicknacks smashed and stuffed animals disemboweled.

They had stared at it all in shock. Then their training had kicked in and they swept the whole house for any residual magic, curses that had been left behind. It all appeared clear, but they went over it twice just to be sure. Poor Kreacher had been found unconscious just inside the front door. That had sent Artemis into a hissing, spitting tirade as she quickly called Ellie to verify which spell to use to help him and then bundled him off to the little bed in his cupboard. He didn't know what had happened and the whole situation had to be explained to him twice before he consented to stay still and be given a cup of tea.

It had to be Valentina. She may have seen them at hanging about her flat and decided to strike first. Or she may have simply tracked him down. As Ramón she knew Remus' name and could easily have found out where he worked and lived. And living in Hogsmeade, an all wizarding village with Hogwarts students coming and going, they didn't have tight security measure in place like they did at the farm.

Remus moved on to his study, trying not to wince at the battered books, some spell books limping around sadly, others making soft moaning noises as missing pages fluttered about trying to find their homes. It wasn't until he set to work at the items that normally topped his desk that he realized the small address book that sat with his weekly lesson planner was missing. He combed through all the debris and dug through every drawer, but it was nowhere to be found. He ran a hand over his mustache and reluctantly pulled out his mobile. The tone sounded several times before Lina's voice said impatiently, "Make it quick. We're setting up for the press conference."

"Our house was burgled," he said morosely. "And my address book is missing. Send whatever extra security people you have to the farm. She's not going to waste any time, especially once the news hits about Gareth's press conference."

There was silence on the other end for a long moment. "Understood," Lina's voice came stonily back. Then she hung up.

He cast a quick eye over the room to make sure nothing was secretly smoldering or oozing or otherwise needing immediate attention, then left the chaos and headed to the kitchen. Artemis was finishing up welding the oven back together, smashed crockery littering the floor. "Leave the rest," he said sharply. "We need to get back." He poked his head into the little cupboard to see Kreacher sitting up in his bed glaring at nothing, his long green fingers wrapped around a mug of tea. "Kreacher, we need to go back to the farm to check on the children. We won't be back for a few days at least. Do you want to stay here, or do you want to come with us?"

Kreacher slowly turned to look at him, the movement clearly painful. "Kreacher will come," he croaked in his deep frog-like voice. "Nastly witch thinks she can attack Kreacher's wee beasties." He continued muttering half threats until he swayed in the bed and placed a hand against his head. Then with a loud crack he was gone.

Remus pulled back from the cupboard and looked at his wife. Her vivid aqua colored eyes were tear-filled and furious. "I swear, if that woman lays a single spell on my children I will rip her throat out," she growled. And without a backwards glance she marched out of the door and disapparated.

"You'll have to get in line," he said softly to the now empty house.