While in the process of writing new W.I.T.C.H. stories, I got side tracked and wrote a piece that doesn't really fit with anything else I have written. Unlike my short and funny Enchanted day series, this one shot is more of a family drama set approximately 10 years into the future. It takes place in the comicverse, but can also be read by those whose only familiar with the cartoons. For those with only the TV show in mind, all you need to know and accept is that in the near future (the comic), Susan and Dean marries with Will's approval. Will grow fond of Dean and even calls him dad on a few occasions. Will also gets a baby brother, named William, whom she adores. But as I'll make a point out of in this story, it isn't only traits from his mother and father he inherits…
Please read and enjoy.
Disclaimer; I don't own W.I.T.C.H.
Will let out a deep sigh as she stepped out of the meeting room, the door clicking shut behind her. The vast open-plan office sprawled out before her, a sleek and modern maze of glass partitions, polished marble floors, and ergonomic desks. The ambient hum of keyboards and murmured conversations blended with the occasional ring of a phone, all underscored by the faint whir of the air conditioning.
Her heels clicked against the pristine floor as she made a beeline for her best friend at work: the coffee machine, Melinda. Nestled in a small alcove by the breakroom, Melinda was the latest in coffee technology, sleek, metallic, and just a little too talkative for comfort. But to Will, Melinda was more than just an overly opinionated appliance. She was a lifeline during the endless parade of meetings at Ambreco Corp., the tech firm where Will worked.
At just 26, Will was already head of the computer division, a title that made her the envy of many colleagues, not that they knew the full extent of her abilities. Stopping at the coffee machine, she glanced around to ensure no one was nearby and allowed herself a small smile.
"What do you have for me today, Melinda? Can you make me a cup of black coffee, a really strong one? I have another meeting in a few, and God knows I need my coffee."
Melinda buzzed to life, her chirpy, metallic voice filling the otherwise quiet alcove. "Sure, my dear. I can make you a coffee so strong that your hair will curl upwards! But too much caffeine isn't good for your health. Perhaps I could suggest something milder yet still refreshing and strong enough to keep you awake, maybe…"
"Just black coffee, please," Will pleaded, cutting her off before she could finish. She cast another glance over her shoulder, ensuring nobody was close enough to notice. The last time she got caught talking to Melinda, it had been mortifying. Someone had (correctly) guessed that she was speaking to the machine itself. She'd barely managed to brush it off by claiming she was joking about her love of coffee. Thankfully, Melinda had kept quiet, and the guy had shrugged it off.
With a steaming cup in hand, Will trudged through the building, passing rows of coworkers who moved like clockwork, expressionless faces glued to monitors or marching briskly to their next destination. The environment was as sleek as it was soulless, a hive of efficiency that lacked any real warmth.
She stopped by a floor-to-ceiling window and caught sight of her reflection: a grey skirt, an equally grey jacket, and a humorless expression staring back at her. The muted palette was far too fitting for her mood.
"A grey suit to match my grey mood," she muttered to herself, taking a sip of coffee. "One of these days, I'll ask the Oracle if I can be a full-time Guardian. My life is too dull between missions. Or maybe I should start my own company, Kandrakar Tech. Expand across the universe, meet fascinating clients instead of these..." She waved vaguely at the office floor, imagining endless possibilities before her daydream was abruptly interrupted.
"Will, your mother is calling you," her phone announced from her pocket.
By the time she pulled it out, it was already ringing. She pressed it to her ear, glad for the distraction. "Hi, Mom. What is it?"
"Will, something has happened, and we need you back, now!"
Will froze mid-step. Her mother's voice, thick with worry, sent a chill down her spine. The coffee cup trembled slightly in her hand.
"What happened? Is anyone hurt? Are you alright?"
Susan took a deep breath, the pause stretching into a foreboding silence. "Mom, what is it?" Will pressed, her voice rising with urgency.
"I… I'm not sure how to explain this. It doesn't make sense over the phone," Susan said hesitantly. In the background, Will caught Dean's voice, asking if it was her on the line.
The faint sound of his voice eased her nerves just a bit. "Mom, please try to explain. I have a meeting in ten minutes. I can't just skip it unless I know what's going on. Is William okay?"
"Nothing is wrong with your brother. At least, I think so."
"You think so? What is it?" Will's voice sharpened, earning her a couple of side-eyes from coworkers passing by.
Susan sighed. "We had a break-in. Dean got hurt when he tried to protect me, but he says it isn't serious."
"I'm fine! Just a punch in the stomach. I'll manage," Dean's voice interjected in the background, sounding winded but steady.
"What about William?" Will demanded.
Her mother's voice wavered. "When the thieves hit Dean, William saw it. He got angry, and… well, he told them to leave us alone. Then he did something to them. They're glued to the roof, frozen stiff. I think they're alive, but I'm not sure. Afterward, he panicked, said he failed you, and locked himself in his room. We can't get the door open, and he won't answer us."
Will's stomach dropped. "Hang on. I'll be there in a second," she said firmly. Acting on autopilot, she spun on her heel and made for the nearest broom closet.
She could hear her mother continuing to speak, but her focus had already narrowed to a single goal. When no one was looking, she opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind.
Gripping her phone tightly, she asked, "Where are you now?"
"In the living room, keeping an eye on the… guys on the roof. It's starting to look like they're vanishing into the ceiling."
That was all Will needed to hear. To hell with keeping secrets. Her family was in danger, and her little brother needed her. Closing her eyes, she centered herself, picturing the living room in her mind. With a deep breath, she brought her fingers together, summoning the energy to teleport across space.
Susan watched Dean clutch his stomach, his eyes glued to the three men who were slowly vanishing inside their ceiling. She held her phone tightly to her ear, speaking to Will, planning to go back to William's room when her daughter suddenly spoke to her from behind! Susan spun around, and so did her husband, coming face-to-face with Will in her office suit and with her phone in hand.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dean," she greeted them with an awkward smile, waving her other hand.
"Will? But how did you…?" Susan was at a loss for words, her mouth hanging agape.
"Where… did you come from?" Dean stuttered.
"The office!" Will stated, looking fascinated at the surreal sight above their heads. "And I need to be back in less than ten minutes, so I need to be quick. Is William still in his room?"
"He is," Dean said. Clad in his school clothes, Dean hadn't had time to change yet. He massaged his belly but seemed to be doing fine otherwise.
"Honey," Susan began in a softer voice, not knowing what to expect or believe. "What is this about? How did you come here so fast? Were you here the whole time?"
Her daughter shook her head and looked at them with a sad smile. "I hid in a closet and teleported. I usually don't do this unless it's an emergency." She looked up at the men again. "I guess they won't run away anytime soon. May I go and speak with William first? I'm pretty sure they'll only end up in the attic at worst," she added, nodding toward the group of thieves.
"Please do," Susan said with a thousand questions in her mind already. "Because I don't even know where to begin!"
She saw Will give the men a nasty glare as she passed under them on her way to William's room. Then she felt Dean's arms hug her, and he spoke calmly, "Why don't we follow her? Maybe we can help out if she needs us. I don't understand this any more than you do, but we'll have to trust Will. She is your daughter, after all."
Susan let her gaze linger on his arms before looking up at her husband with a tiny smile on her lips. "Our daughter," she corrected. "And we would be bad parents if we didn't trust our children. Will has obviously been hiding something big from us, but I trust she has good reasons for it. Come, let's go."
They found Will sitting on the floor by William's door, next to her old room. Will may have moved out, but she still slept in her old bedroom whenever she came to visit them. She loved seeing her little brother and spent far more time with him than she originally thought a woman at her age would do. The sixteen-year age gap between them hadn't lessened their love for each other, Will even go so far to take on the role of William's second mother at times. William also seemed to love spending time with his big sister, and often the two of them could be together for hours at a time, something Susan was happy about since that also meant she could spend more time with Dean when they weren't at work.
Funny enough, Will's friends also seemed to have taken a liking to William. If Will didn't have time for him, it wasn't unusual for one of them to appear and ask if he could spend time with them instead. Susan had snickered when William once told her that his friends at school were jealous of him being constantly accompanied by five beautiful women. He was such a happy and cheerful little boy. It felt so much more unsettling that he had suddenly clammed up and refused to speak, not to mention the other thing she had just seen…
Susan stared at Will, who sat down with her head against the door. She sat still, and despite her silence, Will seemed to be in deep focus, she didn't even pay attention to Susan or Dean before at least a couple of minutes had passed. When she finally acknowledged their presence, she said something that surprised Susan even more.
"William, can we please speak out loudly so Mom and Dean can hear? They're worried about you and not so little confused, you know. Can't you please come out so we can talk this through like a family? No one is angry with you, me least of all. I promise." Will spoke softly, her voice carrying the calm authority of someone used to managing crises, "I know you're scared. I know you're upset. But I need you to listen to me right now, okay?"
There was a muffled sob from behind the door, and then William's small voice cracked through. "I broke your rules. I… I messed everything up. You told me never to use magic like this, and now they know. You must hate me!"
Susan's heart clenched at the despair in her son's voice, but Will remained steady. "William, stop that right now. I could never hate you. Not for this, not for anything," she said firm and resolutely.
"But I ruined everything!" he cried. "I showed them magic. What if… what if they don't want us anymore?"
Susan gasped, a sound she couldn't contain, but Will didn't flinch. Instead, she leaned closer to the door. "Listen to me, little brother. You didn't ruin anything. What you did today was brave. You saw our family in danger, and you acted to protect them. That's what matters most. If I'm upset, it's not because you used your magic, it's because I know how much this is hurting you right now."
Her voice softened, and Susan saw Will rest her head against the door. "I made those rules because I wanted to protect you. I wanted you to grow up without worrying about magic making things harder for you. I never meant to make you feel like you couldn't trust me to understand when things went wrong. You're my little brother, William. I will always be on your side, no matter what."
The door didn't open, but Susan noticed a subtle shift in the air. William's crying had quieted to sniffling, and his voice came again, fragile but curious. "You… you're not mad? Even after what happened with the thieves?"
Will chuckled softly, the sound warm and reassuring. "No, I'm not mad. Honestly? I think what you did to those thieves was pretty clever. Gluing them to the ceiling? That's a move I'll be bragging about to Irma later. She will take care of them once we get them down from… I mean out of the ceiling. Although they look funny up there, I don't think they appreciate being décor. Oh wait! Maybe we could stick Christmas decorations to them and pretend they're Santa Claus with his helpers!" Will said in an upbeat tone.
"You're not funny!" William cried from behind the door. Susan could hear the desperation in his voice, but at least he seemed willing to engage with his sister.
Dean smiled, his tone light and encouraging as he joined in. "If not Christmas, then perhaps they'd make better Halloween décor. Throw some ghostly clothes on them, and I bet you'd win an award for the spookiest house. Your friends would love it, I'm sure."
The room fell silent for a moment, but when Will glanced over her shoulder at Dean, she smiled. His attempt at humor, however small, seemed to have eased the tension, if only slightly.
"William," Will began, her voice now tinged with playful mischief, "if you won't come out, I'll come in and get you out myself. You can't stay in your room forever. And especially not from me." She added a mock-serious note, glancing at her watch. "I've got five minutes before I'm due back at work, and I'd really prefer not to be late. So, are you opening the door, or not?"
No answer came.
Will sighed, her tone now mockingly exasperated. "Okay, fine. If you don't come out, I'll just rip the door off its hinges. Then you'll have no choice but to sleep in my room until Dean fixes it."
"You won't dare!" William called back, his voice carrying a trace of defiance that sounded almost like hope.
Will sighed again, this time louder and more theatrically. Susan glanced nervously at Dean, who looked equally perplexed, as Will's expression suddenly lit up with a clever smile neither of them fully understood.
"You're right," Will said with an air of exaggerated agreement. "I won't rip the door off. But I can do THIS!"
Susan let out an audible yelp and instinctively stepped back into Dean's arms as Will leaned forward and, with disconcerting ease, phased through the solid wood of the door. For a moment, her upper body simply disappeared into the room, leaving her legs still firmly in the hallway. The effect was eerie, like something out of a ghost story.
A startled cry came from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of scuffling. A moment later, Will reemerged, holding a squirming William securely in her arms as she phased back.
"Let me down!" William demanded, his tearful eyes narrowed into an angry glare. He twisted and pushed against her, but Will held him effortlessly, her grip unyielding.
"Promise you won't try to run away," she said firmly, her voice calm but carrying a maternal authority.
William stilled, his tear-filled eyes darting between Will and their parents. Susan watched as his small face shifted from indignation to fear and hurt. It was a transformation that squeezed her heart tighter than she thought possible.
Without hesitation, she knelt before him, lowering herself to his eye level. Dean followed her lead, sitting gently beside her and speaking in the same soft, steady tone.
"William," Dean said, "whatever happened, we're not angry. You were protecting us. That's what matters most." He glanced at Will, nodding slightly. "And you're not alone in this. We're all here for you."
"William, please. Whatever you did, neither of us is angry at you. I'm sure both you and Will…", he nodded up at her as if to reassure him that he wasn't alone in this, "…have a perfectly good explanation for this. And you did save us, and me, from something far worse if you hadn't defended us from those bandits."
William didn't say anything but looked between them and Will, who finally lowered him to the floor and released him. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Will said I must never show anyone magic. I'll get into trouble for it."
Susan, no sure what to believe anymore, decided to ask him. "Do you mean that what you did, and Will… is magic? How come?"
It was Will who took the word, and she used the same motherly voice Susan herself used every time she needed to calm down one of her children. It made Susan wonder even more about the relationship between the siblings.
"It's true. Showing off your magic in public can land you in pretty deep trouble, especially if the wrong people notice it. Trust me on that. But your family is never the wrong people, and you did it for the right reason. And I must confess that I'm equally happy and amused by the result. While I truthfully had hoped to keep this our little secret, I guess the cat is out of the bag now." Will looked up and gave her and Dean a remorseful look.
"William and I are magical," she simply said. "William was born with magic, but I guess you haven't noticed it, or, in a few cases, chosen not to believe what you must have seen, because I have hidden it from you."
"Why?" Susan said. "Why would you hide this from us? And how did you know about this? How are you magic? How long…?"
Will shook her head and looked at the clock on the wall, biting her lip before continuing. "I had magic before William was born, and it was my decision not to say anything. I wanted it to be my secret because I feared you wouldn't understand, Mom. My powers began to develop before we moved to Heatherfield, but it was only after moving here that I understood what they were, and I fully grew into them."
Dean, who had been quietly listening, leaned forward. "Do your friends also happen to know about this?" he asked, his tone curious but with a hint of suspicion.
Will's lips curled into a clever smile. "Oh yes, they know. In fact, we all help teach William magic. He's quite the prodigy, even if there are a few mishaps now and then." She crossed her arms playfully. "The thing is: I, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin, and Irma all have powers, different ones, and we run a school together. We teach children, and sometimes adults, with magical abilities how to use them."
"A magical school?" Susan gasped. "What is this, Hogwarts in Heatherfield?"
Will smiled and chuckled. "Nothing as grand as that. You wouldn't even recognize our school as such from the outside, at least unless you happen to look inside, which is far bigger than the exterior."
Dean blinked, his eyes wide with disbelief. His voice rose slightly. "Wait… Irma is a teacher?"
Will's grin widened. "She sure is, at least part-time. And she loves it." Standing up, she gestured toward the living room. "But I'm running late. I really need to get going."
Susan, Dean, and William followed her into the living room, where the would-be thieves were still two-thirds engulfed by the ceiling, their bodies stiff and unmoving. Susan stared, her mind struggling to reconcile the surreal sight with the ordinary home she thought she knew.
With a snap of Will's fingers, the thieves dropped to the floor in a heap, landing with a dull, painful-sounding thud. None of them stirred.
"They're still frozen," Susan murmured, her voice hushed.
Will didn't respond immediately. She stood perfectly still, her eyes suddenly glassy and unfocused, as if her mind had wandered to some far-off place. The trance lasted only a moment, but Susan added it to her ever-growing mental list of questions she would demand answers to later.
When Will spoke again, her voice was crisp and matter-of-fact. "Irma will take care of them for us. No need to worry any further; they won't remember a thing." And with a snap of her fingers, they disappeared into thin air.
Susan's jaw dropped. "Where did they…?"
Will raised her hands quickly, a look of alarm crossing her face. "I just teleported them to a safe place. They're as unharmed as you can be after falling from the ceiling."
Susan frowned, dragging out her words as she regained her composure. "Alright." She straightened her posture, her shock beginning to give way to resolve. "I understand you have to leave now, but I expect you back right after work. I want a full explanation, Wilhelmina!"
Will visibly flinched at the use of her full name, her sheepish expression a clear indication she knew she was in trouble.
"Alright, Mom."
"Ehm, just one more thing before you leave?" Dean asked. Will looked at the clock with thin lips.
"What is it?" she asked.
"What are those things on William's back?"
At this, Will threw her head back and laughed so loudly and heartfelt that all their neighbors must have heard it. Wiping a tear of laughter from her eye, Will grinned and grabbed her brother in a playful headlock, rubbing her knuckles on his head. William's protest and resistance was futile.
"William may have gotten your eyes, Mom, and Dean's hair," she teased gleefully, "but he got his wings from me!"
And before anyone could process her words, or ask the dozen questions now hanging in the air, she teleported away.
I have no serious plans to expand this story with more chapters, unless people want so. But please, leave a review and tell me what you think : )