50-A Minotaur Lane, Friday Evening
As Friday drew to a close, Aziraphale and Wilson found themselves sitting quietly in the living room, not really talking so much as taking comfort in one another's presence. There would be new students along, of course, as the young doctor had pointed out. And they would keep in touch with the ones who had become like family -- or in Marie's case, had even become family officially.
But it was still a little sad, as all endings were. And so they sat silently together, lost in thought as both mortal and angel mused on the events of their time in Fandom.
Phoebe... was not looking forward to saying even a temporary goodbye to her sibs. Not at all. She was having a hard time with this whole leaving thing, and this would be why the most important people to her in Fandom -- besides Anders, of course -- were the last ones she was going to be spending some time with. She had wanted more than a quick goodbye with her sibs, and so here she was, arriving on their doorstep. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock.
Phoebe really didn't even need to knock, because the moment her foot touched the step, Aziraphale looked up.
"I believe our little sister is here to pay us a visit," he said softly.
Which meant that it was time. Sighing softly, Wilson sat up and went to get the door.
"Evening, Phoebe." He greeted her with a quiet smile and open arms. Because the hugging couldn't start soon enough.
Phoebe apparently agreed with this as she held onto James for a little bit longer than usual. "Hello, James."
And there was Aziraphale, just beyond Wilson's shoulder, ready for his hug. A cup of tea had already manifested itself on the table for when Phoebe came in to sit down, but it would stay hot for as long as it needed.
"Come in, my dear," he murmured softly.
Eventually, he let go so that Phale could get his hug in, walking back towards the livining room where the tea waited for the three of them.
"Okay, so I need numbers, e-mail addresses, snail mail addresses ... long distance arms," Wilson suggested with a warm smile.
Phoebe managed a smile. "You guys have my cell number, that won't change. I'll get my stuff set up as soon as possible, and I've written down the address of Piper and Veronica's apartment. Cole and I will be staying with them until we find our own place. I got accepted into Hearst, so that's the school I'll be attending as it supposedly has a great Psychology department as well as religious studies. It works out for what I want to major in."
She was babbling as she turned and hugged Phale just as tightly as she had hugged James. "You may get calls for help on some of my classes, too."
Aziraphale wasn't familiar with Hearst. That would change, just the minute Phoebe left Fandom. One had to check up on these sorts of things, after all.
Hugging Phoebe closely, he nodded. "Of course you know we'll be glad to help, although I expect you won't need very much of it. We're ready to help with anything you need, school-related or otherwise."
"I expect calls, lots of calls." Wilson agreed. "So ... " he began, leaning over to pick something up from the side table. "This should cover tuition and I put on extra for books and supplies. You let me know if you need more, all right?"
"Considering that I've decided to major in Psychology, with a specialty in Paranormal Psychology, and minor in Demonology, you'll get more calls and e-mails that you guys may want."
Surprised, Phoebe stared at the check James had handed her in silence for a long moment. Tears filled her eyes, but she was smiling. "James... this is... thank you... I don't know what to say--"
Words failed her and she launched herself at Wilson for another hug.
Hugs were definitely all that were needed and Wilson warmly returned the embrace.
"Just focus on your school work and on making a life for you and Bel, okay?"
Phoebe nodded, her eyes still shining. "I won't let you down, James."
Aziraphale had promised himself that, however difficult things became this week, he wasn't going to cry. He very rarely did, in fact -- more usually when he was deeply happy than when something pained him. But he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, and he turned away toward the kitchen. "I have some gingersnaps in the oven."
He didn't. Or rather, he hadn't. Up until that very moment, anyway.
Leaning back, Wilson took Phoebe's face gently in his hands and smiled at her.
"Of course you won't. It's going to be wonderful and you'll see Piper and Veronica and when we next get together you'll have all sorts of wonderful things to tell us about college and how you and Bel are getting along."
The doctor's voice was soft but definitely supportive and upbeat. Of course he was going to miss his siblet, that went without saying but he wanted Phoebe and Bel heading off with their heads high and a spring in their step, not weighed down by his sorrow at their departure.
"Cole's worried," Phoebe said softly. "He doesn't think he belongs anywhere. I keep telling him that he belongs anywhere he wants to be."
Of course, when your Siblet is an empath, she's going to know, anyway.
The aroma of fresh-baked cookies wafted through the air, as Aziraphale returned to the room with a heaping plate of them. He'd got control of himself in the brief moment away, and hearing Wilson and Phoebe's words had reminded him that they'd all be better for having a happy memory for their parting than a sad one.
"I expect a lot of it is just anxiety at something new," he said, in response to Phoebe's worries about Bel. "Ask James, he'll tell you I do the same sort of thing. Change is a little scary, but I would bet that once the two of you are settled in, he'll be all right."
Nodding in agreement with Aziraphale, Wilson reached for one of the fresh cookies.
"I spoke with Bel yesterday. There's no magic fix for it unfortunately, Phoebe. I know from experience. It all comes down to how badly do you want what's in your life, is it enough to get past the fear."
"I wish he could have the faith himself that I do... that Anders does."
"Your faith will help him," Aziraphale said. "I promise you, it will go a long way for him, knowing that you and Mr Anders care about him, and believe in him.
"Faith is a tricky thing to learn to have in one's self, Phoebe and sometimes you never stop questioning yourself. You and Anders can and will love him and that will go a long way to reminding him, what he cares about more than the fear." Wilson said, conviction in his tone and his eyes.
Phoebe was silent for a long moment. "Niether one of us are really wanting to leave this place, sibs. And then there is also Anders..." She was holding the tea that had been made for her, but she was mostly swirling it in the cup. "He's not taking this very well..."
Not that she was, but still.
"We'll look after Mr Anders, don't you fret over that," Aziraphale spoke up quickly. He knew how badly he tended to deal with Wilson and Lucifer going off even for a few days, so he could well imagine how Anders was probably feeling. "And you know, this isn't the kind of place a person can stay at forever. It's done what it can for you, and now it's time for you to move on to new experiences. James and I will always be there for you, whether we're here in Fandom or someplace else."
Smiling softly, Wilson reached out and very carefully removed the tea cup from Phoebe's hand. Then, he reached down ... and began to tickle her.
"No.Staying.In.The.Nest," he teased as he tickled. "Besides, Piper would have Aziraphale's and my heads if we kept you any longer ... and I fear Piper!"
Tickle tickle tickle ... after all, what else was a sibling to do?
Phoebe squealed and laughed. "No fair no fair no fair." She was laughing and trying to squirm away. "Tickling your sweet and oh so innocent Siblet is way unfair!"
Aziraphale was laughing at the pair of them, and making absolutely no move to assist Phoebe. "No reason you can't get him back, you know. James is very ticklish on the backs of his knees."
Hey, just because he wasn't helping physically didn't mean he couldn't give advice!
"Quiet you!" Wilson called over his shoulder, playfully at the angel as he concentrated on delivering a thorough tickle! Backing off after a few more seconds, he sat back on his heels and simply smiled at Phoebe.
"I'm going to miss you, Siblet ... but more than that, I'm looking forward to hearing all about how you're doing in college and in seeing you and Bel making a life for yourselves, so ... no more tears, no more fear. You're going to fly and we'll always be within reach."
"I just... I don't want to lose people when I go. It's happened before." She shook her head. "People leave or I leave and *poof* they're gone.
"Not us," Aziraphale said, serious for a moment. "You're going to have a devil of a time -- if you'll excuse the expression -- getting rid of the two of us. So don't worry a moment over that one, Phoebe. We'll be looking forward to seeing our little nieces and nephews every Christmas."
[ooc: Preplayed with dr-jwilsonmd and future_visions and to be continued in comments.]
But it was still a little sad, as all endings were. And so they sat silently together, lost in thought as both mortal and angel mused on the events of their time in Fandom.
Phoebe... was not looking forward to saying even a temporary goodbye to her sibs. Not at all. She was having a hard time with this whole leaving thing, and this would be why the most important people to her in Fandom -- besides Anders, of course -- were the last ones she was going to be spending some time with. She had wanted more than a quick goodbye with her sibs, and so here she was, arriving on their doorstep. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock.
Phoebe really didn't even need to knock, because the moment her foot touched the step, Aziraphale looked up.
"I believe our little sister is here to pay us a visit," he said softly.
Which meant that it was time. Sighing softly, Wilson sat up and went to get the door.
"Evening, Phoebe." He greeted her with a quiet smile and open arms. Because the hugging couldn't start soon enough.
Phoebe apparently agreed with this as she held onto James for a little bit longer than usual. "Hello, James."
And there was Aziraphale, just beyond Wilson's shoulder, ready for his hug. A cup of tea had already manifested itself on the table for when Phoebe came in to sit down, but it would stay hot for as long as it needed.
"Come in, my dear," he murmured softly.
Eventually, he let go so that Phale could get his hug in, walking back towards the livining room where the tea waited for the three of them.
"Okay, so I need numbers, e-mail addresses, snail mail addresses ... long distance arms," Wilson suggested with a warm smile.
Phoebe managed a smile. "You guys have my cell number, that won't change. I'll get my stuff set up as soon as possible, and I've written down the address of Piper and Veronica's apartment. Cole and I will be staying with them until we find our own place. I got accepted into Hearst, so that's the school I'll be attending as it supposedly has a great Psychology department as well as religious studies. It works out for what I want to major in."
She was babbling as she turned and hugged Phale just as tightly as she had hugged James. "You may get calls for help on some of my classes, too."
Aziraphale wasn't familiar with Hearst. That would change, just the minute Phoebe left Fandom. One had to check up on these sorts of things, after all.
Hugging Phoebe closely, he nodded. "Of course you know we'll be glad to help, although I expect you won't need very much of it. We're ready to help with anything you need, school-related or otherwise."
"I expect calls, lots of calls." Wilson agreed. "So ... " he began, leaning over to pick something up from the side table. "This should cover tuition and I put on extra for books and supplies. You let me know if you need more, all right?"
"Considering that I've decided to major in Psychology, with a specialty in Paranormal Psychology, and minor in Demonology, you'll get more calls and e-mails that you guys may want."
Surprised, Phoebe stared at the check James had handed her in silence for a long moment. Tears filled her eyes, but she was smiling. "James... this is... thank you... I don't know what to say--"
Words failed her and she launched herself at Wilson for another hug.
Hugs were definitely all that were needed and Wilson warmly returned the embrace.
"Just focus on your school work and on making a life for you and Bel, okay?"
Phoebe nodded, her eyes still shining. "I won't let you down, James."
Aziraphale had promised himself that, however difficult things became this week, he wasn't going to cry. He very rarely did, in fact -- more usually when he was deeply happy than when something pained him. But he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, and he turned away toward the kitchen. "I have some gingersnaps in the oven."
He didn't. Or rather, he hadn't. Up until that very moment, anyway.
Leaning back, Wilson took Phoebe's face gently in his hands and smiled at her.
"Of course you won't. It's going to be wonderful and you'll see Piper and Veronica and when we next get together you'll have all sorts of wonderful things to tell us about college and how you and Bel are getting along."
The doctor's voice was soft but definitely supportive and upbeat. Of course he was going to miss his siblet, that went without saying but he wanted Phoebe and Bel heading off with their heads high and a spring in their step, not weighed down by his sorrow at their departure.
"Cole's worried," Phoebe said softly. "He doesn't think he belongs anywhere. I keep telling him that he belongs anywhere he wants to be."
Of course, when your Siblet is an empath, she's going to know, anyway.
The aroma of fresh-baked cookies wafted through the air, as Aziraphale returned to the room with a heaping plate of them. He'd got control of himself in the brief moment away, and hearing Wilson and Phoebe's words had reminded him that they'd all be better for having a happy memory for their parting than a sad one.
"I expect a lot of it is just anxiety at something new," he said, in response to Phoebe's worries about Bel. "Ask James, he'll tell you I do the same sort of thing. Change is a little scary, but I would bet that once the two of you are settled in, he'll be all right."
Nodding in agreement with Aziraphale, Wilson reached for one of the fresh cookies.
"I spoke with Bel yesterday. There's no magic fix for it unfortunately, Phoebe. I know from experience. It all comes down to how badly do you want what's in your life, is it enough to get past the fear."
"I wish he could have the faith himself that I do... that Anders does."
"Your faith will help him," Aziraphale said. "I promise you, it will go a long way for him, knowing that you and Mr Anders care about him, and believe in him.
"Faith is a tricky thing to learn to have in one's self, Phoebe and sometimes you never stop questioning yourself. You and Anders can and will love him and that will go a long way to reminding him, what he cares about more than the fear." Wilson said, conviction in his tone and his eyes.
Phoebe was silent for a long moment. "Niether one of us are really wanting to leave this place, sibs. And then there is also Anders..." She was holding the tea that had been made for her, but she was mostly swirling it in the cup. "He's not taking this very well..."
Not that she was, but still.
"We'll look after Mr Anders, don't you fret over that," Aziraphale spoke up quickly. He knew how badly he tended to deal with Wilson and Lucifer going off even for a few days, so he could well imagine how Anders was probably feeling. "And you know, this isn't the kind of place a person can stay at forever. It's done what it can for you, and now it's time for you to move on to new experiences. James and I will always be there for you, whether we're here in Fandom or someplace else."
Smiling softly, Wilson reached out and very carefully removed the tea cup from Phoebe's hand. Then, he reached down ... and began to tickle her.
"No.Staying.In.The.Nest," he teased as he tickled. "Besides, Piper would have Aziraphale's and my heads if we kept you any longer ... and I fear Piper!"
Tickle tickle tickle ... after all, what else was a sibling to do?
Phoebe squealed and laughed. "No fair no fair no fair." She was laughing and trying to squirm away. "Tickling your sweet and oh so innocent Siblet is way unfair!"
Aziraphale was laughing at the pair of them, and making absolutely no move to assist Phoebe. "No reason you can't get him back, you know. James is very ticklish on the backs of his knees."
Hey, just because he wasn't helping physically didn't mean he couldn't give advice!
"Quiet you!" Wilson called over his shoulder, playfully at the angel as he concentrated on delivering a thorough tickle! Backing off after a few more seconds, he sat back on his heels and simply smiled at Phoebe.
"I'm going to miss you, Siblet ... but more than that, I'm looking forward to hearing all about how you're doing in college and in seeing you and Bel making a life for yourselves, so ... no more tears, no more fear. You're going to fly and we'll always be within reach."
"I just... I don't want to lose people when I go. It's happened before." She shook her head. "People leave or I leave and *poof* they're gone.
"Not us," Aziraphale said, serious for a moment. "You're going to have a devil of a time -- if you'll excuse the expression -- getting rid of the two of us. So don't worry a moment over that one, Phoebe. We'll be looking forward to seeing our little nieces and nephews every Christmas."
[ooc: Preplayed with dr-jwilsonmd and future_visions and to be continued in comments.]