Fic: Call Me Conrad (1/16)
Dinner is eaten, Only Connect episode 200 is watched, and all other excuses have been put to bed with no supper. I'm all out of procrastination, so I'd better post that story.
Title: Call Me Conrad (part 1 of 16)
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hollyoaks/Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Conrad's past comes calling. As if he didn't have enough problems coming to terms with his freedom. But first, it's Christmas.
Notes: Title stolen with love from Roger Zelazny. I'd apologise, but I wouldn't mean it :-) Follows straight on from Hellyoaks
Justin Burton knew trouble was coming that Christmas Eve the moment Warren and Louise stepped into the Dog. There was something in the way that Warren looked around as if he was seeing the place in a new light that set off all his alarms. When Warren looked that pleased and Louise looked that embarrassed, nothing good could be coming.
When Darren was forced to admit that he'd gambled away his half-share in the pub to Warren, Justin worried that Frankie might actually explode with anger. Granted it wasn't very likely now that they had cleaned up the sacred grove that had been screwing over Hollyoaks village for centuries, but Justin didn't want to bet on things like that if he didn't have to. He knew at once that he would be no use calming the situation down. Warren hadn't bothered to hide his dislike once Justin had broken up with his little sister, and Frankie still hadn't forgiven him for her daughter-in-law's death. Nothing he said to either of them could possibly make things better.
That's why Justin was the one to follow Jack up to the living room and watch in horror as he collapsed to the floor clutching his chest.
"Jake!" Justin shouted, hoping that he would be heard over the row happening downstairs. He hurried to Jack's side and grasped Jack's free hand. "What's happening?" he asked, not knowing what else to do.
"Chest," Jack gasped. "Can't breathe."
Oh God, Justin thought, Jack was having a heart attack. He yelled once again for Jake as he dug out his phone and dialled 999. "We need an ambulance," he said frantically as the operator began his spiel. Jake burst into the room, took in the state of his step-father and his boyfriend, and swore. "Ambulance for the Dog in the Pond," Justin said as the new operator came on, infinitely relieved to have his other half there. "Jack's having a heart attack. What do we do?"
The operator rattled through a quick series of questions that ended with instructions to make Jack comfortable, feed him aspirin and keep him calm. "The ambulance will be with you in ten minutes," she concluded.
Justin was too busy to thank her. He and Jake fussed over Jack in perfect sync, handing over aspirin and stealing cushions from the chairs without needing to talk to one another. "You just hang in there, Jack," he said. "The paramedics won't be long."
"I don't like the way he looks," Jake muttered. "Is there anything we can do?"
Anything magic, he meant. Justin shrugged. The only magic they actually knew was the aura-seeing spell and the big solstice ritual. "We'd have to improvise," he said. They were inside, which was a bad start, so they would need incense and herbs or something, something that had the right associations with hearts or blood, or maybe flow or rhythm. Perhaps they could-
Justin's musings were interrupted by the door crashing open again. He looked up to see Frankie hurry in, trailed by Darren and Warren. Predictably, Frankie insisted on crowding over Jack, and Darren fell apart and flapped around uselessly. What Justin didn't like was the calculating way that Warren looked at him and Jake, as if he knew that something was going on but couldn't figure out what.
"We can't do anything while Warren's around," he murmured just loudly enough for Jake to hear. "Can you imagine what he'd try to get us to do?"
Jake favoured Warren with a glare. "If we have to, it won't take much to get Mum to throw him out," he murmured back.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." It wasn't as if they knew what they were doing with magic, Justin thought. Xander had warned them not to play around with it, and he had years of experience of magic going wrong around him. They could easily make Jack much worse if they tried something, and in this state that could kill him. Justin already had the death of one member of Jake's family on his conscience, he really didn't want to add another.
No, better to wait for the professionals this time.
***********
The McQueens' dinner table was hopelessly overcrowded in Craig's opinion, and he was used to big family meals. All of John Paul's sisters were there plus their boyfriends, which didn't leave a lot of elbow room. On top of that, once Myra had discovered that Niall was going to have Christmas on his own because he was new to the area, she insisted that he squeeze himself onto the table as well. "No one should spend Christmas Day alone, love," she had said, which was fair enough, but Craig wasn't sure that the rolling riot that was the McQueen household wasn't too much company. He felt lucky that John Paul's Nana was unable to make it.
"Right you lot, settle down," Myra said as she carried the turkey over and the McQueens started to swarm. "John Paul, you take the head of the table."
John Paul sighed and gave up trying to grab a side chair. At Craig's raised eyebrows he explained, "I'm the oldest male who's actually a McQueen, so I have to be the man of the house." He looked speculatively round the table as Craig settled in beside him. "Tony, would you like to carve?"
"It's alright, Myra," Tony said, forestalling the objection she obviously wanted to make, "I don't mind. It's nice to feel useful." Craig smirked at that little dig; the sight of restaurateur Tony Hutchinson being chased out of the kitchen had been pretty funny.
Myra slapped Tony's hand with a serving spoon as he reached for the carving knife. "We'll say Grace first," she said severely. "John Paul?"
John Paul sighed again and fumbled for Craig's hand. Craig took that as his cue, and pretty soon everyone was holding hands around the table as John Paul started muttering about being thankful for the food on the table and family to share it with.
Family, that was something Craig could get behind. He wasn't at all religious, and this praying lark just made him nervous, but having your family around you, knowing that you belonged, that was really important. It had hurt like hell being cut off from his family while he was in Dublin, not even sure he'd be welcome back. Having his family pull back together with such unexpected strength, and now being accepted into the McQueens without a murmur, that meant a lot to him. He breathed in the aromas of the Christmas dinner in front of him and knew he was home. Again.
When John Paul finished his short prayer, Craig meant it when he joined in the 'Amen'. As he said the word he felt something shift in that weird way that meant magic.
He opened his eyes to a shimmering web of colour. Family, he thought dazedly; he could see everyone here tied together by family. "Wow," he heard John Paul say quietly beside him, and he could only agree. It was beautiful.
As plates clattered around him and arguments over the sprouts started, Craig just sat and stared. The ties that bound Myra, her daughters and John Paul together were big and bold and brilliant, just like the family they joined. There was no doubting that they were related, not with the vibrant colours dancing in front of him. Different but no less brilliant were the lines joining the couples around the table. Dom and Tina had their solid, quiet love; Tony and Jacqui were brighter and sharper-edged, but still strong; Carmel and Calvin were purest mush; and Ross and Mercy had this wild tumult that might last forever or might fall apart any minute now. All of the partners had their own family ties too, stretching off into the distance back to wherever the rest of their family were celebrating Christmas Day. Even Niall had... oh!
As surreptitiously as he could, Craig nudged John Paul and nodded at Niall. John Paul looked, did a double-take and looked questioningly back at Craig. Craig shrugged; they had to have seen the same thing, but he had no idea what to do about it.
John Paul closed his eyes for a moment, and Craig could practically hear the wheels turning in his head. The he abruptly stood and walked over to Niall's chair. Around the room the chatter ground to a halt as every eye turned to John Paul.
"You're in the wrong seat," John Paul said, smiling slightly.
Niall frowned, along with pretty much the whole of the rest of the room. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
John Paul grinned at him openly. "The oldest McQueen male sits at the head of the table," he said to the man their magic insisted was his brother.
A variety of emotions flitted across Niall's face - fear, anger, hope - before he settled back into frowning. Niall knew, Craig realised. Niall knew he was a McQueen, but for some reason he had kept it a secret. "But I'm not-" Niall began.
"Yes you are," John Paul said firmly. "I've no idea how, but you are my big brother. Since that's pretty much the best Christmas present I could ask for, you don't get to take it back."
Niall looked like he might try for a moment, but a clatter from the end of the table interrupted him. All eyes turned to where Myra had dropped her cutlery. "Matthew?" she breathed, and Niall turned to look at her with such shock that Craig wondered for a moment if he'd been wrong. "Oh my God, it is you," Myra said, then burst into tears and ran from the room.
Chaos erupted. Carmel hurried after Myra as everyone else tried to talk at once. "I don't understand," Michaela said once the immediate hubbub died down. "You're not just making this up?"
John Paul looked a little offended. "Trust me," he said, "he's our brother. There's no doubt about it."
"You'd be surprised what we can find out when we put our minds to it," Craig added. He was looking at Michaela, who paled gratifyingly over some teenage indiscretion, but his words were for Niall.
"But it doesn't fit," Tina insisted. "Jacqui, you're the oldest, you'd have known if Mum had another baby."
"Aye," Jacqui said, "and she didn't. What are you trying to pull here?" She looked narrowly at John Paul.
"He's my first," Myra said. She stood in the doorway clutching a small tin box, looking so lost. Behind her, Carmel looked even more confused than normal.
"What?" Mercedes said disbelievingly. "You were like eighteen when you had Jacqui."
"I was too young," Myra admitted. She turned to Niall. "Your Nana told me I couldn't keep you. So I wrapped you up as best I could, and I left you on the church steps that morning. I knew Father James would look after you."
"He..." Niall didn't seem to have any idea what to say. Craig watched the emotions flicker across his face almost faster than he could make them out, telling Craig again clearer than words that Niall knew. "Mum?" he finally said tentatively.
Myra rushed over and hugged him. The look on Niall's face as he hugged her back, like he couldn't believe anything this good could happen to him... Later, Craig though. He'd have it out with Niall, but later. Much later.
Eventually Myra pulled away. "I kept everything I could," she said, pushing the box towards Niall. "A lock of your hair, all the newspaper clippings..."
Niall put his hand over hers. "We can look at them later," he said with a strange smile. "Dinner's going cold." He turned to John Paul. "And I think you've earned that seat for today... brother."
Tony raised his glass as they returned to their seats. "Here's to family," he said, "and surprise presents." There was general agreement, and dinner resumed with a lot more smiles around the table than Craig was used to seeing from the McQueens.
"So," he murmured to John Paul, "the best Christmas present you could ask for, huh?"
John Paul looked guilty. "You were my best solstice present?" he offered.
"Oh, you are in so much trouble," Craig told him, but he smiled as he said it.
******
"Hey, Buffy?"
"Xander! It's good to hear from you at last. Hang on while I put you on speaker, there's lots of people who want to berate you for not being here."
"Berate, huh? Either you've got a word-a-day calendar or I'm in big trouble."
"Oh you're in big trouble all right, mister."
"Hi, Will. Happy Boxing Day!"
"Don't you 'Happy Boxing Day' me, Xander. You should be here with us."
"Hey, you're the one who sent me up here. Besides, you wouldn't want me to leave my Slayer and her boyfriend all alone for Christmas, would you?"
"We need you too. Christmas hasn't been the same without you doing the Snoopy dance."
"What Willow said. Couldn't you have left Andrew in charge or something?"
"Hi Dawn, and no I could not. Two words: Christmas dinner."
"Oh God, he would try something, wouldn't he?"
"..."
"Was that a happy sigh? That sounded suspiciously like a happy sigh."
"Dawnie!"
"It was a very happy sigh. I've never eaten so much in my entire life, including Thanksgiving."
"He didn't try anything weird?"
"Hey, no need to sound so disbelieving. And I did have to talk him out of using magic to make a Christmas pudding. He kept saying it needed more time."
"He's quite right actually. A proper Christmas pudding takes months to mature. Merry Christmas, Xander."
"Giles! Bestest boss a man could ask for!"
"Oh Lord. What do you want now?"
"He's polishing his glasses, isn't he?"
"Yup. You haven't lost your touch, Xander."
"Please don't encourage him, Dawn. Xander, just tell me what horrendous expense you want to put the Council to now."
"Don't worry, your Watcheryness, it's not that bad. I think; I haven't checked the house prices round here yet, but-"
"You're buying a house? But you're supposed to be down here with us!"
"You're supposed to be in Oxford, Dawn. But, uh, what she said. Oh, unless you just mean setting up a Slayer House there with all the druid stuff that's going on."
"Uh, kinda? We could do with a mini or two here to give Amy some backup, but I should stick around in case we need more druiding stuff. And you couldn't pry Andrew out of here with a crowbar."
"So leave him to deal with it. We need our Xanders here in London."
"..."
"That didn't sound like such a happy sigh."
"Buff, would you stick Kennedy in charge of somewhere and tell Willow to go somewhere else?"
"Well, duh. They're a couple."
"..."
"Buffy, did you read Xander's report?"
"Why would I read boring reports when there was Christmas shopping to do? In London?"
"Though he skimped on the details to my everlasting relief, Xander did mention that all those participating in the druidic ritual were couples."
"Wait, you mean Xander and Andrew...?"
"Yes, we're a couple. By the way, your toaster in the mail, Will."
"Heh, I won a toaster."
"You and Andrew?"
"Hey, no need to sound so incredulous about it. I have dated before, you know."
"But you and Andrew?!"
"He's sweet, he's smart, and when he focuses on the same thing for six hours straight he's pretty damn scary too."
"Wow, it's serious."
"Dawnie? When did you get to be the mature one?"
"When I discovered boys my own age who weren't complete jerks."
"Ouch."
"You're not helping, Xander."
"Hey, if I was trying to not help the words 'older men' would definitely be involved."
"OK, I think you should know that I'm going to strangle you both."
"Children, if I may? I'm afraid you're right about the Druid's Grove needing your attention, Xander. Go ahead and look for properties, but check with me before you put any offers in. I doubt you'll find an estate agent open before New Year anyway, but you may find it harder than you think to locate somewhere suitable."
"Yeah, I'm kind of getting that. You British do like your pokey little homes."
"Your parents' apartment wasn't exactly huge."
"I know, Will, but - crap, is that the time? Sorry guys, I gotta run. I promised Jake I'd be some emergency cover for him."
"Emergency? Xan, if you need us-"
"Cover at his family's bar. Pub, I mean. His step-father... look, it's a long story. I'll tell you later."
"OK, if you say so. Be safe, Xander."
"I will. You too, you hear me?"
"Bye!"
********
Josh Ashworth huffed at the cold and pulled his boyfriend closer. It didn't do much good given they were both wearing coats, but it made him feel warmer.
Ste laughed. "You are such a wimp," he said, before kissing Josh on the nose. Josh couldn't help but smile back.
"You actually like it out here in the freezing cold?" he teased.
"Eh, it's not so bad." An outright lie as far as Josh was concerned, but he knew what Ste meant. Wandering around out in the cold had the major advantage of getting them out of the house.
Things had been OK over Christmas itself, particularly since the place was usually full of people who weren't Ashworths by birth at that time of year anyway. No one (meaning Rhys) wanted to risk his mother's wrath by breaking the spirit of the season, so no one had so much as hinted that there was anything weird about Ste living with them.
Now, a few days later, things were getting back to normal. Rhys had started making pointed remarks about having to share his room, and heaven help them if he got so much as a hint they'd had sex there. That had made Gilly and Beth feel guilty about taking over Josh's room, which was bound to lead to Gilly doing something stupid to 'solve' the problem. Josh himself felt guilty about taking advantage of them to claim his room back briefly, even if it was the only alone time he'd managed to get with Ste for days.
And then there was his dad. Josh loved him dearly, but he had to admit that in a nation of small-minded shopkeepers, Neville Ashworth was the most small-minded and shopkeepery. Watching him trying to wrap his head around the fact that Josh was gay was just painful. Eventually he'd get to dealing with Ste being Josh's boyfriend, and then the real fireworks would start.
Really, wandering around outside was the best option if they wanted any time together, even if it did mean being too public to do more than kiss. Josh had considered dropping round on Mr Harris, but that would just end up with his nose stuck in one of Mr Wells's books and Ste bored to tears. Even going round to Amy would inevitably lead to focusing on her problems, and selfish as it made Josh feel he wanted to focus on Ste instead.
Ste nudged him. "You're thinking too hard," he said amusedly.
Josh grinned and shrugged guiltily. "Thinking of you," he admitted.
"Definitely thinking too hard. I'm right here."
"I know." Josh gave in to impulse and gave Ste a quick kiss. "I love you."
Ste closed his eyes for a moment, smiling gently, then dived in for a deeper, longer kiss. His eyes were a bit glazed over when they came up for air, and Josh reckoned he didn't look any better.
"That's it," Ste said once he recovered. "We're looking for somewhere to live the moment the holidays are over."
Josh beamed at him. He had no idea how they were going to pay for it and just then he didn't care, but somewhere of their own, somewhere they could get a bit of privacy together, that sounded wonderful just then.
"Afternoon, lads."
Josh looked over at Mike Barnes warily, as did Ste. He wasn't used to Mike sounding cheerful without it being bad news for one of them. "Afternoon," he said cautiously.
Evidently Kathy Barnes wasn't used to it either, at least judging from the looks she gave her husband when he actually smiled at them. She recovered quickly though, and asked, "How was your Christmas?"
"Great," Josh said quickly. Kathy's question was more barbed than it sounded; they had told her that Ste and Amy would be spending Christmas with the Ashworths, something that hadn't pleased her at all. Of course that had been when Ste and Amy had been together, all of a week ago now, and God was it really only that long?
"I'm not used to having so many people about," Ste admitted. "When it was me, Mum and Terry, Christmas wasn't so different from any other day. This year it was a bit..."
"Overwhelming?" Mike offered.
"Rhys and Gilly can be a crowd all on their own," Josh agreed.
Kathy looked put out that they were getting on so well. "It was nice of Amy to stay home for her American friends," she said, rubbing it in that Amy wasn't with Ste or Josh any more. "Though she'd have been more than welcome to come to us."
"That's not going to happen any time soon," Mike said sadly.
"I don't see why not," Kathy huffed.
"She doesn't trust you," Josh said bluntly. Normally he'd be more diplomatic, but he was fed up with Kathy's attitude. How she could claim to be the injured party when she was the one who caused all the trouble he would never understand. "Honestly, can you blame her? You'll need to give her time to get over what happened."
"I've given her time!"
"No you haven't, not really," Ste said surprisingly gently. "Every time she talks to you, every time Mike reminds her of you, that brings it all back." He sighed. "What you did really hurt her. Getting over that, well, you've seen me and my mum."
"Much as it pains me to say it, he's right," Mike put in. He didn't look at all pained, which probably didn't make Kathy look any less incredulous. "Besides, judging from the leftovers, she got a good deal out of staying home."
It was a blatant change of subject, but Josh couldn't help but be intrigued. "Good food?" he asked.
Mike nodded. "Apparently Andrew is something of a cook, and he doesn't do small. Even with Mark and Conrad there, it's going to take Amy a while to eat it all. You two ought to get over there and help them finish it up."
Josh looked at Ste, sharing a moment of bemused understanding. Mike Barnes was all but ordering them to go and see his daughter, something he would never have done even a week ago. If he was doing that, it meant he though she could cope with a visit from her ex-boyfriends. Perhaps she even needed it.
"We will," he told Mike. "In fact, why don't we go and do that now?"
"Sounds like a plan," Ste agreed. "It's been good to see you, Mike, Kathy."
"You too, lads. Have a happy New Year."
That earned Mike another peculiar look from Kathy. He didn't look concerned about it, and Josh certainly wasn't. Josh was far too pleased to have Mike as a friend now, after all the months of outright warfare while Josh had been going out with Amy. Just another side effect of them cleaning up the Grove, he supposed. And if Mike could see that much sense, maybe there was hope for Kathy too.
******
Amy could hear the snow crunching under Conrad's feet as he shifted uneasily. She spared him a sympathetic glance; he still wasn't used to being outside after spending so long locked up as a slave, and being in the Grove where his friend Simon had died wouldn't be making things any easier. It made her unspeakably proud that he was here all the same; the broken boy she had rescued nearly a fortnight ago wouldn't have dared to volunteer to come with her.
The coming year meant changes for them all, Amy reflected. Conrad was free, she was a Vampire Slayer, and young Mark had the biggest change of all to face. For nine years, as best they could figure it, Mark had been brought up to become a sex toy. To want to become a sex toy even, since he had never been allowed to realise how much the others hated what was happening to them. He was still adjusting to ideas like running around outside, eating sweets and watching cartoons on TV.
At the moment he was hugging a tree. "I can feel Simon," he declared, his voice muffled against the central oak of the Grove.
Conrad sighed and stepped closer. "He's gone, Mark," he said gently. "I saw him... I felt what he did. He was amazing."
"I can still feel him," Mark said stubbornly.
"I know," Amy told him. She couldn't feel a thing, and judging from the glances they had exchanged neither could Conrad, but she wasn't going to deny Mark any connection he might imagine to his friend.
A cloud drifted across the sun, briefly taking away what little warmth that New Year's Eve had. Amy shivered; being a Slayer didn't seem to help much against the cold. And if she was cold from standing still so long, Conrad and Mark must be freezing.
"Come on," she said softly. "It's time to say goodbye and go home. I'll make us all some cocoa to warm us back up."
Mark looked torn, but the bribe of cocoa won out. He stepped back, waved at the trees and said, "Goodbye, Simon," before looking defiantly at Amy. He still expected to be punished for insisting Simon was there, she realised. That was what his life had been like, being trained to be obedient. That thought beyond everything else made her sweep her strange little boy up into a hug, then whirl him round until he started giggling.
"You're getting so big," she said as she put him down. "Soon I won't be able to pick you up like that any more."
"You're a Slayer," Conrad pointed out. "You can probably pick me up like that."
Amy grinned. "Let's see, shall we?" she said before grabbing Conrad and swinging him around just like she had Mark. They ended up practically nose to nose, and Amy was struck by how handsome Conrad looked when he smiled. She almost forgot herself enough to kiss him. It wouldn't be fair to him, she told herself sternly. Conrad was still emotionally fragile after months of abuse. It wouldn't be right for her to pressure him like that.
She looked at Mark to distract herself. "Perhaps I'll be able to swing you round for a while yet," she told him.
Mark nodded. "I'm miles lighter than Conrad," he asserted.
Amy laughed at that, and was pleased to hear Conrad laughing with her. They were recovering, she thought as they turned for home. Her little family, unexpected and broken as it had been, was slowly recovering.
They had barely gone ten feet, Conrad still solemnly explaining to Mark that just because he was tall didn't mean he was heavy, when there was a sharp crack and three people appeared out of thin air in front of them. Before Amy could react, the one in front pointed a stick at them and spat out one word.
"Malfoy!"
Title: Call Me Conrad (part 1 of 16)
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hollyoaks/Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Conrad's past comes calling. As if he didn't have enough problems coming to terms with his freedom. But first, it's Christmas.
Notes: Title stolen with love from Roger Zelazny. I'd apologise, but I wouldn't mean it :-) Follows straight on from Hellyoaks
Justin Burton knew trouble was coming that Christmas Eve the moment Warren and Louise stepped into the Dog. There was something in the way that Warren looked around as if he was seeing the place in a new light that set off all his alarms. When Warren looked that pleased and Louise looked that embarrassed, nothing good could be coming.
When Darren was forced to admit that he'd gambled away his half-share in the pub to Warren, Justin worried that Frankie might actually explode with anger. Granted it wasn't very likely now that they had cleaned up the sacred grove that had been screwing over Hollyoaks village for centuries, but Justin didn't want to bet on things like that if he didn't have to. He knew at once that he would be no use calming the situation down. Warren hadn't bothered to hide his dislike once Justin had broken up with his little sister, and Frankie still hadn't forgiven him for her daughter-in-law's death. Nothing he said to either of them could possibly make things better.
That's why Justin was the one to follow Jack up to the living room and watch in horror as he collapsed to the floor clutching his chest.
"Jake!" Justin shouted, hoping that he would be heard over the row happening downstairs. He hurried to Jack's side and grasped Jack's free hand. "What's happening?" he asked, not knowing what else to do.
"Chest," Jack gasped. "Can't breathe."
Oh God, Justin thought, Jack was having a heart attack. He yelled once again for Jake as he dug out his phone and dialled 999. "We need an ambulance," he said frantically as the operator began his spiel. Jake burst into the room, took in the state of his step-father and his boyfriend, and swore. "Ambulance for the Dog in the Pond," Justin said as the new operator came on, infinitely relieved to have his other half there. "Jack's having a heart attack. What do we do?"
The operator rattled through a quick series of questions that ended with instructions to make Jack comfortable, feed him aspirin and keep him calm. "The ambulance will be with you in ten minutes," she concluded.
Justin was too busy to thank her. He and Jake fussed over Jack in perfect sync, handing over aspirin and stealing cushions from the chairs without needing to talk to one another. "You just hang in there, Jack," he said. "The paramedics won't be long."
"I don't like the way he looks," Jake muttered. "Is there anything we can do?"
Anything magic, he meant. Justin shrugged. The only magic they actually knew was the aura-seeing spell and the big solstice ritual. "We'd have to improvise," he said. They were inside, which was a bad start, so they would need incense and herbs or something, something that had the right associations with hearts or blood, or maybe flow or rhythm. Perhaps they could-
Justin's musings were interrupted by the door crashing open again. He looked up to see Frankie hurry in, trailed by Darren and Warren. Predictably, Frankie insisted on crowding over Jack, and Darren fell apart and flapped around uselessly. What Justin didn't like was the calculating way that Warren looked at him and Jake, as if he knew that something was going on but couldn't figure out what.
"We can't do anything while Warren's around," he murmured just loudly enough for Jake to hear. "Can you imagine what he'd try to get us to do?"
Jake favoured Warren with a glare. "If we have to, it won't take much to get Mum to throw him out," he murmured back.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." It wasn't as if they knew what they were doing with magic, Justin thought. Xander had warned them not to play around with it, and he had years of experience of magic going wrong around him. They could easily make Jack much worse if they tried something, and in this state that could kill him. Justin already had the death of one member of Jake's family on his conscience, he really didn't want to add another.
No, better to wait for the professionals this time.
***********
The McQueens' dinner table was hopelessly overcrowded in Craig's opinion, and he was used to big family meals. All of John Paul's sisters were there plus their boyfriends, which didn't leave a lot of elbow room. On top of that, once Myra had discovered that Niall was going to have Christmas on his own because he was new to the area, she insisted that he squeeze himself onto the table as well. "No one should spend Christmas Day alone, love," she had said, which was fair enough, but Craig wasn't sure that the rolling riot that was the McQueen household wasn't too much company. He felt lucky that John Paul's Nana was unable to make it.
"Right you lot, settle down," Myra said as she carried the turkey over and the McQueens started to swarm. "John Paul, you take the head of the table."
John Paul sighed and gave up trying to grab a side chair. At Craig's raised eyebrows he explained, "I'm the oldest male who's actually a McQueen, so I have to be the man of the house." He looked speculatively round the table as Craig settled in beside him. "Tony, would you like to carve?"
"It's alright, Myra," Tony said, forestalling the objection she obviously wanted to make, "I don't mind. It's nice to feel useful." Craig smirked at that little dig; the sight of restaurateur Tony Hutchinson being chased out of the kitchen had been pretty funny.
Myra slapped Tony's hand with a serving spoon as he reached for the carving knife. "We'll say Grace first," she said severely. "John Paul?"
John Paul sighed again and fumbled for Craig's hand. Craig took that as his cue, and pretty soon everyone was holding hands around the table as John Paul started muttering about being thankful for the food on the table and family to share it with.
Family, that was something Craig could get behind. He wasn't at all religious, and this praying lark just made him nervous, but having your family around you, knowing that you belonged, that was really important. It had hurt like hell being cut off from his family while he was in Dublin, not even sure he'd be welcome back. Having his family pull back together with such unexpected strength, and now being accepted into the McQueens without a murmur, that meant a lot to him. He breathed in the aromas of the Christmas dinner in front of him and knew he was home. Again.
When John Paul finished his short prayer, Craig meant it when he joined in the 'Amen'. As he said the word he felt something shift in that weird way that meant magic.
He opened his eyes to a shimmering web of colour. Family, he thought dazedly; he could see everyone here tied together by family. "Wow," he heard John Paul say quietly beside him, and he could only agree. It was beautiful.
As plates clattered around him and arguments over the sprouts started, Craig just sat and stared. The ties that bound Myra, her daughters and John Paul together were big and bold and brilliant, just like the family they joined. There was no doubting that they were related, not with the vibrant colours dancing in front of him. Different but no less brilliant were the lines joining the couples around the table. Dom and Tina had their solid, quiet love; Tony and Jacqui were brighter and sharper-edged, but still strong; Carmel and Calvin were purest mush; and Ross and Mercy had this wild tumult that might last forever or might fall apart any minute now. All of the partners had their own family ties too, stretching off into the distance back to wherever the rest of their family were celebrating Christmas Day. Even Niall had... oh!
As surreptitiously as he could, Craig nudged John Paul and nodded at Niall. John Paul looked, did a double-take and looked questioningly back at Craig. Craig shrugged; they had to have seen the same thing, but he had no idea what to do about it.
John Paul closed his eyes for a moment, and Craig could practically hear the wheels turning in his head. The he abruptly stood and walked over to Niall's chair. Around the room the chatter ground to a halt as every eye turned to John Paul.
"You're in the wrong seat," John Paul said, smiling slightly.
Niall frowned, along with pretty much the whole of the rest of the room. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
John Paul grinned at him openly. "The oldest McQueen male sits at the head of the table," he said to the man their magic insisted was his brother.
A variety of emotions flitted across Niall's face - fear, anger, hope - before he settled back into frowning. Niall knew, Craig realised. Niall knew he was a McQueen, but for some reason he had kept it a secret. "But I'm not-" Niall began.
"Yes you are," John Paul said firmly. "I've no idea how, but you are my big brother. Since that's pretty much the best Christmas present I could ask for, you don't get to take it back."
Niall looked like he might try for a moment, but a clatter from the end of the table interrupted him. All eyes turned to where Myra had dropped her cutlery. "Matthew?" she breathed, and Niall turned to look at her with such shock that Craig wondered for a moment if he'd been wrong. "Oh my God, it is you," Myra said, then burst into tears and ran from the room.
Chaos erupted. Carmel hurried after Myra as everyone else tried to talk at once. "I don't understand," Michaela said once the immediate hubbub died down. "You're not just making this up?"
John Paul looked a little offended. "Trust me," he said, "he's our brother. There's no doubt about it."
"You'd be surprised what we can find out when we put our minds to it," Craig added. He was looking at Michaela, who paled gratifyingly over some teenage indiscretion, but his words were for Niall.
"But it doesn't fit," Tina insisted. "Jacqui, you're the oldest, you'd have known if Mum had another baby."
"Aye," Jacqui said, "and she didn't. What are you trying to pull here?" She looked narrowly at John Paul.
"He's my first," Myra said. She stood in the doorway clutching a small tin box, looking so lost. Behind her, Carmel looked even more confused than normal.
"What?" Mercedes said disbelievingly. "You were like eighteen when you had Jacqui."
"I was too young," Myra admitted. She turned to Niall. "Your Nana told me I couldn't keep you. So I wrapped you up as best I could, and I left you on the church steps that morning. I knew Father James would look after you."
"He..." Niall didn't seem to have any idea what to say. Craig watched the emotions flicker across his face almost faster than he could make them out, telling Craig again clearer than words that Niall knew. "Mum?" he finally said tentatively.
Myra rushed over and hugged him. The look on Niall's face as he hugged her back, like he couldn't believe anything this good could happen to him... Later, Craig though. He'd have it out with Niall, but later. Much later.
Eventually Myra pulled away. "I kept everything I could," she said, pushing the box towards Niall. "A lock of your hair, all the newspaper clippings..."
Niall put his hand over hers. "We can look at them later," he said with a strange smile. "Dinner's going cold." He turned to John Paul. "And I think you've earned that seat for today... brother."
Tony raised his glass as they returned to their seats. "Here's to family," he said, "and surprise presents." There was general agreement, and dinner resumed with a lot more smiles around the table than Craig was used to seeing from the McQueens.
"So," he murmured to John Paul, "the best Christmas present you could ask for, huh?"
John Paul looked guilty. "You were my best solstice present?" he offered.
"Oh, you are in so much trouble," Craig told him, but he smiled as he said it.
******
"Hey, Buffy?"
"Xander! It's good to hear from you at last. Hang on while I put you on speaker, there's lots of people who want to berate you for not being here."
"Berate, huh? Either you've got a word-a-day calendar or I'm in big trouble."
"Oh you're in big trouble all right, mister."
"Hi, Will. Happy Boxing Day!"
"Don't you 'Happy Boxing Day' me, Xander. You should be here with us."
"Hey, you're the one who sent me up here. Besides, you wouldn't want me to leave my Slayer and her boyfriend all alone for Christmas, would you?"
"We need you too. Christmas hasn't been the same without you doing the Snoopy dance."
"What Willow said. Couldn't you have left Andrew in charge or something?"
"Hi Dawn, and no I could not. Two words: Christmas dinner."
"Oh God, he would try something, wouldn't he?"
"..."
"Was that a happy sigh? That sounded suspiciously like a happy sigh."
"Dawnie!"
"It was a very happy sigh. I've never eaten so much in my entire life, including Thanksgiving."
"He didn't try anything weird?"
"Hey, no need to sound so disbelieving. And I did have to talk him out of using magic to make a Christmas pudding. He kept saying it needed more time."
"He's quite right actually. A proper Christmas pudding takes months to mature. Merry Christmas, Xander."
"Giles! Bestest boss a man could ask for!"
"Oh Lord. What do you want now?"
"He's polishing his glasses, isn't he?"
"Yup. You haven't lost your touch, Xander."
"Please don't encourage him, Dawn. Xander, just tell me what horrendous expense you want to put the Council to now."
"Don't worry, your Watcheryness, it's not that bad. I think; I haven't checked the house prices round here yet, but-"
"You're buying a house? But you're supposed to be down here with us!"
"You're supposed to be in Oxford, Dawn. But, uh, what she said. Oh, unless you just mean setting up a Slayer House there with all the druid stuff that's going on."
"Uh, kinda? We could do with a mini or two here to give Amy some backup, but I should stick around in case we need more druiding stuff. And you couldn't pry Andrew out of here with a crowbar."
"So leave him to deal with it. We need our Xanders here in London."
"..."
"That didn't sound like such a happy sigh."
"Buff, would you stick Kennedy in charge of somewhere and tell Willow to go somewhere else?"
"Well, duh. They're a couple."
"..."
"Buffy, did you read Xander's report?"
"Why would I read boring reports when there was Christmas shopping to do? In London?"
"Though he skimped on the details to my everlasting relief, Xander did mention that all those participating in the druidic ritual were couples."
"Wait, you mean Xander and Andrew...?"
"Yes, we're a couple. By the way, your toaster in the mail, Will."
"Heh, I won a toaster."
"You and Andrew?"
"Hey, no need to sound so incredulous about it. I have dated before, you know."
"But you and Andrew?!"
"He's sweet, he's smart, and when he focuses on the same thing for six hours straight he's pretty damn scary too."
"Wow, it's serious."
"Dawnie? When did you get to be the mature one?"
"When I discovered boys my own age who weren't complete jerks."
"Ouch."
"You're not helping, Xander."
"Hey, if I was trying to not help the words 'older men' would definitely be involved."
"OK, I think you should know that I'm going to strangle you both."
"Children, if I may? I'm afraid you're right about the Druid's Grove needing your attention, Xander. Go ahead and look for properties, but check with me before you put any offers in. I doubt you'll find an estate agent open before New Year anyway, but you may find it harder than you think to locate somewhere suitable."
"Yeah, I'm kind of getting that. You British do like your pokey little homes."
"Your parents' apartment wasn't exactly huge."
"I know, Will, but - crap, is that the time? Sorry guys, I gotta run. I promised Jake I'd be some emergency cover for him."
"Emergency? Xan, if you need us-"
"Cover at his family's bar. Pub, I mean. His step-father... look, it's a long story. I'll tell you later."
"OK, if you say so. Be safe, Xander."
"I will. You too, you hear me?"
"Bye!"
********
Josh Ashworth huffed at the cold and pulled his boyfriend closer. It didn't do much good given they were both wearing coats, but it made him feel warmer.
Ste laughed. "You are such a wimp," he said, before kissing Josh on the nose. Josh couldn't help but smile back.
"You actually like it out here in the freezing cold?" he teased.
"Eh, it's not so bad." An outright lie as far as Josh was concerned, but he knew what Ste meant. Wandering around out in the cold had the major advantage of getting them out of the house.
Things had been OK over Christmas itself, particularly since the place was usually full of people who weren't Ashworths by birth at that time of year anyway. No one (meaning Rhys) wanted to risk his mother's wrath by breaking the spirit of the season, so no one had so much as hinted that there was anything weird about Ste living with them.
Now, a few days later, things were getting back to normal. Rhys had started making pointed remarks about having to share his room, and heaven help them if he got so much as a hint they'd had sex there. That had made Gilly and Beth feel guilty about taking over Josh's room, which was bound to lead to Gilly doing something stupid to 'solve' the problem. Josh himself felt guilty about taking advantage of them to claim his room back briefly, even if it was the only alone time he'd managed to get with Ste for days.
And then there was his dad. Josh loved him dearly, but he had to admit that in a nation of small-minded shopkeepers, Neville Ashworth was the most small-minded and shopkeepery. Watching him trying to wrap his head around the fact that Josh was gay was just painful. Eventually he'd get to dealing with Ste being Josh's boyfriend, and then the real fireworks would start.
Really, wandering around outside was the best option if they wanted any time together, even if it did mean being too public to do more than kiss. Josh had considered dropping round on Mr Harris, but that would just end up with his nose stuck in one of Mr Wells's books and Ste bored to tears. Even going round to Amy would inevitably lead to focusing on her problems, and selfish as it made Josh feel he wanted to focus on Ste instead.
Ste nudged him. "You're thinking too hard," he said amusedly.
Josh grinned and shrugged guiltily. "Thinking of you," he admitted.
"Definitely thinking too hard. I'm right here."
"I know." Josh gave in to impulse and gave Ste a quick kiss. "I love you."
Ste closed his eyes for a moment, smiling gently, then dived in for a deeper, longer kiss. His eyes were a bit glazed over when they came up for air, and Josh reckoned he didn't look any better.
"That's it," Ste said once he recovered. "We're looking for somewhere to live the moment the holidays are over."
Josh beamed at him. He had no idea how they were going to pay for it and just then he didn't care, but somewhere of their own, somewhere they could get a bit of privacy together, that sounded wonderful just then.
"Afternoon, lads."
Josh looked over at Mike Barnes warily, as did Ste. He wasn't used to Mike sounding cheerful without it being bad news for one of them. "Afternoon," he said cautiously.
Evidently Kathy Barnes wasn't used to it either, at least judging from the looks she gave her husband when he actually smiled at them. She recovered quickly though, and asked, "How was your Christmas?"
"Great," Josh said quickly. Kathy's question was more barbed than it sounded; they had told her that Ste and Amy would be spending Christmas with the Ashworths, something that hadn't pleased her at all. Of course that had been when Ste and Amy had been together, all of a week ago now, and God was it really only that long?
"I'm not used to having so many people about," Ste admitted. "When it was me, Mum and Terry, Christmas wasn't so different from any other day. This year it was a bit..."
"Overwhelming?" Mike offered.
"Rhys and Gilly can be a crowd all on their own," Josh agreed.
Kathy looked put out that they were getting on so well. "It was nice of Amy to stay home for her American friends," she said, rubbing it in that Amy wasn't with Ste or Josh any more. "Though she'd have been more than welcome to come to us."
"That's not going to happen any time soon," Mike said sadly.
"I don't see why not," Kathy huffed.
"She doesn't trust you," Josh said bluntly. Normally he'd be more diplomatic, but he was fed up with Kathy's attitude. How she could claim to be the injured party when she was the one who caused all the trouble he would never understand. "Honestly, can you blame her? You'll need to give her time to get over what happened."
"I've given her time!"
"No you haven't, not really," Ste said surprisingly gently. "Every time she talks to you, every time Mike reminds her of you, that brings it all back." He sighed. "What you did really hurt her. Getting over that, well, you've seen me and my mum."
"Much as it pains me to say it, he's right," Mike put in. He didn't look at all pained, which probably didn't make Kathy look any less incredulous. "Besides, judging from the leftovers, she got a good deal out of staying home."
It was a blatant change of subject, but Josh couldn't help but be intrigued. "Good food?" he asked.
Mike nodded. "Apparently Andrew is something of a cook, and he doesn't do small. Even with Mark and Conrad there, it's going to take Amy a while to eat it all. You two ought to get over there and help them finish it up."
Josh looked at Ste, sharing a moment of bemused understanding. Mike Barnes was all but ordering them to go and see his daughter, something he would never have done even a week ago. If he was doing that, it meant he though she could cope with a visit from her ex-boyfriends. Perhaps she even needed it.
"We will," he told Mike. "In fact, why don't we go and do that now?"
"Sounds like a plan," Ste agreed. "It's been good to see you, Mike, Kathy."
"You too, lads. Have a happy New Year."
That earned Mike another peculiar look from Kathy. He didn't look concerned about it, and Josh certainly wasn't. Josh was far too pleased to have Mike as a friend now, after all the months of outright warfare while Josh had been going out with Amy. Just another side effect of them cleaning up the Grove, he supposed. And if Mike could see that much sense, maybe there was hope for Kathy too.
******
Amy could hear the snow crunching under Conrad's feet as he shifted uneasily. She spared him a sympathetic glance; he still wasn't used to being outside after spending so long locked up as a slave, and being in the Grove where his friend Simon had died wouldn't be making things any easier. It made her unspeakably proud that he was here all the same; the broken boy she had rescued nearly a fortnight ago wouldn't have dared to volunteer to come with her.
The coming year meant changes for them all, Amy reflected. Conrad was free, she was a Vampire Slayer, and young Mark had the biggest change of all to face. For nine years, as best they could figure it, Mark had been brought up to become a sex toy. To want to become a sex toy even, since he had never been allowed to realise how much the others hated what was happening to them. He was still adjusting to ideas like running around outside, eating sweets and watching cartoons on TV.
At the moment he was hugging a tree. "I can feel Simon," he declared, his voice muffled against the central oak of the Grove.
Conrad sighed and stepped closer. "He's gone, Mark," he said gently. "I saw him... I felt what he did. He was amazing."
"I can still feel him," Mark said stubbornly.
"I know," Amy told him. She couldn't feel a thing, and judging from the glances they had exchanged neither could Conrad, but she wasn't going to deny Mark any connection he might imagine to his friend.
A cloud drifted across the sun, briefly taking away what little warmth that New Year's Eve had. Amy shivered; being a Slayer didn't seem to help much against the cold. And if she was cold from standing still so long, Conrad and Mark must be freezing.
"Come on," she said softly. "It's time to say goodbye and go home. I'll make us all some cocoa to warm us back up."
Mark looked torn, but the bribe of cocoa won out. He stepped back, waved at the trees and said, "Goodbye, Simon," before looking defiantly at Amy. He still expected to be punished for insisting Simon was there, she realised. That was what his life had been like, being trained to be obedient. That thought beyond everything else made her sweep her strange little boy up into a hug, then whirl him round until he started giggling.
"You're getting so big," she said as she put him down. "Soon I won't be able to pick you up like that any more."
"You're a Slayer," Conrad pointed out. "You can probably pick me up like that."
Amy grinned. "Let's see, shall we?" she said before grabbing Conrad and swinging him around just like she had Mark. They ended up practically nose to nose, and Amy was struck by how handsome Conrad looked when he smiled. She almost forgot herself enough to kiss him. It wouldn't be fair to him, she told herself sternly. Conrad was still emotionally fragile after months of abuse. It wouldn't be right for her to pressure him like that.
She looked at Mark to distract herself. "Perhaps I'll be able to swing you round for a while yet," she told him.
Mark nodded. "I'm miles lighter than Conrad," he asserted.
Amy laughed at that, and was pleased to hear Conrad laughing with her. They were recovering, she thought as they turned for home. Her little family, unexpected and broken as it had been, was slowly recovering.
They had barely gone ten feet, Conrad still solemnly explaining to Mark that just because he was tall didn't mean he was heavy, when there was a sharp crack and three people appeared out of thin air in front of them. Before Amy could react, the one in front pointed a stick at them and spat out one word.
"Malfoy!"