“The same goes for me, Teddy.” Dreamer kissed him. “Shall we get up?”
“Nah. Well, not until Julian wakes anyway.” Ted sighed contentedly, then he looked at her. “Can we put the whole memory of Damon Stile to bed? Once and for all?”
“Of course,” Dreamer said softly. “I want to tell the same to Pandora.”
Dreamer’s bedroom door opened, and they saw Pandora creep in nervously.
“Morning,” she mumbled, and Ted and Dreamer said “Morning.”
“I was sort of listening,” Pandora said cautiously. “But only when Mum asked if you should get up, Dad. I was coming before that, and-”
“It’s ok, ‘Dora. Don’t worry about it.” Ted smiled at her. “Want to snuggle down with us?”
Pandora’s face lit up and she looked every bit a six year old. “Can I?”
“Of course,” smiled Dreamer, and Pandora stepped out of her slippers before she ran and joined her parents in bed, snuggling down in between them.
“I heard what you said about Damon Stile,” she mumbled. “Can we really put him behind us now that we know he has no connection to us?”
“Yes,” Dreamer said softly. “Pandora, I know he frightens you and he has for years. Even since being in prison. I don’t want you to feel that way anymore.”
“I cant help it,” whispered Pandora. “He could escape from prison and get me again. Or hurt you like before, or kill you again-”
“Shh,” Dreamer said soothingly, and Ted noticed she had her golden wand in her hand. “He wont, Pandora. I promise you.”
An almost invisible blue mist slowly unfurled from the tip of Dreamer’s wand, heading straight for Pandora’s face, into her mouth, up her nose…
Pandora’s eyes grew heavier, and soon she was fast asleep.
“Dreamer?” said Ted anxiously. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to erase Pandora’s memory of Damon Stile,” Dreamer replied, and his jaw dropped.
“You can do that?”
“Of course I can. We’ll have our old Pandora back, the Pandora who is confident and not scared of socialising,” Dreamer said. “She can call her old friends and patch it up with them. I know they’ll be shocked and pleased to hear from her after such a long time.”
Ted nodded. “Do it. Do Marlon’s as well- and anyone they told about Damon- flip, erase Damon’s memory of her as well, Dream.”
“Of us,” Dreamer corrected softly. “All of us.”
Ted nodded, then he said “Then do me. I don’t want to remember him either.”
“I’ll need Papa and Mama’s help,” Dreamer started, and then she stopped when her parents appeared before her bed, smiling at her.
“Little one,” smiled Paul. “This may be the best idea you have come up with in a very long time.”
“Will you help me?” asked Dreamer, and Agnes said “Of course we will, darling. In fact, you and Ted should go to back to sleep.”
“What? But I need to-”
Paul simply touched Dreamer’s forehead, and she slumped on her pillows, fast asleep. Amazed, Ted said “You can do magic without your wand, Paul?”
“Of course,” said Paul, a little smugly. “Well, we started off doing magic without our wands anyway. When we hit eleven, our wands appeared for us and helped boost our abilities.”
“Can Dreamer do magic without her wand?” asked Ted, and Paul repeated himself: “Of course.”
“Nice,” said Ted. “And-”
“Your questions will have to wait, Ted. Agnes and I have a lot of memory wiping to do.”
Before Ted would reply Paul touched his head as well, and he fell backwards, fast asleep.
Paul smiled at Agnes. “Let’s get this over with once and for all.”
* * *
“Mummy!”
Dreamer snapped awake, startled as she saw Baby Julian’s tiny face close to hers. Ted was just waking up as well.
Pandora stood with Marlon, a bright smile on her face as she said “Afternoon.”
“Afternoon??” Dreamer repeated incredulously as she looked at the clock: it was gone three p.m. “Why didn’t you wake us, either of you?”
“You looked like you was having a good dream,” smiled Pandora. “We sorted Julian for you. He’s had his breakfast and lunch already, and I bathed him. He was making the water bubble and the rubber ducks change colour.”
“Baby wizard in the making,” smiled Ted, Julian reaching for him happily. “Hey, little man.”
“Hello Daddy!”
“We’d better get up,” Dreamer said, shaking her head. “Why was I asleep for so long?”
“No idea,” shrugged Ted as he held the baby, then he stood up with him one arm. Dreamer couldn’t help eying her man’s muscles appreciatively, and Marlon grinned as he noticed the look on her face.
“We can take Julian for you again, Mum, if you don’t want to get up yet.”
Dreamer’s face grew hot as he grinned at her knowingly, and she said “I’m getting up, sweetie. I really fancy pancakes.”
“I’ll make them,” Ted said, smiling at her. “Take Julian while I get a shower.”
Dreamer took their tiny son, smiling as well.
“Does anyone feel like a massive weight has been lifted off their shoulders?” asked Pandora, and they looked at her. “I feel like… real settled and content- and like a thousand percent more confident. Like I can socialise again with no worries. I want to contact my old friends and see how they are. Oh, and call James too.”
“I feel it too,” said Marlon. “Maybe something happened that changed us or something.”
“Definitely,” said Dreamer quietly. “But I don’t know what it is.”
“Well Grandma Agnes would definitely know-”
“And she isn’t going to spill,” Agnes said amusedly as she appeared, Paul as well. “It was a positive force, Dreamer, a force you yourself came up with.”
“I did?” said Dreamer blankly. “But I don’t remember-”
“Of course you don’t,” Paul said flatly. “I made sure you wouldn’t.”
“You meddled with my mind?! Papa, that’s not fair!” Outraged, Dreamer got to her feet and glared at her father. “You cant do that!”
“I already have,” smirked Paul. “Now, let’s have some of those pancakes you wanted. Agnes can make them.”
Dreamer was seething as she said “Fine.”
“You upset our Mum,” grinned Marlon, and Paul smiled back at him as he said “She will get over it, son. Come on, let’s go downstairs.”
* * *
Dreamer calmed down after finishing her mother’s brilliant pancakes.
“I suppose whatever you did, it was for all of our own good.”
“It was,” Agnes said solemnly, and Dreamer said “All right. I’m not going to be angry over it anymore.”
“Good.”
Pandora got off her mobile happily, saying “Mum, me and my friends are going to have some kind of reunion in about two weeks in Westport. James is going to come too, and I’m bringing Alice to meet them.”
“That’s brilliant, sweetie.” Dreamer smiled at her only girl, Ted as well. Then Ted said “I’m going to drop you and pick you up, ‘Dora.”
“Yes Dad,” said Pandora resignedly, and Ted said “You can choose the time. I’ll let you have that privilege.”
“Great!”
* * *
Two weeks later…
Ted let himself and Pandora in, Ted saying “Quietly now. I think everyone’s asleep.”
“You wish,” said Marlon, munching popcorn as he turned on the lights. “How was your reunion, ‘Dora?”
“It was great.” Pandora smiled broadly. “Everyone really liked Alice.”
“Good.” Marlon smiled back. “Mum and Julian are sleeping. I wanted to wait up for you.”
“Aww. Thanks, big brother.” Pandora hugged him before she put her bag down. “I’m going for a shower then I’m going to bed. I’m so tired. But it
was totally worth it. Night!”
Smiling still, she made her way upstairs.
* * *
Ted slipped into bed next to the love of his life. “Dreamer?”
“Mmm?”
“I’m back.”
“Great,” Dreamer said shallowly, taking a deep breath before she opened her green eyes. “Did Pandora have a good time?”
“She had an excellent time,” smiled Ted. “I haven’t seen Pandora so happy in so long. Whatever your parents did, we have to thank them properly. We’re all so content now.”
Dreamer nodded, snuggling into him. “And Julian is speaking more fluently now as well. It’s more curious questions these days than baby language.”
Ted smiled. “I noticed that too. He’s a happy toddler.”
“We’d better go back to sleep,” smiled Dreamer. “It’s nearly three in the morning.”
“Pandora asked me to pick her up at half one,” said Ted apologetically. “Then I had to drop Alice and James home.”
“It’s no problem, Ted.” Dreamer kissed him before she laid down properly. “Let’s go to sleep.”
Ted kissed her gently. “Night.”
* * *
One month later…
Marlon leapt out of bed and ran to his bedroom window, looking out.
The streets were white with snow.
“Yes!!”
He dashed out of his room and ran across the landing to bang on his sister’s door.
“Pandora!”
“What?” she said groggily as he burst into her bedroom, grinning. “Get lost, camel mouth!”
Marlon pulled the duvet off her happily, making her curse furiously as she sat up, trying to grab it back, but he danced away from her happily.
“It’s Christmas, ‘Dora!”
Pandora’s expression cleared as they heard their baby brother call for Dreamer.
“Mummy!!”
Dreamer left her and Ted’s room with Ted at her side, smiling.
“Merry Christmas Mum!” said Marlon brightly, and she said “Merry Christmas honey. Did you wake up Pandora?”
“Yes he did,” scowled Pandora, then she smiled. “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas.”
Baby Julian squealed happily from his crib, Dreamer scooping him up and cuddling him lovingly.
“Morning sweetie.”
“Let’s go open our presents,” said Marlon excitedly, and Ted said “Not before you shower and have breakfast.”
“But Dad-!!”
“Listen to your father,” Dreamer said amusedly, and Marlon sighed his ok.
* * *
Ted smiled as he watched Dreamer help Baby Julian unwrap his last present. Pandora and Marlon smiled as they watched too, all of their presents already unwrapped.
Julian shrieked happily as he saw the army action figure, tugging at it happily so he could start playing immediately.
“Look, Mummy! Look!”
“It’s lovely, baby. Say thank you to Daddy,” smiled Dreamer, and Julian beamed as he scrambled to his feet and ran and hugged Ted’s leg.
“Thank you Daddy!”
“You’re welcome, Julian.” Ted swept the tiny child up and hugged him. “Marlon, Pandora, why don’t you take Julian into the garden and build a snowman?”
“Dress warmly though,” Dreamer added, and Pandora nodded as she reached for her coat. Dreamer pulled on Julian’s tiny puff coat and boots, then she put a woolly hat on his little head, a scarf on his neck, and tiny gloves on his hands. When she noticed them smiling at her, she pouted. “I have to be protective. I don’t want him to fall ill. And the same goes for you two,” she said, smiling at Pandora and Marlon. “Put on a hat, scarf and gloves please.”
“Yes Mum.”
* * *
Ted gently pressed a mug of hot chocolate into Dreamer’s hands as she stood, watching her children play in the snow with a smile on her face. She said thank you softly, and Ted had a strong urge to kiss her.
“Ted?”
“Yes Dream?”
“I wouldn’t have my life any other way,” Dreamer said softly as she looked up at him, and he saw her eyes had filled over. “I’m so happy.”
“So am I,” he said quietly. “Dreamer… do you think the worst is definitely behind us?”
“Yes,” she said gently. “We can look forward to everything good now, Ted. Even if we argue, I know we wont separate. Our love is too strong, stronger than it has ever been before. I truly believe everything can only get better. For all of us.”
Dreamer meant every word she said, and Ted believed them.
And Dreamer was right.
Everything got better and better for the family and their friends, their problems long gone, left in the past.
Ted and Dreamer couldn’t ask for anything better.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Other Titles By Makala Thomas:
The Link: Matthew’s Beginning
The Link: Colette’s Beginning
The Link: Colette’s Fame
The Link: Colette’s Return
A Witch Like No Other
Integrity
The Angel (Who Knew Not Love)
Copyright ©2014 by Makala Thomas. All rights reserved.
Reach Makala Thomas via:
Email:
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[email protected]
Twitter:
@MissKelz90
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Mahogany ‘Kelz’ Thomas
Thank you for reading.
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