better on the other side | Kyra & Roderick | July '81

[Fabian Prewett]

If she never spoke to him after this, he wouldn't blame her. Not with all the lies and secrets coming out like this. There had been so many near misses, so many times when he'd seen the joy in her eyes when something unexplained had happened in front of her. The amount of times she had given him hell for keeping this secret from her. Those times had been fun, and filled with laughter. This time wasn't, and he knew deep down that it would be the last time she found out the truth. He was too close to the center of it all, and she would be in danger. So whatever she wanted to say now, whatever feelings she wanted to project towards him would be worth it.

And as she stood, he worried about her collapsing, but made no attempt to move. Still, cold, silent. This was no longer the house of his the man who was his brother, it was work. This was his job, going into houses and finding dead bodies. He had seen plenty, it was easy to switch his heart off. At least, that was how it had always been. But seeing Kyra, knowing the devastation and fallout that was going to come from this. But he could break down later, after everything here was done.

The look in her eyes stung, and her words caught him off guard. Did she think this was a game? Their friends were dead because of the f*cked up politics of some people in his world and she thought this was some joke they had decided to play? Not only were there rules upon rules about this sort of thing, it was her safety that he had put above everything else. Which is why regardless of how many times he had wanted take things further than friends with benefits he hadn't.

He waited until she was done, letting a silence linger between them. He cleared his throat, casting his eyes away towards the bedroom. God Pheebs, wish you could take the lead on this. You wanted to her know from the beginning.... Turning back to her, looking at the fire in her eyes. He wanted to be angry with her, but that wasn't fair. She'd experienced the same lose he did and she didn't even know it was a possibility.

"No one lied to you," he answered hoarsely, feeling an unfamiliar crack in his voice. "Maybe we omitted the truth about certain things but it wasn't some sort of sick game we decided to play. I'm not Bellatrix, I don't like to play twisted games." He'd be making sure to do what he could to make the Lestrange's life hell until he could prove that they were the ones responsible for this. Carrow's too, if he could manage.

"You think this is the first time you've ever found out the truth? You think in the fifteen years we've been friends I haven't slipped up? You didn't know about this because there are rules Kyra. My world is a secret for the safety of everyone. Muggles and magical alike. There's enough death and destruction on both sides of this, do you really think we could exist peacefully together?" He'd hated having to research muggle police forces, he'd learned to much about what the muggle world was like. A place he had always viewed as safe was just as messed up as his own.

He needed to pull it together, he had too much to do before the end of the day. He could let himself feel once he was home. "You can hate me, but don't hate her. Phoebe wanted you to know, especially when she found out about Gray. The only reason she was allowed to know is because of her life with Edgar. But I made a different decision for you. I was the one who kept you away from it."

Edgar told me to marry you...

He sat up from the door frame, turning to head back into the bedroom. "Let me know when you find Sadie and I will find someone to take you somewhere safe. You can't go home right now."

[Kyra Thatcher]

Kyra had promised herself one more question, and although it was spent, his response was turning her inquisitive mind in spirals. There was so much more she wanted to ask, especially as she heard Fabian's strong voice finally crack - she was starting to wear him down, get him back to human, just a little. His dark eyes, boring painfully into hers, showed the hurt he refused to let himself feel. If she asked, Kyra now knew he would answer. But although she wanted to know about when she'd found out about magic before, and how she had forgotten about it numerous times, and his thorough thoughts on why peaceful coexistence between these communities was an impossibility - Kyra kept her mouth shut. She would make time for these questions, she would get him to answer; but not today. Not while Phoebe and the kids were in the next room.

Much of what he said was perplexing, especially the woman's name he threw out (Bellatrix? Could he mean Beatrix? Beatrix Potter? But why...), and for all of her reservations about staying, Kyra was tempted to continue her line of questioning. (And correcting - omission of truth is a paltry defense and you know it, Fabian.)

That is, until he...put his foot down.

The no-nonsense statement shook the young woman back into the situation, and the fire in her eyes should've burned a hole in his shirt.

"I don't know when you decided you had the power to call the shots in my life, but let me make myself clear," she said slowly, hating the waver in her voice. "You are done doing that. I'm going home." Don't try to stop me. Not now. Her insides shattered, the trusts of so many broken, the blonde held her breath as she swept past him and through the room of horrors. Now was not the time to pick apart his statements, to try and see from his perspective, to figure out how Fabian Prewett was the one who'd made the choice to keep her in the dark. Now was not the time to grieve over the children, over her best friend and over the man who should've protected them. Now was the time to bypass that man's body in the hall, to shove past the cloaked investigators on her way to the staircase, and run up to Grayson's room. Ed always put the dog upstairs when Greg and Imogen came over, she had belatedly recalled, since the excitable dog had knocked Grandma Bones off her feet more than once over the years.

As she neared her godson's carefully decorated door, Kyra heard whimpers inside. She glued her mouth shut against the sob she felt, and soon had the aging dog by the collar. All she needed to do was get Sadie into the car without Fabian noticing them, then they could...go home.

Because where did Fabian expect them to go? Whenever she'd had a bad day, whenever she needed someone - this house was where she went. Phoebe always knew what to say, and the kids were hilarious failsafes into turning any sort of situation around. Hell, sometimes she just needed dog therapy time, which Sadie never seemed to mind...

When she got to the drive, Kyra zoned in on a few things.

Firstly, the ghastly skull that had lit the sky when she showed up had disappeared.

Secondly, Roderick was slumped on the ground and slightly supported by her car, body shaking in distress.

Thirdly, a woman she didn't know appeared to be standing guard over the man, looking at her like she'd seen a ghost.

...and no Fabian. Time to go.

"Rod, if you want a ride, get up. Now." Her words were clipped as she stormed over, hell bent on her mission to leave; gently as she could manage, Kyra coerced the now-barking Sadie into the car...

[Roderick Bones]

He had gone from screaming at the sky to being on his knees in the dirt outside their house, tears streaming down his face. Everyone left him alone, understanding and compassionate looks were all he saw from them. Everyone here had been marked by this war in one way or another, some of them suffering in previous situations that were similar to his own. He had no idea how long he sat there, crying and feeling his heart ripping out of his chest. It was the soft touch on his shoulder that snapped him out of it, leaving him face to face with Alice Longbottom.

The woman smiled gently at him, tissues in one hand, and he was standing and hugging her as quickly as he could. She had a young child of her own, the same age as his own Susan. Oh god, Ava. He pulled back, taking the tissues he was handed and wiping his face. She was gently pulling him away from the house and he followed, no idea where he was headed. It was only when she stopped near the car did it hit him that Kyra had been here. She had to still be in the house.

"Alice, can you send a message to Ava? Let her know what happened?" Roderick mumbled, the reassuring pat on his back letting him know that she would handle it. He sunk to the ground, holding his face in his hands as the tears game again. He needed to go tell Amelia. She needed to hear it from family, not from talk around the office. It was only when he heard Fabian shouting that he looked up to notice Kyra moving towards her car quickly, Sadie in hand.

She was snapping at him, and he didn't really care at the moment. But it was when he made eye contact with Fabian that he realized there was something amiss. Fabian had his wand out, a hard look on his face. Muggle. Magic. Got it. He stood, pulling his wand from his pocket as he turned to look at Kyra. "Kyra, wait. It's not safe for you to leave."

[Fabian Prewett]

He watched her leave the room, sighing as soon as she was out the door. It wasn't like he didn't want to let her go home, but there were too many risk factors. If it had been the Lestrange's and their gang they knew about Kyra. And while he and Kyra were not married - clearly - he had still put her at risk by just associating with her. Her home could be the next murder scene. Not to mention the grief everyone was currently feeling. It wasn't smart for any of them to be alone.

Agents entered the room and looked at him, and he cleared his head of Kyra for the moment. "Go ahead." As much as he wanted to do more of the work, he knew Dumbledore wasn't about to let him. Not when it was his family that was lying dead all around him. They all nodded, and he took a last look at the kids, forcing himself to seal the image of them in his mind. Sorry Edgar, I know what you would tell me to do. But I'm not going to let this one slide.

Fabian left the room, headed towards the front of the house, wondering where Kyra had gone. Gideon met his eyes, the two exchanging a conversation without speaking. It was clear that his brother hadn't seen Kyra either, which meant. "Damnit."

He had the front door open quickly, the familar barking of Sadie confirming his suspicions. The last thing he needed was her leaving, especially since most everyone here was painfully not aware of who she was. "Kyra! Wait!" he shouted as he headed across the yard, making eye contact with Roderick in a desperate plea to get him to help.

Roderick was up within seconds, and Fabian slowed down as he reached the car. "I've got them Alice, thanks." She nodded at him warily, looking briefly from him to Kyra before she walked away. This situation wasn't pleasant, both him and Roderick with their wands drawn. He stood there silently, before pocketing his wand and putting his hands in the air.

"Kyra, you can come to my place and bring Sadie. I've got to make sure I can leave and we can go, okay? And if you want to go home then I will take you there but I'm staying with you."

[Kyra Thatcher]

Fabs, just let me go, I'm not your problem -

Doing her best to block out the calls as she tried loading the protesting dog into the car, Kyra was nevertheless soon thwarted. Roderick jerked back to life, and while she was keen on ignoring his words, she couldn't ignore what she saw. Is that - is that a wand? All of the research in library books couldn't - and didn't - do justice to the impact of seeing the thin slice of wood in the man's hand. Her eyes flitted up to his, and the quiet power he'd always commanded...it seemed to multiply. She lost her grip on the dog in the moment, and Sadie started nuzzling at the knees of those gathered, looking from the unfamiliar to the familiar for guidance. Her fingers loosely grazed the dog's collar as she straightened her spine, not wanting the old girl to bolt back to the house, but unable to do more than this weak attempt to stop her. Because Roderick's words didn't make sense, and he had a wand pointed at her, and she could hear Fabian running towards them, and the woman - witch? - was leaving, and when she turned to Fabian he had his wand trained on her too...

What the f*ck do you think the pair of you are playing at? Put those away, now, before you do something you'll regret. I can't be here anymore, I just can't. I swear to God I'll...

Threats and admonitions died in the woman's throat as she looked between the wizards...containing her. She could easily count the times she'd been speechless in either's presence on one hand. (In Fabian's case, there were a few remarkably splendid endings to evenings that warranted nothing more than sighs and eyes to show her feelings.) But never had she felt fear because of these men. They were some of her oldest friends left, and here they were pointing their wands at her. The effectiveness of that holding her in place was chilling, and Kyra felt a new coil of anger start roiling in her gut. Because while nothing had changed about them physically besides the wands held offensively in their hands...a power dynamic had materialized with their appearance, and it was one that she was on the losing side of.

Heart beating as if she'd just run a sprint, Kyra shifted her gaze between the two of them, willing them to feel the hurt she couldn't voice. Feeling like she had nothing to work with, the blonde was grateful - for once - of the new sheen to her baby blues. It wasn't until Fabian pocketed his wand and raised his hands in a show of peace that she felt her throat unclench a tad. Her body was newly on edge from the stand-off, fight-or-flight adrenaline racing through her veins, and she fixed her gaze on Fabian as he spoke, eyes narrowing as he got to the end. She could feel the desperation in his voice, willing her to just go along with this...added to the list of don't's: scaring into submission.

"No one knows who I am here," Kyra said unsteadily, limbs thawed enough for her to wipe at her eyes. "If the good guys don't know, how would the bad ones?" She gulped back a hitching sob, turning her glare on Roderick. Sweet little Roddy, grown to...using magic to get her compliance. "I can't believe you," she staggered, voice ragged, "either of you. But I don't have a choice here, do I. You know I don't know what you can do with those and - and you - you're willing to use them."

[Fabian Prewett]

Had this been any other muggle, would he have hesitated to keep his wand out? The feeling hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew the answer - he knew the Kyra knew the answer. Not much better than a Death Eater to a muggle. The air had changed, the vibe between them. He needed Kyra to trust them, to trust him at least. This was bad enough without ruining any bit of relationship that might still stand between them. He looked to Roderick, whose wand was held limply in his hand. Roderick wasn't even looking at Kyra anymore, instead his eyes trained on the dog and filled with tears. He touched the other man on the shoulder, watching as Roderick jerked back to reality and put his wand away.

Kyra found her voice, and Fabian could tell that her words cut the younger man more than they effected him. He kept his hand out, eyes flicking between his two friends quietly for a few moments. Roderick seemed unable to come up with words, and Fabian squeezed his shoulder. "Sit down mate, come on." Roderick nodded, sinking down to his knees before he came undone.

Looking back to Kyra, he let a breathe out slowly. "Don't take this out on him Kyra, please. You are angry and hurting and it is my fault that all of this was something kept from you. But I need you to trust me." A bold statement, considering how often he had altered her memories to fit what her life should be like without magic. "Do you remember the night we all went out, Ed and I got into a fight with a group at the bar. Phoebe made you leave with her and call the police. That didn't...happen like that." God, how could he have been so stupid. She'd been in danger since that night, they all had. If only they'd taken those threats more seriously....

"The people that night are the same people that came here. They know who you are, they know your connection to me. And they have ways of finding out where you live," he ran a hand through his hair, sighing loudly. "I can't keep you safe there. But I promise you, neither Roderick or I will use magic to stop you from leaving. But I can't speak for anyone else here. And I can't stop them if they do. So please, just let me protect you. Let me get something about us right for once."

[Kyra Thatcher]

While Kyra knew she wasn't making things better, the capacity to feel guilt about it was something she currently lacked. Her mind was full to bursting with revelations and questions, ranging from they're really dead to we've got to plan a funeral to how do you kill a witch? to how many times have I known? to what's Fabian mean, he made the choice for me?...There would be time, later, to swallow her pride and apologize to Roderick. To Fabian. But not now, not when she had the deaths of her dearest loves emblazoned on her eyelids, not when she had the existence of magic to process. For while both were hurting...she was too, the world ripped out from under her feet, from her heart, in ways they both could and couldn't start to imagine.

Her heart gave an uncomfortable clench as she watched Fabian tend to the younger man, using a tone she'd heard out of Edgar a few times before. That firm but reassuring tone of yes, this sucks, but I've got it under control. Fabian and Gideon had been part of the family for so long, brotherly affection running deep; it was enough to get the last the Bones man to the ground, the tense air filling with sounds of his sorrow. Sadie leapt into action, worming her way onto his lap as much as she could, licking the tears on his face like she did with the kids. Where does it hurt? it always seemed like she was asking, stalwart in her determination to figure it out and help, tail thumping loudly on the gravel...

Fabian brought her attention back to him as he started to speak, and the blind anger that had propelled her out of the house abated a touch at his recognition of it. That didn't mean her blue eyes didn't flash with a new surge of it as he asked her to trust him - You said I could hate you, and now you want trust back? - but...she felt a lurch in her stomach as he recounted a night she remembered. She'd thought the haze of memory was because of how drunk they'd been, but from what he was saying...it's not a real memory.

The notion that even her mind wasn't a safe space spread a chill out from her heart to her extremities, and it was difficult to focus on the details Fabs was giving. The big ideas weren't lost on her - the people who killed the Bones' because Phoebe couldn't do magic knew her, may know where she lived, and...you won't stop me? Eyes that had been staring at him in shock felt uncomfortably warm as Fabian...plead.

"Just let me protect you."

    "Let me get something about us right."

She swallowed thickly, fumbling in her pockets until she found her keys and limply tossed them his way. "We'll be here." I didn't think you cared that much. "Do what you need to." I trust you enough for this.

Mutely, she joined Roddy and Sadie on the ground, head to her hands, elbows to her knees, clenched tight to try and contain herself from another outburst. He'd said he needed to ensure he could leave before taking off, and with any luck - not that she should count on any today - that would be granted and they could get off of the property. They'd go to the twins' apartment from here, she assumed, and...you'd best have some magical liquor you've been hiding from me, among everything else. There were too many thoughts colliding in the mind she didn't know how much she could trust, they needed to slow down...

[Fabian Prewett]

He couldn't read her eyes anymore, not with everything going on. The only thing that was there was anger. Justified anger, with him and the situation. But if there was anything else, it was lost in the haze that was slowly becoming his day. He didn't know what finally made her give in, but she did. She tossed him her keys, before sitting on the ground next to Roderick. He stood there blankly for a moment, the keys he had barely managed to catch in his hand. In his mind all he could see were memories. The time Kyra and Phoebe decided to teach him and Edgar how to drive, the time they dressed up as American's for a Halloween party. Edgar and Phoebe's wedding day - and later that night when him and Kyra had some fun of their own.

He looked to the ground, heart aching as he pulled himself together. They would never be able to make more memories like those with Edgar and Phoebe. But now was not the time, he couldn't break. Clearing his throat, he pressed a hand to his eyes for a moment before turning to head back towards the house.

The important things were being taken care of. Someone had removed the Dark Mark, the Ministry had been properly notified without alerting the prophet. At least for now, he was sure the vultures would have the story in the paper by morning. Scanning the lawn he found Alice, and he headed over to her with his arms crossed in front of him. "Alice," he called out to her. She turned towards him, excusing herself from a conversation to meet him halfway.

"How are you holding up? And don't just launch into work, I'm serious."

Fabian sighed, shaking his head. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have, but she meant well. And she wasn't about to fill him in on anything until he gave her an answer. Fabian glanced back towards Kyra and Roderick, a lump forming in his throat before he turned back to his co-worker. "Molly and the kids were supposed to be here today. And they aren't here, and I don't know why. And I feel selfish for being relieved by that fact when my best friend and his family are dead." Fabian felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see that Gideon had joined them. It went without saying they were both feeling the same.

Alice reached out to them both, grabbing their hands, "You both need to leave, don't worry about talking to Dumbledore. I'd make him send you home if he didn't do it himself. I can't imagine what any of you are going through. The only thing I will ask is that you take Roderick to Amelia first. She's at work, we had someone check. He wants to be the one to tell her."

Fabian nodded, clearing his throat once more. "Yeah, can do. Thanks." Alice nodded, letting them both go, and Fabian turned and headed back towards the car with Gideon at his side. He tossed Gideon the keys as they approached - frankly, he was the better driver regardless of mental state - and squatted down in front of Roderick, looking between him and Kyra. "Alright, we have to take Roderick to go see Amelia. She's at her office, which doesn't make it safe to assume she doesn't know. Then we are going to our apartment. And I don't know after that. But we're leaving, so come on." Standing, he extended a hand to them both.

[Kyra Thatcher]

She clenched every muscle she could, holding herself in place, as she heard Fabian move off as if from far away. She could feel Roderick beside her, his shaking so violent it reverberated through the metal of her car, but didn't trust herself to look over. If she did, if she saw him as inconsolable as he sounded, she'd...be lost to it as well? Or worse, lash out at him again? Her nails were curving half-moons into the flesh of her hands, the physical pain helping focus a mind roiling with emotional hurt, and she'd steadied her breathing somewhat by the time the gravel was crunching towards them again. Hearing the car door open and shut, she briefly wondered if Fabian was planning to drive off on his own after all the struggle to get them to stay together; but then his voice was so near, so strained with tension that surely must break soon...

She looked up through wet eyes to find him standing; hands, somehow still steady, were held out to Roddy and herself. They were going to the office Amelia worked at. Then to the apartment. And then...I don't know what comes next either, Fabs. Her compass had, for so long, been beating within Phoebe's heart. Making sure she stayed safe, didn't stray too far, always could find her way back. But now...what are any of us to do? Kyra glanced at her neighbor and took a breath, heart jerking again from its place within her ribs as a new rush of emotions took hold.

This was it.

Despite being on the warpath to leave, now that it was time...

You'll never be back here.

The thought scared her nearly as much as any new information had that afternoon, and she bit her cheek as she took Fabian's hand tightly, pulling herself up with his assistance. Now on her feet, she could see that Gid had taken the wheel, and for once she wasn't about to fight about one of the twins driving her car. The long running jokes about handling her precious vehicle with care - f*ck, taught you ten years ago - never went unsaid when one took the driver's seat...but she'd never been farther from a jesting mood. Holding onto Fabian's hand yet, needing his stability to keep her feet, Kyra turned to the house that had been a second home. Countless laughing nights with Phoebe; sleepless nights sitting for the babies; lazy days and crazed ones...so much of her life had happened here, with those within it, that knowing it was over...

I love you all. I'm sorry. I never thought I'd have to say goodby-

The simple thought, sent out to any consciousness left of the family, had her in quiet tears anew, and Kyra turned from the house. "C'mon Sadie." She released Fabian's hand, unable to look him in the eye - don't know what I feel about you right now - and coerced the dog into the backseat to join Roderick. She slid in after, letting Fabian take shotgun; head spinning dully, tears silently falling, she moved the presents so there was room for the lot of them, and did her best to calm the dog as Gid turned them towards London...