April 7, '86: Ain't Water Under The Bridge: Fabian

[Kyra Thatcher]

From secret PM AU land to site xD

Muggle London & Diagon Alley ➤

"And it's Thatcher, Griffin Atticus Thatcher, with the match-winning kick - can you hear that? That's the crowd's going wild...Mum, c'mon - "

Kyra looked up from her picked-at lunch to give her son a grin, filling in for the rowdy crowd in his imagination with her own cheer. "The youngest forward in a century to make a shot like that," she said, adopting an old-timey accent as she slid into another alternate ego of announcer, "and I'm not sure he's not some sort of wizard - that aim, that poise - he's got a big future ahead of him, that's one thing for certain. But you want to know another certain thing?" Griff dropped the chips he'd been using as players, leaning forward as her voice dropped, as she gestured for him to come closer. "The best footballers eat all of their peas. Did you know that?" A furious shake of the head. "Then don't tell 'em I told you, it's a trade secret."

A companionable silence fell between the pair as Griff launched headfirst into the rest of his birthday meal, and his mother's thoughts returned to where they'd been before he'd called her to cheer. She loved the little guy, more than she'd ever thought she could love someone, but this time of year stirred up a bunch of weirdness for her. It was hard to just be happy with him, but for better or worse, he knew no different. Kyra wished she could give him the hilarious neighborhood birthdays she'd had as a kid, but the children he should be playing with and the grown-up's who should be in attendance - besides those in their complex - had seemed to fall off the map. Her childhood best friend had disappeared around the time she'd gotten pregnant, Phoebe's husband's military work drawing the family away to be more safe.

But it'd been years now - Christ, Griffin was four today - and while she'd investigated as well as she could, she'd found no sign of them. Inquiries to authorities about how long people in the Bones' position had to stay hidden went (at the best) unanswered or (at the worst) she was insulted. Who was she to have access to that sort of top-secret information?

Beyond Phoebe, Edgar, and the kids, there'd been Ed's siblings. But Roderick and Amelia had drifted from her after Ed went into hiding; there'd been uncomfortableness among them that she'd never before felt, and maybe it really had been Phoebe and Edgar keeping them together all those years before. And Fabian and Gideon...

They were in the same sect of the military as Edgar was, and she'd lost them about the same time as her best friend. She'd put in similar inquiries, but to all public records available, it was like she'd made them up.

She was certain she'd get the same response if she ever told anyone about the odd things that had started happening around Griffin lately. He'd nearly given her a heart attack the other day as she found him balancing impossibly on the railing of the balcony (which was too high for him to hoist himself up onto, and he swore he hadn't, he'd just wanted to be up there and then - he had been); more benignly, the adventures he told her about he and his toys were almost too descriptive to truly be imaginary. How was she to know that they weren't coming to life when she was out of the room, like he swore they were?

But, anyway - she could deal with that. Every parent went through a phase of not being able to understand their kid, right? And she had bigger things on her mind regarding today, for while she was missing her old friends, Griffin usually swung back into asking about his dad around this time. And Kyra never had any more answers than what she'd had the first time he'd asked. Her guilt about it made her more nervous about today than excited, and she wished she could tell him something. But, honestly, during that time she'd been reckless. Feeling abandoned by friends who had become family, she had let a few men come into her bed during the time Griff must've been conceived. And none of them were worth finding again, once she knew.

Well - one could've been a good dad, but he's long gone.

    Oh, shut it, you'll never really know how he would've been.

"Are you excited for your party this weekend? Grandma and Pop are pulling out all the stops," she assured him. "There may even be a bouncy castle, but you didn't hear that from me." Chatter turned to the festivities to look forward to, out on the little fenced-in patio of their favorite lunch place. Passers-by walked on the sidewalk just beyond the short fence, maybe sparing a glance towards the mother and son, but most too urgent in their walk to be so distracted...

[Fabian Prewett]

It had been years since he had seen her. After the Bones family had died, things had rekindled between them for about a week. But he knew that he couldn't do that to her, not when it was possible he would be the next one on the chopping block. And after that, the war had gotten worse. He'd lost his mind a bit - barely listening to the one person who was trying to talk sense into him - and he'd left her begging him not to leave. But he'd found them, those sick twisted Death Eaters who had killed his best friend. And Gideon and him had served the justice that they could, until more of the Order showed up. Lauren had told Dumbledore, and so a life sentence in Azkaban was the sentence for four of the five who had attacked his friends.

He'd quit, then. Walked away from the Order, from everyone involved. But when it got worse, he had to come back. He had rounded up the ones he could. He had been in tears the night the Potters defeated Voldemort. Because it was over. It was all over and his life could go on. But what kind of life was it, really? When all he had trained for was war since he had left school.

So he had taken a few months to pull himself together. Spent it with his sister and her family, spoiling his nephews and niece, the youngest Weasley cute as a button with a shock of red hair just like the rest of her family. And then he'd returned to the ministry, a job that wasn't as nearly as busy now that his world was mostly at piece. But there wasn't anything else he knew how to do.

And life had gone on, without Edgar and his family. But it had continued, and he'd kept in touch with the other Bones'. But none of them had stayed in contact with Kyra. And here she was, eating with a young kid. Babysitting? They had done that a lot in their younger days. But it didn't seem right, her sitting there like that. With a look on her face that seemed more concerned that playful baby sitter.

Running a hand through his hair, he gathered at up his courage to walk across the street to them, trying to wave as he walked toward her so that he wouldn't startle her. "Uh, hi uhm. Kyra? It's me, Fabian. Prewett."

[Kyra Thatcher]

"...baby, you know I can't tell you what presents they got you, it'll ruin the surpr..."

Griff followed her look curiously as an impossibility caught her eye, causing her to trail off mid-word. An impossibility waving. An impossibility coming towards them. She really couldn't help that she was staring, but good God, it was like Fabian Prewett was returning from the dead, cutting across the street looking better than he had a right to, as if the last what, nearly five years, hadn't happened. As he came to them, Kyra tried to not show the amount of freak-out she was feeling; Griffin didn't need to see...what even was she feeling? She wanted to smack Fabian upside the head for disappearing. But also give him a kiss that would make him stay. As well as tell him that the little boy looking up at him warily (as he had a right to, unfortunately; sure, some blokes said they were fine dating a single mum, but once things started getting real...it was back to the two of them) might be his flesh-and-blood. Yeah...shouldn't do any of that.

"Not like I ever knew another Fabian," Kyra said with a bit of the shock she felt, trying to get over the seeing-a-ghost thing as quickly as she could for all of their sakes. "Come inside so I can greet you proper, yeah? Door's just there." She gestured towards the entrance to the patio, and in the brief moments he was away swiped under her eyes, fluffed her hair a tad (Shouldn't matter what you look like.), and gave Griff a slightly strained smile as she got up from her chair. "I'll introduce you in a minute," she quietly promised. Once Fabian was with them, and Kyra had committed to putting off the argument they had to have (because honestly, disappearing wasn't something you did, and there was no way he was leaving without giving her his number), she rose up to hug him around the neck, more tightly than she'd planned. "It's...I'd say good, but more surreal if I'm honest, to see you," she whispered with a candid laugh, still quite surprised. She'd hoped they'd cross paths at some point, but had given it up to fate to make that happen, seeing as anything she did wasn't bringing that about.

Clearing her throat and releasing him, she reached over to ruffle Griff's hair. His feeling of being left out was plain as the dark brown eyes on his face that now that she was seeing them again looked immensely like Fabian's. "Griffin, this is my old friend Fabian. Fabs - ah - " Cue another uncertain laugh, Christ but this wasn't ever how she pictured this happening. "This is my son, Griffin." Best birthday present I could ever give him would be you. If you're him.

[Fabian Prewett]

He'd erased her memory of her best friend and what truly happened to Phoebe. He had erased the ones of their week together after their friends died. He had feed her lies about where they had gone, about where he was going. And while he hadn't known what Roderick and Amelia would do, it seemed the two of them thought it was best if they let Kyra lead a normal life. One away from all the sadness and struggles that the magical world held. And while life in his world as better, it was still dangerous for someone like her. Because Merlin - as she made eye contact with him he felt his heart try to beat out of his, the two of them sharing looks of recognition.

He gave her a grin as she responded, before following her instructions. The walk to the door, and then to the patio, wasn't a long one. At least not the amount of time he needed to process what he was going to say. But before his brain could really catch up with what was going on, Kyra had her arms around him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing her back as he willed himself to not cry. He was full of memories of her, of him, of them. And memories of Edgar and Phoebe, the doubles dates...

"It's been far too long," he whispered back, glad she pulled away when she did. He doubted he could have kept it together any longer if she hadn't, and he didn't want to cry in front of the kid who was staring up at him. But he was caught off guard, and had to do his best to hide his surprise. This kid - Griffin - was Kyra's? He gave a smile to her, before squatting down so he could more on Griffins level.

"Hey squirt. It's nice to meet you. I've known your mom for a long time," he began uncertainly. Because he had a lot of questions that needed answers, and he needed them sooner rather than later. But he couldn't ask in front of the kid, and it wasn't as if he could ask the kid. But he had spent 34 years looking at his twin, looking at his own face in someone else. And the similarities were chilling. "Having fun with her today?"

[Kyra Thatcher]

She'd always been a hugger, and Kyra was glad of that instinct in this moment. Because she and Fabian had shared so much, that even though she was more than miffed with his disappearing act, it felt amazing to be held so tightly by him. As if he'd been missing her deeply, just like she's missed him. She wanted to ask about him and Gideon, about the Bones', but Griffin was here...this isn't the last time you'll see him. You'll make sure of that. With the emotion in her old companion's voice as he whispered back, Kyra felt he wouldn't be able to make himself disappear again so easily either.

Introducing Griff and Fabian was not something she'd prepared for (years of imagining couldn't do the truth of this sight justice), and in watching Fabs get down to her son's eye-level, Kyra watched curiously from above. Fabs was dealing with the news of her having a son with grace, his surprise hidden in politeness as he made conversation with the kiddo. But as she watched them, giving Griff a nod as he looked up at her for the okay to engage, the surreal feeling of this only became stronger. Because no, she hadn't known Fabian when he was as young as Griffin, but...it's uncanny.

"Good meeting you," Griffin said (they'd been working on manners), little hand extended to compliment the greeting. Kyra didn't hide her smile and gave him a thumbs up, sliding a spare chair over. No harm in him staying for a little while, now that he was here. "If you know Mum, how've I never met you before?" With the curiosity and short attention span of a four-year-old, thankfully he was fast continuing proudly, "Yeah, we always have a good time. Today's been wicked, I'm four now." He excitedly showed the number with his fingers for emphasis before turning back to his food, sounding out "Fabian" between, and during, bites.

"Stay for a while," Kyra said, nodding to the chair between the Thatchers. "Not about to let you out of my sight yet. It's been a long time, like you said. Do you know how long?" While delivered as nonchalantly as possible, likely evidence from the last time they saw each other was crunching on ice, still figuring out the new guy's name.

[Fabian Prewett]

Having her in his arms was the best feeling in the world. It had been so long since he had seen her, had any contact to anyone who was a big part of his life before the war. Because Amelia and Roderick, they were great. But they hadn't been part of the four. Summers full of jokes, laughter. Falling in love, pretending that feelings didn't exist. Making fun of Phoebe and Edgar and how sickeningly cute the two of them were. Taking bets on when Edgar was going to pop the question - Fabian had won that one - to taking best on when they'd start popping out babies. Kyra had won that bet every single time, some strange best friend intuition. And in those quiet times, those weak moments with too much booze and not nearly enough sex, they had whispered conversations about a future together. About two people who lived a free life sharing that.

It had never happened.

But there was no time for dwelling on feelings, not when he had to introduce himself to her son. Fabian chuckled as he shook Griffin's little hand, trying not to think about how similar his features seemed to his own. Because there was no way anything like that was possible. Sure, that week after their deaths had been a blur. A lot of drinking, a lot of comforting each other in many ways, but certainly not this. Of course, the question Griffin asked was one he wasn't sure how to answer. But with the mind of a child, he was continuing on. "Four! Wow bud, that's awesome. So today is your birthday, huh? Happy Birthday! I'll have to get you a present," he answered, fighting the urge to let his voice break. Because four. Sure he wasn't great at math, but how could she have a son that old?

He stood up, looking the chair she had dragged over. He gave a nod, sitting down between the two of them, stomach doing flips in his chest. And the way Kyra was asking him questions, as nonchalantly as possible, was not making anything easier. He looked to the boy, the struggle to control his emotions becoming harder to fight. "July of 1981. That's the last time we saw each other," he replied quietly. If he was correct, it was around just over four years ago. Four years and ten months ago. He needed to ask her, but how could he? With Griffin sitting right there next to him? Looking back to Kyra, he could feel tears burning his eyes. "Is he...?"

[Kyra Thatcher]

With all of his unassuming smiles and unabashed excitement, Griffin was warming to Fabs as she watched. And it was gnawing at her heart. Because while she tried so hard to be everything he needed, she knew she couldn't exactly father him. He gravitated towards the men she brought around, trying to bond, but could quickly turn skittish if anything seemed off - they'd been left before, and however careful she tried to be, she hadn't yet found someone who was willing to be with them for the long haul. The boy positively lit up as Fabian declared he'd have to get him a present, but Kyra didn't miss the ache in the man's voice at the words. You're getting it now, aren't you?

Thankfully, Fabian sat without a fuss, and her leading questions were doing what they needed to. She watched, biting the inside of her cheek, as realizations came to him. It was so strange to have him so close to her again, to watch his mind work, note the once-familiar things about him she'd almost forgotten, spy the little things that time had changed. His work had added years to him, just like becoming a mother had added years to her, but he was still the Fabian she'd once loved. Not that you ever admitted it.

Jesus H. Christ, this wasn't at all like she'd imagined it. She'd always figured she'd be the one to find Fabian. She'd figure out where he was staying and show up, demand explanations for why he left, demand he tell her everything he knew about Phoebe's family, and then tell him about Griffin. She still wasn't one hundred percent certain that Fabian was his father, but that was what Kyra hoped, and his was the story she'd told her young son. The father who was in the army, who had been sent away to do some very important and very top-secret work abroad. The mission had to be so secret, in fact, that no communication could go between them, because that would just put all of them at risk. Griff enjoyed the stories she'd tell him about how they'd grown up together, enjoyed having such an important father, as much as he could for never having met him. As he grew older, she worried about the story becoming stale, and had debated forging a document to say he'd died in combat just to be done with it...but she couldn't put the kid through that, as much as it always hurt to recount even simple tales like teaching his father how to drive.

But she'd never imagined this chance meeting, and she'd never wanted Griffin there. Because here Fabian was, tears welling in his eyes, forming the conclusions she needed him to. She shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to appease him but not freak either him or Griff out. Thankfully, Griffin was occupying himself, playing with his food more than her mother would have ever allowed.

"I think so. I've tried to find you, but you're a really hard man to track down," she said quietly, reaching over to take his hand under the table. Not as a sign of you might be his father so you have to stay, but as a sign of friendship. A sign of this must be the opposite of what you expected of your day and it's crazy but I'm here with you so it's not all bad right? There was so much she wanted to say, so much she'd planned to, but now that he was here, what could she rightly say? Only thing you should feel guilty about is being so off the map. You don't need to make up for lost time. You can be as involved as you want to be... She was making her own peace about her family being Griffin and herself. He was her world, and she'd changed most everything in her world to make that be the case. No more gigs, no more temping, no more - well, all right, fewer - nights out. It was her and her son against the rest of the world, and that was working for them.

But if Fabian wanted to be involved (and they could get the tests done, of course, to see just how involved), could they adapt? The man from her stories was here in the flesh, the man she'd spent countless sleepless nights with discussing the world and their part in it. Discussing how grand it'd be to just live life together, do all of the exploring they wanted, go on adventures and make their mark in history in their own way. But the exploring, the adventures, the marks they could now make - it'd be with a kid in tow. Not that she regretted having him - on the contrary, he'd finally given her life a direction - but things were just different. They couldn't just up-and-leave like they'd talked about. So would Fabian even want  - he's got enough of a moral compass, or at least did before he disappeared, to not just not be a part of this.

And then she got to thinking about how oblivious she was to assume he'd even be single, without a family of his own, free to integrate himself into hers...say something, please.

[Fabian Prewett]

What he had been doing for the past four - almost five really - years, it wasn't worth missing this. Hell, maybe he should have kept in touch. Or at least looked her up once the war is over. He wanted to spare her pain, spare her a life of danger and risk. He didn't want to ever have watch her die, like he'd watch Phoebe. And those kids - Grayson, Elle, Cami - they didn't deserve what happened to them. How could he ever put anything in that situation? How could he ever expect anyone to want to join him? It wasn't that he doubted Kyra could handle it, she had figured it out more than once. Hell, it was a world she actively tried to find all throughout their lives together. But he had needed revenge, and that had been more important.

But if he had known, if he'd kept an eye on her like he should have, none of that would have mattered. He would have been there for every moment. Every second of morning sickness, of back pain. And sitting here now, with Kyra and Griffin, it was all so surreal. Because what had she told him? That his father didn't know he existed, that he may never show up? Kyra took his hand under the table, doing her best to confirm what he thought. And while she may not actually know, he knew. He knew his own eyes, the way his hair just wouldn't listen when he was growing up. He gave her hand a squeeze, taking a moment to watch Griffin play with his food. Because this was not what he had expected in his day, not by any means.

He turned back to her, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I...I know I am. It was for your safety, I promise you that much," he whispered in reply, trying to calm his breathing. Because he had a kid - a son. His son, with a girl who he had planned to spend his life with long ago. But this wasn't the time or place to spring that on a four year old boy, but he wanted to much right then. He wanted to scoop them both in his arms and hug them forever. "I'm not leaving again though, not ever." Whatever story she had given, he would deserve it. Whatever she needed him to do, he would. He only had one question.

"Has anything...odd happened around him?"

[Kyra Thatcher]

As Kyra heard him speak, defending himself about being absent, she had the oddest sense of déjà vu. How many arguments had she had with Phoebe about things like this Ed would say? His work in the force and then the army, it was all always for Phoebe's safety. It was for their kids. It was about the greater good. She'd never thought she'd be hearing something so similar from Fabian, and without more information she honestly didn't know what to think about it. But she gave a terse nod, not about to get into the thick of it at the present. Hopefully you're telling the truth - but you couldn't have looked me up ever?

As he found her eyes again and went on, although Fabs surely meant for his words to be comforting, his promise to be one she'd know he'd keep, the young woman had spent so much of her life purposely not relying on him that the words were hard to take. She struggled for composure, her grip on his hand tightening as she tried to steady her breath, to hide her rush of feelings from her son. Because after their first summer fling, she'd reached out (much pushed by Phoebe), but letters went unreturned, and from then on she'd called them as they were. They were fun always, they were convenient sometimes, but any sort of relying on each other wasn't going to be their thing. The all-nighters about their future had just been laughs, at the end of the day, or so she'd told herself after the fact. And when she'd found out she was pregnant, she hadn't tried to find him to get his support - it was simply right that he know, and who was she to keep a child a secret from its father?

"Really hope you mean that," was all she could get out, and her throat clearing - this is so much more difficult than you thought it'd be - brought Griffin's attention back to her. She gave him a tight smile as Fabian quietly asked a question, and turned the answering of it over to her son to give her a few moments to recover. "Well, Griff? What d'you think - anything weird ever happen around you? And no lying, I'm watching you." She didn't understand the why behind Fabian's question - seeing how much of a handful he'll be? - but let a newly-beaming Griffin carry the story.

"Oh, loads of times," he said confidently, loving being the center of attention again. "Like my toys do whatever I think - it's the coolest thing, none of my friends can do it. Mummy says I'm special. Sometimes the kids say I'm weird, though. They're probably just jealous." He shrugged, figuring it was the case.

[Fabian Prewett]

He hoped she could understand seriousness behind his words. Because they had never had a fully serious conversation, at least not about something like this. But how could he lie? Sure, maybe he hadn't been a committed type of person back when they first met. But they were young, and it was fun. She hasn't ever wanted to take it further, and he hadn't pursued it. Not like you ever asked. But even with all his foolishness, he wasn't the kind of person to not step up to the plate. And the words Kyra returned to him felt like he'd been hit by a truck. And he deserved that, really. He knew from her perspective he was a downright ass.

But reversing a memory spell wasn't easy, and he wasn't sure if he could even pull it off. Roderick, maybe, as it was something he had trained in at some point. And it wasn't the time or the place for that. But where exactly was this going to go from here? How did she want to proceed? Because he could understand if she didn't want him, but he would fight to get to know Griffin. He had to.

He directed his attention to Griffin, smiling along as the boy answered. And while in his heart he already knew the truth, the answers just confirmed it. Because unless she'd met another wizard, the boy had magic in him. "Whatever you want them to do? Wow! Don't worry bud, you aren't weird." No, in fact he was completely normal. "You're Mom is right, you are special. But I'll tell you a secret, she doesn't even know how special you are,"

He looked back to Kyra, keeping the smile on his face. "How about I buy, and then take you two somewhere special to let Griffin pick out a gift from me. But only if it's okay with you."

[Kyra Thatcher]

This was all so much to take in, and she didn't know how Fabian was handling it so well. He wasn't running, he wasn't calling her a liar - he was promising to stay. And, honestly, she couldn't yet believe him, old bitterness seeping out into her words. He was looking respectably downtrodden at them, but what was she supposed to think? Out of my life for five years, back for a few minutes and you're with us forever? This was in-the-moment heroism, wasn't it? Run into an old fling, find out she had your kid, and you have to swoop in to not be thought a jerk, right?

How long's it gonna take for you to trust him again?

    Let's start by seeing if he shows up tomorrow.

While Griffin spun a little story, she looked away, swiping at her eyes with her free hand. To her memory, she hadn't ever cried in front of Fabian (the same couldn't be said for Griff, who'd walked in on her from time-to-time when she thought he was sleeping), and she wasn't about to start that today. Fabian was looking nearly ecstatic by the time her son was done, and Kyra didn't know what to make of it, or of what he was saying. You know him better than I do already?

    Shite, you still know me.

Fine. I'll bite.

Before she could counter him, Fabian was looking back to her, just...happy. What's gone on since we last met that this is making you so giddy? And not freaking you out? Surprised was only the tip of the iceberg for her emotions, but with Griffin's hearty assent to the offer, what was she to do?

"It's okay with me." With that, the weight she'd been carrying about him not knowing, about being afraid of his response when he eventually found out, started to lift. "What d'you say, Griff? You about done, looks like." In response, the kid started calling over their waitress, so excited was he to go on this next adventure. "Where are we going? What's it like? What makes it special?"

Kyra grinned at him before looking over at Fabian with a softer smile, giving his hand one more squeeze before letting him go. "You're gonna have to get used to all of my questions again, he inherited that tendency pretty much in whole."

[Fabian Prewett]

At the end of the day, whatever happened, he was going to get an earful. Because while she wasn't giving him a hard time, he couldn't not tell Gideon, who would insist he told Molly. Kyra had never met his older sister, but he knew Molly well. And she was going to give him more crap for this than anyone else, Kyra aside. Because you didn't go looking for her for almost five years? and you're a god damn fool Fabian were already ringing in his ears. But Kyra and Griffin meeting his sister and her kids - that would be quite a well. She wasn't ready to handle that, and quite frankly he wasn't either. Baby steps, he would need to remind himself of that.

It was easy for him to just show up and waltz into her life, and Griffin's. At least, easier than it would be for the two of them. Because he couldn't read Kyra's mind to find out what she had told Griffin, and he certainly couldn't ask her until they were away from him. It would have to be her decision to tell the four year old, as much as it pained him to think he might have to go a time without Griffin knowing the truth that he did.

However, he couldn't hide his smile as Kyra agreed. She was curious, he knew she would be. And he had to laugh as he paid the waitress, doing his best to remember how to use muggle money. Griffin was spouting off question after question. He reached out to ruffle the boys hair, before standing up and holding his hands out to both of them. "Well, I love answering questions, so lets walk and talk, huh?"

And so they did, Fabian trying to suppress the emotions in his chest as he felt Griffin's small hand in his. "So, question number one. We are going to the Leaky, it's a special little place that even your Mom hasn't seen. And then from there, well that's a surprise. But it's colorful." And what makes it special? The fact he was taking the two of them there. Diagon Alley lost it's charm for him long ago, but he had a feeling it would be back. "And it's special because I've always wanted to show your Mom this place, but I never got the chance."

The Leaky wasn't a far walk, and he answered as many questions as he could, occasionally squeezing Kyra's hand. This was about to be a lot for her to take in, and if she didn't give him hell for it he would be surprised. He knew as they approached the door that it wouldn't look like much, and he could have guessed her feelings. Hesitation - because where the hell is he taking us - but also curious. She was always curious.

Letting go of their hands, he took a step forward and opened the door. And it was like a rush of warm air hit them, and he stood aside to let them in. The bustling room hardly stopped, with people going about their days. But he knew that, like always, news would travel fast. Tom was already eyeing him, not about to ask any questions. And he could see the curious gazes of the people that followed them as he lead them out the back door. He stopped in front of the brick wall, turning to grin as he pulled out his wand.

"And here we go," he said with a laugh, before tapping the bricks. The wall opened it, as it had always done and always would do, but instead of watching it he focused on the two of them to see their reactions. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

[Kyra Thatcher]

Oh, this was too weird, this was way too weird. To any passers-by they would look like a little family out for a walk, the three of them hand-in-hand. She didn't have the heart to stop it, not with how Griff was latching on to both Fabian's hand and his energy. She would be getting a long round of questioning from her son about all of this tonight, because even with the blokes she had occasionally dated, she'd hardly been so affectionate as to hold hands in front of him. But here they were, attracting smiles from those around them, a chatty and happy family unit to anyone's eye. As Fabian started them off towards this mystery location, Kyra felt her own excitement start to grow. It'd been a while since she had had time to investigate anything other than the fruitless searches for him and their friends, and not having to plan the mystery herself (as she had done for Griff, concocting alternate endings to the storybooks (it would work until he could read properly)). Her intrigue grew exponentially as Fabian said he'd wanted to take her there before...

"Somewhere in London?" Kyra asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Like we said before, Griff," she said, leaning forward to catch his eye, "we go way back, Fabian and me. And you never had the chance to take me here?" Only lived here all my adult life...

As they walked, she tried to appreciate this for the gesture that it was and put away the weirdness she still felt about all of this. About Fabian holding her son's hand - our son's - and her own, him even being here in the first place, him seemingly okay about not only Griff's existence but about stepping up. He was trying to do a nice thing, and maybe it would be the first of many nice things he did for them, that they did together. Fabian let go of her hand, and she reached out automatically to take Griff's, ducking inside the little tavern with a skeptical look to Fabs. We went to a ton of dive bars, what's so special about this one? But it seemed like the tavern wasn't the stop - Fabian ushered them through the main area all the way through to the back, where they stood...facing a blank brick wall.

"Fabs, what are you..."

But Griffin, ever too wise for his own good, shushed her, because he saw what she hadn't yet.

Fabian was holding what could only be described as a wand.

Her look of wonder mirrored her son's as they stood, hand-in-hand, and watched the bricks move at Fabian's command, swiftly becoming a gaping archway, the warm spring sun hitting them as it bled through the opening. "Woah." Griff's stunned sentiment was barely audible, and Kyra was left with eyes wide, staring through the arch at the bustling crowd inside. There were shops, there were animals, there were costumed people - Griffin all but dragged her inside, and after she'd overcome her stunned-ness a tad, she was jogging with him, reaching back for Fabian as they passed him. She couldn't speak, she could only grin as she took this in. Because surely she had just entered a world of magic. Magic, which she'd poured her heart into studying and been called a fool for believing in, which had been under her nose - or behind a few walls - this whole time.

"Don't get me wrong," Kyra said, turning her beaming smile to Fabian, "bloody furious at you for not telling me sooner. Because I knew it. Always knew there was something different about you." With the words came a strong feeling of been here before and her smile faltered for a moment, but it wasn't so much a "here" with this Diagon Alley, but...have I said that to you already? "Damn right you wanted to take me here - what stopped you? Thought I could be pretty convincing back in the day," she said with a wink, too filled with exuberance to really be mad at him for his secrets. "So you're...you're a wizard. Does that mean..." She nodded excitedly towards Griff, who was too much distracted by everything to pay attention to the grown-up's.

[Fabian Prewett]

Them going way back, really was an understatement. They were in their thirties now, they had known each other longer they hadn't known each other at this point. Even with the fact he'd essentially been missing for the past few years. He would tell her the truth in time, that much he was sure of. But for now he wanted her to see it, see the truth so that perhaps some of the uneasiness could be set aside for the sake of their son. He should grow up in this world, like the Bones and he had. A muggle and a magical perspective on things could be useful with the way the world was these days. And yes, he'd let Kyra scream and cry to him later. But now was the time for magic.

And whatever hell he had to pay later was worth the wonder in their eyes as the brick wall turned into an archway. Griffin was off within seconds, dragging Kyra right behind him. And he laughed as she grabbed his hand, pulling him through as well. The archway behind them was gone quickly, and he grinned at Kyra as she turned to face him. He had keep himself from reeling as she spoke - those same words playing in his mind from the last time she had found out about his secret. The day they died.

He pushed his thoughts aside, focusing on what she was asking him. Because yes, he was a wizard. "Oh, convincing you could be. But secrets like this have rules," he replied, following her nod to Griffin. "And yes, most likely. Young witches and wizards don't know they are doing magic, or don't know how to control it. You would have had someone showing up on your doorstep on his 11th birthday to fill you in." And the two someones he could think of would be most displeased if they found out Fabian wasn't in the picture for a while.

"This is your world now too, Kyra."

[Kyra Thatcher]

This was so much to take in, and latent excitement about a hidden world of magic, something she'd been so convinced of in her youth, was tumbling out of her in smiles and laughs. Griff was pointing out everything he could see, from levitating broomsticks in a window display to enormous candies to the people in their unique dress. Some would blend right in to the London Kyra knew, but others - in their ominously dark or cheerfully bright colored cloaks - would attract attention. Her dreams of this world coming true around her, this was simply overwhelming, and she was glad for the grounding sense the hands she held gave her. It's real, it truly is. What other surprises do you have for us? The man whose hand was in hers, he was just all grins, seeming to get such joy from seeing her and Griffin gawking like tourists. She'd felt that there was something off about him and the others, not in a bad way, but they just...they just never seemed to fully fit with her and Pheebs. Makes perfect sense, if this is what they were used to.

When she could speak (well, unconvincingly berate Fabian), she saw an odd flicker in his eyes, reminiscent to the oddness she felt at saying the words. But she couldn't have known about this before - she would never let herself forget that Fabs (and Gideon, surely, the Bones too) was magical. And so she tried to push the feeling aside, too happy regardless to let the slight discomfort linger. God, I missed teasing you. Fabian acknowledged her methods of convincing, which made her feel a full ten years younger, and even more curious about whatever rules had kept this so secret. Surely Phoebe had been told, Edgar must've filled her in before they got married...which wasn't making her feel any better about being kept in the dark. The lot of them, her best friends, had chosen that...which was something they'd get in to later.

Hearing from Fabian that her - their - son was likely magical like him...was amazing. Jealousy-inducing, of course, but overwhelmingly amazing. She'd known he was special, but thought he was in her way - with an imagination no one could stifle, and an intuition that usually steered her right. But if the case actually was that he had magic, why, that would explain everything. Kyra was nodding along to the news when Fabian continued, saying that this was her world now too - and maybe it was years of missing him, of wanting him to know, of hoping he'd accept them, of knowing without enough proof that there was more to the world than met the eye - but for whatever reason she teared up. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded tightly, giving his hand a squeeze. Thankfully she was saved from having to speak by Griffin piping up.

"Where should we go, Fabian? Can we stay all afternoon? It's all so cool here, like magic - I want to see everything!"

She laughed, blinking her tears back as she grinned at him. "We can stay however long he's free, love."