Work Text:
The hospital room was abuzz with nurses - a cacophony of voices, beeping machines and flashing lights. Macy lay hunched on the bed, moaning as another contraction hit her. Her face was drenched in sweat from sixteen hours of labour, her hands gripped the sheets as she screamed.
Harry knew there were too many people in the room to be routine. The nurses looked worried; something was wrong. A dark-skinned senior nurse who had been with them since the start of the labour knelt at Macy’s bedside.
“You’re doing an amazing job, but now you need to start pushing.” She insisted, her eyes on a fetal monitor by the side of the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, dread pooling in his gut. The nurse searched his eyes before replying, probably deciding how much he needed to know.
“Macy is fully dilated, but the baby is going into distress.” The woman said gravely, moving to check Macy’s blood pressure. “We need her to deliver within the next five minutes or it will be an emergency C-section. The theatre is currently being prepped.”
Not for the first time in his life the Whitelighter felt helpless. Like so many other things Macy had faced, this was something she could only do on her own.
“You can do this sweetheart, I love you.” He whispered, gripping Macy’s hand as another contraction washed over her.
The nurse grabbed her other hand. “Push now!” She insisted. Macy screamed and several of the other nurses gathered by the base of the bed, blankets, and equipment at the ready.
Another, wearier scream echoed through the room as Macy pushed, followed by the high-pitched wail of a baby that shook Harry to the core. In a daze, he watched the nurses’ huddle around his newborn child, checking vitals before wrapping the baby in a blanket.
“Here she is.” A young nurse gushed, handing Macy a wailing baby girl.
A breathless Macy reached for the tiny baby, folding the child into her arms. Harry was crying in earnest now, his heart beating fast as he watched his wife cradle their newborn daughter. His daughter. He couldn’t stop looking at her, absorbing every detail of her tiny face.
“She’s perfect.” He said softly, reaching to stroke the baby’s cheek. “You both are.”
“Welcome, Marie.” Macy whispered, kissing their daughter gently on the forehead.
***
A soft spring breeze blew through the kitchen of the Vera manor as Macy Greenwood-Vaughn carefully removed a loaded cupcake tray from the oven.
Placing the tray on the kitchen bench she proudly surveyed her work. Six perfectly risen, red velvet cakes. Smiling to herself, Macy inhaled deeply, letting the aroma of freshly baked confectionery wash over her.
A small voice gurgled from the end of the bench, as eighteen-month-old Marie reached for the cakes from her highchair. Macy had deliberately positioned her daughter as far away from the oven as possible, but that didn’t stop the toddler from extending her chubby little arms towards the desserts. A frown formed on Marie’s face as she discovered her arms were too short to reach the cupcake tray.
“Mama, Mama!” Marie cried, opening, and shutting her hands in frustration. She was bouncing in her chair now, her dark curls bobbing along with her.
“It’s hot Marie, we must not touch.” Macy said, moving over to the highchair and kissing her daughter on the cheek. The toddler instantly quietened down, watching her with large, curious brown eyes.
“Don- touch!” Marie echoed, nodding to her mother with an adorably serious face. Macy couldn’t help but laugh, it was moments like these, where she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.
“We need to wait for Daddy.” She whispered, leaning in conspiratorially as if it was all a big secret.
“Wait, Dada?” Marie echoed, bouncing in her chair once again.
“Yes darling, he won’t be long.” Macy replied, hanging up her lime green apron.
Not a minute after Macy spoke, the door opened and Harry stepped through, a soft smile on his face. He wore a familiar grey sweater, combined with one of the many pairs of dark jeans he owned. Macy flashed back to when they first met – his then wardrobe of plaid vests and ironed trousers, often paired with a tie in an impeccable Windsor knot. How the times had changed…
“Hello, love.” Harry beamed, kissing her on the cheek as he folded her into a hug. Macy squeezed him back, inhaling the scent of fresh linen and his sandalwood aftershave.
“And my little love.” He smiled, moving to kiss Marie gently on the forehead.
“Da-Da!” She cooed, blowing bubbles in her attempt at a kiss.
Harry turned to face Macy, eyes bright and full of optimism.
“How did it go?” Macy asked tentatively, not knowing what she wanted the answer to be.
“The agent says that ours is the highest offer so far, although they are leaving the bidding open until tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’s good news, right?” Macy queried. Harry must have caught the hesitation in her voice because his expression became concerned.
“Second thoughts?” He asked, moving around her to hang up his brown leather briefcase.
Macy knew that if she said she was having second thoughts Harry might call the whole thing off. He knew that moving out was a big step for her.
“No, I know this place is getting a little crowded.” Macy replied, to which Harry raised his eyebrows. Crowded was an understatement. With Mel and Ruby expecting their second child and Maggie and Jordan moving home from New York, they would be practically packed to the rafters.
“I didn’t grow up in this house, so it makes sense that I should be the one to yield the space.” Macy sighed, running a flour covered hand through her hair before cringing at the mess.
Harry regarded her with a sad expression.
“This is just as much your home as it is Mel and Maggie’s.” He countered, before becoming distracted by something behind her.
“I thought you wanted to save those for after dinner?” Harry asked, pointing to the tray. Macy spun around to find one cupcake missing. Her gaze went immediately to Marie, who was clutching the solitary cake in both hands, an ecstatic smile on her face.
“Wait, how did she get that?” Macy wondered, eyeing her exuberant daughter, who was tearing into the cake with gusto. The baking tray sat out of reach at the other end of the bench, one cupcake missing from the group of six.
“I don’t know.” Harry replied, as confounded as she was.
“You don’t think she used…” Macy trailed off, not wanting to voice the thought in case it came to fruition. As a witch and the daughter of a Charmed One, Harry and Macy knew Marie would one day come into her powers. They just didn’t think it would be while she was still in diapers.
“Perhaps…” Harry replied wide eyed, catching her meaning.
Marie only smiled at them both with a cheeky grin, crumbs all over her face.
***
“As you can see, this simply won’t do Mr Greenwood-Vaughn.” The principal stated flatly, crossing her arms, and fixing him with a laser-like stare.
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking sideways at his daughter who wouldn’t meet his eyes. Marie simply stared at her lap, her polished school shoes twisting nervously on the hardwood floor. Harry coughed repeatedly, trying not to gag from the overwhelming smell of furniture polish. The room looked as though it had been furnished from the Victorian antiques section of the British museum. So that’s where the tuition money goes, Harry thought to himself.
It was noon on a Tuesday, and instead of planning his next sociology lecture, Harry Greenwood had raced across the city after an irate call from the principal of Marie’s school, telling him his nine-year-old child was about to be suspended.
The grandfather clock in the corner of the room ticked along rhythmically, marking an uncomfortable silence before Principal Anders huffed and continued.
“She emptied a trash can – A TRASH CAN – onto a group of senior boys!” Principal Anders spat, her face growing redder with each word.
“They pulled my hair…” Marie muttered under her breath, self-consciously trying to adjust her tightly coiled curls.
“Enough from you!” The principal snapped, causing Harry to bristle.
“I’m sorry, did you say Marie threw a full garbage can at a group of senior boys? How on Earth could she have done that when she is only nine years old?!” He queried, his tone taking on a hard edge.
Principal Anders moved behind her mahogany desk, her iron-like gaze fixed Harry as she extracted a rather thick beige folder from her drawer. It was labelled ‘Marie Greenwood-Vaughn’ in large, red letters.
Marie winced as the woman let the folder drop onto the desk with a resounding thud.
“I don’t know how she did it. I simply know that she did it.” Anders hissed, eyes trained on Marie, who shot her a mutinous glare before going back to staring at her hands.
Harry raised his eyebrows at the middle-aged woman before him in her beige designer suit, hair pulled into a tight bun atop her head. Principal Anders could give some of the demons they had fought over the years a run for their money, he thought to himself.
“Where is your wife, Mr Greenwood-Vaughn? She should be here as well.” The principal demanded, scanning the room as though expecting to find Macy under a table.
“My wife is at work.” Harry replied tersely. “Macy is head researcher at Seattle State University.”
Anders raised her eyebrows as if she didn’t believe Marie could have such an accomplished mother. Harry’s felt a flicker of rage kindle in his chest.
“This is not the first incident, only the latest in a series of disturbing misdemeanours by your daughter. It is my recommendation that she be -”
“We will be withdrawing Marie from this school.” Harry interrupted, rising from his chair. Marie turned to him, wide-eyed.
“What do you mean you-” Anders replied, taken aback.
“This does not seem like the kind of positive learning environment Macy and I would like for our daughter. Let’s go Marie.” Harry ushered Marie swiftly through the door, leaving the principal gaping like a fish.
Harry and Marie were quiet for most of the walk home. It was lunchtime so the cafes were crowded with office workers grabbing their daily bite. The sun was out, and he would have appreciated it had he not sensed his daughter’s solemn mood. It wasn’t until they were two blocks away from their apartment block that Harry broke the silence.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” He asked softly, attempting to catch her eye.
“They pulled my hair and called me a name.” Marie whispered, not looking at him. Her feet dragged along the pavement as she walked.
“What name?” Harry immediately asked as they stopped to wait at the traffic lights.
“It doesn’t matter…” Marie murmured, shrinking more into herself.
“It matters to me.” Harry said, crouching to his daughter’s level. “I love you, Marie.”
“Just forget it Dad, it’s not like I will have to go back anyway.” She countered, as the light turned green, and they started across the road.
“I know it’s hard sweetheart, but you cannot use your powers at school like that.” He tried not to think about how quickly Marie’s powers were growing - not long ago she was using her telekinesis to rearrange teddy bears in her bed, now she could throw a full garbage can at a group of senior boys with just a thought.
“But Dad-” Marie started, however Harry just shook his head.
“I’m sure those boys deserved to have rubbish dumped on their heads, but what if you had been exposed? Or a demon had sensed you?” He put forth, fixing her with his best concerned (but stern) dad face.
“I’m sorry Dad.” She said quietly, reaching for his hand as they walked. At nine Marie had limited knowledge of demons, her only experience being from the Book of Shadows in her Aunt Mel’s attic.
“It’s alright sweetheart, just help me work out how we will explain this to your mother.” Harry quipped, cringing for dramatic effect.
His daughter smiled cheekily as they entered the lobby of their apartment complex. “Not even I can help you with that dad.”
***
Seventeen-year-old Marie Greenwood-Vaughn maneuvered slowly through the crowded courtyard in search of her parents. A few of her classmates smiled at her and wished her luck as she passed. It was graduation day, and Seattle City High School was abuzz with excited teenagers in long, flowing black robes.
The ceremony had finished a few minutes earlier. Grey clouds gathered ominously above the school and Marie prayed they would hold off until the post-graduation dinner.
Peering through the crowd her heart leapt when she spied three familiar faces. Standing at the other end of the courtyard with big smiles were her mother, father, and aunt Maggie. Marie almost knocked over her science teacher in her haste to reach them.
After apologizing profusely to Mr. Pike, she turned to find her mother and father standing before her with Maggie grinning behind them. Her mother was wearing a light blue floral jacket over a long navy dress. While her father had gone old school with a full suit, including vest and tie. Maggie was wearing a comparatively tame knee length black dress with a leopard print scarf. Marie made a mental note to ask her where she got the scarf from.
“Congratulation’s sweetheart!” Macy beamed, hugging her daughter tightly. Almost as tall as her mother, Marie didn’t need to stand on tiptoes to rest her head on Macy’s cheek.
“Thanks Mom.” She replied, wrapping her arms snugly around Macy.
“Well done darling, we are so proud of you.” Her father exclaimed, enveloping both mother and daughter in a hug.
“Even though I didn’t make the honor roll?” Marie asked nervously, biting her lip, and glancing up at Harry.
As the child of genius parents, Marie had always been insecure about her grades. Not only had she not inherited her mother’s natural aptitude at science, she also had never been able to lift her grade average above a B. Her highest marks had been in drama and art - not exactly subjects that her parents gushed over. She sometimes wondered whether there had been a mix up at the hospital and she had ended up with the wrong family. What if Harry and Macy’s little science prodigy had been mistakenly taken by a pair of artsy theatre buffs?
“We love you just the way you are.” He replied, kissing her head. Macy nodded, a warm smile on her face.
“Even though I’m going to theatre school?” Marie asked, bracing herself for their reply.
Macy and Harry stole a glance at each other before turning up the wattage on their smiles. Marie’s educational choices had been a topic of strenuous debate at the dinner table. She knew that her parents would have preferred her to take a more conventional path. They saw acting as being an insecure profession.
“We support your choices.” Macy said earnestly. Harry nodded enthusiastically beside her.
“We’re just a little worried about you going to school in New York City.” Her father added gently. She could tell that her parents had agreed on what to say beforehand.
“She will be fine.” Maggie interjected cheerfully, wrapping an arm around her niece. “After all, Marie will be with me and Jordan. Who better to introduce her to life in the big city?”
Macy and Harry both raised their eyebrows and Maggie made a face of mock indignation.
“I will keep her out of trouble.” She insisted, winking at Marie.
“I seem to remember Kappa naming a drinking game after you…?” Macy retorted.
“Oh hush, we will be fine.” Maggie replied, swatting Macy gently on the shoulder.
Marie giggled and swung an arm around her Aunt Maggie. Harry and Macy regarded them both with bemused expressions.
“We know you will take care Marie.” Macy replied, eyes glistening with tears. “It’s just hard to say goodbye to our little girl.”
“I’m not leaving until Sunday mom.” Marie said, linking arms with Macy so that she had Maggie and her mother on either side. Her mother kissed her on the head in lieu of a reply, gripping Marie’s arm snugly as the group made their way out of the school gate.
***
It wasn’t often that Macy Greenwood-Vaughn let her emotions get the best of her, but today was one of those days. It was hard not to cry as she watched her daughter and new son-in-law head onto the dancefloor for their first dance.
Marie’s exquisite lace gown hugged her figure elegantly as she moved. Her husband, a young, male witch named Nathan looked at her like she held the moon. A chandelier glittered above the happy couple, its crystals reflecting the light from the candelabras arranged on each table. The effect was a kaleidoscope of light that illuminated the dancefloor.
Macy brushed away a tear, she knew her baby was in good hands, but it was still hard to let go. Like Marie, Nathan’s family was also based in Seattle, so it made sense for them to have the wedding in the Emerald City. But the couple would only be staying for a week before heading back to New York, as Marie had an upcoming show on Broadway and Nathan would be working behind the scenes.
The ballroom contained half a dozen French doors which had been flung open to invite a warm summer breeze and encourage guests to walk in the garden. Macy closed her eyes briefly as a gentle wind caressed her shoulders.
“Are you alright, love?” Harry enquired from beside her, his green eyes searching her own. He was resplendent in a grey fitted suit and silk vest. His expression held a gentle strength she had come to rely on over the years, although with a few more laugh lines and grey hairs thrown in.
Macy smile was bittersweet as she replied. “Do you find it difficult, letting her go?”
Harry smiled understandingly. “Marie will always be our little girl,” he said, squeezing her hand reassuringly “and Nathan is a fine young man.” He added, watching the couple fondly.
“He’s one of the good ones.” Macy nodded. She had liked the kind-hearted - if slightly awkward - theatre technician from the moment Marie had introduced him at Thanksgiving two years prior. Unlike her last few boyfriends, Nathan never made jokes at Marie’s expense or put her down to prop himself up. Instead, he asked her opinion on most things and listened attentively when Marie spoke.
“Although, it is hard to believe we are here.” Harry remarked, derailing her train of thought.
“I know, there were times when I thought…” Macy started, but her words faltered. Looking down at her lap, she began folding her napkin, the repetitive nature of the motions providing comfort.
“What?” He asked, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder.
“…when I thought we would never make it this far. I didn’t think I would ever have a life like this.” She said softly, her gaze fixed on Marie and Nathan.
Harry knew the time she was referring to - those difficult years fighting The Faction, followed by The Perfecti. He remembered all too well the allergy that kept them apart, as well as the time he almost lost her to The Whispering Evil. It had been the scariest day of his life. But they had saved her despite the odds. In the end they had won.
Rising from his chair, Harry extended a hand to Macy. “We’re here. We made it love.” Macy smiled before accepting his hand.
“Dance with me?” He requested, his eyes joyful and slightly mischievous. Macy looked to the dancefloor where several of the party guests had already flocked. She saw Mel and Ruby moving slowly to the music, their eyes locked on one another. Jordan was twirling Maggie as their teenage sons looked on, slightly mortified by their parent’s exuberance. Her eyes met Marie’s, who smiled at her from Nathan’s arms.
“Always, Mr. Greenwood-Vaughn.” She beamed, following him onto the dancefloor. Macy felt light as air as Harry swept her into his arms to dance the night away with their family and friends.
***
Macy couldn’t help but smile as the sound of a car in the distance interrupted her quiet afternoon. Sitting comfortably amongst the cushions on her front porch, she clicked save on her latest research paper before shutting her laptop.
Wrapping a woolen blanket snugly around her shoulders, Macy peered at distant hills in search of her daughter’s car. It was mid-afternoon at the end of Fall - almost too brisk to work outside, but not quite. The Washington countryside was quiet, save for the occasional bird call and rustle of a rabbit. For a moment Macy wondered whether she had imagined the sound, but then she heard two quick beeps – Marie’s signal that she was approaching.
“Harry! They’re here!” She exclaimed, startling a deer resting by the fence post.
“Sorry…” Macy cringed, as the deer shot her an irritated look before trotting swiftly away.
Harry made his way from the kitchen where he had been making lunch for their guests. The smell of lamb and rosemary clung to his apron as he found her on the front veranda.
“Did you say something dear?” He remarked, an easy grin lighting up his features.
Macy regarded him with a sympathetic smile. These last few years Harry’s hearing had started to go, although he was not yet willing to get a hearing aid. Macy’s hearing was still sharp, although her knees pained her more than she would admit, and she had recently noticed some grey hairs amongst her dark curls. The winter of their lives was fast approaching, and Macy was so grateful they were able to spend it together.
Harry’s features lit up when a white four-wheel drive rounded the bend. Macy waved to Marie and Nathan as they pulled up the driveway. She knew that her daughter and son-in-law would be exhausted from their long trip through the national park. Macy and Harry’s house was two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Seattle, in a peaceful little valley near a small country town.
The car came to a complete stop before the rear passenger door was opened by a dark-haired boy just shy of his seventh birthday.
“Grandma! Grandpa!” He exclaimed, running up the driveway and throwing himself into Harry’s arms. Macy’s heart swelled as Harry embraced his grandson, kissing him atop the head.
“You have grown so big Isaac.” He said, lifting the young boy off the ground.
“Watch your back darling, remember what the doctor said.” Macy admonished lightly. Harry gave her a playful, pleading smile, as if to say he’s my grandson, what do you expect?
Meanwhile, Marie and Nathan had exited the car with another, younger child, who took off on chubby legs as soon as his mother put him on the ground.
“Gran-ma! Gran-ma!” Harry Jnr cried out as he climbed the porch stairs, his tiny stature meaning that it was a crawl, as opposed to walk up.
Macy laughed as she scooped little Harry into her arms and held him close. “Hello my sweetheart.” She cooed, showering him with kisses.
“Hi mom.” Marie beamed, kissing Macy on cheek. Harry asked Nathan about the drive as they shook hands in greeting.
“Lunch is almost ready; shall we head inside?” Harry asked. Marie and Nathan both nodded enthusiastically, while Isaac bounded ahead, telling anyone who would listen about his last game of junior league football.
Macy was the last inside, Harry Jnr still nestled in her arms. The two-year-old was getting a little heavy to carry, but Macy didn’t want to put him down just yet. Turning to the door, she focused a small stream of magical energy, causing it to slowly swing shut behind her.