This one is to Stephheh and Dani <333 --- Takes place during fall of 2069.

Waiting

As the bright lime green flames that had erupted suddenly in the fireplace died down to nothing, a young man in his early twenties stepped out, brushing the soot from his short light brown hair that was just long enough to run fingers through.

The carpet still the same shade of grayish blue, keys on a keychain lay on the hall table, where they had been tossed some odd days ago. The kettle on the back burner of the stove wasn't moved even an inch from the last time he saw it, yesterday at this time. Nothing had changed.

The house was dimly lit, curtains open and welcoming to any raise of sun the day might offer, though that idea wasn't very likely; The sun hid behind clouds of dark gray, the game of peek-a-boo long over before noon.

The clock ahead chimed to four, as Conner climbed the staircase quietly, avoiding he steps that were sure to squeak at the slightest touch by taking them two at a time. He was not surprised, to say the least, that the house looked empty. Of course, looks can be deceiving. The wall, connecting the three bedrooms (The first, two feet away and a right into the room; the second identical door maybe ten paces away from where Conner stood. And the last took a tiny left around a corner holding a wide closet.) was neatly decorated with a combination of picture frames and handmade crafts, clearly from a child's creative mind, all centered around that irritatingly loud clock. Okay, so it wasn't really that loud, but noticeable enough to drive an already stressed person over the edge.

From the first door on the right, nearest him, an excited cry of "Uncle Conner!" broke the long silence. A small girl that could be no older than four years old flew into the arms that waited, ready to catch her. "Hey Jamie." Conner greeted the child fondly, tugging gently on one of her long blonde pigtail braids. The little girl giggled, blue eyes sparkling with joy. Behind her the sound of someone clearing their throat made him look up. As soon as his navy blue eyes landed onto the child's mother, standing in the doorway to Jake's room, his face fell.

"Hello Sydney." The polite, yet terribly flat formal 'Hello' was one you would use when forced to be civil with another being that you really didn't want to be speaking to in the first place. Like when you're a kid and would rather be hanging out with friends, and your parents drag you to some business dinner for workers and their families. That's where Conner and Sydney were at, except by the way she glared at him in return made it obvious she didn't care for playing nicely.

Not that he didn't already know how she felt about him. Sydney made sure to make it a nice, clear, sharp point he was not welcome. Her grandparents made sure Conner knew it was not up to their eldest grandchild to say whether he was allowed around their house, and that they loved having him around; He had become family. It wasn't offical, but it would be one day. Grandma Jen always reminded him if he ever wanted to stay, he was more than welcome to the second bed in Jeffery's bedroom. Ohh what Jake would say if he knew his grandmother was refuring to him as Jeffery.

In one swift motion, the thirty year old woman stood across from Conner at the top of the steps, holding her daughter's hand which she gave a light tug at. "Time to go, Jamie. Your father is expecting us. Say goodbye to Conner," She told her, a strict authority ringing in her voice. The pouting child gave the young man one last small hug, reluctantly hopping down the stairs behind her mother without another word being uttered. Silence was restored.

Standing to his full height of 6 foot; his head hung, gaze on the floor as his feet led the way. Absentmindedly his hand ran through his hair, releasing a breath he had been holding. Sydney blamed him for her little sister's condition. Sometimes, Conner blamed himself for it too. Brian and Jen tried consoling him, they didn't believe it was his fault. If anything, he was the reason Courtney and Jake had returned to them both in one piece.

The maternal elderly woman told him Sydney wasn't usually that way, she explained their past. The reason she, and her husband raised their three grandchildren rather than their daughter raising her own kids. Conner knew this story, but not to the fullest of details.

Courtney didn't talk about her mother, and Jake only did on occasion. He'd say it was because his mother 'lost her marbles' or 'fell off her rocker', ways of saying she had gone mental. Unfortunately, that was the truth. Sydney was fourteen, Courtney was five and Jake was two when they had come to live with their mother's parents. It was in the childrens best interest, needless to say.

Still, teenage Sydney didn't think it was fair for either parties. The old couple had grown children, they didn't ask for more young lives to be responsible for. And while they never once complained and did as best as they could, due to their age Sydney didn't think her brother and sister could look up to them as parents; they were grandparents. Grandparents were suppose to be people you got to visit, share a weekend of cooking goodies and listening to old stories - grandparent/grandchild bonding stuff.

Sydney decided at an early age she was going to fill in for the spot their mother abandoned. Her grandmother Jennifer and grandfather Brian insisted she didn't fuss over her siblings so much, that they could handle it and she should have a normal life. The countless sit downs they had with her, they couldn't changed the decision Sydney stubbornly made.

She could not fill in the gap completely, but she did as best as she could. Sydney was there every step of the way, whenever Courtney would come home in tears from the muggle elementary school she attended, it was more than often her arms her little sister would fall into. Whenever Jake would get upset because he left his dinosaur outside in the rain or lost his left shoe (yes, it was always the left.) Sydney made sure to fix the problem and clear the tears from his messy face. When one of them woke up in the middle of the night because of a bad dream, they crawled in bed with her.

Knowing all this made disliking her a hard thing to do. He admired her determination, and her love for her family and need to protect them. Naturally, Conner could relate to that. But whether either liked it or not, Courtney Naidu had stolen his heart, and he wasn't going to ask for it back.

Lost deep inside thoughts, the young man didn't notice how cold the door knob was beneath his hand or the soft 'click' of the door closing behind him. The machines and monitors could have been invisible the way he didn't even glance at them. Nor the tubes and wires connected to Courtney's peaceful, resting body laying in the hospital bed all of which replaced her normal bedroom furniture. Without so much as uttering a word, Conner took his place at her side, sitting in a chair that had been brought up stairs from the kitchen.

Each and everyday since he had come home he would sit by her side for hours, waiting. And every single one of those days that passed Courtney looked more and more fragile. This made Conner feel helpless. Court's muggle grandfather was a doctor, her grandmother and sister both healers of the magical sorts, yet no one could bring her back to him. Only Courtney could make that happen, and so he waited patiently for the day she would come home.

Every now and then he would bring their little son in to see her. Tobias understood to some extent, enough that it was okay for him to see his mother. Other days Conner would tell her about his day, what had been going on in the family, whatever came to mind. Some thought people in coma's could still hear things around them, and Conner would do anything for her. Maybe it would even help somehow.

Grandma Jen had explained in the beginning that this was Courtney's body shutting down, it's way of taking time to heal and repair the inner damage she had taken during those months when they had to keep traveling, unable to go home, unable to even let their families know they were okay. But that was all over now, their troubles finally destroyed, and Jen was positive her granddaughter would be okay. One day, she would. Then they could start over. It would be the happily ever after she deserved, Conner planned to make sure of that.

Outside, the rain continued to pour down on the small town. If anyone dare step off the sidewalk they'd realize the grass turned to mush, drowning underneath the healthy green appearance. As the wind blew, knocking the trees branch into the window but not hard enough to do any harm, the young man leaned his elbows against the edge of the bed; holding a smaller pale, cold hand between his. He watched the rain come down sideways, being pushed by a gust of wind. The drops making zig-zag patterns down the window, navy blue eyes fixed on.

Would this still have been her fate, if he had gotten her and the baby out sooner? Would things have been different if she had run the first time they were found, like she was told to? Nothing was sure, nothing was ever sure anymore. Life was so simple when you're a child, girls have cooties.. boys make mud pies in the backyard; If your a wizarding child broomsticks often replace trikes. You fall off and get a scrape, and somehow the touch of a loved one comforting you and cleaning up the slight wound makes everything better. If only life could still be so simple. . .

He still remembered the day they met, it was probably one of the most vivid memories he had. He and Savannah were spending a week out of the summer at Pappy Diego's house, grandma Shaina's friend's grandkids came over to play and to be watched while the woman went out to take care of some business.

That's when he had met Courtney. And Jake, couldn't forget about him. He was a pain that day. Back then, Jake liked to test his boundries with new people. He learned real quick not to do that with little Savannah. The small bright blue eyed, dark haired girl would never have reacted badly, infact she hadn't reacted at all - Conner had. He never had been comfortable with people messing with his baby sister. The funny thing was, Courtney was just as quick to jump to her little brother's defense. This resulted in both not liking eachother, for that day atleast. Grandma Shaina and her friend, Jennifer, decided why not have Courtney and Jake spend the night to give them extra time to play together?

By the days to follow, they became friends.

That's when it all started.

For how long did the young man sit, staring without seeing through the window opposite him? Time was lost. It wasn't of importance. Between his two warm hands, he felt a twitch. At first, he wasn't sure if he was imagining it and therefore didn't move. At the second time he felt the sudden, slightest move he looked down at her hand to see Courtney was trying determinedly to squeeze his hand despite her weak state. She always had been quite determined.

. . . . . .

Wait. Looking up from their hands, for the first time in almost two years Conner met those beautiful hazel eyes, dancing with silent joy. A delicate smile rested upon her tired face, the smallest hint of amusement shown, surely from seeing the stunned expression he wore. "I've been waiting for you." He said, barely audible. 'I know,' She mouthed wordlessly, unable to find her voice. "Welcome home, Courtie." Whispered back her best friend of fifteen years, and loving fiance.