No Angels

Chapter 18

"Where are you taking me?"

Heather didn't respond to Erik's question, just continued to pull him through the halls of the mansion, making sure no one was following them. She had to pull harder on the older man's hand - seeing as he was reluctant to follow her and was acting like a dead weight. When they had finally entered the sitting room - the same one they had meet in, Heather realized - Heather dropped his hand and prepared herself.

"Are you going to tell me what's so important?"

"I've been practicing."

Erik let out a fake groan, a twinkle in his eyes and smile growing on his face. "Practicing what? Your people skills?" Heather couldn't help but smile back - she felt giddy with both helping Edie and Erik joking around with her. But more so with helping Edie. At least, that's what she told herself. "No," she laughed, "There's no possible way of helping that. But seriously. I may have figured out how to help your mom."

Erik's eyes softened and any reluctance or joking seemed to disappear. "What?" He asked, "What do we need to do?"

Heather glanced around the room, to make sure Edie was near her, before finding her right beside her, a small nervous smile on her face. "Well, okay, I just need - give me minute to focus, alright?"

Erik nodded eagerly, his eyes never leaving Heather, as her own closed. Good thoughts, she chanted to herself, good memories. The first one that came to her mind was the Christmas Eve before her brother went off to war. She remembered sitting on her father's strong knee and looking up at the bright colors on their tree, the ones that her mother had spent hours finding - just so that the colors were perfect for them. She remembered her parents letting both of them own the present they had gotten them - with promises of Santa's gifts coming the next morning.

Her brother had gotten a fine new coat - a royal blue color that was handsome on him - and a gorgeous watch, while she had received a new teddy bear and a beautiful blue dress - the same dress that she would end up wearing to her brother's funeral.

She remembers her brother and her leaving out cookies and milk for Santa Claus - despite over hearing him tell her mother that the tradition was ridiculous. Heather had been angry at first but forgave Michael quickly when he suggested leaving carrots for the reindeer. That night, she fell asleep against her brother's chest, after demanding they stay up and wait for Santa to come.

Despite the awful ache in her chest, the familiar warmness spread throughout her body. When the spark left her, she felt cold all over and rather shaky - both of which had never happened to her before while doing this. She ignored the feeling, however, when she heard Erik gasp. She opened her eyes and saw that the Edie and Erik were staring at each other - their eyes wide and filled with tears. They didn't move for a minute, as if they expected the illusion to go away in the blink of an eye, but when it didn't, they hurried towards each other, throwing their arms around each other, before pulling away, Edie's hands placing themselves on Erik's cheeks.

Heather looked at her feet, trying to keep from swaying too much. Her head felt light and strange, and she had no idea what was happening, but she heard the two rattling off in German and she decided to not listen in - after all Edie's last words were for Erik and Erik only.