Rising Dawn (Willy Wonka X OC)

Coming Home (Part 1)

     The instant Charlie hears the elevator, he runs out excitedly, waving his arms. Will sets us down, careful this time not to hit the recently repaired corner of the house. Mum stumbles out after Charlie, bewildered and in awe at seeing Will again. Will puts the controller away and picks me up gingerly, one arm under my knees, the other around my back. I cling to his shoulders and turn my face out of the biting wind and into his soft shirt, his coat still draped about my shoulders. He doesn't shiver though, seemingly impervious to the cold.

     "Dawn? What happened?" Mum cries, seeing my bandaged head and arm. I barely have enough strength to answer. All at once, the past week of not eating catches up to me. The blood loss makes me dizzy, the world spins around me, and I ball up my fists, tightening around Will's shirt. I hold onto him, the one steadfast thing in my life right now.

     "That's a story for later," Will answers for me. "I think it's best we just get her inside right now, yeah?"

     Mum nods reluctantly and holds open the door for him. Charlie bounces in after us and I can't help but smile a little. Thank goodness the place is in the same condition I left it in. Ceiling repaired, a fix that cost me a couple dozen splinters and two afternoons. Charlie's old bed is still up there, but he took the covers down to Mum's bed after finding that he liked it better downstairs because it was warmer. I sleep on the bed with my coat lying over me after much assurance to my family that I'm fine up there alone. The grandparents' bed is sitting in the middle of the room, most of them asleep or having a low conversations that halts when they see me.

     Will sets me down on a spare chair and pull the coat tighter around my shoulders. "You alright?"

     I nod and swallow hard, gazing into the shadows. There's just something about this place that I hate. Home was always described to me as a safe place that's warm and full of friendly faces. My home is constantly at risk of falling apart, always cold, and full of people who don't understand or appreciate what I do for them. Will pulls my mother aside by the elbow and speaks to her quietly in the corner, no doubt filling her in on everything I've told him. He gestures some and peeks over at me, then Mum looks at me and points at her head. Will shakes his head and tells her something else. Charlie comes and plops down beside me, curiosity bubbling out of him in waves.

     "What happened? Are you ok? Why is Will here? Did you guys make up?" he asks in quick succession.

     "Woah, woah, woah. Hold on, bud. I fell; kind of; he helped me; and I think so." I fiddle with the edge of Will's coat and take deep breath. He looks like he wants to ask me more, but I stop him before he can start. "It's been a long day, just...give me a couple minutes."

     He nods and bounds over to Will, asking him endless questions too. Will crouches down and pokes his nose. "You are just the hyper-est thing ever, aren't you? Why don't you sit down and your mum can tell you everything I told her?"

     "Alright!" Charlie exclaims. He climbs onto the grandparents' bed and settles in to hear the story. Mum follows him and starts telling them everything. I'm grateful I don't have to tell the story all over again but the sympathetic glances thrown my way are almost worse. Will narrows his eyes at me watching them for seconds at a time before casting my eyes down only to look back up the next second. Worry flickers across his face, and he comes over to me.

     He kneels in front of me and takes my hand from my lap, brushing the other one stuck in a sling. "Your hands...they're freezing." He clutches the free one in his larger hands, willing me to look at him. I do and see concerned, deep lavender eyes, clear pale skin, pink lips, and brown spikes for hair. An angel. He's bloody perfect...and I'm...me. It's only a matter of time before he realizes that. "What's wrong, Starshine? Why aren't you happy? We're going home finally. I thought this is what you wanted. Isn't it?"