Cored

Epilogue: October, 2019

"Are you sure you're okay with me trying this?" Katherine asked again as they stood in the driveway of a little blue house in upstate New York.

"You've been studying for months, Katherine. I trust you."

"And I look alright?" She smoothed the new tea-length green dress she was wearing, leaning back on her heels.

"You look perfect," Crawley answered, fixing his collar and straightening his suit coat before taking her hand. He took a deep breath and walked up to ring the doorbell. A man came to the door, his curled hair dark and greying.

"Ezra," he said, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. "Good to see you. Do you really think this could work?'

"I hope so," Crawley said. "Dad, this is Katherine Waine, the woman I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you," the elder Crawley said. "And the healers? They know?"

Katherine gave a quick nod. "I've been working with healers in the memory units here and in England. I've read everything I could get my hands on, even worked with the British Minister for Magic. I can't make any promises, but I'd like to try."

The man opened the door wider, leading them inside.

"Bonnie," he called out as they walked in the house. "Bonnie, we have visitors."

The woman came out of the kitchen. She was tall with broad shoulders, just as Ezra had shown her in his memory of her singing, but her dirty blonde hair was shorter, cut to her chin. Her dark eyes looked confused, but kind. "Thomas, who do we have here? Can I help you two?"

"Hi ma'am," Katherine said. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I work with your husband and he mentioned the other day that you have a poster of The Music Man signed by the original Broadway cast. I'm from Iowa, you see, and he offered that I could come see it some time. I hope we aren't intruding."

"Oh, it's my favorite musical! Tom got it for me, what, twenty years ago? It's hanging in the guest room upstairs if you'd like to see it."

"I'd love to," Katherine nodded, squeezing Crawley's hand as she followed the woman.

"So, she's the girl, huh?" Tom said, folding his arms.

"Yeah," Crawley answered, watching them go. "While she's not here, did you find Grandma Crawley's ring?"

Tom nodded and clapped his arm around his son's shoulder. "I'm glad you found your someone, Ez. It's upstairs, I'll make sure you get it before you go. Have you asked her dad?"

"She's not really someone you ask permission about," Crawley laughed with a shake of his head. "But he knows. His whole family is at the cabin now waiting to surprise her when we get back. And I went to her mom's grave the other day, to pay my respects. I think you'll like her, Dad. She's infuriating, but she's...she's more than I could ever deserve."

"Does she think the same thing?"

"Yeah," Crawley said with a laugh. "For some mysterious reason, she does."

"And you love her?"

"I really do."

"Good. I'm happy for you, son. And the job? Things calming down at all?"

As Crawley filled his dad in on their continuing search for the illusive dark magic mixed with Iz's, Katherine watched Bonnie look at the poster. She could see the lilac strings sitting in her head. It was jumbled and frayed, a complete mess. Her wand gripped tightly in her hand, she began pulling at little pieces of it, only able to take a fragment at a time. But as Bonnie rambled on about Barbara Cook and Robert Preston, she saw the memories start to come back to life.