Off the Carousel

Where Are We Going Mommy?

A/N: Recently started watching The Good Witch TV series on the W channel here in Canada. Not sure where it plays in US. This is a crossover fic, but you don't need to have seen the show or previous TV movies. If you want you can google and youtube them. Good Witch is a gentle sentimental, shippy show starring Catherine Bell, which is why I am watching it. Anywho, Catherine Bell's character is Cassie Nightingale who has a second sense about people, as does her teenage daughter Grace. In the television series, Cassie's husband died a while ago. Cassie is not in any serious relationship, but she is good friends with the town's doctor Sam. She owns a shop in town and runs a bed and breakfast at the Grey House. (Ironic huh?)

But on with the story...

Enjoy!

Meredith left in somewhat of a hurry, fighting a deep anxious well of grief that constricted her chest. The house, her work, her life... he was there, everywhere. But he wasn't. And it slayed her everyday. Especially at night, in the huge bed. Without distraction. Without him.

She'd packed a few suitcases. The essentials for herself and Zola and Bailey, and made sure to grab a few of their favourite toys and some snacks just in case. It was a hasty rash decision she was making... but she just couldn't be here and still be if that made any sense.

The note she wrote was messy and tear stained. I'm fine. The kids are safe.

The kids were the last thing she packed. A sleeping Bailey in her arms, and Zola's tiny dark palm in hers as she led them to the car.

"Where are we going Mommy?" Zola asked.

With a strange horrible deja vu of her own childhood, Meredith could only answer, "Away, sweetie."

They drove through the night, and the constricting feeling in her chest seemed to subside with each mile. Every once in a while a sob escaped her lips. Seattle was home, but she was leaving it behind, for what she didn't know. For why she couldn't articulate... it was just too much right now, and she had to figure herself out.

Meredith wasn't even sure where she was going... A freeway here, a turnpike there. She stopped at a gas station at some point, very early in the morning while it was still dark, and bought a coffee. When the sun rose, she figured she would make a choice then. They could stop at an IHOP where she would gather the remnants of her resolve to answer an endless array of questions from her four-year old.

She glanced in the rearview mirror. The kids were asleep. Peaceful, oblivious. Meredith exhaled and wiped tired eyes. She would have to stop soon. The sun was just now rising, and a highway sign read: Middleton 50 miles.

Fifty miles, and then pancakes. Hopefully she would keep them down. The stress of the last few weeks had taken it's toll on her stomach lately, but maybe with some different scenery her stomach would settle.

xxx

Middleton could best be described as 'Charming,' and 'Quaint'. It had a main street, and a doctor's office, and a local bistro. It boasted it's unique shops from flowers to candy to knick-knacks and natural remedies.

But many years ago, the arrival of one woman seemed to take Middleton's charm to a whole new level. Cassie Nightingale had seemingly witchly powers. She seemed to be in touch with the subliminal, and with simple gestures and words, she could tap into the unknown intentions of the people there. She had a penchant for tea, and natural remedies. A cure for what 'ails you.'

Cassie also had a remarkable ability to at one moment, be beside you, and be gone when you blinked.

But her marriage to the Chief of Police consecrated the town's acceptance of her and her 'unusual' methods. The birth of her daughter was her pinnacle achievement, having lost her own parents when she was young and raised in foster homes. Now, Grace Nightingale was the brightest light in her life, since her dear husband passed away some years ago.

Now, home at the Grey House where she also ran her Bed and Breakfast, Cassie sipped her tea calmly as she watched her daughter gather her belongings for school. For you see, today was Grace's first time driving solo to school.

"Are you ready?" Cassie asked, putting her now empty cup into the sink.

"Yes! I'm so excited!"

"You are growing up so fast, love."

Grace smiled radiantly at her mother, her dark eyes flashing with love. "Abigail's here for you mom," she said.

Cassie raised an eyebrow at the knock on the door as Grace ran to open it. It seemed her daughter was picking up her own talents.

Abigail stepped in, prim and proper as usual. "Cassie, ready?"

"Of course cousin," Cassie replied, slipping on her coat and picking up her purse. Looking to her daughter she blew her a kiss, "I'll see you at the store after school?"

"Yes mom."

"Drive safe dear."

"I will."

xxx

The sun was definitely rising now, and Meredith squinted as the brightness shone through her windshield. Keeping her eyes on the road, she felt around for her sunglasses, which she usually kept in the side console. But they weren't there. Suddenly she realized she must've left them at home, because the last time she needed them was...after Derek's funeral, and she had dropped them in the glass bowl by the door. In her haste last night, she forgot them.

She sighed with exhaustion. Just a couple more miles. Already slowing down to town speed limits, it wouldn't be long before she could stop and breathe and find a hotel with a pool for the kids, and maybe spend a day or two just with them. From the back seat she heard Zola smack her lips as she started to rouse. She could hear Bailey's breathing change, becoming light and shallow.

She passed a sign that read, Middleton: 1 Mile, and a bevy of signs advertising their quaint townish shops.

Bailey murmured something, causing Meredith glanced in the rearview mirror, smiling when she saw his sleepy blue eyes looking at her. "Morning sunshine," she said softly, before looking back at the road. The sunlight reflected sharply into her eyes as she crested over the top of a small rise in the road, she blinked and raised a hand to block the glare.

It was too late.

"Oh!" she cried, as something appeared directly in front of her. Her foot pressed the brakes, but impact was unavoidable.

Screech-smack-crunch!

Everything went black.

xxx

At Bell, Book and Candle, Cassie hummed as she dusted off a snow globe and placed it back on the shelf. She passed the door, unlocking it and turning the sign of her wondrous shop from closed to open. It was early yet, so she continued her business of dusting, picking up another object, a porcelain statue of a shepherd, when sudden shock and dread struck her. "Grace!" she screamed. In her shock the statue fell out of her hands and shattered.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!