Love For Too Many

Chapter 56

The bags were packed last night. Every trace of our existence has been wiped from this awfully dreary apartment. Wendy is curled up on the couch with her blankie and a pout rests over her features.

She knows something is wrong, my energy is all over the place. I went out for the last time today in London and a pregnant mother was shot down by a gun man, a mere 2 streets from me. I ran to her side as soon as I could safely do so and then transported her into a dark alley way with me.

With the last few beats of her heart I gave her poly juice potion and she transformed into me. I replaced her body where she was shot and with a covering of my face I informed someone that Y/n Y/l/n had died.

News spread like wildfire in the last 3 hours. I left my parents a voicemail telling them that they are to give no information to the public about anything. Then I hung up and started getting Wendy and I ready.

Guilt riddled my every move. That poor woman's family isn't going to know what happened to her for a while. The poly juice potion has never (to my knowledge) been used on a dying person). The poison may work it's way out of her system or she may look like me forever.

It doesn't matter at this point. Once the wizarding world knows of my passing, Wendy and I are free to live our lives in America and eventually little Henley too.

I grab Wendy by the hand, doing one last glance around the room and then I apparate us away.

The soil sinks in as we land. The warm sun shining down on us and the soft grass cushioning us from below. A smile blooms across Wendy's face just like the field of wildflowers in front of us.

"Momma!" I smile and release her hand as she runs forward. "It's so pretty!"

"It is isn't it, there's much more to see." I point down a loose stone pathway and she starts skipping down it. I follow behind with a big smile.

As we get closer, our cottage comes into view. I can't help but laugh at our beautiful little house. Standing in the doorway is a tall lanky blonde man smiling and waving. Oh how I've missed him. My Clint.

Wendy looks back at me and I nod. She takes off towards the house in full sprint; stopping mere inches from Clint to stare up at him and smile.

"Hi!"

"Hey little dude." She giggles at that and then reaches both arms up. Her blankie still clutched in her hand.

Clint places his hands under her armpits and lifts her up easily. She sits on his hip grinning ear to ear. It doesn't take me long before I'm standing in front of them both.

"You ready for this?" Clint asks.

"No, but yes at the same time. I can't believe you knew how to get this."

"It's an old family home but no one has used it in years. If you like it enough, you could buy it from us and live here as long as you'd like."

"You're too sweet. Did you get everything I asked for?"

"Yep, new identification and credit cards along with a good stack of cash. I even got you a food stamp. There's a grocery store about 2 miles east of here. It's calm, secluded, but easily accessible for food and emergencies."

I drop the bags at my feet gently and wrap my arms around his neck, being careful of Wendy. And gave him the biggest hug I could muster out of my sore aching bones.

"I think you might die from pleasure when I say this." He whispers in my ear.

I pull back and arch a brow at him.

"There's a warm bath freshly drawn for you in the master suite. I'll take Wendy exploring by the creek over there." He points off towards the trees. "While you get some well deserved self care."

"This is why you're my best friend Clint." He smiles and I take Wendy's blankie.

"You don't wanna get this dirty, I'll have it waiting for you." She just continues to smile and nods. The two of them start off on their adventure.

I head inside with our bags and set them down in the master suite. I can see a little steam coming from under the bathroom door. It must be piping hot still.

Before I decide to slide into the warmth, I do a little digging and find the linen closet which is stacked full of fluffy white towels and mini soaps. Probably stolen from hotel rooms.

I bring them to the bathroom and when I open the door I'm greeted with an immense amount of steam. And for the first time in months, I can breathe. Fully breathe.

I close the door behind me, set my toiletries down, light a few candles I found under the sink, turn off the lights, and strip off my dark, worn clothes.

When I'm fully naked, I step into the water and the heat burns slightly. It's not bad though, it's the kind of burn that brings you back into your body. Back into reality. The heat slowly but surly climbs its way up my body, between the v of my thighs, past my belly button, to the curve of my breast, above my nipples, slowly covering my shoulders, and then I fully submerge.

My hair flows freely in the water. Through the slowly increasing burn in my lungs, the ache in my bones seemed to fade with every passing second.

When I lift my head from my steaming water and take a deep breath of the chilled yet steamy air, my lungs burn in the most delightful, delicious way.

I'm alive, my babies are alive.

That's the one thing a person gets to hold on to. Over everything else in life, they are alive, and having that refreshing reminder sparks something in me that's been dead for months.

Pure joy.