Spies and Witches

Settling In

Morning Glory Circle. The perfect place for a young divorcée with two young daughters to settle down. Or not, but it's not like this particular woman had much of a choice about where she went. And now this was where her job required her to go.

Of course, her job wasn't so much a job as a way of life. Certain jobs were like that. Presidents, members of royalty... and spies.

But as Catherine Hale ushered her two daughters into their new house, her mind wasn't on espionage. She was focused on getting the house in order. That didn't take very long, though, because Catherine just so happened to be a witch.

Waving her arms through the air, Catherine slid their furniture into place.

She had just finished arranging things when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Erica, who was four, yelled.

"Alright," Catherine said, running to the door behind her.

"Oh, hello," Mrs. Kravitz said, looking down at Erica. "I'm your neighbor from over there." She pointed down the block at her house.

Erica just looked up, studying her new neighbor.

"Hello," Catherine said, shaking Mrs. Kravitz's hand.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Mrs. Kravitz said. "I've just come over to see if you need any help moving in."

"No, thank you. I think we've got that all taken care of." Catherine gestured to the completely furnished and pulled together living room.

"Oh. Well, wasn't that awfully fast?"

"Yes, I suppose it was," Catherine said. "But I like getting things put in their places right away."

Mrs. Kravitz nodded, then leaned in secretively. "I also want to warn you about the Stephens," she said. "They live next door to you. Samantha, especially, is very strange. I just know there's something funny going on over there, and you'd probably be safer staying out of it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Catherine said politely and shut the door.

"Is Samantha like us?" Erica asked, having overheard what Mrs. Kravitz said.

"Yes," Catherine answered.

"Is she a witch or a spy?"

"Just a witch," Catherine said.

"So what else does she do?" Erica asked.

"Nothing, really."

"That sounds boring," Erica said.

"Well, it's what she wants," Catherine said.

"Why would anyone want to try and be normal unless they were undercover on a mission or something like that?" Erica asked.

"Because some people are just like that," Catherine said.

Erica wiggled her nose to open the window and then stuck her head out the window to look over at the Stephens' house.

"Can we go over there?" Erica asked.

"Sure," Catherine said. "Just remember: no espionage. They aren't the enemy here."

"I know," Erica said.

*     *     *

"Why don't you two go upstairs and play with Tabitha?" Samantha said to Erica and Trixie.

"Okay," Erica said, walking up the stairs with Trixie.

"Why don't you come sit down?" Samantha said to Catherine.

"Of course," Catherine said.

Darrin looked over at Catherine warily. "Sam, can you come help me in the kitchen?"

Already? Sam thought, but she said, "Sure, darling."

Samantha and Darrin went into the kitchen.

"You know her," Darrin whispered.

"Yes."

"Well, is she, you know, a..."

"A witch? What do you think?" Sam asked as an apple floated by on its way upstairs to where the girls were playing.

"Does that apple mean the girls are witches too?" Darrin asked.

"That is how things tend to work when neither parent is mortal. Though I'm sure the genetics of it would have been a bit more complicated in their case."

"What do you mean 'a bit more complicated?'"

"Their dad is-"

A ding sound came from the living room.

"What was that?" Darrin asked.

"Mother," Sam said, going back into the living room, Darrin following close behind her.

"Hello, Catherine," Endora said, perched on the arm of the sofa. "Samantha. Derwood."

"First of all, it's Darrin," Samantha said. "And second, why are you here?"

"Well, I heard Catherine had come here, and I knew I had to come and make sure she wasn't about to start living a dreary life like yours. She did have such a close call last time."

"Endora, I'm not here to get married," Catherine said.

"And I'm here to make sure of it," Endora said.

"Endora, you really don't have to do that," Catherine said.

"Nonsense. I won't have you failing in the way that my daughter did. Really, she might be better off doing what you did and getting a divorce."

"Sam and I are not getting a divorce!" Darrin exclaimed.

"Mother, I think you had better leave," Samantha said.

"Oh, fine. But I'll be back," Endora said, popping out.

"Why did she just leave?" Darrin asked. "That was too easy."

"Well I don't know," Sam said.

"Something must be going on," Darrin said.

"I'm sure it's fine," Samantha said. "Now, Catherine, what brings you here?"

"Work. Anything more's classified, I'm afraid," Catherine said.

"What do you mean by that?" Darrin asked. "Who do you work for?"

Knowing Catherine wasn't supposed to tell, Samantha said, "Darrin's very trustworthy. And you can always clear his memory if you really have to."

Darrin started to protest the whole memory-clearing thing, but Catherine stopped him. "I work for MI6."

"Then why are you here and not some enemy country like the Soviet Union?" Darrin asked suspiciously.

"I am here to work with the CIA, not against it," Catherine said. "And besides, my ex-husband is CIA. I would never want to spy on him." She had, of course, but she hadn't necessarily wanted to, was the distinction Catherine was making in her head to justify saying this.

"Does MI6 know you're a witch?"

"Why should they?" Catherine asked. "All that matters is that I get results for them. My methods should only matter to me."

"But that's dishonest!" Darrin said.

"This is espionage," Catherine said. "This is nothing." Then, to change the subject, she asked Samantha, "How is your family? Is Aunt Clara still running into trouble?"

"I'm afraid so," Sam said. "But mostly things are quite well. Darrin's career has been doing great."

"And we are trying to keep it that way," Darrin said.

"Naturally," Catherine agreed.

"We try to keep things normal around here," Darrin said. "No witchcraft. And no spy craft, either."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Catherine said.