How Soon Is Now

Part Two - Chapter Twenty-Four: Telling Fernando

Nora, Charlotte and Lucas frowned as staring at the man sat across from them; they didn't know what was going on, but it was like their mother was bewitched by him and they were all worried. 

"Mama?" Nora asked looking at Nicola, who smiled at her as she entered the room; it had been three weeks since she had met William and she felt it was time that he met her children. 

Amber and Marissa had been thrilled when they had heard that Nicola had a date for the first time in years; they felt a little guilty that Nicola was still under their spell to help her get over Fernando but they were happy that she was moving on. 

Nora glared at William as he wrapped his arms around her mother's waist and kissed her softly, the little girl didn't trust the man that had somehow enchanted their mother. 

"Is everything alright Nora?" Nicola asked concerned as she spotted the look on her step-daughter's face and moved to her side; the only time that the blonde didn't seem bewitched was when it came to her children. 

Charlotte watched as her mother comforted her sister before she turned to the dark haired man, who was staring at Nicola and Nora with a frown on his face; the three children had made it very clear that they didn't like him. 

Using her telekinesis, Charlotte lifted a knife from the dining table and threw it at William who deflected it without even flinching making Charlotte and Lucas stare at him surprised. 

None of them could understand what Nicola saw in the stranger that was now standing in their dining room, but they knew that they needed to get rid of him. 

Their future selves had left to see if they could discover how to remove Neena's curse from Fernando so that they could get their parents back together; however they had yet to return, which left Nora, Charlotte and Lucas the last defense to save their parents.

"I don't like him... he has strange thoughts," Nora admitted softly making Nicola look at her confused; however before she could doubt William, she felt something that made her smile and look at her children as if the doubt had been erased from her mind. 

"I know it strange but mama is happy with William like she was with your papa," Nicola explained making Nora and Charlotte look at her concerned; whatever was going on it was clear they had to tell their father. 

William smirked realising that the spell was holding strong, he moved to wrap an arm around Nicola and led her away from the children; he had a job to do and Neena wouldn't be happy if he didn't do it. 

Nora and Charlotte watched as their mother leave with William, they had tried to warn the other witches of the coven that there was something wrong with William but no one believed them; they were all too happy that Nicola was moving on. 

"What are we gonna do?" Lucas asked softly, he didn't like the fact that no one seemed to care that William was a creep; he had done something to their mother and they weren't sure what. 

Charlotte and Nora looked at one another there was only one adult that they could turn to right now that might be able to help them get rid of William before he hurt their mother. 

"We have to tell papa... he will help us," Nora murmured looking at her siblings, the last thing that she wanted was for William to get away with this; he was trouble and while the other adults might not realize that but they did. 

Charlotte and Lucas looked at one another, it wasn't going to be easy and they hoped that talking to Fernando would work; they needed William gone as quickly as possible.

***

"Papa... can we talk?" Nora asked softly making Fernando stop what he was doing and look at his nine year old daughter, she had never sounded so serious in her life and it set him on edge a little. 

Charlotte was sat next to her, the five year old knew that her father wasn't going to be happy with what they had to tell him; she didn't want to hurt him but they wanted someone to believe them about William. 

"What is it Nora?" Fernando asked carefully moving to sit in front of his two daughters, he could sense that something had been bothering them for a while now. 

Charlotte glanced at Lucas, who hovered by the door; the four year old boy knew what his sisters were going to do and he wasn't sure that they were doing the right thing. 

"It's about mama... we are worried papa," Nora said making Fernando's eyes widen, it had been a long time since his children had mentioned their mother to him like this; he usually relied on Amber or Marissa to tell him of his ex-wife and what was going on. 

"What about your madre? Is she safe?" Fernando asked concerned, he loved Nicola more than anything and to have his two daughters tell him that something was wrong made him feel sick. 

Nora licked her lips as she tug some hair behind her ear as she watched her father, she knew this would hurt him but they needed his help if they were going to get rid of William. 

"We need you to listen... it's important papa, something has happened and we need your help," Nora pleaded making her sister shoot her a look before Fernando furrowed his brow as stared at his eldest daughter then he nodded. 

Nora was worried that her father would just ignore them like everyone else did, she couldn't let William hurt her family and no one else seemed to be listening to her.

"I know this is hard to hear but Mama had met someone but there's something off about him," Nora explained watching the heartbroken look that appeared on Fernando's face, she expected him to be upset and she didn't blame him. 

Fernando stared at his children for a moment, he had known sooner or later that Nicola would one day move on; they had been divorced for four years now but it still hurt to know that she had someone else after everything that had happened. 

"Papa por favor, there's something bad about him," Charlotte said making Fernando snap out of his thoughts and look at his youngest daughter; he didn't like what she was saying, the five year old had become good a reading people as she got older. 

Nora smiled knowing that their father would listen to them, she wasn't sure what they would have done if he hadn't; they needed someone to speak with their mother and get rid of man that worried them. 

"What do you mean... there's something bad about him?" Fernando asked making Charlotte look at Nora, who nodded at her to continue; they needed their father to believe them and they weren't going to give up until he agreed to help them. 

Fernando swallowed wondering what was going on, he didn't like the fact that it was his children coming to him with this and not someone else; he wondered what was going on that he didn't know about. 

"He appeared from nowhere... whenever mama is with him it's like she's bewitched, Aunt Amber and Marissa are acting weird whenever he is about," Charlotte listed making Fernando stare at them; he didn't like the sound of this and was glad that his daughters had told him about this. 

Fernando knew Nicola and if his children were coming to him then something had to be wrong, he worried for his ex-wife and he would certainly be contacting someone to find out what was going on.