W.I.T.C.H.: The Bloody Throne

Part 2

    For Will, the rest of the day had been spent sneaking daydreams between lessons and picking at her lunch from the cafeteria. Since discovering her pregnancy, the topic of children and family has been on her mind and she couldn't stop it. She through of anything from childbirth to retirement where she hoped she and her husband would be the kind of retirees that spent their day traveling the countryside while telling their grandchildren stories of the good-old-days; she also hoped Meridian Royals would be allowed to retire when their child is mature enough to rule on their own. Luckily, her friends weren't too chatty that day, either recovering from the drive or getting reacclimated to the grind of school. They hadn't mentioned the incident at the cabin or the news that Danny would visit sooner than expected; for the four girls, it was simply another school day. As the day dragged on, Will considered visiting Diana in the Inbetween; she hadn't seen her friend since the wedding and, considering time worked differently in the Inbetween, Diana probably hasn't seen Will in approximately a full year. Right before the lunch bell rang to signal the end of the free time, Will turned to her friends with a smile. "Hey, how about we visit the Inbetween after school and say 'Hi' to Diana and Sophia?"

"That is the best idea you ever had!" cheered Hay-Lyn, pouncing in her seat as if the Inbetween were Disneyland. Clearly, her spirits have been lifted.

"Sure, it would be fun. I am curious how those two are going." Replied Taranee, she had also wondered if Diana was engaged by now but didn't want to get Irma hyped up too much.

"I want to score some of that tea!" No one was surprised that this was what was on Irma's mind. With that, it was settled, and the group would visit the Inbetween right after school. Will wasn't sure if the portal that the back of the school still functioned or if it had been closed, but she thought that it wouldn't hurt to try; besides, surely Diana would have notified them if that was the case.

Once the final bell rang, Taranee, Hay-Lyn, Irma, and Will hurried to the loading area behind the school; making sure no one was following them along the way. They were sure that, should they be caught, that they would be sentenced to detention for a month. When they reached the backside of the school, Will and the girls weren't sure where exactly the portal was and had to spend a good minute fondling the brickwork before Taranee's hand dipped into the wall. With a beaming smile on her face, she cheered, "Found it!"

Within seconds they stood before the familiar Victorian door with its oval, stained glass, window. As if no time had changed, the moment they finished knocking the door swung open to reveal Diana's calm and welcoming self. With a smile and a content shake of her head, she welcomed her friends. "I was wondering when you guys were going to visit."

"Sorry we took so long," began Will with an apologetic and embarrassed smile. "We got a little busy."

"Yeah, Will and her husband were almost eaten by a creature." Added Irma, unable to stop or care if the words fell out of her mouth or how they would be perceived by her audience. As expected, Diana looked at the group in mortification and with the hopes that what Irma said was a poor attempt at comedy. Taranee only patted Diana on the shoulder and gave her an apologetic look that signaled that they would explain later.

"Well...where are my manners...can I offer you, girls, some tea?" offered Diana after catching herself and regaining he bearings. "My husband is in the kitchen as well, if you would like to meet him."