The Blackthorns

*~*~* Quinn *~*~*

*~* May 1, 1974 *~*

It was Beltane. Or if you listen to Evan, Calan Mai. Quinn had dragged the kids around to gather hawthorn and decorate. They had hosted the bonfire for the nearest border families the night before. There were fewer and fewer in the area as they moved on to other countries or were absorbed into the wizarding world, but there were still enough to be quite the party. The ghosts had all come out and the seers and scryers were in rare form.

Evan had dragged Baz out of the barn by his collar at one point as he had been caught snogging one of the local girls. Thankfully he'd been caught before it had gone farther. The boy had confessed to his dad that he had a second chance to be a normal teenage boy and all the normal teenaged fumblings. He wanted to explore. He wanted the chance to have that experience. Besides how was he going to find his one if he didn't get out there and look?

Quinn had laughed herself silly. Evan had been quite the flirt at 14, too.

"That boy will be the death of me," Evan complained as he helped Quinn get dessert. "I couldn't even really argue with him."

"He'll find her. He may not realize at the time, but he'll find her."

Evan paused and then gently turned Quinn to look at him, "Have you been having episodes?"

"Yes, but they're different now," Quinn said softly. She gave him a sad look. They had helped. She knew her time was running out, but it was as if adopting the kids had made her core stabilize some. And instead of the timeline where Evan had moved on from her, she saw this one. The one where her children grew and loved and lost and lived. She saw her grandson. Her grandchildren. She wouldn't tell Evan about the rest of them though. It would spoil the surprise if she told him. The visions helped. It helped her to see that in the end they succeeded. It helped her to be okay with going.

"Different how?"

"I see this timeline. Ever since Halloween, I see them. Baz and Vi. You. I see you."

"What do you see?"

"I see Baz's girl. I see little Eddie grow up. I see Vi's triad. And I see you. Old and grey and still visiting me on the hill to tell me all about it. I see what might have been if I had actually had them. If they had been born to be Baz and Vi. Festivals in Mexico. Visiting America. I wish they had memories of all the things they were supposed to have seen with us."

"Why can't we do what they did? Pull your memories of those visions and let them experience it."

"Not a bad idea." She smirked at him.

"The visions don't hurt you?" He frowned at her.

"No." She soothed him. "Now they comfort me. I see my loved ones happy. My only grief is that I am not there."

"Do you know..." Evan trailed off unable to ask.

"No. Before Samhain? I don't know exactly when. I am determined to stay as long as I can. I think the adoption helped. I think it restablized me a little. Bought me time."

"I'm more grateful than ever," Evan pulled her into his arms. "I promise to do the best I can to help them."

"You will, love," Quinn nodded, "you will help them hunt and fight and win. You will help them with nappies and weddings and birthday parties. Possibly in that order, possibly not."

"I look forward to it. One moment at a time. Right now I just want to eat my pudding and cuddle with my wife." Quinn stiffened in his arms.

*****

There was a picnic going on. There was quite the crowd but she picked out the people most important to her. Vi was heavily pregnant and resting against one of her husbands who was caressing her belly with reverence. Eddie and a couple of other small children were running races up and down the hill. Evan was the line judge. Vi's other husband was the starter and stood near where Quinn watched. Baz came out of the house with a tiny bundle of pink in his arms followed by his wife who had an equally tiny bundle of blue.