There’s A Light In The Darkness an echo cookie by stepmonster
She had always been a small town girl. Hattiesburg had been a challenge when she had accepted her scholarship. New Orleans or New York it wasn't but it wasn't Summerall, Mississippi either. And it was still Mississippi... This was different. Echo claimed to be a town with southern traditions but there was more than a hint of northern distance. While people were friendly and welcoming there wasn't that overwhelming need to know everything about you right away, no need to know if you were a Bellaman or a Davis, Baptist or other; no need to fill in all the blanks at once. She felt a bit more of the weight of being Sarah Anne Bellaman's granddaughter lift from her shoulders.
At the same time it was a bit unnerving to know that people were seeing her strictly as Allison Anne for the first time since college and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. Sarah Anne's granddaughter, Carole Elizabeth's daughter, that poor Bellaman child, Doctor Bobby Stern's girlfriend (punching bag), witch and Witch, at least some of these were known and mostly accepted by all the people around her at a level that she had never had to consider before even at USM she had been close to her roots. Shaking her head in an attempt to dispel the introspective mood that overtaken her this morning she made the effort to turn her attention to what she needed to do to get her new house in order.
Jenny, Dr. Soren's nurse, had been Gods-sent. She would never have believed that fainting in bar would lead to the first real friend she had since college; since before Bubba Stern, Mr. Ph.D. himself, took over her life. This house was partially Jenny's fault. She had been all set to pack up and continue on to Wheeling. After all with no car and no driver's license she needed to live where she expected to work, didn't she? And Wheeling was more than large enough to hide one runaway. Anonymity had been what she was aiming for and that required a fairly large population base.
She didn't really believe that Mas... that Bubba would come after her but better safe than sorry. How was she to know that Echo's second grade teacher had married and moved at the end of the last school year? Or that Jenny's steady beau was the Principal of the school? If she was anyone other than who she was she'd think coincidence but Memaw hadn't raised a fool, well, at least not in this generation, and coincidences like that were anything but coincidental. First a job interview and a job and now this lovely little house in a quiet neighbourhood. Things were looking up. Finally. Gathering her hair up in a tail and reflexively checking the glamour that hid the most visible reminders of her time with Dr. Asshole, she headed out the door to keep her appointment with Inheritance goblins at the Echo branch of Gringott's. She knew Memaw had left her something but she had never bothered to investigate what it was. It had been safer not to know because then no one could take it from her. She knew it wouldn't be much but even a little something would be a taste of home and foundation for the security she wanted to build for herself now that Bubba was history. Allie crossed her fingers after making sure her wand was still with her; she really, really hoped he was going to stay where he belonged. This was her place... for now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Allie knew that she made an odd sight leaving the converted theatre that housed the smallest branch of Gringott's with Memaw's granny's hand tatted shawl over her tee shirt and jeans. As a child she had thought this shawl to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and she loved those special occasions when Memaw would wear it. It had vanished from Memaw's wardrobe 'round about the same time as Carole Elizabeth's last disaster; she had been afraid that it had been hocked or sold to help fix the mess. She had almost jumped for gladness when she saw it there in the vault along with the family portraits and photo albums, great-granny's grimoire, the recipe and potions instructions and the books that Memaw had used to teach her and the other wizard-born kids in town the more formal magics.
All pieces of Bellaman history; beautiful, lovely, meaningful things to pass on to her own daughters if and when. How could Carole Elizabeth have just turned away from all of this? Carole Elizabeth... if that wasn't just the thing even in her own head she could not- just couldn't- call her Mama. Always by her full and proper name. No pet names for the lost Bellaman daughter. She had never ever heard even Memaw refer to her as anything but Carole Elizabeth... in good times or bad.
Checking the town clock she realized that it was time to meet Jenny for lunch at the little place by Dr. Soren's office. That was a mite closer than she wished to get to the imposing doctor but Jenny said she didn't have much time today and she was dying to know what Allie had found out at Gringotts this morning. It was so nice to have a friend again even if the occasion of their meeting had been slightly less than pleasant. She still had no real idea of exactly what the giant man had said to his nurse but she did remember watching Jenny toss him out of his own office when she realized that their patient was not only awake but also confused and scared.
The care that Jenny had shown in treating the cuts and abrasions was only matched by her tact in not mentioning the scars. Allie supposed that as both woman and nurse Jenny had seen their like before and knew it would take time before she could comfortably discuss the asshole who had put them there. Allie had been rather surprised by Jenny's reaction when she realized it hadn't been her employer who had caused her to faint but the man behind the bar. It seemed she wasn't the first person to react ... strongly to this demon Damon. It seems there had been Wolffes in Echo for almost as long as Bellamans had been in Mississippi, he was a former Marine and had never learned tact according to what Jenny said her mother had said about growing up with him.
"Allie, over here." Jenny’s voice called her out of her fog and into the small cafe.
"Sorry, Jen, I was just kinda going over what I found in the Inheritance vault this morning." Twirling about the heirloom shawl spun out from her shoulders like a vampire's cape. " Like it? It was Memaw's grandma's. I thought it had been lost over the years but I was so glad to find it." Dropping casually into the chair she most carefully folded the shawl and set in on the empty chair away from the flow of traffic.
"Oh it’s gorgeous! You don't see old lace like that very often anymore. I'm a bit shorter on time than I had planned on so let's order first and then you can tell me all of the goodies that you discovered this morning, ok? As long as you aren't looking for junk food you should like everything on the menu." Jenny's rapid-fire delivery was in strong contrast to the way she "looked" at the fabric of the shawl with cautious fingers.
A quick glance at the menu confirmed Jenny's description of the choices and Allie turned her attention the others in the restaurant. Even after such a short time in town there were some familiar faces already. Lunching with Jenny was an always an adventure in introductions. She didn't realize how comfortable she had become with the fact that her friend knew just about everyone in town by name at least until she realized that she was being introduced to ...Marinda as the new second grade teacher.
"Marinda, that is a pretty name." It seems that Marinda had a brother who would be one of Allie's students come fall. Allie opened her mouth to order Fried Chicken and caught herself. That was not what she wanted and quickly changed her order to the fruit salad with pecans and a glass of tea. MaMarie, when were these stupid reminders going to stop showing up in her new life. To distract herself Allie took another look around the pleasant dining room. Everyone looked as they should in a place like this local and comfortable, Echo really wasn't a touristy hot spot. Well, almost everyone.
"Jenny, who does that gorgeous black hair belong to? I wish mine would grow out like that." The hair in question was as dark as her own but ever so much longer and without any hint of the curls that plagued her during the summer humidity. She kept staring, discreetly, at the man with the wonderful hair to the point that she almost missed his name.
"Oh that's Dr. Wolffe. He's a psychiatrist; has an office in the same building that I work in." Jenny sighed. It really was wonderful hair.
"Wolffe? He's related to that scary man in the bar? Forgive me my bluntness but they look nothing alike." And she was completely correct. Dr Wolffe wasn't much taller than she was and had that cascading black hair. He didn't seem near as threatening as his brother? Cousin? Uncle? had even in the brief sight she had had of him before crashing to floor of that bar. Damn he was good lookin' even though he was older than he seemed at first glance. Down right yummy, even.
Jenny's laugh floated out into the room. "Not even close, Allie, hon. Grant is Damon's husband."
"Jenny, tell me you 're kidding. Please, I mean, really, girl. His husband?" As usual surprise and stress brought the drawl back to her voice. Somehow it made the shock in her voice a little more understandable to Jenny. "Unless West Virginia is totally another planet, girl, that just isn't possible. And any way how do youknow. I mean rumours are one thing..."
"Hey, Allie girl, I didn't mean to shock you." Concern moderated the gentle teasing tone of the nurse's voice. "Sweetie, you know that Echo is a mixed community. Did you think that just meant magic, squib and muggle folk?"
Once again Allie found her world being twisted 'round. This was so very different form anything that she had anticipated... Magic and muggle and squib all together comfortably that she could picture. It was the degree of openness here that was harder than she thought to wrap her mind around... Summerall after all had more Muggles than Magic-folk of either type. But gay? That was just wasn't meant to be right out there like that... It might be an open secret but it always was one. A family shame like a squib used to be.
"I don't know what to think. Hattiesburg may be bigger than Summerall but ... MaMarie, girl! It just isn't done! Gods above they'd never survive a semester with out the linebackers trashin' them. And here you is telling me those two men are married... to each other... and no one gives a damn? Is it just cause they are Wolffes?" That idea made sense in Allie's world; the old families of South could get away with any number of oddities. " Jenny, that wasn't a, a, a, a, gay bar was it? I mean... uhm... " Allie added confusion to the list of uncomfortable things she was feeling. The reappearance of Marinda with their lunches was a much-welcomed distraction.
"Settle, girl. Cutty's is an everyone's type of place. The person who sent you there-- you never did tell me who that was, by the way-- did you a favour. Cutty's is like the best place in town if you want friendly and informal. Just relax and enjoy your lunch, you'll get used to it." Food was the sovereign remedy according to both Memaw and Jenny's Granny.
With those words both women turned their attention back to their plates. Allie was once again reminded of the fact that Echo was practically a different world and that had to be a good thing. It would just have to be. Conversation never really returned to its pre-bombshell level. Both of them were considering the gulf between the worlds that they had each grown up in. The easy acceptance that Allie found her friend expressing for those who were different gave Allie a bit of hope.
The fact that Jenny could be so casual about it all; damn it was so different and so not what she expected to hear... but then again doing the opposite of what was expected of her had brought he some very good things. And doing the expected had brought her... Bubba. As if the very thought had summoned it a shadow fell over the table. Allie's attention was pulled to the window trying to find that commonplace explanation for the shadow and the shudder that it caused in her. Any other day or time it would have been easy to dismiss as a cloud in front of the sun or branch moving in the wind but today it was the silhouette of man, tall but not too tall, bulky but not fat. Today it was an omen of disaster.
Frantically she looked around with unseeing eyes for a hiding place a place that would allow her to disappear. "Can't be. Can't be. ISN'T." She never heard the words that were falling from her mouth; never noticed the concern that was appearing in the face across the table. "Isn't can't be isn't isn't ...but if it is... how... no... can't be... isn't... can't find me... isn't isn't isn't." Her voice grew more and more frantic as she moved from her chair to the corner, "not him, not here, no... no... nononononono." Waves of magic rose and crashed across the dining room in alternating response to her broken voice. The mutter became muffled not only because her face was pressed into her knees as she huddled in the corner but by the rising tide of crashing crockery and up-ended tables.
She never noticed that the circle of destruction was getting smaller but Jenny did. Yet it still came as a surprise to hear the calm tones of Dr. Wolffe directing her to get Max ... now, please. It sounded as if it might be bit of a strain for him to hold Allie's magic in check. Not wanting to leave her friend alone with someone Allie didn't know or trust Jenny made her way through the debris and rising tide of questions from the other patrons to use the phone at the cashier's counter. Quickly dialling the direct line into the back office she explained to her boss what was happening and hurried back to Allie's side relaying the message to Dr. Wolffe.
"Max says he'll be here as quick as he can and he's bringing reinforcements." Message delivered, Jenny returned her attention to her friend.
"Allie, sweet, it's Jenny. You're safe here. It's alright, girl, no-one's gonna hurt you." Jenny focused her attention on her friend - calm and soothing tones but after one attempt at a comforting touch was met by a violent lash of Allie's magic she didn't try that again. Dr. Wolffe was managing to keep Allie's magic from reaching any further into the crowded room and at the same time blur what was actually occurring in their corner from public view. He may not have known exactly who Allie was but he was more than familiar with the after effects of having a breakdown/panic attack in front of strangers. Whoever this young woman he was very sure that when she was herself again she would be grateful that someone had thought to keep from becoming a public entertainment.
"Jennifer, who is she? And is there family or someone who should be notified?" Dr. Wolffe's voice broke through Jenny's attempts to bring Allie back to the here and now.
"She's new in town, Dr. Wolffe, and doesn't have any family in the area. I'm her closest friend but Max has treated her before. So they are at least familiar with each other. Oh hell, Severus isn't still here, is he?" A bite of anxiousness entered her voice. She was positive that Max's snarky friend was not someone Allie could cope with meeting just yet. He was someone she didn't feel all that comfortable around, even if Max insisted he was mostly harmless.
"Severus has returned to Scotland, Jennifer. I have no idea ..." Dr. Wolffe's voice trailed off as he felt a very familiar presence supporting his magic. "Damon, I should have know you'd be who Max was referring to when he told Jennifer he was bringing reinforcements."
Max's professional voice overrode whatever response Damon Wolffe made to his husband in Jenny's ears, at least. She went into nurse mode and began giving Max as full a report as she could without knowing what had trigged Allie's collapse. What she wasn't expecting was for Allie to react to Damon Wolffe's voice. Allie didn't understand a word that dreaded voice was saying but she knew that tone... and she knew that she had done something very, very wrong for it to have followed her here. She tried to crawl further back into the corner, instinctually making sure her back was protected and her head was covered. The roar of fear overrode the calming words of her friend and made her stammers become louder as the switched from prayers of negation to pleas for forgiveness.
"Damon, shut up. Grant, has she been this upset the entire time?" Max attempted to control the situation before they attracted any more attention. This girl certainly had a way of a becoming the center of a room without even trying. He wondered what she was like when she wasn't either a) fainting b) having a panic attack or c) recovering from one or the other. "Jenny, try and get her to focus back on you. Does she live close enough for you take her home... No, I want to get her back to the office and if this doesn't break soon I'm going to need to admit her for observation. Grant, if needed do you have room in your schedule for a new patient or one of the others in your practice?"
Grant started to speak and then stopped and thought. There was something in Max's manner that made him reconsider his first instinct to agree to add the waif to his patient roster. "Not me but I think Dr. Baker might be willing to see her. But ultimately that will be up to... What did you say her name was, Jennifer?"
"Bellaman, Allison Bellaman. I think Dr. Baker would be a good choice. She has alot of experience with abused women." Jenny abruptly closed her mouth. Allie hadn't actually ever come out and said anything and it might be that Jenny was overreacting. She really didn't think that she was though. "Will you leave word with Pati, Dr. Wolffe or do you want me to do it seeing as she is Max's patient?"
All through Jenny and Grant's conversation Max had been running a discreet scan of the petite brunette. All seemed in order discounting the panic attack and corresponding physical symptoms. After a brief whispered conversation with Damon he cast a Silencio on the distraught woman just as Damon cast a calming spell but Grant kept up the bubble that was distorted them all from casual view.
Allie felt the effects of the calming spell even if she couldn't tell in her present state exactly which of the wizards around her had cast it she trusted that Jenny wouldn't knowingly put her in harm’s way. Somehow that wasn't as much consolation as she had hoped for. It was a good calming spell, however. It held against the panic attempting to reassert itself as she felt herself lifted out of the protective corner and carried out of the cafe.
"What is it about you, little one?"
Allie was never sure afterwards if she had actually heard Dr. Soren speak.