The Tiberius J. Swann Education Facility

Who: Ava and Finn
What: Dancing
Where: A pub in Danvers
When: Evening

Finn had not been up to his usual par recently and Garret had made it very clear that he noticed. Things just hadn't been what they used to be. Rorie was gone for the weekend for himself and stuff. Finn wasn't included in much anymore. He was like a vase or Pete. Eck. His cat, Thing, had taken to ignoring him. Bastard. It was time to make a break from the routine of work and home. So, with no one else to go, he had dressed to go out that night. A pub in Danvers was having a live band with dancing and he figured a few girls would come in hopes of some dashing Irishman would be there to whisk them off to the Emerald Isle. Well. . . His room had green walls.

He was finishing up the last bit of trash as he got to one of the teacher's room. Knocking and coming in, he pulled the trash bin to the door so he didn't have to drag it in. "Just grabbin' the trash," he said in a small grunt. His outfit was not the typical janitorial and maintenance ensemble. It was nice dress slacks, black with white pin stripes. A wallet was tucked into his back pocket, a shiny chain dangling. White button up shirt with suspenders and a vest matching his slacks covered his top. An old time, gray fedora with a tiny red feather sat tilted on his head. The only thing that gave away that he was staff was the ID he had clipped to his vest pocket.

( Ye know, if ye keep that face too long that it'll get stuck that way? )

Who: Ava and Starbuck.
What: The vampire needs someone else to talk.
Where: His apartment.
When: Friday evening.

Ava was, ironically, on campus working on a song which she was thinking about sending Charlie. Their anniversary was coming up and he was weighing heavily on her mind. The song had been mostly written before he left, and finished after the spell and his subsequent departure, but she was trying to get at least a rough recording done and decide if she would send it to him afterall.

What she was NOT expecting from her day was to receive something from Charlie. Especially not what was delivered to her. Divorce papers. For a couple of minutes Ava just stood there looking at them in a state of shock. What an anniversary gift. There were no tears, she just seemed to become... empty. It almost didn't feel real. Should she sign them? Should she talk to Charlie? He wanted a divorce...

There were three people Ava found herself thinking of, three people she could share this with now. Godric was probably back at the house, and right now she didn't feel like driving was such a good idea, plus he had been avoiding her. Ana spent so much time dealing with her twin's disasters that it didn't feel fair to throw this at her. Then there was Starbuck. He could be a pain in the ass, especially when it came to meddling in Ava and Charlie's marriage, but she still found herself outside his apartment, knocking on the door and sincerely hoping he was there. He was one of her best friends, and she needed him right now.

Who: Ava and Ric
What: Distraction
Where: BGH
When: Friday night/Saturday morning.

Everything was moved, with help from her recruited band of helpers. Ava had had her fun teasing and flirting along the way, distracting herself from this step of walking away from her married life, but eventually she was left on her own, in her new apartment. She could have called someone over. Ana would probably be there in a second if she said she needed company, or Ava could have just walked across the hall to her sister's own apartment, but Ana had been dealing with her twin the whole break, she deserved some time with Adam without worrying about her twin, and Ava knew her sister was worried. If only she could convince her there was no reason to...

In the end it was the piano which drove her out. It was hard not to end up looking at the present from Charlie, since it took up a fair amount of the living area. She was going to have to get a screen to hide it, just until it stopped hurting so much to see it, but that wasn't going to happen tonight, so she'd go out. She packed an overnight bag, and Ava ran away from the problem, although it was unlikely she would ever admit that was what she was doing.

A bottle of whiskey and a bottle of tequila was picked up, more as a habit than for their ability to actually numb anything, although she could give it a good go, and she continued on her way. Eventually she found herself at her destination though. Godric Witt's house. The alcohol went in her bag, and she knocked on the door, waiting to see who answered.

Who: Starbuck, Ava, and Ana
When: Thursday (probably noonish?)
Where: Ana's apartment
What: checking in on the teenage twins

Starbuck went to Ava's apartment first, because he was actually friends with her, and it was closer to his own apartment. But after several minutes of knocking with no reply, he decided to head over to Ana's place. Along the way, Starbuck kept an eye open for anyone who was like Godric.. looked familiar, like the could be related to someone he knew.. just in case he had to explain this crazy situation to another person. But he didn't bump into anyone. Perhaps some people were so scared, they'd just decided to stay locked in their rooms. Good plan.

When he got to Ana's place, Starbuck knocked again. He didn't hear any sort of response at first, so he called out, "Ana? Ava? It's Starbuck.. you don't remember me.. but I'm a friend." Based on what Cissy had told him, it sounded like the twins were confused, and that Charlie had been with them. Confused likely meant that he'd tried to explain what was going on. Hopefully, Starbuck wouldn't have to start from scratch with them.

Who: Charlie and Ava (and Ana later)
When: Wednesday evening
Where: their apartment, then Ana's
What: Charlie sucks at saying goodbye

He couldn’t explain it, but Charlie felt something tighten around his heart as he ran along the sidewalk. Nearly tripping from the sensation, he came to a halt and looked around in every direction, holding his hand to his chest. Something was wrong. Immediately, his thoughts went to Maggie. Charlie didn’t hesitate in pulling out his phone to call his brother. But after a short conversation filled with, “Are you sure?” type questions, Charlie was convinced that nothing was wrong with his niece or the rest of his family. That only left one other person: Ava.

Charlie tried calling her as well, but the calls kept going to voicemail. He was walking at first, but as the third call failed to reach something other than a recording, Charlie started running again. There was nothing leisurely about his pace. Charlie flat out sprinted back to campus. Why had he traveled so far tonight? He had a lot on his mind, but he shouldn’t have run several miles away from home. Something was wrong, and he couldn’t get back to the apartment fast enough.

Being a vampire, he didn’t get winded, but he was certainly frantic as he barged into the home he still shared with Ava. “What’s wrong?” he called out as he searched the apartment for her. “Are you okay?”

( continued... )

Who: Charlie and Ava
What: Starting his birthday off
Where: The apartment
When: A little after midnight.

To be completely fair, Ava had intended to be back earlier than she was, having left New York as soon as the sun set enough for her to go, but her car had other ideas. After breaking down and bribing people into getting it running again, she was delayed by a few hours, enough to be creeping into the apartment in the middle of the night.

She had no idea if Charlie would still be awake, or how upset he was by the fact she left for a couple of days, so she was trying to be as quiet as she possibly could as she slipped in and went to the bedroom, just in case. In the end it didn't matter though, when Ava opened the door her husband was wide awake, sitting on the floor. "Hi... Sorry I'm so late. I broke down." She explained, slipping in and sitting down with Charlie to kiss him softly in greeting. "On the plus side, I get to be the first to say Happy Birthday. Happy birthday. What were you working on?" Yes, she had every intention of pretending everything was fine and normal.

Who: Ava, Charlie, and his whole family
When: Thursday night
Where: Lewis' house in town
What: Thanksgiving dinner and ANOTHER difficult conversation

Dinner was great, at least Charlie imagined it was. He ate along with his family, because seeing him eat somehow set his family at ease. The food didn't have much flavor, and that depressed Charlie somewhat. This had been his favorite meal of the year for many years, and then it was one of the most hated after his mother's death, before becoming his favorite again after Maggie was born. He'd gone through phases of feeling thankful for all he had in life. There were dark periods where it felt as though he had nothing to be grateful for, and he spent those times cursing God for the shit that had fallen on him. He cursed himself during those times too, because nearly everything bad that had ever happened to him had been his own damn fault.

It felt that way again. So many people were going to be unhappy soon, and it was his fault. He almost wished he'd never gotten involved with Ava. Leaving wouldn't be so hard if she'd just been a friend. Now his whole family was forced to say goodbye, and none of them wanted to. But, per Charlie's orders, no one was allowed to try and talk her out of her decision. He didn't want her feeling guilty for the choice she'd made. William was the most reluctant to follow this rule. He felt he could change her mind. Charlie forbid his father from trying. They were going to enjoy this night together as a family for Maggie's sake, and so that they'd all have a good memory to take with them when they moved in a few weeks.

With the meal over, and everyone feeling stuffed, Maggie was called into the kitchen by her father and grandfather to help clean up. Alicia had cooked everything, as always, and her only request was that she not have to clean up afterward. It was a system they'd developed over the years, and everyone seemed okay with it.

She pulled Charlie and Ava into the living room and turned on the TV so she wouldn't be overheard by Maggie. "We need to tell her, Charlie. It's getting harder to make all our moving plans without her knowing what's going on, and she asked me today why you're not working. She knows something is up. I think we should tell her tonight. She's going to need to time adjust to the idea and get excited about moving."

Charlie frowned. He didn't want to tell Maggie yet. Yes, it was a much better school for her, and he knew she'd love it and the city eventually, but she'd be heartbroken when she learned Ava wasn't joining them, nor would any of the friends they'd made. "Can't it wait a few days?"

Alicia paused before shaking her head. "No. It can't. Lewis and I want to tell her, and we want the whole family present when we do. We're all here right now. It's time."

Who: Charlie and Ava
When: Tuesday night (late)
Where: their apartment
What: a difficult conversation

Charlie wasn't looking forward to his return to campus. Yes, he missed everyone, but he realized that his return would include some difficult goodbyes, one of which could do irreparable damage to his heart. What if this marked the end of his marriage? It was something he'd tried so hard to hold together in recent months. He'd fought for this love he shared with Ava, and it had been rough. Now they might actually have to call it quits because of something he loved most about her, and he knew she respected deeply in him: the love and undying devotion to their families. Charlie had to be wherever Maggie was, and he knew Ava wouldn't leave her sister. He wouldn't dream of asking such a thing of her. It wasn't a reasonable request.

As he walked through the front door to their apartment and set down his bags, Charlie was greeted by Cassius first. "Heeey," he said in the most upbeat tone he could muster. He kept trying to tell himself that even if he and Ava were on opposite sides of the country, they could maybe find a way to stay together. Or maybe, by some miracle, she'd want to come with him.. dragging Ana along with her. He didn't exactly like the idea of Ana moving too, but if it meant he could keep his family together, then it was worth it.

Who: Ava and Charlie
What: Going back to the apartment.
Where: Apartment mostly.
When: Friday night, a little after ten.

Ava wasn't sure she could believe this was happening. Ok, so it wasn't like Charlie had turned around and said that he forgave her and they should go back to the apartment to spend the entire night having make-up sex, but still, it was something. It was progress.

She let Charlie unlock the door since his key was a lot closer to hand than hers, even if it did mean having to unlace their fingers. "So... out of curiousity... how much of your body is covered in that glitter, because I think we might look like we fed on a fairy if there's much more than I can see...." She laughed, looking him over again in normal lighting.

Who: The Whole School
What: Halloween Festivities
Where: The Whole School
When: Evening into the night

What was once a place of learning had quickly been transformed into an almost unrecognizable playground. The staff, as they had done at the back to school mixer, had gone to great lengths to create a Halloween Party that would make any but the most stubborn of people leave their problems back home. From the commons room, to the facilities, to the very grounds themselves, everything was being utilized to provide the most extravagant celebration many of the new students would ever have seen.

The commons room was being utilized as a cinema for the evening, playing a mixture of classic, and modern horror movies, from Frankenstein and the Wolf man, to the recently released remake of Halloween. There was also a list so students could make requests if there wasn’t enough interest in any of the movies being shown.

As per the last celebration, their were many areas for students to enjoy a wide variety of music, with a techno style dance club in the dance studio, complete with lack light and disco balls and a personal DJ. The pool was filled with floating candles and flowers, with soft music produced by a string quartet wafting through the room, and the music room was home to a small dance floor which was driven by a man playing graceful classic tunes on the piano.

In the lounge of the rec hall, there were various games for any willing participants, including bobbing for apples, and a game where you could supposedly tell the first initial of the person you were destined to marry by how the skin fell when peeling an apple. There were also fortune tellers and palm readers, real of course. After all, in a school that catered to such gifts, it was easy to stir up a few willing participants. There was also a wide variety of Fall themed treats, not only candy but also traditional pumpkin stuffs, and other like dishes.

However, the main attraction was a haunted house trail that ran the length of the grounds, and which had a few special surprises put in place by the staff. Though, of course, the goal wasn’t to completely terrify the students, it certainly would not be your normal haunted house trail, and there was a posted sign warning those less brave of students to not risk the terrors that awaited within.

Who: Charlie and Ava
When: Thursday early evening
Where: their apartment
What: Ava moving in again

In anticipation of Ava’s return, something Charlie had not yet discussed with Maggie, he asked his father to come pick her up and take her to his place for dinner. Charlie felt it would be easier on everyone if she wasn’t around when Ava moved in again. Maggie’s presence would force Charlie and Ava to wear fake smiles and behave as though nothing was wrong. Charlie just couldn’t muster that kind of bullshit right now. He and Ava needed to get past the awkwardness as well as possible, without an audience, and then Maggie could come home and celebrate the surprise. She’d be thrilled to have Ava back, and that was what was most important to Charlie.

He was on the floor, wrestling a bit with Cassius, when the door opened and Ava showed herself inside. He didn’t expect her to knock, and it seemed foolish for her to do so. Charlie had invited her to move back in. This was her home. “She’s having dinner at Dad’s,” he said almost immediately, knowing Ava would wonder.

Cassius left Charlie to run over and greet Ava. His paws didn’t leave the ground, but it was clear he did want to jump up on her. Instead, he wiggled about anxiously, eager to be pet.

Who: Ava and Charlie
What: A fight and an end...
Where: Their apartment.
When: Sunday, early afternoon

Well this whole thing was a mess. There were the twins with their switch plan, intending to have a bit of a laugh seeing if their men could truly tell them apart, and it had all gone wrong. Very wrong. This was different from the other times she and Charlie had fought though. The other times, and especially the last time, she had known exactly what she had done wrong, which was part of the reason she kept putting off talking then, but this time she wasn’t completely sure why Charlie was so angry, which not only meant she didn’t have a clue how to fix it, but meant she was more confused and upset than angry in return.

Today was a new day though. It had been way over twenty four hours since his initial blow up, and Ava had let him have the space he demanded, staying at Ana’s apartment that night, but now she was going to brave the storm. She was going back to their apartment. She was wearing Ana’s clothes, but still looked like herself again as she stood outside the door and turned the key in the lock.

Looking around at the mess the apartment had been turned into, complete with broken things, it dawned on Ava that this could be even worse than she thought. “Welcome home honey...” She muttered under her breath as she stepped in and shut the door behind her.

( continued.. )

Who: Ana and Ava
When: Early Saturday morning after the switch
Where: Ana's apartment
What: The twins talk about how it all went wrong.

Sitting on her couch, Ana actually felt guilty as she removed her twin's locket from around her neck and her rings from her finger. Neither of the twins had honestly meant either man any harm from this switch. All they wanted was to see if they could truly tell them apart, but Ana ended up getting much more than she bargained for. Only a few minutes into her switch, she quickly regretted it and it became worse as she and Charlie tread into sensitive waters with their conversation. She hadn't expected him to react so severely, but she supposed she couldn't really blame him.

Now that she was sitting back in her own apartment, she could relax, but only slightly because now she was worried about how Adam reacted. Hopefully it wasn't as bad as Charlie had reacted, but she was preparing for the worst. Biting her nails again, she stared at the door, waiting for Ava to get back.

Who: Ava and Adam
What: Part two of the switch.
Where: Stopping by security office.
When: Very early Saturday morning.

She had the hard part in this game, Ava decided with a pout, as she walked through the halls towards the security office. It was ok for Ana, she just had to wait in the apartment and eventually Charlie would arrive and she could start the little Ava act she was no doubt putting on, but Ava didn't have it so easy. No, she had to come up with a reason for why Ana would be going to Adam. Of course that was part of the reason they chose this time, because Adam would be taking over security and that would send Charlie home, which would allow this to be done simultaneously.

Hair charmed to match Ana's usual blonde since she didn't have time to get it done for real, the older twin was dressed in Ana's clothes, with her perfume and her make-up, she'd even been practicing her sister's walk and exact mannerisms in her speech and behavior. This was definitely the hardest switch they had pulled. When she reached her destination she raised a hand to knock gently on the door and get Adam's attention. "I was just passing and thought I'd stop in to see how you were doing." She said, by way of an explanation and greeting.

Who: Ava and Charlie
What: Talking
Where: Music studio
When: Tuesday evening

Ava had been spending a lot of time 'elsewhere' since she returned to the school on Sunday, as had Charlie. Things were definitely tense between the two of them, even though they tried not to be play nice for the sake of Maggie, but it was still there. Her omission of the truth, their fight, her trip with Ana, it was all driving her mad, and they weren't fooling the little girl at all. That was something she knew for certain after an interesting conversation with Maggie earlier, and it was a large part of what pushed her to try and sort things out, one way or another.

Time had passed since she had asked Charlie if they could talk and she had got lost in music as she waited. There had been songs of her own, other people's songs that resonated with her, but as it got closer to when he should be arriving Ava switched to songs that didn't reveal her own weaknesses, or at least that was the aim when she started singing...

( And when you fall apart And I’m dying from a broken heart I’m there too )

The problem was somehow she did connect to the lyrics she was singing, connecting them to the little girl in her life now. Ava looked up from the piano at Charlie, who had entered towards the end. "She asked me if I was going to leave too..." She said quietly, with tears in her eyes. So much for staying strong and doing this all rationally.

Who: Ana and Ava
When: Saturday night
Where: Starting at TJS then heading to downtown Boston
What: The twins try to let off some steam and get their edge back.
Status: Incomplete

Livid. That’s how Ana felt as she rifled through all her drawers, throwing clothes and undergarments into the small Gucci duffel bag on her bed. She couldn’t believe the audacity that Adam had to call her a pissy little princess or insult her by saying she had the attention span of a goldfish. For once, she was genuinely trying to ask a serious question and all she got was him supposedly making a decision for her and heading out. Needless to say, Ana was not pleased. She immediately stalked up to her apartment, and changed into a dangerously low cut halter, tight leather pants and black biker boots and now she was currently packing the rest of her things for her weekend away with her sister. Fuck men and their fucking complicated ways.

Zipping up her duffel bag, she grabbed her leather jacket and slipped it on and then grabbed her bag to head out the door. Ana was quickly outside, not bothering at all with waiting for the elevator down and instead opting for the stairs. Once outdoors, she made a beeline for Lola, popping her trunk from a distance with her clicker. Her duffel bag was thrown into the trunk as she leaned back against it, waiting for Ava to arrive. God help Adam if he showed up here for some reason. She was in absolutely no mood to talk to him right now.

( You're eager. What's happened now? )

Who: Charlie and Ava
When: Thursday night
Where: eventually Ava's apartment in NYC
What: Ava's husband needs some cheering up
Rating: will probably get smutty with these two

Charlie and Ava took the Vanquish into the city. It wasn't a terribly long drive, but it felt like it, because Charlie was oddly quiet. He kept the stereo at a relatively low volume so Ava could talk, but Charlie was somewhat unresponsive. He always got this way around days that recognized important moments in the nation's military. So many of his friends had gone to war after the September 11th attacks, and they hadn't all come home. Some were still in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The somber state continued as Charlie and Ava arrived in the city and headed down to Ground Zero. Charlie didn't plan on staying long. He simply wanted to pay his respects, leave some flowers at the site, and then head back to Ava's apartment for the rest of the night.

Tonight was made even stranger because it was exactly one year ago that Charlie, Davia and Maggie arrived in Danvers together. They pulled up to the school in a taxi with the intention of starting a new life together. Charlie never would have expected that Davia would be absent from his life, replaced by Ava.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight," he said softly as they climbed back into the car to head to her apartment.

Who: Ana and Ava
When: Tuesday night
Where: Ana's apartment
What: The twins have a little heart to heart.

It had only been about twenty-four hours since she had a rather serious talk with Adam, but Ana already felt like she was losing her mind. What the hell had she agreed to? His initial descriptions of what he had wanted would've been easier to deal with, but this... this was going to be difficult. Usually, when Ana was told that she wasn't allowed to do something, it only made her want to do it even more. Tricky, indeed.

She was currently curled up on the couch, clad in dark grey yoga pants and a burgandy henley, staring absently at her television. A nearly empty bottle of Merlot sat on the coffee table before her along with a newly full glass. If only getting drunk were as easy as it used to be.

Who: Ava (and Charlie at the end)
What: Ava tries to go home and gets caught up in something
Where: Starting on the roads, then eventually back to staff apartments.
When: Wednesday night/Thursday morning

( Everything became a little like a movie when she looked back on it, surreal, and faster than it really was. )

Who: Charlie and Ava
When: Monday night
Where: out and about
What: celebrating six months together (a MIRACLE!)

Charlie really could not have ordered better weather for the evening. It was a clear, beautiful night, the stars shining brightly to illuminate the world every so faintly to make it look new and magical. Not cold. Not hot. Perfect. So much of his plan was counting on good weather, and he'd been paying close attention to the forecast the last few days. Not that he didn't have a backup plan in case of rain, but this was better.

He told Ava to be ready at ten then vanished for a while. Charlie had some things to fetch and other loose ends to tie up before his 'date' with his wife. Besides, she indicated she had a surprise of her own that required him to be missing. So he hit up a friend for a favor, showering and getting dressed there. By the time ten o'clock rolled around, Charlie headed to his own apartment and knocked politely. He looked nice. Not formal, just really handsome in lean jeans and a form fitting white cotton shirt with long sleeves. Boots on his feet and a guitar slung across his back, he waited with a warm smile on his face for Ava to come out.