A Witch Like No Other (38 page)

“
Papa, you can
visit every day if you have to.” Dreamer picked up her son, handing
him the teddy bear. “There you go, sweetie.”

“
Ta,
Mummy.”

“
I’
m not leaving never to
return,” Dreamer said, eyes filling. “We can come and stay every
other weekend and you can stay with Mama at mine on the first ones.
We
’
ll
see each other all the time.”

Paul looked like he was thinking up another excuse, Agnes
shooting him an angry look as she said “I
’
ll take you instead,
Dreamer. Papa
’
s acting like a madman.”

“
We’
ll go to Golders Green
in London city,” Dreamer said, holding her son close to her chest.
Agnes frowned, saying “But you live outside of the city, why would
you-”

“
I want to take
Baby Julian home on a coach,” Dreamer said with a shy smile. “It
will be very nice, for me as well as for him.”

“
Hence my
name,” smiled Dreamer, as he held his arms out.

“
Come here,
little one.”

Agnes took the baby as Dreamer walked to her father,
falling into his arms and hugging him fiercely. Paul kissed the top
of her head, saying “Just remember, if there
’
s an emergency call my
name. Like you did at the stadium, little one. You know Papa will
always be there for you.”

“
Yes Papa,” she
whispered, the baby puzzled at the sight of them.

“
That goes for
me as well,” Agnes added, and Dreamer nodded.

“
Don’
t cry,” Paul said
firmly, wiping her tears away. “I raised you better than to cry at
every emotional situation. What happened to you?”

“
I weakened
when you left,” mumbled Dreamer, and Paul laughed.

“
Well now
I’
m back, so toughen up.
Julian, my boy!”

“
Paul-Paul!”
squealed Julian, reaching for him excitedly.
“Paul-Paul!”

“
Now you be a
good little boy for Mummy, yes? Or Paul-Paul’
s going to come down and let you have
it.”

“
I hope you
keep your word, son. Ready to go on a coach?”

“
Yep!”

“
Yes,” Dreamer
corrected softly, and he giggled.

“
Yeees.”

“
Call as soon
as you reach,” Agnes said as she kissed her daughter.
“Don’
t stay up too late with
the baby. Make sure he has a good night
’
s sleep, and
don
’
t
forget to give him warm milk before bedtime. And one day take him
shopping in that mortal shop, Mothercare World.
They
’
ve got some nice little outfits in there for Baby
Julian.”

“
Yes
Mama.”

“
Make sure you
get a good night’
s sleep
yourself,” Agnes added, following Dreamer and Paul to the door.
“Oh, and make sure you eat. I
’
ve packed some
sandwiches in Julian
’
s backpack for him, and some fruit. Yours are in
your handbag, so make sure you eat that on the coach.”

“
Ok Mama,” said
Dreamer amusedly. “Anything else before we go?”

“
Yes. Remind
Papa to come straight home.”

“
Goodbye,
Mama.”

“
Goodbye,
darling. Bye-bye, sweetie!”

“
Bye-bye!” said
Julian happily, holding onto Dreamer tightly as Paul took her hand.
They vanished, Agnes smiling.

She hadn
’
t felt this happy in a very long time.

“
Dreamer Black,
we’
re so sorry for what
happened at the stadium. We didn
’
t know you was going to
be burned too, we thought it was just Agnes!”

“
You
’
re so different compared to your parents, so
gentle-”

“
We’
ve seen you on TV
Dreamer, you
’
re so nice to everyone who calls-”

“
We
didn’
t know that horrid
policeman would do such a thing to you-”

“
Your father
should have hurt him!”

“
We’
re really sorry,
Dreamer!”

“
It’
s fine,” Dreamer said
wearily, Julian staring at the strangers curiously from her arms.
Paul was invisible, watching the mortals suck up to his daughter as
if they really didn
’
t want her to perish as well. Then he realised what
they just said. They thought it was just Agnes? Hmm…

“
What are you
doing in the city, Dreamer?” a lady asked, and Dreamer replied
“I’
m getting a coach
home.”

“
Oh, the
coaches aren’
t going anywhere
for about two hours,” she said eagerly. “Would you like to come
with me and my family?”

“
No thank you,”
Dreamer said politely. “I’
m
going to visit my friend Denise Jessica. I need to get my son out
of the cold.”

“
Ooh,
he’
s adorable. How are your
big kids, Pandora and Marlon?”

“
They’
re fine, I think.
They
’
re with their father.”

Hearing her father
’
s warning sound, Dreamer
detached herself from the people beaming at her.

“
I really need
to get going.”

“
Well ok, if
you’
re sure you
don
’
t
want to stay with us-”

“
I’
m sure,” Dreamer said
as politely as she could. “Thank you for offering.”

“
She can get
our coach still!” a man said eagerly, looking at the lady. “Come on
Barbara, ask her if she’
d like
to get the coach with us at five.”

“
The coach
leaves at half five,” Barbara said, sensing
Dreamer’
s discomfort. Taking a
step closer, she gently said “I know you don
’
t trust us, Dreamer. But
believe me, everyone doesn
’
t hate you for what you
are. I don
’
t. I would really like to be your friend, if
you
’
d
let me.”

Dreamer hesitated, saying “I
’
m not sure I can trust
you.”

“
I know.
Getting burned at stake was awful, thank the gods for your father.
Having to see that on screen was terrible. But,” Barbara said
firmly, “We’
re not all like
that.”

“
The majority
of you are.”

“
Ignore that
fact,” Barbara said dismissively.
“I’
m
not like that.”

“
Oh sweetie, I
forgot all about you.” Dreamer kissed his soft cheek. “I need to
buy you some gloves or something-”

“
Here,” Barbara
said quickly, producing a tiny pair from her handbag. “My daughter
bought these for her son, but they’
re too small.”

Dreamer didn
’
t know whether to take them or not, everyone
feeling sorry for her. That policeman really did his work,
didn
’
t
he? Now she didn
’
t trust mortals.

“
Take them,”
Barbara said gently. “They wont explode.”

“
Thank you,”
Dreamer said quietly, taking the tiny gloves and gently pulling
them on Baby Julian’
s
miniscule hands. “There, baby.”

“
Ta, Mummy.”
Baby Julian shivered. “I cold.”

“
We’
re going now,
sweetie.”

“
You’
re still going?”
Barbara asked, everyone pouting at her. “Now?”

“
Yes.
I’
ll be back to get the coach…
with you and your husband.”

Barbara smiled, knowing she
’
d just made an excellent
friend.

“
Promise?”

“
I
promise.”

Before anyone could ask anything else Dreamer vanished with
her son, Paul smiling at the mortal woman. Now
she
was one
of a kind. And she lived in Dreamer
’
s town too. She would
make a nice neighbour.

“
Oh my gosh!”
shrieked Denise, reaching out to Baby Julian. “Wow!”

“
Hello baby!”
said Denise happily, gazing at him. “Dreamer-”

“
Can we sit
down?” Dreamer asked. “Everyone’
s staring at us.”

“
Because
we’
re famous,” Denise said
dismissively. “Look, they
’
re taking pictures as
usual.”

“
Come to my
office,” Denise answered excitedly. “Forget a parlour.”

Dreamer followed her through the restaurant, ignoring the
people calling her name and apologising on Sergeant
Brown
’
s behalf. If they truly didn
’
t want her to burn they
wouldn
’
t have been at the stadium. Dreamer recognised a lot of
faces, most of which had jeered at her and Agnes five or six days
ago.

“
So,” said
Denise breathlessly, once Dreamer was seated with her baby on her
lap. “This is Baby Julian, then.”

Baby Julian smiled shyly, hiding his face in
Dreamer
’
s jacket.

“
He’
s so sweet!” said
Denise happily, then her smile faded. “I heard about the stadium
thing. How are you feeling?”

“
Nervous of
mortals,” Dreamer answered, sighing. “Some ambushed me at Golders
Green Station, apologising for everything.”

“
Like the
people out in the restaurant?”

Dreamer scowled, heat rising as she said “They
didn
’
t
mean it, Denise. They was at the stadium, shouting things at me and
my mother. I recognised some of them,” she added angrily, when
Denise opened her mouth to defend her customers. “They were there,
trust me.”

“
I’
ll bar them,” Denise
said disgustedly. “And the people at the station?”

“
They
weren’
t there, I
don
’
t
think. The woman called Barbara said she saw it on screen- she
looked really sorry. Her apology was real.”

Dreamer told Denise everything the woman said, Denise
listening silently. Then she said “Well, she
’
s right.
We
’
re
not all cruel like that.”

“
I know,”
muttered Dreamer, then her stomach rumbled.

Denise
’
s eyes narrowed as she looked at her friend, then she
asked “When did you last eat, Dreamer?”

“
Noon,” Dreamer
said truthfully, and Denise glared at her.

“
Do you think
it’
s good to starve
yourself?”

“
I
didn’
t feel hungry until just
now,” Dreamer said defensively. “I just-”

“
What about
Julian?” demanded Denise. “Did he last eat at noon too?”

“
I should slap
you, Denise! Of course he ate after noon!”

“
Well, I have
to check,” said Denise, getting up. “I’
ll order you a hot meal, ok? Stay right
there.”

“
No,
it’
s ok. I
’
ve got some sandwiches
in my handbag.”

“
Yes.”

“
Save those for
the coach. Stay put, Dreamer- I’
ll go order your meal.”