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Thanks to all who've reviewed - please keep it up! And thanks to my beta, Jess, who is wonderful as usual. Enjoy.
CHAPTER 26

The weeks after our punishment were spent regaining our strength. We ate sparingly at first as it seemed everything made us sick, but after a week or so our stomachs were able to handle all kinds of food and in larger quantities. Will and I began adding non-perishable items to the grocery list and stockpiled them underneath the bed so that we would be prepared if something like this happened again. We were determined to beat grandmother at her game.

Will and I went back to our normal exercise routines working at the dance bar and weight bench to stimulate our weak muscles. We tried to keep the twins active as well by introducing light calisthenics into their lessons. Will conveniently forgot about their sex education lessons and with the ordeal of near starvation, the twins hadn’t brought it up either. I was hoping everyone would forget about the sex talks as I could still feel the touch of Will’s lips on mine, and the images of his face as he came in my arms were still burned in the back of my brain.

Both Valentine’s Day and Will’s seventeenth birthday were coming up soon, and I was petrified that Will would want to crack open some more wine. I wondered if any memories of New Year’s Eve had come back to him, but he never mentioned anything so I had to assume that he still didn’t remember. If he did, I guess he was trying to pretend it never happened, much like me.

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Valentine’s Day was spent exchanging homemade cards. Connor had given one to Dawn with a picture of a train blowing heart shaped steam with the caption ‘Choo choo choose me to be your Valentine,’ while Dawn gave one to him with a bumblebee on it that said ‘Bee Mine.’ The twins had even gone so far to make one for Charlie and attached it to the top of his cage.

After dinner, Will read another ‘Buffy’ story, which was a funny tale that turned deadly. The plot had to do with Connor trying to get an older and more popular Cordelia to fall in love with him by convincing Dawn to do a spell on a heart necklace that he was going to give her for Valentine’s Day. However, the plan backfired when rather than Cordelia wanting Connor’s attention, everyone but her was affected by the magic. Connor wasn’t too put out at first when very attractive girls began asking him to spend time with them, but it soon turned violent as the girls started to attack each other due to their jealousy. With Merrick’s help, Dawn was able to reverse the spell before Connor or Cordelia were seriously hurt, and Cordelia was so smitten with the idea that someone would go to so much trouble to be with her that she decided to let Connor take her out to the movies. It was cute to see Connor blush at the thought of him taking Cordelia out on a date.

It was when the twins went to bed that my anxiety grew. As soon as we reached the top of the attic stairs, Will grabbed me by the waist and brought me to him, “Will you be my Valentine tonight?” he asked.

“You know I will.” I said. “There’s no one else here to be it.”

“Ouch, that hurt. Implying that I win by default and not because you want to be.” Will jutted out his lower lip and I had to hold back the urge to grab it between my teeth and suck on it. I was saved from doing something stupid when he asked “Want to open a bottle of wine tonight?”

He moved me over to the mattresses holding my hand as I shook my head. “I don’t think we should. After New Year’s, maybe we should hold off. I don’t want to end up getting punished again.”

Will looked disappointed, but came around to my point of view. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Next time we do something like that we just have to be more careful. I won’t ever break out four bottles again, but I felt like we needed to do something over the top that night.” He plopped down Indian style on the mattresses. “So what do you want to do then?”

“Wanna play our favorite game of ‘what do you think mom’s doing’?” I asked, sitting across from him.

“Same old thing, I’m sure. She’s probably out with Wes – dinner, dancing, long-stemmed roses. All that crap.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Remember how she and dad used to get so sugary at Valentine’s? They always loved the holiday – dad would try to outdo himself every year.” He sighed wistfully. “Mom didn’t get to celebrate it last year.”

My hand immediately reached for the locket around my neck. Oh god, how could I have forgotten the anniversary of dad’s death? My eyes started to tear up as I looked at Will with wide startled eyes. I let out a huge desperate sob as I launched myself into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Beth, what’s wrong?” He whispered into my ear as he stroked my back in a soothing gesture.

I could barely get my words out through my sobbing, “I forgot.” I said burying my face further into his neck, my whole body shaking. “How could I forget?”

“Shhh, shhh, baby. It’s ok.” Will comforted. “We were dealing with a cruel punishment and its aftermath. Your mind was thinking about surviving in the present, rather than dwelling on the past.”

“It’s not ok!” I cried. “Forgetting something so important. Dad died a year ago just last week and I didn’t even remember.” I looked up at him with watery eyes. “It makes me just like her.” I pleaded with him to see my point.

“Elizabeth, you listen to me.” Will said with authority in his voice. “You are trying so hard to keep this family together. You take care of the twins every day – teaching them, caring for them. You are the one that tucks in Dawn and Connor before bed.” He kissed at a tear that was running down my cheek. “You are here everyday, getting us all through this ordeal, not her.” He ran his palm down my cheek to wipe away the tear that he tried to kiss away. “You didn’t forget about dad, you missed a date on a calendar, that’s all.” Will peppered light kisses on my other tear stained cheek, trying to wash away the evidence of my pain.

I sniffled as I shifted in Will’s lap to wrap my legs more securely around his waist. He was looking at me with such concern in his eyes that when he leaned in close to kiss me, I didn’t try to stop him. The kiss was soft and tender, gentle as he captured my lower lip between his. He held me a little tighter, as he continued kissing me. Although these kisses did not include our tongues, they were much more passionate than any we had shared sober in the past and tingles flooded my body. Needing to stop these feelings I tightened my hold around his neck, breaking the kiss, and laid my head on his shoulder, trying to stifle my remaining tears.

“Please don’t cry, sweetheart. I hate it when you cry.” Will whispered lovingly in my hair as he continued to stroke my back. “You are the best thing about this family, Beth; I don’t want you to forget it. Don’t beat yourself up over something that isn’t your fault. You’re the one always pointing out that we aren’t in normal circumstances. If we were, you would have remembered.” His hands stroked my head gently. “I promise you that when we get out of here, we’ll do something special every year to remember dad on the day of his death. OK?”

I shook my head in agreement against his shoulder and stayed silently nestled within the comfort of Will’s arms until it was time to go to sleep.





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