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"Birth certificates and social security cards," Alice Wu-Gulliver meticulously explained each pile of papers sprawled across the dining room table to Agatha Harkness and Rio Vidal, motioning to one of the stacks. "Medical records," she continued, glancing at another. "Marriage license. Adoption paperwork. Property deed. Driver's licenses and passports. High school and college transcripts and diplomas. Insurance policies. Paystubs and employment history. Bank accounts and credit cards." She pointed as she spoke.
After weeks of hard work, Alice had managed to create credible documentation for Agatha, Rio, and the newly named Nicholas Harkness, helping them assimilate into American society. Lilia also received similar assistance to simplify her life. Jen, fortunately, already possessed her own paperwork.
"This is impressive," Agatha remarked, examining her faked birth certificate. "Wait a second. Why am I listed as older than Rio? She's billions of years older than I am!"
"Well, Agatha," Rio interjected with a smirk as she reviewed her own certificate, which listed her as seven years younger. "I've aged truly incredibly."
"Forty-five? Who is going to believe that?" Agatha scoffed.
"Aren't you well over three hundred years old?" Alice asked.
"Yes," Agatha replied, setting the document down with caution, as if it might burn her. "But I do not look my age, nor do I plan to any time soon."
"You do look very good," Rio complimented as she took a seat, gazing at Agatha.
Checking her watch, Alice realized it was time for her to leave. "I need to help Lilia and Jen finish unloading the first shipment for the shop. You two will be there tonight, right?"
"We'll be there," Agatha sighed.
"I never miss a party," Rio added with a mock salute.
After returning to life, Alice and Lilia faced the challenge of rebuilding their lives without homes or finances. Thankfully, Agatha had enough room in her house to keep them from being homeless until they could find a two bedroom apartment only five minutes away.
Inspired by an old episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they hit upon the idea of opening a magic shop. Teaming up with Jen to use her former space as the location, they quickly got the venture underway. Agatha had a savings account from fifty years prior, which had amassed enough to cover their initial inventory. This financial security also allowed her to act as a silent partner in the business. Even Agatha had to admit that sustaining scams in the modern world, while raising a child, was too much work. She needed time for Billy's training and to help him find Toby.
Timmy.
Wait.
Tommy!
"I went to MIT?" Rio said as she examined her college transcripts, putting her feet up. "Anthropology. Fitting. I do know a freaky amount about humans. You adorable little bipeds."
"Harvard," Agatha noted, scanning her own transcripts. "Naturally, I would have gone Ivy League. Folklore and Mythology."
"Fitting," Rio responded, glancing at the grades she supposedly earned.
"Alice has covered all our bases," Agatha acknowledged, placing the transcripts down.
"When will Teen be back with Nicky?" Rio inquired, folding her hands in her lap.
Being summer, Nicky wasn’t starting school until the fall. He began playing with local kids at the park to make new friends. Agatha and Rio allowed Billy to take him, as neither excelled at small talk with other parents. Agatha found them annoying, while Rio tended to scare them away. Nonetheless, they knew they’d have to play nice come fall for Nicky's sake.
"In about fifteen minutes," Agatha replied, checking her watch.
"Not enough time for me to take you upstairs," Rio pouted.
"But enough time to make out with me on the couch," Agatha offered with a smirk.
"Brilliant woman you are, Mrs. Harkness," Rio said, rising to her feet.
"Thank you, Mrs. Vidal," Agatha retorted with mock formality.
Rio chuckled softly, appreciating the new surname they'd humorously adopted, since their first union lacked any formal acknowledgment.
"Speaking of that," Agatha began, sitting in the middle of the couch, "I was thinking about going to dinner on Friday."
"Dinner? For a cosmic being who never needed to eat and a quasi-reincarnated ghost with magic and ego as sustenance?" Rio teased, choosing to straddle Agatha's lap instead of seating herself beside her.
"It’s called a date," Agatha explained, as if the concept was foreign to them both. Her hands traced the outside of Rio's thighs, settling at her hips.
"We're married," Rio pointed out, showing off her ring as if Agatha could forget their re-bonding ceremony.
"Still," Agatha said, her fingers massaging the denim covering Rio's hips. "We've evolved since our first courtship. Our communication needs work, and dinner at a fabulous place sets the perfect backdrop."
Rio pondered before leaning forward, pressing a soft kiss to Agatha's cheek. "I’d love to dine with you, my love," she whispered. "I’ll handle the arrangements," she added.
"You will?" Agatha asked, surprised.
"I’ve learned a few things living among humans," Rio replied, sitting upright. "Meet here at seven on Friday for the best date of your life," she declared with a signature smirk.
"Still have that suit from your FBI cosplay days?" Agatha quipped.
"I have something even better than business casual for you," Rio chuckled, tracing Agatha's bottom lip with her thumb. "Wear purple for me?"
"It is my signature color," Agatha agreed with a nod.
"It does look good on you," Rio complimented before leaning in for a kiss.
"Everything looks good on me," Agatha managed to say against her lips.
Before they could deepen the kiss to their satisfaction, Nicholas and Billy walked through the door.
"Mama! Mom! Guess what?" Nicholas exclaimed excitedly. "I got a home run in kickball!"
Rio transitioned seamlessly from half-seducing Agatha to attending her son. "You did?" she asked with pride. "A natural athlete, we have," she winked at Agatha.
"Did you have fun?" Agatha inquired when Nicholas perched half on her lap and Rio’s.
"Yup," Nicholas grinned.
"Con anybody out of anything good?" Agatha asked playfully.
"Agatha!" Billy scolded, crossing his arms. "Isn’t parenting about teaching kids to do the right thing?"
Agatha rolled her eyes, wrapping an arm around Nicholas’ shoulders. "Well?"
"No," Nicholas replied, shaking his head. "I almost traded a rock I made look like marble for Pete Thomas' Snickers, but then we played kickball. Besides, I don’t enjoy real cons anymore."
Agatha sighed dramatically, tickling Nicholas, who dove behind Rio for protection. "Sure, hide behind your mother," she teased.
"I’ll protect you, Nicky," Rio promised, turning to Agatha with her full Death face to make a point.
"Death face doesn't scare me, Rio," Agatha noted, catching Billy's shiver with a chuckle. "Put it away before Billiam freaks."
Rio reverted to her human form with a shake of her head. "Scared, Billy boy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You’re Death," Billy pointed out. "Some might call it sane to respect you and your powers," he challenged slightly.
"Some may," Rio agreed, turning to Nicholas. "You need to bathe and get ready for the party tonight."
"I can’t wait," Nicholas said, getting up. "Lilia said I could have my very own tarot card pack," he added, heading upstairs.
"You and your boyfriend are coming tonight, yes?" Agatha asked.
"He has a name, Agatha," Billy replied. "Eddie and I will be there. But we can’t stay after closing. We have an early start tomorrow.”
"For?" Agatha asked motherly, making Rio roll her eyes.
"Eddie and I are going camping with friends for his birthday," Billy reminded. "I told you weeks ago."
"A group of gays camping in the woods," Rio chuckled. "Where have we heard that?"
"Logs aren’t good pillows, no matter the magic," Agatha warned Billy. "And use protection."
"We’re not having an orgy!" Billy exclaimed, voice high.
"Protection charms," Agatha laughed at his reaction. "Around your camp. We don’t need Rio leaving overnight to reap your souls due to a bear attack."
"Noted," Billy said, relaxing.
"When will you be back?" Rio asked.
"Thursday," Billy said. "And I’ll take the longest shower once back in civilization." Camping wasn’t his idea of fun after the semi-camping trip that was the road, but Eddie wanted it, so he agreed. Somehow his parents agreed but they had agreed to a lot more than most.
"Be here Friday night for babysitting," Rio instructed. "We’ll pay for takeout. You can bring your boyfriend, but no fooling around until Nicky's asleep and hearing charms are around his room. We don't need him more traumatized."
"We’d never do that here!" Billy protested.
"I’ll make it worth your while in training," Agatha said, reaching for her wife's hand. "Rio's taking me out, and Nicky’s too young to stay alone."
"Awe, a date," Billy said with a smile. "I’d love to watch Nicky."
"How do you know we aren't planning a murder spree?" Agatha challenged, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"Isn't that your typical date night?" Billy quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
"Historically, yes," Rio chimed in with a smirk. "But my wife is taking a break from proactive murdering while she helps you get a handle on your powers and brings Nicky up to speed with modern life."
"Police seem to care about murder a lot more these days," Agatha sighed, almost pouting. "Well, sometimes."
Billy wisely decided to dodge that topic. "Sure, I'll look after Nicky on Friday. Now I need to get ready and pick up Eddie. Catch you both at the Magic Box!" he called out as he headed for the door.
-
Word had somehow spread through the magical community about a new magic store opening with the promise of more authentic supplies than the usual mall-variety magic shops. Not even the risk of encountering Agatha Harkness deterred the local witches from attending the grand opening.
When Agatha and Rio arrived—fashionably late, naturally—with Nicholas in the backseat, it was immediately evident that the event was a triumph. "Who would've thought you could entice both witches and humans just by opening a store and tagging everything with a price?" Agatha mused, observing customers leaving with oversized bags.
"Jen's a wizard at selling," Rio noted as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Lilia and Alice are pretty good too. This venture might actually have some legs."
"Long live capitalism," Agatha chuckled, turning to Nicholas. "Ready to go, Nicky?"
"Yup," Nicholas grinned. He had, after all, been a frequent, albeit unintentional, helper whenever Agatha visited the store, contributing more to chaos than order. "This is going to be awesome."
"You've been hanging around Billy too much," Rio teased as she opened the back door for Nicholas.
"Billy's fun," Nicholas replied, taking Rio's hand to cross the street.
Once inside, Agatha was pleased to see a substantial line of people waiting to check out. A line meant money, and money was her prime motivation in this not-so-secret partnership.
"Agatha, you made it!" Alice greeted with open arms, bending down to hug Nicholas.
"Of course," Agatha said, deftly plucking a glass of wine from a passing tray. Trust Jennifer Kale to serve wine at a magic store opening.
"Hi, Alice!" Nicholas beamed, returning her hug.
"I heard you hit a home run in kickball today," Alice said with a smile.
"Yeah! It was great. The other kids were really nice afterward," Nicholas replied, his face alight with joy.
"Making friends is important," Alice said as she stood up. "Lilia's in the back if you want to see her and grab a snack."
"Can I?" Nicholas asked, looking up at his mothers.
"Go ahead," Agatha nodded. "Just don't wander off."
"Okay!" Nicholas shouted, already darting toward the back of the store, eyes scanning the displays of magical trinkets, but fixated on the promised snacks.
As soon as Nicholas disappeared into the crowd, Agatha turned to Alice. "How close are we to breaking even?" she asked, foregoing small talk.
Alice gestured toward the register, where Billy and Eddie were efficiently ringing up customers. "We've already surpassed our expectations for opening night. People are genuinely excited, and the line keeps growing," she replied with a satisfied smile.
“Good,” Agatha said, sipping her wine. "Those who know this stuff is real need access, and the ones who think it's just hocus-pocus can still give us their money, sans any soul-binding contracts."
"Not that you'd ever bind a soul just for profit," Rio quipped with a playful wink.
“With this venture, I can channel my talents into something productive...and semi-legal,” Agatha laughed, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Or entirely legal, considering we're employing sound business practices,” Alice added. “Well, mostly sound. As long as we keep Agatha off the sales floor.”
"Hey now," Agatha protested, mildly offended. "I'm an excellent salesperson."
"Only when it involves roping in innocent—or not-so-innocent—souls into your schemes," Rio teased, grabbing another glass of wine and resting her hand on Agatha's back.
"Look who finally decided to show," Jen laughed, approaching them.
"Hello, Jennifer," Agatha said dryly. "Looks like everything's going adequately here."
"Oh, please, I could sell snow to Santa Claus in the midst of winter," Jen boasted, her ego matching Agatha's. "We're killing it and cleaning up at the register."
"This place opens up a lot of possibilities," Agatha said, her eyes glimmering with future plans, some more legitimate than others.
"Speaking of possibilities," Rio interjected, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Have you showcased any of the more special items yet?"
Leaning in conspiratorially, Jen said, "I've got a few enchanted trinkets stashed behind the counter. I figured we should establish ourselves a bit before introducing the more exotic items. Don't want to scare off customers with too much power too soon, right?"
"Smart move," Agatha admitted, taking a sip of wine.
"Agreed," Alice said, nodding toward the ever-growing line.
Rio made a face and sighed. "I have to go," she said, leaning into Agatha for a moment. "Clean-up on aisle three, and I'm on duty."
"Are you ever not?" Agatha challenged, raising an eyebrow.
"That's why I wear a crown," Rio said, kissing her wife's jaw. "Don't wait up. I'll be home when I can."
"Head out via the back office,” Alice suggested.
Rio nodded, making her way to the back. She loathed leaving just as they'd arrived, but sometimes even Death herself had pressing matters to attend to.
"Mama!" Nicholas called, emerging with Lilia and a brand-new set of tarot cards. "Look what I got!"
"Italian-made, of course," Lilia said as they joined the group.
"They're nice," Agatha said, unable to suppress a smile at Nicholas's excitement.
Despite her attempts to project a façade of aloofness toward having a coven or domestic life, these past weeks had been a welcome change of pace. Like it or not, family life suited Agatha Harkness.
"We should mingle," Jen suggested as more customers entered the shop.
"I’ll be in and out of the register until we get the line down," Alice said. "We might even sell out of some items tonight."
"We'll assess tomorrow before opening and place another order," Lilia said, pride evident in her voice.
"Let's go make some money," Agatha said, and with that, they each headed in different directions, keen to maximize the opportunity their store had brought.
-
Agatha looked stunning in her deep purple cocktail dress. Her hair cascaded in loose waves around her shoulders, and her makeup was just dramatic enough to capture attention. She felt she had perfected the look for the evening, as per Rio's request. Her charmed heels guaranteed comfort, hinting at a long night that might not end with dinner.
When she descended the stairs, Billy's reaction was immediate. "Whoa," he exclaimed.
Eddie, sitting beside him on the couch, chimed in, "Looking good, Mrs. Harkness."
Nicholas, on Billy's other side, added with childlike admiration, "You look beautiful, Mama."
Agatha grinned, teasing, "I usually do," as she leaned to press a kiss on Nicholas's head. "What are you boys up to tonight?"
"Movie marathon!" Nicholas answered excitedly.
Billy elaborated, "We're catching Nicholas up with some Disney classics before he starts school. Tonight we have 'The Little Mermaid,' 'The Rescuers Down Under,' and if he stays awake, 'Beauty and the Beast.'"
"I won't fall asleep," Nicholas protested, determined to absorb every moment of cinematic magic.
"Bed by ten," Agatha instructed, knowing it was late but aware that Nicholas was no ordinary child.
"Mama, ten-thirty?" Nicholas pleaded.
"How about nine-thirty?" Agatha countered playfully.
"Ten it is," Nicholas conceded, and Agatha chuckled.
A sudden crack and a puff of green smoke announced Rio's arrival. Eddie had been told about the real magic of it all months and months ago but he was still adjusting.
Rio appeared effortlessly chic in a charcoal three-piece suit, sans shirt, her dark hair in a sleek bun, and smokey makeup that left Agatha practically breathless. She held a bouquet of vibrant purple heliotrope flowers.
"You look incredible," Agatha complimented as she circled Rio, admiring every detail.
"You're one to talk," Rio replied, offering the flowers to Agatha.
Inhaling the sweet scent, Agatha turned to her son. "Be good, listen to Billy and Teddy. No advanced magic until we return," she instructed.
"Eddie," Billy corrected with a roll of his eyes.
"Whatever," Agatha waved off.
"I’ll behave, and bed at eleven," Nicholas added cheekily.
"You really are your mother's son. Goodnight, boys," Agatha laughed, leading Rio by the hand to put the flowers in water.
"Goodnight," Rio echoed as she followed.
"Where are we headed for dinner?" Agatha asked, filling a vase with water.
"Boston," Rio replied, watching Agatha move with practiced ease. "It’s the closest to home I figured I'd be allowed to take you tonight."
"Home?" Agatha queried, eyebrows raised.
"The cottage will always be home to me," Rio explained. "It's where I became yours, became human, became your wife."
"I miss it at times, but indoor plumbing does have its perks," Agatha laughed, turning to Rio once the flowers were settled.
"Indoor plumbing is essential," Rio agreed with a smirk, "especially when it comes to hot baths with you."
"Perhaps we’ll have one tonight," Agatha suggested with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "if you behave."
"Funny, I recall you saying you prefer me when I don't," Rio chuckled.
"Sometimes," Agatha admitted before a quick kiss. "Shall we?"
With another puff of green smoke, they transported to an alley just outside a renowned Italian restaurant in Boston. Rio had considered taking Agatha to Italy but wanted to stay close to Nicholas.
They were soon seated by a large window, the moon casting its glow outside. Candlelight and soft music created the perfect ambiance as they perused the menu.
"Share a bottle of wine with me?" Agatha suggested, eyeing the selections.
"Absolutely," Rio agreed. "I'm having the rabbit, so something that pairs well with game."
"I’m going for the lamb, so a red should suit us both," Agatha decided, setting the menu aside.
After their order, Agatha reached across to hold Rio's hand. "You truly look exquisite," she complimented, eyes tracing Rio's attire appreciatively.
Rio smiled warmly. "Funny, I was about to say the same about you," she admitted.
Agatha felt her cheeks flush at her wife’s sincerity. It had been a while since they felt this unguarded, a comfort she hadn't realized she'd missed.
"I had a thought today," Agatha began after the waiter poured their wine, leaving the bottle for them to refill.
"You have many thoughts in a day, my love," Rio teased, picking up her glass.
Agatha chuckled at that. “I do,” she agreed. “But it occurred to me that I don’t really know what it is you do when you leave me. Not really. Not beyond walking souls to the afterlife. You and I spend so much of our time apart, and I have no concept of what you’re doing. So, tell me?”
“Do you really want to know?” Rio asked as she thought about how to explain her working life to Agatha.
“It’s not a trick,” Agatha promised. “I am trying to be better to you than I’ve been known to be. Taking an interest in your life away from me, away from Nicholas, is part of that.”
Rio hummed for a moment as she searched Agatha’s eyes before deciding she was telling the truth. With a wave of her hand, Rio put a bubble of sorts around their table to prevent anyone from overhearing them. The last thing she needed was some silly little human overhearing them or someone much more powerful than a human.
“I am Death,” Rio said, reiterating what Agatha already knew. “But it’s a little more complicated than just transporting souls here and there.”
“I imagined you were a little higher up in the pecking order than a glorified UPS driver,” Agatha nodded.
“I don’t transport all the souls myself,” Rio said, giving Agatha more information than she had before. “I usually only handle a small percentage of the most important beings in the cosmos myself. The rest are taken by Reapers, which are sort of clones, you might say, of me. They all look like me, but they are soulless copies. I can make as many as I need to handle what the cosmos throws at me.”
“So there are a million billion Rios out there to take souls away?” Agatha asked as she tried to wrap her head around what she was hearing.
“The number might be a touch off, but basically,” Rio nodded. “There was a time, a very long time ago, I could do it all myself, but as the population of the cosmos grew, I found ways to handle it. The Reapers were what I settled on. I can see what they see, feel what they feel, know what they know. So I am always in control, just not physically with all of the souls taken unless it’s someone I want to handle personally.”
“And how do you decide who you take personally?” Agatha asked.
“I am a cosmic being. I just know who I need to handle myself,” Rio said with a half-shrug. “And some beings I would never pass off to a Reaper,” she added in a softer voice.
“Which is why you took Nicholas yourself,” Agatha said as she reached for her own glass of wine.
“It was,” Rio said as she held a little tighter to Agatha’s hand.
“Thank you for not passing that off to one of your assistants,” Agatha said instead of picking a fight over it or shutting down. Now that he was back, she was coming to terms with what happened all those years ago.
Rio breathed out slowly at the reaction. “I never would have allowed him to cross any other way. I do have power over life and death, but his soul was part of mine, so my abilities of resurrection didn’t work on him. Which I only found out later. My siblings never had a part-mortal child, so Nicky is one of a kind.”
“I’m sorry,” Agatha said with a shocked expression. “Siblings?”
“Eternity and Infinity,” Rio nodded. “Other beings like myself who are the embodiment of different forces. Eternity, my brother, is the temporal embodiment of the universe. Infinity, my sister, is the spatial embodiment of the universe. There is Entropy too, but he’s more a nephew than a sibling. He’s more into destruction while his father, Eternity, is all about creation. There are more, but I don’t deal with them much.”
Agatha took another drink from her wine glass as she tried to fit all of this into her head. She knew there must be more than Death, but she had never really worried about the other forces.
“So I have siblings-in-law?” Agatha asked with a wry smile.
“Ones you will likely never meet, yes,” Rio nodded. “My duties have me in more contact with non-cosmic beings than theirs do.”
“Right,” Agatha nodded as she leaned forward a bit. “So what is Nicky?”
“I’m not fully sure yet,” Rio admitted. “Like I said, he’s one of a kind. I think we might just have to wait and see what powers of mine he has.”
“You know how much waiting thrills me,” Agatha chuckled.
“I do,” Rio smiled. “But with Nicky, I think rushing would be a bad idea. I have a laundry list of powers that he could have gotten from the magic we used to create him. But so far, we’ve only seen witchcraft from him since he’s been back.”
“So we wait,” Agatha agreed hesitantly.
“Thank you,” Rio said as she lifted their joined hands to her lips to press a soft kiss to Agatha’s knuckles.
“Anything else that I should know but haven’t ever asked before?” Agatha asked once their food had been set down in front of them.
Rio paused a moment before offering what she knew she shouldn’t but couldn’t help herself in offering. “I can fully resurrect you to being fully human again and not a corporeal ghost if you wanted,” she said as she cut into her rabbit.
“You can?” Agatha raised an eyebrow at that. “You would?”
“If you wanted to be fully human again and not be concerned about using your magic to keep yourself solid, yes,” Rio offered.
“When can you do it?” Agatha asked.
“Hold on to my hand,” Rio held her hand out to her wife again. “You’ll be dizzy for a moment.”
Agatha reached her hand out without hesitation. If there was one person she trusted with her very soul at this point in time, it was Rio. “Will it hurt?”
“No,” Rio promised.
As soon as Rio touched Agatha’s hand, there was a pop somewhere deep inside of Agatha’s brain. All at once, her senses came back to her. She could smell like she did before and not have it dulled; her lungs started to breathe in where they didn’t need to before; her eyes saw all the colors around her at full brightness; and her ears could hear the clattering of people around them eating.
Rio was right; she was dizzy as hell for a moment.
“I’m going to have a hell of a headache tomorrow, aren’t I?” Agatha asked with a shaky breath.
“You will,” Rio said as she withdrew her hand. “But you’re as human as you were before you siphoned my powers.”
Agatha took stock of her body and how utterly normal she felt again. It was like all the systems of her body that she hadn’t needed to use in a year were back to normal. It was disorienting, but she was grateful for it after a year of everything feeling dulled.
“Thank you,” Agatha said before reaching for her wine.
“I don’t do that very much,” Rio warned her. “So please try not to die again because it throws the balance off, and it’s rather uncomfortable for me for a bit.”
“I promise I’ll take better care not to suck your powers out the next time we kiss,” Agatha said, her voice a mix of humor and sincerity as she took a sip of the wine. The flavor of the wine came alive on her tongue now that she was back to being human in full again. She hadn’t really understood how dulled her senses had been until she had them back.
“Want to try a bite?” Rio asked as she cut off a bit of her rabbit and held the fork up for Agatha.
Agatha leaned forward and wrapped her lips around the fork before pulling back and taking the rabbit with her. She chewed slowly, her eyes closing as she savored the flavor.
“You know why I got the rabbit?” Rio asked once Agatha’s eyes reopened.
“Why?” Agatha asked.
“Because it was the first thing you ever cooked for me,” Rio said with a smile at the memory. “Rabbit stew.”
“I haven’t made that in years,” Agatha smiled back at her. “Maybe I will make some this week. I’ll have to make sure Scratchy doesn’t mind. I don’t need to piss him off.”
“I’m sure your pet will understand,” Rio chuckled.
“He can be very stubborn when he wants to be,” Agatha chuckled.
“They do say pets take after their owners,” Rio said with a straight face before laughing.
“I am not stub…okay. Yes, I am,” Agatha admitted. “But so are you.”
“I am,” Rio said with a shrug. “But we’re well matched.”
“We are,” Agatha agreed. She reached for Rio’s hand and brought it to her lips for a soft kiss.
“Finish your dinner, my love,” Rio said. “I have one more surprise for you before we go back to New Jersey.”
“Oh?” Agatha asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You aren’t getting it out of me before we’re there,” Rio chuckled.
“No?” Agatha asked. She slipped her right foot from her shoe to run it over Rio’s calf.
“No,” Rio said as her jaw set. “That won’t work, so eat.”
“Fine, fine,” Agatha said as she put her foot back in her shoe.
Once they finished their meals, Rio used one of the credit cards Alice had secured for them to pay for the meal. After she signed the bill, she offered her hand to Agatha.
"Shall we?" Rio asked.
"We shall," Agatha said, accepting it.
Once outside, the pair walked down one of the streets as Rio found a good place for them to make their exit from Boston.
"I am a bit nervous," Rio admitted as they walked.
"You're nervous?" Agatha asked.
"About the surprise," Rio explained. "It's something I hope you enjoy, but I'm unsure if it's appropriate."
"Since when has appropriateness ever been a factor in our relationship?" Agatha chuckled.
Rio pulled Agatha down a side street and wrapped her arms around her. "Close your eyes?" she asked as she held her.
Agatha chuckled again but did as Rio asked, knowing Rio had kindly brought her fully alive again. "All right, just this time I'll do what you ask without questions," she said.
With a puff of green smoke, Rio transported them out of Boston. She breathed out, even though she didn’t need to, when they appeared where she wanted them to be.
"Just remember you like me again before you open your eyes," Rio reminded her. "Open your eyes."
When Agatha did, her breath was taken away. They were in a meadow outside of Salem, standing in front of a well-restored cottage that had once belonged to them several lifetimes ago.
"You restored our cottage?" Agatha asked as she looked at the structure, knowing it wouldn’t still be standing like this if Rio hadn't.
"By hand, without magic," Rio nodded. "Well, I used magic to grow the trees for the wood, but the work on the cabin I did by hand. I wanted to give us a place we could go when we wanted to get out of New Jersey. A vacation home of sorts."
Agatha looked at the outside and saw how many of the boards were replacements for the ones that had rotted over the years. She took in the coats of sealant that had been freshly applied and how the shutters had all been carefully restored. The light coming from the windows drew her attention.
"I might have used a little magic to add electricity without needing to be connected to the grid," Rio admitted. "But the woodwork was all me."
"Can we go inside?" Agatha asked.
Rio reached out and opened the door instead of answering her. "After you," she said.
The layout of the cottage was basic but served its purpose. To the right of the front door, there was a large fireplace and a sitting area with two large chairs and a sofa. To the left was a dining table and a much more modern kitchen than the last time Agatha was here. In the back of the room were two doors that led to the two bedrooms, and from the look of the door in between them, a bathroom had been added.
With a flick of her wrist, Agatha lit the fire in the fireplace. Both because she had always loved the sound of a crackling fire and to test her own magic.
"So, you’re not upset?" Rio asked as she shut the door behind them.
"Upset?" Agatha turned to look at Rio. "This is incredible." She stepped to Rio and cupped her face in her hands before pressing a firm kiss to her lips. "Thank you."
Rio beamed at being able to do something that made Agatha so happy. "There are a few bottles of wine here if you want to split one before we go back to New Jersey," she suggested.
"Open the wine," Agatha said as she walked over to the sofa. She took her shoes off before tucking her legs under her on the sofa.
Rio headed to the kitchen to uncork one of the bottles and grab two wine glasses. She had a few things in the fridge, so she cut up some Gruyère and plated it with some grapes and crackers.
"Are you trying to impress me?" Agatha asked when Rio set the plate next to her before sitting to pour the wine.
"Maybe," Rio admitted as she handed one of the glasses over after pouring the wine. She picked up her glass after taking her jacket off and laying it over one of the arms of the couch. "Is it working?"
Agatha picked up a grape, popped it in her mouth, and crunched down on it. "Yes," she said after she swallowed.
"Good," Rio said before taking a sip of her wine.
"We haven't always been good to each other. More me than you," Agatha admitted. "But the last few weeks have been good. Really good."
"It’s amazing what happens when you and I put our minds to being happy," Rio said as she picked up a piece of cheese. "And you have a project or two to focus your vast talents on."
"I do need a project, or I become...destructive," Agatha admitted.
"Billy is a good one for you. Someone needs to mentor him, and you’re the most powerful witch who could," Rio pointed out, even if she still thought he was an abomination.
"Wanda," Agatha said. "Is she really dead, or is she going to show up and fight me for custody?"
"She is otherwise occupied at the moment, but no, she’s not dead," Rio admitted. "I’m sure at some point she’ll show up, and you can teach her a few things the Darkhold left out."
"Terrific," Agatha sighed.
"You are the only witch powerful enough to be able to mentor her," Rio pointed out. "And with me around and us on good terms, it will temper any ill effects of you two sharing the same zip code."
"So you’ll keep me from thinking I’m a detective or housewife or whatever else she tries to convince me I am?" Agatha asked.
"Yes," Rio promised. "Her magic can’t change my reality, so you’ll have my protection."
"My hero," Agatha chuckled as she took a piece of cheese and put it on a cracker.
"I’m your wife. I think it was implied in our vows that I would protect you from harm," Rio pointed out.
"I’d say the same for you, but you’re annoyingly hard to harm," Agatha said with a smirk.
Rio didn’t comment that the only one who had ever been able to harm her was Agatha herself. It wasn’t the tone she was going for tonight. "One of the benefits of being a cosmic being, my love," she said instead.
Agatha moved the plate to the coffee table before setting her wine glass down next to it. She moved and laid her head in Rio’s lap with her legs dangling over the arm of the sofa.
"I love you," Rio whispered as she started to play with Agatha’s hair.
"I love you too," Agatha whispered as she looked up at her. "I think I loved you from the first night we met all those years ago. Try as I might sometimes, I was never able to stop. I’m glad for it now."
"Me too," Rio agreed. "Because without that love, I would be as I was created. And before you came around, my days were much less exciting."
"I am a very exciting woman," Agatha smiled up at her.
"You are," Rio agreed.
"What are the chances we can leave the wine on the coffee table, and I can take you to our old bedroom for an hour before we have to go relieve Billy and his boyfriend?"
"Pretty high," Rio said. She finished her wine in a single gulp. "Higher still if you agree to keep the heels on."
"I had a feeling you’d say that," Agatha said as she stood and offered Rio her hand.
—
Just over an hour later, Rio and Agatha returned home to New Jersey. Billy and Eddie were curled up on the couch together while Nicholas slept on a makeshift bed on the floor.
"We didn’t want to wake him," Billy whispered as the closing credits of 'The Lion King' played.
"I’ve got him," Rio said as she carefully picked up the boy to carry him to bed.
"Thank you for watching him," Agatha said as she walked the teenagers to the door.
"You’re saying thank you?" Billy teased his mentor.
"I’m in a very good mood after my evening," Agatha said as she opened the door. "Don’t get used to it."
"Wouldn’t dream of it," Billy laughed as he and Eddie headed to his car.
Agatha shut and locked the door before waving her hand to clean up the living room and put it back right. She headed upstairs, hoping to carry on with what she and Rio had been doing before they came home.