Second Glances, Second Chances

Abbey didn't know about heaven. But she did know about Uncle Re Re. She shrugged when the Candy Lady asked about heaven.

"Uncca Re Re. He lives in here." Abbey pointed to the photo in the book. "I see him at night. In here." She put her finger to her head to show she saw Re Re in her mind. "He say Case not come back. He see her in here." She pointed to her head again. "But I no see her. Daddy silly. He think you look like Case. You not Case. You Candy Lady." She bit the ear off the chocolate kitty. "I like candy. Uncca Mikey get me candy...um...like that!" She pointed to the chocolate fudge in the case. "Uncca Mikey has lots of that candy. He makes cookies with that. Good cookies," she nodded. The sound of the cry of the werewolf filled the air and Abbey froze for a moment, tempted to be scared. Then she scowled.

"Daddy get bad doggie," she said, determined not to be frightened. "Find Mama. Not send Mama to Uncca Re Re. Mama stay with Abbey."

Faith listened as the girl spoke, and she knew.. Remus Lupin was dead.. and he said he was with this Chase girl.. meant she was dead too.. but Abbey's dad thought she was Chase... which meant they didn't know Chase was dead... but Abbey did, because she was speaking to a dead Remus Lupin in her head.." Faith shook her head, trying to clear her mind. This little girl was powerful.. she would be very powerful when she grew up... very smart, and probably wise.. and very powerful indeed, she had the world on her fingertips, and she could literally do whatever she wanted.

The werewolf howled and Faith literally jumped, she stood up and went to the door peering outside. Faith then went to her and sat down, pulling her into her lap, and staring at the door. "I'm sure they are fine honey.. we'll just sit here, and eat lots of chocolate.. My name is Faith by the way.. you don't have to call me Candy Lady.." She said grinning as she reached over and picked up another box with another chocolate kitty inside of it. She opened it up and took a bite out of it, feeling warm and fuzzy as it went down her throat. "See.. this is nice isn't it?" she smiled and looked at Abbey, grinning. She kissed her on the cheek, and then took another bite out of the chocolate kitten. "You're mama will be right back honey.. I'm sure of it."

"Doggie scared of Mama," Abbey shrugged, deciding that the doggie had more to worry about. "He no like Mama. He scared. He no like Papa. He scared of Papa too. He bad doggie. Papa and Daddy make him go away. But he come back--lots. Daddy no like him. Papa say he not let doggie in house." The werewolf cry now changed to a loud yelp of pain.

It wasn't more than about five minutes when a voice called. "Abbey?" It was a man's voice.

"Uncca Mikey!" Abbey jumped to her feet. "Uncca Mikey! Doggie come!" Michael Tremaine walked through the store from the back like he owned it and found Abbey reaching her arms up to him. He picked her up. He eyed the young clerk behind the counter.

"Sorry. Bad locks," he lied. He picked up a piece of fudge out of the case and fed half to Abbey and half to himself. "Mama is fine. Daddy's bringing her back," he told Abbey.

"Doggie go bye bye?" Abbey asked.

"For tonight," Michael said.

"He be back," she scowled.

"Probably," Michael said. "But I bet you're hungry."

"You make cookies?" she asked.

"I made you dinner," he laughed. "You can only have cookies first on your birthday."

"It my birthday!" she said, correcting him.

"Oh is it?" He teased. She nodded. "Alright. One cookie. Then dinner." he looked at the clerk. He paused and studied her for a moment. "You are surely going to be confused for someone else around here. They'll have to look very closely to see any difference. I guess introductions are in order, then. I'm Michael Tremaine. And you are not Chase."

"She Fate Candy Lady," Abbey nodded. Michael began to laugh. He looked at the clerk.

"Somehow I dont think she's got that quite right," Michael laughed.

Faith heard someone enter the room and she jumped to her feet, looking defensive, but Abbey seemed to know who it was, and went running, she tried to catch the little girl, but she was to fast, and suddenly a man came in, and picked her up. Faith listened to their conversation, watching them with wide eyes. How do you respond to a situation like this? Little girl tells you that you look like a girl who died, but no one knows she died. The girl was the daughter of just about every powerful person in the wizarding world, and some werewolf was trying to kill someone.

The man introduced himself to her, and she offered her hand to him. "My name is Faith Blackburn.. I've been confused for some girl named Chase.. erm.. which I think you guys need to know something.. but erm.. I guess I should wait.. I'd like to find out what is going on here first.." She said, looking a bit nervous as she held her chocolate kitty, before realizing she still held it and set it on the counter. "Can I talk to you all?" she asked, looking nervous as she flicked her hair out of her face and crossed her arms behind her back.

"Is that okay sir? I just.. I'm very confused, and there IS something I need to tell you all.. and I don't think you're going to like what I have to say.." Faith said, her eyes resting on Abbey before frowning and looking down at the floor, embarrassed, and not quite sure what else to do.

Abbey looked at Faith and scowled disapprovingly. "You scared?" she challenged.

"Abbey," Michael laughed. "I don't bite. She's not scared of me."

"Noooo," Abbey shook her head. "She scared 'cause I tell her."

"Now that sounds far more scary," Michael said. "What'd you tell her?"

"I see Uncca Re Re."

"Oh. That. That's not scary. Not for us anyway," he said. He looked back at Faith before Abbey could continue. "Nice to meet you, Faith. You know they say we all have a twin somewhere. Well, it seems that we know your proverbial twin. My goddaughter is the guardian for her. Her name is Chase Moor. We haven't seen her for awhile. But you look enough like her that you are going to be easily confused for her." Abbey started pounding Michael's arm to get his attention.

"What do you want? More candy?" he asked her.

"Case not come back, Uncca Mikey. Re-re say so," Abbey told him. "He tell me." Michael frowned at her, trying to grasp what she said.

"What?" Michael frowned. "Re-Re said Chase isn't coming back?" Abbey nodded. "Are you sure?" Michael asked.

"He tell me! He say so! You say he no lie!"

"No," Michael said, still frowning. "No, he doesn't." He looked back at Faith. "Oh dear. I see your dilemma. So, you must be rather new to the area, and straight away, they're confusing you for Chase. And--you're about to face, for all practical purposes, her parents who clearly don't know she's...well, not coming back." He wanted to not use disturbing words in front of Abbey.

Chase Moor.. named sounded familiar.. hadn't she read about some chick being that psycho Barker's victim not to long ago? People had been talking about it for days.. She watched the conversation between the two, and her she looked slightly startled, watching Michael. "I don't know what to do about that.. she says this chick is.. not coming back.. and here I am.. and they think I'm her!" She said throwing her hands up in the air and shrugging. "I don't wanna be the cause of some big huge problem.." She said looking at Michael, hoping he understood her predicament.

So this Chase person was well in enough with these high society people that she was like their daughter.. and here she was.. and they thought they had left their actual daughter in the hands of.. this girl who looked like Faith. Well, Chase was probably older than Faith, so Faith looked like her..

"Remus Lupin, and Khaat Lupin.. and the Minister of Magic.. this is all kind of a shock for me, I'm sorry.. I hope I don't cause any problems.." She said, and stood there, looking at Michael, her eyes big. "I was just reading until the owners came back.. I watch their register on Hogsmeade weekends sometimes.. so.. I wasn't exactly expecting to be thrown face to face with Khaat Lupin, and her husband, and her DAUGHTER.. and they think I look like some chick who isn't coming back.." Faith stood there for a long moment before shaking her head. "I guess I'll just meet her and explain that I'm not Chase Moor.."

"Silly Fate Candy Lady," Abbey said. "No be scared of Mama. Eat candy. You feel better." Michael laughed out loud. For a split second, he could almost hear Remus saying that again. "Eat--you'll feel better." Abbey had had no clue what she was saying. Then the laughed overtook him and he began to laugh harder, truly amused.

The shop door opened, and Brian and Khaat came in. Khaat had some grass and mudstains on her trench coat but she was otherwise unharmed.

"Mama!" Abbey tried to dive right out of Michael's arms. He put her on the floor and Abbey made a mad dash for Khaat, who knelt to wrap Abbey tight to her, holding her like she would never let her go. Brian petted Abbey's hair, grateful she was alright. He looked up at 'Chase.'

"Thank you," he said. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble for you. And if I know these two, they ate through those galleons I gave you. Just let me know how much more I owe you."

Khaat looked up, grateful to 'Chase' but not sure what to say to her. They hadn't been on the best terms when they'd seen each other last. It didn't change that she still cared for Chase. So she kept it simple. "Thank you so much," she said. Michael just looked at Faith, ready to help her if she wanted his help, but willing to stay out of it if she didn't want his help.

Faith stared at the man and woman as they came in, and the little girl rushed over to her mom. Faith looked at Michael for a moment, obviously panic stricken as to what to say to these people. They just thanked her, didn't say anything more, just stood there smiling at her, like they couldn't even tell she wasn't their 'daughter'. Faith cleared her throat and stood there awkwardly. "Hello.. Mrs. Lupin.. Mr. Lupin.. erm.. I know this is weird.. but erm.. I'm not Chase Moor.. my.. my name is Faith Blackburn.. and I just work at this shop.." She said her eyes glued to the floor, unable to even look up at the family that assumed she was apart of them.

"Erm.. it's very nice to meet you, and I'm happy that no one got hurt by the werewolf.. and your daughter is lovely." she said gesturing to Abbey, and smiling slightly at how happy the girl had made her for a brief moment. "Um... yeah.. I'm not Chase Moor.. and I guess.. I don't even know how to put this.. but according to your daughter.. she's seen Remus Lupin.. who's seen Chase.." She said, hoping that sounded right, hoping to just get it out of the way, and say it all in one go so she wouldn't have to do anything more after this.

"Erm.. I'm sorry.. that's probably not the BEST way to tell someone something like that.. but erm.. I don't want you to think I'm someone I'm not.." She said shrugging. In reality she did look a lot like Chase. There were a few key differences though, for one, she was taller, much taller. Chase had been 5'4" and it was almost surprising that they hadn't noticed it right away, Faith was 5'10" and her face was narrower, but she looked so much like Chase in every other aspect, the likeness was uncanny. "I'm sorry.." She said looking at the ground.

It took Khaat a moment for it to all add up. Faith? Not Chase? She replayed the details in her mind. Abbey? Abbey knew? She looked at Faith again. There were some important differences. It could not have possibly been chase, but, perhaps she had so much wanted it to be Chase that she hadn't seen it before. She looked at Brian who apparently hadn't been quite as slow on the draw. He was looking at Abbey.

"Abbey," he said. "Did you see Uncle Remus?"

"In my bed," she nodded. "He say so. He say Case not come back. He say he see her. He say Mama not be sad." Brian stroked his daughter's cheek softlly.

"No. Re-Re doesn't like Mama sad," he agreed. He looked at Khaat. "You okay?"

"Call my father. I want answers," she told him. He nodded. Brian looked up at the clerk again.

"We're sorry we didn't make the connection," he said. "Its nice to meet you, Faith. Thank you so much for taking such good care of my daughter. I don't know how we can repay you."

"Thank you for letting me hide her in the basement," Khaat was working on regaining herself. "I..didn't know where else to go right then."

"Well," MIchael said, looking at the clock, "Honeydukes should be closing in another 30 minutes, and I feel quite certain that there won't be anyone coming out of their places any more tonight with the werewolf in the neighborhood. Faith, I live within eyesight. And I made a birthday dinner for Abbey. How about you join us for dinner and then I'll walk you back to the school? It surely isn't safe for you to go back to the school grounds alone tonight."

"Uncca Mikey make cookies!" Abbey nodded excitedly to Faith. She looked back at Michael. "And cake?"

"Yes, and cake," Michael laughed. She scowled at him quickly.

"You make pink cake?" her question sounded more like an interrogation than anything else.

"Just for you," he laughed.

"He won't make pink cake for anybody else, trust me," Brian laughed.

"'Cause he love me!" she said proudly.

"Abbey, you are a trip," Michael laughed.

"We go somewhere?" she asked innocently. "Fate! Unnca Mikey say we go on a trip!"

Faith could see Khaat working it out, her eyes scanned over Faith, and she looked back, making sure she saw whatever differences there were to her face, and then to Chase's face. Faith watched the family realized together that Chase was dead.. she let her gaze fall to the floor, and she crossed her hands behind her back, rocking forward onto the balls of her feet. They started to thank her again, and she just held up her hands. "No.. don't thank me... anyone would have done it... your daughter is an absolute delight, and I'm just happy I got a little time with her to keep her safe." She smiled at them all.

Glancing around the shop she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that.. let me close up the store, and get my stuff together and I'll go with you.." she said finding herself smiling. Faith vaguely wondered what must be going through Khaat's head, while she closed up the cash register, and gathered her stuff together, disposing of the half eaten chocolate kitty. She had just been told that someone who she treated like a daughter was dead... and what a way to learn it too.. from someone who looked like the girl who was supposed to be dead.

Faith closed up shop, and scribbled out a note for the owners. "Alright all set!" She said with a grin, pulling her bag over her shoulder and turning around to look at Khaat and Brian, and the rest, smiling widely. "Let's go celebrate." she said with a grin, but in the back of her mind, she was thinking. "We're off to celebrate.. when they just realized Chase died.. their family must be thinking so many other things.. and here I am.. being like.. well like Chase.. it just seems weird"