What Could Have Been

Summer’s shifts were out of her hands but that year she had been fortunate enough to be given a decent amount of time off that Christmas to spend with the girls, her family and Micheal. She knew she was lucky to have all of them and she knew that she wouldn’t be without them. Micheal had told Grace about the two of them and she’d managed to explain it to the girls as best she could and she knew that they were happy to see Micheal more often. They had taken a shine to him a long time ago, perhaps due to the fact that Finn was missing from their lives, and even though it was still only fairly early days the truth was that Summer still had high hopes that this was going to work out. She would be the first to admit that she’d had her heart broken in the past and she knew that nothing was guaranteed but she didn’t want to go through that again if she could help it, nor did she want the girls to go through losing Micheal either. The two of them had already agreed that no matter what happened they would remain friends and she trusted him to keep that promise but she really hoped that it wouldn’t come to that. Right now everyone was still on edge after what had happened with the Enlightened and Summer knew that that was to be expected. Her girls’ names were being kept out of any newspaper reports and Summer really was glad about that. They were too young to remember losing their dad but the last thing she wanted was for them to face anymore upheaval and she knew that she would do everything in her power to stop them from going through that. Her girls were her world and she knew that she would do everything she could in order to protect them. Micheal was often worried about Summer and the girls being left alone without any protection and with how often Angel and her friends checked in as well, Summer knew that they were worried too. She loved them for it and she knew that vampires could still be killed, Finn was proof of that after all, but she wasn’t helpless. She was more than capable of looking after herself and she hoped that sooner or later they would remember that as well.

That day Summer had wanted to be there to support Micheal while he gave his speech but she hadn’t been able to find anyone to watch the girls and she had known that she couldn’t take them with her so all she could do was text him to wish him luck and promise that she would make it up to him later. How she was going to do that she wasn’t entirely sure but she knew that she would figure something out. They hadn’t taken the next step on their relationship yet, they had kissed but otherwise they were taking it slow and truth be told Summer was glad about that. It gave them the chance to spend time together and find their feet as a couple without anything else complicating things for them. Summer knew that there were more than just the two of them to think about, they had Grace and the twins to consider as well and Summer knew that she wanted to do this right by everyone. That day she and the girls had been busy baking and having fun while the outside world was literally coming apart at the seams once more, blissfully unaware of the panicked phone call between Micheal and Grace which had resulted in the girl promising not to go anywhere and telling her dad that she loved him before they hung up. Summer had headed into the living room to see if she could catch Micheal’s speech when the knock on the door came and she was surprised to find Micheal standing there. Within moments his arms were around her and Summer wrapped her arms around him in return. “I’m fine,” she assured him gently, not offering any resistance as he moved them inside the house and closed the door behind him. Summer wanted to ask again what had happened but from the way Micheal stood there in silence with his arms around her, she knew that she just had to trust that he would tell her when he was ready. As it was she kept her arms around him and kissed his cheek gently, hoping that the contact would reassure him that she really was alright. Soon enough he explained what had happened and Summer couldn’t deny that she was shocked. “Micheal, I’m so sorry. I know he was your friend,” she said, bringing her hand up and letting it rest lightly against his cheek. “I was in the kitchen baking with the girls and I didn’t have my phone with me, I’m really sorry I scared you,” she added, her eyes meeting his as she spoke. Grabbing her phone from the table, she quickly checked it and found missed calls and texts from Angel, Chantal, Ana, Seth and her mum. “It looks like they did show it, everyone has been worried sick,” she explained, quickly texting them all back to say that she and the girls were fine and Micheal was there to put their minds at ease before turning back to her partner. Setting her phone back down, she moved forward and took both his hands in hers. “Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes full of concern for him as she knew that none of this could be easy for him. “Have you heard from Grace?” she asked, no doubt in her mind that Micheal would have checked on his daughter first as he should.

MICHEAL ALEXANDER HERONDALE

Christmas always meant that, even with the Yule Ball which most people simply travelled to and from each year these days, most of the students went home to see their families which Summer knew was as it should be. There were always going to be those who stayed at Hogwarts for one reason or another but it meant that Summer wasn’t needed to work over Christmas that often and she was definitely glad about that. It meant that she got to spend more time with her girls and that was something that Summer was never going to take for granted. It had taken her a long time to pick up the pieces after Finn died but now things were much better than they had been and Summer had finally felt like she was ready to move on with her life and start over with someone new. She had no idea what was going to happen with Micheal but Summer would be lying if she said that she didn’t have high hopes for their relationship. He had been there for her through the worst time of her life and she was so grateful to him for that. Somewhere along the line the lines between friendship and something more had become well and truly blurred but the truth was that she was happy. She had wanted to be there to watch him give his speech but she hadn’t been able to find someone to watch the girls so in the end she’d had to stay at home. She had still made up her mind to watch him with the girls, though, and that was a plan she had wanted to stick to but she had completely lost track of time while she and the girls were baking. She knew that she could watch it on her phone later but it wouldn’t be quite the same.

As it was she hadn’t managed to catch his speech and she hadn’t seen that the broadcast had been hijacked or what had followed either. Needless to say she was surprised to find Micheal standing at the door looking terrified and Summer knew that something was wrong straight away. Feeling Micheal’s arms around her was enough to make her feel safe, though, and she wrapped her arms around him in return and hugged him tightly. She didn’t offer any resistance as he moved them inside and as he revealed what had happened, Summer felt sick to her stomach. She knew that Micheal and the former Minister were friends but there was a part of her that was glad that it was him and not Micheal that they’d targeted, no matter how awful that might sound. Summer had already lost Finn and the truth was that the thought of losing Micheal too terrified her even though they hadn’t been together for very long. He was her friend before he became anything else and she really couldn’t imagine him not being in her life. “you will in time and I’ll be here for you while you do,” Summer said gently. Micheal had been there for her while she grieved and she knew that she would be there for him now. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she added, needing him to know. He meant a lot to her and Summer knew that she didn’t want anything to happen to him. “I know. I normally try and keep my phone with me in case of an emergency though,” she nodded. “I appreciate you coming to check on us,” she said, bringing her hand up and letting it rest lightly against his cheek for a moment before going to check her phone. It turned out that Micheal wasn’t the only one who was worried about her and the girls and Summer quickly sent out texts to let them all know that the three of them were fine and that Micheal was there with them. She wouldn’t have put it past her brother and friends to show up to make sure if she hadn’t done but right now she wanted to focus on Micheal and the girls. “That’s okay, they know you’re here so they’ll give us some privacy and to be honest I’m not ready for you to go yet either,” she admitted. She hadn’t seen the horrors that Micheal and the others had but it was clear how much it was affecting him and Summer wanted to make sure that he was alright. “You got that right,” Summer agreed as Micheal said it was one hell of a way to start the year. “Here’s hoping you’re able to find those responsible soon.” She knew just how hard the Ministry and Guardians were working to find those responsible so she honestly hoped that it was just a matter of time. As Micheal said he’d called Grace first, Summer nodded. “I’m glad she’s safe. Give her my best,” she said gently. She would have offered to go with him to check on Grace but she got the feeling it was a moment that was best left to father and daughter. “I don’t mind at all. They’re in the kitchen, I’ll go get them,” she said before heading into the kitchen and telling the girls that there was someone who wanted to see them. Unable to stop a smile from forming on her face as they ran through to the living room and immediately climbed onto the sofa and hugged Micheal, Summer turned the oven off and poured a glass of fire whiskey for Micheal and another for herself before returning to the living room. “I thought you might need this,” she said as she held a glass out to him, settling on the sofa next to him now that the girls had moved to the opposite side and curling up against him. “You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked him gently.

MICHEAL ALEXANDER HERONDALE

Normally Summer made sure to keep her phone with her since her loved ones had taken to checking up on her and the girls more often ever since the Enlightened revealed magic to the world but that day she hadn’t even thought about it. They were at home and they were safe but the world outside those four walls had fallen apart once more and she could see just how scared Micheal had been. Summer couldn’t even begin to imagine how difficult it all must have been for him and not for the first time she found herself grateful that he was safe. Micheal’s position put a target on his back and even though they hadn’t been together for that long he had been a constant in her life for years and Summer really didn’t know what she would do if something ever happened to him. She had already lost Finn and even though Micheal was a vampire who was older than she was that was no guarantee that she wasn’t going to lose him one day as well. It was always a possibility but with everything going on right now Summer found herself worrying about him often and she was glad that he was alright. “We’re fine, I promise,” Summer assured him gently. “Would you mind if I go with you later to check on Grace?” she asked, knowing that she would feel better knowing that the girl was safe as well. She didn’t doubt that Angel, Chantal or Ana would watch the girls for her if she asked them to and she knew that she wanted to be there for Micheal if he would let her but at the same time she knew that she wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to go alone.

Summer had seen glimpses of what Micheal’s work was like during the time they had known each other but she knew that she really hadn’t even scraped the surface. He had so much on his plate all the time and on top of that he was a single father as well. How he was able to juggle all of that she had no idea but she admired him for it and she knew that she would do everything she could in order to support him. She knew that things weren’t easy for Micheal but he always seemed to take everything in his stride and she found herself constantly reminding him that he didn’t have to put on a brave face for her. She wanted to be his partner, she didn’t want to be someone he felt he had to hide things from in order to protect her. Summer had known what she was letting herself in for with him when they got together and she knew that she wasn’t going to change her mind about them now. “I know it does but don’t lose hope. You’re an amazing leader, Micheal, and an even better person. I know you’ll find the people behind all of this,” she assured him, knowing that there really wasn’t a doubt in her mind about that. “You can do this, I believe in you.” Summer knew that things were different this time around, the Enlightened were organised and they knew how to fly under the radar but Micheal had seen a lot over the course of his life and Summer had faith in him.

The way Micheal asked to see the girls was enough to draw a smile to her lips. Summer knew how much he loved them and she couldn’t blame him for wanting to see them now after everything that had happened. Emerging from the kitchen with two glasses in hand, Summer was just in time to see Micheal hug them and a fond expression formed on her face at the sight. This was what she had always wanted, she had wanted her girls to grow up with a dad who loved them and even though it was still only early days for the first time since Finn died she found herself looking forward to the future even with everything that was going on around them. They would keep her girls safe and they would do the same for Grace and, with any luck, it wouldn’t be long before the Enlightened were brought to justice either. “I know you too well,” Summer teased playfully, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek before settling back against him. It felt nice sitting with Micheal like this and for a moment it was like nothing else mattered but Summer knew that there were still things that needed to be done. Taking a sip of her drink, Summer gave his hand a gentle squeeze as he said that he was okay. “You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?” she asked gently, wanting to make sure he knew that he could open up to her. Summer was surprised when Micheal suddenly said that he wanted her to have a guardian and she studied him carefully for a moment. “That’s not necessary, Micheal. We’re all at Hogwarts most of the time and when we’re not there, we’re here. It would be a waste when that person could be protecting someone who needs it,” she said gently although she couldn’t deny that the idea of having someone there to look after the girls when she wasn’t with them would be a relief.

MICHEAL ALEXANDER HERONDALE

Summer’s life had never been completely normal, being born a vampire meant that she had always been different to the other people in her life and it had made her even happier to have her twin brother by her side. Befriending Chantal and Ana had helped, they were her sisters and judging by the way she’d had missed calls from the two of them, Angel, Seth and her mum, she knew that they had all been worried about her after what had happened. Summer had known danger before, she’d had to keep her girls safe after Finn died and she knew that she would go to any lengths to keep them safe and she was starting to feel like Micheal would do the same for her. She had seen just how scared he was when she had opened the door, he had seen one of his friends, the guy who had been like a mentor to him for so long, killed live on television and the man’s mistress had been killed as well. Summer and Micheal weren’t hiding their relationship, she had made it clear when they got together that she couldn’t live her life like that any longer, but it meant that she might find herself becoming a target as well. She knew that was why Micheal was so worried and she couldn’t blame him but she knew that she was going to be just fine. She wasn’t defenceless and there really wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t do to keep her girls safe so she wasn’t worried. Having Micheal around always helped and so did having Angel, Seth and Matt around. She knew that she had people in her corner who meant the world to her and they had helped her get through everything that had happened with Finn and she knew that now wasn’t going to be any different. Truth be told she was more worried about Grace, Summer knew that the girl would be fine at Hogwarts but if she was anywhere else then it might have been a different story entirely. “That’s okay, I understand,” Summer said, a smile touching her lips as she looked over at Michael. She loved how protective he was of his little girl, they had both become single parents in completely different ways but they were both still doing the best they could by their children and that really was all that either of them could do. She wasn’t sure how Grace would react to Micheal saying that he wanted to tighten Grace’s security measures, she wasn’t sure whether the girl would put on a brave face for her dad or whether she would be honest about it, but she could definitely understand why he wanted to have that conversation with just the two of them there.

As Micheal suggested they all go for dinner tomorrow, Summer nodded. “That sounds perfect, it would be great to spend some time with her,” she admitted. She had bought Grace and Micheal some Christmas presents from her and the girls and she saw Grace around Hogwarts sometimes but the truth was that it didn’t feel like they had spent that much time together and Summer wanted to get to know her better. Summer was serious about her relationship with Micheal and Grace was his world so Summer wanted to make a good impression on here. She didn’t know how Grace felt about their relationship but Micheal hadn’t said that anything seemed wrong so she honestly hoped that Grace was supportive. Summer knew that it probably wasn’t easy to see her dad moving on but he and Summer were happy together and she really wanted it to stay that way. She knew that things were going to change now that such a public figure had been killed, Micheal’s life was bound to become even more complicated than ever before but Summer knew that she wanted to be there to support him and she hoped that he would let her. He always seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and she felt bad for adding to his stress by making him worry about her and the girls as well but she knew that Micheal wouldn’t be with her if he didn’t want to be so she knew that she was lucky in that respect. Even now she still didn’t understand how someone like him could be interested in her, he was over a hundred years old and he had experienced so much already while her future with Finn had been ripped away from her before she’d even really started to live it. They were from two completely different worlds but Micheal made her happier than she had ever felt that she would get to feel again and she knew that she didn’t want to lose that. “I know things are different now but you can still do all of those things. The fact that you’ve even become Minister for Magic gives everyone like us so much hope. I grew up knowing I was different and there wasn’t anyone like me in a position of power back then. You’re making the world better and giving these two someone they can look up to,” she said, nodding in the direction of her two girls. She was so glad that they would get to grow up seeing Micheal running the Ministry and Jensen running the Guardians, vampires were more accepted now than they ever were before and she honestly wanted that for her girls.

“So am I,” Summer admitted with a smile as Micheal said he was glad that she knew him well. Micheal was so used to worrying about everyone else, it was completely natural given his position, but she knew that even he needed someone to worry about him every now and then. Grace already did that by the sounds of it but now Summer did as well and she knew that she would do anything to make any of this easier for him. Taking a sip of her drink, Summer’s smile widened as Micheal wrapped an arm around her. It was only a small thing but if she was honest she had missed being held like this more than she had realised. “We’re all okay and so are you. It’s all going to be okay,” she said, letting her hand rest lightly against his cheek before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips. She knew that she could say that nothing was going to happen to them but she had thought that with Finn as well and she had still lost him so she knew better than to take the time she had with the people she loved for granted. Summer knew that Micheal had a team in place to protect Grace but she hadn’t for one moment thought that he would want to do the same for her. Her friends had mentioned it to her before given the fact that they had already been a target once when Finn died but Summer had been quick to dismiss it just as she was now. It was clear that this was something that Micheal had been thinking about a lot, though, and she was about to protest again when Micheal said about doing it for the girls if not for her. “Micheal,” she said gently, really not sure what to say to that. She didn’t want to waste a Guardian’s time when they could be protecting someone who deserved it but she couldn’t deny that she worried about her girls when she wasn’t with them. Ever since she had learned she was pregnant she had known that she would do anything to protect them and that feeling had intensified the moment the Enlightened had revealed magic to the world. Summer’s mind was already made up when Micheal took her glass and set it down on the table before taking both her hands in his. Turning to look at him, Summer’s expression softened as he spoke again. “I knew what I was letting us all in for when you and I got together and I don’t regret it at all,” she said gently. She knew that being with Micheal could put a target on her back but she also knew that no one else had ever made her feel like this. It was different than it was with Finn, she had loved him and she had felt safe with him but with Micheal there was something else. He was fiercely protective of not just his daughter but Summer and her girls as well and there was a spark there that was stronger than anything she had never felt before. She knew it was far too easy to say that to Micheal but it didn’t mean that she didn’t feel it and she knew that she didn’t want him to worry about them anymore than he already did. “Alright,” she said at last. “If we can find someone who will agree to put the girls first then I’ll agree to having a Guardian. I never wanted to cause you any trouble but I worry about these two as well and if it means they’ll be kept safe then I’d be foolish not to agree.” She had put her girls first before when Finn died, in fact they were the only thing that had kept her going back then, and she knew that she needed to do the same thing now. “Just promise me you’ll stay safe as well. We don’t want anything happening to you either,” she added, lifting her gaze to meet his as she spoke.

MICHEAL ALEXANDER HERONDALE

Micheal had suggested that they keep their relationship hidden when they first got together and Summer knew that it was because he had wanted to keep her and her two girls safe rather than because he was ashamed to let people know that they were together but she still hadn’t felt comfortable even thinking about that. After Finn died she’d had to change back to her maiden name and she’d had to change the girls’ names back too because there was a chance that the people who killed Finn could have gone after the three of them as well and Summer knew that the threat hadn’t completely gone away but she had lived in the shadows once and she knew that she didn’t want to do that again. She would do everything in her power to keep her girls safe because they were her world and she knew that Micheal would keep them safe too but keeping their relationship a secret just wasn’t an option that Summer had been willing to consider. Thankfully Micheal had understood and they had been able to go about their relationship like a normal couple for the most part. Summer had left her phone in the living room that day while she was spending some time baking with the girls and she hadn’t even known what had happened until Micheal turned up on her doorstep and told her. Summer couldn’t deny that she was worried about Grace but she knew that the girl had to be fine otherwise Micheal wouldn’t be there at her place. Grace was his main priority just like the girls were hers and Summer knew that that was as it should be. She and Micheal were together but they each had their own kids to look out for and she knew that they were never going to want to stop doing that. Summer wanted to see Grace and make sure that the girl was okay for herself but she understood that Micheal wanted to see Grace on his own this time. That didn’t mean that Summer wouldn’t most likely call her later and check in herself though, just to put her mind at ease. “From what I’ve seen she doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl who would hold back if she didn’t agree with something regardless of who is there but I get it. She’s your little girl and sometimes it needs to be just the two of you, I’d never want to get in the way,” she assured him gently. She was still getting to know Grace and the last thing Summer wanted to do was overstep.

“It’ll happen in time. The girls already like her, they keep asking me when they’re going to get to see her again,” Summer admitted. “I know it’s early days for us still but I really do want us to be one big family one day and I’ll do everything I can my end to make that happen,” she added, a smile touching her lips as she looked over at Micheal. She knew that it was going to take time, Grace was so much older than the girls were and less than ten years younger than Summer was herself. There was bound to be an adjustment period but Summer really wanted her relationship with Micheal to work and that meant building a relationship with Grace as well. They had already started getting to know each other even before she and Micheal got together as Grace had helped her out around the Hospital Wing sometimes but now there was so much more on the line and Summer wasn’t afraid to put the work in to really get to know Grace and become a part of her life. Summer knew that the girl would never see her as a mother figure, they were far too close in age for that, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t be friends and Summer hoped they would get to the point one day where Grace trusted her enough to talk to her about most things. As Micheal said it would be harder to get legislation passed that wasn’t focused on the Enlightened, Summer nodded. “That’s true but you have plenty of time to do everything that you want to do. The Enlightened will be stopped sooner or later and then you can put those things in place but that doesn’t mean you can’t work on getting the legislation right in the meantime,” she said gently. Micheal might not be able to get it implemented right away but she knew that it definitely wouldn’t hurt for him to start getting things lined up anyway. Micheal was a vampire and that meant that if he wanted to then he could be the Minister for a long time to come so for now it might just be a case of having to be patient for a while.

“Hopefully soon you’ll start to believe that,” Summer said gently as Micheal repeated her words that it would all be okay. It would take time but she knew that Micheal was the right person to lead them through this and she was going to be his shoulder to lean on as much as he needed her to be. Summer knew that she was never going to leave him alone in this, she had known that there would be good and bad times just like there were in any relationship but the two of them were stronger together and Summer knew that nothing was going to stop her from being there for him. Pressing a kiss to his lips, Summer smiled into the kiss as Micheal kissed her back straightaway. She knew how easy it would be for him to spiral right now but she wasn’t going to let that happen, Micheal deserved so much better and she was going to do her best to stop him from going down that dark path. She really wanted to argue when Micheal said he wanted her to have a Guardian and she did protest at first but then he said that she should agree for the girls if not for herself. Summer had already lost one person she loved and the truth was that the idea of anything bad happening to either of her daughters terrified her. She still didn’t think that a Guardian was necessary since they were either at home or at Hogwarts most of the time and both of those places were definitely safe but she knew that she didn’t want to take any risks when it came to the safety of her little girls. “I know you don’t,” Summer nodded as Micheal said that he didn’t regret getting together with her he just didn’t want anything to happen to the three of them. “As soon as this is all over we go back to our normal lives without a Guardian though,” she added, needing him to know that it was only a temporary thing as far as she was concerned. Summer already had the worry of the people who killed Finn still being out there somewhere hanging over her but that was something that she’d learned to live with, she didn’t want to have to deal with any more worry about the safety of her girls for any longer than she had to. “That was a dirty tactic, you know. Bringing them into it like that,” she teased although there was no malice in her words whatsoever. She understood why he had done it, he had known it was the only way she would agree and he had been right. “That sounds reasonable,” Summer agreed as Micheal said he would set up a meeting for her with Jensen and that it would only be for when she went between places or went out somewhere. A smile touched Summer’s lips as Micheal leaned in for a kiss and she met him half way, kissing him back just as fiercely. She wasn’t agreeing just for the girls, she was agreeing for Micheal as well because she knew that he would only keep worrying about them if she didn’t. “They’d better be tightening your security but does that mean we’ll be seeing less of you?” she asked, unable to deny that it was now her turn to worry. They didn’t always get to see each other for very long as it was and the idea of seeing less of Micheal didn’t sit right with her but if that was how it had to be for a while then Summer knew that they would figure it out. As Micheal asked what they were doing before he showed up, Summer’s smile returned. “We were baking some cookies, weren’t we girls?” she asked, laughing as the two of them bounced up and down excitedly in their seat as they confirmed it. The two girls were still covered in flour but Summer knew she could fix that later. “Would you like some?” she asked as she turned her gaze back to Micheal.

MICHEAL ALEXANDER HERONDALE