Chapter Text
For miles we stumbled up the road.
Exhausted, desperate for a full meal and tea…
God, tea sounds so good right now!
And warmth! Real blankets… hugs…
We had been in snow for what seemed like ages. The Garden, much like Purgatory, enjoyed a very long and very drawn out Winter. But, turns out angel wings, which apparently came and went with the Garden, provide a decent amount of warmth for two. Doc would make the fire, I’d whip out the wings, and we were safe. It was never clear if the Garden was a haven or a prison. We figured we’d find out when we got out.
While the circumstance of our stay was balls, the two of us tried to retain some sort of normalcy. The days were spent studying the land, finding viable food to make over the fire, and discovering new water sources. We kept track of the days, too.
Last Christmas seemed like a dream now - memories of mistletoe, Mama’s cooking, dancing, and a particularly cute looking elf. Even if we did make it back for Christmas, it wouldn’t be the same. We’d been gone for so long, who knows what had changed in Purgatory. But knowing that didn’t stop the ache.
Soon after being dragged into the Garden, we realized that try as we might, “escaping” the Garden wasn’t going to happen. It’s like it had a mind of its own. So, we survived. December began and all I could think about was going home. Whenever Doc went to fetch more fire wood, I would hum to myself, occasionally singing the words that would inevitably bring tears.
“I’ll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me…
Please have snow
And mistletoe
And presents under the tree.
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love-light gleams.
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams.”
“That sure was beautiful, Waverly.”
“Oh, Doc! I didn’t know you were back.”
“Couldn’t leave you cold, now could I?”
Doc dropped the wood he was holding into a neat pile near the fire pit, and took his seat near mine. He spoke.
“We never did much for Christmas. We didn’t have much, that was for certain. But Mama always put something in our stockings. A penny or two. A new hat she had knitted. But the best was a peppermint candy. Yes, even back then peppermint was the flavor of Christmas. My brother and I knew we should savor the candy as we knew we would not receive a piece for another year, but it was always far too tempting. We would suck and bite on the red and white sugar with such force, our cheeks and teeth would hurt.
And Papa… Well, Papa wasn’t always with us for Christmas morning. But we didn’t mind. He was working, and that was just fine. Mama dabbled on the piano, just enough to sing some carols, so we’d gather around, sing with her - although I am not one who should be singin’. We didn’t have much, but I have some real fond memories of Christmases with them.”
It was then I understood that Doc knew. He knew how much I needed my sister… Nicole… my best friends. He needed them, too. That night we shared stories of favorite Christmases, holiday blunders, and quiet nights, until we practically fell asleep on the stumps.
The next morning acted as any other. Doc woke early to re-kindle the fire, then we set out to explore and find food. Each morning, we passed a grouping of trees whose branches resembled a sort of doorframe. We both assumed this was the way in and out of the Garden, but as much as we studied and poked and prodded, we never learned anything new, and nothing ever changed. But this morning? Holly bushes with vibrant red berries and wild honeysuckle flowers sprouted from the ground and enveloped the tree trunks, their stems winding around the branches. Now there was no doubt it was a door.
I couldn’t help but stare at the new addition. It was beautiful. Welcoming, even.
“So, what shall it be today, Miss Waverly? The kale still growing nicely?” His footsteps were more like stomps on the snowy ground as he made his way up the hill from our campsite.
“I don’t know that we’re gonna need it today, Doc.”
The gunslinger looked up from the ground his eyes had been trained on.
“Well, ain’t that grand? You don’t reckon that’ll be our way out?”
“Only one way to find out. But if it is our way out, we need to prepare for whatever’s on the other side. I’ll stay here and study the new blooms. Will you go back to camp and gather only the necessities? Meet me back here when you’re done?”
“Whatever you need. Always.” Doc tipped his hat and bounded back down the hill.
That was it. We were finally getting out of there.
Some time later, Doc met me at the top of the hill. With him, he carried the carrots and kale we harvested earlier that week, and three small logs.
“What do you reckon we do to get out of here? Just walk through it?”
“I tried that this morning, but it doesn’t seem to work. Like there’s a forcefield. Similar to the one that was at the bottom of the steps that day. I can walk around the trees just fine, I can touch it, but I can’t pass through.”
“You said you tried that this morning?”
I nodded.
“Well, it’s been a few hours, let’s try again.” Doc said with the upmost confidence.
And with that confidence, he strode forward and ran face first into the forcefield.
“Dagnabit.”
I sighed, heavily. All I wanted to do was get home. I could feel the anxiety rising in my chest, like a fire starting to consume.
Breathe, Waverly. You have to be able to think.
I closed my eyes, took some deep breaths, and started to hum. I hummed the song that had helped me through the past few weeks. The one Doc caught me singing last night. I had gotten through the first verse, gaining a semblance of control back when I heard,
“Ummm… Waverly?”
Doc’s voice sounded concerned, so I slowly opened my eyes and saw new frost, practically glittering atop the holly and honeysuckle. I looked to Doc, whose eyes were wide. Then back to the plants. And back to Doc.
“You don’t think…?”
“I certainly think it’s worth a shot. Ladies first.”
“You have everything, right?”
“I do.”
“Okay. Let’s go home.”
After that, we stepped through the portal and landed in the middle of the Purgatory woods. With a little light left in the day, we found the road and set off towards town and out to the homestead.