The closer we get to the end just brings us that much closer to where it all began.

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Fawn's POV

The crash was bad...reading about it in a history book could have never prepared me for the horrible things that actually happened during this time.

Alastor and I were beyond fortunate...he was able to grab his savings before the banks closed down. Walking the streets is like a ghost town...shops are boarded up, and trash is everywhere.

And the children...

Everywhere you look, there are children strewn about like lost dogs, shivering and hungry, waiting for their parents to return like they promised.

But they never would.

I've stopped going into the main city because I can't help but cry every time I do...Julie and I stay at the house.

Except for today. Julie is turning four this week, and I had to go into town to grab her a present. Alastor was not with me, he still runs the station so he has a lot less free time when he's at work.

It breaks my heart walking these streets...seeing so many stores closed down, boarded up, broken and looted.

The city used to be so lively...now everyone is so depressed.

My eyes were soft and sad as I walked, keeping my gaze off the orphans as I passed. If I look, it just makes it worse...

There nothing I can do to help them, and it kills me inside. I wish I could do something but I can't I can't take them all in.

Each shop I went to didn't have much. No toys, or dolls, or books...

The longer I looked, the more disappointed I became.

Her last birthday was pretty lack luster...I wanted this one to make up for it, hoping that we can distract her enough that she won't remember this part of her life as being so dull.

Sighing, I exited yet another store that barely even had cobwebs on the shelf.

Then, my expression brightened slightly when I saw mamas shop.

Hers is the only one on the block that still looks brand new, kept up by magic I'm sure. She's still in business and still doing well as far as I know, then again she doesn't exactly need money.

My kitten heels clicked faster as I hurried over to her door, pushing it open and welcoming the sound of the soft jingle that announced my arrival.

Edith was behind her desk, hand sewing a piece of fabric with a smile on her lips.

She looked up, and that smile turned ten times brighter.

"Honeysuckle! Hi baby girl!" Her greeting was the same as always, excited and full of warmth. She got up out of her chair and waddled over to me with her arms out.

I accepted her hug, wrapping my arms around the woman and giving her a tight squeeze.

"Hi mama..." I greeted back, trying to sound happy. Though, my mood did bleed into my voice slightly.

She rubbed my back and hummed, "something on your mind...? Or is it just' everythin' that's going on with the current," she asked, and I pulled back with a soft, dejected sigh.

"A bit of both...Julie's birthday is coming up, as I'm sure you're well aware, and I've been trying to find her a present all week. No one has anything..."

My eyes fell as did my voice, and the old woman chuckled, "well, darlin, you should've come to mama first! You know I spoil that little miss."

With that she turned and started to walk away from me, and I've learned by now that means "follow me" in mama language.

My steps clicked behind her as I tailed her like a lost puppy, and the beads on her curtain clattered after we entered. 

"A present doesn't have t' be somethin expensive, dear," mama started, grabbing a few things.

She grabbed what looked like thread, needles, fabric, and then snapped her fingers and her cauldron appeared, that same bubbling, foggy liquid swirling inside.

"All you gotta put into it is a little bit of love..." she smiled at me, dropping the items into the liquid, "and a little bit'a magic."

She began to hum as I watched her dance around her spell room, going over to a shelf that had glass jars filling the levels. She ran her finger across them until she found what she needed and grabbed it with a victorious "aha!"

She then tossed that over her shoulder and into the liquid.

After that specific item, the concoction bubbled aggressively and turned blood red, making me a bit concerned.

"Uh...mama, what was in that vile?"

She perked up and turned to face me, a smile still on her face. She seemed unconcerned with the red liquid nearly bubbling onto the floor.

"One of Alastor's teeth, dear."

My eyes widened and I tensed, quirking an eyebrow at that. My mouth opened but nothing came out as I pondered the new information.

She didn't bat an eye, simply walked over to me as she hummed an upbeat tune and reached up before she plucked a strand of hair straight off my head.

"Ow!" I yelped, my hand going to my scalp to rub and smooth the itch that quickly set in.

"Sorry!" She chirped, "I'm makin' Julie something special, and both'a you will be a part of it!"

She dropped my hair into the angry bubbling liquid, and the way it almost instantly calmed down and turned a soft blue color was impressive.

"There ya go, ya grump, she's with you now..." mama mumbled to herself, and then grabbed a big spoon and stirred.

Curiously, I walked over to check out her process, peeking into the cauldron.

The color was beautiful, like the sky, and I could see my reflection in it.

"What're you making?" I asked her, and she stopped stirring, and didn't answer me before she plunged her hand into the liquid.

It was a lot thicker than I originally thought, and she dug around before perking up and smiling as she yanked out her hand.

I was confused for a second, until the blue liquid started to drip off of her arm, leaving no residue behind.

And in her hand was slowly revealed to be two...dolls.

"Dolls...?" I asked.

Mama shook off the remaining goo, and the dolls were left dry and unstained.

Then my eyes widened when I noticed it was...me and Al. Or at least that's what it looked like.

One had brown hair, wearing a cute red suit. The fabric it had for skin was a light brown color, and the button eyes were a darker brownish red.

The other doll had blonde hair, and light peachy fabric for skin. It's button eyes were a moss green color.

The both had little black threads in the shape of a smile for mouths.

Mama gently handed them to me.

"These are voodoo dolls, dear...I made them with a little white magic, so they're not malicious at all. Give these to little Julie...that way, mama and daddy will always be with her no matter how far apart you may be. She can hug them, and either of you will feel it as well. Also, if she's touching it, you'll know...her heartbeat will come through the fabric and you'll be able to feel it."

My eyes were now wide and I ran my finger over the little dolls in my hands. I grabbed Alastor's, and held it up.

"So...can he feel this right now?"

Mama chuckled, "probably. And he's probably very confused."

I laughed as well at the image of Alastor sitting at his desk with an odd look on his face, wondering why it feels like something is touching him.

My smile only grew just before I wrapped mama in a hug, squeezing her.

"Oh, thank you! You're the best..."

"I know, dear. Now, I had something for miss Julie, too," we headed back into the shop and she grasped the fabric she'd been sewing with.

She then shook it out, and it was a cute little blue dress with tiny white daisies embroidered into it.

I gasped, "oh, that is precious!"

Taking it gently, I admired it before folding it over my arm and giving mama a warm smile.

"Thank you, again...don't know what I'd do without you," I giggled and she walked over and reached up to pull me down towards her and kiss my cheek.

"You'd not make it three seconds without me," she joked back, and I laughed.

She's so right.

We said our goodbyes and I walked out, much happier than I was when I went in...until I once again was faced with the stare of the world.

My smiled faded slightly as I walked back to the studio. It was quiet, and sad in the streets, and I just kept my eyes forward and didn't stop.

When I finally made it, I slipped in, and let out a soft sigh.

The numbers at our office had dwindled greatly...our two dozen workers was down to about just a dozen maybe less.

I was given my usual greetings, and small smiles.

After returning them, I slipped into Julie's playroom. It was dark, and empty, so I made my way through it and into the hallway that leads to Al's office.

There were two voices talking in hushed tones as I approached, and one I immediately recognized as Niffty.

"—know what you're going to do...?"

"Just hope that—"

My opening the door cut Alastor off, and he looked up to see who came in without knocking. When it was me, the tension in his shoulders relaxed slightly.

Niffty gave me a small smile, and came up to me. She gave me a quick side hug before scurrying out of the office.

My brows furrowed, and I looked up at Al. He was smiling, but I could see the worried creases in his forehead. There were papers scattered all around his desk.

"Hey, babe...where's Julie?"

He sighed and sat back in his chair, "she's under my desk, sleeping," he said in that same hushed tone and I quirked an eyebrow.

"Um...why?"

He shrugged, "beats me, but hell if she wants to nap under there I'm not gonna stop her. She was so energetic earlier..." he drew in a deep breath and ran his hands down his face with another sigh.

My eyes softened and I walked over, setting the dolls and dress down before I rounded the desk and stood by his side.

Curiously I peeked under the desk, and there she was, curled up and sound asleep.

Man, toddlers are strange.

Shrugging I stood back up and put my hands on his shoulders, squeezing gently. Just by the way he let his head fall back, eyes closed, I knew he's had a rough day.

Leaning down, I kissed his forehead.

"Tell me about it..." I urged softly, not even needing to give context for my question.

All the context I need is right in front of me.

There was a stiff silence before he finally spoke, not opening his eyes.

"We've lost funding for the studio..."

His voice was quiet, and my eyes widened.

What?

"They said that at a time like this...they need to invest their money in different affairs. More important..." his eyes finally opened, and he chuckled dryly.

"What the hell is more important than radio? I tell these people everything they need to know, they can't get that anywhere else!"

I listened to him rant, and my brows furrowed.

The radio was only popular because it gave people news, and exciting stories...

But with the television rising up...

I shook my head, shrugging that off. Tom wouldn't do that, he wouldn't take our funding. He knows how much this place means to us.

Quickly, I smiled, and rubbed his shoulders some more.

"Looks like well have to keep this place afloat from our own pockets then, hm?" I said, keeping my voice light.

He looked up at me warily.

"What if I can't do this...I can't let all these people down, they depend on me..." he said, his voice sounding defeated.

He cares very deeply about the employees here...whether he shows it or not, he does.

I kissed his forehead again and brushed some of his hair back.

"You haven't let anybody down...and you won't. We'll make it through this...we always do..." I spoke softly, looking down at his tired eyes. His lips were set in a soft frown, and that didn't suit him at all.

"Now where your smile...you know you're...?" I held it, wanting him to finish the line.

He scoffed, a small smile appearing on his lips as he leaned into my touch.

"Never fully dressed without one..." he mumbled against my palm, and then gave it a quick kiss and sat back forward quickly.

"Right! Well, then, thank you, dear. We will make it through this."

He sounded more like he was reassuring himself, but at least he didn't sound utterly depressed anymore.

I smiled and bounded over to the dolls, bringing them forward.

"Look, these are for you know who's you know what," I whispered, and his eyes widened.

"Oh, you found something?" His voice was hushed now, and I nodded.

"Yea, mama made them...they're voodoo," I added and he froze.

"...she gave you voodoo dolls of us to give to our four year old daughter?" He deadpanned, and I snickered.

"White magic..." I waved them in the air, "harmless little doodads."

He hummed, "so that's why that happened earlier..." he murmured, and then smiled wider, "that's wonderful...I'm sure she'll love them."

"Lub what, daddy?"

Speak of the devil.

Quickly I hid the dolls behind my back, and a very sleepy Juliette crawled out from under the desk, rubbing her eye.

Al chuckled, "you, my darling!" He scooped her up, "I just love you so much I could eat you up!" He started pretend biting her and she squealed with giggles, kicking her feet.

"Stop it daddy, that tickles!"

I chuckled at the sight, and then crossed my arms over my stomach and let a sigh out through my nose softly.

Yea...we'll be just fine.