Sawyer Burwell

If you see any small boy running around trying to fight things, it’s one of my boys.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t try and fight me.” he grinned as he looked at his old friend.

Davey nodded, his gaze following Sawyer’s pointing finger as he looked to the little crowd of kids. “Yeah, sure, I’d like that. So, you, er, you’ve t-told her stories about me them? Like - what about?”

“I tell her how you were clever, very clever and how you were a friend, like a younger brother, I tell her you are brave.”

“I won’t, I won’t, I promise. I’ve been trying for fifteen years, I’m not g-going to give up now. So, Belle - that’s your daughter, then? Is she here, or, or do you have pictures?”

“Good, because all we can do is move on from the past, we can’t change it but we do control our future.” he told her then smiled looking around and spotting Isabelle with other children. “She’s that blonde over there, in the pink floral dress.” he grinned pointing at Belle. “Want to meet her? She knows you from stories and wants to meet you at one point.”

     It was amazing how children could smooth over any problem, whether it be the aching pain of a man’s heart or to stop two strangers from being consumed by the past. Since the moment Isabelle spoke, a smile broke through his expression and caused him to lean forward at her, “Oh my really? I apologize then…Where is your crown milady?” —Yet, before she could answer Jackson’s wand was drawn and with a silent swirl, glittered encircled the child’s head. Seconds later a white crown, as clear as frozen water, appeared on her pretty blonde locks. “There it is!”

Sawyer watched Jackson and even if he was someone who played a role in taking away a happiness from him, he wouldn’t have had Isabelle if things happened differently and that was something he never wanted to think about. A part of him felt sorry for him and the other just looked at him as if he was a simple stranger just talking and playing with his daughter, because that was the truth, Jackson wasn’t anyone to Sawyer and Sawyer wasn’t anyone to Jackson, they were two people whose paths crossed once, two people who didn’t speak to each other much but had such strong opinions about the other, two people who simply loved and wanted to be loved back. “Say thank you to Jackson, Belle!” Sawyer grinned at his daughter who was amazed by the magic grinning at Jackson with her big blue eyes, clapping. “Wow!” she shouted. “This so wow! Thank you. Jawkson.” she beamed and blew him a kiss. “Daddy I wanna play with Nora, show her my crown!” Belle whined and Sawyer let her run off to find her,looking back at Jackson once he saw that Belle was with Nora and Connor. “She loved that, thank you.” 

“That’s…” Anastasia’s eyes dulled as she tried to come up with the right word, a lump in her throat blocking her from being able to say anything at all. She was happy for Sawyer, happy for James, seeing them with children on their hips and smiles on their faces just made her certain that she had made the right choice in letting them go. “It’s wonderful, Sawyer.” And she meant it too, the smile was genuine when she looked back to him. “We could, if you’d like.” 

Sawyer could read Ana like a book, the years didn’t change much he still could tell what her eyes were trying to explain as if it were some other language he knew fluently. He no longer knew how to light those eyes up, he knew that they fully wouldn’t light up, but her smile was real, and he offered her one in return and looked down again for a second or two, shrugging. “She’s all I have, it’s just me and my Belle.” His features had warmed up as he kept looking at the girl who changed his life “Do you want to?” 

“A little bit,” he sighed. He glanced down to pick at a thread on his sleeve - a habit that hadn’t abated at all in the past fifteen years. “I mean, I don’t - I don’t think it’ll ever be c-completely, you know, fixed. But it’s not as bad as it was. Like, at first, I couldn’t even stay out of the hospital more than a couple weeks; as of now, I’ve been out for two months. So, th-there’s progress. Not much, but it’s something. But, hey, you! You made it in Quidditch. I’m - I’m happy for you.”

Sawyer nodded as Davey spoke, parts of him hurt seeing him like this, he was so young when they first met, he had a bright future and now he was broken, damaged forever, but they all in some way? “That’s good Davey. DOn’t give up, please don’t give up, on yourself.” he smiled and nodded. “Yeah, it’s a dream come true.” he laughed though that dream wasn’t ever going to be complete. “Honestly, quidditch doesn’t matter either, all that matter is Belle.” 

“What ever you say. How’ve you been though?”

    If this was fate’s way to dangling the fact he couldn’t have kids by letting not one but two of his most hated peers become fathers in the end, it was cruel. “Oh, here then.” handing her over as if she had some rare decease called Burwell Syndrome. “A congratulations is in order I guess….” 

Sawyer did not hate Jackson Selwyn, Sawyer did not hate him anymore, because as time moved on his pain healed and he couldn’t hate Jackson there wasn’t a reason for him to. Sure, Hogwarts years the two weren’t best friends but now as his bright blue eyes looked at his ones, he simply wanted to make sure that Ana was alright, that Jackson took care of her and he knew he did. Sawyer smiled as the blonde girl came into his arms, pressing a kiss against her forehead. “Thanks...” he said slowly before Isabelle giggled, interrupting him and looked at him. “I Belle, i a princess.” she told Jackson. 

He chewed on his lip a moment before softly answering, “Not - not great. I’ve been - there’s a lot of - I’ve just been trying to move p-past everything from fifteen years ago, but - but it’s difficult. I’ve, er, I’ve kinda been getting… professional help. Been in and out of m-mental hospitals.” He cleared his throat and continued in a fuller voice, “So, again, how have you been doing?”

“Davey...” his voice trailed for a moment as he looked at the boy who had grown into a man, but he still saw him as the young boy in his house the one who he felt protective over, the one who he couldn’t save just like everyone else he couldn’t protect. “And how’s that going? Is it getting better?” he asked. He managed a small smile. “Good, I’ve been doing good, quidditch and my little girl are my life now.”

“Me?”  He shrugged.  “I’ve been doing good.  Fifteen years can go by in the blink of an eye.  It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since we’ve been here.”

“I guess...I don’t know, to me it feels like a lifetime away.” 

“I heard.. About your baby.” Anastasia cleared her throat, offering Sawyer a pathetic excuse for a smile. “You must be so happy.” 

Sawyer looked down briefly and nodded with a small smile “Yeah, she’s three...her name is Isabelle.” he was lost for words for a moment, they could’ve had a child...they were going to all those years ago and now everything was different. Smiling slightly he looked at her “Wanna go for a walk? She’s with Sloane’s kids...you can uh, meet her if you want later.”  

“Oh, no! I’m sorry! I think you just sat in cake.”

“Nope.” he held up the plate and put it on the table. “Would’ve been awkward having pink icing on my arse.”

“You’re impossible to deal with. I’m going to tell my kids to give you a hard time the next time you babysit them. It’s only fair.”

“You do realise that I’m the coolest uncle right?”

“I don’t doubt that for a second. She’s a lovely little thing,” she remarked with an adoring grin. “Did he? Well, you can’t have him, Burwell. I’ll fight you for him.”

“Fight me? I’ll win.” he laughed “Look at me, look at you.”

“Oh sweetheart, I am so happy to see you.”

“Yeah.”

      “Hey now, no, n-no hey now…don’t get upset….shhh…” he coddled the child, swing (him/her) playfully as he looked around. “Um, if this anyones kid? (She/he) just found me and latched on to me.”

“Um, that’s my daughter...” Sawyer mumbled, reaching out for Isabelle.