Embracing Independence

December 14,1988 Baltimore, MD evening

Beth lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello beautiful. Like your present?"

"Sirius?" she practically squealed.

"Always about you."

"How did you? How is this even possible? It's wonderful but how?"

"This has been a side project of mine for five years or so. I took stuff I learned in doing the wards at my house for Harry. The ways the goblins grow these crystals to store energy any I combined it with muggle engineering and voila cell phones for wizards. I got the actual calling contract organized via Bromley's bank there in DC it's with AT&T. Bromley's is also how they got shipped to the Castle too. They don't need charging like a regular cell phone because they feed off the crystal's stored energy which it absorbs from the surroundings or from the wizard himself."

'Anyway your phone is one for the first dozen off the assembly line I appropriated them I sent one for you, one for Andy, one for Amelia, one for Remus, one for Harry his magic is starting to grow he's gone through two normal cell phones in the last five months shorting them out, and the other seven are gifts to your team. I wanted them to have them for two reasons one as a Thank you for all the research which will eventually clear me and two to keep you safe. There are instruction manuals in the box. Harry sent the engagement photos and the ones he took of us that night he set us up the little sneak. He's practically jumping here he wants to talk to you.."

"Beth, Beth amies-tu foto?

"Harry I haven't had a chance to look at the photographs yet and if you speak English, French German or Spanish I'll understand you but if you start Indonesian I won't have a clue. Take a deep breath and focus on one language please."

"Beth why haven't you been taking our calls we've tried for days." Harry's excited voice practically wailed.

"My father blocked them Harry, it was not my choice."

"Doesn't he like us?"

"Kiddo he doesn't know you and he's afraid of Sirius' big bad rep. He hasn't even really sat down with me since I got back." Beth's detail caught the wistful note in her voice. "How do you like being home?"

"It's great. I got a letter from each of my pen pals, the scout troop went camping, football's going well, and tomorrow I test for the next level in eskrima. Tonight's going to be so much fun! Liana's grandson finally is big and healthy enough to leave the Hospital Sri gave him the potion last night so tonight the whole village is having a party to welcome him. I can't wait. Sirius says that's enough for now so I'll talk to you tomorrow I hope you liked the design I picked for your phone case. I saw it and thought of you. Bye.

"Bye rugrat." after a few seconds Sirius was back on"He's certainly excited."

"I know he's been helping Liana set up the party. It's been the only thing keeping him distracted from missing you., but as wired as he is we may wind up coming back early because he'll be to tired to stay. So what's been happening there?"

"I decided to move out. My step-father is being totally unreasonable and my mother isn't much better. I used to do whatever they wanted because I didn't want them to be unhappy with me, mostly due to my empathy I guess. But since I got back I've stood up for myself and as result we've been fighting lots. I haven't been feeling well and the stress is getting to me . I decided I'm thirty two I can leave and not have to put up their manipulating crap, I know they do it because they love me and want what's best but it's past time for me to be my own person."

"I suppose I can understand that, how goes work on a trial there?"

"I've got my team convinced that you're okay."

"Only okay, I thought I was a gorgeous devil of a man that you wanted in your bed every night?"

Beth blushed as she answered. "Of course you are!"

"So get to work woman, or it will be many a cold night until I can make you melt with pleasure."

Blushing deeper red, Beth said, "If I can't get things going soon I'll come to you. Love you a bunch and miss you more."

"I wish I was there to show you how much you mean to me. Love you." Sirius said his tone utterly serious and laden with longing. "Good night."

"Good day." She hung up with a wistful smile.

"Spill," Winry said,"what did he say that made you blush?"

"Not telling." Beth said one again brilliant pink. "He said the extra phones are for you all. The manuals are in the box." She passed the phones and the manuals around. Roy was skeptical but Rachel dialed her Dad and immediately got through. She spoke to him for a few minutes then hung up. "It works."

Radar looked at the phone in his hand, he looked at Beth. "Did he say anything about how he did this?"

"He said something about the special warding for Harry, goblin grown crystals and muggle engineering. Help me clear him, he can come and you can pick his brain all you can get him to cooperate with."

Radar looked at her "You're mean taunting me like that."

"And you're mean keeping me from the rest of my box." Beth finally pulled the rest of the contents out. There was a letter from Harry and a large envelope inside were some enlargements of the engagement shots there were also wallet sized versions and a bunch of pictures which she suspected were duplicates she flicked through them then shared them. The women oohed and ahhed appropriately when she share the photos of the beach dinner and Beth smiled widely when she saw that Harry had caught her expression when Sirius gave her her ring.

"Who's the photographer?" Roy found himself asking.

"Harry." Beth answered.

.....

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