Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Author: Invid Fan
Title: Violets Are...
Universe: Love Unexpected
Summary: Sequel to 'Ghosts of Fort Niagara'.  Companion story to 'The
Mind Knows'.  Tragedy strikes Taylor's family.  Wives and children must
deal with life without loved ones.  But...  from loss, comes love.
Keywords: mf, FF, mult, cons, rom, poly, oral

   **** Love Unexpected: 1.Tip a Canoe and Taylor Too 2.Incidents of Taylor
3.Taylor Con 4.Ghosts of Fort Niagara 5.Violets Are...

   **** Violets Are...  By Invid Fan (c)2012

   "Kapusta?"

   Mei looked at Taylor, face echoing, nay, amplifying the skepticism in
her voice.  It was an expression that seemed to come too easily to the
young Chinese woman for Taylor's liking.  It was one thing, in her mind,
for one to grow skeptical of something as time went on, but to start with
that kind of attitude?  Well, that wasn't for Taylor!

   It was for their husband, though.  Food for thought.

   "Oh, like that strange Asian stuff you have us cook sounds any better!"
The forty year old waif of a woman stuck her tongue out at her young wife,
getting a giggle in reply that was more school girl than banker.  Smiling,
Taylor looked back down at the open cookbook before her.  She turned it,
sliding the volume across the kitchen island.

   "See?  Cabbage, potatoes, peas...  traditional Polish dish." She looked
as Mei silently read the hand written recipe.  It was obvious why Fred
loved her.  She had beauty, yes, soft features framed by silky black hair,
graceful but strong limbs...  But it was her eyes, and the mind behind
them, that had captivated not just him, but all the women of the family. 
Taylor too, even if she butted heads the most with the newcomer.  They
just...  came at life from different directions.  Taylor was emotion,
focusing on the moment.  Mei was more logic, looking to the future while
considering the past.  Behind that, though, was a love as strong as any,
and even more sweet for being hard won.  Her kisses were to be treasured...

   A soft hand touched Taylor's, and with a start she realized she had been
far away.  Mei looked with raised eyebrows, to which Taylor could only
shake her head and laugh.

   "Sorry.  Lost in your beauty again." That got a blush.  Mei had the most
beautiful blush, one made all the more fun by her hatred of such trait.

   "You say that to all the pregnant women." Now it was Taylor's turn to
blush, her pregnancy fetish well known.  She, however, was comfortable with
her faults.  Laughing, she took Mei's hand and brought it up to her lips.

   "Only those I love." Kissing the delicate fingers, her eyes danced as a
wave of emotion flowed over the Chinese woman's face.  Eyes casting around
for a way to change the subject, Mei noticed the open book again.

   "So, what is this, anyway?" She closed it, seeing no markings on the
cover.

   "Fred's Grandmother's cookbook.  I haven't looked at it in ages.  It
sort of got shoved to the back of the shelf there and forgotten, so when I
saw it today I thought I'd go through it.  We haven't made Kapusta in
awhile, so I figured why not."

   "It looks like it's made of whatever was lying around the kitchen."

   "It's peasant food.  Something filling for those meals when there's no
meat thanks to the evil Lord."

   "Which would be Fred."

   That drew a round of laughter.  Taylor took the book again, looking at
the ingredients and mentally tabulating what she'd need.  Upsizing recipes
for five adults, four almost adults, and six younger children wasn't easy,
but years of practice had made it second nature.  Not that mistakes still
weren't made.  The time she had been forced to fill frying pans with cake
batter was legend...

   The kitchen phone rang.  Taylor looked up to see Mei start to ease her
almost eight month pregnant frame off the chair, and quickly motioned for
her to stay seated.

   "I got it.  I doubt it's for the baby." Mei gave a laugh and a grateful
smile, settling back in her seat.  This kid seemed heavier than her first
one, Shizuku.

   Mind still on that evening's dinner, Taylor lifted the receiver.

   "Hello, Taylor here..."

   "MOM!!!"

   Cindy's cry froze Taylor's heart.  It was sorrow, it was despair, it was
helplessness...  one word, one syllable...

   "B-baby?"

   "Mom!  Jaxom called 911 but they're not here yet!  Violet's not moving,
and Dad!  What do I do!"

   "W-what?" Taylor gripped the receiver with both hands, pressing it so
hard against her ear pain shot through her head.  Pain that was nothing
compared to what the words were doing to her.  She couldn't even understand
them.  Didn't WANT to understand them.  There was nothing to understand! 
Blurry eyes saw Mei jump up from the chair, alarmed.  The voice was in her
ear again.

   "They couldn't get out of the way of the car!  Freddy's trying to help
Daddy!  We're trying, but they're not here yet!" Somewhere behind her first
born daughter, their oldest son cried out in anguished frustration.

   "Why won't he stop bleeding?!?"

   The phone dropped to the floor.

   Taylor dropped to her knees.

   She screamed.

   ****

   Rachel burst into a kitchen overflowing with people and panic.  Last to
arrive, she paused for a moment just inside the doorway to take stock. 
Taylor was on her knees, half wailing, half screaming.  The middle
children, Nadia, Elly, and Menolly were down on the floor with her,
clutching their mother while adding their own screams demanding to know
what was wrong.  Mei was on the kitchen phone, face pale, while Anita,
oldest of them and second wife, just stood by the oven muttering something
suspiciously like a Spanish prayer.  The two youngest boys clung to her as
she held two year old Shizuku to her chest.

   This wasn't helping.

   "Quiet!"

   Rachel's commanding shout silenced all the children.  They were good
kids, if currently terrified.  Taylor paused in her outburst, eyes rising
up to her wife and lover.  Rachel's heart broke seeing her, throat going
dry at the thought of what news was to come.  She looked at Mei.

   "What is it?"

   "Fred...  and Violet.  The ambulance finally got there!" Seeing Mei was
in no shape to do anything more, Rachel quickly went and took the phone
from her with a kiss.  With her free hand she motioned Mei to go to Taylor.
This in turn had the desired effect of getting Taylor to stand up for the
hug rather than force Mei to sit on the ground.  As this comedy of sadness
played out Rachel put the phone to her ear.

   "Where are you?"

   "Transit Town!  By the glasses place!"

   They had gone to get new frames for Jaxom, then do some shopping.  It
was only ten minutes away.  If that.  If she bothered with stop signs.

   "OK, Cindy, you did good.  I'll be there in a few minutes.  Stay back
and let the medics do what they have to."

   "Daddy's dead!"

   Her eyes closed.  Didn't matter.  Whether he was alive or dead didn't
matter.  Not right now.  They had to do things.  Had to get off their asses
and do things!

   "OK.  We'll be there soon.  Love you."

   She hung up.  Rachel let her shoulders slump for a moment...  then
straightened them again as she turned to address the rest of the family.  A
family that was now silent, apart from sniffles of fear and grief.

   "Taylor, Mei, you stay here with the kids.  Get a hot dinner going. 
I'll bring Cindy, Freddy and Jaxom home, then they can babysit while we do
what we have to.  Anita," she said, turning to the trembling Mayan, "you
have to come with me.  They're at Transit Town."

   Anita shook her head.

   "Take Taylor.  She NEEDS to go!  I'll stay with the kids!  Please!"

   Rachel walked up to her, slowly shaking her head.

   "No, my love.  You HAVE to go."

   "Why?" Confusion, almost a welcome change from grief, showed on her tear
stained face.

   "Because...  you're his only wife."

   Taylor shot Rachel a horrified look.  This wasn't something to bring up
in front of the smaller kids!  There was no time for niceties, though. 
Eyes full of fourteen years worth of love for this woman, Rachel gently
touched Anita's cheek.

   "Legally, only you can deal with what's going to happen, Love.  You have
to be the public face of the family.  I'm sorry.  None of us can do it."
She took Anita's dark hand, squeezing.  "Now, we have to GO!"

   ****

   Eight minutes later the Rachel steered the red van into the plaza. 
There was no confusion over where to go: flashing lights from a red
Paramedic truck, two ambulances, and two cop cars ringed the front of
Council Opticians.  Anita was hugging herself in the passenger seat,
trembling.

   "I don't want to know."

   She turned to Rachel, eyes wide.

   "It's evil, but if my baby is...  I don't want to know!" Rachel took her
right hand off the wheel and gripped Anita's knee, hard, eyes staying out
the front window as she maneuvered the vehicle through the icy parking lot
to a patch of empty spaces.

   "Tough, my love.  We have to be strong.  YOU have to be strong, for the
kids." She pulled into a spot, shifted into park, and shut off the engine
as she turned to Anita.  "This is the shitty part about being a wife and
mother.  This is where we pay the price for all that happiness." Familiar
movement caught her eye, and she motioned for Anita to follow her gaze. 
Both saw their three teens running towards the van.  Anita closed her
eyes...  and took a deep breath.

   "I'll try."

   "I'm always here for you."

   Unbuckling, the two exited the van and walked to the front just as Cindy
and the two boys got to them.  Cindy ran full steam into Anita, head buried
between her coat covered breasts, crying as she squeezed tightly.

   "Mom!" Anita, not knowing what else to do, hugged her back.

   "Shhh, it's OK, your Mommy's are here..."

   Freddy and Jaxom had been traveling at a more restrained, if quick,
pace, but now relieved of the responsibility of being strong for their
sister the two let Rachel's open arms draw them into a three way hug. 
Freddy squeezed tightly.

   "I tried, Mom!  I tried!  He just bled so much!"

   "Shh...  I know you did.  I'm so proud of you!  All of you!"

   Someone else was approaching.  Raising her head, Rachel saw it was an
Amherst Trooper.  Now it began.  As the grey clad officer came closer, she
lowered her head and whispered to her fourteen and sixteen year old sons.

   "Remember we're in public.  Be honest, but careful." Both nodded into
her chest, then turned to the officer's gaze.  He came to a stop a
respectful few feet away, nodding at the two women.  His face was kind,
reflecting the knowledge there was no good way to handle times like these.

   "I'm sorry for your loss.  You're their family?"

   Rachel nodded at Anita, who was gently extracting herself from Cindy's
grasp.

   "She's his wife and her mother.  Can she see them?" The officer regarded
the Mayan woman, and nodded.  His partner had come up behind him.

   "Officer Shellden will take you over.  Sue, this woman's the mother."
Anita gave Rachel one final pleading look, then gave in to her instinctual
need to see her man and baby and began crying.  The female officer gently
took her arm, leading her into the chaos...

   The trooper watched them go for a moment, then turned back to Rachel. 
Cindy had come around and was now clutching her, while the boys stood to
either side like guards.  Rachel tried to ignore the dark red soaked into
Freddy's jacket.

   "The boys didn't want to talk until you got here, which is
understandable." He looked at Freddy, the only one obviously related to
Anita and Violet.  "Tell me what happened."

   ****

   There wasn't much to tell.

   The five had come out of the optician's, the first part of the day's
tasks done.  Jaxom had a new pair of glasses, identical to his old pair. 
Alicia in math class had commented that they looked good on him, so there
was no way he was changing.  A car slowed to a stop at the stop sign just
in front of the store, so without much concern the family had started to
cross.

   It was probably a combination of not paying attention, bad breaks, and
ice.  A minivan, coming down the row of storefronts, saw the stopped car
too late.  The driver slammed on her breaks, or the gas.  Instead of
stopping, it slid...  into the stopped sedan, pushing it into Fred and
Violet.

   "I was already across, and saw Dad sort of push Cindy ahead as it hit
him.  He..." Cindy reached out and took Freddy's hand, giving him strength.
"Dad went under the car.  Violet fell backwards...  her head hit the curb.
Is she gonna be OK?" He looked at the authority figure before him, eyes
pleading for official good news.  The officer tried his best to lie.

   "I'm sure she'll be fine."

   "Of course she'll be fine," Rachel added, eyes meeting the officer's and
seeing her own fears confirmed.  "She's strong."

   "Now, I'll need to take some information from you..."

   They spend the next few minutes giving details for later paperwork, and
possible criminal trials.  Rachel hoped it wouldn't come to that.  It was
just an accident.  She wouldn't demand vengeance, whoever the driver was.
Eyes continually flicking up to flashing ambulances, wanting to be there
regardless of what was to be seen, she was startled when her cell phone
rang.  Seeing the number was Anita's, her head whipped over to the accident
site where she could see her wife next to a paramedic as she brought the
phone up.

   "Um, hello?"

   The voice that came back was tired, despondent...  without life.

   "I'm going in the ambulance with her.  We're going to Millard Fillmore
Suburban.  They're...  taking Fred too." Rachel saw the other ambulance,
lights off, start up and head out of the plaza.

   "Go.  I'll take the kids home, and we'll meet you there.  Love you."

   "Love you."

   Lowering the phone, she turned to the officer, eyes pleading.

   "Can we hurry this up?"

   ****

   Anita sat in a small room, just off the Emergency Room entrance.  The
nurse on duty had left for a moment, leaving her alone.  In her lap, forms.
So many forms.

   Her Fred...

   Fred was dead.  Her husband.  The man who had saved both her and her
baby.  And if her baby died too, what was the point?!?  A seventeen year
delay in the inevitable?!?

   She had been happy.  Oh, so happy.  Life was a joy, a pleasure to be
shared with those you loved.  Never had she imagined it would have been
like that.  Oh, she had grown up with girlish dreams of a strong handsome
man coming and sweeping her away.  And Fred had done that.  But...  he had
also given her Taylor to love.  And Rachel.  And Mei.  And babies!  So many
babies!  So much love!  And, now, his love had been taken from her!

   They had kissed that morning.  A short, happy kiss, as he passed her on
the way to the front closet to get his coat.  Anita's fingers slowly rose
to her lips.  She could feel him.  Feel his fingers gently touching her
arm, his lips, the tip of his tongue lightly touching hers before they
parted.  See his eyes, amused, loving.  His hair, brown, greying...

   Her baby.

   Violet.

   She was somewhere past that door.  In the bowels of the hospital. 
People in white or light blue, Doctors and Nurses, were crowded around her
trying to save her life.  Anita wanted to be there, to see, to add her
prayers, however powerless, to the efforts of those doctors.  Yet, she
didn't!  She didn't want to see her baby like that!  See her not moving,
see her bleeding, see her cut open...

   Her hands went to her face again.  This was too much.  Too much...

   The door opened.  Anita ignored it, lost in the moment of her sorrow. 
Soft hands touched her, arms went around her, gentle voices calmed her. 
Eyes still closed, she cried even more.  They were here.  Her family was
here.  They would cry together.

   ****

   The four women had pulled the few chairs in the room into a circle. 
Held hands communicated all that needed to be said, all they were capable
of saying.  They waited.

   Mei's eyes traveled between the faces of her friends.  She was still an
outsider, in her mind.  Still the newcomer, still not completely accepted.
She also knew this wasn't true, that it was just her mind trying to find
fault in this amazing love she had fallen into.  Old habits of depression
and loneliness are hard to break.

   She hadn't wanted love.  Hadn't wanted family.  Hadn't wanted...  sex.
It was almost as if, while the rest of her was growing and developing, that
part of puberty had skipped over her.  Oh, the equipment worked, and she
did pleasure herself, but at no point as a teen had she pined over boys, or
joined her girlfriends in their slumber party talks.  For awhile Mei had
even wondered if she was, in fact, gay, so little interest was there.  But,
no, girls did nothing for her either.

   Until that one snowy night.

   It wasn't that one look at 40-ish year old Fred had made her soak her
panties.  Far from it.  Apart from the gratitude at getting out of the
cold, she hadn't really paid much attention to her rescuers.  No, it had
been...  his caring.  THEIR caring.  Fred, all of them, had acted like
friends, had WANTED to know her.  Not the way college guys kept hitting on
her, guys with some kind of Asian fetish (worse were the Chinese men who
thought she'd HAVE to go with them, as she had to marry Chinese!).  Fred
had talked to her, kept in contact, invited her on adventures...  before
she knew it, Mei realized she was spending all her time with them.

   And she had been the one to kiss him.  At Letchworth.  Looking at the
water falls.  Her first kiss...

   And he was gone.

   Mei blinked the tears from her eyes.

   Her unborn baby would never know his or her father.

   Eyes looking down at her swollen belly, they then started to cast around
the room.  She had to think of other things.  Had to stave off dark
thoughts.  That way madness lies.  Her gaze settled on a red cardboard
folder by the legs of Rachel's chair across from her.  She cocked her head.
There was something...

   "Rachel?"

   Her wife looked up, eyes red.

   "Yes?" The pure exhaustion in that word.  Mei met her eyes.

   "What's that down there?"

   There was a moment's confusion, as Rachel brought her mind back to the
here and now, then she shook her head to clear it.

   "Oh, nothing.  Just some of Fred's papers we might need.  Legal stuff."

   "No, I mean, inside that.  What's that round thing in the folder?"

   Four sets of eyes went down to the base of Rachel's seat.  Eyes widened.
There, clearly visible on the cover, was the impression of a disk.

   Letting go of Taylor's hand, Rachel reached down and picked up the
folder.  Why hadn't she seen it!  Just letting it fall open in her lap, the
loose pages naturally divided to reveal a white square envelope with the
outline of a DVD pressed into it.  Hands shaking, Rachel picked it up, slid
the disk out, looking at the hand written words.

   "It says...  'For Wives Eyes Only'."

   "Oh, god..." Taylor reached a hand out touching the disk like it was
sacred.  Swallowing with emotion, Rachel carefully slid it back into the
protective home.

   "When we get home.  After the kids are in bed."

   ****

   A few nurses had been by, checking up on them, even bringing some water
and pop, but it was over an hour until a doctor walked in.  He looked at
the four women, nodded a greeting, then walked over to a now chair less
desk and sat on the corner.

   "I'm Dr.  Young.  I've just come from surgery with Violet."

   "How is she?" Anita asked, trembling.  The four linked hands again.  He
gave a heavy sigh.

   "Violet was badly hurt.  I won't lie to you.  You're going to have to be
strong."

   He went on, describing her injuries, what he and another doctor had
done. Taylor didn't hear any of it.  Her mind, almost, had shut off.  What
she didn't hear, she didn't have to worry about.  What did it matter what
the exact problems were?  All she wanted to know was when she could have
her baby back!  Would she be back in time for Prom?  For graduation?  She
just wanted her home!

   "If she wakes up..."

   Taylor shot up in her seat.

   "IF?!?!"

   Doctor Young looked at her, eyes matching his somber words.

   "If."

   ****

   They were allowed into the intensive care ward.  A half dozen beds, each
surrounded by plastic curtains.  Inside one...  was Violet.

   She was hooked up to various IV's.  Her head was bandaged, face bruised.
Anita gently touched her cheek, while Mei moved hair away from her eyes. 
Taylor looked up at Rachel, eyes pleading.

   "Can we stay?"

   Rachel pulled her into a hug, caressing her long hair.

   "No...  no, we can't.  Once they've moved her into a room, we can set up
a vigil.  But...  our other children need us.  Badly.  We have to be there
for them too." Taylor nodded into her chest.  Leaning down, Anita kissed
her daughter.

   "Be strong, my little Violet..."

   ****

   The kids were in bed.  Rachel knew that some, if not all, apart from the
two oldest boys, would end up in their bed before the night was out.  As it
was, when she last checked the three middle girls were all huddled in the
same bed in Nadia's room.  The four women would be doing the same soon
enough.  Before then, though...

   They sat in front of the living room TV.  Mei was on a chair pulled in
from the dining room, the others sat on the floor around her.  Rachel hit
play on the remote.

   There was no menu on the DVD.  The image of Fred, larger than life,
appeared before them.  He was in his study, obviously using the camera
built into the computer.  He had only been gone from their lives since that
morning, but still his appearance shocked them.  It had seemed so long
ago...  Taylor scooted forward, reached up, and touched the screen...

   Fred looked tired.  He looked at the camera, smiled his somewhat self
depreciating smile, then looked down at what might be notes in front of
him. Chuckling, his gaze returned to the camera.

   "Um, hi."

   There was a chorus of soft hellos in return.  He put a hand to the back
of his head.

   "First, I have to apologize.  Obviously, if you're watching this, either
I'm gone, and you've all been through hell, or one of you has gotten WAY
too curious.  Regardless, you'll have to understand that as I do this,
you're all in the other room watching TV.  I'm not in your situation. 
Well, obviously, because if I was there, there wouldn't be that situation.
Gah!  Sorry!  See?  I'm not taking this seriously enough!" He shook his
head.  "Ah, well." Looking into the camera, he gathered his thoughts and
smiled.  "I told myself this time I'd just do it in one take, not keep
going back and redoing the parts where I screw up.  So, please understand
that."

   Reaching over, he brought a bottle of Pepsi into the frame and took a
sip.

   "Better.  OK.  So, to start with, I've decided to record a new one of
these every five years, so as to keep them somewhat up to date.  This is
the second.  But, what that means is that some of it WILL be out of date.
For example, as I record this, I'm assuming gathered in front of me are
Taylor, Anita, Rachel, and Mei." They all smiled as he spoke their names,
linking hands.  Fred cocked his head and grinned.  "If there are one or
more other wives or husbands gathered there, I'm sorry I haven't named you,
but rest assured I love you more than all the others put together."

   "Ha!" Rachel just barked out the laugh.  God, she needed that!

   "Anyway, this recording is...  well, my real Will.  There's a paper one,
for the lawyers.  It deals with the fiction that we've had to live with. 
In it, Anita inherits everything as my wife.  There are other aspects to
cover if the family has a REALLY bad day, but I'm going to trust that you
know that's just legal stuff.  You four are my wives.  The loves of my
life. My everything." He paused, looking past them to where the door to the
office would be.  The four shifted closer together, Rachel and Anita
leaning against Mei's legs while Taylor settled down in front of the chair,
leaning back against Mei's unborn child.  Fred shook his head.

   "It's amazing how soon I miss you.  So!  What are my instructions from
beyond the grave!  Well, first, don't worry too much about my instructions
from beyond the grave!" He smiled.  "The last thing I want is for you all
to spend the rest of your lives asking, before any decision, 'what would
Fred do?' Because, to be honest, the answer would usually be 'drag all four
of you into the bedroom and fuck you silly.' Hmm, OK, maybe it is a good
question for you to ask!  Because, my first commandment is that you four be
happy.  I want you to be free to do whatever it takes for you to survive as
a family.  If that means opening up the marriage, to a special man or
woman, do it.  If it means letting one of you leave...  I hope it never
comes to that, but let her go with love."

   "I'm never leaving," muttered Mei.  The others nodded, huddling closer.

   "I built this house with the intention that we'd live here forever. 
Keep it as long as you can.  Assuming you don't start a line marriage- ask
Rachel, she's read Heinlein- I would love for one of the children, one who
wants to start a large family, to have it when the time comes.  If not,
well, remember my first commandment and just do what you need to."

   Fred's expression turned serious.

   "Cremate me, and scatter the ashes.  Send me back to the Earth.  Maybe
build a small memorial in the back yard, in the garden.  Put one up for
Lisa, and others as their time comes.  Funerals and memorials are for the
living, not the dead, but...  well, I rather you don't do much.  Do what
you must, though."

   There was the sound of a door creaking open coming from the TV.  Fred
looked past them, half amused, half stern.

   "What?"

   Violet's voice came to them.

   "We're gonna watch the new Doctor Who."

   "I'll be another five or ten minutes.  Wait for me."

   "No." Fred grinned at the playful rebuttal, and as the sound of the door
shutting again came to them Anita started crying.  Was that the last time
they'd hear her voice?  Fred's gaze again went to his notes.  With a heavy
sigh, he looked at them.

   "I could spend the next hour telling you all how much I love you.  How
much each of you means to me...  but you know that.  Hopefully I'll be
recording another one of these, so it matters not what I say here.  But you
are each the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me.

   "Taylor."

   She sat up straight, eyes wide.

   "Taylor...  I've thought long and hard about this.  It's something that,
to be fair, we should all talk over as a family, and I hope you four do and
that you, Taylor, listen to them if your wives feel it's a bad idea.  I...
Taylor, I give you permission to have one more baby."

   Her hands shot up to cover her mouth.  She felt hands on her, caressing,
congratulating.  Her eyes never left his.

   "I've had some semen stored.  You're still young enough, and have enough
family to support you through this.  Just ONE, though, and make just one
attempt.  I won't have you burning through all the college funds trying to
conceive.  But...  I know the sacrifice you made to stop at four, so that
Rachel and later Mei could bless us with children without things becoming
TOO unmanageable.  My gift to you, Taylor.  To all of you."

   There was another knock on the door.  Fred sighed.

   "I love you all.  Goodbye."

   The screen went black.

   ****

   Taylor opened her eyes.

   She saw pink.

   There was no pink in their bedroom.  She blinked.  Still pink.  Mind
slowly coming online, she noticed there was an outline to the pink, two
long straight lines.  Also, it wasn't so much pink as maybe flesh...

   Ah, it was an arm.

   A child's arm.

   Reaching up, she gently lifted John Carter's arm from her face and saw
Rachel's six year old snuggled against her under the quilt.  He was
sleeping soundly, face at peace.  With a smile, Taylor gave his forehead a
quick kiss then lifted herself up on her elbows to get a better look at the
sleeping arrangements.  Mei was gone.  No surprise, as she had always been
an early riser and the baby wasn't helping matters.  Rachel and Anita were
still asleep, with five year old Neil and little Shizuku using them as
pillows.  None of the older girls had come in the night, which Taylor
thought was a good sign.  It would be up to them to set a good example for
the younger ones.  A glance at the clock showed it was just after seven in
the morning.  Should she go back to bed?  The gods knew she would need all
the sleep she could get.  No...  sleep could wait.  She wanted caffeine.

   Carefully, extracting herself from John Carter's grasp then pulling the
covers back over him, she made her way off the bed.  Fuzzy puppy slippers
slipped onto her feet, and warm unicorn robe wrapped around her thin frame,
she made her way out of the bedroom and down stairs to the kitchen.

   Mei was already there, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the Sunday
paper on the kitchen table.  Looking up, she nodded towards the stove.

   "Tea kettle went off a couple minutes ago.  I was thinking of putting
some bacon and eggs on."

   "Thanks." Taylor paused as she passed to give Mei a quick kiss.  She
felt Mei's hand come up to hold her head as the kiss deepened, Mei's need
expressing itself in her exploring tongue.  Taylor closed her eyes, losing
herself in the moment.  This was what she loved about love.  The small
moments like this.  One hand dropped down to rest on Mei's belly, and she
felt a soft hand slip into her robe and caress a small breast.  Breaking
the kiss, she looked down into Mei's sad, shining eyes.

   "I need you, Taylor..."

   "We all need each other."

   Anita's voice came from behind them.  With no trace of embarrassment,
the two turned their heads to see her and Rachel coming up to them.  Both
were in slippers and robes, and the next few minutes saw kisses and
caresses traded among the lovers.  With a resigned sigh, Anita turned to
Rachel.

   "So, what's today's agenda?"

   "First, breakfast." From above them, the sound of a shower starting was
faintly heard.  "Yes.  I'd prefer to drag you all into a spare bedroom for
half an hour, but it's gonna have to be breakfast first.  Maybe tonight."
The others nodded, exchanging soft touches.  "We probably should be at the
hospital by 9 AM or so, see what's going on.  Get in contact with the
funeral home...  probably should have done that yesterday, but whatever. 
I'll do that.  Anita, start calling the family.  If you can get a calling
tree going, that should help.  Make sure you call Buffalo State as well, so
they can deal with his classes.  If they need his lesson plans, we can drop
them off when we go to clear out his office."

   "What about the kids?" Taylor asked.  She still had a hand on Mei,
having felt a kick and wanting to feel a repeat performance.

   "Freddy and Cindy will have to keep them busy.  If it works out, we'll
bring them to the hospital in two waves to see Violet."

   "Morning..."

   Rachel turned to see three groggy pre-teen girls with wild hair and
fuzzy slippers standing there.  Smiling, she opened her arms and drew them
into a hug.

   "So, who wants what for breakfast?"

   ****

   Cindy sat on the living room couch, mind blank.  Some movie was on TV,
animated.  It was one she liked, but couldn't have said which one it was
exactly.  One of those with a young girl who looks like Nausicaa.

   Shizuku was in her lap, half sleeping.  She had refused to go lie down
alone for a nap, so Cindy was letting her do it here.  Menolly snuggled
against her right side, Elly to the left.  Both had inherited some of their
Dad's height, unlike Cindy, so despite being seven or eight years younger
were able to rest their heads on her shoulder.  Elly was like Cindy in that
she had the same abnormally thin waif like body as Mommy Taylor, but at
this stage in her development Elly looked like a beanpole.  Blond Menolly
was starting to show the curves of her birth mother Rachel, although it was
still very slight.  The rest of the kids were scattered around the room. 
Both Freddy and Jaxom had a sibling in their lap or next to them, thoughts
on how they were too grown up for that kind of thing forgotten for now.

   The only one missing was Violet.

   There had never, in Cindy's entire life, been a moment when Violet
wasn't there.  Even more so than Daddy.  Only a half year apart, Violet had
been her first playmate.  Her first friend.  The one she told secrets to,
ran to when something happened, crawled into bed with when she was afraid.
Violet was the one she had looked up to, had wanted to copy.  Oh, Cindy was
her own girl in most ways, such as style and dress, and had her own
interests.  But, as soon as Violet showed an interest in some book, or
band, Cindy just had to try it.  Her older sister was just so cool and
knowledgeable about such things!  Luckily the same hadn't been true with
boys: neither had ever gone after the same one, or even gone for a
discarded ex.  They had tried brothers once, though.  That hadn't turned
out well!
That memory brought a smile to her lips.  The two of them, both kicking
their dates in the crotch for suggesting they lose their virginity in a

four way orgy.  Hell no!

   The doorbell echoed into the living room.  Freddy, lap empty, stood and
headed out.  Cindy gave the matter no further thought.  Her mind once again
was on Violet.  How she had looked, almost lifeless on that hospital bed.
You could see her breathe, chest rising and falling, but that was it.  She
didn't think John Carter and Neil had really understood, and wished to hell
she hadn't.  Who was going to comfort her...

   "Cindy!  Someone to see you!"

   What the hell was Freddy yelling about.  Or, should they start calling
him Fred now.  No, it was too soon for that.  With a sigh, Cindy put her
arms under Shizuku and stood, holding the toddler.  Turning, she placed her
down in her seat, head on Menolly's lap, and headed towards the front hall.
Who the hell would come out here on a Sunday.  Especially with snow
starting to come down a bit, and their long driveway.  Turning the
corner... she saw Greg.

   "Greg!"

   Ignoring her grinning brother, she sprinted toward her boyfriend.  With
one powerful leap she was in his arms, feet off the ground.  Strong brown
arms wrapped around her like she was a baby, gently cradling her slight
form as all composure left.

   "Greg!  Greg!  Greg!  Greg!  Greg!" Face pressed into his shoulder, she
couldn't stop crying.  Behind her, Freddy gave his classmate a somber nod.

   "Take care of her."

   "I will, man."

   ****

   They went for a walk in the snow.

   Cindy's home was on the site of an old farm, bought up before the
developers could turn it into a few dozen McMansion lots.  Fred had built
the new house set in the middle, surrounded by their own private park and
garden.  Evergreen trees and bushes pushed out of the snow, providing color
in this winter wonderland.  Bare hand holding his, Cindy led Greg on a
wandering path around the house.  She was clad in faded, light blue, jeans,
a pink winter coat covering her sweater.  Long brown hair, almost a match
for her mother's, fell to her waist.  Greg towered over her in his dark red
Clarence hockey varsity jacket.  Fred had always been amused at his
children going to a school with a "red devil" as a mascot, even more so
when his daughters started dating Red Devils.  So long as they picked the
good ones.

   Cindy pulled herself closer to Greg as they walked, her small white hand
almost lost in his large brown one.

   "How did you know?"

   He looked down at her.  Greg had never seen this lovely creature so sad.
It was all he could do not to just stop, hold her, and never let go.  He
contented himself with squeezing her hand.

   "Rick saw the report on the news last night and recognized the last
name. He gave me a call this morning." His expression became concerned. 
"Why didn't you call me, Cindy?  You know I'm always there when you need
me." She looked down at her feet.

   "I...  I just couldn't.  I didn't want to drag you into this."

   "Didn't...  Cindy, that's the entire point of loving someone!  I'm here
to have your problems dumped on me!  You should know that!"

   "I do..."

   "Then take advantage of me!  That's what I'm here for!"

   Cindy barked out a laugh, a trait taken from Mommy Rachel, casting an
amused eye up at her man.

   "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

   Greg let out an exasperated sigh.

   "You know what I mean.  I just...  want to help you."

   Cindy was silent.  Their feet were taking them towards the play house
and fort.  Greg couldn't help but look at it with envy.  His parents were
well off, one reason they were living in Clarence, but nothing he had as a
kid matched this for coolness.  Hell, he wouldn't mind one now.  It was an
old west cavalry fort, complete with small block houses on the corners,
about twenty feet square.  In the middle was a matching playhouse, complete
with kitchen and all the furnishings young pioneers would need to invent
their own fantasies.  One could tell both the fort and the house were well
used, the wear showing not carelessness on the part of the Hunt children,
but love.  Toys were meant to be played with.

   Cindy led Greg through the front gate.  He had to duck, his six foot
three frame a bit larger than it was designed for.  He had never been
inside before, and if not for her pulling hand would have stopped for a
closer look.  Cindy obviously had a goal, though.  Kicking some snow out of
the way, she pulled opened the playhouse door and stooping slightly,
entered.  Greg looked skeptically at the small opening, but with a shrug
bent down and struggled through.  The interior was mostly empty, and more
importantly, free of snow and wind.  Sitting, he closed the door behind him
and dragged his butt into the center of the room.  Cindy crawled up next to
him, drawing his head down for a kiss.

   If her mood outside of the house had been reserved, her lips now told of
frenzied need.  Her tongue thrust itself into his mouth, looking for its
soulmate, and after a moment's pause Greg responded with equal desire.  He
pulled her on top of him, maneuvering his body in the small structure so he
could lie on his back fully extended.  Cindy straddled him, hips sensually
thrusting back at his quickly hardening manhood.  Greg's hands found her
small, perfect ass, squeezing through the jeans, controlling her movements.

   Cindy broke their kiss, sitting up on him.  Her eyes were wet, wild.

   "Love me, Greg."

   "You know I..." He stopped, shocked, as Cindy unzipped and tore her coat
off, throwing it next to them.  Her hands shot to the bottom of her white
sweater, pulling it over her head where it fell onto the coat.

   She was beautiful.  Her white breasts were small, topped with large
brown nipples.  Half of her long brown hair fell down either side of her
face, not so much obscuring her nakedness as enhancing it.  She looked like
a woodland creature, and here in this log cabin Greg could imagine he was
some pioneer who had been seduced by a nymph.  Her meaning had almost
penetrated his brain when she leaned down and kissed him again, drawing his
hands up to her breasts.  Greg lost himself in his love for her...  her
lips, her skin...  It wasn't until she slid off of him, pulling him onto
his side, and began undoing her jeans that he came to his senses.  Lying on
her coat, Cindy quickly had her jeans and panties off.  She looked at him
with wide, frightened eyes.

   "Please...  love me!" Her hands went to his crotch...  where, finally,
he gently grabbed the unzipping hands and stopped her.

   "Cindy!  What are you doing?"

   "What does it look like?!?  I want you in me!  Please, Greg!  I love
you! I need you!"

   It took all his will power.  If he had been a virgin, apart from fear of
the unknown there would have been no hesitation.  He would have fucked
Cindy then and there, to hell with the consequences.  But...  he loved her.
He had been happy to wait for her to be ready.  And...  she wasn't.

   Taking her wrists in his hands, Greg rolled over and straddled Cindy,
moving her arms over her head.  His eyes bore into hers.  If he focused on
her nudity, he'd be lost.  Her breathing was fast, eyes upset and confused.
This wasn't what she wanted!

   "Don't you love me?!?"

   "Of course I love you!"

   "Then fuck me!!!"

   "Are you on the pill?"

   Her eyes widened.

   "Don't care..." Biting her bottom lip, her eyes went anywhere but into
his.  Moving her hands so he could hold them with just one of his, he
traced a path with the fingers of his free hand down her arm, up her neck
to her cheek.  Turning her face back to his, Greg gently kissed her.

   "I care.  I love you.  I love you enough that I don't want our first
time to be like this, to have you look back on it with sadness at the
thought of your dad and sister.  And I won't risk our future by knocking
you up.  Ask me again this weekend, or anytime after that, and I'll take us
someplace where we can be alone and fuck you until neither of us can move.
But I won't do it like this."

   "I need you!" She was crying, body starting to shake in the cold air.

   "Let's see if this helps..." he whispered.  Kissing her, he let his lips
start to trail down her neck.  Cindy caught her breath as he slowly moved
towards her breasts.  Releasing her hands, Greg stayed still and slid both
Cindy and the coat she was on up until he could lightly bite her nipples.

   "Oh!" Her small hands went to his head, entangling themselves in his
black curly hair.  Greg only spent a few moments on her breasts, knowing
she needed more.  Sliding her farther, until her head almost bumped the
play oven at the far side of the room, he kissed his way down past her
ribs, visible under her tight skin.  Down past her belly button, through
her small patch of dark brown hair...  gripping her legs and spreading them
as wide as they could go, Greg lowered his lips to her most sacred spot.

   "God!"

   His older brother had told him to think of what was between a woman's
legs as such, and reactions like this confirmed that nothing else did a
woman's treasure justice.  You could help them find heaven there, and find
it yourself when the time came.  This was Cindy's time, though.  Slowly,
Greg kissed, licked, nibbled.  It was his first time with her, and perhaps
her first time period.  He wanted to make it special.  After only a few
minutes, her hands tighten on his head, a loud groan escaping from her
lips. Strong hands kept her thin legs from clamping down on him.

   "I love you Greg!  Oh, god, stop!"

   He didn't.  Paying more attention to the small button at the top of the
shrine, ten minutes later he made her scream.

   "Oh....  please...  no more..."

   This time he listened.  Pulling himself up to her head, Greg rolled over
onto his back with her on top.  He picked up her coat and covered her with
it.  She lay on him, shaking.

   "I don't want to move."

   "Then don't.  Sleep."

   She did.

   ****

   Dinner that night was Mexican.  Or, at least, fake Mexican.  Taylor
warmed up taco and burrito shells and the kids got to fill them however
they wanted.  It was a treat, making them feel like they were helping to
cook, and cheered them up quite a bit.  Greg joined them, which, to Taylor,
showed that her daughter was serious about this one.  Family dynamics were
to be kept out of the public spotlight, so allowing someone in was almost
akin to saying they were one of the family.  Taylor liked Greg, so
approved. She was also glad Cindy had someone to lean on at a time like
this.  Freddy was between girlfriends, and Violet had just broken up...

   Taylor sighed.  Every other thought was going to be about Violet, or
Fred.  She just had to accept that, and not get depressed when it happened.
That was no way to go on with life.

   "Do we have to go to school tomorrow?" Nadia asked, trying to keep her
hard shell taco from falling apart despite massive cracks.  Eight sets of
eyes turned to Taylor for the answer.  Shizuku just kept playing with the
diced tomatoes on her plate.

   "Of course," Rachel told them, not waiting for Taylor to give in to the
kids.  She caught Taylor's relieved expression, and smiled.  "If things are
OK you can visit Violet again afterwards.  But, no complaining if you
can't, OK?  Her getting better is more important than you being able to see
her."

   "Can I make her a get well card?" Neil asked.  A couple of the other
kids nodded, while Jaxom rolled his eyes as only a fourteen year old can.
Anita shot him a warning glance, then looked at the younger ones.

   "That would be wonderful!  You can do that tonight before bed, and we'll
take them tomorrow.  The first thing she sees when she wakes up will be
your cards!"

   "I'm gonna make a good one, with tanks on it!"

   ****

   The four women huddled together in the middle of the bed.  They wore
nightgowns, as they were expecting frightened visitors in the night again.
Light caresses, gentle kisses, soft words...  they lay for an hour,
reaffirming their love.  Rachel had been the quietist, on the outer edge
watching Taylor and Anita fuss over Mei.  As their movements came to a
natural lull, Rachel sat up.  Next to her, Taylor looked up.

   "What is it?"

   Seeing the serious look on her face, all three rose up, Mei scooting
back so she was against the headboard.  Rachel reached out her hands, and
the four formed a circle.

   "Loves...  there's something I think we should do.  For the family, and
the future." They waited.  Swallowing, nervous all of a sudden, Rachel
turned to Taylor.  "Taylor...  will you marry me?"

   "Wha...  oh!" Taylor's eyes widened.  "Yes!  Oh, yes!!" Rachel looked at
Mei, and saw that she also understood.  Mei turned to Anita.

   "Will you marry me, Anita?" There were tears in both women's eyes.

   "Yes..."

   Rachel squeezed Anita's hand.

   "Another legal fiction, but one we need.  I love you all so much..."

   "Mommies!"

   They greeted the first visitor of the night.

   ****

   "Richard stared at the keyboard for a few moments.  "Maybe we belong to
a pool of soul mates," he said pensively.  "There are a small number of
people on this earth that we are intertwined with, not just one other.""

   Taylor looked up from the book, eyes once again going to the sleeping
Violet.  Sleeping...  it helped to keep thinking of her like that.  She was
just sleeping.  A sleep that would never end...

   No!  Taylor would NOT let herself think like that!  It had only been a
couple days.  Only...  four.  Was that right?  She was losing track.  Let's
see.  It was Tuesday, so, yes, it was their fourth day, third since she
left the ICU and got her own room.

   The doctors weren't optimistic.  Something about Violet getting weaker
for no reason they could find.  The possibility that even if she woke,
she'd be paralyzed.  Taylor didn't want to hear it.  This was her baby. 
She was strong.  She'd come back to them.

   So...  Taylor read to her.  They had said that her mind probably heard
everything around her, and that the family should keep her "entertained"
even as she slept.  Rachel thought the doctors were just saying that to
give the family something to do, to keep them out of their hair.  Perhaps.
But, there was always the chance it was true, so whoever was with her
brought a book.  Violet had been reading this one, Opus One, and hadn't
gotten very far so Taylor decided to start it from the beginning.  The
subject matter amused her, given where life had taken her, and the
occasional pause to think of Fred kept throwing off her reading schedule.
Violet hadn't complained, so far.

   Looking back down at the book, Taylor sighed and put the bookmark back
in.  There was so much to do, so little time.  The memorial service was set
for Friday.  Just a small one, an open casket viewing, mostly for family
and coworkers.  One last goodbye.  Rachel's parents were coming in
Wednesday to help out, and to fuss over the kids.  Despite five adults in
the marriage, Ruth and Howard were the only grandparents the kids knew
(Taylor certainly wasn't going to let HER Mom anywhere near them).  Fred's
cousin Debbie was also coming, although she hadn't been sure if her husband
or kids would be able to make it.  Maybe an uncle or aunt as well.

   She honestly hadn't noticed how much Fred had made their family his
entire life.  He had interests, naturally, and some friends, but... 
mostly, it was the four of them he had turned to for everything.  They had
been his world.

   It had been agreed that the four wives would pair up and marry, helping
with little things like health care and the like.  Financially things were
set up so there should be no problem, but they didn't want to take chances.
She and Rachel would be first, probably once the funeral was over and
things settled one way or another with Violet.  Anita and Mei would have to
wait, to make it seem more likely it was a "real" marriage.  Doing it soon
after the death of Anita's husband wouldn't look good.

   A slight creak signaled the entrance of someone into the room.

   "Just you today?"

   Taylor looked at the young nurse coming towards her.  She was familiar,
but then it was getting to the point where they were getting to know the
various staff on this floor.  Never a good thing, as Fred had once said.

   "Yeah, for now.  Anita should be here after work.  I have to go pick up
my littlest at some point.  I left her with another mother who also has a
two year old."

   "Can't say I like leaving my little one with mom," the nurse said,
shaking her head.  "But, what can you do." Taylor stood and moved out of
the way, letting her do her job.  Various hanging bags of things were
changed.  The white one was food, Taylor thought.  Her eyes closed.  She
couldn't watch.

   "I often wonder what they dream of."

   "What?" Taylor opened her eyes and looked at the young nurse.  She was
looking down at Violet, expression sad.

   "I said, I always wonder what they're thinking of, when they're like
this.  Do they dream?"

   Taylor looked at their first child.  She had no answer.

   ****

   Red...  Red is coming...

   ****

   There is nothing worse than bad school pizza.

   Mind you, "good" school pizza is no great shakes either.  It's better
than many of the other options, but you mostly get it because it LOOKS like
pizza even if it doesn't taste like it, and you can fool yourself into
believing you're somehow gaming the system by eating such a treat instead
of something healthy.

   Today, it barely even looked like pizza.

   "How the hell do you fuck this up?" Cindy held up the offending
rectangle of dough and brownish cheese by one corner, as if it was
roadkill. Hell, maybe it was.  Some delivery guy from Pizza Supreme was run
over, and this was salvaged from his burning car.

   "Why did you even GET it?" Her best friend Karen just shook her head in
disgust, stirring diet creamy Italian dressing into her homemade salad. 
"You could SEE it was bad!"

   Cindy dropped the offending food product onto her tray with a "plop".

   "I don't know...  I mean, pizza is one of my comfort foods!  I wanted
pizza!  There was also the chance it would look better once on my plate."

   "Which one of us is the blonde here?" Karen reached a fork across the
table, spearing one of the pepperoni and bringing it back for a closer
examination.  "Hmm, doesn't look too bad."

   "Hey!  That's my horrible lunch!  Get your own!"

   "You didn't want it!"

   "I didn't say that!"

   Cindy gave a mean growl, but her inner self was grinning like an idiot.
There was nothing, and she meant nothing, like a stupid kindergarten fight
to make you forget more serious matters.  Probably the real reason she had
bought the stupid pizza: she wanted something pointless to bitch about.  It
was either this, or go online.

   "Let me have a date with Greg and you can have it back."

   "Uh, no!  If that's all you think he's worth, you don't deserve him!"

   "Your brother then!"

   Cindy shot a serious look at her friend.  Karen's smirk slowly faded, as
she sensed the game changing.  Putting the fork, with the stolen quasi
pepperoni, down, her expression slowly became uneasy.  She wasn't used to
her friend being serious.

   "Um, what?"

   "Do you want Freddy?"

   "WHAT!?!" Suddenly realizing what that sounded like, Cindy closed her
eyes and shook her head, hands going to her temples.

   "Gah, no, sorry, not like that, I mean...  well, kinda like that,
but..."

   "Did you take a bite of that pizza or something?" Karen couldn't believe
she was having this conversation.  Her friend could be a bit flakey, and
was going through a lot, but still!

   Cindy grabbed her water and took a swig.  Better.  She looked at her
friend again.

   "What I mean is...  do you like Freddy?"

   Karen blushed a bit, luckily not too evident on her tanned face.  Biting
her lower lip, she tried to think of an answer that wouldn't embarrass her.
Cindy took that as an answer.

   "That's what I thought.  Look, my brother...  isn't doing well." Karen's
eyes shot open.  Cindy nodded.  "None of us are, to be sure, but...  well,
I have Greg, but he...  Freddy doesn't have anyone." Her eyes met Karen's.
"He NEEDS someone.  Just to hold, if nothing else.  I know he thinks you're
cute."

   The buxom blonde Junior was beside herself.  Hunky Freddy needed
comforting?  Well, send him her way!  She'd been lusting after him since
middle school!  But...

   "You're serious," she whispered.  Cindy nodded.  Looking around, Karen
leaned closer.  "You're asking me to...  SLEEP with your brother!" Her
voice lowered as she finished the sentence.  Cindy shook her head, knowing
she was going about this all wrong.

   "No!  Well, if you two do eventually, that's OK, but I didn't mean that!
It's just, you like him and he's lonely.  I just want to help him!"

   There was a moment's silence.  Karen slowly digested all of this, then
sat back.  Her breasts bounced at the impact.

   "Well, at least it's not Jaxom you're trying to pimp me to."

   ****

   Freddy was kneeling next to his father.  The snow was high, up to his
waist, and Dad was slowly sinking into it.  Freddy leaned forward.  He had
to keep both hands on Dad's chest.  If he could keep them there, the
bleeding would stop.  Dad sank a bit farther, his hands moved...  and a
squirt of blood shot out.  Shit!  He leaned forward more, cutting off the
flow.  He couldn't do this.  He knew he couldn't do this.  Dad was going to
die.

   "Help!"

   There was no one to help.  His family surrounded him, but they were
frozen.  Everything about them was frozen...  except those eyes.  Eyes that
look at him.  Eyes that knew he would fail...  Dad dropped farther into the
snow.  He was now below Freddy's knees.  How deep WAS this stupid snow?!?
He leaned forward even more, keeping his hands over the wound.  More blood
started to leak out.

   "Don't die!"

   ****

   Freddy jerked awake, sitting up.

   A dream.  It had been a dream.  Of course it had been a dream.  A
stupid, stupid, dream...

   "Freddy?"

   His head whipped over to his right.  Menolly, in a long flannel night
gown, was standing next to his bed, her hand stretched out towards him. 
Behind her, his bedroom door was open, light from the hallway spilling in.
Freddy raised a hand to his eyes, rubbing them.

   "What is it?" He hoped he said that aloud.  Going from a nightmare into
intelligent conversation was never easy.

   "Are you OK?"

   "In what sense?"

   What little intelligence he had at the moment saw her relax at that.  A
sibling who could joke was one not in too much trouble.

   "I heard you moaning in your sleep, and not the good kind, so..." Even
in that light, he could see her blush as she realized what she had said. 
Too tired to either pursue that subject further, or tease her, Freddy
reached out and touched her shoulder.

   "You saved me from a bad dream.  Thanks."

   She smiled, a beautiful smile.  Menolly had always been drawn to her
oldest brother, for as long as she could remember.  Her namesake had an
older brother she had liked too, as Menolly now knew, as she was old enough
to read those books.  SHE, however, wasn't going to runaway like that girl
had!  Shaking his head to clear it, Freddy gave her a questioning look.

   "Why are you up?"

   "The wind."

   Freddy listened.  Gods, he could hear it!  Tossing aside the covers, he
walked across the room in his boxer shorts to look out the window.  Menolly
joined him.

   It was a blizzard.  A good sized one.  He honestly hadn't paid much
attention that evening, apart from noticing it was snowing.  Visibility was
poor, but he could see the snow was drifting almost to the top of the
playhouse.  He looked down at his blonde sibling.

   "I'm guessing snow day tomorrow."

   Her gaze met his.

   "Will you make snow tunnels with me?"

   "OK, but they have to be big enough for me this time."

   ****

   He wanted to say it.  He did.  Jaxom oh so wanted to turn to his mother
and ask, "Do we really have to shovel all this?  We don't have to see
Violet today!" However, he also didn't want to get spanked by four pissed
off parents, so kept his big mouth shut.  He was learning.

   It was the driveway's fault.  There, he could blame that.  The house was
set well back from the road, and this long ass driveway insisted in
inviting all this snow to fall on it.  It could have said no!  Jaxom knew
it had that ability!  Just look at the sidewalk: no snow!  It had asked
nicely, and the wind had blown it all so it drifted elsewhere!  But, noooo!
The driveway had to go and invite in all this white stuff, and even let it
drift higher in places!

   Stupid driveway.

   If there was any positive, it was that with so many kids and Moms
attacking it, they were making good progress.  Heck, Mommy Mei had to be
restrained to keep her from helping!  Well, OK, not really, but she had
made the offer to do her part.  All while rubbing her belly and giving
Mommy Rachel big bambi eyes, but she still offered.

   The 8th grader was attacking the end of the driveway along with Nadia.
The only two middle schoolers in the family at the moment, they were making
good progress: he tackled the heavy ice at the end, she did the lighter
stuff that had drifted up against it.  They'd put a half an hour's work in,
and he thought they just about had it.  It was just a matter of maybe
widening it a bit more, then starting to work up the driveway to connect
with Elly and Cindy's section...  when two snow plows rumbled down the
street, past their driveway.

   Leaving four feet of ice and snow.

   "Oh, you fucking bitches!" Jaxom shook his fist at the retreating plows,
Nadia doing the same (although with her pink gloves, some of the effect was
lost).

   "Jaxom!"

   Grimacing, he turned to look up the driveway at Mommy Anita.  She looked
mad.

   "We do NOT use the word 'bitches' here!"

   ****

   The four women sat along the side of Violet's bed.

   As soon as they had entered the hospital room, they had sensed something
different.  Something...  ominous.  There had been a change.  They didn't
know what.  Hospital staff was short, many stuck at home or struggling to
get in, so getting answers was tough.  After greeting their baby, not
knowing what else to do...  they sat.  Sat, held hands...  and waited.

   Rachel looked over at Anita.  She had been strong, oh so strong, the
past couple days.  Rachel was so proud of her.  It was her baby, her
angel...  no.  Wrong word.  Violet wasn't going to become an angel today.
Not if Rachel could help it.

   She didn't know how long they sat there in silence.  Ten minutes?  An
hour?  Time has no meaning when you're grieving.  They were cut off from
the rest of reality.  Just four mothers, praying for their fallen child...

   The sound of the door opening barely registered to Rachel.  Mei had
clasped her left hand with both of hers, and Rachel was trying to focus all
her will and support on her pregnant wife.  This was such a critical time
for Mei, and they couldn't let her over exert herself...

   There was movement along the left hand wall.  Raising her head... 
Rachel saw red hair.

   It was a girl.  Not even in high school.  Long black dress, like
something a goth would wear, but with the deepest red flowing hair she'd
ever seen.  Her green eyes were wide, frightened.  Blinking to clear the
tears, the girl was already on the other side of the bed before Rachel
could find her voice.

   "Oh, I'm sorry...  who are you?  Are you one of Violet's friends?"

   The stranger glanced up at her...  then looked back down at Violet's
stomach.  Her eyes then shot up and looked over Rachel's shoulder.  Rachel
looked back towards the door, to see if someone else had come in with her.

   No one.

   Looking back at the girl, she saw the redhead with an arm stretched out
towards Violet's head.  The hand then shot down to just over her daughter's
chest.

   "Who ARE you!?" Rachel pulled her hands free of Taylor and Mei, the
other three women finally noticing their visitor.  The stranger reached
over Violet and grasped at the air.  Grimacing, she did it again, miming at
holding something.  What the hell was she doing?!?  Rachel shot to her
feet, the others doing so as well, shock on their faces.  The intruder now
was grasping the air with two hands, face one of excruciating pain.  With a
sudden jerk, she shot back, falling against the far window.

   "Call the nurse!  What is she doing?!?" At Anita's cry, Rachel slid by
Mei and quickly went for the girl.  Seeing her, the redhead lunged towards
Violet's head.  Rachel's eyes narrowed, and with a growl she leapt for the
stranger.  To her surprise, she found the girl thrown back into her arms.

   "What did you DO?!" It came out as a snarl, her claws digging into the
soft flesh of captured arms.  The teen in her arms looked terrified, as if
she had just seen...

   Violet coughed.

   The world went silent.

   Five pairs of eyes swung to the head of the bed.

   ****

   Eyes opened.

   After endless darkness, Violet saw...

   The most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

   White skin.

   Green eyes.

   Hair the color of...

   ****

   "Red..."

   The sound was dry, and faint.

   And beautiful.

   "Baby!"

   The women screamed.  Anita rushed to her side, kissing her daughters
face.  Taylor searched in vain to find the nurses call button, while Mei
contented herself with just jumping up and down and screaming for joy. 
Rachel stared in wonder, then looked down at the girl in her hands in awe.

   "What did you do...!"

   The redhead whimpered.

   "Must go!" Twisting in Rachel's loosened grip, she slipped away.  Rachel
barely noticed.  Stepping forward, she looked down at the now awake, and
confused, child.  Her hand reached out and grasped Violet's right hand. 
The grip was weak.  Violet looked up at her.

   "Where's Daddy?"

   "Everything's all right, baby."

   Two nurses rushed up to the bed, trying to shoo the mothers away.  One
came over to Rachel's side, where there was more room, so she stepped back.
Her eyes came up...  and met Taylor's.  Her lover's expression was one of
confused joy.  Everything was OK.  Violet was OK!  Because...  Rachel
suddenly whipped her gaze around the room.

   Because of the now vanished redhead.

   ****

   Violet sat up on the hospital bed, shaking.

   Dad...  was gone.

   The two nurses had left the room moments ago: one to try and find a
doctor who'd be able to tell them what the hell was happening, and the
other to run the floor all by herself.  Miracle cures were wonderful, but
they didn't change the needs of everyone else in the hospital.  Anita
stood, arms around her baby, head on her shoulder.

   "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

   Her mom hadn't meant to just blurt it out.  Violet knew that.  It didn't
matter.  If she HADN'T of been in some kind of coma, but had just seen Dad
lying there...  she'd have known right away anyway.  This was no different.

   And no easier to take.

   Her last memory.  Walking out of the glasses store.  Dad had made one of
his jokes, the kind that take a moment for you to realize the play on
words. She had looked up at him, laughing...

   Noise.

   Pain.

   Blackness.

   Then the Red Witch.

   "Where is she?!?!" Violet's shaking stopped.  Lifting her head, she met
Mommy Rachel's confused, and concerned, eyes.  "Where is the Red Witch?"

   "Red..." Rachel's eyes widened, flicking quickly to Taylor and Mei
before returning to their daughter.  Her hand gently stroked Violet's bare
brown arm.  "Do you know her?"

   Violet shook her head, paused...  then shook it again.  Part of her, in
a way, DID know this girl.  Knew her deep in her soul, the same way she
knew her parents, or siblings.  Yet...

   "I've never seen her before..." Her voice was still rough, and hearing
it Anita quickly released her and grabbed a glass of ice water off a tray
and gently brought it to her lips.  Violet grimaced.  She could hold her
own glass, thank you very much!

   ...no, she couldn't.  A simple flex of her fingers told her that.  Gods,
she was so weak...  opening her mouth, she let the water flow over her dry
tongue and downward.  Only a swallow or two, though.  She'd read enough to
know (or at least think she knew) not to rush things like eating and
drinking.  Closing her lips, she smiled in thanks at Mommy Anita and let
herself be lowered back down onto her back.  The pillow felt so good...

   "I...  I want my Witch.  My Red Witch." Rachel cast another look over at
Taylor, who nodded and began to quietly gather her things.  Violet went on,
looking between their concerned faces.  "I...  she was so beautiful... 
wasn't she, mommy?  So beautiful...  maybe Daddy sent her, or Mommy
Lisa..."

   At that name, Taylor froze, purse half way up her arm, eyes silently
asked the others, "could it be?"

   ****

   That day's snow wasn't good for tunnels.

   Oh, Freddy and Menolly gave it a shot, with the help of a couple of the
other youngsters.  It was a little too light, though, and maybe a little
too dry.  Things started to collapse once you went in a few feet.  However,
snow FORTS were still more than possible, and the snow was just wet enough
to hold the shape of a packed ball.

   Thus, War came to the Hunt Homelands.

   It was a bitter struggle, pitting brother against brother, sister
against sister.  Back and forth went the battle lines, with charges and
counter charges, brilliant defensive stands and overwhelming assaults. 
Political and military alliances changed often.  First, there was the
"Jaxom has Cooties" crusade.  This drew in many members of the fair sex,
but they were too weak to prevail.  A change in the wind brought forth the
"Cindy Throws Like A Girl" alliance, turning on the weaker members
responsible for defeat.  However, there are more types of strength than
physical.  The attack had barely even started when religious fervor struck
the armies.  A prophecy telling of fresh baked cupcakes for all who
followed the path of the righteous, begat the final battle, forever known
as "Get Freddy!"

   Freddy hunkered down in their last defensive position.  Their backs to
the front porch, there literally was nowhere else to run.  The forces of
good were down to three brave, outstanding warriors.  Himself, naturally.
To his right, frantically making more snowballs for the coming last stand,
was Menolly The nine year old had stayed at his side all through the wars,
proving herself worth a dozen Elly's.  Sitting next to her was their most
valiant warrior, Shizuku.  The heavily bundled two year old was picking up
snow and throwing it in the air, obviously testing the wind to help her
aim. Her dedication to this task was unmatched.

   Menolly risked a glance over the hastily constructed snow wall in front
of her.

   "Are they coming yet?"

   A badly aimed snowball fell a few feet short of the wall.

   "Not yet."

   Freddy looked at his sister, grin infectious.  She returned it,
adjusting her wool hat.  It had been a good morning.  They had needed this.

   "Ding dong!"

   The two of them looked down at his zipped jacket pocket.  A moment later
the muffled sound of a doorbell came from it again.  Shizuku paused in her
snow throwing, realizing her older siblings needed some help identifying
the sound.

   "Phone!"

   "Yes," sighed Freddy, reaching to free the communication device, "thank
you Shizuku."

   "I'm helping!"

   Menolly giggled at her sister's comments.  Kids were no fun until they
could talk.  Freddy looked at the phone.  It was Mommy Mei.  A wave of numb
coldness went through him as he raised the phone up to his ear.

   "Hi Mom.  What is it?"

   Menolly watched her brother's face.  It could be anything.  It didn't
have to be bad news.  Heck, it could be...

   Freddy jumped to his feet.

   "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?"

   Menolly was on her feet with him, eyes wide and hopeful.  Shizuku,
seeing they were playing a standing game, joined them.  There was another
pause, as Freddy's face became more joyous.  Turning to look over the snowy
landscape, his many siblings slowly rising in fearful expectation, he
clenched his fists and shot them into the air.

   "SHE'S AWAKE!!!!"

   ****

   Taylor stood by the nurse's station, looking down at the waiting area at
the end of the hall.

   She was there.

   You couldn't miss the mass of deep red hair, falling down onto that
black dress.  The girl was just sitting on the couch, not moving, staring
at her hands.  Taylor bit her lip.  What the hell was she supposed to say?

   Well, whatever it was, she couldn't say it from here.

   Straightening her shoulders, Taylor began slowly walking towards the
girl.  Violet's words kept floating through her head.  "Maybe Daddy sent
her, or Mommy Lisa..." Fred had intended the whole thing about Lisa
throwing women at him from beyond the grave as a joke, a fun take on an
increasingly complicated family history.  He had no belief in the
afterlife, religious or spiritual.  Yet...  the more Taylor had lived with
the man, the more she came to have some belief.  Something was looking out
for them, drawing them together.  Anita felt the same way, as did some of
the older children...

   This, in fact, had almost cost them Mei.  Things had been going well,
the family enjoying having the young woman with them and the feeling
becoming increasingly mutual, when then twelve year old Violet had made the
mistake of mentioning ghostly "Mommy Lisa" and her influence.  Mei had
stormed up to Fred, demanding to know if he was only bringing her along
because of some mystic crap, if, in fact, this was some horrible religious
bigamy sect.  Because, if so, she was so gone!

   Fred's incredulous laughter had probably been the only answer that would
work.  With an apologetic grin, he regaled her with the now mythic tale of
his late lover, and his "blaming" everything on her influence.  Once they
returned to the house, he set out proving his atheist and skeptic
credentials with his collection of Skeptical Inquirer magazines, signed
James Randi books, and other increasingly humorous proofs until Mei broke
down laughing and believed him.  He later told Taylor that he had wanted to
kiss the Chinese girl, so close had the two of them been in spirit in that
moment.  But, he had waited...  and two weeks later she kissed him, then
the other three women.  She gave the four of them her virginity and her
heart before the month was out.

   Taylor had seen the look in Violet's eyes.  It was the same one she'd
seen in Mei, Anita, Rachel...  even in Fred, when he looked at her.  This
stranger had Violet's heart.  If, by all that was holy, the Red Witch felt
the same about Taylor's baby...  oh, god, what that would mean!

   ...What would it mean?

   Later.

   Taylor stood on the blue carpet, looking down at the girl.  She...  was
so young.  Probably as tall as Taylor, if not taller, but still four or
more years younger then her daughter!  But, than, she had been almost a
decade younger than Fred.  What is age, if the souls are in love?

   "May I sit?"

   The girl ignored her.  She just sat, leaning forward on the edge of the
cushion, looking at her palms in front of her.  Her expression was one
of... wonder, confusion...  and pain.  Taylor looked around, nervously. 
Now what.  There was space on the couch, so...  trembling a bit, she sat
down.

   The girl felt her presence, turning to stare at Taylor.  She wasn't
frightened, but that may have been because her mind seemed to be elsewhere.
Taylor gave a tired smile, one hopefully that spoke of equals and
friendship rather than adults and children.  The redhead's expression
turned puzzled, then her eyes widened.

   "You're from the room," she whispered.  Taylor nodded.

   "My name's Taylor.  I want...  well, we want to thank you.  For what,"
and she gave a tired laugh, "we don't know, but something happened. 
Something wonderful."

   The girl blushed a bit, turning to look back at her open palms.  Taylor
tried to keep the conversation going.

   "What's your name, child?"

   "Cindi..."

   Taylor's eyes widened.  Cindi shot her a suspicious glance.  Not knowing
the reason, Taylor quickly explained.

   "We have a daughter Cindy, next youngest after Violet.  Did...  do you
know Violet?"

   "No..." She closed her eyes.  Taylor's heart went out to her.  This
girl...  seemed so deprived of love.  She didn't know how she knew, but...
it was there in every movement.  Maybe that's why she had been drawn to
someone as loving as Violet...

   "Violet...  she's OK, now.  I mean...  she's OK!  After all this... 
she's OK!"

   "I'm...  glad." Cindi looked back at her, and it was clear from those
eyes, that she and Violet were linked.  Taylor knew what she had to do.

   "It's been..." Taylor turned her head and looked out the window.  Snow
was coming down again, the road only still visible because of the
headlights.  "There was an accident Saturday.  Bad.  We lost our..." She
paused, almost forgetting she wasn't family.  Yet.  "Violet's dad died."
Cindi looked up, stunned.  "And...  we thought we had lost our oldest baby.
She's been unconscious since then.  Till...  till you came." She smiled
down at the girl in wondrous awe, to which Cindi could only blush.

   "I..."

   "She wants to talk to you.  To her...  'Red Witch'."

   The name seemed to shock her, but looking down at her black dress she
gave a short laugh.

   "I'm not a witch..."

   "You can tell her that," Taylor said, smiling a knowing smile.  "But...
not today.  Or tomorrow.  We..." She looked back down the long hallway. 
"...  we need time to mourn, as a family.  Violet most of all, maybe, as
she just found out." She paused, looking down at the simple wedding ring on
her hand.  A ripple of grief flowed over her face, then was pushed aside.
Today was a day of joy.  Shaking her head, Taylor's hands went to her purse
and pulled out her wallet.  Flipping through it, she found a school photo
of Violet.  Grabbing a pen, she flipped the picture over and wrote Violet's
cell phone number.  Smiling, she handed it to Cindi.

   "Call her this weekend.  After things have calmed down."

   The redhead looked at the number, then slowly flipped it and stared at
the picture.  Her breath caught in her throat, and Taylor swore she saw her
nipples harden as a slow blush enveloped her face.  She nodded to herself.
It was fate.

   "Again...  thank you."

   Rising, unnoticed, Taylor left her future daughter-in-law to return to
the side of her daughter.

   ****

   The doctors, naturally, were rather confused.

   It was a GOOD confusion, unexpected healing being better than sudden
death, but in both cases there was reason for worry.  If nothing else, if
they could not understand why Violet had gotten better, they had no new
knowledge with which to help the next person to come before them with the
same injuries.  Miracles are all well and good, but in the long run they
don't really help all that much.

   "They're going to keep you one more night," Rachel told Violet, who was
holding a small stuffed bear Mei had found in the hospital gift shop. 
"Give you some tests, an MRI they can compare to the one you had while you
were sleeping." The teen nodded, snuggling down into the bed.  Rachel put
her hand on the girl's cheek.  "Do you need anything from home?"

   "Naw," she said, shaking her head.  "I have the books you guys brought."
A blush came to her face.  "I can't believe Mommy Taylor actually read Opus
One aloud in here!  And she had gotten past one of the sex scenes!"

   "Well," chuckled her mom, "we're a rather open family about some things.
You all know how babies are made."

   "I don't think any of us have put it into practice, though."

   Rachel gave her a curious look.  That was new information.  She would
have sworn Cindy had been active, not because their second oldest was a
slut, but just because of how touchy feely she always was with her dates
and the lack of embarrassment over that.  However, given how such things
had a chance of changing with every date, she didn't concern herself too
much with it.  Her three high schoolers were adults.

   "Well, are you sure you don't want one of us to stay with you...?"

   "I'm fine, Mom.  If the storm is coming back, you guys need to get back
before Jaxom leads an open rebellion against Cindy."

   "Oh, she can handle him!" Leaning down, she gave Violet a soft kiss on
the forehead.  "We'll be here tomorrow to take you home."

   Violet watched as her mother left, the thick wooden door slowly closing
behind her.

   She was alone.

   Holding the small brown bear up on her chest, she looked into its black
plastic eyes.  It looked like one Daddy had...

   Pulling it against her, between her breasts, Violet turned on her side,
brought her knees up, and cried.

   ****

   It had been an unofficial party all evening.

   The adults had returned home to find cupcakes in both kitchen ovens,
almost ready to come out, and had quickly jumped in to help with the
frosting and eating.  Dinner was homemade pizza, and with the snow
continuing to fall they'd put some music on and played various card games.
Taylor had a moment's sadness as she realized that with Fred gone, one of
the younger kids would have to be promoted so they had enough for two
Bridge tables.  Jaxom had no interest, but for tonight he filled in for
Violet while twelve year old Nadia eagerly sat partnered with Rachel. 
Unlike her brother, SHE had no problem being "dummy" now and then!

   As the younger kids started to head off to bed, school most likely being
on again the next morning, Anita pulled Cindy aside.  A moment later, the
four adults vanished into the basement, the door locking behind them.

   "Adult time," Cindy told her oldest brother, plopping down onto the
couch next to him.  He nodded, flipping on the TV.

   "I think they deserve it."

   "Well, Freddy, that's very generous of you!" He grabbed a pillow and
gently whacked Cindy in the face with it.  Grinning, she turned on the
couch and lay down with her legs over his lap.  He covered them with the
pillow to use as an arm rest.  The two sat in the comfortable silence of
true friendship.

   ****

   "Freddy..."

   "Yes?"

   "Are...  are you doing OK?" He looked at her, face expressionless.  "I
mean, are you..." She stopped, flustered.  He looked back at the TV.

   "Am I what?"

   "Lonely?"

   Silence.

   "I mean," she went on quietly, not really knowing how to approach this,
"I have Greg, our moms have each other, but..."

   "Who are you trying to set me up with." It came out as a resigned sigh.
He didn't date all that much, but didn't need help from family in that
regard.  He could find his own women.

   "Karen."

   Freddy's head whipped around, eyes wide.

   "KAREN?!?"

   Eyes twinkling, Cindy nodded.

   "She thinks you're a hunk, and has had a crush on you for years.  I know
you like them buxom and blond."

   Images of those two fleshy wonders, seen in a bikini over the summer and
even larger now, hovered before his eyes.  Looking down at his grinning
sister, he maneuvered her legs in his lap so they were far away from his
growing erection.

   "Ah, so, what did you have in mind?"

   ****

   The music of The Donnas echoed through the basement.

   Fred had finished it off as a sort of rec room, with wood paneling,
plush red carpets, even a non-alcoholic bar with a soda fountain (which, in
this part of the world, served "pop").  Perfect for teens...  or childish
adults.

   The four women were in the middle of the room, dancing.  Not well, mind
you.  None, apart from Anita, would consider themselves good in that
department.  Even Anita did not so much have skill as just natural curves
and the ability to use them.  When you're in love, though, it's the rubbing
and the shaking, and the promise it makes, which makes a dance.  After
almost a week of anguish, happy bonds were being re-forged.

   Rachel stood, swaying to the rock beat, as Anita shimmied and shook
before her.  The Mayan had removed her sweater, leaving just a lacy bra,
and she let her breasts provide a counterpoint to her swinging hips. 
Smiling, the tall curly blond put her hands on those wonderful hips and
leaned down to kiss the curve of Anita's neck.  She was rewarded with a
gasp, and hands sliding to her own hips to lift her top off as Anita
continued to move to the beat.  Near them, Taylor was doing wildly wrong
dance moves in front of a swaying Mei.  The Chinese woman was laughing more
than dancing, especially when Taylor started Voguing to "It's So Hard".

   "Oh, God!  Taylor, you're too much!  I have to sit!"

   Completely understanding, but with an evil grin, the waif of a woman
came before Mei and started guiding the pregnant wife backwards.  When her
legs bumped into the couch, she pushed Mei down...  then took a step back
and began to sway.  Gone were the moves stolen from Pulp Fiction and bad
rap videos.  Hips moving sensually, eyes locked with Mei, Taylor slowly
lifted her sweatshirt up and over her head.  Long brown hair spilled down
over her thin body, covered now by just a pair a tight jeans and a pink
bra. Swaying, Taylor ran her hands over her smooth white skin.  Mei's eyes
smoldered as she took this in, and thus encouraged, Taylor turned her back
to her love and, to the beat, unsnapped and shed her jeans.  The bra came
next, and with the change of the song she turned back wearing just thin
pink panties.

   "Oh...  Taylor..." Mei, sitting up on the edge of the couch, lifted her
own dress up and off.  The sight of those now large, milk filled breasts,
still covered by white fabric, and her pregnant form made Taylor shudder in
an almost orgasm.  Her own panties fell to the floor, and on shaky legs she
moved forward and straddled Mei, sinking to sit in her lap.  White hands
going to the front fastener on the bra, she kissed Mei as she freed those
wonderful breasts.  Behind them, Anita and Rachel sank to the carpet, now
nude and lost in each other's body.  Taylor could hear the sighs and
groans, and yearned for the same sounds to come from Mei.  Moving her body
back, she let herself begin to slide off Mei's lap.  Mei protested, wanting
to feel Taylor's body against hers, but those turned to cries of joy as
Taylor paused to briefly suck on long brown nipples.  Her fingers went to
the elastic of Mei's underwear, and sensing this Mei eagerly, if with
difficulty, raised up to help in pulling them off.  Both women now nude,
Taylor continued her descent.  Her mouth and tongue left a trail over the
swollen belly holding the last child of their husband (Taylor briefly
thought of his final gift to her, a gift she'd have to carefully consider
later), then continued down.  Kneeling, she spread Mei's legs.

   "Oh, god, I love you Mei..." With that, she lowered her head and tasted
her wife.  Mei let out a cry of pleasure.  It had been too long!

   Mei felt caresses on both her breasts.  Opening her eyes, she saw both
Rachel and Anita flanking Taylor, smiling as they watched the small woman
lick and suck the opening that would give them their next baby.  She
started to reach out for them, wanting both to be with her when she came...

   There was a banging on the door at the top of the stairs.

   "MOMS!  GRANDMA AND GRANDPA ARE HERE!!!"

   ****

   Violet looked out the van window at the passing snow covered trees.

   Four days.

   It was like she was a time traveler.  In the blink of an eye, she had
been sent four days into the future.  Four days of her life, gone.  It
could have been worse, but her mind was having a hard enough time wrapping
itself around this as it was.  Four days of her family thinking she was
going to die...  how would her brothers and sisters react to her?  How
would SHE react?  What the hell had happened?

   The Red Witch had saved her.

   Violet's expression darkened.  Everything came back to that.  Every line
of thought, every dream, day or night, ended in thoughts of the mysterious
redhead.  Why?  Why did Violet keep thinking of that white skinned,
beautiful, green eyed...

   Feeling the van slow and turn, she realized they were home.  Mommy Anita
steered the van up the nicely shoveled driveway as Violet, out of habit,
counted cars.  Given the size of the family, and all their various
obligations, you never knew who exactly would be around at any given time.
Freddy had made a spreadsheet once, tracking everyone, but then got bored
and let it get out of date.  Or maybe he just thought it took all the
surprise out of life.

   Her car was there, naturally.  A beat up blue Ford hatchback.  Dad had
gotten it for her at the start of Senior year, although technically it
wasn't signed over to her until she turned 17.  It wasn't great, but it got
the job done.  Usually.  The other three family cars were there as well;
Mommy Taylor worked from home and Mei and Dad had carpooled, so four had
been enough...

   Now she kept thinking about Dad.  She couldn't win.

   It wasn't until they were up to the house that Violet noticed an extra
car.  Red, four doors, sporty...

   "Grandma and Grandpa!!"

   Anita smiled, putting the car in park and turning the key off.

   "Yup.  Showed up last night." There was an edge to her voice, but Violet
ignored it.  Unbuckling, she was out the door and running up the sidewalk
before her mom had even taken the key out of the ignition.  The front door
opened...  and Grandma Nash was on the porch, with Grandpa close behind.

   "Grandma!"

   With two bounding steps, Violet threw herself into the arms of the tall
curly blonde woman, laughing.  Ruth held her tight, crying.

   "We thought we were going to lose you, Violet!  Don't scare us like
that!"

   Her husband stood a few feet away, smile...  almost real.  He was glad
the dark skinned girl was OK, naturally.  You never wanted to see someone
ill, or in pain.  But, this wasn't his granddaughter.  That would be
Menolly.  He had three relatives here in addition to his daughter Rachel,
not thirteen.  His wife may have gotten him to accept the reality of how
his daughter was living, but that didn't mean he had to like it, or spread
his affection around evenly.  His eyes went to Anita, coming up to the
steps holding a shopping bag with Violet's things.

   "We'd better get inside," he told her, "I'm sure you Mexicans aren't
good in the cold."

   Anita raised an eyebrow at him.  Was this just gentle teasing, or...

   "Mayan, Grandpa," Violet told him smiling, stepping back from Grandma.
"We're tough." He nodded.

   "Well, I'm not." He opened the storm door.  "Ladies and Grandma first."

   ****

   Shizuku was the only sibling home, the rest back in school suffering,
but her greeting more than made up for their absence.  She ran towards
Violet, screaming, Rachel, Taylor and Mei trailing wearing large grins. 
Violet was still a bit weak, but had no trouble lifting her little sister
up for a big hug.

   "I missed you, Kiddo!" She held her tight, eyes closed.

   "Missed you too!  Daddy with you?!?"

   There were gasps from the Moms, but Shizuku pulled her face back and
looked at her oldest sister with all the seriousness in the world.  After
all, if Violet was back, why wasn't Daddy?

   "N-no, Kiddo.  It's just me."

   "Oh..." She pouted...  then looked hopefully into her sister's eyes. 
"Play Legos?"

   "Sure," chuckled Violet, giving her a quick kiss on the nose.  "Go get
them."

   "Yeah!  Legos!"

   Violet put her down, watching as the toddler ran towards the playroom.
If only her emotions could switch that easily...

   ****

   Freddy closed his locker, giving the lock a good spin.  This week was so
fucked.  A major test tomorrow in AP History, THEN the memorial service for
Dad?  How the hell was he going to keep his mind on the 1850's with that
coming up just a few hours later?  He so wanted to skip.  If there wasn't
the test, he could probably have talked at least one Mom into keeping
everyone home.  But, between his test and Jaxom's English exam, it would
just lead to more headaches next week.

   Ah, well.  At least Sis was home by now.

   "Oh little brother..."

   He sighed, closing his eyes.  Great.  Wonderful.  What did Miss Pink and
Perky want now?

   "What is it, Cindy?" Freddy turned...  and saw Karen standing next to
his wonderful sister.  Karen, dressed in a VERY tight blouse with a couple
extra buttons undone.  He could swear he saw her hard nipples even with the
bra...  talk about pink and perky!  "Oh!  Hi Karen!"

   "Hi." She blushed, which made Freddy much more confident.  What Cindy
had said was true!  So long as he didn't blow it...  well, maybe he could
get her to!

   Cindy looked between the two, grinning.  You could feel the sexual
tension between them, built up over the past few years.  Dating friends of
siblings was unofficially frowned upon by the family, but such things were
more of a guideline...  and a bit one sided, as neither Cindy nor Violet
thought any of Freddy's friends were cute.  This should make up for any
previous blocked romances.

   "Well, I'll leave you two lovers to figure things out.  Don't miss the
bus, Freddy!" She walked away, swinging her hips while humming, listening
to their fading voices.

   "Um, so, Karen, wanna do something Saturday?"

   "My parents will be gone most of the day..."

   ****

   Violet felt weird.

   She had taken a nap not long after returning home, suddenly tired. 
Shizuku sometimes had that effect on you, the active tyke seeming to be
part energy sucking ghoul.  She had been up, though, by the time the first
buses started dropping her brothers and sisters off, and ever since then...

   Violet was sure it wasn't something they'd talked about.  Her family
wasn't that type.  Each had probably, on their own, consciously or
unconsciously decided to stay around Violet.  No matter where she went,
someone was with her, hugging her, touching her.  No sooner would she sit
than one of the little ones would be in her lap.  Almost as if everyone was
afraid they'd lose her again, if they didn't keep some form of hold on her.
It was nice, kinda, at first, but while not a loner Violet did need her
personal space.  How could she grieve, with a five year old climbing all
over her?

   That evening was different than the previous night's entertainment
(Cindy had been eager to regal her sister with the tale of the interrupted
Mom party.  No wonder Grandpa had been looking at her Moms like that!). 
With the funeral tomorrow, they sat around the living room and told
stories. Stories about Dad.  Funny stories, like how he had mistaken salt
for sugar on that one camping trip and made some rather interesting Kool
Aid.  Well known stories, like how each woman came to meet him and join the
family.  Grandma told of their first meeting with Rachel's new "boyfriend",
and "girlfriends".  Everyone laughed...  except Grandpa.  Violet had the
fleeting thought that this might be the last time she saw him; that in the
future he'd try and find excuses to have Rachel and the kids come to them.
Her eyes, already wet, became even mistier.  She loved him, had for as long
as she could remember, but saw, now, what she couldn't as a child.  His
wandering eyes met hers...  and quickly looked away.

   Violet wrapped her arms around the half asleep Shizuku and puller her
into her chest.  Was she losing Grandpa as well as Dad?

   ****

   Violet lay in bed, alone in her bedroom.  Elly had asked if she could
sleep with Violet, but with a hug and a tickle Violet had sent her back to
the room she shared with Menolly and Nadia.  She wanted to be alone.

   No.  Not true.

   She wanted...

   Her Witch.

   Mommy Taylor had said her name was...  Cindy?  That seemed...  wrong. 
The girl wasn't a Cindy.  What she was, was...

   Under the heavy quilt, Violet ran one of her hands over her smooth, bare
skin up to her breast.

   The Witch was beautiful.  The Witch was sexy.  The Witch...  Eyes
closed, she squeezed her breast, slowly moving her other hand down, past
her thatch of fur.  The Witch was...  she had beautiful lips.  Violet
wanted to kiss her...  caress that smooth face, look into those eyes...

   Her fingers slipped between her legs, lightly caressing the outside of
her lips.  Imagining the feel of the Witch's skin, she pinched her nipple
as a finger slipped inside her.

   "Ah!"

   Gods...  she wanted to slip that black dress off of her, wanted to run
her lips all over that white skin.  She wanted...

   Wanted to taste her.

   Her eyes opened.

   She wasn't gay.  Had no interest in that direction whatsoever.  What the
fuck was going on with her?  One second's look at some stranger, and...

   Hesitantly, Violet brought the hand from between her legs up her body,
and out from under the covers where she could see it.  In the moonlight,
she could see the wetness on her brown fingers.

   "I want to taste you..." She brought the fingers to her mouth,
hesitated...  then closed her eyes and licked them.

   "I wish this was you, my Witch..."

   ****

   The memorial service was, mercifully, short.  The public viewing at the
funeral home went on for a few hours, but only the wives stayed for all of
it.  Dressed in black, they sat along the wall, greeting the small stream
of friends and family, fellow teachers...  Violet even saw a few college
kids, obviously students.  Did she know any of her teachers enough to go to
their funeral if they died?  No...  her father had obviously touched many
people, in his years of teaching.  She knew he had started at some Middle
School, but remembered the day he got the job at the downtown college.  She
had only been six, but he had been so happy!  Had picked her up, swung her
around...

   And now he was before her, eyes closed.  One final viewing.

   It was her first time seeing death.  It almost didn't look like him. 
For a brief moment, hope flared in Violet that this WASN'T Dad, that there
had been a mistake!  No...  no, Dad wouldn't like that.  Dad would want her
to accept this.  Accept it as a part of life, a balance for all the joy
he'd given her.

   She recalled one of his stories.  Dad's Grandpa, her Great Grandpa Hunt,
had died suddenly when he was in 4th grade.  He had told the tale as part
of his story to her, as she started her own spiritual quest, of why he
wasn't religious.  Dad's 4th grade Sunday School teacher had been somewhat
evangelical, especially for a moderate Presbyterian church, and she had
gotten him to pray for the Holy Spirit late one night in bed.  Ten year old
Fred had felt one with God, a feeling he'd have for the next six or so
years, and had asked God to help Grandpa get better.

   A few hours later, his father had woken him to say Grandpa was dead and
they had to go to Grandma.  Thus the seed of doubt was first planted.

   It was his first funeral, as this one was for her.  A large Polish
Catholic ceremony, body displayed by the altar.  His dad had tried to get
Dad to kiss the body, and Dad had shrunk back, mind not really able to
deal.

   "When it came time to bury your Grandma and Grandpa," he had told
Violet, "I was a different person.  There was still some personal taboo
about touching, but...  well, how we approach death is rarely rational, and
probably shouldn't be.  I was a confirmed Atheist by then, but left a
stuffed animal in Mom's coffin because it made me feel better.  Grave
goods, no different than those found in any Mayan or Egyptian tomb.  We do
it not for the afterlife, but for this life.  Never laugh at those who
believe, but strive to understand why they do.  We're all the same."

   Leaning down, Violet gently kissed his forehead.

   "Goodbye, Daddy..."

   ****

   The four Hunt wives stood before the open coffin.  Arms around each
other, they took one last look at the man who had loved them.

   Eyes red, Taylor nodded to the Funeral Director standing quietly to the
side.  With practiced, unobtrusive ease, he came forward and closed the
half lid.  Fred's face slowly vanished from view.

   It was over.

   ****

   Saturday was quiet.

   Grandma and Grandpa left early, having a long drive home to Indiana. 
Fred's cousin Debbie, the only relative of his to make it, also was gone by
noon, with promises of more visits to come.  Anita set off on a grocery
run, much needed.  Freddy vanished with one of the vans on some date or
other: Cindy was looking very smug as he drove away, and was soon gone
herself after Greg came to pick her up.  The family was scattered.  Life
was normal.
Violet sat in the basement, lying on the couch, book in hand.  The noise
of children playing could be faintly heard from various directions, but for
the most part she had succeeded in cutting herself off from the rest of the
world.  For the first time in ages, she was lost in a book, mind filled

with a story of true love, however unconventional...

   Her cell phone rang.

   Why was that even in this room?  Sighing, she marked her place, got up,
and grabbed the phone.

   "Hello?"

   There was a moments silence.  Maybe it was a prank call.  Maybe...

   "Um, hi.  Is this...  Violet?" The stranger's voice was shy, quiet. 
Almost as if the whole idea of talking was new to her.

   "Yes..." Her voice was suspicious.  Who else would be answering Violet's
phone?  Then...  her heart jumped.  "Wait, is this...  my Redheaded Witch?"

   "Um, yeah.  Hi."

   "Oh my god!  It's you!  Mommy Taylor said you'd call, but I didn't think
you would!  Wait!" Violet looked around.  This was too public a spot!  She
ran up to the top of the stairs, slamming the door closed and locking it.
"Sorry!  I just didn't want the kids bothering us!  Hi!  Cindy, is it?" She
started back down the stairs, the sound of her footsteps lost in the
beating of her heart.

   "Ah, Cynthia, actually.  I just sort of changed it the other day.  It's
a very long story..."

   "I have the feeling," Violet said, chuckling "that we're both going to
have lots of those.  Cynthia...  I like it." She sat back down on the
couch.

   "Thanks...  I like you." It came out rushed, striking Violet to her
core. She...  the Redheaded Witch liked her...  oh, gods...  For a moment,
she forgot how to speak.  She swallowed.

   "Do...  do you believe in fate, my Redheaded Witch?"

   "I...  I know lots of things, now.  Enough that I can't say there is no
fate, but also enough that I think fate isn't the answer most of the time."

   "Our family, maybe, was created by fate.  Daddy," and Violet's voice
choked up for a moment, "Daddy would always joke about it, but I think my
Moms believe.  I think I do too."

   "My story is so strange.  But I want so much to tell you everything. 
You're all I've been able to think of."

   "I keep seeing you, standing there over my bed, your read hair framing
those beautiful eyes..."

   "I think I love you..."

   Violet gasped.  No one, outside of family, had ever told her that.  Had
ever come close.  And, this girl, who had only seen her once...

   "I love you too..." It came out as a whisper, hanging there between
them. Moments ticked by.

   "Cynthia?"

   "Yeah?"

   "Can I see you?  Tonight?"

   "Yes...  have you eaten yet?"

   ****

   The beat up old Ford came to a stop next to the mail box, then slowly
pulled into the driveway.  Parking next to the minivan, Violet turned the
key off, set the emergency break, and sat back in the seat.

   She was here.

   Now what?

   This was crazy.  The whole week had been crazy.  Her life was crazy. 
Images of her Dad again flooded her mind, but with effort she pushed them
down.  Later.  She could mourn some more later.

   Maybe that's why she was here.  For the first time in her seventeen year
old life, Violet was, to a small degree, an outsider in her loving family.
The days she had spent unconscious were time the others had used to mourn
Daddy, to come to grips with the new reality.  Cindy had filled her in
about everything: the chaos, Mommy Taylor going almost catatonic, and Mommy
Rachel basically taking over the family and getting them over the worst of
it.  While Violet wouldn't have wanted to go through all that, now that it
was time for her to grieve she had to do much of it alone.  Her personality
won't allow her to drag family that had finally climbed up a bit from the
loss, and were ecstatic about her recovery, back to the first stages of
grief.  Who could she grab onto...

   The Redheaded Witch.

   Her image was all she saw when she closed her eyes, driving out the
sorrow of loss.  She had no idea what had happened, what it all meant,
but...

   She was finally going to meet her.

   There was a sound.  Turning her head, Violet saw the front door of the
house open...  and there she was.  Red hair.  A black dress, down past her
knees, covered by a dark blue winter coat.  Quickly, Violet opened the car
door and got out.  The Witch stopped in the act of stepping down, looking
at her, taking in the dark skin, straight black hair, bluejeans and
sweatshirt.

   Time froze.

   Slowly, as one, the two women began to walk towards each other.  Violet
was shaking.  God, she was so beautiful...  and young!  She couldn't be
more than a Freshman, if that!  She found her feet stopping of their own
accord a foot away from the vision before her.  The face that looked up at
her was as unnerved and frightened as she herself felt, but rather than
giving her comfort it upset her more.  Violet wanted to make this girl
happy, to never see her sad...

   "Hi, Violet."

   Her voice was quiet, strong, but with a quality as if she wasn't use to
speaking.  Cynthia's hand was extended, white and beautiful.  Violet
extended her own brown hand, first touching those white fingertips then
sliding along the length of her hand.

   "Hi, Cynthia."

   They both shuddered at the contact, their skin moving against each other
feeling more sexual than anything either had ever done.  The Witch closed
her hand, trapping its brown twin, and swallowed.

   "Wow..."

   "Yeah..."

   Cynthia shook herself, trying to gain some control again.  Violet just
let the feelings wash over her.  She just...  wanted this young girl to
tell her all was well, that they'd be together forever.  It was stupid and
silly...  but gods, she needed stupid and silly and love....

   "I...  Violet, this is going so fast, but...  I need to trust you..."

   "Anything, my little Witch..."

   "There are secrets, secrets which are a part of me, which you have to
accept and keep if we're to have anything to do with each other.  If you
can't accept that, you can't accept me..."

   Violet brought her other hand up to grip their joined hands, and Cynthia
did likewise.  Their eyes bore into each other.

   "Anything, Cynthia..."

   The redhead nodded.  Releasing one hand, but keeping a firm grip with
the other, she led the black haired Mayan up the three steps to the front
door.  Opening the storm door, she turned to her.

   "What you're going to see, you can never tell anyone without our
permission.  It is, literally, a matter of life and death." She squeezed
Violet's hand.  "And I will kill to protect her and them."

   Violet nodded.  Anything for her Red Witch.

   The front door opened and she followed her love inside.  Cynthia stopped
them in the middle of an archway looking into the living room...

   Her heart stopped.

   There, standing next to a man in a recliner was...  a thing.  Creature.
Daemon.  Its form was one of a female, with slight curves and breasts. 
It's skin...  was blue with a touch of grey.  It's eyes...  big, round,
black.  Inhuman.  It's hair was short, also black.  All that kept Violet
from bolting in terror was the fact this abomination, this terror...  wore
a cute yellow sundress.

   "You are a witch..."

   Cynthia, hand still holding hers, chuckled.  Her thumb gently caressed
Violet's skin, almost magically calming her.  She nodded, and the blue
thing slowly walked forward.

   "Violet, this is Ai.  She is our friend, our family, and under our
protection."

   Ai stopped before Violet, holding out one of her hands.  The Mayan just
stared at it.  Slowly, she brought her own up.

   "Her skin is cold," Cynthia warned her, and sure enough the first
contact made Violet shudder.  Ai, use to this by now, moved her hand
forward and closed it around Violet's.

   "Hello, Violet."

   Violet's eyes jerked up into her face.  That voice...  it was soft,
caring...  not QUITE human, in some way, but...

   "Um, hi..."

   A woman stepped forward, and for the first time Violet noticed the
others in the room.  Four kids, two women, and the man in the recliner who
seemed to be injured in some way.  The first woman, with brown hair,
glasses, and a demeanor that reminded her of Mommy Rachel, came up and put
a hand on Cynthia's shoulder.

   "I think, Cynthia, you two should talk more.  Alone.  The basement will
do.  Dinner will be in a half hour or so." She smiled at Violet, eyes warm
and caring, then turned to Ai and with a gentle prompt led her back to the
others.  Violet looked over at Cynthia, who with an embarrassed shrug
gently tugged her hand.

   "Come on."

   ****

   The basement was partially finished, although nowhere to the degree her
home was.  There was wood paneling and a carpet, but that was about it.  A
pool table and bean bag chairs, plus a gun cabinet and some shelves,
completed the furnishings.  A metal pole in the middle giving support to
the house above was a nice touch.  Through an open door at the foot of the
stairs, Violet could see the unfinished half, with woodworking tools and
the like.

   Leading her into the middle of the room, Cynthia ignored the bean bags
and sat on the rug, legs crossed.  Violet did the same, their knees almost
touching.  Cynthia started to speak, then stopped.  A wave of embarrassed
confusion flowed over her face.  Violet knew exactly how she felt. 
Reaching over, she touched the redhead's dress covered knee.

   "How about we ask each other questions.  Gradually work up to the hard
stuff."

   Cynthia smiled, making Violet's heart explode.

   "OK.  You first."

   "How old are you?"

   That caught the girl off guard, but at least it was easy.

   "Fourteen.  I'm in 8th grade.  You?"

   "Seventeen.  I'm a Senior." The younger girl nodded, then cocked her
head.

   "Does that count as my question?"

   "Yup.  My turn.  Who the hell is that blue girl?"

   Cynthia exploded in laughter.

   "You said easy ones to start!"

   "I didn't say how many easy ones!"

   The two grinned at each other, till finally Cynthia threw her hands up
in surrender.

   "OK, OK.  So.  Ai." She paused, thinking.  Looking into Violet's eyes,
she licked her lips.  "OK, it's like this."

   Violet leaned forward, eyes wide.

   "I...  am not a witch.  But...  I see things.  The world...  isn't what
you think.  What you see, isn't all that's there.  There are...  others. 
Things.  Creatures.  All around us.  When you touch a hot stove...  it's
actually a creature that gives you the pain.  When your friend tickles
you...  it's actually a creature creating your reaction.  They don't CAUSE
any of it, you understand, but they're like...  a spiritual representation
of things we know the physical, visual cause of.  Our world and theirs go
hand in hand."

   Seeing Violet wasn't running away or laughing, she quickly went on.

   "I can see this world.  SEE these creatures.  All the time.  It..." She
swallowed, face going pale.  "It broke me.  I was lost." Violet, eyes
watering to see her love in distress, slid herself over and put her arm
around Cynthia.  The girl shook, eyes in her lap.  "Bill saved me...  the
boy upstairs.  They all did.  Bill...  can see them too, but only one kind.
The blue girls.  Those like Ai.  He...  brought Ai into this world.  Made
her flesh, like us.  Because of her, they believe me.  Because of her,
they've taken me in.  Given me a home..."

   "Do you love him?" Her voice was quiet.  The thought had hit her that
she might be walking into another harem.  That this wonderful child could
be taken.  She had felt nothing, looking at Bill, but that didn't mean...

   "What?!  Oh!  No!  Oh, God, no!" She laughed, joined quickly by a
relieved Violet.  "No, no, no.  Besides, Bill is taken.  Twice.  He's with
Julie, the taller of the two short girls- she's actually our age, fourteen,
believe it or not.  And...  they're both having sex with Ai." Her
expression turned, not quite disapproving, but resigned.  Violet's eyes
widened.

   "No way!"

   "Way.  It was sort of forced on them, although they're not complaining.
Ai...  is a sexual creature.  Bill made her real by having sex with her,
and now she needs to have sex with them to survive.  It's like her food."

   There was a moment's silence.

   "I had a boyfriend who tried to tell me a similar story.  Punched him in
the nuts."

   Cynthia let out a bark of laughter at that.  Grinning, Violet told her
to go on.

   "There's not much more.  Well, there's a lifetimes worth, but," and she
blushed, eyes lowered, "maybe we'll have a lifetime together to deal with
it." Violet squeezed her.

   "How did you save me?"

   "We were in the hospital, because Bill's dad wrecked the car in that big
storm Tuesday.  I...  saw red.  The red skinned girl.  Death.  She...  went
into your room, and I followed.  There were two orange monsters hurting
you, and...  I drove them away.  And the death girl left."

   Violet looked at the redhead.  The eyes looking back were serious. 
Violets shoulders slumped.

   "The sad thing is, that made perfect sense."

   ****

   Dinner was a quiet affair.  Everyone had been told to let the newcomer
get used to them, which was much appreciated by Violet.  They were a nice
family, or two families to be exact, Bill's and Julie's.  They didn't pry,
and Violet kept her family status to herself beyond the basics.  Ai was not
to be talked about beyond these walls, and her four mothers were not
endangered by gossip outside the Hunt home.

   Afterwards, as night fell, Cynthia told Violet to grab her coat and led
her outside.  Moving through the back yard, she took them into the field
beyond.

   "We have to protect Ai," She told Violet, who nodded in understanding.
"The house isn't safe: she's already been seen, although they thought it
was someone in a mask.  So...  Ai, Bill, and Julie are going to move
someplace secret and secure.  Someplace nobody can get to Ai.  It's nearby,
and Bill and Julie will still be able to go to school, and be with their
parents and sisters, but...  Ai will probably never leave it again." Taking
off her glove, she reached her hand out to Violet.  Smiling and blushing,
Violet removed her own glove and took the smooth white hand in hers.

   "I," continued Cynthia, not quite as composed now that they were in
contact, "I think I'm going down there with them."

   "Why?"

   "Because...  I think I'm supposed to.  I...  have to learn about all
this.  About what I can do, can't do, and shouldn't do.  I need to learn
from Ai, and she from us.  And...  it's not right for me to live in their
house while they're exiled." They walked for a few minutes, a small patch
of woods coming up before them.  "You...  you could come with us."

   "What?"

   Violet stopped, joined hands pulling Cynthia to a standstill as well. 
She turned to look at the dark skinned woman, eyes nervous and hopeful.

   "You...  you could come live with me.  Be with me.  I...  I need you.  I
never...  I..."

   Closing the gap between them, Violet stood before the beautiful red
headed creature.  Leaning down...

   She kissed her.

   It lasted a moment, and forever.

   Raising her head, Violet saw awe in Cynthia's face.  The girl's hand
came up, touching Violet's cheek.

   "My first kiss..."

   "And," Violet said, voice a bit husky, "it may as well have been mine.
Gods, I love you!"

   "And I love you!  I don't know why, but...  live with me, please!"

   "I...  I can't.  Not now."

   "WHY?!?" Cynthia looked so heartbroken, Violet quickly took her in her
arms.  She looked down into her face, with all the love she could.

   "Because, my family needs me.  More than ever.  With Dad gone...  I
can't go now.  Hell, even if I hadn't found you and wanted to, I couldn't
go away to college.  It's definitely University of Buffalo now.  But I'll
be here for you.  With you.  As much as I can be.  Now that I've found you,
I'm never letting you go."

   Green eyes looked up at her, imploringly.

   "Promise?"

   "Promise.  Sealed with a kiss."

   And so she did.

   ****

   Late that night, Violet found her mom Taylor in the living room alone.
She was on the couch, looking through photo albums, half smiling, half
crying.  Violet hesitated in the doorway, uncertain if she should disturb
her, when Mom noticed her with that sense all parents have.

   "What is it, Violet?"

   "Can we talk, Mom?"

   Closing the album, Taylor put it on the coffee table before her and
patted the couch next to her.  Violet approached...  and noticed, perhaps
for the first time, how old her mom looked.  She was only forty, but... 
the last week had changed them all.

   "So," Taylor said, as her oldest sat, "What's up?" Violet brought her
legs up under her, as she use too when she was small.  She bit her lip.

   "Mom, I...  I talked to the Red Witch today." Taylor's eyes widened, and
she brought her own legs up and faced her.  "Her name is Cynthia, not
Cindy, although she changed it so you weren't wrong.  She's fourteen,
and... oh, god, Mom, it's love!"

   Taylor broke out into a grin, holding her hands out for Violet to take.
Violet blushed, eyes aglow.

   "Are you sure, honey?  I used to fall in love all the time, before your
Dad, so..."

   "I never have, Mom!  With all the guys I've liked, it's been...  well,
just 'like'.  This is...  and she feels it too!  That's the scary thing. 
It's like...  like fate."

   "Maybe it is." They sat there, holding hands, both considering what came
next.  "Honey, all I ask is...  go slow.  Take your time.  There's no
hurry, especially with her so young.  Just be with her, enjoy each other's
company..."

   "I wanna marry her."

   Taylor laughed, reaching out to tweak her daughter's nose.

   "Well don't propose yet!" They laughed, then...  Taylor turned silent.
Violet looked at her, worried.

   "Mom?"

   "Honey..." She straightened, looking Violet in the eyes.  "Honey, I've
made a decision.  I have a gift for you."

   "Gift?" Violet straightened as well.  Taylor nodded.

   "A gift.  Your Dad...  left me, left us, something incredible. 
Something I in no way asked for, but which both broke my heart and made me
love him all the more.  He...  said I could have one more baby."

   "WHAT?!" Violet grabbed her mom into a huge hug, laughing with joy. 
Quickly, before she crushed the small woman, she released her.  "How?! 
When?"

   "He left sperm," Taylor said, catching her breath.  "He said, so long as
I wasn't too old, I could try once.  To do more wouldn't be fair to the
others." Violet shook her head in amazement.  Dad was so great!  But what
did this have to do with her...?

   Realization finally started to seep into her mind.  Violet stared at her
Mom, mouth dropping open in amazement.

   "Are you..."

   She nodded.

   "Violet, if you are going to marry another woman, to have and to hold
forever...  I offer you a way to have a family."

   "Oh...  Mom..."

   "He wasn't your biological father, so either of you can bear his
children.  You two were so close, Violet, that if this Cynthia has Fred's
baby it'll almost be like it's yours."

   Violet burst into tears.  Tears of joy.  Taylor held her, rocking her
baby.

   "Only, please, Honey," she said, a wry grin on her face, "wait until
both of you are out of school before you knock each other up."

   ****

   A half hour later Taylor was once again alone on the couch.  Her mind
was full of what was, what could be, and what had never been.  Of love
lost, but most of all love found.  Love found where it was least expected,
treasured all the more because of that.

   "Need some company?"

   Looking up, she nodded, smiling.  Her Wives.  Lovers.  Friends.  All
that, and infinitely more.  The three sat down on the couch, Rachel pulling
Taylor into her lap so the four could cuddle together as one.  Outside,
snow once again was falling in the night, and silently they watched through
the glass doors.

   "You know what I wanna do?" Taylor asked, snuggling into Rachel.

   "What?"

   "After the baby comes, when summer hits...  I wanna go canoeing."

   "EXCUSE me?!?" Mei just looked at her.  Anita laughed.

   "Why, in God's name, would you want to go canoeing?!?"

   "Because it's fun!  We rent some canoes, go to some state park, and
paddle around.  Bring a big tent, camp out for a few days..."

   "I'm in," Rachel said, grinning.  "Sounds fun."

   "She'll probably tip us all in," grumbled Mei.  Taylor's expression
turned innocent.

   "Well, you know the old expression."

   "Which one?"

   "Tip a canoe and Taylor too!"

   ****

   Companion story to: The Mind Knows

   Previous stories:

   Tip a Canoe and Taylor Too Incidents of Taylor Taylor Con Ghosts of Fort
Niagara

   **** Edited by SciFi Nut

   Comments more then welcome.  invidfan@localnet.com
http://storiesonline.net/library/author.php?id=6389
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