Bits and Pieces

By Donna and Abs

One of the passengers that Con had picked up at the woman's boarding house had been his friend, Philadelphia. Since coming back from Camelot after her sister's wedding, he had taken her out to dinner quite a few times, and once he had even prepared a surprise picnic in the orchard when all the trees were in bloom.

She didn't know what to think about all this, other than she was "keeping company" with a handsome man.  Of course, nothing else had happened yet.

Con was above all, a gentleman! And being the patient type, he was willing to take his time when it came to courting. It was important to him that she came to think of him just as much as a friend rather than just a potential husband.

That was easier to do when they did things like hiking together!  Philly had quite a lot of the tomboy in her!

After she had greeted the hosts and some of her friends, Con stepped up to Philly and took her hand in his. "Want tah go for a walk in the gardens? They look awful fancy." He grinned at her in a disarming way.

"Sure," she said.  "I want to see all of this place!  It's fabulous!"

They walked around the house, enjoying all the beautiful flowers that were blooming. As they rounded the back of the house, Con stopped and grinned down at the girl at his side. "Is that one of them maze things? The ones they have next to some of them British castles?"

"I've always wanted to go into one of those!" Philly said.  "Come on!"  And she led the way in!

Laughing, the two of them raced through the entrance of the maze. They spent the next half hour chasing each other through it, until Con finally managed to catch her as she came dashing around a corner. 

To his surprise, she did not push him away, but allowed him to hold her tightly around the waist.

Reaching out, he tipped her chin up. "May I kiss you?" he asked, hoping she would say yes.

"I think that can be permitted," she said daintily, but with just barely contained amusement.

Leaning in slowly, Con kissed Philadelphia. "Very nice," he whispered as their lips parted. "Very, very nice, don't you think?"

"It'll do," she teased.  But she sighed, resting for a moment in his arms.  "With the fae children reaching maturity this month, I should have some extra time on my hands."

"Enough for a holiday, or say, even a honeymoon?" he teased, his eyes sparkling.

"Honeymoon!  You are pushing the cart a bit fast, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Just seeing what you thought of the wind blowin' that way," he chuckled.

"Maybe some day. Maybe!"  She laughed as she said it, though she was pretending to be offended.  "I was thinking of more picnics!"

He shrugged again. "Fine with me. Next time, you get to cook the fixings!"

"Well I might," she said, in a huff.  But she was grinning.  They liked to tease each other this way.  "Better than beans!"

He stole another kiss, and then took her by the hand again. "Speaking of food, let's go get some before the express boys eat it all!"

"We'll never get anything that way!" she agreed, laughing.

****

As Con and Philly sat down, each with heaping plates of food, another cart pulled up. Three men, all wearing black coats, jumped down out of it. The two older men unloaded several baskets of food, while the youngest helped a beautiful blonde down.

He was clearly besotted by her.  She just smiled shyly as he held her hand, careful not to touch any other part of her body, which might be considered too forward.

The woman was dressed in a simple, solid colored dress that was modest enough to bring a grudging compliment from Daniel, the oldest of the two Amish brothers. As he and John Book took the baskets to the food tables, the former detective nudged the other in the ribs. "The Andersons are here," he whispered. "I bet I can talk one of them into dancing with you, if you like!"

"No, you go ahead," said Daniel sullenly.  "I will just watch the goings on."  He did not seem willing to relax, even for a moment, with all these strangers about.

"Your loss," John said with a shake of his head. "They are both good girls. Farmer's daughters too. Church going women too. Just your type!" One of them looked up, and seeing him and Daniel, giggled behind her hand at Book's boyish smile.

Daniel had to agree with that. And it was not the sisters to whom he objected.  He was just not comfortable with all these "English".  If he were meeting the girls somewhere else . . . or if he'd had some time to get used to it . . . maybe.  Even Moses was out of sorts, and he was with Arista!

Uncomfortable as he was, it still would have been rude not to come to celebrate the birth of one of his neighbor's children. They no longer had an Amish community to live in. Edan was all they had, like it or not. Arista had wandered off to talk to one of her many sisters, and Moses joined Daniel, who was standing off to the side of the crowd. As they watched, John Book went over to talk to the Norwegian twins. A few minutes later, he escorted them both to come meet the two brothers. "Emma, Anna, you remember Daniel and Moses, the two guys I live with, don’t you? Moses drove you here on the trip from the monastery to here."

Moses nodded and smiled, a little more comfortable with the girls than Daniel, because he had nothing to lose!  "Ja, I did.  This is my brother, Daniel," he said, making his brother blush because he was not saying anything.

"God dag," the two girls said in unison in Norwegian. They both had beautiful smiles. Their words, so similar to the German that was spoken back in his Amish community, made him smile just a little bit back.

Hearing this, Moses smiled and responded in German.  He also urged Daniel to do the same, which he did.  Just then Arista came over, looking a little worried.  But Moses immediately introduced her to the new girls as his "intended," and the pretty blonde looked less frightened of losing him.

They greeted her warmly, asking questions about their farm. "You like living on farm, ja? We live on Papa’s farm in old country," Emma said. "I milk cow, Anna herd goats. It was good life. We miss it much."

"Don't you live on a farm here?" asked Arista.

"No," Emma said. She was obviously the spokesman of the twins. "We live in boarding house. Help out there, other places when needed. Perhaps we live again on farm. Maybe yes. Maybe no. Gud in Himmel knows. We do not."

"There are farms available," said Arista helpfully.

"Hell," said Book with a laugh, "we could use help on *our* farm!"

"Such language, English!" Daniel chided, making the twins giggle.

"We like to help," Anna said softly, speaking up for the first time.

Both of the Amish men looked slightly embarrassed at this.  They wanted the help, but the suggestion was improper.  Just like the English to make such a suggestion!

"Maybe one day, you two can come out for lunch at our place," Book suggested. "I'm sure Arista would enjoy your company."

"Oh yes," said the fae gratefully.  She liked the conversation much better when she did not feel like they were going to move in on her!

"Lunch is good. Someday soon maybe. We bring food to share, yes?" asked Emma. “Good food, like in old country make.”

"Ja," agreed Moses, his arm sneaking across the blonde's shoulders carefully, protectively.  "It is a shame we already have a barn, and cannot have a raising.  Are you sure you are not interested in your own farm?"

"Live on farm again good, ja," said Anna wistfully. "A cow…, goats maybe. Chickens for the eggs. A garden to grow food." Emma nodded, agreeing with her sister.

But Book was not so sure. If they got their own farm, how would that help them on *theirs*?

***

Doc Adams had been held up at the clinic, and had not been able to escort Prudence to the party at Methos'.  She had to get there early to help set up; even though she was not much of a housewife she still wanted to appear as domestic as her sister Patience!  So, Doc actually ended up coming "stag", though that situation might not last.  He had not been there five minutes when Prudence, seeing Mosby dancing with Hannah Peale, marched off in a huff.  Sighing, he decided to find Sarah Jo and Duncan before attempting to calm the volatile redhead.

He found Duncan sharing a brew with his elder cousin, Connor. "She's over there," Duncan said, motioning with his mug to the nursing tent nearby. "Joshua decided he was starving to death."

"Aren't they always?" said Doc with a sigh.  "So, how has married life treated you, MacLeod?  First time, isn't it?"

"Yes. And life is good. I'm happier than I have ever been. The kid is something else! I keep looking at him, and at Doireann, hoping to see a resemblance, but all I see is a dark haired version of Kat. Guess Josh will have to wait till his mom and you get together to have a brother or sister."

The ancient doctor looked surprised.  "I know she said something but really, Duncan. . .  haven't things changed?"

Duncan shrugged. "Not according to Sarah Jo. She made it clear to me at the start that she intended to keep her promise to you."

"That is interesting," said Doc, and he excused himself to go over to the nursing tent.

He found Sarah Jo sitting in a rocking chair, her shirtwaist open as her chubby baby boy nursed noisily away at her freckled breast. "Ben!" she said with a bright smile. "We were wondering if you were going to make it!"

"Oh I always make it," he joked.  "Any time I can!"

"Pull up a chair and sit a spell," she chuckled, kissing Joshua's fingers as they reached up for her chin.

 He did so, saying, "I was just speaking to your husband.  Apparently he thinks we'll be making this one a baby brother or sister soon."

"Did he now?" she laughed. "Josh isn't even a month old! And you two are already trying to get me back into my fat clothes!"

Doc looked innocent.  Of course she was not buying it.  "I honestly thought all bets were off, now that you are a married lady," he said.

"A promise is a promise," Sarah Jo said firmly. "We never meant to keep you out when we got married, just that Cain fellow that kept taking you over. I don't know how things stand with you and Pru, but *you* are always welcome in my house. And Duncan doesn't have any problem with that. Then or now."

"It is complicated with Pru," he said honestly.  "I think she would like something more. . . permanent . . .  if I asked her, she would.  But she is still tied to Mosby, and he to her.  I seriously doubt he will make any headway with Miss Peale."

"Are you going to ask her, Ben?" Sarah Jo said in a soft voice. "Are you holding back because of me? Or is it something else?"

He shrugged.  "I am tied to you and she, as you are tied to Duncan and I, and she is tied to Clay and I.  So far, only you and Duncan have made a lasting bond."

She kissed Josh's head. "Yes. There have been times when I see the pain in your eyes that I wonder if we made a mistake. But I love Duncan. He is the father of my son. But I love you too!"

"It just doesn't seem right to me to commit to Prudence and still be committed to you.  Plus, the situation with her and Clay . . . If I married her, that would be all the excuse they'd need."

Sarah Jo nodded. "I understand," she whispered. "But if you still want to have a child with me, I'm more than willing. Shepherd is going to start up with those ovulation determination experiments he is making next month. He wants to see how me nursing affects the numbers."

"When you are ready, then," he said.  "Because if we were to  have a child together, that might also factor in to whether I decide to ask Prudence anything more permanent, if  you understand my meaning?"

"I know," she said with a nod. "You are caught between the two of us, aren't you dear heart?" She reached out with her free hand and squeezed his. "You must do what your heart tells you to do."

"Ah well, that's where I stay free and kiss every girl I see."  He smiled winningly.

Sarah Jo raised an eyebrow and then laughed. "Oh you! Ben, what are we to do with you! You’re incorrigible!"