Matchmaker, Matchmaker
by Donna and Toni

It was a lot of work for the women of Edan to get everything prepared for the big Thanksgiving feast, but it was well worth it! Ceara had been busy helping Charity prepare their share, and as they brought it into town and spread their contributions out on the tables, the lovely dark haired Irishwoman that had married Father Philip
showed up with hers.

Of course the small redhead went right over to her, scolding gently, "Fiona, you shouldn't be carrying things this heavy in your condition!" In her desire to help the mother to be, Ceara had taken a container that was a little bit awkward for her to handle; but before she could drop it, a pair of larger hands quickly came from behind her to take it, telling her softly, "There now, Mrs. Harper; I'll take this and you take a couple of those smaller bowls from Fiona. And she's right, Mrs. Callahan, so she is; you shouldn't be carryin' all these things. Where is your other half?" He looked around but didn't see Philip.

"I sent him back tah the house to get the rest!" she chuckled. "'Tis a huge pot of Bubble and Squeak, it is!"

Harper grinned, of course knowing what that was, but Ceara frowned as she tried to remember. She'd heard it before...she remembered what Bangers and Mash were, but this one escaped her. Seeing the puzzled look on Ceara's face, Fiona told her it was a
cabbage dish. "The pot yer man took has Irish Stew in it. 'Tis normally made with Guinness, but didn't I ha' tah use the local brew instead in the makin' of it?"

"As long as there's still some kind of spirits in it, it's made right as far as I'm concerned!" the big soldier said, and, whistling a happy tune, took it off to a good spot on one of the tables.

Ceara giggled, then told her friend, "I don't think there are going to be any leftovers from that pot once he starts telling people what's in it!" Then she lowered her voice, continuing, "Which reminds me....have you noticed there are still some single priests in this town, Fiona?" Her eyes had a mischievous sparkle in them as she looked at the other woman.

"Aye," Fiona laughed. "But it's havin' the eye for Miss Hope, it is fer one of them. 'Tis a wonder seein' the two of them together, both of their hands behind their backs and acting all proper like, as if tryin' ta foolin' the rest of the world they are!"

"Hm. I wonder if there isn't some way we can help things along...both for him and others we might notice that need it." Next to her husband and horses, Ceara loved matchmaking the most.

"Perhaps," Fiona said, her own eyes sparkling with mischief. "Though it is thinkin' I am that they will be gettin' there sooner or later on their own. 'Tis Himself and the shy one that I'm thinkin'might need a wee push."

"And I know just the two to deliver that wee push, don't you, Fiona? They deserve to have something to be *truly* thankful for on this most appropriate of days!"

"Aye, they do," Fiona said, smiling as she saw Faith and Father Alec both walking up to a table carrying several baskets laden with freshly baked pies. "Me man Philip says that there is truly something special about Himself, but he won't tell me what it is."
Fiona cocked her head and studied Ceara. "Yer from the later times such as Philip and some of the others be. Would ya be knowin' what the big secret is?"

Being Catholic, she had indeed read about the horror story involving the young priest, and had lit a candle for his soul. She was glad he'd gotten the beatification he deserved years later, on his way to being declared a saint, but she figured she should respect Philip's wishes. So instead, she told her friend, "I remember reading that he'd
been given special recognition by the church, in honor of the work he'd done helping the people of his country during hard times there. That must be what Philip meant, I'm sure." As she watched the priest laughing at something Faith had told him, she said a special silent prayer of thanks to God that he'd let the young man live again here.

"Aye, it must be," Fiona said, a slight frown on her face as she thought about it. "So, what about the new Father? Another good Irishman he is too!"

"Well, from what I know, he's Immortal, like a lot of people are here, and I think he worked with poor kids in his parish on Earth. Kind of like Philip! He's a good man, and very nice; not stuffy at all." This was proven by the easy way he laughed at a joke Harper had told him, no doubt off color; they were the ones her husband loved
most. She smiled automatically at the sight of the two men having a good time together; if there was a welcome wagon in that fort, Patrick was certainly it!

Fiona nodded, and the two women continued to chat happily as they helped set the tables. Philip showed up, carrying a basket full of Bubble and Squeak in one arm, and another filled with wonderful smelling Irish Soda bread. Putting his burdens down, he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "And just why is it I get the feelin' you two are up ta some type of mischief?" he asked, but the only answer he got from either one of them were giggles and little secret smiles.