There is a flash of brilliant light and a whooshing sound, a hollow wind that blows between the umbra and the real world. Vibrant greens and pulsing yellows pass by and...

They find themselves in a small convenience store backroom. Milk crates all around them, Alec and Nettle laugh to each other.
"I know where we are!" Alec says. "We're right across the road!"

Nettle nods in relief. "Just like Balador said!"

"Oh goddess...we ARE back in Salt Lake City, aren't we...?" Corrander gasps, feeling the pressure of Banality threatening to crush and tear at him-- the result of the dominant religious faction of the area and their strict proclamation that any spirit not of their god is of the devil. The location of the chantry-- almost right beside a huge Catholic cathedral-- doesn't help matters, either.

"All right, no more standing around talking. Let's get in there. Alec-- try to contact Tania so she'll know we're coming. I'll check for watchers." Nettle-- seeing her great-uncle in distress-- immediately snaps into command-mode. She closes her eyes, puts down her suitcase, and takes a deep breath while slipping her hand into her foci-bag to close it around the blue glass globe at the bottom. Then she exhales-- sending her senses throughout the immediate area to search for any human-sized life-forms within a 15-yard radius.

Alec nods and reaches out with his mind, 'Tania!'

'What? Alec?' Tania sits up in bed. 'Alec what's the matter?' she says grabbing some pants and a shirt and putting them on in a hurry.
Sarah sits up and rubs her eyes, "What's the matter mommy?"
'Tania we're coming through we've got a guest who needs to get in quick. He's a fae and he's being hurt by reality.'
"Stay here, Sarah I'll be right back," she says runing through the door.

'Coming!' she says running through the horizon realm towards the door.

Alec looks to Nettle. "All set let's go!"

Nettle searches...and finds a couple walking up the street towards the intersection about a half-block down...a man just passing the chantry on his way to somewhere...and a car with one occupant going through the intersection.
Nettle opens her eyes. "OK, we have like 15 seconds to get out onto the sidewalk before a couple comes up the street!" she whispers, withdrawing her hand from the bag and picking up the suitcase again. She makes her way carefully but quickly to the door that leads out of the back of the store, sets her suitcase down to turn the knob, and then grabs the suitcase and pushes the door open with her elbow. A hot breeze blows past her as she emerges into the July night air, and she watches behind her with concern until Alec and Corrander are both out, and then lifts her foot and closes the door as softly as she can.
"OK, let's go!" she whispers, and the group hurries around the side of the store and up to the sidewalk. Nettle looks both ways, but the 10PM streets are pretty deserted. "OK guys, let's cross! Come on, Corrander! It's that big, reddish building right across the street."

Corrander grits his teeth-- perspiration beading on his forehead-- and nods stiffly.

Alec runs across the street holding the luggage and making sure Corrander is just ahead of him.
"C'mon me old china hurry it up!" he whispers between gritted teeth.

Back in the Horizon Realm...

Jacob hears the sound of running feet in the hallway, and he looks over his shoulder with concern on his face. In a split-second he's up from his computer and hurrying out of the study. His quick walk turns into a run as he makes for the family-bedroom.

"Hey Sarah-- where's mommy?" he asks quickly.

Sarah looks up at Jacob and furrows her brow, "Mommy said she had to go to the doorway," she says.
"She told me to stay here but I want to go too!"

Jacob looks back down the hallway, and then back at Sarah. "You better stay here, honey...I don't know if there's something dangerous out there...OK? I'll be right back, OK?" Jacob asks worriedly.

Sarah sit down and gives her father the eye, "I guess..." and suddenly she smiles at him. "Sure daddy! I'll stay right here..."

Jacob folds his arms and leans against the door-frame, giving her a knowing-look. "I have a better idea! Why don't I just stay right here and protect you!" He gives Sarah a lop-sided grin. "Did mommy say why she had to go to the doorway?"

"Nope," she says shaking her head making her curly locks bounce. "She might want you there too daddy."

Jacob pauses in thought for a moment, peering up at the ceiling and playing with the goatee-strip he's been growing. Finally he looks down at Sarah. "OK, let's come to an agreement. I'll take you with me, but only if you promise to let me hold you, and you don't try to get out of my arms, OK baby?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

Sarah smiles and nods sweetly, "Ok daddy. I promise." she says with a toothy smile.

Jacob cocks an eyebrow at her, shakes his head, and then walks over to her. "All right...just remember what you promised!" Jacob scoops her up into the crook of his arm, and then walks out of the bedroom and down the hallway.

Back outside...

Nettle makes it to the front doors first. She holds out her hand and concentrates for a second before laying her hand on the door-handle and pushing it open. The wards-- recognizing Nettle's life-signature the way she designed it to-- drop to let her and those with her inside. Nettle hurries inside, keeping the door open for Corrander and Alec with her foot, and then shuts it quickly once everyone's in. She closes her eyes and leans back against the door and exhales in relief. "We're home!"

Corrander slumps against the wall once he's made it inside, nearly dropping his suitcase and painting-case in exhaustion. "This is much better...much better...so...this is home, then?" he asks a little breathlessly, strength flowing back into him. He opens his eyes and peers around while trying to catch his breath.

Alec nods and smiles, "You bet! Ahh home sweet home!" he says as Tania runs into the chapel from the opposite end.
"Alec!" she turns to see Nettle and Corrancer. "Nettle!" she says looking at them both and then smiling. Suddenly the smile is gone replaced by a scowl.
"Where the hell have you been? We went looking for you and figured you were dead!" she says hands on her hips.

Nettle gets a big smile on her face, and leans into Corrander. "That's Tania-- Sarah's mom!" she says in a low voice, and then is hurrying down the aisle towards Tania. She quickly sets down the baby-carriers and suitcase and holds her arms out. "Tania!! You don't know how good it is to see you again!!" she cries, getting a little misty-eyed.
Ian is trying to look all around to see what's going on, but he's strapped pretty snuggly facing towards his mother's chest.

Tania walks forward and shakes her head and hugs Nettle when she reaches her. "Hey," she says looking down. "Nettle...is that? Oh my god Nettle you're a mother now!" she says excitedly.

Corrander winces. 'This is Tania? So this is the woman I am going to have to convince to let us take her daughter to meet Balador...' Corrander stands up straight and follows at a distance behind Nettle.

Alec smiles and pats Simone's head, "Twins, Tania, remember?" he says.
Tania turns and hugs Alec as well. "Let's get you into the realm so we canm get a better looks at those babies," she says.
She looks Corrander up and down. "Who's this?"

Nettle smiles, tickling her fingers over the peach-fuzz on Ian's head. "Tania...I would like you to meet-- oh jesus, just promise me you won't give me that look, because what I'm about to tell you is true, OK? This is Corrander, and he's a pure Fae...and he's my great-uncle many generations back. His full title-- " Nettle shifts her eyes over to Corrander to give him a look that says, 'I was just about to introduce you properly, now calm down!' "-- is Count Corrander Moonglow ap Dougal of the Cantrev Snowdonia, and boy do we have a long story to tell YOU!" Nettle finishes, a little breathlessly.

Corrander rolls his eyes at Nettle good-naturedly, and then sets down his luggage so he can do a proper low, sweeping bow to Tania. "Greetings, Tania-- mother of the child Sarah! It is an honor to finally meet you."
Corrander is very tall-- about 6'5"-- etherially handsome, and leanly muscled. His skin is very pale, and his hair is so blonde that it's nearly white and hangs down his back. He has piercing cold-blue eyes, and wears all black. Nettle very much resembles him in many ways.

Tania looks him over and then looks to Nettle and Alec and then back to Corrander.
"Come on then, let's go..." she leads them out of the chapel and towards the door to the horizon realm.
"Once we get in there you can tell me that long story, and then tell me how he knows about Sarah," she says over her shoulder.

Nettle shoots an apologetic look over her shoulder at Corrander, and then grins and follows after Tania.

Corrander leans in to Alec. "Look, dear lad, you know the lady-- why don't I let you be the one to convince her of Balador's request?" he whispers with a cynical smile on his face.

"Oh no, good friend. I think it need to be you," he says nudging him in the ribs.

Jacob emerges from the palace, holding Sarah, and starts down the path that leads to the gateway between the horizon realm and the chantry.

Tania reaches the doorway to the horizon realm and holds out the cross.
A tall glowing figure begins to appear before them. "Greetings, bearer of the cross. Who do you bring here before me today...I feel two people I haven't felt in a long time."

"Alec and Nettle are with me," Tania says. "And behind them is Corrander." Dalthania looks at Corrander and then Alec and Nettle.
"It has been a long time...." Dalthania looks down at Ian and then Simone. "And who are these?"
"Ian and Simone, Dalthania," Tania says. Dalthania nods and the doorway opens.
"Enter and be at ease, safety lies beyond," Dalthania says motioning for them to pass through.
Tania walks through followed by Alec and Nettle.

Corrander follows behind, trying not to stare openly at the glowing figure. As he passes her, he does the best bow that he can manage-- being loaded down by luggage. 'And I thought Arcadia was the place for unexpected happenings!' he thinks to himself.
"Greetings, fair one." he addresses Dalthania, and then continues on through the doorway.

Jacob sees Tania step out into the grassy meadow from the shimmering doorway, followed by Nettle and Alec...and an unfamiliar being. But he's so astonished by seeing Nettle and Alec back that he doesn't give anything else a second thought.
"Holy sh--" then he glances down at Sarah, "--ssshwow!" he quickly corrects. "Nettle and Alec?? Where the hell have you two been?? We thought you were dead!" he exclaims, hurrying up to them, and letting Sarah down just before he reaches the Gideons.

Sarah shakes her head, "I told you they weren't!" she says running after her father.

Jacob hugs Nettle first, and then Alec. "Wow! This is insane! Let's go back to the palace and get something to drink so you can explain what's going on!" Then he notices that Nettle and Alec have something a little more than luggage hanging in front of them. His mouth opens in surprise, and he looks down. "Your twins?" He peers down at Ian and grins. "Looks just like his mother, doesn't he! Hey little guy!" Then he peeks over at Simone and laughs. "I see a second set of Nettles and Alecs-- she looks just like you, Alec!" he elbows Alec with a grin. "Congratulations!"

Alec smiles, "Cheers me old china," he says with a beaming smile. "I see you two haven't changed a bit."

Nettle grins. "Thanks, Jake! I like that little goatee-thing you have going! It's great to see you again!"

"Auntie Nettle and Uncie Alec!!" Sarah says as she runs towards them with her arms open.

Alec smiles and hugs Sarah, being careful not to hurt Simone. "Hey Sarah! How's my favorite 4-year old girl?"

Nettle beams and squats down carefully, opening her arms and hugging Sarah tightly. "Hey Sarah-toes! We've been so excited to see you again! You've gotten so big!" Nettle laughs.

Corrander's mouth opens slightly and his eyes widen. 'This is Sarah..." he thinks to himself, and watches her every move with fascination.

"I told them but they wouldn't listen to me." she says shaking her head at Tania and Jake.

Nettle cocks her head to the side and looks confused. "Told them what, honey?"

"I told them that you were safe that the goddess was watching you."

Nettle smiles. "Thanks, sweetie! You were right! And look! This is Ian!" Nettle gets down on one knee and carefully lifts Ian out of his baby-sling and turns him around so he can see Sarah.

Sarah's strange eyes blink and she cocks her head. "He's ok!" she says. She looks at him again with a look of concentration on her face. "Hey...there's someone in there....hey there...hey--"

Alec bends down, "Hey Sarah this is Simone!" he says showing Simone to Sarah.
Sarah turns to Simone and walks over to her. Alec looks over at Corrander and nods.
"She's ok too! Hi Simone!"

Nettle's eyes widen and she looks at Sarah with trepidation. 'She can see his Fae-spirit...' Nettle thinks faintly as she watches Sarah greet Simone. She glances down at Ian-- who's trying to clap his hands together-- and then looks back up at Sarah. "Hey Sarah...come here a sec, OK sweetheart?" she calls, trying to keep her voice sounding light.

Corrander watches this with tight lips, clasping his hands tightly behind his back.

Tania shakes her head and sighs, "She gets more amazing everyday. You should see what she did with the garden, Nettle." she says.

Sarah walks over to Nettle with her hands clasped behind her back. She twists from side to side and looks up at Nettle.
"Yes, Auntie Nettle?"

Nettle puts her arm around Sarah. "Do you know who Ian and Simone are? Remember when I told you that Alec finally planted, and you could tell there were little...seeds growing in me? Well these are those life-forces! They're our children-- just like you are your mommy and daddy's child! And you're right-- there's someone special inside of Ian, but we have to let him sleep, OK? He needs to sleep for a long time, and we have to let him wake up on his own, OK honey?" Nettle asks softly, trying to stay calm.

Sarah nods, "Ok!" she says making the ok sign. "I'll let him sleep..." She looks at Nettle's midsection and nods.

Nettle raises her eyebrows and glances down at her midsection, and then back up at Sarah.
"Nothing growing there anymore, right Sarah??" she asks with a touch of worry.

Sarah shakes her head in disappointment. "No..."

Nettle almost slumps in relief-- knowing she wasn't pregnant, but worried about why Sarah was scanning her womb, nonetheless.

Alec stands up and leans over to Corrander. "See what I mean...fascinating is in't." He looks at Corrander. "We mages awaken around our teen-years...some even later...Corrander...she's four."

Corrander nods very slowly-- eyes wide-- and watches Sarah wordlessly. "Why, Alec? What makes her so special? Her eyes are most fascinating..." he murmurs back to Alec distractedly.

Alec shrugs, "If you find out let me know, and then tell Tania and Jake."

Sarah skips over to Corrander and looks at him with those strange eyes. She blinks and looks at his face intently. "You're ok!" she says. "Who are you?"

Corrander feels his breath catch-- wondering what odd insight she might give about him-- but smiles charmingly and gets down on one knee before Sarah. "Greetings, Sarah! I have heard much about you! I am Nettle's great-uncle Corrander! I am here to be Ian's teacher and protector!"

"What are you?" she says. "You look like the man inside Ian." she says.

Tania looks at Jake. "We have to have a talk with her about spouting things out."

Jacob winces. "Well...a least everyone's being really patient with her!" He wraps his arm around Tania's waist. "What have Nettle and Alec been doing? I can't wait to hear THIS story! NO one could locate them!" he whispers.

Corrander swallows and blinks. "Does he? Well...I suppose you would think so, my dear. He and I are Fae. There are a number of different kinds of Fae, but Ian and I are of the same kind. Ian's Fae-spirit is sleeping right now, as Nettle said, resting within Ian like a butterfly in a cocoon."

Sarah thinks about this and nods. "Ok I'll let him sleep....when he wakes up I'll have a bunch of questions! I'll even write them down!" she says.
She suddenly smiles slyly and hold up her hands and clenches and unclenches her hands. "Up!"

"She wants you to pick her up," Alec says with a smile.

Corrander raises his eyebrow, and then gingerly picks Sarah up. "I will have many questions for him, too, Sarah-- perhaps I shall write them down, as well. A good idea!" he smiles. "Sarah..." he glances over at Nettle and lowers his voice almost to a whisper so only Sarah can hear. "...can you can tell anything about Ian's future by looking at him? So many people have spoken about a prophesy that he-- and others-- will be a part of. Have you been told of this prophesy?"

Nettle glances at Alec with a smirk. "Oh boy...looks like he's starting in with the questions already!"

Tania just smiles and motions for them. "Alright let's go," she says as she and Jake begin to walk down the road to the palace. Alec walks next to Corrander and Sarah, keeping himself near Nettle. "C'mon love."

Nettle quickly slides Ian back into his sling, and grabs the suitcase and baby-carrier-conglomeration. "Coming, baby!"

Jacob looks back and smacks his forehead. "Hey Nettle-- let me help you!" He quickly takes the suitcase and baby-carrier-pile from her, almost losing his balance when he overcompensates for a suitcase he's expecting to be super-heavy!
"I take it you twinkled the luggage, Nettle?" he grins.

Nettle whistles and looks around innocently. "Don't know what you mean, Jake..."

Alec snickers, "Or it could be all that late night practice you get strengthening those arms of yours Jake," he says quietly.

Jacob gives Alec a hurt-look. "What are you trying to say, Alec? That it's tough on the old private-life having a crowded bedroom? Well don't worry-- you'll find out!" He nods towards the twins.

Nettle grins. "Hasn't slowed us down yet, Jake!" she winks.

Jacob sighs and shakes his head.

"Tell you what, Jake. Tonight Sarah can sleep in our room," he says with a wink.

Jacob looks at Alec with an almost desperate gratitude. "Really?? You'd do that for me, Alec??"

"Sure anytime, Jake. Because I'm going to feel bad later on when I beat you at those video games," he says with a smile.

Jacob laughs. "Dream on, Alec! I don't know what YOU'VE been doing for the past year, but I bet it wasn't practicing on a Playstation!"

Sarah looks at Corrander, "I'm not supposed to talk about that...it's a super secret," she says. She leans into his ear, "He's not really asleep...when I said hello he looked at me and smiled and then closed his eyes again. He's nice."

Corrander almost stumbles. "Wh-what?? Did he?" He blinks and ponders this as they continue to walk. After a moment he speaks up again. "Do...do you believe that...this spirit within him...can control him at times...when it is necessary?" Corrander remembers back to the episode with the Llandona when he announced he was leaving to kill himself, and Ian began to scream and cry unconsolably.

Sarah shrugs, "I don't know. But he did look at me," she says proudly. "Kinda like the way you're looking at me," she says blinking.

Corrander-- now close-up with Sarah-- notices that when she blinks, her eyelids come in sideways. He blinks and looks carefully at her eyes. "You know, Sarah...you remind me a bit of a Pooka I met once. A Pooka is a Fae who is...close to a specific animal, and resembles them in some way. Some Pookas like cats, and so they have cat-ears or cat-tails, and others like rabbits and have rabbit-teeth...you get my meaning. Do you have a special affinity with serpents in that way?"

"Pooka!" she says clapping her hands. She smiles and laughs at the word and then kisses Corrander's cheek and hugs him. "Pooka!!!"

Corrander blinks and smiles in confusion. "Shall I call you 'Pooka' then? You seem to like that word!" Corrander is having trouble reconciling that this talented being is only a 4-year old-- much in the same way he had trouble remembering that Balador was not a "regular" woman. He smiles at Sarah again. "Are you excited to have play-mates living here now? It may be a few years before the twins are fun to play with, but someday they will be, I am sure!"

"Yeah! I don't have any playmates out here but Veil's cats and mommy and daddy. Gardner is nice but he's always busy." she says. "Alec was fun to play with too and Auntie Nettle. And now I have three new playmates!" she says looking at Corrander. "We're home," she says pointing at the palace doors.
"What kind of fay are you?"

Corrander looks up at the palace, and then nods in satisfaction. 'At least they have them living in a place befitting their station!' he thinks. He looks back at Sarah. "The kind of Fae I am is called 'Sidhe.' I know it's pronounced 'shee,' but I assure you it is not spelled the same!" he smiles.

Tania and Jake reach the doors first. "I'll go put some coffee on and Jake, why don't you go get something to eat," she says smiling at him.

Alec laughs, "We'll go put the bags away, Tania. and then we'll head down."

Jacob nods and sets the suitcase and baby-carriers down. "All right, but I'm much better at making coffee, and you're much better at making food, baby!" he grins at Tania. "No offense intended, of course. I'm just that good."

Nettle nods emphatically. "Yes-- please make the food, Tania! I never did like Twinkie-hot dog sandwiches!"

Jacob gives Nettle the hurt-look this time. "Fine. No coffee for you."

"I like the twinkie hot dog idea...I think I even helped when he came up with the idea." Alec says. "Well we'll just have some when I get down."

"I want to stay with Corrander, mommy. We're talking," she says with a firm nod.
Tania smiles, "Ok little girl, but don't talk his ear off," she says as she opens the door and heads to the kitchen.

Corrander looks around. "Aah...I seem to have left my luggage out on the lawn. One moment--" he calls to the others. He carries Sarah back out to the entrance of the palace, spots the two cases sitting side by side, and raises his hand. Making a V-shape with his first two fingers, he points them at the cases, and then lightly flicks his fingers up in the air three times. The two cases rise in the air. Then Corrander curls the two fingers towards himself, and the cases float towards him. He gives a satisfied nod. "There we are! Now let us back inside, shall we?" He carries Sarah back into the palace, and the suitcase and paintings-case follow them inside.

"OOOh neat!" she says. "Can you do that all the time? Or just to your luggage?" she says.

Corrander laughs. "I can do that to just about anything, although I have not tried it with anything heavier than a Troll-- that I can remember, anyway! I have lived so long..." Corrander checks to make sure the luggage has made it in past the front door, and then makes a shutting-motion with his hand, and the door shuts. "Alec tells me that you have special abilities, as well. What can YOU do, Sarah?" he asks curiously.

"I can't do anything special, Uncie Corr. I just play alot with daddy and mommy and sometimes Unca Ozzie comes over to have me talk to his plants. That's fun cause he brings the little Nettles along!"

Corrander stops walking, and the luggage bumps into the back of his legs before crashing to the floor. "Little Nettles?" he asks, trying to keep his voice even.

-----------------------

Nettle opens the door to she and Alec's room, and turns on the light. "Aaw Alec! Our old room!!" She wipes her finger on the dresser. "And not a speck of dust! You'd think Mrs. Spiffle had been here..." She feels a pang of sadness as she misses the kind spirit. She walks into the room with the luggage and sets it on the bed. "Phew! We're finally here! You know, Alec...if our family and Tania's family are the only ones here now, that bedroom next to my worship-room is empty...what more perfect place for the nursery!"

"When do you think the kids can sleep by themselves?" he asks. "Ahh look love, my vac guns!" he says bringing out a small box. "Aww I missed these things.

Nettle laughs, and then opens the top drawer on her dresser and pulls out a pair of panties.
"Remember these, Alec? You cast that rote on them that makes them..." Nettle wiggles her eyebrows and grins, and then puts them back.
"Well, I think we should keep the babies in our room for a couple months more, at least. I don't think I could sleep unless they were in the same room as me right now, don't you think? Ooh-- we don't have any cribs for them! Or strollers! Those are back in Balador!"

"Crikeys! We'll have to go shopping then. Maybe leave the kids here with Jake and Tania and go. That might be a spot of fun eh?" Alec says.

Nettle looks at Alec worriedly. "Leave them...here? Leave them?" She bites her bottom lip. "I don't know, Alec...you have impeccable taste...you could go shopping with Jake, or something, maybe?" she asks with big eyes.

Alec smiles, "Alright love. That's a plan. I could do that. It would give me and Jake a chance to catchup."

----------------------------

"Yeah, Nettle's little sisters." she says. "They're nice but they don't come around much." she looks at him and touches his face.
"You're mad," she says "I can tell."

"Nettle's...little sisters?? She said she was an only child! I don't understand!" Corrander exclaims, trying to keep himself calm. "The prophesy...there is only one child born to each descendant of my sister..." he stammers.

"Ozzie will tell you, and Nettle calls them little sisters...you'll see." she says confidently.
"I made you mad...I didn't mean too," she says looking sad.

Corrander shakes his head. "Do not be upset, Sarah. I am sure Nettle will explain it to me and it will all make sense." He takes a deep breath and then smiles. "I do not believe I know where I am to sleep as of yet-- let us ask Nettle and Alec, shall we?"
Corrander starts walking again, and the luggage rises up and resumes following after. He stops and peeks into Alec and Nettle's room.
"Hello there! Would someone be so kind as to direct me to my chambers?" he asks politely.

Nettle turns. "Hey there, you two! Hmmm...let me see...we'll need to convert one of the studies into a proper room for you, but until then you could sleep in the future nursery! Come with me, Corrander!"
Nettle-- carrying Ian-- walks down the hall in the direction of the kitchen to the second bedroom on the left, and then opens the door. It looks like a comfortable bedroom with a nice queen-sized bed and well-made dressers and night-tables. There's a walk-in closet in one of the walls.
"Other mages used to stay in this room, but it appears that they're gone now, so we'll claim it!" she smiles. "My worship-room is next door, and the bathroom is right across the hallway from you. Alec and I had a door made between our room and the bathroom, so just make sure you lock it, too, when you're using the bathroom." She looks around. "Will this be OK?"

Corrander nods, directing his luggage to float over and rest on the bed. "It is perfect. Thank you, Nettle."

"Auntie Nettle you got some splainin. Corrander doesn't know about your sisters!" she says. "You should tell him so he's not mad at me!"

Nettle's face goes chalk-white and her eyes look like saucers.
Corrander gives her a look that says, "better excuse the little ones."
Nettle's mouth opens and closes for a second. She wasn't planning on THAT conversation coming up so fast!! "Um er...well...I..."
Corrander folds his arms and cocks an eyebrow at her.
"Sarah-- let's take Ian back to Uncle Alec so I can talk to Uncle Corrander, OK?"

"I want to stay with Unca Corr!" she says holding on to him tight. Sarah looks at her pleadingly.
"I get told to leave all the time, how can I learn anything when they tell me to leave."

Nettle closes her eyes. Sarah's definitely gotten a lot more stubborn in the past year and a half or so! Nettle sighs and opens her eyes. "If it's OK with Corrander..."
Corrander continues to stare Nettle down. "Why should it NOT be, Nettle? I am sure you do not have anything disturbing to tell me...nothing that goes against what you told me in the past...about being an only child..."
Nettle looks down at Ian. Ian looks up at Nettle and pats her face. "Ummm...be right back!" Nettle cries, and jogs from the room back to she and Alec's room.
Once inside, she shuts the door and leans her back against it, clutching Ian to her. "Alec!! Sarah told him about the clones!!"

Alec winces, "Alright love. Just explain to him what happened, just leave out the stolen DNA-part, and it should be all good eh?" he says. "Really love, tell him the truth."

"Leave out the stolen DNA-part?? Leave out the stolen DNA-part?? Well then how the hell do I explain what happened??" she cries. Ian's face crumples and he starts to cry. Nettle rocks him from side to side. "Oh damn...sorry baby boy! I didn't mean to yell..." she coos, trying to calm him down.

"Nettle relax," Alec says exasperated. "Just tell him that Ozzie needed some of your DNA for an experiment and he made a mistake and made some clones of you. There, easy." he says smiling as he puts his luggage on the bed.

Nettle thinks for a moment as Ian's cries taper off, and then starts nodding her head. "Yeah...that's actually a really good explanation! Thanks, Alec! Now I just have to think of WHY he would have needed my DNA and I'll be all set!" She glances behind her at the closed door, and then walks over to Alec. "You should probably watch Ian while I talk to Corrander...just in case." She looks down at Simone laying obediently in her baby-carrier. "Hey baby girl! You and Ian be good for daddy, OK?" She lays Ian in his baby-carrier beside Simone's, and then turns and takes a deep breath. "Remember, Alec-- if anything happens to me, my C.D. collection goes to Mom. You'd just throw them away." She tries to calm her nerves with a little humor.

"Right, love throw away the CDs-- got it," he says. He gives her a wink and smiles. "Good luck."

Nettle gives Alec a look and sticks her tongue out at him. "Yeah...thanks a LOT!" She walks back to the door and gives a last look at her little family with puppy-dog eyes before opening the door and walking out.

Corrander sits on the bed beside Sarah and unstraps his paintings-case. "Let me show you some of the paintings I have done! Perhaps I shall paint you-- would you like that?" He pulls the case open and points to the first one. "Here we have the Gideon family..." he lets Sarah see, and then flips it down so the one behind it is visible. "...here are the twins...*flip*...and this is Lady Balador."
Corrander sighs, gazing at her. "I painted a number of portraits of her..." Corrander flips to the next one to show Sarah, but then hurries past the third one with a little smirk. "I do not think your parents would be pleased with me if I showed you that one, Sarah."

"Who's Lady Balador?" Sarah says with a puzzled look on her face. "Is she someone you love?"

Corrander pauses-- gazing off to the side for a moment-- and then looks back at Sarah with a soft look in his eyes. "Yes, Sarah...she is someone I love. I have been alive for 3,000 years, thereabouts, and in all that time I have only ever loved three women: my mother, my sister, and Lady Balador." Corrander carefully disguises the kind of love he's thinking about by adding family into the mix...although that, too, is misleading.

"Where is she then?" she says innocently. She looks at the other paintings and smiles, "Maybe you and I can fingerpaint!" She says excitedly.
"I love to fingerpaint, but my mom doesn't like it when I paint."

Corrander smiles. "I would love nothing more than for you to teach me this...finger-paint...and perhaps I can teach you something about painting, as well. As for Lady Balador, I was hoping you would ask! Lady Balador was one of Alec's first teachers-- as I understand it-- and she, too, has been in existence for thousands of years. She lives in a place such a this-- a magickal realm protected from the outside world-- but it is she who made and sustains that place. She is very wise and powerful, and-- Sarah-- she told me she wants to meet somebody very special. Can you guess who that person is?"

"Me." she says matter of factly. Her eyes suddenly get very old and very weary. "Before I am done I will have to meet many many people," she says with a sigh. Then the eyes go back to their youthful innocence. "When can I meet her? Can mommy and daddy come too?"

Corrander stares at Sarah in surprise. 'This child is...fascinating!' he thinks to himself. It takes him a second to recover from that little episode, but he finally finds his voice again. "Lady Balador would like to meet you at the soonest possible conveniance-- with your parents and their permission, of course." Corrander sighs. "I do not know your mother well yet, but my intuition tells me that it may be difficult convincing her of the necessity that you go." Corrander lowers his voice and leans a tad closer to Sarah.
"Sarah...what of the future? What of your role in the restoration of the planet to a place of peace and harmony? Do you know of it?" he asks with a touch of desperation in his voice-- hoping for the wise-Sarah to come out again.

Sarah smiles sweetly at him and shrugs. "I'm going to need friends when I grow up. Everyone needs friends but not like me. I need extra special friends." She looks at him and sighs, "I wish they would show up soon, cause I get awful lonely."

Corrander takes her hands and looks at her intensely-- continuing the conversation before wise-Sarah departs. "Ian and Simone-- they are some of those extra-special friends, are they? Who more are you missing, and how may we assist in bringing them to you?"

"No they aren't my extra special friends." she says. "They are my friends-friends. I have to find them myself." she say. "But mommy won't let me leave so I guess I have to wait till I'm all growed up." "I thought Auntie Veil and Mr. Wolf would make one of my extra special friends but I guess not."

Corrander lowers his brows in confusion. 'Ian and Simone are not those helpers she has been waiting for??' he thinks. He looks back at Sarah. "Veil...she is resting on an island across the sea, but she will return. She said she does not know her purpose right now-- I think you should tell her she has a purpose. It will do her much good. Who...is Mr. Wolf?"

Nettle has stopped just outside the door and is listening intently to the conversation going on within.

"No one...not anymore," she says. "Auntie Veil is coming!" She says clapping her hands. "She's a nice lady. Auntie Veil will be my teacher! Just like Auntie Nettle will be my teacher too!" she says excitedly.

Corrander gives a short laugh. "'Auntie Nettle' might need a bit more training before she can be your teacher, dear Sarah! You see--"

Nettle barges into the room. "All right, Corrander, that's enough! Did I not go to classes everyday in Balador? Am I not taking things more seriously??" she asks irately with her hands on her hips.

Corrander shrugs. "I just want to make sure that whoever teaches Sarah is competant-- that is all."

Nettle bristles. "Competant?? Are you saying I'm not competant??"

Sarah looks between both of them and stays quiet. She folds her arms and listens, her strange eyes taking in everything.

Corrander leans forward and raises an eyebrow. "Veil did not seem to think so, and she would be the one to ask."

Nettle lets out a high-pitched squeak, and then throws up her hands. "Oh I do not BELIEVE this shit! Oh jesus...sorry Sarah! Corrander, you are hitting below the belt! What do YOU know of a Mage's competancy?? Perhaps if there was a little more COMPETANCY in our family, you wouldn't be here right now, and Ian wouldn't have to do your job FOR you!"

Corrander gets to his feet, hands clenched into fists at his side. "I would not speak so if I were you..." he hisses, jaw tight.

Nettle clenches her own hands into fists. "How does it feel, hmm? How does it feel to be humiliated and insulted? Oh wait-- you LIKE that, don't you?"

Corrander rushes forward and grabs Nettle by the shoulders, slamming her against the wall and pinning her there. "I warned you! Do not speak in that manner to me! You who cannot keep sworn confidences! You throw them back in my face at the first moment is suits you!"

Nettle has the breath knocked out of her for a few seconds, but is soon back in the fight. "And you who ignore all my hard work at becoming something better to indulge in a joke at my expense in front of Sarah! Oh but how would you know about what I'm up to when you spent the entire week in room 136!"

"Better there than sitting in your suite, listening to you and Alec scr--" Corrander suddenly glances over his shoulder at Sarah sitting there, and feels tremendous shame settle into him. He closes his eyes and slowly lets go of Nettle's arms. "I apologize for that, Sarah...that was horribly inappropriate..." he murmurs.

Sarah's eyes suddenly get a strange seriousness to them, "I will decide who is best to teach the girl and who is not. In the years to come Nettle will become wise in the ways of magick, and a profound change will settle upon her shoulders. She will teach the girl along with the woman called Veil." she says with a voice not her own. Her strange eyes look to Corrander. "And you...you will be there to see that the woman named Nettle will be so."

Nettle stares at Sarah-- mouth hanging slightly open-- and slumps back against the wall for support.

Corrander's head hangs in shame. He does not know what to say, and so he says nothing.

Nettle looks down and closes her mouth, mind trying to absorb everything "Sarah" just said. The news relieves her, and supports the feelings that have been racing through her since reading the booklets she was assigned to read back in Balador. She won't let anyone down-- not ever again. She has so many ideas, and she's determined that the children see their fated tasks through successfully.

The silence drags on for another minute, and Nettle finally pushes up from the wall and exhales. "Well!"

Corrander holds his hands behind his back and glances over at Nettle. "I apologize for embarrassing you, Nettle. You are right-- you have learned much, and are a strong Mage."

Nettle gives a little smile. "I'm sorry for saying such mean things, Corrander! I swear-- you can trust me. I wouldn't have said it in front of anyone who would've understood what I meant by it-- that I promise. And I'm glad you were able to spend so much time with Balador."

Corrander gives her a little smile back, hesitates, and then motions her towards him.
Nettle walks up to him, and Corrander wraps his arms around her and hugs her-- resting his chin on her head.
"That was cathartic, do you not think?" he asks Nettle.
Nettle nods. "Very. Shall we do it again tomorrow? Say around noon?" she grins sarcastically.
"Noon it is!" Corrander smirks.

Sarah claps her hands and laughs, "Tell me about the Pooka again, Cory!" she says runing up to him and raising her hands and clenching and unclenching them, "Upsies, please!"

Corrander releases Nettle and looks down at Sarah with his eyebrow raised. "Only if you swear never to call me 'Cory' again. Swear it, Sarah-- and I can tell if you mean it, so you had better mean it." Corrander folds his arms.

Sarah laughs and clasps her hands to her mouth, "Ok!" she says giving him the Ok sign. "I won't call you Cory anymore," she says emphasizing it with a nod of the head. "Upsies!" she says jumping up and down.

Corrander regards her for a moment, and then nods-- satisfied. "All right then." He bends down and picks her up, resting her sitting in the crook of his arm. This reminds him of his initial question for Nettle.
"You are not off the hook, Nettle. Tell me about your 'sisters,' and remember-- I can tell if you start to lie."

Nettle takes a deep breath and walks over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Where to begin..." she murmurs, clasping her hands together in front of her and leaning forward.
"I AM an only child, so you can be relieved about that..."

"Go on." Corrander nods encouragingly.

"We have a friend named Oswald. He's a scientist. A really good one. He's been fascinated with cloning lately-- creating virtual clones of TV characters...creating new breeds of plants-- wait until I show you my stained-glass flowers!! He made these flowers with petals that look like stained glass!" Nettle turns to Sarah. "How are they doing in the garden, Sarah?"

Sarah smiles, "They're ok! They like the sun alot and they say that they miss your face. They say you look like a flower!" she says gigling.

Nettle's face glows and she makes an "aaaw!"-mouth. "Really?? That is so SWEET!" she cries. "I can't wait to help tend them now! I had just barely gotten my pot from Ozzie when we had to leave to find the dragons-- not POT-pot...my pot of flowers! And--"

"Nettle..." Corrander interrupts her. "You're stalling."

Nettle's face falls and she mutters to herself. "Ahem. Well...he also made insects and things out of machinery, and I guess he thought the next logical step would be to...to clone a human being, and so he got a sample of my DNA and...he cloned me. Six times."

"Wait wait wait wait-- what is DNA and what is 'cloning?'" Corrander asks a little testily.

Nettle's hands tighten together as Corrander starts to get upset. "DNA is the blueprint for how we are put together-- tiny, tiny cells in our bodies carry the blueprint. Cloning is the act of extracting that blueprint and using it to make an exact replica of the person."

Corrander starts to pace, and quickly puts Sarah down on the bed-- aware that his anger is rising again and not wanting to get upset with her in his arms.
"So, Nettle...how did this Oswald extract YOUR DNA?" he asks, jaw tight.

Nettle shrugs. "I think he got it from a strand of hair-- I can't quite remember."

"And did you know about this? Did he ask you for the hair first??" Corrander has his hands tightly grasped behind his back, pacing furiously back and forth but never taking his eyes off of Nettle.

Nettle winces when she sees Corrander's face, and so drops her eyes-- leaning forward a little more so her hair falls like a curtain around her face.
"Well...no..."

"Why did he not ask you? And why did he decide to take YOUR DNA? Why not a willing participant's, hmmm?" Corrander tries to keep his voice under control, but it starts to rise.

Nettle bites her lip. "Well...I'm sure he didn't ask me because he knew I'd get pissed and say no, but he wanted mine because he needed help with his special garden I was telling you about, and I'm really good with plants, plus he wanted someone to talk to because...the girl he fell in love with left town and he was really lonely..."

Corrander walks over to stand in front of Nettle. "Are you naive, Nettle?? Are you a complete fool?? What do you think he REALLY wanted the clones for, hmm? Six of you-- six sex-crazed Nettles hanging around his laboratory! Sounds like a great set-up for him, does it not?? Nice excuse, those plants! He could teach ANYONE to garden! He could make a clone of ANYONE and have someone to talk to!"

Nettle lifts her head in shock. "It's not like that at all! They are little girls! They call him 'daddy' and he dotes on him like a true father! It's not what you're thinking, Corrander, now stop that!"

"What do you mean, 'little girls?' I thought you said--" Corrander begins.

"They started life as little kids-- they look about the same age as Sarah here!" Nettle says.

"And what about when they're adults, then? There will be six more of you walking about! Have you not thought of the repercussions of that??" Corrander asks incredulously.

"I have! I was really, really pissed at first, but then I met them, and they're so cute and sweet! They think of me as their big sister! And they're NOT just like me! Ozzie engineered them to be good at the stuff he does-- they're super-smart scientifically! They don't act ANYTHING like I did at that age! Having the upbringing they're having, they're going to be completely different than me by the time they get to be adults, which shouldn't be too long-- they age much faster than normal humans!" Nettle defends.

Corrander shakes his head, waving his hands in the air. "No, no, no-- this is all wrong! This is blasphemous! No man should play god! This completely confuses the natural progression of things in our family! It is a complication! A complication that must be dealt with immediately! This man stole part of you without your consent, and then tampered with your DNA to make copies of you to assist him with his work! They are unnatural slaves! They MUST be destroyed! Do you hear me, Nettle??" Corrander shouts.

Sarah looks at Corrander and stands on the bed arms folded. "Please don't hurt my friends," she says in a tiny voice. "I don't have many friends....the flowers like them and I like them...." she says with tears filling her eyes. "Please Corrander don't hurt them..."

Corrander quickly looks at Sarah-- having forgotten her presence after Nettle's explanation of cloning-- and then makes an up-and-down slashing-motion with his hand in the air between he and Sarah, and suddenly Sarah forgets everything that Corrander and Nettle say the moment she hears it spoken.
He turns back to Nettle. "We cannot have this, Nettle! It adds such confusion to our lives-- maybe to the prophesy! Who knows?? How could he do this?? Are there not laws that forbid a Mage from committing such an act without the knowledge and consent of the other??"

Nettle sees Sarah crying and starts to get tears in her own eyes. "There are, but I waived my right to press charges when I met the clones! Not to mention Ozzie is one of my dearest friends, and I believe his reasons for doing it! He takes such good care of the girls, and they are so much fun-- so kind and sweet! They are just what he needs, and he is just what they need! They're really independant, and they love their home! They're not slaves! Ozzie couldn't pry them away from their work if he tried! Plus he's got some chick he's seeing-- well, he was last time I was here. Who knows? Maybe the girls will have a mother-figure!"

Corrander holds his head and thinks as Nettle speaks. "But why did it have to be you?? This is just...just...we did not need this complication..." Corrander's voice returns to a normal speaking-volume, and his resolve seems to be weakening a little.

Nettle pushes up from the bed and picks up Sarah in her arms, cradeling her and rubbing her back to comfort her. "Turn off your spell, Corrander. I know you made it so she can't hear, or something, but she needs to hear."

Corrander looks at the two girls-- considering if he should do as Nettle says-- and then sighs and makes a movement that looks like he's opening an invisible window, and Sarah can once again retain the things she hears.

Nettle takes a step closer to Corrander. "Just agree to meet them first before you continue ranting about wanting to destroy them. Meet them, and then tell me they 'must be destroyed.' You won't be able to do it. Trust me. Right Sarah? Corrander will meet them and love them right away, won't he!" Nettle lifts Sarah's chin and smiles at her.

"That's right," she says and then looks to Corrander and the old eyes come back and she shakes her finger at him. "They are sweet! And Holly is--" she says making sure Corrander looks her in the eye, "--is my extra special friend." she says. Sarah looks at Nettle and kisses her on the cheek. "I love you, Auntie Nettle." she says and hugs her tight.

Nettle smiles and quickly blinks the sudden increase in tears from her eyes. "I love you, too, Sarah-toes..." She hugs Sarah tight in response, and gives Corrander a look that says, 'don't talk like that in front of her again!'

Corrander takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. "Fine. I will do as you ask of me-- both of you." he walks up to Nettle and Sarah and puts his hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I am sorry for speaking that way in your presence, Sarah. You must understand-- this cloning-business is just not done in my land. We can make temporary recreations of someone out of thin air to act as a distraction, but actually invading someone's body...tampering with and creating a living, breathing creature with matter from someone's body..." Corrander shakes his head again. "Unbelievable."

Sarah looks at him and blinks and then smiles brightly. "Auntie Nettle has to see the garden! The flowers miss you!!" she says. "Uncie Corrander come with us! See the garden!" she says. "Please?"

Nettle laughs. "Sarah-baby, your parents are waiting for us in the kitchen! Don't you think we'd better go have dinner with them first? Your mom gets really upset when you're not where she's expecting you to be..."

Corrander nods quickly. "I am very much looking forward to seeing the garden, but more than that I do not wish to give your mother a reason to be angry with me. Remember-- we have to ask her permission for you to meet Balador."

Nettle raises her eyebrows at Corrander. "Wow-- you already told her?"

Corrander grins and shrugs. "It was a priority."

Sarah sighs, "Ok...but after dinner we see the garden! Promise!" she says looking at them both.

Nettle and Corrander both nod and give their promise that this will take place.

"Well, now that that's settled, let's go have dinner!" Nettle smiles.

The group walks back to Nettle and Alec's room, and soon each adult emerges carrying a child-- Sarah in Corrander's arms, Ian being carried by Nettle in his baby-carrier, and Simone being carried by Alec in hers. The group walks down the hallway and into the kitchen.

The kitchen is alive with the smells of home-cooking and delicious coffee. Tania and Jake are standing at the stove laughing about something when Tania notices the group walk in.
"Bout time you got back. We thought perhaps Nettle and Alec got lost in their bedroom." she says.

Nettle grins at Alec. "It's happened before..."

Alec smiles, "Right, I get lost there all the time..." he says with a wink.

Corrander walks over and sits Sarah down in one of the chairs around the table, and then turns back to Tania.
"Your daughter is amazing, Tania. She brings hope and faith to everyone and everything around her. I am honored my great-nephew and niece will be brought up in her company." he says sincerely, giving Tania a bow-- hand held to his heart.

Nettle is a little distracted by nuzzling Alec and whispering to him to notice this little exchange.

Tania smiles, "Thanks," she says. "She is amazing us all the time. Do you have any children Corrander?"

Alec listens and then smiles, 'Well he knows how to get on people's good side eh?' he thinks to Nettle.

Nettle blinks. 'Did I miss something?' she thinks back, and then turns around so she can pay attention.

Sarah shrugs, "Can I show Auntie Nettle, and Uncie Alec and Corrander my garden after dinner mom?"

Tania smiles, "Sure hun. I think they'll be quite pleased with what you've done with it."

Corrander shakes his head. "I have never married, nor am I certain if ever I will at this point. I have been very careful when with a wom--" he glances at Sarah and then back at Tania. "No, I have no children." he finishes with an embarrassed little grin.

"No planting!" Sarah bursts out as Tania places her bowl of spaghetti-o's in front of her.

Jacob gives a little laugh. "Hey-- sometimes it's better to throw caution to the wind and let fate have its way with you, right Tania?" he grins, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her cheek.
'Alec and Nettle are letting Sarah sleep in their room tonight...' he whispers, and gives her neck a soft kiss.

Tania smiles and leans into Jake, "Really?" she says. "Well then...maybe we should eat a quick dinner and then let them see the garden..." she says wriggling her eyebrows.

"Oh god...can I wait that long??" he moans. Then he remembers that everyone's watching, and quickly clears his throat and stands up straight. "Yeah, so let's get dinner on the table! I'm sure everyone's starving!" he says a little too enthusiastically.

Nettle sits Ian's baby-carrier on the table in front of her chair and tickles his toes, making him laugh and kick. "Hey Tania-- can I help you with anything?" she asks.

Tania shakes her head. "Got it covered," she says as she hands out plates full of food to everyone. She takes a plate for herself and sits next to Jake.
"So tell us everything. What happened? Where were you two?"

Nettle sets Ian's baby-carrier on the floor beside her chair when Tania sets her plate down, and then sits down to eat.
"Oh boy...let's see...when did we leave? Oh yeah-- the goddess-realm. So we stayed there while Veil and everyone went back to get you and Jake in order to go after Thares, and then we travelled to Balador. We stayed there for a year-- that's where I gave birth. They have this incredible library there! See this amulet?" Nettle puts her hand under the large moonstone amulet and lifts it up. "This was made by Corrander's mother! She enchanted it with Corrander and his sister Gwendolyn's help. See, the gates to Arcadia were closing, but there were lots of Fae from their lands who were going to be trapped on the other side and there was nothing they could do about it, so Corrander's mother Ellowyndriel made the amulet and gave it the power to temporarily re-open the gates from the Dreaming back into Arcadia. She was going to bring her people back. But something happened-- Corrander's father Loviander prevented her from leaving, so Gwendolyn took the amulet and ran through the gates before they closed."

Nettle takes a quick sip of coffee before going on. Corrander sits quietly at the table, looking down at his hands without seeing them.

"Gwendolyn was supposed to bring the people back, but they wouldn't follow her. They blamed her father for the gates closing and for those who were killed while the gates were shutting. They tried to kill her, but she found some loyal supporters who hid her. To make a long story short, she found a coven in northern Wales-- that's where all this took place-- who took her and her followers in and kept them safe. While she was there, she met and fell in l-- " Nettle glances at Corrander's face and quickly amends what she was going to say. "Well...I wouldn't say she fell in LOVE with him, but she grew to care for him a lot, and ended up bearing a child by him. See, the Fae had to learn this spell in order to inhabit the body of a mortal so they could survive the ravages of Reality, and this Mage Gwendolyn was with-- his fiancee gave Gwendolyn her body so Gwendolyn could live, and that's what attracted him to Gwendolyn in the first place...she was in his love's body. But anyhow, so Gwendolyn-- in the human body-- got pregnant, and gave birth to my great-ancestor Trevelyan, and he was the first to have the amulet passed down to him...because, well--" Nettle glances at Corrander apologetically, but he's still staring intently down at his hands. "-- Gwendolyn and her followers were involved in a battle against this Red Cap who was the ring-leader responsible for keeping her people turned against her, and she killed him, but was killed, herself, as they were returning to the coven."
Nettle pauses for a moment-- the scene of Gwendolyn's death that the amulet had shown her and Corrander flashing through her mind.
"From what Corrander said, Gwendolyn had enchanted the amulet with the ability to be used by anyone of her mother's blood, so that's why it was passed on to her son when she died. Corrander enchanted it with the ability to show anyone of his mother's blood everything that happened to the bearer of the amulet while they were wearing the amulet...which is odd because it showed me my mom's life, and SHE was never a bearer..." Nettle muses, looking a little confused. "Hmmm...well, anyhow, that's where Corrander and I learned what happened to Gwendolyn-- the amulet showed us. Trevelyan wasn't able to rally the Fae together-- they scattered after the battle-- and no bearer since that day has been able to successfully find where they all went, or convince them to follow them, and so here we are. Corrander would be able to use the amulet right now, but we have all been warned by people with the gift of Sight that it has to be Ian who does it, so Corrander is here to be Ian's teacher and protector until that day Fate has assigned for Ian to fulfill his destiny. And that's that. So after Balador, we went to find this coven of my ancestors, and Corrander was there waiting for us. He came through the gates of Arcadia when they opened temporarily back in 1969, and he had a tool to help him track the path of the amulet, but those Changelings who kept pestering us to get pregnant led him--unknowingly-- on quite a goose-chase when they took the amulet from Wales back to the States, looking for me and Alec."
Nettle sits back in her chair, a little drained. "Did I cover everything?" she asks Corrander.

Corrander sits there unmoving for a moment, and then nods and looks up. "I believe so." He shoots Alec a look, and then falls silent again.

Alec blinks and shakes his head. "I think that's all love," he says with a smile. He turns to Jake, "Get all that?"

Jacob lets out a loud breath and sits back. "Wow...well, I GUESS that's a good enough excuse for where you've been! OK, you're not in trouble anymore!" he jokes, a little overwhelmed.

Tania whistles and nods, "Sounds like you had a bit of adventure." she sighs. "I wish I could have been there for you, Nettle. Jake and I will help with the kids all we can."

"Thanks, Tania-- you don't know how much I appreciate that," Nettle says.

Sarah-- who had been quiet during this entire time-- puts her hand out and pats Corrander's shoulder.
She smiles at him and blinks. "It will be ok, Corrander!" she says winningly. She leans down to look under the table, "It's ok Ian!" she says. "Really!"

Ian makes a loud "Gah!" noise, and raises his arms proudly, kicking his legs.

Nettle glances down at him and laughs. "BIIIIG boy!" she proclaims, reaching down to tickle his tummy.

Corrander looks over at Sarah and manages a tiny smile. "If you say it, then it will be so, Sarah. Thank you."

Corrander suddenly spots something out of the corner of his eye crawling up Sarah's booster-chair and into her lap. A huge boa constrictor. The things lays its head in her lap as she absent-mindedly pets it. The things then begins to crawl up her torso and puts its face in hers.

"Tascha! Hi there!" Sarah says happily. "Oh?" she says. "They said that? Neato!"
The boa turns to regard Corrander and then back to Sarah.
"Corrander, Tascha says hello!"

Corrander jumps a little when the snake first appears, and then watches all of this with a mixture of trepidation and expectation. If a Pooka had snake-like features the way Sarah does, he could be sure it would have an affinity with snakes. But this snake is HUGE! Big enough to eat Sarah if it wanted to, he is sure!
He glances over at Tania and Jacob with big, questioning eyes, and is met with very calm eyes in return. He tries to shrug off his initial worry, and looks back at Sarah.
"Well...tell Tascha that I say hello, in return!" He smiles and bows his head to the boa constrictor. "It seems you ARE a Pooka, Sarah! Is this...your...friend, Sarah?" Corrander's not quite sure if he wants to call the snake a pet, or insinuate that it belongs to Sarah right in front of it, since it seems to understand!

Tania smiles, "Tascha is my familiar. She is very protective of Sarah. She sleeps with her at night sometimes," she says taking a bite of her meal and then smiling at Jake.

Sarah laughs as Tascha slithers her tongue out and touches her nose. "Pooka,' she exclaims laughing.
"Tascha is my friend. She's very smart-- she talks to everything! But sometimes she won't stop talking about the mice she eats...yuck." She turns to Tascha, "Corrander says hello Tascha."
Tascha turns to Corrander again, and then slithers off Sarah and onto the floor and out of sight.
"There she goes to get more mice..." Sarah says making a face.

"There are mice in the horizon realm??" Nettle asks, looking down at at the floor worriedly-- wondering if it's a safe place to set the baby's chairs!

"Just a few I set loose for Tascha. They stay in the field mostly and Tascha keeps their numbers down," Tania says with a smile. "She's quite the hunter."

Corrander gives a little laugh, watching Tascha slither away. "Well I am glad that Sarah has such an intimidating guardian! Mages must be somewhat similar to the Fae-- I was telling Sarah about our Pooka-Fae who resemble the creature they have an affinity with. Is this the case with Sarah? She was born with this affinity? Does she have the beneficial attributes of a snake, as well, as our Pooka would?"

Tania nods, "Yes, she was. Her eyes have always been like that. I'm not sure what else she can do besides talk to snakes, but Tascha loves her and is always hanging around her now. You'd think she was her familiar." Tania yawns and stretches. "Well folks I'm tired," she says kicking Jake underneath the table.
"I think I'm going to head to bed."

Jacob gives a start, and then practically leaps up from his chair. "I think I'll join you, Tania." He glances up at the clock on the wall. "It's getting close to midnight, and I have to get some sleep before our big tournament tomorrow, eh Alec?" he grins, rubbing his hands together.

Nettle glances up at the clock and then back at Jacob with an eyebrow raised. "This is a new switch for you! It used to be that by midnight you were finally waking up for the day!" she smirks. She thinks about something, and then furrows her forehead.
"Tania-- you still have Sarah's crib, right? We need something for the babies to sleep in, and the good baby-stores are closed so we're kinda stuck."

"Sure," she says. I'll have Jake wheel it out for you," she says looking pointedly at Jake. "While I get ready for bed." she says. "Night all," she turns and walks down to their bedroom.

"Thank you, Tania!" Nettle says in relief. "I'll follow Jake-- be right back!" she calls to Alec.

Sarah looks at Corrander and giggles, "Mommy and daddy are going to plant," she whispers.

Corrander's brow furrows in confusion. "Plant?"

-----------------------------------

Jacob leads Nettle down the hall and over to the other side of the palace where he and Tania's room is, and past it to the small study next door. He opens the door an walks in.
"I've turned this into my computer-room, but we keep all sorts of things in here now-- Sarah's toys and old baby-things, to name a few."
He walks over to the crib in the corner and tugs it out from the wall, and then gets behind it and starts pushing.
Nettle quickly takes the other side to help guide it through the door.
"Nettle-- thank you SO much for taking Sarah tonight!! You don't know how grateful I am! She still sleeps in our room, so we never get private time...you're not going to let Ian and Simone sleep in you and Alec's room when they get older, are you??" he asks, his eyes a little bit crazed.

Nettle laughs. "No...probably in a month or so we'll make the nursery for them. We just need to get some renovations done around here so Corrander will have his own place."

Jacob nods in relief. "Good. If Tania sees you making a bedroom just for your kids, maybe she'll finally agree to let us make one for Sarah! She's so protective of Sarah, but honest to god Sarah--" Jacob shakes his head. "--let's just say she doesn't need the extra protection, you know what I mean?"

Nettle nods vehemently. "Sarah's got all SORTS of beings looking out for her!" She falls silent for a moment as they wheel the crib down the hallway. "Jake...are you scared about the role fate has for her in the future? Not that we know exactly what it IS, but do you ever think about it and get worried? You know...speculating?"

Jacob shrugs. "Sure. All the time. But if we can't stop what's going to happen, and if she's here to help our cause, then why worry? Think about it, Nettle. Our kids are going to grow up to be something someday. What better future is there than being leaders...revolutionaries...saviors to so many? Would you rather have them working in some stuffy office building or flipping burgers or something?"

Nettle is quiet for a second. "I...never thought about it that way. I guess if they weren't a part of fate, they'd either be victims of the impending war, or end up with boring, ordinary lives." She gives Jacob a smirk. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Jacob laughs and shakes his head. "No way! They shouldn't have it so easy!"

The two finally reach Alec and Nettle's room, and Nettle opens the door for Jacob as he pushes the crib in.
"Good luck finding a place for the crib!" He leans in. "AND a place for Sarah!" he whispers. "We owe you big time." He stands up straight and grins. "And now, my lady awaits! See ya!"
Jacob practically runs from the room.

Nettle laughs hard, moving things off of the floor so there's a place out of the way to push the crib. She hears someone push open the door and turns.
"Oh hey Alec! Done eating? We promised Sarah we'd let her take us on a tour of the gardens after dinner-- that OK with you?"

Alec yawns, "Actually love, I'm exhausted. Why don't you and Corrander take a look at the garden. I'll have her show me in the mornin eh?" he says setting the baby-carriers on the bed and taking his sunglasses off.

Nettle raises her eyebrows. "OK, baby...you feeling OK? You know, when you guys go baby-shopping tomorrow, could you get one of those two-seater stollers instead of two separate ones?" She walks over to the babies and bends down. "You guys haven't eaten yet, but you're being so good!" she coos, shaking their feet playfully. She looks back up at Alec. "We'll take the babies with us to the garden in case they get hungry...let you get a head-start on sleep!" she grins.

Alec smile and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Alright love, see you when you get back!" He says as he gets out of his clothes and jumps into bed.

Nettle whistles at him flirtily as she slings a diaper bag over her shoulder, and then picks up the baby-carriers and heads back to the kitchen.

--------------------------------

Tania walks into the bedroom and takes a couple of matches from the dresser. She lights the various candles about the room and then snuffs out the matches. She opens the dresser and pulls out some clothing.
"Jake loves these," she says with a smile. "I should give him a night to remember." She smiles as she takes the clothes into the bathroom.

A minute later Jacob bursts into the room and shuts the door quickly behind him. He looks around for Tania while taking off his shirt, and then sees the light on under the bathroom door. He smirks and walks up to the door and knocks.
"Hey baby...you in there?" he asks in his best Elvis-voice.

"Just a minute!" Tania calls out as she clasps her earring. She looks at herself in the tall mirror and smiles.
"Why don't you get ready for bed? I'll be out in a minute!"

Jacob grins and rubs his hands together with an eager expression in his eyes, like a starving man who is looking at a banquet table filled with food.
"Sure, baby!" he calls, throwing off his boots, socks, jeans, and T-shirt on his way to the bed, and then slides out of his boxers before sliding under the covers. He lays back with his hands behind his head and grins, watching the bathroom door. Then he gets a puzzled expression on his face, reaches under the covers, and pulls out one of Sarah's stuffed dogs. He stares at it for a moment, and then chucks it out of the bed and goes back to reclining and watching the bathroom door.

The door opens and Tania comes out wearing a blue teddy with garters and her hair down so her curls just touch her shoulder. She leans in the doorway and smiles, "Hey stranger."

Jacob sits up in bed-- eyes bugging out. "Wow..." he gasps. He pauses just a second before throwing off the sheets and striding up to her. He takes her face in his hands and kisses her before moving to wrap his arms around her, pulling her firmly against him. Then he starts backing up with her towards the bed.
"That outfit drives me crazy-- although about now you could be wearing a brown paper bag and I'd ravage you!" he grins between kisses.

"Well thanks, next time I'll know not to get this dressed up," she says as she lets him lead her to the bed. She winks at him slyly and smiles, "Why don't you let me ravage you this time."

"Oh God, thank you God, you are just and kind, God!" he calls, gazing up at the ceiling with his hands together as if in prayer. Then he falls back spread-eagle on the bed. "Ravage me, baby! I'm all yours!"

--------------------------------

"Yeah plant!" Sarah says when everyone leaves the room but her and Corrander. "It's when a mommy and daddy get together and make weird noises together. Like Auntie Nettle and Uncie Alec do when they plant!"

Corrander-- finally realizing he'd fallen into a Sarah-trap with no one there to rescue him-- slaps his hand to his forehead and shakes his head. "Well, Sarah...I do not think that...they 'plant' each time they...get together to...make weird noises-- as you say-- or there would be many more children here in the palace, do you not think?" Corrander suddenly realizes that he probably just stuck his foot in his mouth.

Sarah thinks a moment and then nods, "I could make them plant!" she says excitedly bouncing on her booster chair. "Then I'd have LOTS of special friends!!!!"

"NO no no no no, Sarah! You should NEVER make a couple plant against their wishes! Very, very bad." he emphasises. "Besides, I do not think your special friends can be created in that way. It sounds to me like they already exist, and you simply have to bring them here, correct?" Corrander decides that he will NEVER let Sarah know when he's spending time with a woman from here on out!

"Ok," she says poutily. "But I could you know," she says jutting her lower lip out.

"I do not doubt it, Sarah! You don't have to try to prove to me that you can!" he quickly reassures her. He glances up, and gives Nettle a relieved look.
"Aah! You're finally back!" He stands quickly.

Nettle raises an eyebrow. "Did Sarah give you her views on 'planting'?" she smirks.

Corrander rolls his eyes when Sarah isn't looking. "That she did. You and Alec should take precautions everytime you decide to...get together to make weird noises!" he finishes a little awkwardly, glancing at Sarah.

Nettle looks between Corrander and Sarah with a mixture of surprise and worry. "Why?" she asks in a little voice.

"Sarah here would like more special friends, as she calls them." Corrander explains.

Nettle laughs. "Aaah! Well don't worry-- Alec can't 'plant' anymore, and don't get any ideas, Sarah! Here's your first lesson from Auntie Nettle: never use magick on a fellow Mage without their consent, unless it's to heal them or save their life-- something like that. Anything else would be a big no-no, OK honey?"

"OK!" she says giving her the ok sign. "Time to see the garden!" she says as she takes Corrander's hand. "Follow me!" She says as she leads them out of the dining room. She leads them out into the hall and towards the door. "The plants really missed you Auntie Nettle."

Nettle smiles. "And I really missed them, too! You're such a good caretaker, Sarah! Those plants are so lucky to have you to look after them! Not many people can speak their language to ask them what they want!"

Corrander looks at Nettle with confusion. "They cannot?"

Nettle grins. "OK, not many HUMANS can speak to plants!" she amends.

Corrander shakes his head. "Pity...I think that if they could, the earth would never have deteriorated to this extent."

"Don't worry Uncie Corrander. I'll take care of it," she say as she leads them outside. They round the corner of the palace and there stands the garden. Nettle has never seen it better cared for. Her herbs have grown to a nice size and the flowers all seem to be in perpetual bloom. The stained glass flowers have grown extremely tall, taller than Sarah. The flowers seem almost to turn slightly towards Sarah as she approaches. "Hey guys!" she says as she runs up to the flowers. "Look it's Auntie Nettle!"

Nettle stands still for a second with her mouth hanging open, and then walks quickly over to Sarah's side. She sets the baby-carriers down on the ground, and reaches out to gently touch one of the stained-glass flowers. "Oh wow..." she breathes. "Sarah-- they're gorgeous! They're...so tall! How did you do this?? Oh you have to tell me how to take care of them! This is wonderful! Oh--!" She walks over and runs her fingers over the stalks of lavender, inhaling their scent. "Perfect..." she murmurs, and then hurries over to the herb-garden and squats down, checking their leaves and stems, and then getting lower so she can smell them. "These are the best-quality peppermint...sage...sweet pea-- oh look at the jasmine!" She jumps up and runs back over to the flowers, and then flits over to the trees surrounding the garden-- more happy exclamations echoing from behind one of the cedar trees.

Corrander laughs, folding his arms and watching his great-niece in happy amusement. "Perhaps she SHOULD enter Arcadia...if it would be allowed...if she would be able to live there...I know so little about humans..." he murmurs to himself.
Ian gives a little cry, and Corrander bends and picks him up. "Hello Ian. What do you think of the flowers, hmm?"
Ian immediately sees the stained-glass flowers and stretches his fingers out towards them.
Corrander steps up to them, and Ian pats one of the flowers, and then grasps it and tries to put it into his mouth.

"They are happy, Auntie Nettle, they say welcome home!" Sarah says. "And look! One of them likes Ian too!" she says as Ian touches one of the flowers. She sits down and looks at Nettle. "I just took care of them, Auntie Nettle and I talked to them and I watered them."

Nettle comes out from behind the cedar tree-- peering over at the eucalyptus trees-- and then wipes her hands on the back of her pants and walks back over to the group smiling. "Well that sounds exactly what plants like, Sarah! You're just the first one to be able to hear what they say back!" She notices Ian with one of the stained-glass flowers in his mouth, but watches for a moment instead of trying to get it out of his mouth.
Ian puts the flower into his mouth and sucks on it for a second, finds it doesn't taste too good, and then pulls it back out and pats it. He stares at it for a moment-- the colors fascinating him-- and then grabs the petals. He looks at the petals between his fingers up close, and then releases the flower. He sees Nettle, and Nettle does a funny-face at him, making him laugh.
Nettle walks over. "Doesn't taste good, does it baby boy!"
Ian stretches his arms out to her and gives a sad little cry.
Nettle grins and takes him from Corrander. "He's finally hungry, it looks like! It's about time!" Nettle turns her back and gets Ian situated at her chest, and then drapes a cloth over her shoulder.

"It is all right, Nettle-- it does not bother me if you feed the babies in front of me," Corrander laughs.

Nettle smiles and turns back around. "OK then." She looks down at Ian. "Poor little guy will have to eat more unless he wants to turn out skinny like me!"

Corrander walks over and peers down at Ian. "He is thinner than Simone, but it is a trait of our family-- thanks to Father. Remember when I was telling you about House Dougal-- that each member has a handicap or deformity of some sort as a sign that they belong to House Dougal? Father's physical trial was how thin he was-- physically weaker than an average man. He was always drinking special potions to give him strength when needed. However, what he lacked for in physical strength he more than made up for in his power with Glamour. He was the most powerful cantrip-caster in the cantrev, and most-likely the principality!"

Nettle raises her eyebrows. "Wow! Your parents were both the best at what they did, it sounds like! Sword-fighting...armor and jewelry-crafting...casting...I come from a great line!"

Corrander nods and looks down at Simone. "You do." He bends down and picks up Simone so she can see the flowers better.

Sarah sits down and watches Nettle feed Ian. "Auntie Nettle is the garden ok? Did I do a good job?" she asks.

Nettle smiles and turns so she can see Sarah. "You did an incredible job, Sarah! Better than anyone else could do! You still want to be in charge of the garden? You can be MY teacher!" she grins.

"OK! I'll teach you to take of the garden, Auntie Nettle! You'll be an expert at it too!" Sarah says, jumping up and hugging Nettle.

Nettle gives her a one-armed hug back. "You can teach me how to take care of them, and I'll teach you each plant's properties! See that willow tree? You can carefully cut off the white bark and chew it if you're in pain-- it's the main ingredient in aspirin! See that peppermint? You can chew ITS leaves if you have a stomach ache! Over there is chamomile, and if you soak or boil the leaves in water, the tea calms your nerves!"

Corrander raises his eyebrows. "You are going to overwhelm the poor child!" he smiles.

Simone is just as fascinated with the stained-glass flowers as Ian and Nettle were, and has a flower-head in each hand and is squawking happily.

Nettle laughs at Simone, and then looks back at Corrander. "Well I want you to be there for all Sarah's botany classes in case you have something to add that I didn't know about!"

Corrander bows his head slightly. "Of course!"

Sarah listens with interest, her strange eyes never leaving Nettle. "Tell me more Auntie Nettle tell me more." she says. "What do these do??" she says pointing at the stained glass flowers.

Nettle grins-- having no doubt in her mind that Sarah is memorizing everything she says. "Well, Uncle Oswald created these, so there's no documented information about them yet. We'll just have to figure it out, ourselves-- or bring some to my high priestess! They have ways of testing to see what chemicals are in the plant. The stuff I know about plants has been passed down for thousands of years! In Corrander's realm, everyone knows these things like human kids know their ABCs, but on earth much of the lore has been lost or is only being kept by a select few, like the Verbena."

"I want you to teach me!" she says clapping her hands. "I'll make people remember!" she says. "Oh Auntie Nettle I am like you I am!"

Nettle laughs happily, and reaches over to hug Sarah to her leg. "You're a sweetheart, Sarah! You're not only LIKE me, but you're going to be BETTER than me! Of that I'm sure!"

Simone has finally noticed that Ian is eating, and already tried to eat the flowers, too, and found them yucky. Her bottom lip starts quivering, then her eyes clench shut, and then she starts in with a healthy wail.

Corrander carefully untangles her fingers from the delicate flowers, and then turns her around and starts patting her back. He shoots Nettle a questioning look.

"Ah crap...can you keep her happy for about 5 more minutes?" Nettle asks, glancing down at the still-contentedly-eating Ian.

Corrander raises his eyebrows. "I will try..." Simone suddenly becomes fascinated with Corrander's hair, and grabs a handful of it-- illiciting a string of Welsh curses from Corrander! Corrander carefully tries to get his hair out of her fist, and once he's done that, he brings all his hair around to hang over his other shoulder.
Simone starts crying again...untill she notices Corrander's interesting pointed ears. She reaches up and grabs his ear-- her mouth making an O-shape.
"Ow! Mmmm-- Nettle? Think you might hurry Ian a bit?" he asks in a strained voice.

Nettle laughs. "Hey Sarah? Think you could make Simone laugh?"

Corrander gets down on one knee in front of Sarah and turns Simone around. "Yes-- please try!"

"Ok!" she says. She looks to Simone and gazes into her eyes. Sarah blinks, and begins talking gibberish. Simone suddenly laughs and gurgles excitedly. Sarah laughs, too, as if she just told a joke, and then she touches Simone's cheek and her face gets very serious. Her hair suddenly gets a very green tint to it.
"Do not feel you are second best, dear one. I am watching and I will always be with you," she says.

Nettle's jaw drops and she stares between Sarah and Simone. Suddenly she feels very, very guilty for always giving attention to Ian first. She and Alec had agreed that while the twins were little, if the twins cried or needed to be transported somewhere, she would be in charge of Ian and Alec would be in charge of Simone to reduce the chaos, and that had resulted in her unintentionally giving more attention to Ian in general. She looks down and her eyes tear up a little.

Corrander watches this exchange with, perhaps, even more guilt than Nettle. He has been consistantly ignoring Simone in order to keep his eye on Ian, and he, too, didn't even realize it until this moment. Ian is Fae, Simone is not...somehow that translated subconsciously into 'Ian is my descendant and Simone is not.' Corrander bends and kisses the top of Simone's curly head "I am sorry, Simone...I did not intend to make you feel second best..." he whispers sorrowfully.

Sarah turns to Nettle with that same serious expression, "As for you, my daughter, I am ever watchful of one of my most favored children. In time there will be a great event and much sorrow all the world over, but before then you will know only happiness and love, and I will not allow you or your husband to feel that sorrow. Know that of all my children it is you and your mentor that I am most proud of."

Nettle looks up when Sarah begins to address her, and a tear trickles down her cheek. She feels tranfixed and breathless. She finally forces herself to get some words out. "I...will protect them...at all cost..." she breathes, unable to say more for the moment.

Corrander stares at Sarah in amazement. "Is this who you will be one day?" he asks in a voice so hushed that it's almost a whisper.

She turns to Corrander and smiles, "And you, my child. You must learn to live with your loss, but know that I, too, love you as I do all of my children. I would not give you any burden that you could not carry." She looks down at her hands and then back to Corrander and Nettle.
"Yes...and no, dear child. Sarah will always be herself...and she will always be me..."

Corrander brings a hand to his eyes when Sarah says he must learn to live with his loss, and then breaks down into tears. So it is true-- he will never see his sister again. He feels a hole open up in his heart. Amidst his grief he vaguely decides that Sarah IS a type of Changeling, and one day will awaken into a green snake-woman, or something like that.

Nettle steps over and places her hand on Corrander's head comfortingly, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Lady..." she murmurs, bowing her head.

Ian stops eating and turns so he can look down at Sarah-- milk dribbling down his chin.
Nettle noticing him staring down, and carefully sits on the grass beside Corrander and Simone so he can see.

Sarah opens her arms and takes Corrander into her arms and strokes his hair. "Hush child, all hearts are mended in time. The way is difficult but there is a joy to come...I promise you, Corrander. There will be a time when my daughter will be set free."

Corrander's head pops up. "Set free?? Are you speaking of Gwendolyn??" he cries in alarm.

Nettle's eyebrows go up and she stares at Sarah. Ian lets out a loud squawk, and Nettle quickly looks down at Ian, but he isn't upset. She figures he just wanted to excercise his new vocal-powers.
"Hey honey...all done?" she asks quietly-- still shaken-up by what's happening. She brings him up to her shoulder and pats his back.

Sarah turns to look at Ian, "And as for you,' she says to Ian. She walks over to Ian and kisses his forehead. "I bless you little child."

Ian glances up at Sarah and in that instant gives a healthy burp.
Nettle's cheek flush in embarrassment, and she gives a little laugh. "Sorry about that..." She quickly wipes up Ian's mouth and chin.

Ian-- happy to be full and burped-- starts kicking his legs like a tadpole and gives another happy squawk, smiling a baby-smile at Sarah.

Corrander's eyes are a little crazed, and he waits for Sarah to answer her question with as much patience as he can muster.

Sarah turns to Corrander and smiles innocently, her features suddenly change to that of a child.
"Uncie Corrander? Why are you crying?"

"Nooooo..." he moans, covering his face with his hand while clutching Simone. "Please...do not go now..." he sobs.

Nettle's lips quiver, and she reaches over and rubs Corrander's back as he sobs. "He misses his sister. He's worried that he'll never see her again." she says in a shakey voice.

Simone looks up at Corrander with a worried look on her face, and then starts crying again.

"Oh hey pixie! Don't cry, baby girl! Don't cry!" Nettle sets Ian in his baby-carrier and then reaches over and gently takes Simone from Corrander. "OK, honey, you get dinner now." She quickly switches Simone to the other side and gets her situated. Simone's cries stop the instant she finds her food.

Sarah sits down and looks at Corrander. "Who's going? Auntie Nettle you're not going are you??" she says. "I want you to stay! You just got here!"

Nettle looks at her with confusion, and then she understants. That's the only thing Sarah remembers Corrander saying-- "don't go!" Nettle's mind races as she tries to think of how to handle this one! She opens her arm and pulls Sarah into the crook of it.
"Remember what I said about this amulet? How it showed me and Corrander what happened to his sister? Well sometimes Corrander has flashbacks to what the amulet showed him...he was just having a flashback, Sarah." Nettle lies skillfully.

Corrander holds his head in both hands now, but his crying has become almost silent.

Sarah stands up and pats Corrander's hand. "Please don't cry Uncie Corrander." She says. She turns and walks over to the stained glass flowers. She begins to whisper to them. One of the flowers actually begins to move! It bends down and allows Sarah to pluck it and then bends back. Sarah touches it and begins to whisper as another flower begins to grow from it's stem!
She turns to Corrander and hands him the flower. "I love my Uncie Corrander."

Corrander looks up at Sarah. He has a sudden moment where he wonders where he is...how he got here. He's surrounded by people he's known for less than a month who all...love him. Somehow these people love him. It boggles his mind. Just a few decades back he was a man with parents and a sister and that was it. Now he's uncle to a long string of people. He feels a little overwhelmed!
After a moment of pause, he finally gives Sarah a smile and takes the flower from her. "Oh Sarah...how free you are to give love when you do not know the horrible things I have done in my life! How can you proclaim that you love me when you know none of it?" he asks softly.

"I don't know," she says. "But I love you Uncie Corrander! And Ian loves you, and Simone loves you and Auntie Nettle loves you...isn't that what matters??"

Nettle watches everything quietly with a tiny smile on her face.

Corrander spins the flower slowly between his fingertips, watching the colors as they sparkle and shift in the light.
"The more people one loves, the more one can be hurt. Nettle already hurts for the day Ian 'grows up,' and he was only born 4 months ago. Love causes me more fear than comfort." Corrander realizes that he's might be speaking a little harshly to one so young and innocent to the ways of the world. "I do not mean to upset you. I am honored that you love me-- that all of you love me. I..." Corrander pauses. "Thank you, Sarah."

Sarah smiles and hugs Corrander. "Yay he's happy again." she says. She lets go of Corrander and yawns. "I'm sleepy Auntie Nettle." she says. "Can we go to bed now?"

Nettle yawns, as well. "I was just thinking the same thing, honey!" She carefully gets to her feet, trying not to disturb Simone's feeding. "Corrander, could you--" but Corrander is already on his feet and lifting Ian's baby-carrier off the ground. "Aah! Thank you! Sarah-- think you could carry Simone's carrier?" Nettle slings the diaperbag over her shoulder.

"OK!" she says lifting the carrier in both hands rather awkwardly. "I'm strong see!" she says lifting it again. "Bed-time bed-time! Auntie Nettle think you could read me a bedtime story?"

Nettle grins. "Sure! Oh shi--shoot! We can't get into your parents' room because they're...sleeping! But don't worry-- I can think of some good stories to tell you! You want a scary one? A romantic one? A funny one?"

"Ohhh a funny one!" she says as she tries to skip. "This is heavy," she says.

The group enters the palace and walks to the center of the "cross," and takes a left. When they get to Alec and Nettle's room, they wait out in the hall for a second while Nettle finishes feeding and burping Simone, and then Sarah and Nettle wish Corrander a good night, and he goes to his room while they enter Nettle and Alec's room.
Nettle points to Alec laying sleeping in bed and puts a finger to her lips. She and Sarah sneak into the room, and Nettle changes the babies' diapers and gets them into their pajamas. Then she realizes that there's only the one crib. She thinks for a second, and then lays a baby at each end of the crib.
'They should be OK for one night in the same crib!' she thinks. Then she tip-toes over and opens a dresser drawer, pulling out one of her T-shirts.
"You want to wear this for your nightgown? I should have thought to grab something for you to wear when we got your old crib!" she whispers to Sarah.

"I can wear that!" she says looking at her. "Now tell me a funny story Auntie Nettle."

Nettle cringes and looks over at Alec when Sarah's voice gets loud, but Alec is still sleeping soundly. She turns back and grins at Sarah. "One thing at a time, Sarah!" She helps Sarah get into the makeshift-nightgown, and then quickly gets into her own pajamas. She picks up Sarah and carries her over to the bed. "We can all fit!" she whispers. Nettle gets in and scoots over to the middle of the bed, and helps Sarah get under the covers on the outside of the bed. She lights a candle on the nightstand and turns off the lamp, and then leans on her elbow facing Sarah.
"OK, a funny story...let's see...ah yes! Here's one about Uncle Alec back in the days before he met me!"

Sarah listens intently and snuggles intio the bed laying on her side. "Yeah tell me about Uncie Alec, Aunt Nettle." She yawns and then smiles.

Nettle grins and starts telling Sarah about back in the day when Alec, Jaf, and Slick Willy used to run around together. She leaves out the women, sex, and drugs, and sticks to the funny parts-- kidding it up for Sarah. By the end of the story Sarah is sleeping peacefully, so Nettle leans up and blows out the candle, and then settles down to sleep.

The next morning Nettle blinks open her eyes. Something seems...weird. And then she figures it out. She's completely rested! "Alec?" she calls. "Are you awake? Did I miss the babies waking up or something?" she asks in a disoriented voice.

Alec looks over at her and shakes his head. "I didn't hear them." he says sleepily. He realizes what he just said and sits up. He looks over into the crib. Ian and Simone have rolled over and curled up together. He smiles, "Look Nettle," he whispers.

Nettle-- careful not to disturb Sarah-- crawls over to the side of the bed and peeks into the crib. "Oh my god, Alec!" she whispers, hand going to her mouth. "Look at them! Oh so sweet! Oh Alec-- I've got to take a picture of this! Where's the camera??" She gets off the bed and flits around the room until she finally finds where they put their camera, and then flits back over and takes a couple of pictures. She giggles and puts the camera back, and then sits beside Alec on the bed. She glances back at sleeping Sarah, and then leans into Alec and whispers.
"You should have seen Sarah last night-- she...I...I think she was taken over by the Goddess! She was definitely taken over by someone powerful, if not the Goddess. She said a lot of things..." Nettle shakes her head, remembering back.

Alec looks over at Sarah and smiles, "I have to say that Sarah can get a little scary can't she?" He says. "But look at her now, so peaceful and angelic...I wonder what she's supposed to do. So what did she say, love?"

Nettle wraps her arm around Alec and lays her head on his shoulder, not taking her eyes off of the sweet scene in front of her in the crib.
"Well, she said something about how she's going to fix the deterioration the planet has gone through...she also said..." Nettle's eyes grow distant, "...she said that you and I would know nothing but happiness and love through the years...but that there is a time of great sorrow coming for the world, but she will...keep us from feeling this sorrow." Nettle sighs. "I wonder what that will be..."

Alec shrugs and then smiles at her, "Well then I feel better eh?" he says shaking his head. "Right well I better get dressed so Jake and I can go shopping."

Nettle squeezes Alec and kisses him. "I miss you...be careful and have a fun time, baby! Oh! Will you have Jake get a couple of warded cell phones for us while you're out? I'm sure he'd know where to get them. I need to call my parents back and arrange where to meet them, and stuff, before they surprise us and show up in Salt Lake."

Alec winks, "You bet love." he gets up and heads over to the dresser and pulls out some clothes. He quickly dresses and grabs his wallet. "Right love, I'm heading out to get Jake."

Nettle smiles and waves. "See you, honey!"
She watches Alec leave with a pang of sadness. This will be the first time they've been apart in about a year and a half. She looks around the room at the sleeping kids and feels a little lonely already. After a few minutes she gets off the bed and pads over to the door, opening it and peering down the hall. She hears Alec and Jacob laughing as they leave the palace, so she leaves her bedrom door wide open and pads down the hall to Jacob and Tania's room and knocks.

"Come on in, Nettle," she hears Tania's voice say through the door.

Nettle grins and pushes open the door.

Tania lays there with her back against the headboard, her long black t-shirt a little mussed. She smiles dreamily at Nettle. "Hi, Nettle. What's up?"

Nettle grins. "Hey Tania! Looks like you got your pipes cleaned!" She starts cracking up and walks over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Sorry if I'm bothering you! The kids are still sleeping...our men are gone...I was feeling a little lonely. Don't worry-- I left the bedroom door open."

"I'll say they are," she says with a smile. "I'm so relieved you're back, Nettle. Jake and I have had to keep up the chantry by oursleves ever since everyone left. It hasn't been easy."

Nettle nods, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. "I'm sorry, Tania. We didn't know when it would be safe to come back. This is so weird having no one else in the chantry! So the VAs left...Ozzie's in his lab with the girls...Jason's gone...Veil's in Ireland..." Nettle rests her chin on her knees and sighs sadly. "I know we should recruit, but I'm so paranoid now that I have kids! I mean, what if we found people but they ended up betraying us, or something! Remember all the trouble Sam brought? The LAST thing we need are vampires in the chantry! How do you feel about it?"

"I think now that you both are back we can start discussing it at least. We should have a meeting." she says. "So how was Sarah last night?"

Nettle nods at Tania's suggestion, and then when she asks about Sarah, she lifts her chin up from her knees and smiles. "Wow...that's all I have to say! Does she...have episodes around you and Jake? She kinda turned into someone for a while...someone with a lot of knowledge of the future. I know this sounds weird, but she even turned...well, green! Slightly green. The garden is absolutely AMAZING, by the way!! Even, uh, Alec's special section! I wonder what THOSE plants said to Sarah!" Nettle titters.

Tania nods and takes Nettle's hands. "I know-- she'll do that every once in awhile to us, too. Poor Jake gets very scared when she does it." She pulls the covers off her and motions for Nettle to follow her. She walks over to her meditation room and points. "Let me guess-- she looked sort of like her," she says pointing at the statue of the Green Woman.

Nettle peers at the statue, and then nods. "Yes-- that looks like her! They have the same eyes, too!" Nettle's brow furrows and she looks at Tania. "What exactly is going on? When Sarah was...that lady, she said that she and Sarah are the same person! Is this like Ian, where someday this green-lady is going to awaken full-time within her, or are they two separate people and will always stay separate? And if that's the case, why does she take over Sarah like that? I admit I'm a little confused. But then again, when AREN'T I?" Nettle gives a little laugh.

"I have a few ideas. Come on down to the kitchen, I could use some coffee..." she says heading out of the meditation room. She walks down to the kitchen and finds coffee already made.
"Ah Jake made coffee," she says pouring a cup. She pours one for Nettle and then sits in one of the dining chairs.
"I think it's very much like you said. There's something in her that awakens every once in awhile. It's the Green Woman, I know it. Sarah's affinity for plants and snakes, her eyes...all these things lead me to believe that she's a prophet of the Green Woman."

Nettle adds some creamer from the fridge, and then walks over to the table and sits down with the cup.
"The Green Woman...that's your voodoo loa, right? She was talking exactly like the Goddess, and from what I've touched on about voodoo from my classes with the Verbena, a loa is an aspect of the Goddess, correct? She was calling me and Veil her 'daughters' and said we are some of her favored children." Nettle takes a sip of the coffee and then puts it back down.
"Sarah is known by many powerful allies, Tania. While we were in Balador, Dionysus-- an aspect of the god-- asked to meet her one day. Balador, herself, gave Corrander the charge of asking you if you'd bring her to Balador so she can meet Sarah. And Corrander is convinced that she is the only hope Arcadia has of ever opening its gates permanantly again. He practically worships her! Sarah, herself, said that one day there will be a great world-wide tragedy...she also told Corrander that she would be fixing the damage that is happening to the earth. Did she say any of this to you before?"

"No," she says with a look of concern. "Why on earth would she say that?" She takes a sip of coffee. "So tell me about this Balador. What's she like?"

Nettle raises her eyebrows in puzzlement when Tania says that Sarah hasn't shared this prophesy with her before.
"Balador..." Nettle smiles. "Maybe Corrander would be better to ask-- he got to know her quite well! He's very smitten with her!" Nettle laughs. "No, I can tell you about her. She's an umbrood who's about the same age as Corrander-- 3,000 years, give or take. She's the heart and soul of the Cult of Ecstasy. She created the realm named after her-- it's a place of peace, protection...anything you need it to be. She said that the Cultists and Fae have a symbiotic relationship, so anything that affects the Fae affects Balador. She, apparently, knows the same prophesy that Sarah told us, because she's said that Sarah is the hope of earth, Arcadia, and Balador-- not in so many words. Balador is...wise, beautiful, a perfect hostess..."

"...wonderful, romantic, comforting, beautiful-- oh wait, you already said beautiful did you not?" Corrander grins from the doorway. "Am I disturbing the two of you?"

Tania looks over and smiles, "No, come on in Corrander." She says. "She sounds nice for an Umbrood. I've seen some nasty ones. You sure she's this nice and not just trying to gain your trust and leading you into a trap?"

Corrander raises his eyebrow at Tania. "VERY sure." he says, trying to keep his voice calm.

Nettle senses the tension and quickly butts in. "Hey Corrander-- go peek in the crib! It's the sweetest thing you've ever seen!" she grins.

Corrander gives her a surprised look. "Er...all right..." He walks out of the kitchen and down the hall to Nettle and Alec's room.

Nettle exhales quietly. "I guess the term 'umbrood' might have some bad connotations with it. Balador is above that title. She's just...Balador. She's been the head of the Cult of Ecstasy for all those millenia, Tania-- we can trust her. Besides, she sheltered and cared for me and Alec for a year, was there for the twins' births, herself, and then rescued Corrander from Reality and took us back to Salt Lake. We're like favored guests there! You should have seen how everyone reacted to the twins! We got piles of baby-clothes from grateful residents! I mean, what kind of trap could she be leading us into, really?"

Tania shrugs, "Umbrood don't think like you and I. They're a whole nother species, they are spirits and they think likes spirits." She takes another sip. "I guess I'm just leary of anyone wanting to see Sarah." she says. "I get so protective of her..."

Nettle nods. "Oh I know exactly how you feel-- trust me! Hey-- if Balador wanted to do us any harm, she had plenty of chances! We let one of her servitors babysit Ian and Simone while we went out dancing and drinking! No, she's definitely different than a generic spirit. She experiences human emotions and forms attachments to people, the same as we do. I think of her more as a demi-goddess." Nettle leans in and squeezes Tania's hand. "I'm really protective of the twins, too. Why do you think I had Alec take Jake baby-shopping with him instead of me?" she grins. "Oh! Speaking of the kids, I think we should do some renovations to the palace! Sarah and the twins will need their own rooms, and I know Corrander's used to something a little more...spacious than the room he's in!" Nettle sneakily gets Jacob's pleading request in for Sarah to get her own room soon.

Tania nods, "Good idea, then maybe Jake and I can get some privacy." she says with a wink. "When the boys get home we'll get started!" she says. She reaches over and opens the drawer and pulls out a pad of paper and pen. "Let's see what we can come up with!"

Nettle grins excitedly and slides over closer to Tania so she can draw some of the ideas she's come up with.

Corrander returns to the kitchen with a big smile on his face. "Very sweet, indeed! Those two will be as close as Gwendolyn and I were growing up!"

Nettle looks up and nods. "I HOPE so! Hey-- come help us decide what renovations to do with the palace! I bet you have some ideas for how you'd like your chambers to look, hmm?"

Corrander pulls up a chair, nodding enthusiastically. "That I do...that I do!"

A little while later...

Jake and Alec step out of the taxi into the parking lot of Alec's music store. Alec smiles and gives Jake a wink.
"Still no customers I see." he says. "Well time to see Jaf and get the Gremlin." The two unload all the boxes and packages they'd purchased at the baby-store from the trunk of the taxi and carry them into the store.
"Hey Jaf!" Alec shouts.
"Goodness!!" Jaf says from the back, and the two can hear a stack of something drop. Jaf runs out from the back and sees Alec and Jake. He runs over to Alec and hugs him.
"Watch the suit, Jaf."
"Goodness Gracious! I thought you were dead! I tried to reach you but..." he says seperating.
"Nah just in Balador," he says.

Jacob is busy programming in all the phone numbers Nettle and Alec will need on their new cell phones he picked up while they were out. He and Alec had checked the wards on them earlier after leaving the VA-contact, and everything is tight and secure.
He glances up for a second. "You must be Jaf-- nice to meet you!" Jacob nods, extending his hand to shake Jaf's, and then returning back to his programming.

Jaf shakes his hand and smiles at Jake. "Good to meet sir. Where is Nettle, my friend."
"Back at the chantry. Had any problems while we were gone?"
"No, the store is running smoothly. Ah your parents called. I told them you went on vacation but that I hadn't heard from you. You better call them, they will be worried. They left a number they could be reached at," Jaf says handing Alec a piece of paper.
Alec shrugs, "They won't. They will just think we went on a world tour or something." He says taking the number.
Jaf digs in his pocket and pulls out the keys to the Gremlin. "Here you go."
Alec looks at the keys and takes them with a strangled look on his face.
"You...drove...the Gremlin???"
"You must keep a car running or it will be junk when you return." Jaf says calmly.
A little vein in Alec's temple begins to throb. "You....drove....the gremlin???"

Jacob glances up with the corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "Whoah there, Alec...calm...calm...why don't we take a look at the car before you do something you'll regret?"

Alec rushes out to the garage and opens the door. The gremlin is all washed and in good condition.
Jaf looks out the window. "See, I kept good care of it."
"You better not have changed the radio stations!" Alec says.
Jaf gets a look on his face and closes the window. Alec opens the trunk and he and Jake put the boxes and bags into it. Alec hops into the car and starts it. He backs out of the garage and pulls into the parking lot.
Jaf, standing at the front door looks as if he's about to run.
"Gotta get home Jaf, I'll say hi to Nettle for you and we'll see you tomorrow!" Alec calls out of the car window.
"Hop in Jake!" he says leaning over and opening the door.

Jacob laughs and waves to Jaf. "Nice to meet you!" he calls, and then jump into the car-- careful of the cell phones. "Wow, Alec-- I had no idea you were so attached to your car! I'm glad you left it with Jaf instead of ME!"

Alec smiles as he drives out. "I love this car," he says. He looks in the rearview mirror. "He better not have changed the stations..." he says as he turns on the radio.
The gremlin speeds up as a "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!" echoes in the street.

Meanwhile back at the palace...

Tania is busy getting Sarah ready for the day, and the twins are finally awake, as well. Nettle and Corrander bathed and dressed them, and then Corrander took the opportunity to get cleaned up while Nettle fed them.
Nettle finishes with Simone, lays her in her carrier beside Ian, and walks out into the hallway just as Corrander comes out of his room.
"Hey Corrander...can I talk to you for a minute?" she asks, keeping her voice down.

Corrander, sensing her mood, nods and quickly follows her back into her room. "What is it, Nettle?"

Nettle takes a deep breath. "That stone you carry around with you...I was wondering...could we maybe chip off two little pieces from it and make something for the twins to wear out of them? If the stone can find the amulet, and the kids are both of your mother's blood, then they could use their little pieces of stone to find me anytime if they got lost-- IF they ever got lost. Can...can you make it so that the amulet could also find the little pieces of stone? I think I'd calm down a lot if we had a system like that in place."

Corrander nods. "Of course. The stone is just a piece of the original moonstone around your neck-- scrap that was polished off during the jewelry-making process. It already has the power to find the amulet, so if we were to chip pieces off, they would have that power, as well. As for your amulet, it would be a simple matter of attuning it to find the pieces." He sits on the edge of the bed. "What type of jewelry were you thinking of making for the twins?"

Nettle smiles and hurries over to her jewelry box, and pulls out two long chains-- one gold and one silver. "Alec and I wore these when the twins were conceived. I was thinking we could cut enough length off of each one to make anklets. As they get bigger we can make new ones from the leftover chain."

Corrander raises his eyebrow. "And when they find out where the chains were worn originally?" he smirks.

Nettle grins. "We'll wait to see what kind of personalities they have when they get older before we decide if we're going to share THAT with them!"

Corrander holds out his hands, and Nettle places the chains in his hands. He inspects them, and then nods. "We can cut them, place them around the twins' ankles, and then I'll fuse the ends together with Glamour. Nettle-- what are these seashells and things for?" he asks, looking at the charms Nettle attached to the chains.

Nettle quickly snatches the chains back. "None of your business!" she winks. "But we can take a charm off and attach the stone in its place."

Corrander nods. "Give them back to me and I will get started."

Nettle hands them back, and Corrander leaves the room.

A while later he returns with the leftover chains and two small lengths-- one in silver and one in gold. Each little length has a piece of moonstone attached in the center.

"Oh those are PERFECT! Exactly what I was picturing in my mind!" Nettle exclaims, clapping.

Corrander nods. "All right, I need the amulet for a moment."

Nettle feels hesitant about taking it off-- she's had it on for a long time now-- but finally she pulls it off over her head and hands it to Corrander. Corrander sits down cross-legged on the floor with the little chains in one hand and the amulet in the other. He closes his eyes and concentrates. Closing his hands into fists over the jewelry-items, he holds his fists out in front of him. He brings his fists together for a moment, and then moves them apart an inch, brings them back together, moved them out a foot, brings them back together, and finally brings his arms out to his sides before bringing them back together. Then he nods and opens his eyes.
"Done." he says simply.
He gets up and hands the amulet back to Nettle, and then walks over to the twins. "All right, you two, hold still for a moment." he smiles. He takes the silver chain and turns to Nettle. "I am assuming this one is for Simone?"

Nettle nods, watching everything with big eyes and holding her hands behind her back.

Corrander nods and turns back to Simone. He lifts one of her bare feet and wraps the little piece of chain around it. Bringing the ends together, he moves his fingers across the gap in the chain over an over again, and then takes them away and the chain is flawlessly linked!
"Mother taught me that trick. The chain on the amulet was connected in the same manner!" he beams.

Nettle peers closely at the chain. "Amazing!" he breathes. "Thank you-- wow!"

"One more!" Corrander steps up to Ian, attaches the little golden chain around his ankle, and then steps back and nods in satisfaction. "Done!"

Nettle laughs and looks down at Ian's ankle. "Thank you so much, Corrander!! Ooh-- can we try them out?? You take Ian somewhere in the palace and I'll try to find you!" she cries excitedly.

Corrander sighs and shakes his head. "All right...but it is really not as much fun as it sounds, Nettle. Trust me."

Nettle waves him off, and he picks up Ian and exits the room with him. She gives them a couple of minutes to hide, and then picks up Simone.
"OK, baby girl! We're going to find your brother and Uncle Corrander!"

Simone makes a happy-noise and pats her hands together. Then she notices the little chain around her ankle, and becomes blissfully preoccupied with grabbing at it while her mother does her thing.

Nettle touches the amulet around her neck and closes her eyes, concentrating on wanting to find Ian. Suddenly the amulet starts to vibrate a little, and lifts up slightly off of her chest. She opens her eyes and looks down. "Wow-- it works!" She feels the amulet tugging her in a direction. She walks out into the hallway, and then finds herself facing the wall. "Hmm...I have to go in that direction, but there's a wall here...so I'll go around the corner..." Pretty soon Nettle finds out what Corrander means by it not being as much fun as it sounds trying to use the amulet to find the stone! The amulet doesn't see walls, so it just points you in the right direction and you have to figure out how to get around the walls and still be going the right way!
It takes Nettle about 15 minutes to finally find Corrander! She hurries up to him with a frustrated look on her face. "You were moving, weren't you!" she accuses.

Corrander shrugs. "So were you and Alec when *I* was trying to find you!"

Alec and Jake walk through the portal into the horizon realm. Both carrying the boxes and bags full of baby cribs, clothes and a few odds and ends. They walk down the path and into the palace kitchen.
"Hallo! Anyone in here?" Alec shouts putting down his boxes on the table. He takes some of the boxes from Jake. "There you are! Couldn't see your face for most of that."

Jacob laughs. "Didn't know you WANTED to, Alec! I'm touched!" he smirks.

Nettle hears Alec's voice and gets an excited look on her face. "Come on, guys! Let's show daddy!" She hurries down the hall, around the corner, and then down the last hall to the kitchen.
"Alec! Hey baby, how did it go??" She walks up to Alec and gives him a big kiss, and then looks around at the boxes and smiles. "Wow-- I can't wait to see everything! Speaking of seeing--" She holds up Simone's foot. "Look what Corrander made out of our fertility-chains!"

Corrander steps up beside Nettle, holding Ian. "Fertility chains??" he exclaims in horror.

Alec nods, "Nice work there Corrander. I was wondering what we were going to do with them after they were used." he says. He gets an excited look on his face and picks up one of the smaller boxes. "Look love!" He says handing her the box to open.

Nettle-- not finished telling Alec about the chains, but so excited to have him back that she doesn't want to burst his bubble-- moves Simone to the crook of her arm and peeks into the box.

Inside the box are two doorway jumpers, one in blue the other black and white striped. "One for Ian one for Simone! You like??"

Nettle starts laughing hard. "Are we making these their theme-colors, or something?? Simone-- you better NOT end up in prison!" she laughs again. "These are DARLING, Alec!! I can't wait until they're old enough to use them!" She hugs Alec and kisses his cheek.
"I didn't finish telling you about the chains! They're not just cute anklets-- they each have a piece of the moonstone from the amulet hanging from them! We can use the anklets to find the amulet, and the amulet to find the anklets! You want to try really quick??" Nettle asks excitedly. "Then I want to see the rest of the stuff you bought!"

"OH," he says. "Alright love. Let's try them out," he says. "I'll take Simone and you can try and find me." He says taking Simone from Nettle. "Alright give me a count of ten!"

Nettle laughs. "Wait, Alec-- don't go too far, OK?"
She counts to ten as Alec and Simone disappear down the hallway, and then touches the amulet and concentrates on finding Simone. The same thing happens-- the slight vibration and tugging-sensation-- and Nettle is off down the hall after them!
It only takes Nettle a couple of minutes, this time, before she's able to locate Alec and Simone outside near the garden. She laughs and runs up to them. "Cool, huh! Now I can calm down a little about the babies...maybe..."

"Not bad love. Now we can find them wherever they go," he says with a smile. "Now let's go look at what's in the rest of the boxes." He says kissing Simone's curly little head. Simone, anklet long forgotten, keeps trying to grab Alec's sunglasses.
"The cribs are something to see, love! We bought the most expensive ones they had!"

Nettle links her arm through Alec's and smiles. "Oh really? Wow, Simone-- you're a lucky little girl!" she coos to her daughter. "I can't wait to see what makes the most expensive crib the most expensive crib! Did Jake get the cell phones? Did you stop by our store?" Nettle asks quickly.

"Crikey's love one thing at a time," he says. When they get back into the kitchen he pulls out a huge box with a picture of a crib on it. "Jake and I will put this together." He lays down the cell phones, "And there are the cell phones and yes we stopped at the store." he says. "Now onto the other boxes eh?"

Nettle claps excitedly, and then Simone starts to clap! She surprises herself when her hands come together perfectly-- looking up at Alec with a startled look on her face-- but then when Nettle cheers and tells her what a good girl she is, she laughs and starts clapping again.
"Wow, Alec!! She's a smarty!" Nettle laughs. "Now show me what else you got!" She peers eagerly over the sacks.

The rest of the afternoon is spent showing Nettle the rest of the boxes. When the two are done bragging about the great stuff they bought, Jake and Alec set up the crib and take it to the nursery. Tania and Nettle corner the boys and show them their ideas for the chantry. Alec and Jake add their input and finally everyone settles down after dinner.

Nettle takes Ian back into the bedroom to change him, and comes back afterwards with a puzzled look on her face.
"Hey Alec? Did you guys buy mobiles for the cribs? Remember how much they loved them in Balador?"

Alec thinks a moment. "Hold on," he ays. He puts his coffee down and heads out of the palace towards the portal. He exits the horizon realm and heads outside the chantry to the Gremlin.
Reaching into his pocket he pulls out his key and unlocks the trunk.
"There you are...how could I miss that," he says picking up the two boxes.

"Welll looky here! Look who's fuckin back!" says a raspy voice behind him.
"Hah-hah yeah! It's That guy!" a high-pitched voice says.
"Ah shaddup I'll do da tawkin!"
Alec turns to see three changelings in front of him. He sighs. "Allo Cabbie," he says.

Cabbie squints at him and chews on his cigar. "So you and da little lady have dem kiddies yet?"
Alec looks at him and lights a clove. "You mean the prophecy? Yeah we got it under control." he says. "Two kids-- a boy and a girl."
Cabbie looks at him and then breaks out into a smile. "There you go boy!" The Pooka suddenly jumps up and down clapping his hands.
"SO when do we get ta see these two miracles of life?"
Alec shrugs, "When we feel it's safe to bring them outside."
"Oh we'll protect them, why if anybody came to hurt them I'd moider them!"
"Me too me too!" The Pooka shouts.
"Shaddap!" Cabbie turns back to Alec to find he's gone. "Aww goddamnit you made me lose him!"

Alec watches them through the key hole. He smiles and heads back towards the portal.

Back in the chantry...

Tania walks into the kitchen and sees Nettle and Corrander with the two babies.
"Coffee," she says as she grabs a cup. "I used to never drink coffee until after Jake and I got together."

Nettle grins. "I don't really like it-- I'm a tea-person-- but when Jake makes it with cream, then I can handle it." Suddenly Nettle's grin turns evil. "You like it when Jake makes it...with cream...don't you Tania?" she says in a sultry voice.

Tania raises an eyebrow and smiles, "Oh yes, yes I do."

Corrander slaps his hand on his forehead and shakes his head, trying not to smile.
Ian glances up at Corrander from his place on Corrander's lap, and then goes back to batting at the little anklet around his ankle.

Jacob turns around and raises an eyebrow at Nettle. "Hey-- keep your hands off my cream, Nettle!" he jokes.

Alec strolls in with the two boxes and smiles. "Well the other fae were just outside. They send their best," he says kissing Nettle's cheek.
"Look at these mobiles...nice eh?"

Nettle turns to see what Alec's got. "Oh yeah-- those are perfect! Play music? Check! Rotate in circles? Check! Plushy eye-catching things hanging from them? Check! Great job, Alec!" she laughs. "Here-- " she trades Simone into Alec's arms for the boxes. "I'll go set them up!" She takes a couple of steps, and then pauses comically in mid-step. "Wait...did you say the changeling are outside?"

Corrander lifts his head. "Other Fae? You mean that repulsive cigar-smoking creature and his side-kicks?" He pauses for a moment. "I suppose I owe them my thanks for successfully finding you and giving you the amulet..." he says grudgingly. "I do have some questions for them. Are you not going to let them in, then?"

"Are you kidding? We let them in they won't leave, Corrander." he says. Besides I saw them leave in Cabbie's taxi." He smiles, "They did seem excited however." He sighs, "Right then, next time they are here I'll come and get you so you can see them."

Tania leans back in her chair and drinks her coffee. "I'm not sure if I want squatters in here."

Nettle is a little lost in thought for a moment, and then looks back up and gives a forced smile. "Oh they wouldn't live here, Tania. They're just helping protect Ian...making sure he doesn't leave without them when the time comes...right Corrander?"

Corrander nods. "Of course. And yes-- please do let me know when they are back. Changelings are very much different than pure Fae in many ways, so I will need to know what to expect when Ian's change happens."

"Well I'm going to set these up." Nettle says with a little edge to her voice, and leaves the room with the mobiles.

Jacob leans back against the counter, drinking his coffee. "Don't forget to call your parents, Alec." He reaches into one of his pockets and brings out a piece of paper. "Here's the number." He pushes up from the counter and walks over to Alec, handing him the paper. "We need to head up to the chantry to call-- cell phones don't work in the horizon realm."

"Right then," he says grabbing his new cell phone. Everyone follows Alec out of the horizon realm and into the chantry. They walk up the stairs and re-settle in the chantry kitchen.
Alec punches the number and waits a moment.
"Allo Steve-o. Yeah it's me....yes...yes....not really.....yeah well I-....yes yes.....Listen....Steve? Oh hi mum....right......right........uh-huh.......hey mum......yes....Mum?...Yes.......I-....I-....MUM!!!" he shouts into the phone. "Right, I called to tell you....will you-....You're grandparents....Right.... of course Nettle......Yes...a boy and girl.....no....no I didn't name them after you two....why? Ian and Simone.....right right....see you then...ah-huh.. bye...love you too..."
Alec puts down the phone and puts his hands to his head. "Crikeys! Can't get a word in."

Jacob raises his eyebrows. "What did they say?"

Corrander watches Alec curiously. "You call your father by his given name?" he asks in astonishment.

"Always have Corrander. My mum, too, but that upsets her every once in awhile. They said they'd see us in a few days. They want to see the babies." He says.

Corrander leans back and gives Alec an imperious look. "They had to ASK if Nettle was the mother??"
Ian makes an excited noise and pats his hands on his legs-- still entertained by the anklet.
Corrander moves his eyes down to Ian, then back up to Alec and raises an eyebrow at the irony of how obvious it is that Ian's Nettle's son, not looking pleased.

Nettle-- not quite done with the mobiles when the group came by for her-- finally re-joins everyone int he kitchen. "There-- all set!" She looks at Corrander's face. "OK, what's wrong now?"

"Oh I called my parents they said they'll see us in a few days." He says shooting a look at Corrander. "They're very excited about being grandparents."
He takes a sip of his coffee. "So love why don't you call your parents?"

"Oh right! Good idea!" Nettle walks over to the counter and picks up her new cell phone where Jacob layed it. "These are great, Jacob! Thank you!"

Jacob grins and hurries over to her side. "Look-- I'll show you how it works!" Jacob takes a minute to show Nettle all the features he already explained to Alec in the car. "And here is where you find all the saved phone numbers! But watch!"
Jacob brings the phone to his mouth. "Alec!" he says into the receiver. Suddenly Alec's cell phone starts ringing. "Pretty sweet, huh!" He reaches over and switches off Alec's phone.

"Oh wow, Jake!! That will be so helpful if our arms are full, or we're being chased by something..." Nettle winks. "Help me put Veil, Jaf, and my parents' numbers in here!"

"Sure!" Jacob answers excitedly. He shows Nettle how to program the phone, and soon more phone numbers have been added to the database. "OK, try it out!"

Nettle puts the receiver right up to her mouth. "Jaf!" she calls, and the phone dials Jaf's phone number. Nettle grins and brings the phone up to her ear. After a couple of rings Jaf picks up. "Hey Jaf, it's Nettle!"

"Oh gracious! Hello there Nettle! It is good to hear from you! Is Alec still upset about the Gremlin?" he asks tentatively.

Nettle raises her eyebrows. "The Gremlin?"

"Oh he hasn't told you then...I drove the Gremlin while you were gone! Speaking of gone. Two cops showed up at the store while you were at Balador. The first time they asked about you and where you were. I persuaded them to forget about things and to tear up the file. Then a few months later they showed up again and I had to do it all over again. Any idea about that?"

Nettle flushes a little. "Sorry, Jaf...I've kind of procrastinated giving the 'talk' Mages give their Sleeper-parents about never contacting the police, and such, but don't worry! I'm about to rectify that! So you think the police are off the case then? You don't think they're still looking for us, right?" Nettle asks hopefully.

"NO I took care of them yes," Jaf says. "OH and Willie has been by. Tell Alec to call him." he says. "Oh goodness there is a customer. I must go now. See you later Nettle." he says and swtiches off the phone.

Alec scowls, "Did he apologise for driving the Gremlin?"

Nettle exhales in relief, and then runs over to Alec and hugs him tightly. "Jaf saved us!! We're free and clear! The police came to the store looking for us, and he made them destroy the missing-persons-report and forget about us! What an angel!!" she exclaims, kissing Alec. "Yes, baby, he apologized for the Gremlin, and he said Willy came by the store looking for you and you should call him." She thinks for a moment. "If your parents are coming here in a couple of days, then it should be safe for my parents to come here, too. I'll call and tell them to come! We'll just need to figure out where they should all stay...hmmm...they could stay at Dad's brother's house, maybe? What do you think, baby?"

"Aright," he says. "A little reunion eh? That could be good. It would get them to see the kids, and when we need some time alone they can go off by themselves eh?" he says. He turns to Ian, "That sound good Ian?"
Ian looks over at daddy and smiles.
"Ian likes the idea."

Nettle rolls her eyes and smiles. "He likes ANY idea, if you say it nicely!" She brings the phone back up to her mouth. "Seatons!" she calls, and the phone starts dialing her parents' house.
"Hey Mom! It's Ne-- er Iris!...I'll explain that later, you and Dad want to come see us? We're back in Salt Lake!...how about in two days? Alec's parents will be here in two days!...no, no, wait two days, OK Mom?...because we're trying to figure out where to let you all stay...no, you shouldn't stay in a hotel-- remember last time?...well what if the police came again!?...no, no we were thinking of Uncle Michael's house-- that OK?...yeah, we'll call him...OK then, we'll call him tonight!...hey can you put Dad on the phone?...no, no-- I DO trust you, Mom...come on, just put Dad on!" Nettle winces and holds the phone away from her ear for a second. "Dad? Hey it's Iris!...yes, in two days!...we'll have Uncle Michael come get you and bring you to his house...I'll call him in a minute...yeah, they're coming, too!...because the airport's probably not a safe place for us to be seen right now...OK, I'll let you call Uncle Michael...hey, let me give you me and Alec's cell phone numbers, OK?" Nettle gives out the numbers and wraps up the call with her parents, clicking the phone off.
"OK, all set!" she sighs.

"Right then," Alec says. He looks down at Simone and kisses her little head. "You're going to see gran-pa and gran-mama. Both of them," he says. Simone looks up for daddy's voice then goes back to grabbing her anklet.

Tania finishes her coffee and sighs, "Just don't bring them here, Nettle. Have them show up at the store." she says.
Alec nods, "Wouldn't want to blow their minds...anymore than they have already been blown," he says with a snicker.

Nettle covers her mouth and laughs. "That's for sure! Don't worry, Tania-- they'll be staying at my Uncle Michael's house. They can't be trusted to stay at a hotel-- not all four of them together! Uncle Michael doesn't know what he's getting into...if he AGREES to it! He's got a big heart, tho', poor guy..." Nettle shakes her head. "When I was 16 I left home and moved in with Uncle Michael and Aunt Linda and went to school with my cousin Natalie. Michael is dad's only brother-- they came to the States after they'd both graduated from English high school because they thought it sounded like a cool place, and never ended up leaving! They both found American wives and settled down here...well, SORTA settled down..."

Corrander peers at Nettle over the top of Ian's head. "Iris?" he asks with a smirk. "Well that explains it."

Nettle puts her hands on her hips. "Are you making fun of my name?"

Alec snickers and then makes a straight face. "Don't make fun of Iris's name, Corrander. It's a nice name...it's the name of a flower." he says.

Tania shakes her head, "Careful Corrander. Some of us use different names to hide, and we're very protective of our real names," she says with a wink to Nettle.

Nettle folds her arms and gives a firm nod to Tania. "That's right! And Veil made sure never to call me 'Nettle' in front of everyone at the wedding, although Mom heard people calling me that during the reception and keeps pestering me to explain it to her!" Nettle sighs. "And I wasn't named after the flower, I was named after the Greek goddess of rainbows, OK?"

Corrander continues to grin, until Nettle finally makes an exasperated noise and starts stomping out of the kitchen.

"One moment, Nettle-- why did you move in with your aunt and uncle when you were 16, then?" Corrander calls.

Nettle turns around in the doorway. "Ask Alec," she huffs. She flips her hair as she turns back around, and then continues stomping down the hallway.

Alec shrugs, "A man her parents trusted tried to molest her. She left home and moved in with her Aunt and Uncle." Alec looks to Corrander, "It's not a subject she likes to talk about so try not to bring it up again," he says. "Well I should go after her." He gets up and he and Simone head after Nettle.

Tania looks at Corrander, "She's a touchy one."

Corrander watches Alec leave with a surprised look on his face that quickly turns to an angry, determined look. 'I will ask her mother who this man is and kill--' Corrander thinks to himself, and then suddenly realizes he probably won't get to see Nettle's mother, let alone talk to her. And even if he DID see her, she probably wouldn't be able to see him since she's a Sleeper.
He sighs and looks over at Tania. "It runs in the family."

Jacob shrugs. "I'd be touchy, too, if I had that happen to me...although I think I would have gone back later and killed the bastard."

Corrander nods approvingly to Jacob. "Just what I was thinking, myself." He looks back at Tania. "I really would appreciate it if I could speak with the changelings, and to do that they would need clearance to enter the chantry. I need to know what to expect...how to help Ian through it."

Tania considers a moment. "I'll have to meet these people and decide then."

Meanwhile...

Nettle stomps down the hall, and suddenly realizes she doesn't know where she intended to stomp to. Then she remembers one of her favorite rooms in the palace, and walks back down the stairs, re-entering the horizon realm. She heads across the yard and back into the palace, skirts the courtyard, and goes down the long hallway straight ahead.

Alec looks around and notices the door to the stairs down to the horizon realm is open. He heads the same way Nettle did, but makes his way into their bedroom. "Nettle?" he asks. He looks around and then walks over to her worship-room. He pokes his head in. "Nettle?" Not seeing her he backs out into the hall.
"Right then, mineral bath it is." he says. He turns and goes down the call past the combat-training room and into the mineral bath. "Ah there you are."

Nettle's sitting hunched over at the edge of the large pool with her feet soaking in the mineral water. She starts at the sound of Alec's voice and quickly puts something under her legs before peeking over her shoulder.
"Hey..." she says in a melancholy voice before turning back and resting her chin on her knees.

"Hello love...cutting yourself again?" he says narrowing his eyes.

Nettle's eyes widen and she feels her stomach clench for a second. Her eyes shift over to look at Alec.
"Didn't get a chance," she replies with just a touch of sarcasm. "How's it any different than your little stash, anyhow?" She feels guilty for being snippy-- especially in front of Simone-- but can't help it. She shifts her eyes back down to her feet and gives a silent sigh.

"I see...well then." He says. He puts Simone's baby carrier down and turns it so Simone can see Nettle and the walks to the door. "Go on then don't let me stop you..." he says as the closes the door behind him.

Nettle's eyebrows go up in surprise when Alec actually just leaves! 'Shit...' she thinks, wondering what she said that was so bad, and then she look over and sees Simone sitting there watching her with big eyes. Suddenly Nettle's bottom lip starts quivering and her eyes fill with tears.
"Hey Pixie..." she says in a shakey, quiet voice. She covers her eyes with her hands for a minute while fighting down the tears, and then takes her hand away.
Simone has a look of worry on her face, and her bottom lip is pooched out. Nettle looks at her sadly, and then forces herself to give Simone a tiny smile. She scoots closer to Simone, and then lifts her out of the carrier and cradles her in her arms.
Simone reaches up and pats her mother's face with her hands, and then grabs a handful of Nettle's hair and looks at it excitedly.

Nettle peers out over the pool and sighs, her face sad again. "I'm excited for you to meet Grandma and Grandpa Seaton, but...whenever I see them or talk to them, that same resentment bubbles up, even though I never talk about it..." She pauses for a moment. "...that's because WE never talked about it after it happened. NO one did. And they went right back to the same lifestyle. I bet they even stayed friends with him! 'He was just stoned-- he didn't know what he was doing!' Nettle mimics her mom's voice. "And then Corrander just HAD to give me that smug look when I was already pissed-off!" Nettle's voice echos across the room, and she falls silent again, watching the patterns the light makes on the walls when it reflects off of the surface of the water.

Back in the kitchen...

Alec walks back into the chantry kitchen and sits down. "She'll calm down in a bit. She gets like this when her parents are coming." He says and takes a sip of coffee.

Tania looks at Alec. "So how have you been?"
Alec smiles, "Alright I suppose. Want to work on the palace tomorrow?"
Tania nods, "Sure, that ok with you two?"

Jacob crosses one leg over the other-- still leaning against the counter. "Didn't you say Veil is coming back soon? She actually has experience with molding and shaping architecture in the horizon realm, so-- as desperate as I am to get started on this-- maybe we should wait for her. I can just see her walking into the realm to see this leaning tower-disaster that we made..."

Corrander shrugs. "My room is comfortable enough..."

Tania nods, "Good point. "Right let's hold off on any renovations until she's here." She yawns and stands up. "Well I'm off to bed." she says. "I'll find Sarah and then I'll meet you," she says at Jake. "In bed."

Jacob raises his eyebrows and stands up straight. "And...will Sarah be in bed, too?" he asks a little hesitantly.

Corrander inwardly shakes his head, not understanding all these parents sleeping with their children in the same room...and then he remembers his childhood and instantly quiets this thoughts.

"Actually I think we can set up a sleeping bag in one of the studies. She can sleep there." she says with a smile.

Alec looks at Jake and winks, "Right on eh?"

Jacob does a little jump and then brings his elbow straight down with his hand clenched into a fist. "YES!" he cheers, and then looks around at everyone and straightens the collar of his shirt, pretending nothing just happened. "So I will see you all tomorrow then..." he grins, and does a Fonzy-strut out of the room after Tania.

Corrander laughs and shakes his head, standing with Ian. "You know, Alec...you could always wheel those cribs into my room tonight if you and Nettle are in need of some seclusion." he offers.

"Maybe...we'll see how she is when she gets back," he says taking a sip of coffee.
"She gets in these dark moods and it can be hard to get her out."

Corrander nods, gazing down at the floor-tiles. "I understand...perhaps I should go speak with her. I know that in our family there can be no peace without justice-- without revenge. Was this man who...molested her punished?"

"No, but I wouldn't talk to her or bring this up again. Just let it lie and let her deal with it. I find that certain things like this, there's no way to talk her back. Just gotta let her talk herself back." Alec says taking another sip.

Corrander frowns. "Perhaps...but it is really only a temporary fix, is it not Alec? She will continue to hurt and continue to feel rage intermittantly until the source is removed. Forever." Corrander doesn't elaborate on whether he means she will hurt forever, or if the source should be removed forever, but the way he says it makes Alec think he probably means both.
Corrander considers taking Ian into his room while Alec thinks about things, but then remembers all the paintings-- how he set them out so they're all leaning against furniture so he can see them-- and quickly changes his mind. He continues standing there a little awkwardly.

Alec finishes his coffee and takes Ian from Corrander. "I think me and Ian are just going to sit here awhile and bond. You can head to bed if you'd like," Alec says.

Corrander bows his head. "All right then. But you know where to find me if you with to reconsider my offer."
He walks out of the kitchen, back down into the horizon realm-- bowing deeply and respectfully to Dalthania as she allows him to pass-- and then enters the palace. He pauses for a moment-- still considering whether he should follow his gut-instinct and go speak with Nettle, or honor Alec's wishes to leave her be. He finally decides to compromise by going to his room, but makes it a point to remember to speak with Nettle about it later. He walks to his room and disappears inside.

Back in the mineral bath...

Simone kept peering down at the water curiously, trying to touch it, so Nettle got an idea. She stripped off all of she and Simone's clothing-- except Simone's diaper and plastic pants-- and waded into the bath with her. Simone-- very excited-- began splashing around and kicking her legs tadpole-style, laughing and cooing.

Nettle laughs delightedly, bending her knees so the water comes up to her chest and walking backwards while pulling Simone through the water. "Yeah, you remember living in water not too long ago, hmmm pixie? Splashy-splash!" she laughs, all her frustration melting away instantly.

Simone continues to splash and kick her legs. She looks up at Nettle and sighs and then splashes more in the water.

Nettle laughs and shakes her head. "You're so silly, baby girl! Thanks for staying with mommy and cheering her up. Sometimes guys just don't understand, huh! Sometimes it just has to be us girls who work things out, right sweetheart?"
Simone does an extra-big kick-- splashing lots of water everywhere-- and Nettle laughs and nods her head firmly. "Yeah! Girl-time!"

Simone coos and guggles as she plays with the water. She suddenly slips out of Nettle's grasp and goes under. She actually begins to swim underwater and runs into Nettle.

Nettle's eyes wide open and heart thumping hard, she snatches Simone out of the water and holds her tightly to her chest, looking her over frantically. "You OK, Simone?? You OK??" But Simone just looks up at Nettle with her matching green eyes, nothing wrong at all.
Nettle closes her eyes and sinks back into the water, crying a little. "That scared mommy...maybe we should get out now..."
Simone does a couple more good splashes for her mother, and Nettle suddenly remembers a special she saw on cable about babies who swim underwater like it's nothing-- completely natural. She considers letting Simone try it again, but the thought scares her too much.
"OK honey...a little more splashing and then it's time for beddy-bye, OK?"
She pulls Simone around the pool a little more, still shaken-up from the underwater-incident.

After a while, Nettle finally backs up to the cement stairs that lead out of the pool, lifts Simone up into her arms, and stands.
Simone does a few more valiant froggy-kicks in the air against her mother's tummy, but the water's really gone. She pats Nettle's upper-chest as if in protest.
Nettle smiles. "Don't worry, baby girl! We can come here everyday if you want-- it's just down the hall! I bet your brother would love to try it out, too, hmm? Want to swim with brother?" Nettle walks up the stairs and out of the pool, and then looks around and sees a stack of fluffy white towels in the corner.
"We're wet-- look at your soggy diaper!" she chuckles. She lays Simone on the pile of clothing and quickly gets her sopping-wet diaper off and throws it into a nearby garbage can. Then she piles her and Simone's clothing into the baby-carrier, walks over to the stack of towels and grabs one, and drapes it over her shoulders-- wrapping it around she and Simone. It's a big towel! Then she picks up the baby-carrier in her hand and hurries out of the room, giggling and snuggled with her daughter in the towel.

Alec stares at the wall then to Ian for a bit. "Right, let's get you to bed little man," he says as he picks up Ian in his carrier. He walks down the hall to the bedroom to see a flash of white go by the door. He peers into the bedroom to see Nettle and Simone wrapped in a towel.
"Well well what were you two up to?"

Nettle jumps in surprise, and then sets down the carrier full of clothes and laughs with relief when she sees it's Alec. "Simone wanted to get into the water, so I took her for a swim! Isn't this cute??" She kisses Simone's wet, curly head and Simone gives a loud, excited "AAUH!"
Nettle-- her wet hair plastered to her head-- grins. "We had girl-time." She lifts her nose in the air and turns her back on Alec and Ian melodramatically, as if she and Simone are in an exclusive club.

"Right then," he says. He walks over to the dresser and pulls out a bathing suit and then walks back to the door.
"Ian and daddy will have guy-time. We'll have a beer, look at some porn, watch sports-- how's that sound Ian?"
Ian who's happy to be mentioned claps his hands and looks up at daddy.

Nettle turns back around and gives Alec a disapproving look. "Don't encourage him, Alec! He's going to be a sweet, chivelrous, romantic guy if I can help it!"
'Thank the goddess we brought Corrander home with us!' she thinks with relief.
She walks up to Ian and bends down carefully with Simone in her arms, kissing his forehead. "Take care of Daddy and don't let him get into trouble!" she coos to him.
Simone reaches out and pats Ian's face, and then Nettle stands back up straight and looks at Alec for a second. "Go on then, don't let me stop you." she echos Alec's earlier words to her, still feeling hurt that Alec walked out on her instead of staying and talking to her. She keeps her voice steady, but her sad eyes betray her tough exterior. She turns and walks back over to the bed, dropping the towel from around her and using it to dry off Simone.
"Hey, baby girl! You look so cute cuddled up in that towel!" she giggles, rubbing her nose against Simone's.
Simone gives a little squeal and pats the top of Nettle's head.

Alec walks out and down the hall to the mineral bath. He undresses and gets into his trunks and then undresses Ian and sets his clothes to the side. He steps into the bath and brings Ian in. Ian let's out a gurgle and begins to kick his legs and squeal. Alec laughs, "I think we have an Olympian here!" he says as Ian continues to make happy noises and to swim.

----------------------------------------- Nettle waits until the males are gone, and then sits down on the bed and sits Simone on her lap. She starts to cry again. "What do you think's wrong with Daddy? He's not acting like himself tonight-- he's being so indifferent! Stupid Scorpios! He hardly ever gets moody-- what did I say??"
Simone catches sight of her anklet and pats at the stone. She looks up at Nettle and then goes back to patting the stone.

There's a knock at the door and then Corrander sticks his head in. "Nett-- ah! Sorry." He quickly pulls his head back out. "What are you doing sitting there nude like that? Get dressed!" he ordered, folding his arms and leaning his back against the hallway wall.

Nettle puts a hand to her heart. "Jesus-- you scared me! I took Simone for a swim, OK? Hold on--" Nettle lays Simone on the bed and quickly pulls on some flannel pajama-bottoms and a tank top. "OK, come in." she calls, hurrying over to the suitcases to find a sleeper for Simone.
Simone sees Corrander come in and rolls onto her tummy, lifting her head proudly. "GAH!" she crows.

Corrander smiles. "Very impressive, Simone!" he encourages, walking into the room and sitting down beside her to make sure she doesn't roll off.

Nettle comes back with a sleeper and diaper and sits on the bed, getting Simone dressed.
"Hey Corrander...how's it going?"

Corrander puts his hands on his legs and taps his fingers. "Well...and you?" He peers down at Nettle's black-smeared eyes and raises an eyebrow inquiringly.

Nettle glances up for a second and shrugs.

Corrander watches Nettle dress Simone for a moment. "I may be overstepping my bounds, but I firmly believe that Alec is wrong for not addressing this problem. Your parents, as well, from the sounds of it. Here you are, what-- 13 years later?-- still upset about an event that happened when you were 16. You must resolve this, Nettle. Remember when we were dancing and we spoke of our inner rage? I am in search of the resolution to mine. You MUST speak with your parents about this when they come to visit!"

Nettle shakes her head slightly. "It will ruin the visit and upset Mom."

"Oh *I* see. Her peace of mind is more important than yours?" Corrander folds his arms.

Nettle puts her forehead in her hand and lowers her face. "You would have to know her...she gets upset-- she goes nuts! Drinks...gets high...breaks things...gets the police called on her...she can't handle tense situations! Everyone has to be happy and calm!"

"TOO BAD!" Corrander says loudly.

Simone looks up at Corrander in surprise, watching him with wide eyes. Her bottom lip starts to tremble.

Nettle shakes her head, forehead still in her hand. "She's just like a baby-- see how Simone reacts to anger?" Nettle picks up Simone and holds her up to her shoulder, swaying and rubbing her back until she calms down. "There now, baby girl...go to sleep..."

Back in the bath...

"Right, Ian swim for daddy," he says as he watches Ian kick his legs and pump his little arms. "I can hardly keep hold of you," he says. He sighs and thinks of Nettle. "Maybe I should have talked to mommy...what do you think?"
Ian lets out an excited gurgle and paddles some more.

Alec lets Ian swim a bit more and then gets up and out of the tub. He grabs a towel and dries Ian off. Ian laughs as he towels his belly. Alec smiles, "I'm sorry, Ian, I haven't been spending much time with you. I'll have to remedy that eh? But first it seems I have to do a favor for mommy." he says. He finishes toweling off Ian and then heads back to the bedroom. He can hear Corrander and Nettle's muffled voices and he closes his eyes drawing on the mind link.
"Pete Alcott..." he whispers. He puts on a smile and walks into the room.
"Allo allo, what's all this then?"

Nettle looks up at Alec with tear-filled eyes, and hastily wipes at them. She turns and lays Simone down, but Simone-- who had just fallen asleep-- hears her daddy's voice and instantly wakes up again. She rolls onto her stomach in the crib and peers at Alec through the bars.

Nettle turns back around to face Alec. "Just talking..." she says in a tired voice.

Corrander stands. "If I could ask one favor, it would be that you encourage Nettle to confront her parents. This resentment will only go on forever-- trust me-- and her relationship with her mother is badly damaged because of it. I do apologize if I am stepping on your toes, Alec, but I feel very strongly about this."

Alec looks at him and nods. "You're right. Nettle, you should talk to your mother about this. Get it off your chest." he says. He shoots Corrander a look and then walks over and sets the carrier down. He sighs and sits next to Nettle. He rubs her shoulders and looks her in the eye. "You alright love?"

Corrander bows his head. "Good night. And my offer to look after the twins always stands." He quickly leaves the room, knowing when it's time to go.

Nettle leans forward and puts her face in her hands, nodding her head. In a second Alec can hear muffled crying. Suddenly Nettle sits up and twists to face Alec, and wraps her arms around him, pressing her face to his shoulder. "Why are you so mad at me??" she cries, voice muffled again.

"I'm not mad love. I'm concerned. You get so down when you're parents are coming but you are so excited to have them here. I don't understand." He says.

Nettle cries harder for a moment when the answer comes to her mind, so she has to pause. "I love my parents...I miss them...but everytime I see them..." she shakes her head. "I want Mom to be a normal mom sometimes!! At least while I was growing up! Now it doesn't matter so much, but when I see her acting her normal wigged-out-self it just reminds me of the scene that went on at our house...which leads me to remembering OTHER things and how my parents handled certain OTHER things...which is to say that they didn't! And I see them smiling and acting silly, and it pisses me off because they should be sorry! They should be...trying to make it up to me, or something! It's like their lives weren't affected by it at all!" Nettle pauses for a moment. "But you can't get mad at me for it, Alec! You're the one person I thought I could rely on to be patient and listen to me rant, but you just left!" Nettle twists back around and holds her face in her hands again. "I don't know what's wrong with me..." she moans miserably.

"You can love, you can always count on me, but you have to grow a tougher skin eh? Just because Corrander mentions something you don't want him to doesn't mean you should break down. What happens when Simone says something or Ian? You're a lot stronger than you think love, and all this...shite is no longer about you. We have kids now, important ones at that. Time to get a bit on with things." He says looking at her.

Nettle hits the side of the bed with her fists and stands. "It's not about Corrander bringing anything up! It all started when you mentioned the changelings being back-- I'm nervous about that for some reason-- so I was already off when everyone started teasing me about my name, so the whole parents-thing was just the final thing! It had nothing to do with Corrander! Nothing! I was already subconsciously stressing about it!" She paces with her hands on her hips. "And this IS still about me! I'm still pissed about it!" She points her finger at Alec. "And you BETTER not play housekeeping inside my head! I'm dealing with it!"

"There you are love." he says with a smile. "That's good. Get angry, get mad, and confront your parents." he says standing up and crossing his arms. He smiles at her and kisses her cheek.
"Ian swam like a little fish. Do all babies do that?" he says changing the subject.

Nettle grinds her teeth and clenches her hands into fists, making an "oooooh!"-growl between her teeth. She HATES when Alec acts smug like that and then tries to change the topic on her! She can see that he's going to try to pull the baby-card on her to calm her down when she's mad from now on, and that makes her frustrated, too! She storms from the room and down the hall to the combat-training room where she procedes to kick and punch the shit out of a punching bag. After a few minutes she steps back into the doorway of she and Alec's room, leaning against the doorframe and breathing hard.
"I don't know-- did he swim underwater? Simone did. I saw a show about babies who can do that." she says in a strained voice, trying to speak calmly. She's tired of fighting, and just plain tired.

"I didn't let him," he says with his eyebrow raised. "Now what's say we send the kids over to Corrander's and then we'll work out that stress the right way." he says walking over and putting his arms around her waist. "What do you say baby."

Nettle does a little pout and wraps her arms around Alec. "First you have to tell me how much you love me. Tell me you're not mad at me, and that you were a big jerk to walk out on me, and that you're sorry for pissing me off. And then tell me you love me, and give me the kind of kiss that will make me forget about wanting to punch you in the arm." She has a stubborn look on her face.

Alec smiles, "I love you more than I could say. I'm not mad at you love, I'm sorry I pissed you off then," he says. He brings her closer to him and then turns dipping her. He smiles and gives her a kiss that would melt the the icecaps.

Nettle gasps and opens her eyes, her legs rubbery. "You forgot to say that you're a big jerk..." she breathes, and then stumbles over to sit heavily on the bed.

Alec nods, "Right right," he says. "Alright, you're a big jerk, now make with the love."

Nettle folds her arms, eyes glaring. "We've been married for HOW long and you thought that would be funny to say while I'm still pissed??" She lays back on the bed and folds her arms on her chest. "Now you have a LOT more work ahead of you than just a kiss. But nothing's gonna happen while the babies are still here." Nettle glares up at the ceiling, waiting.

Alec sighs, "Right right," he says. He gets Ian changed into a dry diaper and sleeper and sets him back into his carrier. Then he picks up sleeping Simone from her crib and lays her gently in her carrier. He takes them over to Corrander's room and knocks on the door.
"Corrander...do me a favor, mate. Could you watch the kids tonight?" he asks hopefully.

"One moment, Alec," Corrander calls, and quickly turns the paintings of his family-members around so their backs are facing out. Then he brushes his hands off and opens the door. "Of course, Alec! Here-- let me help you." He takes the carriers from Alec and sets them on his bed. "This will be quite the test of my uncle-skills, but Nettle mentioned that they've been sleeping through the night, so we can hope that this will be the case tonight!" He looks around. "We can wheel a crib right here--" he says pointing to a space beside the bed. "I will just need diapers-- I saw bottles in the...the...re-fridg-erator," he says, remembering the word.

"Right as rain," he says. He walks back to their bedroom and wheels both cribs out and into the hall and into Corrander's room. "There you are, hold on I'll get the rest." Alec comes back in and grabs the diapers and walks back into Corrander's room.
"There, anything else before I go?"

Corrander has layed the sleeping infants in their respective cribs, and turns around when Alec returns. He shakes his head and walks over to Alec so they can keep their voices low.
"That should be it. I am assuming Nettle is feeling better, then?" he winks.

"A little. I'm about to make her feel a whole lot better," he says with a wink. "Right then, good luck with them. Thanks Corrander," he says. He closes the door behind him and pads down to the bedroom. He opens the door and closes it gently behind him.
"There love...all set."

Nettle glances over at Alec, arms still folded on her chest. "All right then...you're the Mind-mage-- show me what I need." She raises her eyebrows challengingly.

Alec raises an eyebrow and then closes his eyes and links with her mind. "Oh yeah baby...oh yeah..."
He smiles and gets out of his shirt. He lays next to her and brings his arm up so she can snuggle onto his chest. He strokes her hair and kisses her forehead.
"Alright love tell me all about it, I'm listening..."

Nettle lets out a sigh of relief, sits up for a second to get her tank top off, and then snuggles into Alec's arms so their skin can be in comforting contact. She murmurs to him-- pouring her heart out-- and this time, with Alec finally listening instead of lecturing, she feels a great release of pent-up frustration. Soon she's back to being the familiar, affectionate Nettle, and starts kissing Alec passionately.

"Don't worry love," he says after they break the kiss. "I'll take care of everything...speaking of taking care of things," he says rolling her over onto her back...

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