Nettle stands in front of the mirror, checking her appearance anxiously. They're about to leave to go over to her Uncle Michael's house where she and Alec's parents are currently staying, and neither she nor Alec have seen their parents in about 2 years-- give or take. And their parents are about to meet their new grandbabies.
Nettle's wearing a pair of pretty black Chinese silk pants with a tight, dark red, long-sleeved shirt, and black and red high-heeled sandals that Nettle thinks have an intriguing vampirish-design-- maybe inspired by a movie. She found them at one of her favorite stores, the Blue Boutique. Checking her make-up, she turns back around and walks over to the babies in their carriers, her face lighting up when she sees them.
Ian's wearing she and Alec's favorite blue crushed-velvet suit, complete with little black baby-boots, and Simone's wearing her black velvet leggings with the black and white striped long-sleeved shirt. Nettle even tied a little red scarf loosely around her neck, and stuck the black beret on her head. She can't wait to see how Alec's mom Lysette reacts to the outfit-- considering she has an identical one in her wardrobe!

Nettle giggles, bringing a hand to her chin and looking the twins over. "Who couldn't love these two?!" she asks no one in particular.

"I don't know love. I think they look smashing!" he says. He looks himself over in the mirror. Blue crushed velvet jacket, white shirt and black pants and shoes with the Union Jack design. "Speaking of smashing...I look fabulous!" he says. He reaches into the dresser and pulls out a red ruffled cravat and ties it around Ian's neck loosely. "There now he looks great!"
He looks over at Nettle and winks.
"Sexy baby...very sexy!"

Nettle laughs and wraps her arms around Alec's neck. "You DO look fabulous! And now Ian looks like he should be sitting on a yacht with a cigarette-holder between his teeth!" She takes a deep breath. "You ready to do this, baby?"

"Yeah baby we should get a captain's hat for him eh?" he says with a smile. He leans back up and picks up Ian's carrier and slings the diaper bag over his shoulder. "Right ready whenever you are.

Nettle nods and picks up Simone's carrier and diaperbag. "OK, let's go!"

The two start out of the bedroom. Corrander-- standing in the kitchen-- sees them and hurries down the hall to join them. "I will see you to the door," he smiles, bowing to them.
Nettle grins. "Sure, bodyguard-Corrander!" she jokes. She knows Corrander is a little on edge about Ian leaving to go somewhere where he cannot protect him. "Oh--" Nettle reaches into the diaperbag and brings out a photograph. It's a picture taken at she and Alec's wedding of her parents. "Here's the picture you wanted to see." She hands it over to Corrander as everyone walks across the grass to the entrance to the chantry.

Corrander takes the photograph and inspects it. He gets a little smile on his face. "Spitting image of your mother, aren't you! That runs in the family, as well, it seems. Gwendolyn's face is that of Mother's." He nods and hands the photograph back. "And you say your mother has no...special abilities?"

Nettle shakes her head. "Not that I know of, anyhow...unless you count being able to drink an entire flask of whiskey in one breath without wincing!"

Corrander laughs. "No...not the special ability I was thinking of!"

"Yeah, me either!" Nettle scoffs. "Ah well!"

"Stop being bitter. Love her for who she is, for she will not change, and she is your mother." Corrander admonishes.

Nettle sighs and nods. "Sorry."

They walk through the portal and upstairs into the church proper. They walk past the pews and to the front door. Alec turns to Corrander. "Wish us luck."
Alec rolls his eyes and opens the door and steps back startled. "Shite...what are you doing there?"

Cabbie smiles and shifts his cigar to the side of his mouth. "Well well you had to come out sometime didncha!" he says triumphantly. "Hey dere," he waves at Nettle. He looks over to see Corrander and his eyes widen. "Whoah! What the fuck!"

Corrander folds his arms and gives Cabbie an imperious look. "Thought you were rid of me, did you? Well I found the Llandona and waited there for Alec and Nettle, and *I* have been appointed Ian's protector." Suddenly Glamour fills Corrander's countenance with majesty.

Nettle watches the exchange quietly, lifting the baby-carrier up into her arms protectively.

"Right!" Cabbie says with a big grin. He turns to the Pooka and slaps him on shoulder. "See I love it when a plan comes together." Cabbie bows his head a bit and then sees the baby carrier Alec is carrying. "Is dat him?" He kneels down while the Pooka continues to stare at Corrander and then sighs.
"Ee's handsome!" the Pooka says.
"Shaddap, I'm tryin to look at him." Cabbie says as he looks Ian over a bit.
"Not too shabby! I was right all along heh heh."

Alec takes a step back, and gives Cabbie a warning look.

"Ey, I'm not gonna hurt the little guy. He's what we've been waitin fer all these years, ain't that right Bugs."
"Yeah, we're not gonna hurt im. We gotta protect him yep yep."

Corrander raises his eyebrow. "We do appreciate any help in keeping Ian safe, however...I am giving you your first orders. You are not to hinder Alec and Nettle as they go about their affairs, and you are to keep yourselves as unseen presences, unless told otherwise. Do you understand?"

Nettle watches between Corrander and Cabbie with wide, curious eyes. She's never really seen Corrander in his element as a count before, and she finds it fascinating!

"Aww alright," Cabbie says feeling the effects of Corrander's majesty. "But if anyting happens we're gonna bust out a can o whoopass!" he says. The Pooka raises his fist trying to look tough and failing.
"Yep yep!"

Alec watches this little exchange with a bemused smile.

Corrander nods in satisfaction. "That is satisfactory. Now...I have some questions for you regarding what to expect when Ian's Fae-self awakens..."

Cabbie and the Pooka nod their heads listening to the questions.

"Right well," Alec says looking at his watch. "We're going to be late. See you three later," he says. "C'mon love let's roll," he says walking past Cabbie and the Pooka.

Nettle opens her mouth to protest, but Alec's definitely not stopping. She wants to hear this! She turns to Corrander. "Gotta go...promise me you'll fill me in on what these two tell you?"

Corrander lifts his head. "I will. Have a pleasant time with your parents, and remember what you are going to do." He gives her a stern look.

Nettle sighs and nods. "Yeah...bye you guys," she says in a resigned voice. She waves and starts down the stairs after Alec to the Gremlin where he's strapping Ian's carrier into the back seat.
She walks around the Gremlin and straps Simone's carrier into the other side of the back seat, and then gets into the passenger side in front.

They drive off into the city and up into the avenues in the direction of the University of Utah. After five minutes Alec pulls over and parks the car in the driveway.
"Here we are love, and not a moment too soon."

Nettle exhales nervously. "Yep...here we are! OK babies, time to meet grandmas and grandpas!" She gets out of the front seat and walks around to Simone's side, unstrapping her carrier and lifting her out. She slings a diaper bag over her shoulder and waits for Alec, and then the two walk up to the front door and ring the bell.
After only a second Nettle's mom Sharon throws open the door. "Oh my god oh my god oh my GOD!!" she shrieks and throws her arms around Nettle. "Oh Iris!! You gave us such a scare! Oh-oh-OH!! The babies! Oh come in come IN!!" she cries.
Sharon has long blonde hair that's not as well-kept as Nettles-- a little graying at the temples and a little uneven at the bottom. Her skin is tanned as if she spends a lot of time outdoors, which has made little smile-wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, but she has Nettle's green eyes. She's barefoot and wearing bellbottoms and a flowy peasant-blouse, and has on a choker made of coral with matching bracelets.
Nettle grins at Alec and the two enter the comfortable house.
"Iris! Alec! You two have some explaining to do!" Nettle's smiling father John says in a jovial tone, his English accent not as pronounced from decades of living in the States. He comes up to Alec and Nettle and wraps them in a huge bear-hug, kissing both of their cheeks affectionately. "We've bloody well missed you both!" he whispers.
John is a large man with long, wavy, dark auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail with a long mustache, and sparkling blue eyes. He's wearing what looks to be a vintage Indian-print hippy-shirt and bell-bottom jeans, and he, too, is barefoot.

Nettle's so happy to see her parents that all her apprehension disappears and she's filled with excitement.

Alec smiles, "Yeah yeah," he says. "Nettle will do all the explaining."

Steve stands up from the couch. He's about as tall as Alec with black hair and a small moustache and goatee. He has a few wrinkles around the eyes and the hair at his temples are just beginning to show traces of gray. His burgundy jacket matches well with his white shirt and black pants. He walks over to Alec and Nettle and hugs them both.
"Good to see you kids," he says in a very English accent.
Lysette stands up, her white skirt flowing around her legs. She's quite a bit shorter than Steve with brownish hair and bright blue eyes. Her black off-the-shoulder blouse is a little loose around the chest. Her face is very youthful for a woman her age, showing no wrinkles or gray hair. She hugs Nettle and Alec and sees the two babies.
"Oh quelles belles!! Les enfants! Oh my are these the two babies!" she says. "Oh bring them over here let us all see them!" she says sitting back down on the couch.

Nettle smiles and walks into the living room. She sits Simone's baby-carrier on the coffee table and motions for Alec to set Ian's down beside Simone's.
"This is Simone Rochelle, and Ian Aleczander! And we're SO sorry that you're only meeting them now, and that we couldn't tell you when I first found out that I was pregnant, and that we were out of the country when they were born! I'll explain everything later-- I promise!"

Sharon slides onto the couch beside Lysette and leans forward, putting her hands up to her mouth. "Oh god, John! Look! Look at them! Oh...oh..." she starts fanning at her eyes as tears fill them. "They're so gorgeous, Iris! Oh-- we never thought we'd be grandparents, did we John? Oh this is...just so super-fantastic!" She reaches forward and places a hand gently on each of the babies' faces, looking them over carefully through tear-filled eyes.
"Far out! Look-- Simone has our green eyes, Iris! Oh and little blond Ian!" She turns to Lysette. "I'm DYING to hold them-- who do you want to hold first, honey?"

"Mais non, pas mois! Oh but of course, you choose, Sharon. I do not mind holding either one of them!" She says clapping her hands.

John bends down, looking at the babies and smiling proudly. "Beautiful babies, you two! Absolutely beautiful." He walks around behind the carriers and bends down, kissing the babies' foreheads one at a time. "Just beautiful..." he keeps murmuring with shining eyes.

Nettle slides her arm around Alec's waist. "This is cute!" she whispers.
Alec smiles, "That'll keep them occupied I'd imagine," he whispers to her.

Steve leans down to look at the two babies and smiles, "Lysette, Simone has your chin, I swear baby." he says. "Yeah...and Ian has your smile, Alec. Nice job you two yeah...it's all about the love."

Nettle giggles, quickly bringing her hand up to her mouth. "I see where you got THAT motto from, baby!" she says out of the side of her mouth to Alec.

Sharon reaches forward and picks up Simone, kissing her noisily on the cheek and looking her over. "Hey baby girl! So pretty!" she cries. "Here, Lysette-- you take Simone first! Hey-- look at this! She's dressed French, or something!" she grins, passing Simone to Lysette. "I've got this little guy!" She leans forward and picks up Ian and stands his feet on her thighs, and then starts laughing. "He may be a blondie, but Alec's bound and determined to make him a Gideon, ain't he!" she laughs, taking in Ian's little outfit. "Nice threads, Alec! I take it this was your doing?" Sharon winks at Alec.

Lysette takes Simone and laughs. "Oh mais oui! Yes yes, she is a stunner in this outfit, don't you think Steve? Why she'll be a little heartbreaker when she's all grown up." she says holding Simone. Simone looks up and reaches her hand out to grab some of Lysette's hair. "Aiee strong grip too!"

Alec reaches over and untangles Simone's fist from his mom's hair. "Yes it was, like the cravat?" he says with a smile.
"She's quite the beauty!" Steve says. "I'm inspired!!!" he says and suddenly runs out to their room.

Nettle grins. "Simone's outfit, too, Mom! I had no hand in either of them...aside from the scarf and beret! I thought Lysette would like them! And hey-- you called her 'baby girl!' That's what *I* call her!"

Sharon nods. "You would, honey-- that's what I called you!" Sharon smiles fondly.

John walks over and sits on the couch beside Sharon so he can see Ian better. "That's right-- she did call you that, Iris! But I called you...Little Rainbow! Remember that, love?"

Nettle groans and holds her hand to her forehead. "Yeah, dad, I remember that!" She turns her eyes to Alec's parents. "What did you call Alec when he was a little guy, Lysette?"

Lysette look up at Nettle and then to Alec. Alec rolls his eyes, "Right right..." he mutters.
"Our little munchie-kin!" Lysette says.

Steve returns holding his bongos. "It's bongo time!" he says holding them up for everyone to see.

Nettle looks over and laughs. "Oh god...bongo-time!" She turns back to Alec. "'Little Munchie-kin' isn't particularly fond of bongo-time, is he!" she coos to Alec, tickling his chin.
Alec rolls his eyes, "Thanks love. I'll wait till they say something embarrassing about you..." he says with a sly smile.

Sharon looks over at Steve fondly. "All RIGHT! What are you gonna play, man?"
She's one of Steve's rare fans.

John takes Ian from Sharon and holds him in the crook of his arm. Ian looks up at John's mustache in fascination and reaches up-- first patting it, and then grabbing a hold of it.
John laughs merrily, not flinching too much, and lets Ian inspect his mustache. "You like that, lad? Haven't seen a mustache yet, have you, then?"

Lysette gives Simone over to Sharon, "Voi-la! Here you are grandmother," she says. She claps at Steve as he sits down to play the bongos. "Yes yes, play for us, Steve!" she says.

Sharon grins and takes Simone from Lysette. "Hey there, sweety!" She kisses Simone's cheek noisily again. "Iris-- she has such chubby little kissable cheeks! What a darling!" Sharon makes little growly-noises and kisses Simone's other cheek.
Simone squeals and pats Sharon's head, and then grabs a handful of Sharon's hair.
Sharon laughs and carefully untangles Simone's fingers.

Steve puts the bongos between his legs and starts getting a rhythm going. "Yeah little babies...it's all groovy. All about love and joy. Grabbin hair and moustaches..." He slaps the bongos a few more times.
"Groovin in the night wakin the parents...it's changing time!"

Nettle groans and holds her hand to her head. "Don't remind me!" she laughs.

Sharon laughs and claps Simone's hands together. "Right on, Steve! Right on! Babies groovin' in the night!" she cheers, and then moves Simone's arms like she's grooving. "Groove on, little sister, YEAH!" She elbows John. "John-- make Ian groove, baby!"

John laughs and shakes his head, and then makes Ian "dance" as well.

"Yeah dancin babies!" Steve says. He begins to pound the bongos more. "Workin up the appetite, growin strong growin pretty, yeah." More bongos, and then, "Love conquers all, baby!" he says as he slaps the bongos for a big finish.

Alec shakes his head, "Nice, dad...really." he says.
Steve shrugs. "It's all about inspiration man."

Lysette claps, "Oh very good Steve you should make records..."

Sharon nods firmly. "Yeah you should, man! No one makes 'e

m like that anymore! It's a dying art! You gotta keep it alive, man! Keep it alive!" John laughs and nods his head. "You really should, Steve. You should." he encourages.

Steve bows and gives the peace frog. "I'm feelin alotta love here," he says beaming with pride.

Nettle leans in to Alec. "God...he's got a cheering-section..." she whispers.
Alec hides his face in his hand. "I know I know...good lord."

John stands with Ian and walks over to Steve. "Nothing more inspiring than holding them, though...here's your grandson, cheers!" he smiles softly.
Ian sees the bongos and reaches out, patting them softly like he does to everything he's touching for the first time.

"Look at the little guy yeah, he likes the bongos. It's in the blood yeah." he says with smile at John.
Lysette laughs, "Ah c'est bon! Looks like you will have a bongo-partner when he's older!"

Nettle clutches Alec's arm. "Nooooo..." she whispers, and then giggles, quickly covering her mouth.

Sharon notices Nettle and Alec whispering and turns her attention to them. "Alec-- we haven't heard you sing for us in a while! You have any new songs? John has his guitar here!"

"Really eh? Alright get the guitar I'll think of something." Alec says.

John rubs his hands together and walks back to he and Sharon's room, and then comes back with his guitar-case.

Nettle elbows Alec and grins. "We're thinking of starting a band with Jaf and Willie called 'Gideons Uprising!' What do you think? I took drum lessons while I was in Ba-- er...while we were traveling!" Nettle quickly amends, flushing.
Alec smiles, "Yeah so far we've just talked but now that we're back we can start practicing eh?" he says putting his arm around Nettle.

Sharon nods, looking surprised. "Groovy name! I like it! Drums, hmm? But you've got a super-fine singing voice, honey!"

Nettle blushes. "Thanks, Mom. Alec said I could do harmonies with him-- it's hard to do while drumming, tho'."

Sharon waves Nettle's shyness away. "You can do it, baby girl! Right Steve? Drumming and singing? Just takes practice, sweetie!"

Steve nods, "Yeah but you gotta feel the drums, be one with the drums yeah! If you ever need a bongo player--"
"We'll keep you in mind right," Alec says exasperated.

Sharon holds her arm out and waves Nettle over. "Come sit between us old moms, baby! I miss my little rainbow!"

Nettle covers her eyes with her hand and walks over, sitting between Sharon and Lysette. Sharon wraps her arm around Nettle and squeezes her tightly. "These two babies-- they came out of you, honey! They grew in you from you and Alec's love, and then..." Sharon shakes her head in amazement, "...the miracle happened! Right from your uterus came two precious lives! Wow, man...just...wow..." Sharon shakes her head, squeezing Nettle to her tightly again.

Lysette nods, "Perhaps two...three hours of love produces a lifetime of joy, non?" she says.

Nettle-- hand still covering her face-- glances up at Alec and motions for him to start playing the guitar pronto!

John opens the case and hands the guitar to Alec. "That's right, Iris-- Alec. Can you believe one night of love, and 9 months later you have two completely new lives in your hands!?" John looks at his hands and holds them up. He exhales in amazement.

Steve nods, "Yeah it's all precious and all about the joy of sex. Yeah..."

'Please, baby...promise me no more hard drugs...ever...' Nettle thinks to Alec, begging.

'Crikeys that's a promise love!' he thinks at her. He picks up the guitar and begins to sing one of his favorites-- 'Hide Your Love Away'. Steve begins to sway to the music and claps his hands to keep the beat. Lysette looks over at Sharon, "Talented, non?"

Sharon is swaying back and forth in time to the music with one arm around Nettle, and Simone laying in the crook of her other arm. "Yeah, man...he sounds just like John...not JOHN-John!" she nods towards her husband. "You know...John..." she says dreamily. "Sexy voice, man, really! I know what you see in him, honey!" Sharon winks at Nettle.

Nettle's not quite sure how to respond to this one. "Uh...thanks, Mom!" she says brightly. "Alec will be flattered to hear that! John Lennon's his favorite singer of all time."

Sharon nods. "Oh yeah...I see that, baby...I see that..."

John walks over and takes Simone from Sharon. "My turn..." he whispers. He cradles Simone in his arms, bending down and cooing to her.

Steve smiles down at Ian, "Yeah bongo player, play them drums yeah...feel the love feel it." he says kissing his fuzzy head.

Alec finishes up the song and smiles, "So how was that?"

Lysette claps, "Oh c'est bon!! Oh so very good dear. Play another song!" she says. Steve nods, "Yeah man play another."

Alec shrugs and begins strumming out another tune. This one is one of his originals about Nettle. "This one is for Iris,' he says with a wink to Nettle.

Nettle's stomach clenches up. Alec's always teasing her that he's going to write a song about her that talks about how psycho she can get when she's upset, and if he were to sing that song now she'd never hear the end of it!
As Alec begins to sing, she listens to the lyrics with trepidation, but they're...sweet! She slowly sits up and holds her hands to her mouth, eyes filling with tears.

Sharon's clapping her hands and swaying back and forth again. She reaches over and takes Lysette's hand and the moms hold their hands in the air and sway back and forth. "Yeah, man-- good beat!" Sharon calls approvingly.

Nettle doesn't notice-- she just keeps her hands to her mouth and watches Alec with soft eyes.

John turns Simone around so she's facing him, and then dances around in circles with her. Simone laughs and looks up at her grandpa with big eyes.
Steve nods with the beat and claps Ian's little hands. Ian gurgles happily, enthralled by daddy playing music!!

When the song ends, Nettle jumps up and runs over to Alec, throwing her arms around him. "That was so sweet, baby!!" she sniffles. "It was really, really good! I think we COULD make a great album!"

"Yeah man that was beautiful." Steve says. "Play some more yeah!"
Lysette nods in agreement. "N'arretez pas! One more, Alec please one more!"

Alec nods, his face in concentration, "Yeah ok..." he says. "This is one Jaf wrote so I can't take credit."
He begins to strum and sway as he plays.

Nettle sits beside Alec, and soon she's swaying and tapping her foot. Then she starts playing out a drum-beat with her hands on her thighs, head-bobbing.

Sharon stands and pulls Lysette to her feet, and the two moms start dancing. "I get so hiiiigh..." Sharon sings along with Alec.

John laughs and continues turning around in circles with Simone, swaying from side to side.
Simone lets out a loud squawk of excitement, which makes John laugh even more.

When the song ends, Nettle claps excitedly. "Oh MAN, baby! We've definitely got to schedule which days we want for practices!! We're gonna do this!" Nettle's eyes are all lit-up-- she knows they've got something good going.

"Right on, Alec! Right ON!" Sharon cheers! "Front row tickets for the first show-- you've got to promise us, honey!"

"Of course of course. I'm sure we can get Willie and Jaf to come over to practice. Jaf has been itchin to play," he says.
Lysette claps and looks over to John and Sharon. "Qu'est ce'que vous poncez? Shall we give the boy a rest or shall we make him play more?"
Steve stands up and hands Ian over to Lysette and sits next to his bongos. "Play another one Alec, I'll join you!" he says.
Alec shrugs, "Alright, what do you want to play?"
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand!" He says excitedly. Alec nods and begins to play it.

Nettle smiles contentedly. 'Everyone's having a great time...our parents are all great friends...the babies love them and they love the babies...Alec and his dad are playing together...' she thinks to herself, and takes a deep, cleansing breath, letting it out in relief.

The song ends, and the doorbell rings. Sharon-- the only one not holding a baby or musical instrument-- quickly stands.
"That'll be dinner! We ordered Chinese-- that OK with the new little parents?" she smiles walking over and ruffling Alec and Nettle's heads.

Alec looks up from his guitar and nods, "Yeah Chinese would hit the spot, cheers." he says putting the guitar away.

Nettle quickly stands. "Sounds great, Mom! I'll help!" The two walk over to the front door and Sharon opens it.
"Hey, man! That was fast!" she says pleasantly to the delivery-guy. She pays him while Nettle takes the armful of sacks. Then the guy hurries down the steps and turns left to get back to the driveway. Sharon pauses, squinting at a yellow taxi-cab sitting by the curb in front of the house. "That's weird...anyone order a ta--" Suddenly Sharon's eyes get big, and she starts shaking. She quickly backs into the house and slams the door, holding her hands up to her mouth.
"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..." she murmurs. "John-- get the...get the...the stuff..." she stammers. Nettle quickly sets the bags down on the floor, and then holds her mom's arms to keep her from tripping and falling backwards, or something.
"Mom...what's wrong??" she whispers worriedly.

John snaps into action. He lays Simone down in her carrier, and then hurries past Nettle and Alec. "Iris-- bring your mum," he says in a low voice.

Nettle glances over at Alec in confusion before pulling her mom down the hall after her father.
When they get to the room Sharon and John are using, she sees her father loading a hypodermic needle with some brown liquid, and then flicking the side to get rid of the air bubbles.

"Bring her over here," he instructs, and Nettle helps her mom to sit down next to her father.

"Wh-what's going on??" Nettle asks, eyes big.

John keeps his voice steady. "It's nothing, really. Your mother...she...she sees things from time to time, and it's really traumatic for her. When it happens I just shoot her up and the things either go away, or else everything else around becomes surreal enough that the 'things' look normal. That's what I gather, anyhow."

Nettle lifts her mother's chin and looks into her eyes. "What did you see, Mom??" she whispers.

Sharon's eyes shift over to Nettle's-- large and frightened. "T-t-taxi!" she stutters.

Nettle's brow furrows and she stands up straight. "Taxi??" Suddenly she comprehends, and runs from the room and back out into the living room. She throws open the front door just in time to see Cabbie's taxi pull away from the curb and take off. She closes the door slowly and puts her back against it, staring into space as she tries to absorb all of this.

'What's the matter, love?' Alec sends to Nettle.
Lysette sets Ian in his carrier and walks down to the bedroom and sits next to Sharon on the bed, looking concerned. "Mon dieu what is wrong?"
Steve looks around and shakes his head, "Bad vibes man...bad vibes..."

Nettle glances over at Alec. 'She saw Cabbie and freaked out! Cabbie was out front in his taxi-- I have no idea why that would freak her...out...wait--' Nettle thinks back, her brow furrowing as something comes to her. '--wait. What if...I mean, she's got Fae-blood, too...what if she can see Fae? Dad said she 'sees things' from time to time! What if she saw Cabbie's Fae-self!' she thinks back to Alec. 'That's all I can think of!'

Alec sighs, 'That's frightening enough...' he thinks. 'I'll tell him next time to leave your mom alone...'

John nods to Lysette. "Ah thank you, Lysette. Just hold her hand-- she'll be fine in a moment. She, uh...she's just seeing things again...you know."

Lysette nods, "Ah oui-- but of course," she says taking Sharon's hand patting it. "It will be alright, dear, just stay calm..."

Sharon barely notices when John sticks the needle into her, but in a couple seconds her eyelids flicker and she slumps against Lysette-- moaning in ecstasy.

John quickly cleans up, putting everything safely away, and then sits down beside Sharon. "It's all right, love...it's all right...bad things have gone..." he murmurs, stroking her face and hair comfortingly.

"Whoah man...bad vibes gotta clear the room gotta bring the sunshine back in..." Steve says as he begins to chant a little, playing the bongos.

Nettle walks over and sits down beside Alec again. 'He was just protecting Ian...I mean, how would HE know Mom could see his Nocker-side?' she thinks to him. 'Goddess...Mom...' Nettle's thoughts race back, trying to think of when her mother could have seen Fae. 'Good thing Corrander's not around!' she thinks to Alec again.

The babies are sitting in their carriers facing an empty couch, not able to see what's going on around them, but sensing that something's wrong. First Simone starts to cry, quickly followed after by Ian. Nettle gets up and walks over to the babies, sitting down on the couch in front of them.
"Hey babies...hey cuties...calm down, it's OK!"
Simone stops crying-- bottom lip still quivering-- but Ian is shrieking, and his little face is bright red-- matching nicely with his ruffly cravat.
Nettle sighs and lifts Ian out of his carrier. "I think he's hungry, baby. I'll stay here-- you guys go take the Chinese into the kitchen and dish up, OK?"

Nettle turns her back a little and lifts her shirt, unsnapping her black maternity-bra and bringing Ian's mouth up to feed. Soon the room is peaceful and quiet again-- aside from the loud sucking-noises coming from the direction of the couch.

John stands up from the bed. "She'll just lie here like this for a minute until the effects die down a little. I'll stay with her if you'd like to get some dinner. It won't be but a minute." he tells Lysette.

"I shall stay here with her then, you dish up the food oui?" Lysette says.

John looks surprised. "Well...all right then. Thank you, Lysette." He gazes at Sharon for a second, and then nods and disappears from the room.

Steve stands and grabs a few of the bags along with Alec, and the two of them take them into the kitchen and begin to dish them out. "So how've been father?"
"Alright kiddo yeah...it's all about my music now. I've been playing in a few clubs yeah..."

John walks into the kitchen. "'Ello...sorry about that, lads. Ever since I first met Sharon she's been suffering from...well...she thinks she sees things, is all, and it frightens her. I just gave her a fix, and she'll be right as rain in a few minutes." John shakes his head. "The 60s, man..." He lets that statement stand, as if it explains everything.

"Yeah the sixties...beautiful man..." Steve says. "Just beautiful..."

After a minute or two Sharon blinks her eyes and tries to sit up. "Heeey...Lysette! Wow man...I saw this guy...ugly bastard, yeah...REAL ugly...wow man..." she slurs. She puts her head on Lysette's shoulder. "You smell really good...what IS that? Mmmm..." she closes her eyes and sighs. "Poor ugly bastard..."

"It is Chanel," Lysette says. "Too bad for the ugly people yes? It is good that both our children are beautiful people yes?" she says.

Sharon nods. "Amen to that, sister! Amen to that! Yeah, and why is it that I'm always seein' ugly people when I'm seein' people?? You know, honey? Man...that one I saw back then...way back then...ugliest of them all...bastard...fucking bastard...yeah..." Sharon closes her eyes, her forehead furrowing as if remembering something bad.

"Quelle damage...yes it is unfortunate that certain mind-altering drugs can have such a bad effect over time, non?" she says. "If I had my way all drugs would be free."

Sharon squinches her eyes, shaking her head. "No, man...I saw that guy before I ever took drugs...couldn't stop seein' them...man...I'm messed-up, you know? John rescued me...showed me how to get rid of the ugly bastards..." She tries to lift her head from Lysette's shoulder. "You're a great friend, Lysette...really great friend, you know? You sure you and Steve...you know...you two are stayin' monogamous still? Great thing, monogamy...great thing. Admirable...just too bad...you know? You're both great people...super-nice and beautiful people, yeah..."

"Oh yes of course we still do. Steve and I fit so well that we cannot imagine anyone else, yes?" Lysette says smiling at Sharon. "But of course you and John fit so well too, non?"

Sharon grins and makes an O-shape with the fingers of one hand, and then slides the index finger of her other hand into the hole. "Oooh yeah, baby...you know it!" She starts laughing hard and elbows Lysette gently. "I'm a lucky woman, yeah...John and me...we have a great marriage. We just like to show our friends how great we think they are, you know? Nothing involving commitment, or anything, you know? Just...groovyyy..." Sharon lets her head fall back limply as she says "groovy." After a second she lifts her head back up. "Don't worry, honey! We don't need to show you and Steve THAT kind of appreciation! Just offering, you know? Just letting you know the offer's open. Hey-- I learned sensual massage! You know sensual massage? I could lend you some books, honey! I bet Steve would appreciate that, yeah?"

"Ah oui! Parfait! Oh yes please let me see the book! Steve will be so happy...well happier than he is now," she says with a sly smile.

Sharon throws back her head and laughs. "You got THAT right, sister! I have the book in my suitcase-- I was going to give it to Iris, but I'll let you borrow it first!" Sharon stands and wobbles over to her suitcase, rifles around in it, and then comes back holding a colorful, large, hardback book. "Here you are, honey! Let me know how it turns out!" she winks.

Lysette takes the book and flips a few pages. "Mon dieu! That is excellent yes!" she says laughing. "Oh my these are very detailed pictures!"

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

'Is Ian ok?' Alec thinks to Nettle, 'He seemed more than just hungry...'

Nettle glances down at Ian, eyebrows raised. 'What-- you think he could tell something was wrong?' she thinks back. But Ian's eating peacefully-- no sign of trauma. 'He WAS crying really hard...I don't know, baby...' She smoothes Ian's peach-fuzz, looking down at him worriedly.

'That's what I was thinking...is he calm now?' He thinks.

Nettle nods slightly. 'Yeah, he's just fine. I don't know-- maybe if we talk to Mom we can get this thing figured out. Maybe Ian is just more sensitive to upsetting situations, or something. That could be it.'

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

John walks over to the cupboards and pulls down a stack of plates, and then sets out silverware and glasses. "Yeah, Steve-o...beautiful times...beautiful times..." he nods dreamily.

"Yeah the sixties was all about change, man. Changin ourselves, our perception the whole world man! We changed the whole world with music, and poetry and drugs!!" he says raising his fist in the air.

"AMEN, brother!" John chimes in, raising his fist and pumping it once. "We DID change things! We made the whole world embrace the old wisdom of peace and love! We brought the Children back to their Mother-- respecting Mother Nature! Like Iris-- she was always interested in it. We raised her right-- she found her way on her own to a coven. The Craft-- it's not for me, man. Too many rules...too much discipline. Little too dark at times. Me-- I'm not into embracing my dark-side, as Iris calls it. I like to have freedom to come and go...do things my own way...keep things light, right Steve-o?"

"Yeah man let the bad stuff out let the good stuff in, it's all about the flow," he says motioning with his arms. "Bad stuff out...good stuff in...speaking of good stuff..." he says. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a baggie full of pot. "Yeah I'm saving this for later you know."

John rubs his hands together. "Ooooh yeah, man! Good show! Bet the new parents could use a little escape, eh Alec?" John claps his large hand down on Alec's shoulder and grins at him.

Alec smiles nodding. He gives the peace frog, "Yeah dad always brings the good stuff yeah. Hawaii?"

Steve nods, "Yeah man...the good stuff...let it in..."

Back in the living room, Ian finishes eating, so Nettle burps him and lays him back in his chair. Then she picks up patient Simone and switches her to the other side, and Simone starts feeding. Nettle looks down the hallway nervously.
'Hey baby? Our moms haven't come out of the bedroom yet. Do you think Mom's OK??' Nettle thinks worriedly to Alec.

'Gah!' Alec thinks at her. 'I'll go check.'
Alec excuses himself and walks down to the bedroom and peeks in...

Alec sees the two moms sitting side-by-side on the bed with their heads together, holding open a large book entitled, "The Illustrated Book of Sensual Massage."
"You see here? You can massage and give pleasure without actually touching-- oh hello there, Alec! Everything all right?" Sharon asks, looking up and feeling a lot more lucid.

Alec pales for a moment. "You bet yeah...food is ready." he says. 'Crikeys they are looking at a sex book!' he thinks to Nettle.

'WHAT??' Nettle thinks back, loud enough to make Alec jump. 'What the hell?? I've been sitting here freaking-out, and they're looking at a SEX-book?? How did THAT happen?? Why are they doing that?? What-- I mean...jesus!' Nettle continues stammering in frustration for a moment before finally closing the mind-link so she doesn't torment Alec with her ranting.

Sharon smiles. "That's wonderful! I'm starved!" She turns her head to Lysette. "Anyhow, I'll let you read the rest yourself, honey! Just don't let Steve see it! It's gotta be a surprise, right?" she winks, standing up from the bed and getting her bearings before trying to walk.

"Oui! A surprise," she says smiling. Lysette stands and laughs taking Sharon's arm. "I'll help you, dear Sharon." she says.

Sharon stumbles and laughs, clinging to Lysette's arm. "Thanks, sister! You're a sweetheart!"

Alec moves away from the door and back down to the kitchen. 'They are done looking at the book, thank god.' he thinks to Nettle.

Nettle looks up and sees Alec coming down the hall followed by Lysette and Sharon. She waits until Alec passes.
"Hey Mom-- you OK?" she asks in a flat tone.

Sharon grins goofily. "Ooh yeah, baby girl...oooh yeah! Doin' great. Hey-- come get some grub!"

Nettle turns around to face the moms, Simone still breastfeeding in her arms.

"Aaah..." Sharon says, nodding. "Well, I'll dish you up some dinner before the men take it all, OK?" Lysette helps her into the kitchen.
"Alec-- Iris ever let you try her mother's milk? Very rich and sweet-- right John?" Sharon calls.

John walks over and sets the plates on the table. "That's right, Alec! Much better than any other kind of milk-- especially for humans! Why I used to use it in my coffee! You should try that, Alec!" he nods encouragingly.

Alec pales and walks away back into the kitchen. "Crikeys!" he says under his breath.

Nettle-- in the living room-- quickly covers her mouth, trying not to throw up and looking a little pale.

Steve takes his plate into the dining room and sits down. "Yeah time to eat...grub time all about the good stuff coming in..."

Lysette smiles and sits next to Steve, "My sweet where is my plate?"
Steve looks at her and smiles, "Yeah off to get energy food for the little lady," he says standing up and grabbing her a plate.

Sharon laughs, stumbling to a chair. "Oh yeah, Steve! Gotta treat Lysette right! Don't lose the chivalry, man! It's in such short supply these days! Right John?"

John grins, bringing Sharon's and his plates over and setting them down at the table. "That's right, man! Gotta treat your wife like a queen! She's your own personal Mother Earth-- the earth-mother of your home, man! The goddess of your bed!"

Sharon nods and reaches up, pulling John down for a kiss of gratitude. Then she peers over at Alec. "You OK, Alec-honey? Hey-- you treat Iris like a queen, I'm sure! Speaking of that, could you dish her up a plate. I was gonna try, but I think it's safer if I just sit here-- right John?"

John nods. "That's right, love. Just sit down, relax..." he nods, bending and kissing her temple.

Steve comes back with her plate and sets it in front of her, "Yeah goddess of my bed...yeah I'll say yeah...it's all about the love..."
Alec nods, "Right, I'll get you a plate, love," he calls to Nettle as he dishes her up one. He sets the plate next to his and sits down.

Lysette looks at Steve and smiles, "Aah! C'est bon, c'est bon! Very good Steve, you got all my favorites!"

"Thanks sexy!" Nettle calls to Alec, and Sharon and John grin and give each other knowing looks. After another minute Simone is done eating, so Nettle burps her and lays her back in her carrier. Then she lifts a carrier in each hand and walks into the dining room.

"Hey there, rainbow! Here's a place for you by your 'sexy' husband!" John winks at Nettle, and Nettle flushes a little.

Alec looks at her and grimaces. 'Oh lord love was this such a good idea?'

"Yeah, thanks a lot Dad!" She walks over and sets Ian by Alec's chair, and Simone by hers, and then sits down. "The babies like to be where the action is or they get fu--" Simone lets out an indignant cry. She can't see anyone! Nettle sighs and stands, picking up Simone's carrier and setting it down on the counter so she can see. She clicks Simone's straps.
"OK pixie! Now you can see!" she smiles.
Then it's Ian's turn to squawk.
Nettle walks over, picks up his carrier, and takes it over to the counter, also strapping him in. "OK, are you both happy now?" she asks, hands on her hips.
Ian and Simone give her baby-smiles and kick their little legs and wave their hands.
Nettle nods in relief and walks back over to the table to eat, looking a little tired.

"Poor Iris...you look drained! Don't worry-- your dad has some good stuff for us after dinner, right John?" Sharon asks.

John nods. "I do, but Steve here might have something better!"

Steve nods, "Yeah pure Hawaii...yeah from the land of sunshine and good weed."

Nettle frowns. "I don't need anything like that-- I just need to rest for a minute. I'll be OK." She tries not to get that disapproving tone in her voice.

"Aaaw-- lighten up, honey! It's nothing that has side-affects!" Sharon gives Nettle a look like she's being a square.

Nettle clenches her jaw. "Yeah, like what Dad shot you up with? I bet that doesn't have any side-affects, either, does it?"

Sharon starts to look upset, so John quickly puts his arm around Sharon. "Calm down, Iris...it's not heroin anymore, OK? It's something I came up with-- natural ingredients, honey." he tells Nettle.

Nettle's mouth squinches up, and she fights against herself, trying not to say anything. Instead she looks down at her hands.

Lysette takes a bite of her food and feels the tension in the air. "Mon dieu the babies are so large. Iris how could they spring forth from your womb eh? I mean you are so tiny they are so big."

Alec snickers and looks down at his plate to keep from laughing. 'Oh brother!'

Nettle's close to losing her patience with everyone picking on her, but Alec's laugh makes her realize that Lysette was just trying to lighten the mood. Suddenly she grins.
"Weell...they've grown a lot in 4 months, and when they were born I was using a birthing-chair so gravity helped tremendously...and, of course, Alec prepared me well for the experience. He's not a small man by any means!" Nettle uses all her willpower to keep her face neutral.

Alec starts laughing, nearly choking on his food.

Lysette smiles, "Ah much like his father. Tres grand! Oui! I wonder if it runs in the family?"
Steve nods "Oh yeah, big dickin it's alll good."

John was about to bring forkful of food to his mouth, but he pauses-- mouth still open waiting for the food-- and turns a surprised look on Alec. "Well, well, well! Good show, Alec! Steve-- I assume you're responsible for that?" he winks.

Sharon almost chokes on her drink, and when she can catch her breath she starts laughing. "Jesus, Iris! And I thought my daughter had been replaced by some prude there for a minute! Right on! Yeah-- John 'prepared' me in the same way, as you said so well!"

Nettle's triumphant face falls a little and she winces-- not having wanted to hear THAT!

Alec keeps laughing and can't stop. He pounds on the table to get himself under control. 'Walked into that didn't you?' he thinks to Nettle.

Lysette smiles, "Oui oui," she takes one of the glasses and holds it aloft. "Here's to our men with big dicks."
Steve nods and gives the peace sign, "Yeah all about the man and his phallus yeah..."

Nettle suddenly wonders if she's just having a horrible dream, or if this is karma getting her back for all the dirty jokes she's made over the years...all the people she's caused to blush...she considers just making a portal and running through it-- no matter WHERE is goes to!
'Oh GOD Alec...want to get out of here...noooo...' she moans back to him in her head, holding her head in her hands.

'Your idea, love. I guess you'll just have to sit here and enjoy,' he thinks and snickers.

Sharon and John lift their glasses and clink them with Steve and Lysette's.
"Oh for sure! Here's to some good, deep dickin', man! It's what makes the world go 'round!" Sharon cheers.
John laughs. "Thanks, honey! I try!" He clinks his glass with Alec's. "Right on, me boy! I knew Iris had a keeper when I met you!"

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!' Nettle shrieks through the mind-link.

"Iris-- what's wrong, baby?" Sharon asks in concern.

"Just...a little dizzy..." she stammers, and then jumps up from the table and runs out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. She slams the door and turns on the faucet full-blast so no one will hear her throwing up.

Sharon watches her run out of the room and shrugs, turning back to the group. "It can't be that-- women can't get pregnant as long as they keep breast-feeding." she informs everyone. "One of the proofs we have that there's a benevolent goddess watching over us, eh Lysette?" she grins.

'Oui or I would have a million babies by now. Alec, is Iris ok"? she asks.
"Bad vibes man I'm feelin bad vibes," Steve says.
Alec shakes his head, "Nah she's all right but all this dick-talking and crudeness isn't helping anyone's appetite."

Sharon grins and reaches her hand down under the table over to John. "Speak for yourself, Alec! I could eat a horse!" She looks at John seductively and winks.

John slumps a little in his chair and sighs. "Keep that up and it'll be an elephant, Sharon!" he says in a raspy voice.

Ian lets out a loud indignant squawk and tugs on his red, ruffly cravat.

Simone looks over at Ian and reaches over, patting the side of his carrier with her out-stretched fingers.

"See that!" Alec says desperately trying to change the subject. "They do that a lot-- trying to comfort each other and what not...isn't it the sweetest thing?" He says. 'You alright love' he thinks to Nettle.

Sharon keeps gazing at John for a moment, and then looks up distractedly. "What? Oh sorry Alec!" She turns and looks at the babies behind her on the counter. "Hey there, cuties! Aaaw! See? I don't think Ian likes that ruffle-thing around his neck! Let me get that for you, darling!"
Sharon stands and walks over to Ian and unties the cravat, setting it down on the counter. "That better, Ian? Hmmm?" she smiles, bending down to kiss his cheek.

Ian reaches his hands up and grips Sharon's hair tightly, giving a sharp tug. His eyes look...disapproving?

"Owch! Wow, man! He's a strong one! Ow-ow!" she cries, trying to untangle his fingers, but her hair's struck pretty good.
Simone laughs and claps her hands proudly.

John looks down at his lap and glances back at Sharon. "Just give me a second, love, and I'll help you out there." he flushes with a good-natured grin.

"Damnit John! No one cares about your boner! They've all seen them! Now get over here and help me! I don't want to hurt him!" Sharon hisses in a very Nettle-ish temper-tantrum.

John takes a quick sip of his drink, and then shrugs embarrassedly to the group and stands, turning quickly and assisting Sharon with getting her hair out of Ian's fingers.
Once Sharon's free, she swats John's arm irritatedly and flops back down in her chair.

The mind-link is quiet for a minute as Nettle cleans herself up, but then she thinks back to Alec, 'I don't know...is it safe to come out yet? I was just sick.'

'Yeah Ian just attacked your mom,' he thinks.

Nettle-- peering in the mirror at her eyes as she wipes her face-- suddenly gives a loud laugh. 'He did WHAT??' she laughs through the link.

Lysette shakes her head, "Quelle chose! Babies have such strong grips no? Why Alec pulled a handful out of mine when he was little," she says.
Steve nods, "Yeah they have a strong grip because their reality is so different than ours yeah and they have to have a strong grip to stay attached to our reality yeah...yeah..." he says.

'Not even god understood what my dad just said,' Alec thinks to Nettle.

Nettle shakes her head, smiling, and wipes her hands on a towel. 'Sounds like I'm missing all the good stuff! I'll be right out!' she thinks back, feeling better.

John ponders this with a hand to his chin. "You know, Steve...I think you're onto something there...I mean, babies are always laughing at things we can't see, right? Or LOOKING at them, in any case! They're half-in and half-out of our reality! Yeah!" John nods.

Sharon leans back in her chair, trying to ponder this. "Yeah, man...yeah...far out...they're still partly in the little baby-world where they came from...yeah...that's deep..."

Nettle walks carefully back into the dining room and over to Ian. "Hey baby boy...what did you do to Grandma, hmm?" she whispers with a grin on her face. Then she sees a few strands of her mother's hair between Ian's fingers and suddenly bursts out laughing. She carefully pulls the hairs out of his fists and lets them fall to the floor beside her, and then kisses his hands. "Sneaky Ian! Yeah, you get her!" she whispers, still laughing.

Ian gurgles and kicks his legs like a froggy and Simone waves her arms in the air.

Nettle grins and grabs Simone's feet and tickles them, making Simone squeal with laughter.

"Feeling better, Iris?" Sharon turns around and asks, reaching up and rubbing Nettle's back. "Come over and eat something, baby-- you're really looking too pale and thin these days! Gotta get some sun, honey. 'Leeeeet the sunshine, the suuun shiiine in!'" she sings, imitating the 5th Dimension.

Nettle gives a last grin to the babies, and then turns and walks over to her chair, sitting down beside Alec. She had that same thing told to her in Balador by the masseuses...the nurses...Mrs. Spiffle...too many people to remember. She sighs and picks up her fork.
"OK, Mom."

John nods and grins. "Nice, Sharon!" Then his face turns serious. "Yes, Iris-- I noticed you looked thinner than last time, if that's possible! I'll give you some herbs and vitamins and things to consume with your meals-- make sure you're getting the nutrients you need."

Nettle looks up from her plate, giving her parents an exasperated look. "I'm fine, you guys! And I have an herb-garden, too, thank you very much!"

John raises his hand in a peace-gesture. "Sorry, Iris, sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." he apologizes. "I'm glad you have an herb-garden." he nods approvingly.

Sharon looks over to Lysette and Steve. "You two work much with herbs and vitamins? I've got a book for you if you don't! You'd be amazed, man! Just taking certain herbs and vitamins each day keeps your body running smoooooth-- on top of the USUAL herbs, of course!" she winks.

Steve smiles, "Yeah I've got all the herb a man could want...yeah I mean like we grow our own but hey sometimes you gotta buy herbs from distant lands..."

Lysette shakes her head, "But of course I have a little tiny garden at home that I tend. I have many herbs there," she say.

'Your parents have a home now??' Nettle thinks to Alec.
'News to me,' he think at her.

Sharon gives the peace-sign and nods, smiling widely and sitting back in her chair. "Right on...right on..." she nods to Steve and Lysette.

Alec sighs, 'You sure this was a good idea? Soon they'll be getting high and then get real incomprehensible...' he thinks to Nettle.

Nettle glances over at Alec. 'What-- bringing them together? Eh-- I'm glad they're getting along. I'm sure they have tons of friends back home just like th--' Nettle's thoughts suddenly go quiet, and Alec catches a flash of some unshaven man with frizzy light-brown shoulder-length hair, a bandana-headband, and green circle-sunglasses flash through Nettle's mind.
Nettle brushes at her eyes tiredly with her hand, trying to keep her mouth from frowning, and then goes back to eating slowly. Alec can sense she's trying to push this man's face somewhere far back in her mind. Finally she glances at Alec again.
'I AM to skinny, aren't I?' he thinks to him. 'You'd tell me if I was getting gross-looking, right baby? I mean, for girls there's NO such thing as 'too skinny,' so *I* wouldn't know...' she says quickly and worriedly. She inspects her hand and wrist for a second-- as if afraid they'd turned into a skeleton-hand and wrist-- and then goes back to eating slowly.

'Relax love, you're beautiful...' he thinks.

Nettle inwardly sighs. 'Everyone seems to think I'm a freak or something!' she thinks back.

"Yeah, me and John moved the store to Boulder, Colorado...MUCH more business there...definitely a lot more positive energy, man." Sharon says to Steve and Lysette.

John nods. "We teach classes there after-hours, so that's why we're always asking if you guys are into this or that...you know-- life-long teachers and all! It's in the blood!" He takes another swallow of wine.

"Far out, teaching is great. Filling young minds with so much information! Yeah...yeah," Steve says slurping up a noodle.

John turns to Nettle and Alec. "So what have you two been up to? Now would be as good a time as any to tell us, considering after dinner we won't be much use to anyone, eh?" he winks at Steve, Lysette, and Sharon.

Nettle takes a drink and puts the glass back down. She glances at Alec once before beginning. 'Stop me if I say anything I shouldn't, right? And don't be afraid to join in.' she thinks to him. "Well...I'm busy with my coven, as you know. I'm a 2nd degree now, so I have more responsibility...although I haven't had a lot of time to help them lately--"

"2nd degree-- that's a teacher, isn't it?" John asks with interest. "I read all about the Craft after you joined."

Nettle nods. "I have...one student, so far..." she thinks about Sarah, "...me and Veil are going to be her teachers as this girl has a lot of promise!"

"So they don't have you teaching classes then?" John asks, steepling his fingers together and watching Nettle.

Nettle shakes her head. "Like I said, I haven't had any extra time lately. Maybe down the road. Probably."

John nods and motions for her to continue.

"We have Alec's music store-- Jaf bought it from his dad, and we earned enough money to buy it from Jaf, but Jaf still wants to work there! Remember that club we were talking about wanting to own? We expanded the store and built the club in the basement and top level! Alec can tell you all about that later. That's where we'll play first when our band gets going!"

"Wow Iris...are you going to have enough time for all of this? You probably need some speed or somethin'..." Sharon comments.

Nettle gives her mother a smirk, and then goes back to talking. "Alec runs the store, and I stay at home with the babies and teach the student."

"So where IS home? We went by your apartment to surprise you, but you don't live there anymore!" Sharon complains.

Nettle shifts her eyes over to Alec. "That's the thing we wanted to talk to you about. See...we...we joined an organization that is dedicated to exposing corruption within the...government and police-force...and we also fight to save nature. That's basically what we're about-- fighting to save the planet...right Alec?"

Alec smiles, "That's what has been taking so much of our time as well," he says.

"Yeah damn the man...always putting us down taking our weed, yeah." Steve says.
Lysette leans in, "Ma coeur! Sounds dangerous...are you sure this is something we want to hear?"

John looks between Alec and Nettle with an impressed expression on his face. "Well...I'm very proud of you two! Is this something we've heard of-- this organization?"

Nettle looks at Lysette first. "Well, it IS dangerous...we've lost a lot of good friends...seen a lot of...things...but SOMEone has to do it, and me and Alec have both been raised to believe that we have to help! Who will if we won't?" she says as gently as she can.
Then she turns to her dad. "No, you haven't heard of it-- that's how you know it's a good secret organization, right?" she winks.

John laughs a little tightly. "Right, honey, right...go on, go on."

Nettle nods. "So where we live and what we do is strictly confidential. We can't tell anyone-- especially those we love. Our organization has made a lot of enemies...powerful enemies. We can't trust the police or politicians, for the most part, so we steer clear of all of them. Back when we disappeared, we HAD to...you know what I mean? Couldn't call anyone because the phonelines were being bugged. Veil's cell phone was clean, though, so when we met up with her she let us call you. You can send any mail for us to the store, but only call us on the cell phones, OK?" Nettle looks at the parents seriously. "And PLEASE don't try to follow us, Dad??"

John blinks quickly-- trying not to look guilty. "Uh...why would I do THAT, Iris?"

Nettle gives him a look.

Sharon has remained silent, but now she starts to panic. "Well...honey...I mean, I AM proud of you, too, but...why would you choose to have babies in the middle of all this danger?? What...what if something happens to you and Alec?? Oh GOD! How would we know?? And the babies-- who would care for them?" she asks, tearing strips off a Kleenex she's suddenly produced in her hands.

Nettle reaches across the table and pats her mother's hand. "We already arranged for guardians for them-- Veil and a, uh, relative we met in Wales. A, uh, great-uncle, Mom."

Sharon's face turns red and tears come down her cheeks. "Well wouldn't you want the grandparents to take care of them?? We'd never see them again! And...well...I just feel...feel so helpless!" she cries, and then holds her face in her hands. She cries for a minute and then looks up angrily and points at Nettle. "Your grandmother was just like that! Had to have her hands in helping everyone, but didn't even think about her own daughter! When she was killed I was orphaned at age 17! Thank GOD I found your father!! Thank GOD! But don't think I ever forgave her! No!" Sharon makes a slashing-motion in the air with her hand, and then stomps from the room. They hear the bathroom door slam after a few seconds.

Nettle stares down at her hands in uncomfortable silence. Her mother has never spoken badly about her grandmother before-- or talked about what really happened to her!

Steve makes a strange face, "Woah the bad vibes...they continue," he says.
Lysette shakes her head and follows Sharon. "Sharon? Sharon it's Lysette...open the door."

Alec shakes his head. 'Right well that went over well, eh?'

Nettle shrugs. "How could it go over well?" she says in a low voice. "At least we finally said something."
The babies are remarkably quiet through all of this. They watch the remaining people with large eyes.

John sighs and runs his fingers over the wood-grain of the table-top. "Your mother gets upset easily...sorry about that. I can't deny I'm upset, too, but...our kids are making a difference." He looks up at Nettle and Alec. "You ARE making a difference, right? It's all for something important in the end, eh?"

Nettle nods quickly. "Of course, Dad."

John gives a quick laugh. "Guess that degree in Art History wasn't!"

Nettle gives a little smile. "I wouldn't say THAT! It's come in handy-- trust me! Any bit of knowledge does!"

Steve nods and leans back, "Yeah making a difference is what it is all about. It's about finding something wrong and just going for it..."

"Yeah it's important and it is making a difference..." Alec says. He looks at Nettle and winks, "Right IRIS?" he says punctuating the Iris-part.

Nettle kicks Alec under the table. "Right, MUNICHI-KIN!" she says back sweetly.

Steve laughs, much to Alec's chagrin, "Hah! I remember that...yeah our little Munchi-kin. You were so heavy as a kid...yeah like a little rolie polie munchi-kin."

Alec pales and then looks at Nettle. "I don't know what he's talking about..."

Nettle lets out a loud shriek of triumph at getting this little tidbit about Alec!
Simone looks surprised, but then when she sees the Nettle's laughing and not screaming, she makes a little laugh and claps her hands quickly together. Ian glances at Simone and then imitates her.
"Oh MAN! Really, Alec?? You were a chubby little guy, hmm? So THAT'S where Simone gets her cheeks from! Aaaw!" Nettle turns and holds Alec's face in her hands, leaning forward and kissing him. "That's cute, Alec!" She giggles, squeezing his cheeks.

John shakes his finger at Nettle. "Don't tease the boy, Iris! Don't forget-- you never wore short skirts until you were a teenager because of your knock-knees! Not to mention the bra-stuffing--"

"DAD!!" Nettle shrieks, and now it's HER turn to cover her face.

John grins at Alec and gives him a thumbs-up.

Alec turns to her grinning. "Knock knees...like Olive Oil? You were Olive Oil!!"

"Olive Oil is good man...great with salad yeah," Steve chimes in.

Nettle pulls her face away from her hands and stares at Alec with her mouth hanging open. "You DIDN'T! You DIDN'T just compare me to Olive Oil, Alec!! NO sex for you! No more!" she cries.

John grins. "Don't worry, Alec, if she's like her mother, that's an empty threat!"

Nettle makes an exasperated noise. "Yeah well if I'm Olive Oil, it's only appropriate I end up with Bluto, eh Alec?" She raises an eyebrow and pats Alec's tummy.

Steve laughs a little chuckle. "Popeye yeah...that's funny."

Alec smiles, "Knocky knees knocky knees. And yeah is that ever an empty threat..."

Nettle grits her teeth, getting her face right up in Alec's. "Roly poly munchi-kin! Roly poly munchi-kin!" she chants right back. "And just TRY me, Alec!"

Simone and Ian laugh and kick their legs excitedly. Alec waves his hand, "Alright love alright I give," he says. He leans over and gives her a hug. "Ouch!" He says pulling back. "I think you nailed me with your knocky knees!"

Nettle lets out another of her rage-screams and punches his arm. "Yeah well I was surprised you could get close enough to hug me with that big gut of yours!" She folds her arms and scowls at him.

"Now now, you two! No fighting-- unless you're planning for some super-fine making-up afterwards? Sometimes your mother and I fight just to get worked-up-- it seems to help her to shout and scream. Like Steve says, let the bad out, and the good in!" John nods knowledgably.

"Yeah the bad out good stuff in. I think this party needs some mellow yellow..." Steve says beginning to roll a joint.

Alec laughs, and leans over and kisses Nettle. "Hah! Look at the kids," he says. Ian and Simone are just watching them both intently making sure mommy and daddy aren't fighting for real.

Nettle kisses Alec back, but regards him with pouty pooched-out bottom lip afterwards. Then she peers over at the twins when Alec tells her to look, and suddenly feels guilty.
"Hey sweetie-babies..." she calls. "Mommy...loves Daddy...we're just playing, see?" Nettle grudgingly pulls Alec in and gives him a good kiss. "OK, we're both really self-conscious, so no more of that, OK baby?" she whispers, forehead pressed to Alec's.

"Alright love no more comments about your previously deformed knees." he says with a smirk.

Nettle grits her teeth again. "They weren't deformed!! Just...bony!" She peers at Alec for a moment with narrowed eyes. "Hmmm...maybe Mrs. Spiffle was right! Maybe you HAVE gained a little weight!" she surveys, putting a finger to her bottom lip.

John suddenly gets a weird look on his face. "Hmmm...I think the babies need to be changed. Don't worry, you two, I'll get that. Yeah, Steve-- you keep doing what you're doing, man!" he winks. He stands and lifts the two baby-carriers effortlessly and carries them into the living room where the diaperbags were left.

"No no wait...I think that's me," Steve says. "No no guess not..." he says as he continues to roll the joint.

Nettle peers over at Steve. "Eeeew Mr. Gideon!!" she laughs, feeling her spirits lighten a little.

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

Sharon's crying inside the bathroom. For a second the crying pauses and Lysette hears the door-lock click open, and then the crying resumes.

Lysette comes in with a worried look on her face. "Mon dieu are you alright, Sharon?"

Sharon has put the lid down on the toilet and is sitting hunched-over on the toilet with her hands over her face. She motions for Lysette to close the door behind her once she's in. Then she shakes her head.
"GOD, Lysette!! Our kids are soldiers marching to their deaths, or something!! And in god-damned Salt Lake CITY, of all places!! How did this happen?? I thought maybe they did peace-marches or blockaded circuses or stood in the way of bulldozers, or something! What's with all the secrets-shit?!? And someone else would be raising the babies if something happened to our kids?!?" Sharon lets out another loud wail and covers her face again.

Lysette shakes her head, "You remember the sixties yes? You remember that even the protesters were in danger. The government does not like anyone who speaks out against them yes?"

Sharon picks up her face enough to peek at Lysette. "Yeah, but none of us had to go into HIDING!!" She thinks for a second. "Or is that why you and Steve are always moving around? You have a house now?" she asks tentatively.

"Well we did a few things that we are still wanted for...but I still say freeing the animals in that zoo was the right thing to do!" she says. "They were horribly sad..."

Sharon nods. "Yeah, man...that was a great thing you two did...they were treated bad." She reaches out and takes Lysette's hand, squeezing it. "Alec and Iris are our only children. I wasn't able to have any others-- I don't know why! It's not like we didn't try, you know? I've never been on the pill, man..." she wipes at her eyes sadly. "Maybe it just runs in the family. I was an only child...Mother was an only child...HER mother was an only child...I don't know, man...I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my little rainbow...it would just be cloudy skies, man...no rainbow..." Sharon gets herself crying again.

"Je sais...je sais...I know, Sharon but you have to let the kids live their life, non? Let them do what they do without us. Remember when our parent's didn't understand?" Lysette says.

Sharon looks up again. "But I DO understand 'cause I was THERE, man! I DID those things! And my mom understood a little TOO well! Dad died in some construction-accident when I was 11, and then it was like Mother was totally CRAZY with her causes! She'd be gone for a week sometimes, and I'd have her friends tending me...it's no way to grow up, man! I don't want that for the twins when they have US!!"

"Ah but they won't Sharon. You know they will be great parents like we were...you shall see you shall see. Now come back to ze table and eat your dinner and enjoy yourself," Lysette says.

Sharon's face crumples and she's back to sobbing into her hands again. "But I WASN'T a good mom!! Iris even said so! She left John and me when she was 16 to live here! Oooohhh!!!!" Sharon is shaking now with her sobs. "I thought...we were good...parents..." she gets out between sobs. "You got a...a joint...honey??" she asks Lysette.

"No but maybe Steve or John does...Let's go see," she says opening the door. "I'm sure you were a good mother you know how teens are..."

Sharon reluctantly stands up and follows after Lysette. "You don't know, honey..." she murmurs, trying to compose herself before they re-join the group. Then she notices John walk into the living room with the baby-carriers as she and Lysette get to the end of the hall.
"Hey baby-- you need some help or somethin'?" Sharon asks, eager not to have to go back into the dining room just yet.

"Just changing the babies, love. No one in their right mind would want to help with THIS!" he winks.

Sharon shrugs. "I haven't done it in ages-- I don't mind. Hey Lysette-- you go ahead and I'll be right there. You're a great friend, honey!" She hugs Lysette tightly. "Thanks..." she says in a quiet, sincere voice.

Lysette smiles, "But of course!" she says.

Sharon joins John down on the floor, taking Simone out of her carrier. "Hey pretty girl! Hey Simone! Phew!" She grins at John. "I forgot about how bad that smelled!"

John peers at Sharon, reaching over to wipe a tear from under her eye. "You OK, love?"

Sharon glances at John before looking back down at Simone. "I'll be OK."

After about 10 minutes John and Sharon return to the dining room with the twins sleeping in their carriers.
"Hey-- let's go outside on the porch and set these two in here where can see them. Don't want to wake them, eh?" John whispers.

"How'd you get them to sleep? They usually get pretty rowdy after being changed," Alec says amazed.

John grins. "Actually, I think they were already tired, but couldn't get to sleep with all the racket and soiled-diaper-mess. Babies have to sleep a lot, you know. They're growing at an incredibly fast--"

"John, they've been taking care of the kids for 4 months now! Don't be insulting, baby!" Sharon surprises Nettle by butting in and saying.

Nettle looks at her mom with her mouth slightly open. "Yeah-- thanks Mom..." she says in a surprised voice.

Sharon gives her a warm smile, and then looks down self-consciously.

"Yeah let's go to the back porch and share the weed in nature yeah...nature the good earth the way it should be..." Steve says.
Lysette smiles at her husband and throws her arms around him. "Isn't he sweet..."
"Yeah gettin some tonight yeah...lovins..." Steve says.

Alec shakes his head and gives Nettle a pained look, "Things you don't want to hear your parents say..."

Nettle takes Alec's arm, shaking her head. "I already have, baby...I already have..."

The six adults walk outside and pull the cushioned lounge-chairs into a circle and sit down. They start talking pleasantly, and when Steve passes around the joint, Nettle even joins in. Sharon-- wanting to prove to Nettle that she's not a bad mother-- treats her extra-kindly...defending her when someone teases her...smiling at her constantly...putting her arm around her-- basically, handling her with kid-gloves.
Nettle wonders what's going on, but decides to enjoy this rare gentle attention. She helps her mom bring out beer and wine and snacks when the Chinese food wears off and the munchies set in! At one point Sharon motions for her to come over and has Nettle sit on a cushion on front of her so she can play with Nettle's hair.

"Wow, baby...you're hair's so soft...perfectly smooth and even at the bottom...so beautiful! Look at MINE, man!" Sharon comments in amazement.

Nettle turns a little. "Aaw Mom! You're hair's beautiful! You're just out in the sun all the time! You have to moisturize, you know?"

Steve passes the joint to Lysette, "Here you go baby yeah...take a hit real deep like," he says. Lysette takes the joint and inhales deeply. She holds the smoke for a time and then lets it go. "Encroyable!! That is good Steve...wowo like...the feeling is good yes?"

Alec takes the joint and inhales, "Yeah dad," he says holding the smoke. "Real good."
Steve smiles and takes the joint from Alec and passes it to John. "Have more man..."

John nods. "This is the stuff, man..." He inhales, holds it, and then closes his eyes and exhales slowly. "Oh yeah...you have trouble getting this here all the way from Hawaii, Steve-o?"

"Nah nah...I know a few people who hook me up from time to time." He says. "Where do you get your stuff?"

John grins and gives Steve a peace-sign. "It's aaaall good in Boulder, man! People practically GROW it in their yards there! Not that we share that bit of info around, right?" he winks.

Sharon takes the joint from John and takes her hit. "Mmmm...niiiice..." she sighs, and then hands it down to Nettle.

Nettle takes it and decides to impress everyone by taking a huge hit. But as she tries to hold the smoke in, she suddenly starts coughing hard. Her throat feels like it's on fire, and her lungs feel like they've been scraped with a wire brush! She continues hacking for a moment in great embarrassment.

"YEEEAY! Right ON, baby girl! She got a good one!" Sharon laughs encouragingly, patting Nettle's back and passing the joint on to Steve for her.

Alec smiles, "She doesn't smoke too much. She has it every once in awhile..." he says.

Lysette smiles and puts her arm around Nettle. "Oui oui just like me. I rarely use either, dear."

Nettle looks up at Lysette gratefully through watering eyes. *cough-cough*"Really??"*cough-cough*"Wow! I didn't--"*cough-cough*"--know that!" she barely gets out.

John smiles sympathetically at his daughter. "To each their own, man...to each their own..."

"Yeah it's about doing things for you, not tryin to fit in...just be an individual..." Steve says nodding dreamily. "Let's put some Floyd on and groove to it..."

Sharon glances over at John. "Hey baby? Your brother OK with this? Like, you know, if he and Linda were to come home early?"

John waves Sharon's question away. "Who do you think hooked ME up the first time?" he grins. "Older brothers...can't live without 'em, eh? He's a professor, so he keeps a low profile on his recreational activities."

Nettle nods. "Yeah--*cough-cough*-- they're cool--*cough-cough*"

Alec smiles, "Oh well that explains a lot then," he says. "So love, feelin better?' he asks Nettle. "Cause I know I am."

Lysette nods at Nettle, "But of course. There has to be one person in the couple who is straight and can drive yes?"

This causes Nettle to start cracking up for some reason, and she coughs out the last of the smoke. "Yeah! That's right, Mrs. Gideon! I never thought about it that way before!" She leans up and hugs her gratefully. Then she peers up at Alec with a dreamy smile. "Yeah, baby-- I'm feelin relaxed now..." she winks at him.

John stands and pats Nettle's head, grinning at her. "Yeah, so Michael and Linda went out to eat and stuff with Natalie, and they'll be back later tonight. I'll get the tunes!"
He walks into the house and comes back a few minutes later with a C.D. player in one hand and a stack of C.D.s in the other. He carefully slides the glass door shut again so they don't wake up the babies. He puts in some Pink Floyd, as Steve requested, and then leans back in his chair again and sighs contentedly.
"So Steve...Lysette...where are you living now? Back in England? France? You have a circle of friends you've stayed close to through it all?" he asks, popping open a beer and taking a swig.

"We are living in Marseille at ze moment. I work for a museum there and it pays well. Steve stays home mostly and does the cleaning...don't you dear?" Lysette says kissing him noisily on the cheek.

Steve smiles and lays his head on Lysette's shoulder, "Uh huh...yeah I do the cookin too..."

Alec winces, "Right you did...no wonder I was so heavy as a child..."

Nettle grins, draping her arms over her mom's legs, still sitting on the ground between them. "Right ON, Mrs. Gideon! A museum! I was working in a museum when I first met Alec! It can be boring, and a little frustrating when less people show up to see the exhibits than we were hoping for, but I loved being surrounded by all that history everyday! I quit that job when Alec bought the store and started working for him! Right baby?" Nettle grins, wiggling her eyebrows at him suggestively. "Worked HARD, didn't I?"

Alec smiles, "The only thing that's hard about working for me...is working under me," he says winking. "And Iris does that a lot...sometimes she's over me...and that can get hard."

Nettle laughs huskily, embarrassed that she's getting turned-on in front of all the parents! "That's right, baby...it was ALWAYS hard!"

Sharon laughs. "Oooh yeah, honey! Me and John never got any work done when we first opened our store! In fact, I think you were conceived behind the counter, Iris!"

John laughs. "Oooh yeah...on the counter, behind the counter-- in the vicinity of the counter, in any case!" he winks at Sharon, and Sharon gives him a desirous look.

Nettle raises her eyebrows at Alec as if to say, "damnit, I did it again, didn't I??" but this time she doesn't mind. "Aaah yeah...the counters..." she winks.

"I'm sure Jaf will appreciate that..." Alec says rolling his eyes.

Steve looks over at John and Sharon, "So romantic...that's beautiful man."

"Far out," Lysette says, "Way out there...Alec was conceived at a Grateful Dead concert. Has he ever told you that?"

Nettle giggles. "THAT explains a lot! I'm surprised you could pin it down to an exact date-- EITHER of you sets of parents!" Nettle grins.

Sharon laughs. "Too true, baby! Well...we remembered because it was 9 months after the grand opening that you were born! That WAS a...grand...opening...wasn't it, John?" she winks at him suggestively.

John laughs and rocks back and forth, slapping his hands on his thighs. "God, Sharon! It's ALWAYS a grand opening!"

Now Nettle's heard a LIIITTLE too much! "AAAH you guys! OK, OK, it was beautiful!" she laughs, covering her face.

"So where were the twins conceived, then, since we're all sharing?" Sharon asks, peering down at Nettle's head.

Nettle lowers her hands and smiles softly up at Alec. "In a clearing in the forest...up in the mountains. We did a fertility-ritual for three days, and it worked! REALLY well!" she smiles, gazing through the glass door at the sleeping babies.

"Too well," Alec says with a laugh. "It was a nice night all in all...we both enjoyed ourselves greatly that night eh love?" he says wriggling his eyebrows.

Lysette smiles and takes Steve's hand, "I remember when it happened. Steve and I were out on the lawn in our tent when they started playing "Friend of Mine" and we just looked at each other and made love on that very spot. A few weeks later I knew I was with Alec." she says smiling.
"It was beautiful..." Steve says.

"Aaaaw!!" Nettle sniffles, wiping her eyes. "That was beautiful! Really beautiful..." She reaches up and rubs Alec's leg.

Sharon sniffles, too. "Yeah...that was a sweet story! Me and John-- we were...well, YOU know, christening the store, so to speak. You know-- like when they break a bottle of champagne on a new ship? Except it wasn't a bottle of champ--"

"OK Mom, got the point!" Nettle slaps her mom's leg gently.

"You know, I'd never even thought of trying a fertility-ritual-- isn't that sad, man? I mean, we got pregnant with you so quickly that we thought we'd have a whole room-full of children without any effort!" Sharon laughs a little sadly. "Iris-- what other things have you learned to do? Stones? Horoscopes? Tarot cards?"

"Oh Iris has learned a lot of things, haven't you love?" Alec says chuckling evilly.

Nettle gives Alec a look and then smiles and nods at her mom. "All of that, yeah. I have a GREAT tarot deck, eh Alec?" she winks at Alec. "Me and Alec-- we have a special bond. We can read each others' minds! I can read other people, but only if I'm using the deck."

Sharon raises her eyebrows. "You mean like that Jamaican lady on TV? Yeah RIGHT, Iris! Just promise me you won't start your own infomercial, OK honey?"

"No REALLY, Mom! I can! We, uh, learned to do it as part of our priestess-training!" Nettle assures her mom.

"OK then, tell me what I'm thinking!" Sharon challenges, folding her arms and looking imperiously down at her daughter.

Nettle raises her eyebrow at her mom, glances at Alec, and then grins and jumps up. "Be right back!" she calls, sliding open the glass door and disappearing into the living room.
'Don't worry, Alec-- this is not out of their realm of comfort to have a psychic witch-daughter! They hire psychics to work at their store!' she thinks to Alec as she comes back with her tarot-bag.

'Ok just be careful...' He thinks at her

Lysette and Steve lean in, "Oh yeah..." Steve said. "Getting back to the mother yeah like...being one with your inner self."

Nettle sits cross-legged on the floor and takes out her cards. She makes a big show of shuffling them...spreading them out...she makes dramatic hand-movements over the top of the cards and pretends to be meditating-- everything to add to the illusion that she needs to do all of this in order to make the "magic" happen.
Finally she moves her hand over a card, and withdraws it from the spread. She turns it around to show her mom. "The Queen of Cups! Appropriate, eh Mom?" she grins.

Sharon laughs. "If they had Queen of Weed, man, that would be me, but they don't so I'll take cups, yeah!"

John laughs and leans forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"OK Mom, just sit there and think about something!" Nettle instructs.

Sharon gives Nettle a last disbelieving look, and then closes her eyes and gets a sly look on her face. "OK, honey, ready!"

Nettle holds the card in her hands and presses it to her forehead, closing her eyes. After a few seconds she lets out a gasp and her eyes fly open. "Mom!! I can't say that out loud!!" she exclaims. 'ALEC!! My mom has a crush on your dad and wants our parents to have group-sex!!!!!' she shrieks through the mind-link.

'Oh ick! Ummm...whisper it to her...good lord,' he thinks at her grimacing.

Sharon opens her eyes and laughs. "Did you really read my mind, baby?? Come whisper to me, then, if you can't say it!"

Nettle stares at Alec with her mouth hanging open, and then weakly crawls over to her mom's side and cups her hands around her ear and whispers.
Sharon bursts into laughter, and then suddenly pulls back and stares at Nettle. "You...you DID it, Iris! You...oh my GOD! You've got the gift!!" she cries, and throws her arms around Nettle, hugging her tightly. "We are blessed! BLESSED!!" she exclaims to everyone.

Lysette and Steve look at each other and then back to Nettle. "Quelle chouette!! This is such good news! I never had a doubt," Lysette says smiling and giving Nettle a wink.
"Yeah it was like in the cards..." Steve says.

'Oh brother...that is so disgusting...' Alec thinks at Nettle. 'I won't be able to sleep for the next week...much less eat anything.'

Sharon points at Alec and starts laughing hard. "Oh look! LOOK!! They really CAN tell what each other are thinking!! Look at Alec's face!! Oh honey!" Sharon turns and grabs Nettle's face, kissing her soundly on the cheek.

Nettle looks from Alec to her mom with a horrified expression on her face. "But...but what about Dad?? I thought you...you were in love with Dad!" Nettle whispers to her mom emotionally.

Sharon throws her head back and laughs. "Of COURSE! We're soulmates, baby girl! You mean...all those years you didn't know? Your father and I are swingers, honey! That's why all those people were over at night! We were getting to know them-- to see if they were potential partners! Don't worry, Iris-- Alec-- the Gideons don't swing, right Steve and Lysette?"

Lysette shakes her head, "Oui, we do not swing. I have a man to keep me occupied and he is more than enough..." she says.
Steve nods, "Yeah I mean yeah...Lysette is my baby...yeah..."

Alec breathes a sigh of relief, 'Thank the gods eh? That would have been a bad situation,' he thinks. He leans back and smiles. "That's right, we can pretty much know what we are thinking!"

Sharon laughs again-- highly-amused by all of this. "Well I think that's very romantic that you two have that connection! Me and John pretty much finish each other's sentences, but, like, you two have only been together for-- what? 5 years? Something like that? Very impressive, man!"

Nettle grins at Alec. "Wow-- 5 years! That went by fast!"

John grins and leans back. "We only swing a couple times a year-- usually at the Burning Man festival and New Years-- something like that. A lot more toned-down than we used to be. We've just...gotten comfortable with staying monogamous in recent years." he nods to Steve and Lysette in understanding.

Nettle nods, feeling a little better. "Yeah...me and Alec tried to have an open relationship when we first got together. That lasted all of-- what, Alec? Two days? We both got really jealous. We each went on a date with someone else, and I, uh, sorta caught Alec's date's hair on fire..." Nettle grins and blushes.

"Sorta? She ran screaming." he says laughing. "Saved me from a big mistake tho."

Steve and Lysette smile. "Yeah love the one you're with..." Steve says.
Lysette sighs and lays her head on Steve's shoulder, "Ah when you know you love someone they satisfy you totally and in everything. That's the way I feel about it. I could never be with another...not after Steve."

Nettle smiles-- eyes a little teary. "That's exactly how I feel about Alec. I believe that if anything happened to him, I would die. I mean it-- I would just kill myself, or something! Which is why we're so careful and paranoid all the time!"

Sharon nods. "Well I'm glad to hear that you're careful, honey. And no killing yourself or TALKING about killing yourself!" she waves her finger at Nettle. "You have babies to live for, you know!"

Nettle nods, sliding over to Alec and holding his hand in both of hers. "I know, Mom."

'What was that about love?' He thinks.

Nettle glances at Alec. 'Your mom just moved me emotionally-- that's all. I realized that if anything happened to your dad, she really WOULD be alone the rest of her life, and that's so depressing! I couldn't go on for 40 years, or whatever, without you!! Ian and Simone-- they'd grow up and have their lives...' she thinks back to Alec, and then shakes her head. '...I couldn't...I...' She looks down and blinks tears out of her eyes.

"Life is beautiful man...can't end it early yeah..." Steve says.
"La morte...oh all teens go through the suicidal-phase don't they Steve?" Lysette says.
Steve nods, "Yeah gotta work through it and let the good stuff remind you why we're here yeah..."

"But sometimes life reminds you about the good things you lost, too." Nettle chimes in, and then regrets saying that and quiets back down.

Lysette and Steve give her a look and then look at each other.

'Crikeys Nettle relax. I'm not going anywhere ok?' He says. 'It's not like we are doing anything even remotely dangerous besides being what we are right?'

Nettle gives a tiny shrug. 'That's dangerous enough. I don't want to be melancholy, tho'-- I think I freaked your parents out!' she thinks back.

John sits back. "Interesting perspective from a Witch, honey. This part of that 'dark side' you talked about?"

Nettle frowns. "No, that's me. Most Witches would probably give me a lecture if they heard me say that. I'm just 'being me' and 'keeping it real' like you guys keep saying I should do." Nettle sighs. "Look-- I didn't mean to bring everyone down." She leans forward and holds up a six-pack. "Beer, anyone?" she asks unenthusiastically.

Sharon watches Nettle sadly during all of this. Finally she stands and holds out her hand. "Honey-- come talk to me, OK? I...I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time."

Nettle looks at Alec in surprise and then back at her mom. "Er...OK, Mom," she says nervously, and stands and walks over to Sharon. Sharon takes her hand and pulls her into the house, sliding the door shut behind them.

John watches them go and sits there quietly for a moment, and then exhales. "Well! Anyone in the mood for anything? I have it all! Music? Anyone want to hear anything special? I've got that all, too!" he says brightly.

"Yeah the Beatles!" Alec says. "Cheers."
Steve takes the final hit from his joint and nods, "Beatles would be good yeah," he says holding the smoke in.
Lysette agrees, "Oui, the Beatles are fine. I'll go get the cold beer." she says and walks back inside. She checks the babies quick and then heads for the kitchen.

John jumps up enthusiastically and rubs his hands together. "All right! OK, let me guess which album...Rubber Soul? That good? All right!" He points his fingers at Alec and Steve and winks, and then hurries over to the stereo and changes C.D.s.

"All right now you're talking, me old china," Alec says.
Steve smiles, "Groovy..."

Sharon pulls Nettle into the living room and motions for her to sit on the floor with her. Sharon sits down cross-legged, and Nettle follows suite, sitting across from her mom.
Sharon sighs and takes Nettle's hands, looking down at them. "Look honey...I want to talk about when you were 16. Will you talk with me, sweetie?"

Nettle looks at her mom in surprise. "Yeah, mom-- I was actually going to try to...I mean...I wanted to talk about that, too."

Sharon returns the surprised look, and then nods. "We used to be so close, baby! Remember when you were little? We'd do make-overs on each other...go shopping together...listen to music...dance in the living room together to ABBA...remember that, honey?? We always fought over who was the blonde one!" she laughs.

Nettle smiles and nods, eyes a little misty. "Yeah, Mom."

"Remember? You used to stand on the fireplace and entertain all our friends! You held an egg-beater in one hand and pretended it was a microphone, and got dressed in my clothes! You were GOOD! You were funny and charismatic and everyone loved you, man!" Sharon laughs with sparkling eyes.

Nettle blushes and looks down. "Yeah...hehe..."

Sharon holds Nettle's hands more tightly. "I'll explain first-- then you talk to me. OK?"

Nettle nods, lips together tightly.

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

Lysette comes out with the beers and hands everyone one. "There now we can drink yes?" she says taking a sip of her wine from dinner. Alec cracks his open and swigs it down. "So John how long were you and Sharon thinking of staying in Salt Lake?"

John takes a beer and sits back down. "Our return-tickets are for a week from today, but--" he shrugs. "--whatever, right? We blow with the wind! After seeing those twins, I can't bear the thought of flying back!" He turns to John and Lysette. "How long are you here for, you two?"

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

Sharon sighs and looks down at their hands again. "That man...you know who I'm talking about...Pete Alcott?" Sharon opens her mouth and shakes her head, thinking for a moment.
"Honey...he was...one of the guys in one of the couples that we swang with a lot. He...he explained to us after you ran into your room that he thought you were ME! He...well...we were all REEEEALLY stoned outside, like I told you. Drinking...smoking...doing hard stuff...you know. He went to the bathroom, came out, saw you on the couch, and thought you were me. Really-- it's an easy mistake, right honey?" Sharon looks at Nettle pleadingly.

Nettle's forehead wrinkles. "NO, Mom!! He knew me, too! He knew me, TOO!!" she cries. "And you did nothing but make excuses for him! You didn't call the cops, you didn't yell at him, Dad didn't beat the shit out of him-- NOTHING! You acted like you were mad that I wouldn't forgive him! Jesus! I was struggling and shouting 'NO' and he wouldn't get off me! He ripped my clothes off, Mom!!"

Sharon looks pained. "Well...that wouldn't necessarily deter him because...we sometimes...role-played different things with different couples...and...aaah...we've done scenarios where me and the other woman are pretending to be hostages...and...aah..."

Nettle shakes her head quickly. "Stop stop STOP!" She holds her head in her hands-- mind stunned. She was NOT expecting a plausible excuse to all of this! She was expecting to be able to throw it in her parents' faces and have them begging to make it up to her, but this?? It's...a plausible excuse...

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

Steve shrugs and Lysette smiles, "We do not know. We have tickets for anytime we wish to leave. We could always fly home with you." she says. Steve nods his head. "Yeah we could, yeah...and see how they live, that'd be great really..."

John nods excitedly. "Oh YEAH, man! You definitely should! Boulder is a hippie-haven! A New Ager's paradise! We'll introduce you around...show you the place...catch some shows..."

"Far out!" Steve says.
"Oh it sounds just lovely, and it's so close to the kids." Lysette says giving Steve a look. Steve nods his head, "Yeah that'd be beautiful..."

Alec takes a sip of his beer and looks over to the kids. "Ah still sleeping...they've had a lot of excitement today," he says. "I think we all have..." he mutters to himself.
Alec turns back to the parents with a confused look. Did his parents just discuss the idea of moving to Boulder???

John gets a wide grin on his face. "It IS a beautiful place, and you're right-- within a day's drive of the kids!" He rubs his hands together. "It's just me and Sharon in the house-- plenty of room for the two of you to stay until you find a place...or just to stay! Whatever suites you! We're used to having people around all the time! We've got an open door!"

Lysette looks at Steve and the two have a silent conversation.
"We may just take you up on that offer, John." Lysette says. "Yeah...I mean we could like start a band or something man." Steve says.

John grins excitedly and stands, walking over and wrapping the two in a bear-hug. "That would be outta sight! Incredible!! I play the guitar, and Sharon sings! Yeah, man, YEAH!"

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

Sharon watches Nettle worriedly. She closes her eyes and exhales, and then gets up and leans forward, wrapping Nettle tightly in her arms. "Iris, I AM sorry. He should have known it was you, he should have stopped when you told him to, and...we shouldn't have invited people over to get high with a teenage daughter in the house. We should have let you stay over at a friend's, or taken the party to someone else's pad. We should have yelled at him and defended you. Your father should have punched him out. I...I've never thought this clearly before, honey. You're our baby! We SHOULD have valued our relationship with you over our relationship with him!!" Sharon looks up at the ceiling with sober, green eyes, wondering why she spent Nettle's growing-up stoned half the time! That's 8 years she missed-- plus the ones after she moved out! She hugs Nettle tightly to her as if trying to absorb those years back.

Nettle is sobbing by now, face buried in her mother's chest. "I...didn't have...any friends...in Idaho..." she cries, and then laughs and cries at the same time. She can't believe her mother just said the words she always wanted to hear!!

Sharon gives a little laugh back, rocking with Nettle slightly. "That's true, honey...I'm glad you were happy in Salt Lake with Michael's family. If it makes you feel better, our friendship with Pete and his then-wife ended that night. We saw him in town sometimes, or passing the store, or at concerts and things, but it was always awkward and we'd quickly turn away after nodding to one another, you know? You--" Sharon laughs, "--you cut his arm SO BAD, baby! He never recovered the full use of it. I heard he sustained nerve-damage. It was a bad gash. I...I suppose that's why we didn't take it out on him."

Nettle cringes a little, remembering seeing all the way to the bone after she cut him. "I did, didn't I..."

Sharon nods and smiles, lifting Nettle's face and kissing her forehead. "Please forgive us, baby? Please-- I want us to be close again! I love you so much! I miss you, honey!"

Nettle hugs her tightly. "I love you, too, Mom!! I needed to hear that so bad! You have NO idea!!"

Sharon laughs. "No...I DO have an idea, baby! I do!"

Mother and daughter look at one another for a second, and then at the same time they both break into song ala ABBA. "Yes it's truuuue, I do I do I do I do I doooooo!" they sing, and then start laughing and collapse against one another. "I'm Agnetha!!" Nettle cries.

"No way, Iris! You're Anni-frid! I'M Agnetha!" Sharon laughs, tickling Nettle.

Nettle shrieks and tickles her mother back, and the two start rolling around on the floor laughing.

A few minutes later Sharon and Nettle walk back to the sliding door with their arms around each other's waists, laughing and smiling. They step back out onto the porch and slide the door shut behind them.
"Hey guys! What's going on?" Sharon grins.

Alec gives Nettle a wide-eyed look and pats the seat next to him. "You're going to want to sit down for this one," he says.

Nettle kisses Sharon's cheek and walks over to sit down beside Alec. "What's up, baby?" she asks cheerfully.

Sharon notices John grinning and standing behind Steve and Lysette with his arms around them.
"What's this? Decide to take us up on the offer?" she teases, winking at Steve and Lysette.

Steve smiles and Lysette walks over and puts her arm around Sharon. "How would you like roommates?"

Sharon's mouth drops open and she stares from Lysette to John to Steve. "Woah, man! Am I missing something? You, uh, change your mind?" she asks, a little confused.

John laughs and shakes his head. "No, baby-- not like that! Steve and Lysette want to move to Boulder! With US!!" he cries triumphantly.

Sharon's mouth drops open again, and she looks at Lysette for 2 seconds before suddenly throwing her arms around her and hugging her. "Oh YEAH, sister! Yeah!! You two move in with us! Stay with us! We would LOVE to have you, man!! LOVE to have you!!"

Lysette hugs her back, "Oui Oui!! It'll be like the communes back in the sixties!"

"Oh yeah the communes yeah those days man..." Steve says.

Nettle stares at Alec. "Holy shit!!" she whispers. "How did THIS happen?? I mean...it's...it's really...kinda cool, right??" she asks Alec, in case they're supposed to be upset about it.

Alec shrugs, "I'm still deciding myself. I'm happy for it...and a bit confused but whatever makes them happy I guess," He says. "What do you think, love?"

She glances at the parents for a moment, and then back at Alec. "As long as they don't get on each other's nerves and fight, or something. That would definitely fuck up Christmases!" she grins. "Aaw-- I think it's really cute! Plus it will be more convenient! We'll only have to fly to ONE house, and everytime we call home, we're BOTH calling home!" She puts her arm around Alec and hugs him. "Why-- is there something I should know? You look a little worried."
All four parents are clustered together in a big group-hug, singing some crazy Hare Krishna song. Nettle covers her mouth to keep from giggling.

Alec chuckles and puts his arm around Nettle. "You know you're right, love. It is cute and sweet." He leads her over and the two join the group hug.

Suddenly the sliding door opens. "What the hell is this?" a slightly-faded-English-accented voice calls. "I leave for a few hours and everyone's turned Hindu?" A large, smiling bald man with a long, bristly brownish-red beard and biker-clothes is standing in the doorway with his arms folded.
Nettle turns around and laughs. "Hey Uncle Michael!" She runs up and hugs him. Through the glass door she can see her Aunt Linda and cousin Natalie leaning over the babies and murmuring excitedly.
"Uncle Michael-- remember Alec?" she smiles, motioning to Alec with her hand.

Steve and Lysette turn still laughing and wave at Michael. "Hey," Steve says flashing the peace sign.

Michael steps forward and extends his hand with a proud grin on his face. "'Ello Alec! Last time I saw you was at your wedding! Sounds like you two are keeping busy!"

Alec smiles and shakes Michael's hand. "Good to see you, me old china. How've you been?"

Michael's hand almost swallows Alec's hand, it's so big. "Very well, Alec, very well! Good to see you again, old son!"

Sharon walks over to Michael and leans in a little. "Is there a taxi out front, by chance?" she asks in a low voice that only Nettle and Alec can hear.

Michael shakes his head, and Sharon visibly relaxes. "No, not out front, but there's one down the street. Why-- you call for it?"

Sharon's eyes get huge and she swallows. "Was...was there a really ugly dude driving it?" she whispers.

Michael raises his eyebrows in concern. "Yeah...he causin' you trouble, Sharon?"

Sharon shakes her head quickly and sighs. "No, man...not really. Thanks, Michael." Sharon walks over and gets a beer, taking a long series of swallows.

Nettle raises her eyebrows at Alec and is about to say something when Michael puts his arms around both of them. "Well what are we waiting for? Come show us your babies!"
Nettle gives a smile. "Of course!" She leads Michael and Alec into the house.
'When we're done with that, I want to talk to you,' she thinks to Alec.

'Alright...' he thinks back at her. He walks in with Michael and he motions towards the babies with unchecked pride on his face.

"We had thought perhaps we will accompany you and John when you fly out to Colorado. We could see the house," Lysette says.
Steve nods, "Yeah and we can fly back and get our stuff and be back in a week," he says.
Lysette looks hopefully at Sharon, "Is this alright?"

Sharon looks distracted for a moment, but then hears Lysette and Steve's voices and smiles, turning to them. "Sorry about that-- just, uh, enjoying the beer!" she grins. "Oooh yeah! Come fly with me and John! We'll be flyin' while we're flyyyin'!" she winks. "This'll be so groovy-- introducing Alec's parents to everyone, and having you stay, if you like it!" She leans in. "You'll like it, man!" she grins.

John walks up and puts one arm around Sharon and other other around Steve. "This'll be great! I've been meanin' to get Nettle and Alec back over to England-- have me parents show Sharon and the kids around the area...see where Alec's from...head over and visit northern Wales so Sharon can see where her grandmother's from-- we could make it a group-trip! Take the Chunnel over to France to visit Lysette's hometown-- what do you think, man?"

Lysette smiles, "OH yes, we can show you all the sites and France is beautiful this time of year...very romantic, non?" she says.
"Yeah France is beautiful...the trees in the fall, the snow on the ground in winter yeah it's far out," Steve says dreamily. "Hey have some more," He says passing the joint over to John.

John grins excitedly and takes the joint from Steve, getting a good hit off of it. "Oh yeah, man...we should definitely plan some sort of yearly trips, since that's what you and Lysette are used to-- traveling around the world! Right on! Traveling'-buddies, man!"

Nettle and Alec greet Linda and Natalie, and then show off their sleepy babies. The babies are cute and cuddly, and no one can get enough of holding and kissing them and exclaiming over them! Finally Nettle and Alec lay them back down so they can rest, and everyone joins the group on the porch.
Nettle pulls Alec aside and hugs him so it looks like they're just holding each only and not trying to carry on an important conversation.
'Corrander said we need to try to resolve the things that haunt us, and I think Mom needs some help. She's REALLY freaked-out about being able to see Fae-- I want to talk to her about it.' she thinks to Alec.

'How would you broach that without telling her everything?' He thinks to her. 'I don't know love...this sounds like it needs to be done very very carefully.'

Nettle nods slowly and turns so she can watch her mom.

Sharon swigs down the rest of her beer, and then quickly intercepts the joint as John's trying to pass it to Steve. Sharon takes a good, long hit, holds the smoke in for the long time, and then exhales slowly, shaking her head and exclaiming how good it is.

Nettle frowns. She really liked having a clean and sober mom there for about a half hour, but then she remembers Corrander's words about accepting her for who she is and loving her, anyway, and takes a deep breath.
"I bet she wouldn't do that nearly as much if she wasn't so paranoid about seeing 'things.'" Nettle mutters under her breath.

Michael walks up to Steve and Lysette with his arm around his daughter Natalie-- Nettle's cousin. "'Eh there you two! Having a nice evening?" he winks. "Just wanted to introduce my daughter Natalie. She's in the Utah Ballet and teaches dance! If you're around come December we'll take you to see her dance in the Nutcracker-- she's been the Sugar Plum Fairy for two years running, so I expect she'll be returning this year, as well!" he says proudly.
Natalie blushes and waves off his compliments humbly.

Nettle takes this moment to hurry up to her parents-- bending down and picking up her tarot cards from where she'd left them. "Hey guys? Could me and Alec talk to you in the house...alone? We think it's important." she says in a low voice.

John looks at her and notices how she's fidgeting nervously. "Sure, honey..." he nods. He looks over at his brother and Alec's parents. "Hey guys-- we'll just be in the house with Iris and Alec for a bit. Keep the party going!"

Michael waves his hand at his brother acknowledgingly without turning around.

John puts his arm around Sharon's shoulders and helps her into the house-- she's a little unsteady on her feet again.
"What's this about?" Sharon mumbles, looking between John and Nettle.

Nettle turns and motions quickly for Alec to follow them. "I'll tell you in the house, Mom."

Alec smiles and puts an arm around John. "Don't worry, mate." He says with a wink. "There's just something we need to tell you," he says. He gives Nettle a nod and follows them into the house.

The group goes into the living room, and John helps Sharon sit on the couch, and then sits down beside her. Nettle sits on the other side of her mom on the couch and takes a deep breath, waiting for Alec to sit in the armchair. She suddenly realizes she doesn't have a game-plan for how to do this!

John looks at her expectantly, and Sharon looks at her in confusion.

Nettle exhales slowly. "Mom...or Dad...someone please tell me about these 'things' Mom keeps seeing."

Sharon's eyes get big and she looks at John nervously.
John takes her hands and holds them tightly. "Just stay calm, baby-- I'll start, OK?"
Sharon shakes her head uncertainly. "They're going to think I'm CRAZY, John!! I don't want them to think I'm crazy! Even if I am!" she hisses.
"Sharon...our daughter is a Witch-- a 2nd degree, at that. If you can't go to her for help, who CAN you go to? Me and my 'magic-fix?' Hmm?" John holds Sharon's chin in his hand gently and looks into her frightened eyes. "Come on, love...just tell them. They won't think you're crazy-- right you two?" he asks, looking meaningfully over Sharon's head at Nettle and Alec.

"Right, John. We don't think you're crazy at all, Sharon. We just want to know what you've been seeing an' all, right?" He says. Alec sits down in the armchair and leans forward. "So Sharon come along then, tell us..."

Nettle smiles. "Best case-scenario, I'll help HER believe she's not crazy!"

Sharon looks up between Alec and Nettle for a moment and sees nothing but open sincerity. She drops her head for a moment as if wrestling with her thoughts. Then she finally looks up again and sighs. "You start, John." she says in a weak voice.

John nods, putting his arm around her. "Well, let's see. When I was 18 and Michael was 20, the two of us came out to the States to see what was here-- get into the hippie-movement, and everything. We came to New York, and that's where I met Sharon. She was a 17-year old runaway from Massachusetts...dropped out of high school. She was really jittery and paranoid about everything, and after she got to trust me she told me it was because she could see 'monsters.' Not ALL the time, but never when she was expecting to. I thought I could help her relax a little by hooking her up with some stuff, and it worked great! She was so fun to be around-- so calm and funny! Everyone loved her when she was high, man! Everyone!" John quickly looks down at Sharon. "Not that we didn't love you when you WEREN'T high, but you were really stressed-out, baby!"

Sharon shrugs. "Yeah..." she says in a melancholy voice.

John clears his throat. "Anyway, I guess this ability to see things didn't start until her mother's death. She was really shaken-up by her mother's death-- plus discovering this new ability-- and now she was an orphan. She didn't want to be taken in by her mother's friends-- who were Witches, by the way. She just wanted to get outta there, so she ran." John shrugs. "So Sharon wanted to be high all the time, and I fancied that idea, myself, so it worked out great! And anytime she saw the 'monsters,' as she calls them, I'd give her something harder."
John leans back, getting into his story. "Michael decided he wanted to go back to college-- but in the States-- and teach history, so we all stayed back east and worked to put him through college. We made your mom get her GED. Once Michael got his Bachelor's degree and your mom had her GED, Michael got a scholarship-offer-thing from the University of Utah to get his Masters there, so we all went to Salt Lake with him, but he met Linda almost immediately, fell in love, and kinda wanted us out of the apartment, so we went on a road-trip north and spontaneously decided to live in Boise, Idaho after meeting a great group of people there. So that's how we got to Idaho! We got married and opened our store, and nine months later...Iris!" John grins proudly.

Nettle's already heard the last part of that story many times, but Alec hadn't, so she stayed quiet while her father told it-- even though he got off the topic of the 'monsters.'

Alec nods, his finger steepled in front of his mouth. "Hmmm so perhaps it was the trauma of your mother dying that brought this on eh?" he says. He looks over at Nettle and raises an eyebrow. "How often do you see these monsters?"

Sharon shakes her head, tears coming quickly to her eyes. "No, no...I saw him...saw him BEFORE my mother died...I--" Sharon holds her head in her hands and squeezes her eyes shut.
John looks at her in surprise. "Before, honey? I thought you said--"
Sharon shakes her head again. "Nooo...he was the first...I can't say it I can't say it..." she moans.

Nettle touches her mother's arm. "Mom, tell us," she says in a soft voice. "What happened?"

"NOOOOO!!!" Sharon shrieks, holding her head again.

Nettle raises her eyebrows at Alec. 'Honey...maybe we should...you know...FIND out what happened. We could tell her we're going to hypnotize her, and then I'll mind-link with you while you find this memory. What do you think?' she thinks quickly to Alec.

'All right, but be careful, Nettle. We don't want to break her mind,' he thinks to her.
"Relax, Sharon, no one here will think you're crazy. Alright just take a deep breath..."

Sharon is sobbing now, and Nettle's pretty sure it's because her mother has never spoken of this experience to anyone before, but she can't leave her mother like this! She knows how healing it is to finally be able to speak about things!! Plus she's DYING to know what happened!
"OK, look Mom...this is a technique me and Alec learned. It's a form of hypnosis. We'll hypnotize you and find out what happened, and you won't even feel it, OK? Then you won't have to tell us."

Sharon's shaking her head, but finally Nettle's voice breaks through her panic. She remembers how Nettle was truly able to read her mind...so she can probably truly do this thing, as well...and if Nettle can figure out what happened and help her-- oh so she desperately wants help!! She never wants to have to see those things again!!
She finally stops shaking her head and looks between Alec and Nettle again. "I want help..." she says in a quiet, shaky voice. "If you can help me...go head..."

John watches all of this silently, nodding his consent to Alec and Nettle. "Anything I can do?"

Nettle looks to Alec. "Alec?" she asks, not quite sure how this is done. She only studied enough of the mind-sphere to know how to ward off mind-attacks, and to be able to link up with Alec.

"No, just stay quiet no matter what happens...understood?" Alec says with a serious look in his eyes.

John-- impressed with the aura exuding from Alec-- nods his head quickly. "I trust you both."

Alec pulls out a clove and lights it. He takes a huge drag and then brings out his cigarette case. "Sharon watch the case..." He says. "Watch it go back and forth...back and forth...back and forth...you're feeling relaxed...back and forth...very relaxed...back and forth...your eyelids are getting heavy...back and forth...you can't keep them open...back and forth...you are now in a very deep sleep."

Sharon diligently watches the cigarette case, wanting so badly for this to work. Alec's voice is so calm...so calm...she feels herself drifting, has a moment of excitement when she realizes it's working, and then goes back to concentrating on the cigarette case until she suddenly drifts into a half-waking, half-sleeping state where nothing pains or worries her. It's like floating comfortably on air.

John watches this-- very impressed! Someone got Sharon to go into a relaxed trance without drugs!

Nettle nods, and-- holding the Queen of Cups tarot card in her hands-- she reaches out with her consciousness and connects the mind-link with Alec.

"Now Sharon tell me..." Alec closes his eyes and connects with Sharon. He begins to search within her memories. "Tell me about the first time you saw a monster..."

Sharon's lips begin to move, words coming out and describing what she's seeing while at the same time Alec and Nettle are there actually seeing it.
They see a 17-year old Sharon laying on top of the covers on her bed, listening to the radio. Then they see her turn off the radio and get up off the bed. Sharon notices the time-- about 11:08 PM-- and walks to the door of her bedroom. She opens the door and walks down the hallway to another door. She stops and knocks and waits. No answer. She knocks again and calls "Mother??" No answer. She tries the doorknob and it's locked. Frowning, she goes to the hall closet, rummages around, and comes back with a hairpin. Bending the hairpin open, she sticks one end into the small hole in the doorknob, fiddles around with it while trying to twist the knob, and finally the door opens.

Candlelight emanates from the bedroom. A tall woman with a long blonde braid is laying on the wooden floor. Nettle recognizes it as her grandma Rowena from pictures she's seen. Her grandma is wearing a long, black flowy dress with her feet bare. Her eyes are closed in deep meditation, and she's clutching an old leather-bound book in one hand and a quill dripping with red in the other. Around her body a circle was drawn on the floor in chalk, and under her body a pentagram. At the bottom 4 points of the pentagram are candles-- white in the east, red in the south, gray in the west, and black in the north. Nettle and Alec can feel the presence of Magick in this room very strongly.

They watch Sharon-- face frightened-- try to run to her mother's side, but as soon as she hits the circle drawn on the floor, she runs into an invisible barrier and falls backwards. She looks stunned for a moment, and then tries it again. Again she's repulsed by the invisible barrier. Her lips tremble and her eyes fill with tears, and she runs to the telephone by her mother's bed and dials a number. After a moment a woman's voice picks up.
"Mother's in a trance...on the floor...something I can't see is keeping me from touching her!!" she cries into the phone.
The woman's voice says something back that Alec and Nettle can't hear, and then Sharon nods. "OK, OK, hurry!" and hangs up.
Sharon stands and stares at her mother with her hands clutched together at her chin.
Suddenly a rip appears in the air just outside the circle, and out steps the most hideous creature Nettle has ever seen! It looks like an orc or goblin or something, Nettle thinks. Its skin is the color of a corpse's, and is purposefully mutilated in many places-- burn-marks and extreme piercings both severing and connecting flesh randomly. It has thick matted hair growing out of its head from which dangle small bones tied with what looks like raw sinew. It seems to be wearing the poorly-tanned skin of some black-furred creature, and is holding a huge, rusty-looking jagged sword in one hand. Definitely male, from what Alec and Nettle can tell.

It doesn't notice Sharon as its eyes are instantly drawn to the woman laying on the floor. When it sees her it grins a terrible grin, revealing hideously discolored, jagged teeth that drip with saliva.
"THERE'S your body, bitch!" it hisses, surprising both Nettle and Alec that it can speak English. "Can't get back to it in time, I'm betting! No more sneaky-sneaky into the Dreaming, whore's child!" it cackles triumphantly. "And I'll be taking that pestery thing, as well!" it growls, trying to reach for the book. When its hand contacts the space around the circle on the floor, the thing suddenly screams and clutches its hand in pain.
"DAMNED BITCH!! GAAAAAAH!!" it shrieks. "Well we will have it down! Many ages to learn how to get that down, yes!" it hisses. The creature suddenly stands perfectly still, bringing its hands together in front of its chest. Nettle and Alec can sense some sort of counter-magick going on, and then the creature reaches into a pelt it's wearing and withdraws a long, wicked needle. It poises the needle in front of the invisible barrier for a moment-- filling itself with power-- and then jabs forward, and suddenly Alec and Nettle can feel a layer of the barrier pop, almost...Nettle knows it was the Spirit-ward. And suddenly she makes the connection in her mind. This thing...this creature...it's the one she saw Gwendolyn kill!!!

Suddenly Rowena's eyes fly open. The creature sees this, immediately turns the sword so it's point-down, and rushes forward. It brings the sword down, and Rowena reaches up and grasps the blade in both hands, but the strength and power and momentum of the creature are too much for the unprepared Mage, and the blade slides down-- cutting her hands and fingers-- and plunges into her heart.
Rowena opens her mouth in a silent scream-- blood trickling from her lips. Her eyes look around wildly, but after a moment they go dull as she dies.

Sharon-- completely stunned into paralysis by all of this-- is finally able to fill her lungs with air, and lets out an ear-piercing scream. The monster turns sharply, sees Sharon, and starts tugging on its blade, trying to get it free so it can go after Sharon next. Suddenly its eyes go wide, and then narrow.
"Another of the whore's-children??" It grins a grin so wide that it almost divides the thing's face in two. "What a day-- to kill two of them! Do you have any children, little whoreling? Do you?" it asks Sharon, but Sharon just keeps screaming. "Better hope you don't, cause they're next if you do! No more whore's children creeping into my castle! Peeping and spying!"
The creature looks down to see why it can't seem to get the sword dislodged, notices the dead woman's hands tightly locked around the blade, and sees where her eyes are looking-- at Sharon.
"Ooooh foolish whore's-child, tries to protect its own child!" it growls. "But it can't! It's DEAD!" it shouts, and with a great yank, wrenches the sword from Rowena's poor, tortured hands.
Just as the creature raises its sword, there's the sound of feet running up the stairs to the bedrooms, and the creature's eyes go wide in surprise as it senses the coven of Verbena before it sees them. With a last uttered curse, it hastily opens another tear in the air just as the first woman bursts into the room. Nettle gasps as she feels the fury of the woman channeling Magick, but the creature slips into the slit and the slit seals up behind it before the effect can hit.

As a woman and man run to Sharon and hold her, murmuring to her and asking her questions-- trying to calm the hysterical, screaming girl-- the rest of the group rushes into the room and up to Rowena. One bends down and quickly picks up the book and quill from where Rowena dropped them before she grasped the sword, and the others fall down beside Rowena and try desperately to heal her, but she's long-dead.

Back in the living room of Michael and Linda's house, Nettle drops the tarot card from nerveless fingers and starts shaking-- stunned. Alec can sense her drop out of the mind-link.

Alec looks to Nettle and then back to Sharon. "That was very good Sharon...relax...nothing can hurt you now...you're among friends...I want you to drift forward...come towards us, Sharon...now when I snap my fingers you'll wake up feeling refreshed and calm as if you had drifted off to sleep...one...two..." Alec snaps his fingers.

Sharon opens her eyes and looks around. She lifts her head and smiles at the calm-looking Alec, and then her eyes alight on Nettle. She sits up quickly and grabs Nettle's shaking hands.
"You saw it...you saw it, didn't you..." she says quietly. "You really saw it-- I can tell! I'm not crazy, am I." Sharon says as a statement more than a question.

Nettle shakes her head, trying to speak but unable to.

Sharon hurriedly pulls her into a hug and holds her tightly, rocking her and smoothing her hair.
"Help me, Iris...what WAS that???" she whispers. Something about seeing her daughter looking just as shaken-up as she feels gives Sharon strength and calm.

Nettle glances at Alec over her mother's shoulder. She was NOT prepared to see that! She didn't know her grandma was killed by a Fae, let alone THAT Fae!! She thought THAT Fae was dead!! DEAD! She was told that her grandma had died of a heart-attack...at age 40! She feels helpless and lost when she realizes she has no words of comfort to give her mother!

John is sitting stunned at the edge of the couch. He sees Nettle's face and knows that what his wife said she saw under hypnosis was real-- that it really happened. He looks between Alec, Nettle, and Sharon, waiting for some explanation.

Nettle pulls back from the hug, but clutches her mother's hands. "That...that creature...who k-killed Grandma...it was real. You've heard of the Fae-folk?"

John and Sharon both nod their heads slowly.

Nettle nods. "That was one of the Fae-folk-- one of the bad kinds. They're not all bad-- I would say that most are good. Many are beautiful creatures, not ugly ones. But most people can't see the Fae. You have to be a special person to see them, and...well, Mom? You've got the gift to see them."

Sharon's eyes widen. "Why?" she asks in a hushed voice.

Nettle sighs. "You know how I told you we were in Wales finding out about your side of the family?"

Sharon and John both nod.

"We found out that our family has Fae-blood running in our veins from an ancestor in the 1300s who married one of the Fae-- one of the beautiful ones." Nettle quickly adds. "I can see them...Grandma could see them...the...the twins can see them." Nettle stammers.

"How do you know that??" Sharon asks in amazement, trying to absorb all of this.

Nettle takes another breath. "Because they are around Fae a lot. The good Fae know our babies have Fae-ancestry, and so they hang around to protect them. That taxi out front? That was driven by one of our Fae-protectors."

Sharon looks around at everyone in amazement, not quite knowing what to say.

Alec nods, "It's true. He's a bit off and a bit foul-mouthed...but he means well and he's their protector...sort of. Sharon, you have a gift that shouldn't be suppressed or be scared of. They are just like us, some are good some are bad." He says. "You mustn't think yourself crazy."

Sharon's mind is racing. She thinks back to the women and men of the coven, and remembers how they asked her to tell them everything that happened, and didn't once snap at her or tell her that she must be making up stories. They listened intently to every word she said, and then gave her something that made her fall right to sleep, but...they believed her.
Sharon brings her fingers to her temples and rubs. Finally she looks up at Alec and Nettle.
"But...why did that...THING k-kill Mother??" she finally gets out-- the question she'd been desperate to have answered for all these years.

Nettle shakes her head, thinking. "I don't know, Mom...no, wait...let me think." She suddenly realizes that she can't tell her mom everything she knows or her mom will wonder how she knows exactly who killed their ancestor. Nettle clears her throat. "It was said back in Wales that the creature who killed our ancestor looked just like that thing that killed Grandma. I don't know-- maybe there's a feud going on? But the creature you saw also said that Grandma had been spying on him. Maybe she just went too far into the Drea-- er, astral-traveled too far into the Fae-realm and found herself in that thing's home. Maybe she was trying to go somewhere she shouldn't have, and it followed her back."

Alec shrugs, "Right you never can tell. But you mustn't think them all that way." He says. "Iris here is the expert about them, so I'll leave it to her." He looks at John and then Sharon.

John reaches over and takes Sharon's hand, holding it tightly. He still can't believe the story he heard his wife tell-- can't believe it's all real! It's making his head spin! The folklore...the tales...the superstitions...all true! He and Sharon carry books on the subject at their store, and he'd studied it extensively-- if only to teach about it-- but because he'd never seen a Fae, he'd just figured it was a creature that had died-out long ago, and those who claimed they'd seen them were under some sort of delusion.

Sharon nods slowly. "That must be it..." she says slowly.

Nettle quickly continues. "Don't be afraid, Mom. There are no creatures after you, obviously. That bastard got its revenge and left. The Fae we know really like the twins-- probably because they're so cute-- so they stick around like big brothers and sisters, but they'll probably lose interest when the babies get older and flit off to another family with Fae-blood and new babies..." Nettle says casually, lying like a pro.

Sharon nods slowly. "Yeah...that makes sense..." She takes a deep, cleansing breath and lets it out. "God, Iris...Alec...I feel SO SO SO much better, you have NO idea!!" She motions for Alec to come over so she can hug him. "Get over here, my only son!" she teases.

Alec smiles and leans over so Sharon can hug him, "Thanks, Sharon. We just wanted you to have peace of mind so you weren't worried that you were going crazy," he says. "Now let's go back and join the others. They must be wondering what we're doing."

Sharon hugs Alec tightly with gratitude, and then releases him and hugs Nettle tightly next. When she pulls back her eyes are filled with tears. "I had no idea when we flew here that I'd finally be relieved of this burden that's been haunting me...man..." Sharon shakes her head. "I love you two, you know? I love you, too, John!" she grins, turning and holding John's face and leaning in and kissing him.

"I love you, too, Sharon. You two, too!" he grins, nodding at Alec and Nettle. "Phew-- that Fae-thing's a headful of thought, isn't it?" He shakes his head.

Nettle nods and grins. "We were just as surprised to hear about Mom's ancestry!" Nettle suddenly remembers something. "Hey Mom? What was that book Grandma had with her?" she asks.

Sharon's eyes grow faraway as she remembers back to the book. "Oh yeah...that thing. She said it was her grandmother's-- you know, the one who immigrated here? She called it a book of sh-- er, shades?"

"Shadows." Nettle finishes, and Sharon nods. "That was it. Her Book of Shadows. It was supposed to contain all of Great-grandmother's Witch-knowledge, and supposedly Grandmother added to it, and then Mother added to it-- did she write in it with her blood??"

Nettle tries to keep her lips from twitching into a smile. She KNEW her grandma was Verbena!! She had been right all along! NO one dies from a heart-attack at 40! Not any Verbena, anyhow! A whole long line of Verbena-- except for her mom. Nettle wonders about this when suddenly she's roused by her mom waving her hand in front of Nettle's face.
"Oh-- what Mom? Sorry."

"I asked if Witches write in their Book of Shadows with their blood, honey." she grins. "Man-- you're more spacey than your old mother!"

Nettle sticks her tongue out at her. "Well...yeah...they can if they want. It definitely gives the words more Magick and protection-- like, if you didn't want certain people to read it, you write in your blood with that intention, and the words are protected. That's what the high priestess said, anyhow." Nettle shrugs. "I've never spied at anyone's Book of Shadows. Speaking of that...where is it now?"

Now it's Sharon's turn to shrug. "Probably with Mother's coven in Massachusetts. Mother said a coven keeps and treasures all its Witches' Books of Shadows, when a Witch passes on, and treats them like sacred reference-material-- you know, like a holy encyclopedia, or something, right?" she grins.

Nettle's eyebrows go up, and she gives Alec a look that he hates to see: the look that tells him Nettle's curiosity has been piqued. "Where in Massachusetts did you say you were from, Mom?"

Alec looks to Nettle, 'What are you thinking love? You want that book then?'

Nettle's eyes move to look at Alec without turning her head. 'It's my birthright! My great-great grandma, great-grandma, and grandma all wrote all their wisdom in there! I wonder what ELSE is in there, too! I don't want to have another road-trip this soon, but maybe I can call them and find out how willing they would be to pass it to me...or just let me read it. It would be so incredibly valuable to read what my ancestors wrote about! In their own blood, too!' Nettle thinks back excitedly.
"Hey Mom? Do you happen to remember the Witches' names or phone numbers or anything?" Nettle asks Sharon.

Sharon raises her eyebrows at Nettle. "Planning on going somewhere, baby? Yeah, I remember their names, but I haven't been back there since I ran away, so I don't know if the phone numbers are any good, but yeah, I have those, too. I guess I've been meaning to call them and say I was all right, but felt too bad to, or something, you know?"

Nettle nods. "Yeah..." she says. "...I can relate to that."

Sharon nods and stands. "OK, come with me and I'll write down the information for you-- I have my little black book in my suitcase!" she winks.

Nettle gets up and Sharon takes her arm, and the two disappear down the hallway and into Sharon and John's room.

John looks at Alec and stretches. "Well then!" he says smiling and still looking a little dazed. "That was exciting, eh? Shall we join the others then?"

"Right-o, John..." Alec says. The two walk out of the living room out onto the porch. "Hey all," Alec says.

Lysette looks to Alec and John, "Is everything ok with Sharon?"

John nods, reaching for a beer. "Oh yes-- she's much better now! Alec and Nettle did this hypnosis-thing on her to help her with a bad memory. I don't think she'll be suffering from seeing things now."
He leans in to Alec . "Still seeing them, just not suffering from it, eh?" he whispers and winks.

Michael looks at Alec with an impressed expression on his face. "Really...you know, she's been suffering from that since we met her back when we were all just kids! If you really helped her, I'll buy you dinner, mate!" Michael grins.

Alec nods, "She's all cured. Trust me....so dinner eh? Steak and lobster I see," he says with a wink.

Steve pipes up, "Yeah man my son can heal...yeah he's like a healer yeah..."

Lysette smiles at Alec, "But of course our son is such a good boy always caring for others always sharing what he's got..."

"YEAH he is! Good thing he's only sharing with ME now!" Nettle calls from the doorway and she steps back out onto the porch. She grins and walks up to Alec, putting her arm around his waist. 'Got a list of names and numbers, baby!' she thinks to him excitedly.

Sharon laughs. "Yeah well whatever he's got, it's catching, man!" she says, pretending to itch.

Michael laughs. "Hey Sharon? So Alec, here, says he's taken care of things..." he says, giving Sharon a meaningful look. "If he's right, I'll take ALL the guys out to dinner!"

"Only the guys??" Sharon protests with her hands on her hips.

Michael shrugs. "Hey-- only the guys had to put up with you!"

Sharon smacks him in the chest. "Yeah...REAL funny, baldy! On second thought..." she says, looking him up and down. "...looks like it didn't work, 'cause I'm still seein' monsters!"

Michael pretends to look hurt, holding his hands out innocently. "You see? You see what I have to put up with??" he asks everyone on the porch.

Steve and Lysette laugh and sit down next to each other. Alec smiles at Nettle, 'Looks like everything is going to be alright then love. Everyone seems happy and your mom took that better than I thought she would,' he thinks to her.
"I know Michael...I know," he says giving him a sympathetic look.

"HEY!!" Nettle and Sharon both shout in unision-- identical looks of incredulity on their faces.

Alec winks at Nettle, "Just kidding love," he says with a smirk.

Lysette pats Steve on the leg and whispers something in his ear.
"Yeah baby that's alright yeah�" He says. Lysette stand up and takes Nettle's arm.
"Come walk with me..."

Nettle looks at Lysette in surprise. "OK...sure!" she says, walking with her.

Michael's wife Linda puts her arm around Sharon. "Don't listen to him, Sharon. We ladies had to put up with you just as much!" she grins.

Sharon play-punches her in the side. "Oh REAL nice, man! You're supposed to stick up for me, sister!"

John laughs, and turns to Natalie to find out how she's been doing.

Steve laughs, "Yeah...a lot to put up with hehe..."

Lysette leads Nettle away from the porch to the edge of the fence, "You and Alec are so happy you remind us of us when we were young and wild," she says.

Nettle laughs. "Oh Mrs. Gideon! I thought you two were STILL young and wild! Don't tell me you're at least not wild anymore!" she grins. "You two really moved me today with how sweet and dedicated you are to each other." Nettle says seriously.

"Oh we are still young...Steve can still show me a good time no?" She says with a laugh. "Well I have a few questions for you dear and I want you to be honest yes?"

Nettle looks at Lysette with raised eyebrows. "Wow...OK...sure-- go ahead." Nettle nods, that curious-look back in her eye.

Lysette speaks in a low voice almost a whisper, "How long has your mother been able to see the fae?" she says raising an eyebrow, much like Alec.

Nettle's eyes get huge and she blinks quickly, staring at Lysette...stunned. She tries to speak, but it takes her a second. "Wh-what? You mean...you...errr..." Nettle peers at Lysette quickly before she decides how to continue this conversation, and then her mouth drops open. Lysette is Awakened. She leans in quickly to Lysette. "You're Awakened??" she asks, feeling like she's going to fall over, and grabbing Lysette's arm for support. "Does Alec know??" she whispers shrilly.

"Of course not, I haven't told anyone but Steve. We decided to keep it quiet and keep him out of it to be safe. But now he is one as well...but I would hate to scare the boy yes?" she says. She gives Nettle a smile, "It is no big thing. I work for the museum to keep certain relics safe and that is all I do."

Nettle gets tears in her eyes, and she hugs Lysette tightly-- mind racing. "Then...that's why you were so calm when we were telling everyone what we're involved in!! You've known all along about me and Alec's activities, haven't you!! Oooh but now you're moving to Colorado-- will...will that be OK with the people back in Marseille?" Nettle's mind is going so fast-- she has to many questions!

"C'est bien-- I have already spoken with them a bit ago about transferring. Marseille is too provincial. I need a change and so does Steve, yes?" Lysette smiles at Nettle again. "So we keep this between us, yes, ma fille?" she says pleadingly.

Nettle is still trying to absorb this. "What about the Mages I work with? What about Alec? Alec and I don't like keeping secrets from each other...I mean, I will if you ask me to!" Nettle says quickly. "It will be really hard, but I will." She doesn't want to lose Lysette's confidence.

"I trust you then...an agreement, entre nous." she says shaking Nettle's hand. "Alec cannot know nor anyone else, yes?" She says. She smiles and continues walking with Nettle. "By the way Nettle, Steve and I have always approved of Alec's choice in you," she says with a chuckle.

Nettle-- dying to tell people this news, but knowing she can't-- is a little spacey when Lysette shakes her hand, but then is snapped back into paying attention when Lysette compliments her.
"Wow...thanks, Mrs. Gideon! That means a lot to me." She smiles at her shyly as they walk for a second. "Oh-- I didn't answer your question! Well...she said she's only been able to see them since...well...how to answer this one!? Mrs. Gideon? I can give you the long answer or the short answer. Which would you like?" Nettle holds a hand to her forehead and give Lysette a weak smile.

"Short please, before anyone becomes...suspicious?" she says hesitantly.

Nettle nods quickly, snapping into action. "OK. Me and Mom's family-line comes from a coven that arranges marriages between Mages and Fae in honor of an ancient pact, so we all have Fae-blood in our veins. That's why Mom and me and the twins can see Fae. Mom's first time seeing Fae was when one of them killed Grandma right in front of her-- we just found that out when Alec probed her memories in the house. She probably should have Awakened then-- I don't know why she didn't. My impression has been that everyone on her side of the family is either a Mage or a Fae!" Nettle pauses. "I'll have to do more research. But anyhow, the twins are very important to a lot of people-- or so we've been told. They have many protectors-- some living with us, and some in...other places. And that's the short-version of the story. Trust me-- it's a long story!"

"Ah I see..." she says. "There are some people who just do not Awaken, Iris. They do not have the facon de penser...uh...how do you say...thought-process, yes? Your mother is one of those people. No insult to her of course." she says. "I Awakened when I was in my teens. I was contacted by my mentor shortly there after and I have been a Hermetic ever since."

Now Nettle gawks again. "Hermetic?? You?? Oh-oh-- I didn't mean that as an insult, I just thought for sure-- if anything-- you would have been a Cultist!" Nettle peers at her for a second, suddenly thinking back to all the instances of Lysette turning down drugs...Lysette talking about her causes and her job at the museum...
"Well...on second thought...it does make sense! Mrs. Gideon? Could...could I call you if I have questions? Veil is my mentor, but I bet you knew that! Well...she and I..." Nettle looks down sadly. "...we got in a big fight and haven't spoken in a month." Nettle shuffles her feet. "I'll start trying to call her, now that I have a warded phone, but if she's still outside this realm...or...or decides not to leave it..." Nettle bites her lip so she doesn't start crying in front of Alec's mom.

"Certainement! But of course, Iris, you may call me whenever you wish. I am always willing to help my daughter," she says putting an arm around her. "You and your mentor will be fine. I cannot count the many times I had argued with mine. It is in the normal way of things," she says. Lysette looks at her expectantly.

Nettle puts her arm around Lysette in return and smiles gratefully at her. "Thanks, Mrs. Gideon. I...I'm sure you're right...we never stay mad at one another for long, and I know neither of us could keep apart from the other for too long!" Nettle tries to think of more questions, but notices that Alec's looking their direction.
"You're right-- we should go back...I think Alec's going to start spying through the mind-link soon!" she winks. "Oh, and Mrs. Gideon? When it's just the two of us you can call me 'Nettle.'" she smiles shyly.

"I know," she says and gives her a knowing smile. She takes Nettle's arm and leads her back to the porch.

"There you are love, I thought Lysette had devious designs on you," Alec says taking her hand and patting the seat next to him.

Steve notices Lysette is back and pats the seat next to him. "Yeah I was just about to light up...want some?"
Lysette wrinkles her nose, "No thank you darling. I am sure Alec and John will help you."

Nettle smacks Alec's leg fondly. "Don't be cheeky with your mom!" she grins-- using one of her dad's favorite words. "So what makes you think she DOESN'T have devious designs??" she grins slyly, leaning back and raising her eyebrow at Alec.

"Hey! What about ol' Sharon here?" Sharon suddenly appears beside Steve, happily relieving him of the joint and lighter.

"Yeah have some ...the more the merrier.." he says. He leans his head on Lysette's shoulder. "Oh he's always been like that, Iris!!" Lysette says. "Always cheeky..."

Alec rolls his eyes, 'So love are you ready to leave yet or did you want to stay?' he thinks to her.

Nettle peers in at the twins through the sliding glass door. Ian's still sleeping, but Simone is looking all around the kitchen and patting her hands on her legs softly.
'I think we'd better start packing it up. After everything we've been through today, I'm thinking I want to hit the mineral bath. Maybe we could take the babies? You know...get them sleepy again with a little exercise...then maybe mommy and daddy could come back...alone...' she thinks back to him, rubbing his leg-- one corner of her mouth turned up in a smile.

'Oh really,' he thinks. He stands up and sighs, "Well all it's time for us to go. We've got to get back and get the babies settled an all." he says.

Steve stands up, "Hey it was nice seein you again, Alec," he says giving Alec a hug.
"Nice seein you, Steve. Call us tomorrow-- you've got our number."
Lysette stands up and hugs Alec, "You keep those babies safe," she says. "Et aussi, take care of that wife of yours."
"I will..."

Steve waves at Nettle, "Keep truckin!" he says giving her the peace sign...

Nettle laughs. "I never really did understand what that meant..." she grins at Steve, "...but I'll...keep, uh...keeping it real!" she finishes with a goofy grin.

Lysette hugs Nettle. "Be safe, ma cher. I'll be in touch tomorrow, yes?"

Nettle nods, hugging Lysette. "Oooh yes! Uncle Michael's treating everyone to dinner!"

Aunt Linda comes up to Nettle and puts an arm around her. "Actually...I'M taking us ladies out, and Michael's taking the guys out! Simone's with us, of course, and Alec can take Ian!" she smiles.

"Guys night out? I'm up for that," Alec says.
Steve nods his head, "Cheers, yeah man that will be groovy...maybe we can go up in the mountains and sing hunting songs and-"
"Let's just keep it to dinner for now," Alec says.
"Yeah dinner is good..."

"Oooh yeah! That will be so cute! Simone's first girls' night out!" Nettle exclaims.

"She'll be the center of attention!" Linda smiles fondly.

Michael hugs Nettle and Alec next. "Hey-- sounds great to me! We'll all meet here at, oh say 6:30?"

Natalie hugs Alec and Nettle next. "Does that mean I'm invited, too?" she asks her mom.

Linda nods. "Of course, silly!"

"Right on!" Natalie cheers in relief.

The group walks back into the house, and Nettle carefully picks up Ian's carrier. Ian blinks-- startled by the sudden light and noise of the people coming in-- but Nettle quickly shades his eyes with his ruffly cravat that Sharon took off early, and carries him into the living room, murmuring to him soothingly so he won't cry.

Alec picks up Simone's carrier, "There's daddy's princess eh?" he says looking down at her. He walks over to the door and opens it. "Ready love?" He asks Nettle.

"Wait wait wait!!" Sharon cries, running up to Alec and Nettle. "I hate saying good-bye, man-- even if it's just until tomorrow! But I still get a hug, right??"
She hugs Alec tightly. "Thanks, honey...thanks for everything...you're a good one, Alec. I told Iris that at your wedding, and I've only been proven right again and again since! I love you, man..." she whispers.
Alec smiles and hugs her back. "I'll take care of her, no worries�"

Sharon bends down and kisses Simone's forehead. "See you tomorrow with the ladies, baby girl!"

John joins Sharon in cooing to Simone, and then takes his turn to hug Alec. "Thank you, Alec. You're a wonderful son, and I appreciate everything you've done, man. You've taken great care of my daughter and grandbabies." he says quietly.

Alec waves him off with an embarrassed smile, "Don't worry, mate. All in a day's work an all, right?" he says. He gives everyone the peace frog. "Peace everyone."

Steve pipes up, "Yeah peace, it's a good thing..."

Sharon laughs and moves over to Nettle. Both mother and daughter get tears in their eyes when they hug.
"Thanks--" they both say at exactly the same time, and then laugh. Sharon waits for Nettle to start.
"Thanks, Mom. I love you." she says simply.

Sharon sniffles. "Aaw man...now I'm crying!" She laughs while blinking back tears. "Thank you, too, baby. You...you'll never know how...how you've saved me..." she barely gets out, and then both Nettle and Sharon are crying on each other's shoulders.

John quickly blinks back tears, and then shrugs at Alec, as if to say, "darn emotional women!" He hurries over and picks up the diaperbags, handing one to Alec and waiting for Nettle to have an arm free to take the other.

Finally Sharon and Nettle pull apart a little, and Sharon kisses Nettle's cheek and smiles. Then she bends down and tickles Ian's chin and coos to him, and he gives grandma a big, gummy baby-smile, which makes Sharon laugh.

John slips the diaperbag over Nettle's shoulder for her, and then hugs her. "Take care, little rainbow. We'll see you tomorrow," he smiles, not wanting to say more for fear of starting Nettle-- or himself-- crying again.

"You, too. Bye, Dad," Nettle smiles, hugging him back.

Finally everyone's gotten their hugs and good-byes in, and Michael opens the front door for the loaded-down couple.
Nettle gives a last wave and goes out the door. "Bye everyone!" she calls.

The two head out to the car and strap the babies in, and then get in the front seat. Alec rolls down the window.
"Bye all, see you tomorrow!" he calls as he starts the car. He checks for traffic and roars off-- passing a parked taxi sitting a little ways down across the street. After a moment the cab's headlights come on, and the taxi pulls out.

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