Nettle and Corrander had both swerved around the topic of what Ian did earlier-- the wish not to discuss it unspoken, yet felt by both-- and instead talked of what they would expect at the time that Ian's Fae-nature wakes up. Corrander warned Nettle that Ian would probably be�different from other kids, in some way. He might have trouble�fitting in or making friends. At least with Sleepers. But Corrander and the other Fae would know when Ian's time was near, and would help him through it-- much in the way a midwife helps a pregnant woman through her delivery. Nettle started worrying immediately about big bullies picking on her precious baby boy, and decided there and then that Ian would either be home-schooled, or else she would follow him around invisibly wherever he went!

Corrander also informed Nettle that Cabbie and the others had offered to give him their Freehold, as he was their rightful Count, but Corrander had graciously declined the offer, reminding them that he was Ian's bodyguard and was content to continue living in the horizon realm.
Nettle thanked Corrander for this consideration-- trying not to sound too sarcastic-- but then realized she didn't know what a Freehold was, and that led to another lengthy conversation. A Fae-horizon realm! What a novelty!

The rest of the week passed quickly-- Nettle, Alec, and the twins spending most of their time with the two sets of grandparents. And the grandparents spent most of THAT time discussing very excitedly and animatedly their upcoming shared living-arrangements! By the end of the week Nettle was RELIEVED to wave good-bye as her Uncle Michael pulled out of the driveway of his house with all four parents as they left for the airport!

As promised, that very afternoon Nettle took her cell phone and the list of phone numbers from Gloucester, Massachusetts that her mom had given her, and made her way into the chantry's kitchen. Nervously, she unfolds the paper and exhales, glancing across the list of names. She runs the dialogue over and over again in her mind of what she's going to say when-- or IF-- someone picks up.
Finally she takes a deep breath and dials the first number.
It rings three times, and then a woman with a strong and deep voice answers.
"Hello?"

Nettle feels her chest clench up and has to swallow before she can speak.
"Hi! I'm trying to reach--" she looks down at the paper, "Saige Anwyl?"
"Who is this?" the woman asks in a suspicious-sounding voice.

"My name is�Iris--" Nettle has a moment where she's not sure which name to give, "--and I am Sharon Cadwalader's daughter. I�was told that Saige knew her? She was a friend of my grandma's-- my grandma is Rowena Cadwalader. Do�do you know that name?" she asks tentatively, but the words are barely out of her mouth before the woman replies.

"Oh my goddess-- that was fast! Pardon my rudeness-- one moment, please!" the woman cries a little breathlessly, and then Nettle can hear her set the phone down on a hard surface.

Nettle crosses her left arm under her chest and clutches the elbow of her right arm as she holds the phone tightly to her ear, and starts to pace furiously. Her heart is beating fast and hard in her ribs like a bird desperate to get out of its cage.
Finally Nettle hears the phone being picked up, and freezes in her pacing.

"Iris?" a different woman asks- her voice aged, but Nettle can feel the power resonating within it, even over the phone.

Nettle has the weird urge to suddenly kneel down on the floor, but then has to remember that she's not standing before this woman and get a grip on herself.

"Th-the phone is warded--" Nettle begins, feeling very ignorant and awkward like she did when she was a new student in her coven.

The woman gives a friendly little laugh. "Very thorough of you, but I wouldn't expect any less of Rowena's granddaughter! So�how is our dear, poor Sharon? I expect you've had a deep and cathartic conversation with her recently, then, to find out about us?"

Nettle finds herself calming down and opening up. This woman makes her want to lay her head in the woman's lap and shelter there in her powerful aura.
She nods her head before realizing that the woman can't see her doing this.
"Yes�she thought she was crazy because she could see a Fae's true nature. I've recently learned a lot about my heritage, so I told her what was going on, and�we found her memory of�of Grandma's�"
The woman called Saige makes a "mm-hmm"-sound to encourage Nettle to continue.

Nettle clears her throat. "Mom feels much better now-- she's like a new person. She�she said she wanted to apologize to you and the rest of the coven for running away from home and not calling or writing or anything. She feels really bad about it. She said that if I was able to reach any of you, to let her know and she'd call you."

"Well that's a relief to hear. We always knew she was a touch resentful towards us for all the time Rowena spent with us and not with her. I'm sure she felt like we stole her mother from her. We didn't realize how short a time Rowena would be with us�" Saige sighs with deep regret.

"She was more mad at Grandma, I think. I never knew she had any anger towards Grandma until I started telling her-- well, you know the talk Mages have to give their family? The talk about not to trust anyone�to only call us at this number and such, and we're involved with an organization that's in trouble with the law�all the usual excuses. She instantly linked us with all of you and Grandma-- what you were all up to-- and got mad�poor Mom�" Nettle says sadly.

"Yes�she's afraid she'll lose more of her family to 'the cause.'" Saige agrees. "We would dearly love to see her again, but there is no excuse we can give for the loss of her dear mother-- none that we could tell her, in any case. I'm sure you know that, Nettle."

"Yes, I had to be very car-- wait a minute! How did you know my magickal name??" Nettle asks, startled.

"We know much more than you think, dear child. We have been keeping our eye on your mother since she left, though she doesn't realize it. She was-- IS-- very important to the prophesy. Many people have been keeping their eyes on her�and on you�and on your twins." Saige informs her.

Nettle's eyes open wide and she leans against the counter. "What do you mean? Who?" Nettle almost-whispers.

Saige laughs. "You do know the origins of our coven here, don't you?"

"No�" Nettle says in a small voice. "I mean�maybe�"

"At the turn of the century a group of women and men from the Llandona decided to leave to immigrate across to the United States from Wales. They were lead by a woman named Wynnifrid Edmunds--"

"My great-great grandma�" Nettle interjects in a little voice.

"Yes, that was her." Saige validates. "The reason they left was that her father Owyn-- a Sidhe Fae like your son Ian-- had recently been killed in his quest to fulfill the prophecy, himself. You come from a very stubborn line, Nettle. It would seem that your ancestors are all determined to fulfill the prophecy, themselves, even when they know good and well that it is not their role to do so. They do not like to be made to wait. They want to see justice done immediately."

Nettle gives a little smile. "That's true, Lady Saige! Wait�justice?"

"Yes. You will learn of that in time. In any case, your great-great-grandmother was tired of the prophecy�tired of the amulet�angry because of her father's death, so she hid the amulet in a safe place and told the Llandona not to bring it out again until the true child of the prophesy was born because she didn't want her child to be burdened by it. So she gathered a group of Verbena who were in support of immigrating and distancing themselves from the recent carnage, and the group sailed to Ireland to pick up more passengers, and then the ship headed to Boston. From there the group traveled north to Salem, decided they didn't like the feel of the place, and then traveled another distance north up the coastline to Gloucester, and we've been here ever since. We are all descendants or Initiates of that group. We keep in close contact with the Llandona�VERY close contact. They are our mother-coven, and we operate like a satellite-coven."

"Carnage??" Nettle asks, a note of fear and worry in her voice.

"That, also, is for you to learn about in the future." Saige says gently.

"But--" Nettle begins.

"Do not be like your ancestors, Nettle!! Your child IS the child of the prophecy whose coming has been heralded for centuries! Do not let all fall to ruin because of your curiosity! Your son will DIE if you do not heed my words!" Saige's demeanor suddenly changes from kindly grandmother-figure to fierce queen.

Nettle gulps and holds the phone in her trembling hand, keeping quiet. Her legs slowly give out, and she slides down to the floor with her back against the wall.

Saige waits for a moment, satisfied that her words have had the desired impact, and then she continues.
"Your mother would have born the child of the prophecy if she had allowed herself to Awaken-- all the signs pointed to it-- but she did not. She repressed it somehow." Saige's voice has regained its former warmth, but Nettle can still detect a note of hardness in it.
"And so you are the lucky mother! We do not envy you, my dear, but we all admire you and will support you in any way we can. The Llandona were simply overjoyed when you arrived at their covenstead with a Cultist husband! How is�Alec was it? How is Alec, by the way? We are, indeed, excited to meet the father of the child of the prophecy one day!"

Nettle gives a weak smile. "He's doing very well. He dotes on our daughter Simone-- it's so cute! He loves Ian, but I can tell he's a little�I don't know�maybe intimidated by him? I can't tell�I just know that from the moment the twins were born, we each knew which child we were going to be closer to, you know?"

"Ah yes�I do know. The child in the line of prophecy is always closer to her mother in your family-- or the son being closer to the mother in Ian and Owyn's cases. Whoever it is that is the carrier of the Fae-blood and quest."

"Lady Saige�why is it that each mother can only have 1 child?" Nettle asks quickly.

"I don't know, but I've heard it speculated that it's to keep the Fae-blood as concentrated as possible�to keep the line as straight and clear as possible. Does that make sense?" Saige answers.

"Yes�Corrander is always talking about titles and heredity and all that stuff. I suppose that would be important to Fae who are nobility." Nettle nods.

"Ah yes! Poor dear Corrander! And how is he doing? We got an earful about him, let me tell you! It seems even your Fae-ancestors can't stand waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled!" Saige chuckles, voice full of mirth.

"He's doing very well! He takes his task of being Ian's Guardian very, very seriously! He's taking care of him right now, in fact! OH! We discovered that his sister Gwendolyn has to still be alive somewh--"

"Nettle, before you continue that line of conversation, let me say something. There is a reason we cannot tell you many things or answer many of your questions. Do you remember how hard it was for you to convince Corrander not to kill himself?" Saige asks.

"Yes�" Nettle says tentatively.

"The reason being is that he thought by doing it that he would find where Gwendolyn had gone off to. Now that he believes Gwendolyn is alive, how is he acting?" Saige asks patiently.

Nettle swallows. "He's been waiting impatiently for me to call you all week, sure that you know where she is."

"And what if I were to say I knew where she was? And what if you were to tell him that? How long do you think he'd stay with you and protect Ian, hmm?" Saige asks softly.

Nettle is silent for a moment as the implications of this hit her. She knows Corrander would leave immediately.

"Corrander is as tied up in the prophecy as Ian is. He must be kept safe, as well. You may comfort yourself and him in the knowledge that one day all will be revealed to you. I will not allow you to go down the same road as your grandmother Rowena went, dear Nettle. Not you nor Corrander. He is to stay with you and Alec to help teach and watch over Ian." Saige states.

"Yes�" Nettle says softly in agreement. "Lady Saige�what about my grandma's Book of Shadows. I�"

"You would like to have it back." Saige finishes for her.

"Yes." Nettle says, voice a little stronger.

"That's a dangerous book for those with so much curiosity and impatience. Curiosity killed the cat AND the Witch, you know-- no offense to your grandmother, my dear. We were wondering how long it would take for you to find out about your grandmother�about us�about it. You were much quicker than we thought. Sharon kept everything to herself for all those years�we thought we would have to be the ones to contact you in the end! You will need the Book when the prophecy-time arrives, but to give it to you before then�" Saige trails off, thinking.

"But it belongs to my ancestors! There must be much more in there than just things I can't read about right away! I never knew my grandma or great-grandma or any of them-- I want something of theirs so I can feel close to them, and that's the most important thing they owned!" Nettle protests emotionally.

Saige sighs. "I thought you might feel that way." She pauses again. "We will release the book to you, but only after it has been properly warded. Those who wrote in it warded it with their very blood, but not from you or Corrander. We will put a time-ward on the book so that the things you shouldn't read will be unintelligible until you are meant to read them. That is the only way I will let you have the book. Are we agreed?"

Nettle nods quickly. "Yes-- oh yes!! Do the wards�do whatever! I just want to be able to read SOME of it!"

"And we will be instantly alerted should you attempt to break through the wards, and we will be very displeased." The way Saige says this leaves no question in Nettle's mind that something terrible would happen to her if she so much as poked at the wards!

"I swear by my blood that I will not try to break the wards." Nettle utters the most serious oath a Verbena could make.

"Very well then! Once the warding is complete, I will send my handmaiden Delyth to you with the book. She is the woman who answered the phone when you called. I do not know the exact day, but it will be before the next Sabbat, and she will not come by�mundane means�and cannot stay long afterwards. Is that agreed, Nettle?" Saige asks.

"Yes! Yes-yes! Thank you SO much, Lady Saige!!" Nettle cries into the receiver, and then apologizes for shouting.

Saige laughs. "No, I must also apologize, Nettle. I'm sorry for being so abrupt at times, but I failed your grandmother, and I will not fail you. I must protect you from your own--"

"Curiosity and impatience!" Nettle finishes, and then laughs. "I know�you're not the first person who's gotten after me!"

Saige smiles. "And I won't be the last. Brightest blessings, Nettle, and-- Goddess willing-- may we meet while I still draw breath. Lord and Lady bless you and your family, my child."

Nettle swallows a lump in her throat. "Thank you, Lady. The gods' blessings upon you and the coven."

Nettle emerges from the kitchen a minute later wiping tears from her cheeks and trying to absorb everything she just heard. The pauses for a moment to take some deep breaths, and then returns to the horizon realm.

Corrander is waiting for her almost right at the entrance.
"Well?? What happened?" he asks.

Nettle takes his arm and rests her head on his shoulder, gazing out at the meadow. The future seems so overwhelming, and she feels worried and sorry for Corrander all at once.

Corrander looks down at her in confusion-- about to burst with frustration.

"I found the high priestess, still living in the same house. She agreed to let me have the Book of Shadows. Her handmaiden will be bringing it within the next month or so." She says, her sounding distant and distracted.

"Well that is wonderful!! Why are you not overjoyed??" Corrander exclaims incredulously.

Nettle lifts her head up and turns so she can see Corrander's face. "The information in there is dangerous to people like us, Corrander. People who are�curious and impatient and stubborn." Nettle echoes Saige's words. "What happens to you when you eat meat before it's cooked?" Nettle asks, suddenly realizing how odd she sounds, but going with it, anyway.

Corrander lowers his eyebrows. "I suppose you would get very sick. Nettle, what are you on about, then??" he asks.

"The information in the book could get us-- or Ian-- killed if we read it before we're supposed to. They're going to ward the book with time-wards so we can't read the dangerous parts until the right time." Nettle says, sounding almost like she's in a trance.

"But what about Gwendolyn??" Corrander says impatiently.

Nettle reaches up and rests her hands on Corrander's cheeks. "You have to content yourself that you will find out when you are supposed to. I don't know what happened to her, except that she's alive, and will still be when you're allowed to know."
Nettle wasn't exactly TOLD this, but somehow she knows it's true.

Corrander pauses for a moment, and then lets out a shriek of rage and smashes his fist into the stone around the entrance to the chantry. He pauses for a moment, and then smashes his fists-- one after the other-- into the stone repeatedly while continuing his shrieking until his hands are bleeding and he's bent over and breathing hard.

Nettle watches him with a very sad frown on her face. If she had a brother-- or sister-- and he/she was somewhere and no one would tell her where-- or if it were Alec, for that matter-- she'd be going crazy, too! No one knows how Corrander feels! Everyone chides her family for being impatient and stubborn and all that, but that's only because no one has to feel the pain and frustration that they feel!!

She steps up to him. "I'm so sorry, Corrander�no one is being very understanding with you, are they. You came here looking for Gwendolyn, and no one will tell you where she is! If Alec were lost somewhere and no one would tell me where he was, I'd KILL someone! I would! I'd go crazy!" Nettle cries emotionally.

Corrander's head sinks down to rest against the stones- -bloody hands braced on either side of his head-- and his body shakes with sobs.

Nettle's lips tremble, and she steps closer and wraps her arms around him, resting the side of her head against his back while he cries.

After a time Corrander finally picks his head up. He turns to face Nettle wordlessly, and then lifts his bleeding hands and looks at them.

Nettle lifts her eyebrows and watches him sadly.

Corrander takes Nettle's hands and turns them palms-out. "You have hidden the scars you made, I see." he comments in a still-weepy-sounding voice.

Nettle moves her hands so now they're below Corrander's. "We all carry hidden scars, but in time they will mend. I promise, Corrander." She closes her eyes and closes her hands over his wounds. She doesn't have her Spirit-focus, but she's an expert at healing, and Corrander's make-up seems a combination of Life and Spirit. She murmurs and concentrates, and beneath her hands Corrander's wounds close and heal. She opens her eyes and looks up at him.
"I did as you asked-- I talked to my mother about the past. Now I beg you to do as I ask and wait to hear about Gwendolyn. The high priestess put the fear of death into me about you�me�Ian�we have to be patient. All right?" she asks, peering up into his eyes.

Corrander looks into her eyes and sees the seriousness there. He continues to stare into them for a moment longer as if trying to absorb Nettle's resolve, and then finally sighs and nods.
"Damnit but it's so HARD, Nettle!! And will she be furious when she finds out I was here for so many years-- knowing she was alive somewhere but not coming to find her?? I would rather suffer a thousand torments than that!" Corrander covers his face with his hands, and then runs his hands back through his hair, looking up at the sky without seeing it.

Nettle takes Corrander's hand and starts pulling him back towards the palace. "She can't be mad once she hears the full story. I'm sure once we reach the time where the information is made available to us, it will all make sense. Hey-- where's Ian?" Nettle asks, trying to get Corrander's mind off of the current topic.
"He and Simone are down for a nap. Sarah said she would listen for them and come get me if either one cried." Corrander answers.

"Oh really? How convenient for you to be able to stand by the entrance to the chantry!" Nettle smirks.

Corrander shrugs guiltily, and the two enter the horizon realm.

Alec pulls into the drive and parks the Gremlin. He walks into the chantry carrying a bundle of records. He walks down into the horizon realm and towards the palace. He enters the palace and heads to their bedroom. Opening the door he smiles seeing Sarah and Nettle playing with the twins. "Hey there my two favorite ladies."

"Hey Uncie Alec!" Sarah says hugging him.

"Three favorite ladies!" Nettle grins, holding up Simone. She lays Simone back down on the bed beside Ian and jumps up, hurrying over to hug and kiss Alec while watching the babies out of the corner of her eye.
"How was work?? Did you talk to Jaf or Willie about bringing them into the cabal yet?" Nettle asks, wrapping her arm around Alec's waist.

Alec hugs Nettle and gives her a kiss, much to Sarah's delight. "I'm gonna go play with daddy now. Bye bye Auntie and Uncie!" she says.
"Tiring love, it was time to organize the backroom again...dreadful really. And no I haven't asked them yet..." he says sitting on the bed and laying across it looking at the babies.
"Hey guys."

Nettle grins, shutting the door after Sarah goes, and then walks over and lays down on the bed behind Alec and leans up, draping an arm over him in a half-embrace and resting her head against his.
"I'm sorry you had a hard day, baby. Are you sad that the parental units are finally gone? Er, I mean, gone?" Nettle grins evilly. Alec knows how much their talk of what they were all going to do to the house once they got back to Boulder was driving Nettle crazy!

Alec chuckles, "Nah love. I'm glad to have it back to you and me eh?" he says with a wink. He tickles the babies on their tummies. "Daddy's gotcha! Daddy's gotcha!"

Simone laughs and kicks her legs and waves her hands-- excited that Daddy's finally back-- and Ian grins a gummy grin and does a loud laugh that startles him for a moment, but then he laughs again and waves his arms.

"So love what have you been up to eh?" Alec asks.

Nettle laughs when Ian startles himself with his big voice, and then kisses the side of Alec's face. "I made the phonecall. First name on the list-- the high priestess Saige-- and she still lives in the same house! How relieving!! Apparently they've all been living in Gloucester since my great-great grandmother and her companions immigrated over-- probably in the same houses, too!" Nettle grins. "Jesus do I have a lot to tell you!! Oh! Haha! Lady Saige said to tell you that the Llandona were all overjoyed to find out I'd married a Cultist! Hee-hee! Isn't that cute??" Nettle tickles Alec's ribs.

"Well at least they have good taste," he says with a wink. "Ian is getting his big boy voice yes his big boy voice," he says nuzzling his nose against Ian's. "So tell me all about it, love."

Nettle laughs lovingly when Alec coos to Ian. She always loves it when Alec plays with his son.
"Well, the Llandona back in Wales are in constant contact with Grandma's coven-- apparently the Llandona are their parent-coven because of their lineage-- so Grandma's coven knows ALL about the prophecy, and they've had people watching Mom and us! They knew about the twins, about Corrander and Gwendolyn-- everything! In fact...Mom was supposed to Awaken, according to the prophecy, so because she didn't WE got to be the parents! Then again, I'm glad Mom didn't or I guess I would never have been born, hmm?"

Alec thinks a moment, "Heavy, baby, very heavy." he says. "Or you'd be Simone...woah very heavy." he says. He lays back keeping the babes in reach so he can continue stroking their heads. "So love what are your plans for the rest of the night?" he says with a smile.

Nettle thinks about that what Alec said for a moment. "Wow...yeah...I MIGHT have been the twin sister! That's crazy!" She lowers her eyebrows at Alec. "What are my plans? Aren't you going to ask about Grandma's book of Shadows?? Corrander's only been pestering me about getting it for almost a week! Just be glad you can escape to work!" she reprimands.

"OH sorry love...so tell me about granma's book of shadows then." he says leaning up to give her a kiss. "And then I'll tell you my plans for the night," he says with a wink. "Or maybe I should best show you my plans."

"Oh yeah, baby, show the twins your plans for me!" Nettle says with a touch of sarcasm to her voice. She thought Alec would be excited to hear about the book-- the whole reason she made the phonecall!
"The Book of Shadows only happens to contain the whereabouts of Gwendolyn! Is that exciting enough for you??"
Well, OK, she doesn't actually have confirmation on that, but she's trying to get Alec's attention!

Alec looks at her, "What?" He says. "Have you told Corrander? Should we pack? Get ready to head to New England?" He says. "Think we should leave the little ones here?"

Nettle's eyes open wide as Alec hits her with a bunch of surprise-questions. Well it's much better than apathy, anyhow!
"Hold on, Alec!" she smiles, feeling pleased. "The high priestess said that there's information in the Book of Shadows that could cause the prophecy to fail if me or Corrander were to read it too soon-- and that includes everything about Gwendolyn-- so they're going to put a Time-ward on all information of this nature, and the ward will prevent us from reading that information before we're supposed to. And we don't have to go anywhere because the Lady Delyth-- the high priestess' hand-maiden-- is going to teleport herself over, or something, in the next month and deliver the book to me, so we need to tell Tania that in case she's in the chantry when Lady Delyth comes." Nettle pauses.
"I did tell Corrander that there's information about Gwendolyn in the book, but I also gave him the warning about what will happen to the prophecy if we read it too soon. He didn't take it too well...I had to heal what he did to his knuckles." Nettle sighs.

Alec leans back again. "Right right that makes sense," he says mulling it over. "Well at least we don't have to travel to get it. Did she say anything about what were are supposed to do in the meantime? I mean before the prophecy begins or whatnot? Anything to prepare for?"

Nettle leans in to Alec and lowers her voice. "The high priestess basically said that if Corrander knew where Gwendolyn was he would take off immediately...get himself killed or something...not be here for Ian...she said he's as important in the prophecy as Ian! I didn't tell him that part, though." Nettle ponders this for a moment before speaking again.
"You know, she didn't say anything about what we're supposed to do before Ian's Fae-self wakes up! NO one has! Even Sarah said we would just enjoy a time of peace and happiness! Goddess-- maybe we just SHOULD! If we ask what we should be doing, we might just get some suggestions! Although oh my god, wait until you hear what Corrander told me! He said the Changelings told him that Ian's going to have trouble fitting in and making friends and stuff when he gets older-- that he's going to seem different to the Sleeper-kids!! Oh Alec-- we can't let him out of the chantry! I don't want him to get picked on! I'd KILL those kids! I would!" she cries defiantly.

"We can home-school him." Alec says. "We can home-school both of them. I mean we have you and me and Tania and Jake and of course Veil when she gets back. He'll have loads of teachers, love, and not just about magick. Why Jaf is a math wiz. He could teach him math," he says. "I think they should stay here in the realm..."

Nettle rolls so Alec's laying on his back and she's resting her chest on his. "Really, Alec?? You don't think they'll hate us for keeping them away from other kids and having a nor-- well, I guess they'll never have a normal childhood, right?" she laughs hastily. "I mean...Simone might be able to fit in fine with the other kids, but then they'd want to come play at her house or have sleepovers or something, and THEN what?? And if kids don't have a normal house and stuff, the other kids know and pick on them like vultures! Let me tell you!" Nettle realizes she's worked herself up into the frenzy, and makes herself stop and take some deep breaths.
"Sorry, baby..." She takes a couple more breaths. "They'll have lots of friends in the chantry, I'm sure. Lots of friends who are going through what they're going through. It will make Sarah feel better about being stuck in here if the twins are, too-- same with the clones." Nettle bends her arm so her elbow is on the bed supporting her head, and she gazes down at Alec, moving her fingertips lightly across his shirt. "Alec...did you have a normal childhood? Lots of friends? Stuff like that?"

"Yeah they won't hate us love. They'll understand I hope..." he says. He strokes her hair while looking into her eyes.
"A normal childhood...does any mage have a normal one love? I had a few friends...but no one I've still kept in contact with eh? I'm fine without them. I don't hate my parents for the childhood I had love..."

Nettle nods, suddenly noticing how pretty Alec's eyes are without the sunglasses on. She moves her hands up to stroke his face lightly. "Well...it will be exciting to read the stuff I CAN read in the Book of Shadows. I don't care if there's a lot of stuff blocked out, as long as there's SOMETHING not blocked out. I never knew either of my grandparents on Mom's side, and Dad's parents are back in England, so this would help bring me closer to these woman who were also affected by the prophecy."
Nettle leans down and kisses Alec, suddenly realizing how much she wants him right now.

Simone gives a loud squawk. Mommy and Daddy are completely ignoring her! They're not even facing her! She doesn't like this one bit!
Ian glances at Simone in surprise, and then decides he doesn't want to be out-done, and gives a LOUDER squawk-- which startles him, but for only a second this time.
Now both babies are squawking and waving this little fists in some kind of twin-competition.

Alec rolls his eyes, "And the competition begins," he says and begins to tickle Simone. Simone kicks her legs and makes excited gurgle noises. "I can't wait to meet the woman who's coming, love. And I bet you can't wait till you have the book...I wonder if there are any castings in the book," he muses.

Nettle sighs in disappointment when the twins start making noise. It's times like these...
She rotates her body so she's at a perpendicular angle to Alec's body, folding her arms on his chest and stomach and resting her chin on her arms, peeking down at the babies.
"Hey there, you two! Why don't you ever want Mommy and Daddy to have special-time, hmm?" she asks in a sing-song voice. She reaches out with one hand and rubs Ian's tummy and coos at him while moving her other hand down Alec's stomach to his belt and starts undoing it. She never stops cooing and playing with Ian, but her lips get a little smirk to them.

Alec tsks at her, "Naughty naughty...isn't this what got us in this trouble the first time?" he says moving his hand down her shirt to unbutton it.

Nettle grins a big Cheshire-grin. "It was the start of it, yes...I'll show how exactly how it happened very soon..." she purrs. She lifts her chest up a little and pulls her shirt off over her head, throws it in a random corner of the room, and then lays back down on Alec's torso and smiles at the babies.
"Hey you two! Hey mini-munchkins! See? Mommy's still paying attention to you!" she continues cooing while sliding her hand into Alec's pants.

"Alright this is getting too perverted," Alec says with a wink. He picks up the babes and puts them in their carriers. "I'll be right back." He says. He opens the door and walks into the hall. There's a loud giggle and he comes back in.
"Right," he says putting down the carriers and zipping up his pants. "Be right back love." He opens the door again and out into the hall he goes. He walks down to Corrander's room. He knocks.
"Corrander?"

Nettle laughs again as Alec hurries from the room. She loves to see how far Alec will let her go before he jumps up and takes the babies somewhere!
She gets up slowly-- like a cat stretching from a nap-- and continues to disrobe.

Corrander appears at the end of the hall opposite the kitchen and nearest the atrium. "You called?" he asks. His face is a little flushed and his eyes red as if he's been crying, but he does a good job of keeping his voice steady and managing a smile.

"Allo, Corrander. Fancy taking care of the children? Nettle and I have to have a...talk, and the babes are quite distracting." he says hopefully, holding up the baby carriers.

Corrander gives a wry grin, and starts walking towards Alec. "You two are causing me great envy." Before he reaches Alec he stops and holds up a hand in pause. "One thing, Alec. Nettle said that we would return to Balador for a visit when the twins are a year old. I'll have your word on it." He has an almost-desperate look in his eye.

Alec laughs and puts down the carriers. He takes Corrander's hand and shakes it, "You have my word of honor, Corrander. You have my word." he nods to Corrander. "Take care of them-- this may be...a long talk...yeah.." he says.

Corrander smirks, and then laughs despite himself. "Thank you Alec. Now I can dare to look forward to that date! And oh...how I look forward to it...to having a...long talk with Balador, myself..." he winks, and then reaches down and picks up the baby-carriers. "Have a nice 'talk' with Nettle, and I do not mind if it is long. Not as long as MINE, of course! My...future 'talk' I mean..." Corrander grins evilly at Alec, suddenly feeling in much better spirits.

Alec smiles and runs back to his bedroom. He opens the door closes it and locks it. He begins to undress quickly and turns around to look for Nettle.

Nettle's sitting on the dresser with her back against the mirror, one leg bent up with the foot resting beside her on the dresser, and the other leg hanging down with the foot swinging. She's completely naked, wearing only her jewelry and a smile.
"Hey there...nice show..." she says in a low, sultry voice.

Alec sucks in his breath as he looks at her. "Oh baby...I could say the same of you eh?"
Alec smiles broadly and looks down. He gives her a devilish wink and a grin, "Hang your coat for you madam?"

Nettle laughs very loudly-- she loves that running gag! "Well I'm not carrying a coat with me, but I DO like that coat-hook very much...come here, you...I'll give you something you can do with it!" she holds out her hands and curls her fingers towards her with a devilish smile, scooting to the sit on the edge of the dresser.

Alec smiles and walks towards the edge of the dresser. "Well if it's not for hanging coats you'll just have to show me what else it can do eh?" he says wriggling his eyebrows.

Sarah-- somewhere out in the hall-- giggles and skips down the hallway. "They're planting!!!!" she sing-songs loudly.

"Come along then, Sarah!" Corrander calls down the hallway. "You did promise to help look after the babies, not harass the Alec and Nettle!"

"Ok Uncie Corrander!" she says skipping towards Corrander. "I want to dress up little Simone!" she says.

Corrander nods. "All right, Sarah. And Sarah? No planting!!"

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