Unicorns and Balloons

by Helena Mira

Aunts Agatha and Justine pop in to check up on Nanny and the Professor now that Cholmondeley is out of the picture. Unfortunately they inadvertantly, once again, cause trouble in another direction.

This story is a sequel to the episode "The Balloon Ladies." Aunts Agatha and Justine return to check up on "their Phoebe" after she sends Cholmondeley packing and declares her love for the Professor. The story is part of the second part of "The Love Makes A Family" series.

Spoiler alert: This story will reveal the nature of the complex relationship between Trelawney and Cholmendeley. Fans of Cholmondeley will be bothered by it.

I do not own these characters and make no profit from them.

Unicorns and Balloons

Chapter 1. The Balloon Ladies Drop In

"I don't believe it!"

"Dad," said Hal patiently, "You said that for twenty minutes that last time they were here. Why is it so surprising that it should happen again?"

"I don't know," answered his father. "But waking up and finding a hot air balloon in the backyard is a very startling thing."

"Well," interjected one of the two pilots, "Let's hope that your neighbors mind their own business and don't get all worked up again."

"Oh yes, Justine," replied the other. "I really do hope that Mrs. Fowler and all of her friends stay away."

"I was thinking more of that poor man from the British consulate, Agatha," said Justine. "What was his name, Phoebe?"

"Mr. Pennybrook," answered Nanny. "Yes, it did quite disturb the poor fellow when he discovered that you were traveling without passports."

"Well, it disturbed him even more," said the Professor. "When he could not discover any records of you two at all."

The two eccentric older women looked at Nanny and the three shared a conspiratorial smile.

"Ah, yes," recalled Nanny. "The wind did choose to rise right in time."

"It certainly did . . ." began the Professor.

"Aunt Agatha! Aunt Justine!" cried a girl's voice. "I just knew that you'd come! I knew that you couldn't stay away!"

"Trelawney darling! You're here and you're safe. You did give the family quite a fright a while back. We will be needing to have a little sit down with you while we're here," said Aunt Justine.

The girl's face fell a bit and the Professor said under his breathe, "It's about time somebody did."

"Cheer up, chicken," Aunt Justine told the girl. "That's not the only reason we came. We wanted to see for ourselves how you and Phoebe were getting on in your new home."

"And how Phoebe was getting on with the Professor," added Aunt Agatha meaningfully.

Aunt Justine rolled her eyes and Nanny turned just the slightest bit pink. Before anyone else could say anything, Prudence said,

"Oh we can tell you all about that!"

Hal nudged her and Trelawney shot her a warning glance but it was too late.

The Professor said, "All about what?"

"Nothing, Dad!" said Hal a little too brightly.

"Yeah, Dad," added Butch. "It's not like we've been spying or anything."

"Oh brother," muttered Hal.

"I can see we have a regular Scotland Yard here," commented Aunt Justine.

Prudence looked around. "I don't see anything but our backyard."

"No, love," said Trelawney. "In England, Scotland Yard is like the police or the FBI."

Prudence was still confused so she amended quickly, "You might say they are professional meddlers."

"Are you in Scotland Yard, Trelawney?" asked Butch.

"Why would you ask a silly thing like that?" she said, forgetting how unpredictable his response might be.

"It's not so silly. You meddle all the time," replied Butch.

Before another argument could break out Nanny said, "Now all you children have to get ready for your various activities."

Turning to her aunts she explained, "Even though it's summer vacation, the children still have places to go every day."

"Quite smart planning, Phoebe," said Aunt Agatha suggestively, "That leaves YOU TWO some time to spend alone."

"Well the Professor teaches summer school," replied Nanny with a hint of disapproval in her voice. "So it's not what you think."

"More's the pity for that," muttered Aunt Agatha.

"I've sometimes thought the same thing myself," said the Professor to her quietly with a wink. She smiled back with delight.

Aunt Justine and Nanny shook their heads and the kids all looked knowingly at each other. Knowing that they all were thinking the same thing, but none were saying it, the Professor decided to just throw it out there. Grabbing Nanny around the waist, he stole a quick, albeit open-mouthed, kiss and said,

"There Miss Figalilly, I think that's what is on everyone's mind."

"Yuck!" said Butch making a face. "Not mine. Do you have to that in public?"

"Yes!" his father answered quickly, and with that, stole another, slightly longer, kiss from an all too willing Nanny.

Nanny, after regaining her composure, shook her head knowingly as Aunt Agatha said, "Well that's a start."

"Oh hush, Agatha, can't you see that we've interrupted their morning schedule? And I do believe that you are embarrassing our poor Phoebe," said Aunt Justine.

"It's more like it's the Professor who should be embarrassed for waiting so long to . . ."

"Oh, Agatha! Just give it a rest."

"Ah, man!" said Butch. "Just when it was getting good."

"Well, you all," said Nanny. "It would be good if you would go in and get ready. You need breakfast. And visitors or no visitors, you don't want to be late."

"You too, Professor," she added, seeing that he wanted to hang back for a few minutes with the aunts. "You know how cranky you get by lunch time if you don't have a good breakfast."

With an assumed meekness, he followed the kids inside but before he entered the house he turned around and winked at Aunt Agatha. She happily waved and threw a kiss, but quickly dropped her hand and sobered up when she saw that Phoebe and Justine were watching her.

"Now Aunties, you get yourselves settled in while I get the family out of the house. Then we can have ourselves a cozy little chat."

Despite the fact that signing up the kids for summer activities had meant that Nanny had more time to herself and fewer issues to deal with at home, things were still pretty hectic in the mornings. The Professor would drop off Hal at the high school for his summer science program on his way to the university. Mrs. Fowler drove Trelawney to the community center for the theatre program that she and Francine were attending. Meanwhile, Nanny drove Prudence to church for her vacation bible school and Butch over to city park for his Little League team practices. Then, it was home for chores and then back to church to pick up Prudence before lunch. But this morning she put her chores off so that she could have a cup of tea with her aunts.

"I suppose I don't have to ask why you two are here," she said as they settled in.

"No you don't, dear," agreed Aunt Agatha with a twinkle in her eye. "You knew we'd be back as soon as we heard that you discarded poor Cholmondeley in favor of the Professor. I knew that there was something between you two when we were here before. I knew that it was possible, even if Justine here didn't."

"Well, Phoebe, you know how we Figalillys always adhere to tradition. If Emmeline hadn't assured the whole family that you would have had your parents' blessing for this . . . unusual situation . . . if they had . . . Well, then we would have been here with an entirely different intent," said Justine, who was the more serious of the two.

"Well, that's why YOU might have come," said Agatha archly, "But I believe in true love. Phoebe and Cholmondely's marriage contract wasn't written in the stars, it was written on a piece of paper. I knew from the minute I saw Phoebe and the Professor together that they were meant for each other."

"I don't understand, auntie. I thought that I had specifically told you that it wasn't like 'that.'"

"You did with your lips, Phoebe dear, but your heart said differently. Sometimes, my dear, I think that being out here in the larger world has dulled your senses and made you forget where you come from." Despite her obvious approval of the match, Agatha was genuinely concerned by that fact.

It gave Phoebe pause to think. Were her senses growing duller? She didn't think so. In fact, when she needed to, she found it easy enough to tap into those psychic forces in the universe that gave her the ability to sense the presence, thoughts, and future actions of others.

Justine was glad that they had gotten her thinking. "Dear, we love you. The whole family loves you and we just want to make sure that this is the right choice for you. It's somewhat easy to understand that you had rejected Cholmondeley, he was always an odd sort of a lad. But well the Professor is just not one of us, something that Agatha here might be willing too overlook, but the rest of the family, not so easily. You know there have been very few of these mixed marriages in our family. We do have the bloodlines to consider."

Blushing a bit at the implication, Phoebe continued to ponder. How could she explain to them the very deep connection that she felt with Hal? Trelawney had been the first to recognize, understand, and accept it. Of course she was only a child and coming into her own understanding of the powerful connections that all the Figalillys had with the cosmos.

"Well, at least we've got you thinking, dear," said Justine. "Now we need to rest and I believe that you have work to do. Why don't you think on it a little more and we'll chat later."

"I'll do that, aunties," she said getting up and giving each a kiss. "But I want you to know that my heart is settled."

"We know that, dear," said Agatha kindly. "But it never hurts to have a little think on something, and then talk to someone who understands. And I DO understand."

"Oh, Agatha," said Justine.

Phoebe smiled and walked back to the house. She was thankful that the aunties were not here to meddle. She had already had enough of that from Trelawney and Emmeline. And it would be nice to get another perspective from her own people, who really knew who she was. However, so caught up was she in her own concerns with them, that she completely missed the possibility that they might just inadvertently stir things up in another direction.

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Little did they know it, but they walked into just such a situation right off the bat. Aunt Justine had decided that the first person who needed to sit down and chat with her was Trelawney. Knowing what Emmeline had told her about the child's avoidance of uncomfortable conversations, she waylaid her in the kitchen as soon as she returned from her theatre program.

"Oh, auntie, I'm so sorry but I must see Francine about something," said the girl hurriedly.

"Leave this kitchen and you'll find Francine gone by the time you ring her doorbell," warned her aunt.

Trelawney sighed. She should have known better than to try and fool Aunt Justine. Aunt Agatha was a dear, sweet thing who was prepared to believe anything you told her. But Aunt Justine was a different story, which was probably why Aunt Agatha was not to be part of the sit down.

"You have that correct, my dear," said Aunt Justine. "I understand that you have been causing everyone around here a great deal of worry, and no one more so than your dear sister."

Trelawney looked at her shoes. If only they knew, but it would only make things worse for Phoebe.

"Knew what?"

But Trelawney had stubbornly set up the very effective mental roadblock she had devised. She sincerely doubted that even Aunt Justine could pierce it. Seeing her focus, Justine realized that Emmeline was right. The child was impossible.

"Trelawney Rose, I do not know what is going on in that little head of yours, and don't look so triumphant! It is unbecoming a Figalilly. But your behavior speaks for itself. You acted very badly while Cholmondeley was here, but even before that you ran away and got into frequent arguments with Hal. Recently, your moods and tantrums have set the whole house on edge. Do you know that the Professor wanted to send you to a counselor? No one in our family has ever been to a counselor, and I strongly suggest that you do not make yourself the first." When Aunt Justine lectured, she wasted no words.

"I know all about the counselor, and even he knows it would be hopeless. He does understand that much about us. And as far as Cholmondeley is concerned, I treated him as well as he deserved. I do feel bad about the bother I caused by running away. I didn't mean to get lost. As for Hal, he does his share of the arguing so you should have a sit down with him too," she replied defensively.

"Don't give me any of your cheek, girl! I warn you, this is not Emmeline that you are speaking with. I will grant you the running away, but Hal is not my concern. And that does not excuse your behavior with Cholmendeley. Even if you did know that he was entirely wrong for Phoebe, we do not talk to or treat our elders in that way. And don't refer to him as a 'twit' in my presence, even if you are only thinking it!" Justine lectured.

Trelawney was torn. They didn't understand and they were not going to understand. She couldn't even think with Aunt Justine standing over her ready to pounce on any "mis-thought." She needed to get away. She needed to see Francine. She was trapped. She was scared. She must not think of . . . She looked up at Aunt Justine who was looking at her oddly. She knew that she could see the chaos she was generating in her mind. It was the only way . . .

"Only way to what?"

As Trelawney forced herself to jumble her thoughts again, Aunt Justine was growing angrier. She knew it was an act of defiance and disrespectful of her elders but she didn't care. She had to get away.

"I cannot even defend myself?" asked the girl sullenly.

"No. I have said what I needed to say. I can now see for myself that Emmeline was right when she told us that you were impossible. This cannot go on. You will adjust your behavior accordingly or you will find yourself separated from Phoebe," she said coldly.

Trelawney opened her mouth in shock. No threat could have been greater. Her sister was all she had left. She needed to protect her, she couldn't know . . . Using all her mental energy she forced the thought from her mind. Think about Emmeline, she told herself. Emmeline betrayed you. She sent Aunt Justine to discipline you because she wanted to go off to Tibet. She left you alone to face . . .

"Trelawney . . ." Aunt Justine began again angrily.

But the child could not bear it any more. She ran out of the kitchen, nearly crashing into Phoebe as she did.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Phoebe, who had been standing in the doorway, quietly listening.

"You were not supposed to hear that, but that is what has been decided. If she cannot control herself out here in the larger world then she must return home. Oh Phoebe, don't look so devastated. It would be for the best. And it would certainly make your life here easier. Emmeline has told us everything. She had no choice. This is where you must stay. This is your destiny. But it is very possible that it is not Trelawney's," she said gently.

"But she's my sister!" replied Phoebe, now becoming upset herself. "Mum and Papa wanted me to raise her, to care for her. It's not just that she needs me, I need her as well. Please, you couldn't be so cruel!"

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" inquired Aunt Justine, realizing now that she had been so focused on Trelawney that she had not even been aware of Phoebe's presence. Good Lord, she thought, I must be slipping.

"It was while you were chastising her for thinking of Cholmondeley as a twit. If that is a crime, then I am afraid that most of the people who live here would agree with her," said Phoebe.

"Including you, I can see," replied Aunt Justine drily. "Phoebe, it is entirely possible that Trelawney is simply to young to manage herself out here. Please try to understand, the last thing that I, that we, want is to be cruel, but things have changed since your parents made their . . . arrangements. Under their will, the understanding was that you would return home and raise Trelawney among family in the village. That is now impossible."

Justine knew the deep love that existed between the two sisters. In fact, the entire family knew it. She also knew that Phoebe would have given all this up to be with the child. But Trelawney was not her child, and fate had charted a new course. There were other children to be considered. But she could not let Phoebe know this.

"Please, Aunt Justine. I'll do my best to help her. Hal will too, he loves her like a daughter," said Phoebe. She was now just as stricken as Trelawney had been.

"I can see that and I suppose that that does count for something," Aunt Justine conceded. She was not here to upset Phoebe. She could see now the fragility that Emmeline had spoken of. She could see that without the Professor's love she might easily have had a breakdown. Looking at her in her present emotional state, she could see that it might still happen. How quickly she had descended from the poised and confident young woman who had greeted her this morning into this desperate creature. It would never do for a Figalilly to emotionally fracture in this way. It was a good thing that she was having her sit down with Agatha. Even she had to admit that her own manner was a little too brusque for Phoebe at the moment. She would deal with the Professor herself.

"Thank you for your concern, Aunt Justine," Phoebe finally said politely. "I am going to discuss this with Hal."

More like run into his arms to do who knows what, thought Justine. Emmeline had warned her about the intense physical attraction between Phoebe and the Professor. Fortunately she had kept it from Agatha who most certainly would have encouraged it. However, she also knew that without the Professor's love and strength, Phoebe would never have made it this far. The fool Cholmondeley was so wrapped up in himself that he could never have provided such devotion and stability. It was all such a muddle. She was starting to wonder whether now that they had brought all these issues out in the open, if they would really be able to sort them out.

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As Aunt Justine suspected, Phoebe went immediately to find the Professor for comfort. Of course, he was in his study working. He looked up from the paper he was reading and the minute he saw her face he got up and went over. Enveloping her in a protective embrace, he was surprised that she wasn't crying. She clung to him and he could feel her fear.

"Please, Hal, I need to get away from the house. It's about Trelawney, they've decided to . . . Please, I need to be with you, away from the house," she said in a low voice.

She didn't have to ask twice, he grabbed his car keys. On the way out the door, they ran into Hal.

"Dad?" asked Hal confused.

"Take care of the other kids. The aunts are in the backyard. If we're not back, figure out dinner," the Professor answered tensely. Looking down at Phoebe he said, "Is she over at Francine's?"

Phoebe nodded.

"I'm sorry Hal, but please go over and tell Trelawney to stay there until we get back. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I suspect it has to do with her," he said. "Don't worry, Phoebe. It's going to be okay."

"Yes, Dad," said Hal without protesting. Man, this must be really bad, he thought. Dad never calls Nanny, Phoebe in front of us kids. He watched as his father hustled Nanny into the car and drove off.

He turned around to see Aunt Agatha standing behind him. She looked at him kindly.

"Don't worry, Hal," she said soothingly. "It will all work out in the long run. You children will be fine."

"I have to go to Mrs. Fowler's house," he said abruptly.

Poor boy, thought Aunt Agatha, he just doesn't understand.

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Without thinking too hard about where he was going, the Professor drove over to City Park. Sitting beside him, Phoebe seemed shell shocked. He didn't know what to feel other than frustration. She had come so far . . . He realized that she must be so deep in her own thoughts that she was completely unaware of his. This was not a good sign.

She seemed to barely notice when they stopped until he had opened her door and held out his hand. She looked up at him mutely, but took the hand that he offered and stepped out. They silently walked until they came to bench overlooking the lake. They sat side by side. Hal put his left arm around her and picked up her right hand in his and kissed it gently. With a sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder. He tightened his grip and softly kissed her fair head.

"I love you with all my heart," he said. "I will always be at your side."

"I know," she said quietly. "Even the family knows that they cannot come between us. But Aunt Justine has told Trelawney that if she can't control her behavior then she will be separated from me. She will have to go home, alone."

He thought for a minute. No wonder Phoebe had needed to get away and Trelawney had gone to Francine's. They both needed to escape to somewhere they could think alone, without the fear of others prying. It must be so difficult to live with the constant fear of intrusion into one's mind. Fortunately, after what happened during their last visit, he knew that there was no way that either of the aunts would venture over to Mrs. Fowler's. Once again, he felt a bit glad that she could be a busybody.

"Wasn't it your parents' wish that the two of you be together?"

"The assumption on their part was that I would raise her at home. Apparently it never occurred to them that she might come and live with me out here. There is really no way for me to go back. I could never leave you," she said. "I love you too much. I might just as well cut out a part of my heart as leave you."

Hal knew that. In any other circumstances it would have thrilled him to hear it. But this was not the way. This could only bring her more grief.

"Phoebe, you realize that here in the States, I am her legal guardian. Suppose I was to refuse to let her go?" he said.

"You just don't understand the Figalillys," she replied smiling wanly. "It's not about legalities or custody. It's about family. If I can't control her enough to raise her properly, if she can't learn to control herself, they will have no choice."

"I don't understand," said the Professor. "She is our family."

Phoebe was silent. He had no idea of how much she loved him for his commitment to the care of her sister, even though at times she drove him crazy. She knew that if push came to shove, he would fight for her. But he just did not understand what he was up against. She found herself nestling closer into his embrace. She could feel his hand gently stroking her hair. She felt loved. She felt safe. She looked up at him and hoped that he would kiss her.

He smiled and she could see that he had read her mind and met her lips for a rather chaste kiss. She was disappointed. Into her ear he whispered,

"Not in public."

She knew what he meant. But she could still wish it. And so they sat, as the sun began to drop lower. She felt a calm come over her as evening fell. Away from the emotions of home she realized that things might not be so bad as they had seemed earlier. As the light dimmed, she could feel the peace she had craved descend over her soul. Beside her, protecting her, was the man to whom her heart was now irrevocably committed. She felt safer in the dark, surrounded by the warmth of his embrace. The world looked so much more beautiful to her in the starlight. At length, Hal stood up. It could no longer be avoided. They had to return home.

"It's alright, Hal. I'm ready to go back," she said as they walked to the car. "I needed to get away and clear out my head. As always, you knew exactly what to do to help me."

"I do my best," he said with a smile.

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"Hal, I don't see why Dad left you in charge," asked Butch.

"Or why you get to cook dinner," said Prudence. "Where are Dad and Nanny anyway? And how come Trelawney gets to eat dinner at Francine's? AND, get a sleepover?"

"Dad left me in charge because I'm the oldest," said Hal defensively. "I don't know where he and Nanny went. And he told me the Trelawney should stay at Fowler's until they got back. Dinner and the sleepover was Mrs. Fowler's idea."

"Is Trelawney all upset again?" asked Prudence.

"I think so," said Hal warily. "What makes you say that?"

"I know things," answered Prudence airily.

"Yeah, right," said Butch. "You know things because you're always tagging along with Trelawney and Francine, and listening in on their conversations. You better watch out or some day Trelawney's not gonna let you play with them when they're over here either. You know how she doesn't like anyone snooping into her business."

Butch was confused and meant to hurt. He knew that Francine purposely left Prudence out when Trelawney went over to play, and that this made Prudence feel bad. Since he didn't know what was going on, he was mad that Prudence seemed to.

Prudence tossed her head, a gesture that she had picked up from the older girls.

"Trelawney goes over to Francine's whenever she gets upset because she and Francine have secrets. And Aunt Justine was going to have a sit down with her today."

"Secrets? What kind of secrets?" asked Hal.

"I don't know," the little girl admitted. "If they're secrets then they obviously haven't told me. But Mrs. Fowler always calls Trelawney 'that poor child.' She also tried to talk to Dad and Nanny, but Dad told her to stay out of our business and not come near Nanny again."

"Were you eavesdropping?" asked Butch.

"I didn't have to," answered Prudence smartly. "One day Dad was yelling so loud at Mrs. Fowler that the whole neighborhood probably heard."

"Oh man!" said Butch. "How come I always miss the good stuff?"

"Well, you better shut up and eat your dinner or you'll be cleaning up the kitchen all by yourself," replied Hal.

"Guy," muttered Butch. "I sure feel sorry for your kids someday. You're worse than Dad."

After dinner, Prudence wandered into the backyard. She could see that the aunts were eating and quietly talking, so she quietly approached and in her best polite voice said,

"Excuse me, Aunt Agatha. Excuse me, Aunt Justine. Why did you have to come and make everybody all upset? Especially when they were all happy again?"

The aunts looked at each other. They knew that Trelawney was next door and would be gone until tomorrow. Phoebe and the Professor were out, but they also knew that that was because Phoebe was trying to get away from them. But they were not going to admit that MAYBE all this upset was their fault.

"Prudence, dear," said Aunt Justine kindly, but authoritatively. "This is Figalilly business. I know that you love Trelawney like a sister, but this is not something that you can understand."

"No! It's you that don't understand," cried Prudence. "Trelawney IS my sister. And you made her sad. And now you made Nanny sad and me sad. I was happy when you came, because last time you made everybody happy. But if you're gonna make everybody sad, then I wish you had never come!"

She ran towards the door, but she turned around before she went in and called back, "And Dad is sad and Hal is sad and Butch is sad, and even Waldo is sad."

Waldo, who was standing beside the door just said, "Woof!" and followed her into the house.

Agatha and Justine looked at each other. Things were not turning out at all as they had intended. They had simply come to wish their Phoebe well, impart a few Figalilly words of wisdom, and try to exert some control over Trelawney. They had not known how deeply interconnected she had become with the Everetts, nor how sensitive Phoebe would be if they threatened to return the child home. More troubling was Trelawney's reaction. She seemed to be automatically assuming that she would not be able to meet the family's standards for her behavior and that her aunt's lecture had been entirely about her mistreatment of Cholmondeley.

"Do you think that we've made a mess of things again, Justine?" asked Agatha timidly.

Justine hated to be wrong so she replied, "It's obviously a misunderstanding and nothing that can't be easily fixed. What IS the problem with Trelawney?"

"I don't know dear, you were the one who spoke with her. Couldn't you tell?"

"No, I have never seen such chaos in anyone's thinking," she answered. "Whatever it is, she will definitely not let us know. The only clue is that it has something to do with Cholmondeley."

"Still?" Aunt Agatha was puzzled. "You would think that after she ran him off so effectively, she would simply put him out of her mind. She seems to have a fine enough aptitude for forgetting everything else she wants to forget."

"You may be on to something, Agatha," said Justine quickly. "Maybe there's something she can't forget."

They looked at each other in bewilderment. What could it possibly be that the child could not forget?

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Chapter 2. Return of the Unicorn

When Nanny and the Professor returned home, they found Butch and Prudence in the living room. She was coloring and he was practicing his pitching windup. Butch had devised his own pitching target where he set a trash basket in a chair at the right level and hurled wads of paper in. It allowed him to work on the technique of his windup inside without causing any damage. Prudence looked up as they came in.

"Hal's in the basement working on something for his science program," she informed them.

"And Trelawney?" asked the Professor.

"She's spending the night at Francine's. Mrs. Fowler wants you to call her, Dad."

The Professor groaned. Just what he needed, another lecture from Mrs. Fowler about Trelawney and their inability to understand her. He should really send Aunts Agatha and Justine over to explain themselves.

"That wouldn't work at all," said Nanny.

"I know," he said. "But can't a guy indulge in a little wishful thinking?"

Prudence continued, "Nanny, your aunts want to talk to you and Daddy outside. I think that they feel bad now."

"Oh?" said the Professor.

"Well, I asked them why they had to come and make everybody sad. And then they came in later and said that they wanted to talk to both of you when you got back," she explained.

The Professor looked at Nanny, "Out of the mouths of babes . . . Let's talk to them first."

"Going to try to have them have the chat with Mrs. Fowler?" asked Nanny.

"What do you think?"

She smiled for the first time that evening.

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The Professor and Phoebe came out to find the aunts drinking tea in their balloon. Even Aunt Agatha seemed somewhat subdued. Aunt Justine spoke first.

"Phoebe dear, I am truly sorry that I upset Trelawney so badly. I had no idea that exerting a little family discipline would generate such a strong response. In fact, as I look back on it, her response was completely out of proportion to my lecture."

Phoebe looked up at the Professor who had automatically put his arm around her shoulders. She could feel his strength and it gave her courage. Aunts Justine and Agatha exchanged a knowing look. Phoebe didn't care, she needed Hal and they might as well know how much.

"Ladies, no one is more aware than we are of Trelawney's moods and erratic behavior," said Hal. "I know that you think that you have all the answers, but we are the ones who have been living with her all these months. Let's face it, some of this behavior is coming from grief and pain. Some of it is the fact that she is growing up and well . . . beginning to come into womanhood . . . and some of it is pretty normal sibling rivalry. We had her on a pretty even keel for the past few weeks and this is really the first thing that has set her off in a while."

Justine was becoming uncomfortable, mostly because she had found herself in discussion not with her niece, but with her intended. However she did have a point to make.

"What about Cholmondeley?"

"What about him? He's gone. We don't have to worry about him any more," replied the Professor a bit more defensively than necessary.

"Professor, if you are going to speak on Phoebe's behalf then answer me this. Why does that child get so worked up whenever his name in mentioned?" she asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Her behavior while he was here was completely irrational. Then, after he left, I tried to give her some gift he had tried to give her, but she was terrified of it and wanted me to destroy it."

The aunts looked at each with interest. Perhaps this was the clue that they were looking for.

"Did you? Destroy it that is?" asked Aunt Agatha.

"No," he said. "I thought that it might be worthwhile to hang onto it for now. I still have it in my desk."

"May I see it?" asked Aunt Agatha.

Hal looked at Phoebe who nodded. He went into the study and got the small box. Silently, he brought it back to the yard and handed it to Aunt Agatha. She looked at Aunt Justine, who nodded, and opened the box. There lying on a small, blue velvet pillow was a necklace carved from ivory of a tiny unicorn. Phoebe caught her breath and buried her head in Hal's shoulder. Aunts Justine and Agatha looked at each other in dismay. Hal had no idea of what he was looking at, other than a very pretty necklace, but clearly the three women knew what it was. And whatever it was, it was not good.

For a long moment there was no sound. Hal couldn't even ask the obvious question, instead he turned his attention to Phoebe, stroking her hair and kissing her softly. It was Aunt Justine who broke the silence,

"Maybe it's not what we think it is."

"Justine," said Aunt Agatha. "It's the only explanation that makes sense. Although maybe it's not . . . as bad as it could be."

"Well we have to talk to her," said Aunt Justine in an effort to assert some control over what could potentially be a chaotic and even dangerous situation.

"No," said Phoebe. "I'll speak with her."

"No!" said the Aunts forcefully together.

"Phoebe, no," said Aunt Agatha kindly. "You are not responsible for this. Please don't try to manage this yourself. Let us find out just exactly what has happened. It will be easier for her and for you. She may not be entirely truthful with you anyway."

"And you think that she will be truthful with you?" asked Phoebe. "After the threats you made earlier, she may think that she is the one who has done something wrong. After all, you did take her to task about how she treated Cholmondeley."

Hal had no idea about what they were talking about. As they continued to talk in circumlocutions he became more and more frustrated. Finally he broke in,

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

Aunt Agatha looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Professor, we didn't mean to leave you out, but this really doesn't concern you."

Now he blew up. "Doesn't concern me? That child has been living in my home for months, clearly grief-stricken and in pain. You seem to finally know what the problem may be, but you won't say it out loud, and you don't even know what to do."

Suddenly, from behind, came a child's voice.

"Ask Francine."

"Prudence!" said the Professor. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that you're talking about Trelawney and her secret," replied the little girl.

"Secret?" asked Phoebe.

Prudence nodded. "Trelawney has a secret and only Francine knows. I don't know and Mrs. Fowler doesn't know, but I think that it's why she always calls Trelawney 'that poor child.'"

The adults all looked at each other and finally the Professor said, "I think that we should all go next door together, except for you Prudence, you need to go inside and get ready for bed."

"But don't I get to know the secret?" she said disappointed.

Phoebe went over and knelt before her. "Prudence, we are very grateful that you told us this, but it's better if you aren't involved anymore. You know that Trelawney may be very unhappy with you if you try to insert yourself into her business."

"I understand," said Prudence. She threw her arms around Nanny's neck and gave her a kiss. "Goodnight, everyone."

The four adults watched as she went into the house. No one really wanted to go to Mrs. Fowler's house, but there was nothing else for it. It was late, but knowing Mrs. Fowler she would still be up.

In fact, she was up and waiting for the Professor's call. Although a bit surprised when four people showed up at her house, she was nonetheless happier for the larger audience. Perhaps Nanny and the Professor were about to take her more seriously. Bustling about, she got tea and coffee for everyone. Because they needed her cooperation if they wanted to be able to talk to Francine, they patiently listened as she rambled on about inconsequential small talk. After only ten minutes, the Professor had a headache and Aunt Justine was about to explode. Fortunately, Aunt Agatha and Phoebe were more patient, even smiling at some of her poor attempts at humor. At last the five were sitting around the table and the Professor decided to get to the point right away.

"Mrs. Fowler, we know that you've been trying to tell us about Trelawney and Nanny's friend Cholmondeley for a while now," he opened.

"Well from what I have been led to understand, that man was much more than a friend," interrupted Mrs. Fowler.

"Alright, so he was her ex-fiancé. At any rate, we now realize that you may be on to something. Has Trelawney ever mentioned anything about a unicorn to you?" said the Professor.

"Well, no, not at all," said Mrs. Fowler, "She has mentioned a few other things."

Before the Professor could break in, Aunt Justine said under her breath, "Let her talk. She may know something useful."

"Now, Professor, if you recall the first time she came over here while that man was visiting I sent her right back. I didn't want to be responsible if she ran away again. However, the visits became more frequent and she absolutely begged me to let her come whenever he was in the house. And what could I do? She said that she needed Francine and what would she do without Francine. I felt it was my duty to take care of that poor child if none of you would even listen to her," Mrs. Fowler explained.

Now that she had everyone's complete attention, her speech became less frenetic and she began to enjoy telling her story. Nanny and the Professor exchanged guilty looks. Neither of them had either listened to the girl or watched her too closely. Aunt Justine took note as a point to remember in her later conversation with the Professor.

"It was very frightening for us, but especially Francine, for a while. The child would go on and on about how that man 'drove her mad.' She didn't like it when he looked at her, when he talked to her and she was deathly afraid that he would touch her. She couldn't eat and she couldn't sleep. She said that if Nanny married him and he tried to take her away, then she would go somewhere that no one would ever find her. She even said she would rather die than . . . That's when Francine became really scared. I tried to call and tell you, but you kept hanging up. And recently you, Professor, have forbidden me from even speaking with Nanny," the outrage began to creep into her voice again.

"You do seem to know a great lot, for someone who wasn't told much," commented Aunt Justine.

"Not by Trelawney, but Francine has shared some things with me. But she hasn't told me everything. She said that Trelawney has sworn her to secrecy about something, but she is very much afraid for her. When she came over this afternoon and then Hal told her to stay here until you two got home, the poor girl just completely fell to pieces. That's why she's here now. She says that she won't leave until you two are gone," she added, looking at the aunts.

Phoebe covered her face with her hands while the Professor leaned over to comfort her. Aunt Justine looked at Aunt Agatha and nodded.

"Please Mrs. Fowler," said Aunt Agatha sweetly. "Might we have a word with Francine?"

"I'm not sure that I want to risk her being upset like Trelawney. One hysterical girl in a house is quite frankly enough!"

Aunt Agatha winced at the implication, but Aunt Justine said, "Look Mrs. Fowler, we have no intention of hurting Francine. It's just that she is the only one that Trelawney has trusted with some very important information. Trelawney won't tell us, but if we are going to help her, then Francine is our last hope."

Mrs. Fowler liked the dramatic sound of that. And she liked the idea that Francine was that important. She agreed to go upstairs and wake the child up and bring her down. Within minutes, the confused and sleepy girl was standing before them. When she realized who they were, she cried,

"Oh Mother! If they're here to take away Trelawney, please don't let them! You can't make her go back!"

"Francine, dear," said Aunt Agatha in her kindest voice. "We have no intention of forcing Trelawney to go anywhere she doesn't want to go. But we do need to talk to you about what she's told you about Cholmondeley."

Now Francine looked ill. "I'll never tell. I promised her that I would never tell another living soul. Please don't make me!"

As the adults all looked at each other, Aunt Justine thought of something. "Well then, could you answer just one question? Has Trelawney ever mentioned a unicorn to you?"

Francine looked stunned, "What do you know about the unicorn?"

It was obvious that Francine did indeed know most, if not the whole, story. Aunt Justine also noticed that she had changed the phrase "a unicorn" to "the unicorn." Looking at Aunt Agatha, she could see that she had picked up on the same thing. It did not bode well for what she might reveal.

It was just as obvious that Francine was not going to say anything in front of five adults that would break the confidence of her friend. And she was so frightened that her thoughts could tell them nothing. Seeing this, Aunt Agatha said gently, "Francine dear, why don't you and I sit down and talk a little, just the two of us?"

Aunt Agatha looked over at Mrs. Fowler who nodded. She knew that her daughter had been troubled by whatever it was that Trelawney had shared with her. It might be good for her to let it go. She also remembered that of the two aunts, this one was the kinder. When Aunt Agatha and Francine were out of hearing in the living room, the Professor looked around. The three women were all deep in their own thoughts. He looked at Aunt Justine who decided that it was time that he knew what was going on.

"Professor, how much do you know about unicorns?" she asked.

"Not much," he admitted. "They are some kind of mythical, magical creature, aren't they?"

"Yes," she said. "The legends of the unicorns are many, but there are a couple of consistent details. One is that the only way to capture a unicorn is to tempt him with a fair maiden. If the fair maiden sits and waits for him, he will then come and lay his head in her lap. This traditionally is viewed as a symbol of purity, but there can be darker meanings."

Phoebe stood up and silently walked over to window to look out. She was somewhat hunched over and hugging herself protectively. As she looked out the window, her eyes were bright with tears.

"There are those who believe that the story of the unicorn is more sinister," continued Aunt Justine as she kept her eyes on Phoebe. "They view the horn as the symbol of male phallus, the male sexual organ, and the laying of its head in the maiden's lap as the taking of her maidenhood. The gift of the unicorn necklace obviously has some kind of special meaning for Cholmondeley and Trelawney, or she would not have reacted so violently to the gift. However, I doubt that she has any idea of its archetypal imagery. With her powers of perception, she clearly knew what was inside the box without opening it. Whatever it is, whatever exists between them, he is clearly in control of the situation. That's what has her so frightened. And she is not a child who is scared easily."

Even Mrs. Fowler didn't know what to say to that. The possibilities were too awful to contemplate. The Professor walked over to Phoebe and standing behind her, embraced her and rested his cheek on her head. He could feel her frailty, her sense of helplessness, her weakness. With all of his will, he tried to release some of his own life's energy into her. Her only response was to lean back into him, as the tears slipped down her cheeks unheeded.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe, I didn't know, but neither did you, nor your parents, or in fact anyone in the family. Whatever happened between them is their secret. That's the way it usually is, I hear. Hopefully the secret is not quite as . . . dreadful . . . as it could be," Aunt Justine finished lamely.

"'For you, little one, to keep close to your heart,' that's what he told her, wasn't it Hal? And he called her Trel, his own name for her. And she hated him, and she hated that name, and she was terrified of that box. I made her accept the box. I insisted that she treat him with respect. I would have married him and made her live with us," Phoebe choked out the last words.

"Phoebe, you can't change anything that's happened. And if you hadn't made her take the box, and, Professor, if you hadn't saved it when she wanted to destroy it, we would never have known," said Aunt Justine. "Whatever has happened, occurred before she ever came here. But it didn't happen again. Thank you, Mrs. Fowler. Your generous offer of respite from her fear may have saved her from greater harm."

Mrs. Fowler nodded. She wasn't used to the Everetts thinking of her as anything other than a nuisance. Suddenly, they had found a respect for her. Secretly, she thought it was about time and that maybe they would take her more seriously in the future. Aunt Agatha walked back in with Francine, who, not surprisingly, went over to her mother for a hug.

"She'll be all right, Mrs. Fowler," said Aunt Agatha. "She was a very brave girl tonight. She showed great loyalty and strength of character, even though she had to think about some frightening things. And she may have saved her friend's life. I think it would be best if you put her back to bed now."

"Come along, dear," said Mrs. Fowler. "If we get you upstairs, then maybe Trelawney won't miss you."

"Please, Aunt Agatha, you'll be sure to tell her I didn't tell, won't you?" asked Francine.

"I promise, dear. We have the necklace. She'll know that we figured it out from that," she said kindly.

After they were gone, Justine turned to Agatha, "Did she tell you or did you need to discern it?"

"She didn't tell me," replied Agatha, "I didn't dare even let her think that she did. She could never keep something like that out of her thoughts. However, I was able to discern what Trelawney had told her from her own thoughts. Trelawney has a very deep trust in that girl. We must be very careful not to do anything to destroy it."

"Then I think that we should go back to our place," said the Professor. "It would be better if Trelawney didn't know that we had been here."

The aunts readily agreed and they all quietly walked back to the Everett house. Phoebe seemed to have slipped back into the same state of shock that she had been in right after her parents died. She docilely allowed Hal to lead her home and obediently sat beside him on the couch with a cup of tea. After making sure that the children were all in bed and asleep, Aunt Agatha began to talk.

"It's not as bad as it could have been, the child is still . . . intact, I believe. But from what she told Francine it seems like he was preparing her for something. He would find ways of being alone with her, charm her with stories, give her little gifts. She said that he treated her as if she was special, the pet name was part of it.

"Apparently right before he left, he crossed some line with her that frightened her, badly. She didn't tell Francine exactly in what way, but it seems to have been something that, although she didn't fully understand it, made her feel bad. I suspect that it was something along the lines of . . . what we were thinking. That is what Francine thinks and why she is so scared for her.

"That was also when she approached your mother, Phoebe, and asked if you had to marry him. But she never told her why, other than that she thought that Cholmondeley was 'horrid,' and that was no doubt too general to be properly understood. It's possible that she was so young that she didn't understand it and just pushed it out of her mind. So thankfully, while your parents lived they never knew what happened to their child while she was under their protection by someone to whom they had betrothed their elder daughter."

Phoebe bent over, as if in pain. She knew that Aunt Agatha was not done and, truth be told, she did not want to hear the words spoken out loud. But Hal had to know.

By now there were tears in Aunt Agatha's eyes. "Trelawney feels a tremendous guilt where you are concerned, Phoebe. Part of the way that he made her feel special was to tell her that although he was betrothed to you, she was his 'little love.' She knew that this had some kind of adult overtones to it, but she had no idea really of what they meant. It wasn't until he made some . . . physical contact . . . that she realized that it was more than a charming game, even a fairy story. That's what really scared her and that was when she realized that this 'special friendship' that he was offering her was wrong. The whole thing has her terribly confused. The psychic wound is deep and is no doubt at the root of her irrational behavior."

There was silence. Phoebe looked helplessly around her. No one seemed to know what to say or do. She no longer even knew what to think.

Finally the Professor asked, "What about the unicorn?"

Aunt Agatha looked at Phoebe who was still trying to absorb the details of what she had just been told. She decided that she might as well finish it.

"Part of the charming game that he played with her was that he was the unicorn who had come to the fair maiden, her, because he was pure. Right before he left, after he had frightened her, Cholmondeley told her that someday the unicorn would return to lay his head in the lap of the fair maiden, his true love. Trelawney thought that he meant you, Phoebe, but when he gave the box with the necklace to her, she knew who he really meant. She did not need to open the box to know what was in it. She could see it clearly. In the very beginning, she thought she was protecting you, but then she was protecting herself."

Turning to the Professor. she said, "Professor, she trusts you to protect her more than anyone now. She knows that even though you would not have stood in the way of Phoebe's marriage, you were contemplating asking Phoebe if she could stay with you for at least a while. You are, to quote Francine, "her gallant knight." She also told Francine that if we tried to take her from you, she would run so far that no one would ever see her again."

"She doesn't trust me to protect her?" asked Phoebe.

"No, not really in the way you're thinking," replied Aunt Agatha. "She doesn't think that you can protect yourself, let alone her. You have allowed her to see your great vulnerability right now. She is fully aware of how much you are relying on the Professor for your strength. Thus, she too has put her trust in him. Her darkest fear is that if we take her from the Professor's protection, that Cholmondeley will return to claim her. Her fears have no basis in fact, but that doesn't matter. As long as she believes them, then they are very real to her," said Aunt Agatha. "She sees the Professor as saving you both."

"I believe that putting you two together as a romantic couple started out as a bit of a game, but then she saw how deeply you really were in love with each other. From what I have seen, and now what I have discerned and heard from Francine, she has very powerful psychic connections with the cosmos. I believe that she may even be seeing something between you of which no one else, not even yourselves, is aware. She is so highly sensitive and intuitive that until she becomes old enough to understand these connections and find her own place in the world, she will need to be carefully watched and guided," she finished. "It's all quite a confusing for her now. I am also afraid that if she continues to be flooded with perceptions and thoughts that she is too young to comprehend, it may compromise her emotional stability."

Professor Everett was thoughtful. "Emmeline said pretty much the same thing, about the strength of her psychic connections. Whenever she has come to me for help or protection, I have always sensed a deep trust, even if I get angry with her for whatever her latest mischief is. Does that mean that you will consider allowing her to stay here, with us?"

"Things aren't so simple, Professor," answered Aunt Justine. "Among other things, the girl really is much too headstrong and impulsive. It would certainly be the best course of action to let her stay here for now, but you also have to realize that if we let her think that she's won, you could have a world of troubles on your hands. It will be best if we keep her on a probation of sorts."

"I'll agree with that. She's a handful and it would be useful to have some leverage. What do you say, Phoebe?" he asked. He could see that all of the revelations of the evening had overwhelmed her.

"Whatever you say, Hal," she said dully and closing her eyes, laid her head back on his shoulder.

The aunts looked concerned, but Hal said diplomatically, "We'll talk more tomorrow after we've all had a good rest."

"Yes," said Aunt Justine. "I would say that a rest is in order for all of us."

The aunts left for their balloon, leaving Phoebe alone with the Professor. Once they were gone, Phoebe curled up more closely against Hal. Stroking her hair, he kissed her cheek.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

"No," she said sadly. "Just hold me."

If they were married, he could have taken her up to bed and held her through the long night. But they weren't. At length she fell asleep and he held her in the dark. Finally, he knew they both had to get some sleep, if they were going to face the challenges that tomorrow would bring. Thus, he managed to rouse her enough to walk her up to her own bed. As if she was Prudence, he tucked her in and kissed her good night. As she settled in, he heard her call him back,

"Hal?"

"Yes, Phoebe?" he answered.

"I love you."

"Me too."

He walked down the hall to his room bone-weary. He needed his sleep as much as she needed hers. There was going to be a lot of sorting out to do tomorrow.

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Chapter 3. Death of the Unicorn

Breakfast was tense the next morning. The other children knew that something very serious had gone down the night before regarding Trelawney. They wanted to stay home, but the Professor insisted that they go to their activities, pointing out logically that if they stayed at home it would be more work for Nanny. He even took it upon himself to drive to all three to their different programs before going to the university himself. Before they left he called Mrs. Fowler who said that both girls had wanted to go to their program. Trelawney was considerably calmer, and Francine was tired from her disturbed sleep, but also wanted to get out of the house.

Surprisingly, Nanny let him take charge of everything. She was uncommunicative and hardly ate anything. He wished that she had stayed in bed, but she insisted on getting up and going through the motions of making breakfast and packing lunches. The kids all looked at him questioningly, but he just gave them a look that said, "Don't ask."

After they left, Nanny wandered into the backyard. Seeing her emotional state, Aunt Justine drew her into a hug. She was pleased to hear that Trelawney was at her program.

"Phoebe, I think that you need to realize that this has been much more traumatic for you than for her. She has been living with this for a couple of years now. Cholmondeley is gone and we'll make sure that he never comes near her again. She will stay here, at least for now. We do understand now that she must remain here, but she must also be made to understand that she needs to learn to control herself," she said.

Phoebe nodded. She knew that her aunt was right.

"Oh, my darling Phoebe!" said Aunt Agatha. "You must pull yourself together before she gets home! If she thinks that she has caused you any more pain, it will only make things worse for her. She feels enough guilt where you are concerned. You will have to tell her that you know about the unicorn and that you know what it means. You know that you will never be able to keep it from her."

Aunt Justine said, "We will tell her the truth. We will tell her that we insisted that Agatha open the box. Now that we know what is in it, we will allow her to destroy it. She will understand the significance of that better than anything than anything we could possibly say. It will do her good. It will set her free from this burden that she has been carrying. But we must tell her the truth, otherwise she will never understand your pain. And she needs to, or she will take the blame upon herself."

"How can I tell her that I know?" asked Phoebe fearfully.

"You won't do it alone," said Aunt Agatha. "I will be there, and the Professor too if you like, although that would be more for your benefit than hers. She may or may not be willing to face it now. If she isn't ready, then that's okay. It may be enough for her to know that we understand why she behaved as she did with Cholmondeley and will let it go at that."

Phoebe thought about it for a moment and then agreed. She was too tired to do otherwise. Seeing her exhaustion, Justine told her to go back to bed. She would need all her strength for when Trelawney came home. After she left, she turned to her sister,

"Agatha, they need to be married. I had no idea that her feelings ran so deep for the Professor. And there is something more. I cannot put my finger on it, but this is something here far greater than physical attraction."

Agatha resisted the temptation to say, "I told you so."

Instead she said, "And his feelings for her are equally deep. There will be no keeping them apart. There are larger forces at work in this relationship than simply two people in love. We will still need to sit down and talk with each of them, but there will be no challenging them."

"No indeed," said Justine. "When the time is right they will marry. In fact, for reasons that we have already discussed they must marry. It is important for them to know that there will be no obstacles put up by the family."

"Well," sighed Agatha, "We must get past this unpleasantness with Trelawney. Poor child. We must assure her that she is safe and that we will keep her safe."

"The best assurance that we can give her of that, is to let her know that she will stay, unless she gets so out of hand that neither Phoebe nor the Professor can control her. I think that will get our message across without it sounding too much like a threat," decided Justine.

Agatha agreed and then they both decided that they needed a rest too.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Late that afternoon Francine brought Trelawney over. Once she was convinced that no one would upset her friend again, she left. Trelawney was wary as Phoebe, Aunt Agatha, and the Professor asked her to sit down and talk. Aunt Justine would keep the other three children in the backyard by showing them the mechanics of running the balloon.

At first the four sat looking at each other silently in the living room. Then Aunt Agatha nodded to Phoebe, who took out the small jewelry box. Trelawney caught her breath and the Professor involuntarily put his arm around Phoebe who said,

"Trelawney, we've opened the box. We know about the unicorn."

"I'm sorry," Trelawney looked confused. "I didn't mean to . . ."

"Mean to what, dear?" asked Aunt Agatha.

"Mean to start anything. It was my fault, you know. He told me that it was my fault. I was there to tempt the unicorn. I was seeking to capture the unicorn. He was just . . . there . . . because I wanted him to. But I never wanted him to, I never even thought that I wanted him to, but he said that all fair maidens want the unicorn."

She was trembling violently, but they knew that she needed to finish what she had started. Reaching over, Phoebe pulled her into her arms. Surrounded by both Phoebe and Hal, she was able to calm down enough to speak.

"The unicorn is all good and pure," she said, as if reciting words learned by rote. "That is why the fair maiden wants him. She sits and waits for him. She has the power to attract him, I had the power to attract HIM. He was promised to Phoebe, but I had captured him first. I told him that he was wrong, I would never . . . take . . . from my own sister."

"I knew that he would return. I didn't want him to return. I didn't want him to . . . Phoebe! I couldn't bear the thought," cried Trelawney. "I'm sorry Phoebe, it was all my fault. I betrayed you. I betrayed the family. He was wrong, but I was wrong first. Forgive me, Phoebe, forgive me please!"

With that she turned and buried herself her sister's arms. She was weeping forcefully. Phoebe clasped her tightly, her own tears once again running down her face. The Professor in turn held them both more tightly.

Aunt Agatha could see the Professor's anger rising and gave him a sharp look. If Cholmondeley were here for him to punch or worse, it would one thing, but if he lost his temper now, his anger would certainly be misunderstood by the child. He must have realized what she was thinking because he said,

"Trelawney, I am not a violent man, but if he were here right now, I would kill him. If he ever comes near you or Phoebe again, I will kill him. I don't care if they put me in jail for a hundred years. He will never come near either of you again."

His voice was tight and restrained. Trelawney looked up at him and nodded. She knew that he spoke the truth. She knew that she was safe. She knew that Phoebe was safe. She knew that he would kill the unicorn. She understood now that if he had known about the unicorn before, he would have killed him then. She looked around at all of them.

"Trelawney dear, do you want to destroy the unicorn?" asked Aunt Agatha gently.

She recoiled, "I don't want to see it! I don't want to touch it!"

Then the Professor, after thinking for a minute, asked, "Do you want me to destroy it?"

Silently she nodded.

"If you really want to feel safe, then you will have to look at it. It is the only way that you will know that it is truly gone forever. Can you be my brave girl and do that?" he asked gently.

She looked up at her sister.

"I will have you here in my arms. I won't let go. You will be safe. We will both be safe. We will watch the Professor destroy the unicorn together," she said.

Once again she nodded, and stood before the coffee table, securely in her sister's embrace.

The Professor took out the hammer and handkerchief that he had prepared for Trelawney. Taking the necklace out of the box, he carefully laid it in the cloth. After covering it, he lifted the hammer and smashed it down several times. When he was done, Trelawney lifted the cloth to reveal the crushed necklace. It was nothing but powder. Reaching over she put her arms around his neck for a hug and took a deep breath. He gave her a fatherly hug and gently patted her back.

Pulling back she looked into his eyes and said, "When the unicorn comes to the fair maiden, that is the opportunity for the gallant knight to kill him. Thank you, Professor, you have killed the unicorn."

She stood back and asked solemnly, "Excuse me, may I go and tell Francine that the unicorn is dead? She has been most anxious."

"Yes, you may," said the Professor.

After she left, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I never thought that I would find myself in the role of unicorn killer."

Phoebe was still concerned. "Do you think that she believes that it was all just a fairy story come to life?"

Aunt Agatha shook her head. "She's too smart for that. She is refusing to fully acknowledge what has happened, but for now we will let it go. She needs peace of mind and so do you. If for now, she wishes to relegate this to the world of fairy stories, let her. At least we know. Someday, when she truly comes to understand the physical relations between men and women, she will have to face it, but for now she needs to regain her innocence. She needs to play like a child. She needs to think like a child. She needs to dream like a child. She is still much too young to put away childish things. And you, Phoebe, need to try and forget this. Your gallant knight will always protect you and your sister. At least until she finds a knight of her own."

The last comment was intended to lighten the mood. The thought of the feisty little girl permitting herself to be rescued by any knight was amusing. More likely, it would be she who rescued the knight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, when the children were in bed, including Trelawney back in her own bed in Prudence's room, Phoebe went to find the Professor in his study.

"I love the aunties, but having their balloon in the backyard does hide the stars," she commented.

"But they're still there," he answered.

"Yes, they are," she said as she walked around the desk. He stood up and kissed her hungrily, it had been a couple of days since they had had time like this together, but it felt like an eternity. She returned his passion in equal measure, pressing her body against his.

Once again, he was filled with a desperate longing to take her completely. This couldn't go on much longer. Sooner or later, one of them would give in and it would be all over. She read his thoughts.

"If you give in, I will follow you," she breathed in his ear. It was tantalizing.

"If you take my hand, I will take you to the stars," she continued. He found his hands pressing her body, molding it more closely with his own. He knew that when the moment came, it would fit perfectly with his own.

Then, suddenly he realized how tired he was. She must have sensed it too, because she pulled back and led him to the living room. There she seated herself on the couch and insisted that he lie down so that his head was resting in her lap. He could feel her fingers running softly through his hair. It was her turn to sooth and to calm him. He felt as if he had come home.

It was as if they had come through another test, another trial. And they had made it.

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The next day, the Aunts decided that it was time to have their sit downs with Nanny and the Professor so that they could be on their way. After all the fuss and bother with Trelawney, they were aware that they were in danger of overstaying their welcome. It was decided that Phoebe would be first.

Aunt Agatha was an old-fashioned romantic. The first time they had landed in the Everetts backyard, she had noticed how well Phoebe had gotten along with Professor. They laughed together easily. At the slightest mention that she might leave them, he had become quite upset. Even then, Phoebe had claimed contentment, which was most unlike her. The Professor had also been very patient with all the upset they caused between the television cameras and the reporters in the yard and unintentionally getting themselves arrested. He had clearly been bothered by it all, yet seemed willing to endure it. She believed that it was for Phoebe's sake.

Knowing how he disliked disruption in his well-ordered life, he should have been far more upset than he was about the chaos of the last few months. And Trelawney was more trying all the time, no doubt in response to the sudden loss of her parents and now, they knew, the issue with Cholmondeley. Yet she could see that his love for Phoebe was now guiding his actions. And he had taken that very difficult child into his heart, as well as his home.

It was obvious to her, if to no one else, that he was making all, important life decisions with her in mind. Throughout her own long life, she had been in love many times, but never had she experienced such devotion. However Phoebe also needed to be aware of the risks that she would be facing if she took the final step and actually married outside their world. Unlike other members of the family, she would not try to talk her out of it. But she did need to warn her of certain things.

When she finally worked up the courage to search out Phoebe alone, she came upon her calmly sewing by herself in the living room. It was late morning, so no one was home and Justine was going to stay outside. When she walked in and sat beside her, Phoebe put down her sewing and smiled. Now that the crisis point with the child had passed, she regained her normal equilibrium. In fact she glowed, her natural inner light strengthened by simply being in love. Yet Agatha could also sense the same frailty that she had projected the night before. Any hint of trouble seemed to be able to throw her off balance.

"So how's my Phoebe this morning?" she asked kindly.

"Quite well, thank you, Auntie. Now that everything is somewhat sorted out with Trelawney, for the time being things are calm. And your arrival has not generated nearly so much interest in the neighborhood as it did the last time," Phoebe answered.

"Well I'm glad about that dear. I would hate to add any more worry to your life," said her aunt.

"But there presently aren't any real worries in my life, at least not any longer," replied Phoebe.

"Phoebe, you are about to take a very big step in your life. It is a big step in anyone's life, but for you it will mean even bigger changes. Do you know what I mean?"

Phoebe did, but hated to admit it. When the family was not around, it was easy to ignore the difficulties. Now that her aunties had shown up, she realized that she would have to face them.

"Phoebe, I know that you are both happy and content here. But are you really ready to settle?" she asked kindly.

"Yes," said Phoebe definitively. "With everything that has happened, all the shake ups and changes and traumas, I have had to examine, assess, and reevaluate my life, over and over again. No matter how many times or how many ways that I choose to look at it, the same answer keeps coming up. My home is here with Hal.

"You know, so many people view home as a place or location," she continued. "But I don't see my choice as whether I live in England or California. When all is said and done, I want to live with Hal. Whether we move a dozen or more times during the rest of our lives or we just stay right here. I don't care."

"Phoebe, aren't you ever afraid that you'll miss the soaring? Have you entirely lost that wanderlust that has always been such a part of you?" Aunt Agatha could see the deep love that her niece felt for this man. However with young people, how often do they make choices impulsively that they come to regret later? Now as she watched her niece's face, she could see it acquire a dreamy look.

"Aunt Agatha, I can soar with Hal and never leave the backyard. Do you remember that I once told you that soaring is a very personal thing? Hal has taken me places in my heart that I never even knew existed. He has awakened my body in ways that I could never have dreamed of. He has clasped my soul as no other person has. Will it embarrass you if I speak frankly?" she asked.

Aunt Agatha was captivated. This was a love that even SHE had never explored. She nodded, wondering what the young woman would say next.

"When I first realized how much I loved him and he loved me, all I could think of was breaking free from Cholmondeley and joining myself to him, joining myself in the most physically intimate sense of the word. I was desperate and I knew that if he would take me, if I could even conceive his child, that Cholmondeley would leave me alone. I wanted him and he wanted me and we came so close. But he would never take the final step.

"He said that he loved my free and soaring spirit and that he could never possess me. He only wanted the freedom to love me," she said, and then fell silent for a moment.

"I will never love another man as I love him. Throughout those darkest days when all seemed lost, he loved and comforted me. He should have been angry with me, he should have hated me for all the pain I gave him. Yet he kept the faith in our love. You have seen him over the past two days. He doesn't have to ask me what's wrong anymore. He just knows."

Agatha was deeply moved. She knew her brother and his wife well. She knew that they would have approved of this choice, approved of this marriage. This was something special. There was a sense of destiny to it that made it feel different from ordinary love. The Professor might not be one of them, but this profound connection indicated that he was no ordinary man, at least in his relationship with Phoebe. Ultimately, it was this deep and abiding love that would have trumped tradition. They had been fortunate themselves that fate had given them the chance to fall in love and select their own partners. Phoebe deserved nothing less. She looked at her dear Phoebe and saw the tears were shining on her face. She knew what was in her mind.

"Thank you, Auntie," she said quietly.

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Later that day, when the Professor saw Aunt Justine entering the study, he knew why she was there.

"At least Emmeline knocks," he said, trying to lighten her up. She was looking more severe than usual. Aunt Justine was not going to be lightened up.

"Professor, I know that you probably do not want to have this conversation, but if Phoebe's father was still with us, then you would be having it with him," she began.

"Fair enough," he admitted. "What do you want to discuss?"

Seeing that he was going to be cooperative, Aunt Justine now smiled. She genuinely liked this man who was so deeply in love with her niece. She was hoping that Emmeline was right that he was single-mindedly devoted to her.

"Professor, someone has to warn you that when you marry Phoebe, you will essentially be marrying someone from a different world."

"I have already figured that out for myself, thank you," he replied.

"Yes, I know that you have seen all of the obvious differences, but I am not sure that you realize their causes," she explained.

"Well, to be honest, she used to drive me crazy. But then I decided that most of it could be explained by very strong intuition or ESP. Finally, I just learned to accept that which I couldn't understand as just being her. I stopped trying to explain it."

Seeing that she wasn't going to interrupt him, he continued, "My love for Phoebe is simple. Everyone tells me that it can't be, but it is. I love everything about her, whether I understand it or not. Once I knew that she felt the same way that I did, my heart was settled. There is nothing about her that I do not love."

"I appreciate your honesty," she answered, "And I can see that this is how you truly feel. But you know that situations could arise that will confuse and mystify you. Have you thought about that?"

"Aunt Justine, I mean no disrespect, but have you yourself ever been married?" he asked.

Seeing what was in his mind, she began to feel uncomfortable.

"No," she admitted reluctantly.

"I have," he said, "and very happily I might add. I know from experience that differences always come up between spouses. And they are always learning new things both about themselves and each other. Quite honestly, in the beginning, before I knew her very well, I would find my first wife very mystifying and confusing at times. And she was from the same world as I. I think that, in general, all men are perplexed by women. Now you don't have to tell me that there is a very steep learning curve in this case. But there's also an enormous amount of love between us and that has to count for something, even in your world."

"Professor, I'm glad that you see that," replied Aunt Justine. "But there is more to knowing Phoebe than watching her 'ESP', as you call it, work. There is a larger consciousness in the universe that most people are unaware of. Those who do know and can tap into it are able to see the continuity of all life on this earth as a seamless fabric. And knowing that fabric is seamless, makes it easier to understand others, anticipate actions, and know the minds of others.

"I know that you and Phoebe are very much on the same wavelength, to use your lingo. In fact I know that even though you are not one of us, you have always known her mind better than Cholmondeley ever did, and he WAS one of us. This is the strongest indication to me that your fates are indeed aligned. You may be rest assured that I would never try to rewrite destiny," she finished.

Hal was confused. "So then why are we having this conversation?"

"If you want this mixed marriage, shall we say, to work, you are going to have to be prepared to not only make compromises, which you have already shown me that you know how to do, you will have to accept the impossible, which is harder," she explained. "There are going to be times when you want explanations that you will not get. If you can't accept this, it could be very trying for Phoebe."

"I would never make things trying for her," he said defensively.

"Never say never, Professor," said Aunt Justine. "I have seen you lose your temper and it usually happens when you feel out of control. With Phoebe as your wife, you could very often feel out of control. You need to realize that nothing will change Phoebe. However, she loves you so much that she might try to change herself, if she thinks that it will make you happy. But that would be to clip her wings, she could not soar as she so loves to do. If you held her earthbound, she would be a very sad Phoebe indeed."

"Aunt Justine, I have seen her soar, I have felt her soar, I have even on occasion felt like I have soared with her. When Cholmondeley was here, you realize that I could have taken her and that she wanted me to take her, as a lover that is. In order to break the betrothal contract she wanted to make herself 'unworthy,' you might say, of him. But that is not how I love her. When she is my wife, she will not be my possession. She will be my partner. Rather than hold her back, I want to follow her, be with her. I also realize that our children may be more like her than me in this way. I would never try to hold them back either."

Justine was silent. This man's love was profound. In its very simplicity, there was a resolute quality to it. If fate had been unkind by depriving Phoebe of her parents, destiny was kind in giving her this man. There were few in the world like him. She now understood why Emmeline herself had been so steadfast in her own belief that Phoebe and the Professor belonged together. She made up her mind.

"Professor, you have not asked for it, but I am giving you my blessing. Please know that I am offering it on behalf of the whole Figalilly clan. Since you do not ask for Phoebe, I will not give her to you. In any case it would be beside the point. It is clear that she has already given herself to you, in heart and mind, if not in body. Perhaps you are right, she is not a possession to be quibbled over. Thus, if she chooses to bind herself to you as your helpmate and partner in life, you have my full support," she finished.

The Professor was terribly moved. Justine knew what was in his mind, but she felt that it was important to give him the opportunity to express it himself.

"Aunt Justine, I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your support. I know that it is considerable. I know that it is going to mean a lot to Phoebe that we have your blessing," he replied. He felt humbled by the unequivocal nature of her approval.

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Dinner that night had a festive, if somewhat poignant, air. Aunts Agatha and Justine had decided to leave when the wind rose again. That might be in two hours or in two days, but the visit was coming to an end. The adults were ultimately pleased by the visit. The aunts were satisfied that Phoebe and the Professor were well matched and that the Professor was worthy of her. Phoebe and the Professor were grateful that they finally knew that they had her family's support. The children were a bit less pleased. The Everetts were disappointed that they had not gotten their balloon ride yet and Trelawney was somewhat unhappy about the limitations placed on her behavior. However now that she understood that she would to push Phoebe and the Professor very far before she was sent away, she accepted them.

As they were about to sit down, Aunt Justine asked them to remain standing for a toast, "To Harold and our Phoebe, all of our best wishes for the future, many happy years together and many children to fill their home."

Everyone raised his or her glass and drank.

Aunt Agatha now spoke, "To Hal, Trelawney, Butch, and Prudence that they may continue to bless and brighten this home and bring great joy and happiness to their parents.

Everyone raised his or her glass again.

The Professor spoke, "To Phoebe who is the light of my life, the greatest gift of my life. May I always give her all the love that she deserves."

They raised their glasses again.

Lastly Phoebe spoke, "To Hal who has become my heart and home. May I always be his devoted and faithful wife and loving mother to his children."

They raised their glasses again. For a moment there was silence and then Butch said,

"Can we stop with all this sappy stuff and eat? I'm starving."

Everyone laughed and sat down to enjoy another one of Nanny's wonderful dinners.

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The next night, Phoebe and the Professor were standing alone in the dark yard. The aunts had taken off that morning and the children were all in bed after their busy days. Phoebe was tired herself, but could never pass up an opportunity to spend some time alone with Hal. As always, his arms encircled her and she rested easily on his shoulder.

"The stars are back," she noted.

"Yes, now that that big, old balloon is gone, the stars are back," agreed Hal.

"You know, they really didn't mean to make any trouble," said Phoebe.

"Well, that happened the last time too, and the next thing we knew they were standing in front of a judge for disturbing the peace," replied Hal. "Arguably, this time around, they did just as good a job of disturbing our peace."

"I know, but none of us really knew what was going on in Trelawney's head. Oh, I know, we still don't really know, but she does seem more settled," she said.

"I know," admitted Hal, "And in the end we did get Aunt Justine's blessing. I know that means a lot to you."

"It means a lot to both of us," said Phoebe. "You have no idea of how difficult the family could have made things if they refused to accept our marriage."

"Then I'm glad they did," replied Hal.

"If they hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered in the end. No matter how hard they made it, when all was said and done, I would have married you," she said fervently.

"Really and truly?" he said, using one of Trelawney's favorite phrases.

"Really and truly," she agreed. "I cannot imagine ever leaving you. It's almost as if I can no longer have a life apart from you."

"Yet sometimes it seems as though our lives are very far apart," said Hal. "Sometimes I feel like you're here, but not here. We have so many other things with which we must concern ourselves, that it's only when we're alone like this that I feel like we can really focus on each other."

"That's probably because that's the way it is," said Phoebe with a smile.

"I love you, Phoebe," said Hal. Reaching down, he lifted her chin up so that he could kiss her. She turned around so that she might embrace him and pressed her mouth more deeply as she did. He softly groaned and she knew that he was responding to her gesture. She molded her body into his so that she could feel it. His kisses intensified and she could feel him kneading her back with his hands as they moved lower.

As he stirred her, she began to breathe more deeply. Occasionally a small gasp would escape from her. Then she felt his hands in hair as he gently stroked it and his kisses grew less intense. When they were both still, she rested comfortably in his arms. She felt safe in his strength.

"I love you, Professor Harold Everett," she said quietly.

"I love you, Miss Phoebe Figalilly," he answered, also quietly.

She tilted back her head to look into his eyes, her own were luminous in the starlight. He felt himself smiling.

"What?" she asked.

"Do all Figalillys have those beautiful blue eyes?" he asked.

"I never thought about, but I guess we do have blue eyes," she answered somewhat puzzled. "Why?"

"I don't know, I guess I have always liked blue eyes best," he said and began to kiss her again. She couldn't exactly be sure of what he meant, but it didn't really. So focused was she on the physical sensations pulsing through her body that she did not see the thoughts in his mind of children born with blue eyes like their mother.

He knew in his heart that Aunt Justine was wrong to think that as his wife she could not soar. He alone could set her free to soar into the world of motherhood. He would prove to all the Figalillys that his love, rather than bind her to earth, would set her free to discover that bit of heaven that each child brings her mother when she looks into her eyes for the first time. For there is no surer moment in which heaven meets earth, than when God sends a little angel to bless her family with her birth. He might not have the Figalilly prescience or foresight, but he knew in his heart, that some day he would take his Phoebe there. In this case, fate and faith were not very far apart. But then in life, how often are they really?

The End