Buzz buzz
Stupid phone I mutter it's way too early for it to be going off.
"Yawn Who is it?" My lover asks
"It's from David's burner." With that realization we're both awake
"It's Julius protocol"
"get dressed" she exclaims as she practically leaps off our bed "and I can jump us there in minutes."
"Hang on" I say also trying not to act rashly "David isn't in the loop for Julius protocol. So JeJ must have told him and they didn't include an emergency protocol. So let's take a breath and see if we need to go there or if they can come to us." Anticipating her argument, "remember only the girls and David know you can jump the lines. That's been a huge advantage for us, without a clear emergency, we should keep it that way. You know David loves Kist like he's his own he'll protect our son with his dying breath."
"True, Fine" she says in a huff,
So I lean over kiss her and say "I'm worried about him too."
"I know you are." She says slightly mollified
I quickly type out
come to you? or you come here?
to which I get come there
"Ok he's says he can come to us. Where should we meet him?" I ask
"Here?" My beloved asks
"Hmmm, No we need somewhere away from ALL prying eyes and ears Magical, technological or otherwise."
"The Crypt" we both say a moment later
"But he doesn't know about the Crypt. Ok we need to tell him where to meet us but in a way that only he would know what it means." I say
"It is where he received the Focus, so tell him it's where I cursed him." She says
"Sigh, you know HE doesn't think of it that way."
"I know, it's just…"
"Just that you wish you could go through life without having to involve our friends in anything that might get them hurt."
"you know me so me, my love" Rachel say warmly
"And you me" I respond sultry "but we need to get back to the matter at hand. So how about this…"
Where you received your gift
"I think that'll work"
"Eta is approx. 3 hours, so that should put them back here around 10 and 11."
"Ok do you thing we should have Sen and Nixie pull doppelganger duty or just use my Bueller spell?"
"Your Bueller spell should be fine, besides Dad and Erica gotten are used to having pixies in the house when we're here, so their absence would be noticed."
"You know we are going to have to tell them about this at some point?"
"We can discuss this once we're in the Crypt."
"Fine. We'd best get ready then."
I love traveling the lines with my Dear Heart because for an instant we're one, one heart, one mind, one soul, it's almost as nice as when we share blood.
About half an hour later with both dressed in our working leathers and ready to go. Our arms go about each other's waist and in the blink of an eye we're standing in front of the weeping angel on ole casper's grave and surrounded by a veritable wall of pixies.
"Don't move you lunkers!" "What are you doing in our graveyard?" "Who sent you?" "Someone get, Jenks" "What's the password?" "There is no password dolt" on and on the questions when right over the top of each other, 'I'm getting a migraine' I think
"JENKS!" Rachel bellows
"Tink's little red panties what the heck is going on here?" our old partner ask
And of course it seems like every pixie tries to answer him at the exact same time. So I take a very deep breath and putting both forefingers in my mouth and let out a whistle load and long. This surprises the bugs enough to make them shut up long enough for Jenks to make his way through.
"Rache!, Ivy!" He exclaims once he makes his way through the wall of pixies "I haven't seen you two in weeks!" He pauses and asks "Are y'all hot?"
"No, Jenks" I answer
Rachel of course says with a grin "Oh yeah have you ever seen a hotter couple than us, Jenks?" Then proceeds to cock her hip suggestively and winks, which has half the pixies laughing so hard that a few of them drop a couple feet before catching themselves.
"That's my girls!" Jenks says laughingly "So what brings y'all by, looking for new recruits?"
"Not yet Sen and Nixie are working out great. Let's talk inside it's about Julius" I say
"Alright everyone get back to it, Jacki go tell your papa that Rache and Ivy are home."
'Home' yes this will probably always be 'home' for us no matter how much it's changed
"Yes, g-pa" the cute little dark haired pixie girls says.
"G-pa?" Rachel asks
"Yeah, she's one of Jumoke's kids." Jenks proclaims proudly
As we walk through the graveyard and up to the spelled glass green house (that now encloses the witch's garden behind our old church) it still hits me just how much this place has changed since last lived here. It's almost like it's not the same place anymore, but as Rachel always reminds me as long as we're together we're home.
When I step inside, I'm still amazed how Matalina's Place (as we come to call the greenhouse) exudes serenity, even though the one at Tamwood Estate is bigger, the scents, the sounds, the very essence of this place never fails to have a soothing effect on me. Since we have a little time we sit and exchange pleasantries with Jumoke and his family catching up on all the latest gossip. Seeing the pixie children playing makes Rachel and I a little wistful of those wonderful years we had together here in our church. Winona, eventually comes out with a couple cups of coffee for us and we all have a pleasant chat to pass the time until David gets here with Kisten. It's so nice just to sit and chat with friends no politics, no crisis, no agenda just sit and talk about normal life. So much so that we lose track of time and next thing I know my phone vibrates
Here. Next Door
I quickly type out K wait will send instruction
I look over at Rachel and eyes meet and I give an almost imperceptible nod.
With that silent agreement Rachel takes point, since the church is basically her workshop now.
"We hate to cut this short, because it's been really great catching up with you all and it's so rare we get a chance to do that these days." Rachel said mournfully "But we did come here to take care of some business."
"Jenks, Winona would you please join us inside?" Rachel inquires
"sure" they both say
"Jumoke, would you keep everyone else out of the church until we're done?" Rachel asks
"Roger wilco Rache" the dark haired pixie says
Once we're inside Rachel closes and seals the door with a whisper and just that fast all sound from outside is cut off. I turn to the keypad next to the door and set the alarm for the doors and windows. Ever since Rachel killed Cormell and we Tamwoods took over Cincinnati, we've been mixing magic and technology for security. I still find it amazing how so many people assume they're going to deal with only magical or technological security rarely both and even rarer mixed together.
Rachel turns to Winona and says "I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger stuff but.."
"No problem, you told me when I asked you teach me magic that there would be times like this" Winona says interrupting
"Thanks, we're going downstairs please stay up here and make sure no one disturbs up" Rachel says
We repeat the process several more times to open the doors until we're in the little security office in the basement.
"ok I'm going to pull up the aura-cam video and see what we got. Computer shows three aura's a pixie and two were's?" I stated confused "Pixie is 98.3% match for JeJ, Adult human form were is 97.9% match for David and the juvenile were in wolf form is 95.1% match for Kisten? What the hell?" I exclaim I turn to Rachel with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm as stunned as you, my love. The same terrible thought is running through my head as well. But as you are always telling me, we can't jump to conclusion without all the facts. I suggest we let them in and then we'll be able to better tell."
"You're right we'll let them come all the way to the door and then hit them with sleepy time gas. Sound good to both of you?" I asked
"Yes" they both answered
With a plan decided on, I type out a quick text to David's phone
Enter code, use tunnel, enter code again
About about an hour later after we've checked them out thoroughly for any compulsions magical or otherwise and Rachel has checked Kisten for anything that might explain his were'ing.
"Anything?" I ask nervously
"No, I don't sense anything spells or curses on him. I can sense his natural vampire magics, along with his witch magic, which I still don't understand and natural were magic."
"Natural were magic?"
"Yes, it feels very much like every other were's magic, not like Serena and Kally."
"And you've never had any indication of this were magic in him before?"
She just looks at me and tries to my eyebrow raise but even after all these years she still can't pull it off. It never fails to bring a smile to my face every time she tries though.
"sorry, stupid question" I say a little sheepishly
of course she hasn't. she would have told me if she had. That the cornerstone of our relationship 'no secrets, no matter what'
"With his ability to use magic and now this were'ing, I'm starting to wonder if I didn't subconsciously cursed him in my womb." she says glumly
"Is that even possible?"
"I have no idea. I've used my magic instinctively before but that was just pure line energy not a complex spell."
"Is there anyone we can ask?"
"Not really Newt is/was the only female demon around but I'm not to keen on summoning her to ask. But for Kisten I will." she says with a shudder
"Well why don't we ask Winona to see if she can find anything in the library first?" I suggest, also not wanting to get Newt involved
"I like that idea much better. So what's next o' mistress of planning?"
"hmmm, what do you think, Jenks? You've been awfully quite through all of this."
"That's because it's not my place to tell y'all what to do about your son. Y'all know I love Kist like he's one of my own. But he is your all's son, so you two have to make the decision that you think are best for him. But if your asking what we should do next, I'd say we talk to each of them separately with your lie-detector amulet out."
"Dont you think, we're going a little overboard with all this don't you think, beloved?" Rachel ask
"Probably but where Kisten is concerned, I'm perfectly prepared to go a little crazy and then beg forgiveness afterward if needed."
with a soft chuckle she says "yeah, me too. I just don't like to think about what I'm willing to do to protect you all, It scares me."
Pulling her into a tight embrace, I lean down letting my lips find hers and kissing her gently yet passionately. I try and show her in this one kiss all my own worry for our son, my worries that we'll hurt our friends in our desire to protect him, my endless love of her, of our life together, my admiration of her, my knowledge that together we can survive anything. After that kiss we're both a little breathless. But know we have to still have lots to do I ask
"Ready?"
"Yes"