Author's Note:This chapter really does add to the plot per se, but it also shows how the relationships between the characters has developed which is just as good in my opinion. X3 Please enjoy!

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Chapter 26: Togetherness

"No, no... you're stirring it too fast, Claire," Kai scolded me while guiding my hands from behind. I felt my cheeks warm because of the rather intimate position, and sensing my discomfort, I heard him chuckle to himself. "Come on... I'm not that scary, am I?" he teased which only made my blush deepen. I wasn't so sure of that, but I didn't say as much. It was strange enough having him back in the house we used to share after all these years...

"Kai, what the hell do you think you're doing to her?" a firm voice demanded directly over his shoulder. Both of us jumped in surprise, and the man who'd been standing so close to me flew back before he stumbled over. I spun on my heel to see Rick supporting him with his arms hooked with the other's. I almost laughed to see Kai's bewildered expression when he gazed up at the man who'd kept him from slamming into the floor next to his brace, but I felt that neither of them would find it as humorous as I did.

"She asked me to help her with a recipe," he explained weakly, trying to lift himself up. However, he nearly fell again until Rick steadied him and handed him his crutch. He accepted it begrudgingly, but he forced a grateful smile all the same. "Thanks..."

"Well, I don't think she needed you hovering over her like that," the poultry farmer argued. Although his face was firm, I could tell he was smug about his current role, and there was a confident smile tugging at his chapped lips. I had come to accept there would always be a rivalry between the two men, but at least it was friendly in nature now. Still, I couldn't help wondering if it was just a show to reassure me all was well...

"Hey, it's not my fault that doesn't know how to mix properly," Kai countered with a laugh. I shot him a stern glare which shut him up rather quickly. Even so, I couldn't keep myself from grinning shortly after.

"I was doing just fine," I replied, turning back to my task. I wouldn't give him the gratification of knowing he was right, but I did begin to stir a bit more slowly. The truth was that Kai had been very helpful... After all, I might finally be able to make that damn souffle I'd been hoping to perfect.

"There's quite a crowd showing up here tonight, right?" he asked, hobbling over to the other side of the counter facing me with Rick in close pursuit. My companion seemed determined to keep an eye on the unwanted man who'd come into his home, but as long as he was courteous, I wasn't going to say anything on the matter. The whole situation would've been unusual elsewhere, yet it actually made some sort of sense to me. I suppose I was accustomed to it by now because it had always been this way from the beginning. Their personal conflict was just something I expected of them.

"Let's see..." I began while trying to mull it over. "Lance went to go get Opal and her family, and I invited Karen and her folks over as well..."

"Don't forget my sister's bringing Carter, too," Rick reminded me. We both glanced over to see Kai's reaction to this revelation. However, he was seemingly unfazed, or he simply didn't understand what we were trying to imply. I didn't have a chance to explain it to him, though, because the door flew open, letting in the winter's chill.

"Oh, looks like Lance is back," I observed as I handed off the mixing bowl to Kai and his capable hands, so I could scurry over to welcome my visitors. Although I knew it was a huge undertaking, I was more than happy to accommodate a house filled with guests. It certainly warmed my heart to see them all in one place for the first time. "Come on in!" I called making my way to bring them in from the cold.

"Good to see you, too, Claire," Anna greeted me, thrusting a few cake pans into my arms. I gasped at the rather sudden weight, but Rick was soon there to ease my unexpected burden. "Lance had told me you weren't sure if you'd have enough time to bake, so I made some goodies..." Even though her entry was a bit rough, she made the best desserts in town. I knew she wasn't trying to cause a scene anyway, so because she was always brisk with me, I was able to brush her rude behavior aside with a smile.

Basil followed his wife inside, and unsurprisingly, he went straight for my humble bookshelf, no doubt hoping to find a farming text to occupy his time. I felt a bit sorry for the man since he was the one that would be most out of place in the whole gathering. Since I knew Jeff was coming as well, I knew both men would be feeling a bit awkward, but I wasn't sure how I could've entertained them. I could only hope that they might be able to keep themselves amused until their wives let them return home for the evening...

"Oh, Claire, I'm sorry about Mother..." Mary apologized as she came into the doorway arm and arm with her ever disgruntled husband. While she continued to excuse the older woman's behavior, the gruff blacksmith made his way over to the kitchen, and his old roommate immediately began talking excitably with him. Gray might have rolled his eyes during Kai's monologue, but he couldn't hide the subtle smile he wore. I had to grin as well since he was probably one of the very few who missed the traveller. I didn't know any of the details, yet from the way they seemed to pick up a conversation so effortlessly, mostly on the rogue's part, they made it clear that the two were rather close.

"Mary, it's really alright," I assured the meek librarian, chuckling to myself. Her cheeks were brushed with scarlet, and I sympathized with the poor woman. She couldn't do anything about her gossip of a mother which must have caused her a lot of trouble at times. Even Opal had to deal with the drama of the town from the lips of her grandmother although I hoped she hadn't heard much of my broken past. Just as I thought on this, I realized something was amiss. "Where are the kids?" I asked.

"Well," she replied, glancing over her shoulder, "they were right behind us..." I sighed and shook my head in defeat. I could only imagine where they could've run off to, and it didn't take much thought to consider what they were up to at the moment. Still, I decided I'd give the pair the benefit of the doubt since I was confident Opal at least would ensure I wouldn't become a grandmother any time soon.

"For Goddess' sake, girls, the those two are old enough to take care of themselves by now," a new voice offered, and I glanced up to see Karen with a couple bottles in hand. I took the wine graciously from her before the raven-haired woman and I stepped back to let her and her mother inside as well. Once she saw Rick standing and talking with the other men, she excused herself, "I better get over to the kitchen since Goddess knows we shouldn't have the boys cook..."

The librarian and I exchanged worried glances as the headstrong woman headed off to what would surely become a culinary disaster, and Sasha quickly followed in hot pursuit of her daughter to try and prevent tragedy. However, soon enough we were giggle between ourselves while we came to sit beside Basil to offer the poor man some company.

Given how animated things had begun, I could only wonder what would become of our Starry Night holiday...

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Finally, once everyone had seated themselves for dinner, and the evening's festivities got under way. I was honestly just surprised that I could fit the whole lot in my home, let alone the small table that we'd arranged ourselves around. Oddly enough, Kai was seated across from Rick who was at my side, and I nervously glanced over towards the poultry farmer to see he was already eyeing his opponent. I gave him a swift kick under the table to keep him in line which made him wince, and he glared at me while he mouthed the words, "What was that for?" I simply whispered in his ear that I wasn't going to let him try and spoil a good time because he happened to have a problem with one of my guests.

"Is everything alright?" Opal asked quietly from where she sat beside my son who was next to his father. Lance gave us a curious look, but I simply smiled pleasantly over at him.

"Nothing at all," I replied a little to sweetly. I heard Kai stifle a chuckle although Rick just rolled his eyes with a slight grin, and the matter seemed to have been put at rest for at least for a while. Even so, I felt the eyes at the very end of the table where Sasha and Anna were busy chatting away as their husbands tried to make small talk, and I could only assume that they were discussing me and the most recent episode of drama in my life. Would it really be all that surprising by this point?

"Mom, you're being rude," Mary scolded, nervously toying with the napkin in her lap. She looked to Gray for support, but he was well accustomed to his mother-in-law's antics which left him rather numb to them. Their daughter was also a bit subdued concerning the whole matter, but she still snuck a few uncertain glances towards her grandmother. My end of the table was rather indifferent as well since we'd dealt with it all before, and there wasn't anything the gossips could possibly say that could phase us by now. "Can't you save the rumors for the Square?" the librarian pleaded.

"Oh, come now, dear," Anna scoffed with a huff. Then with a sly smile, she continued in her usual, breezy manner, "Well, if you're so curious about what we're talking about, I'll be sure to tell you." Everyone visibly began to squirm in their seats uncomfortably while we waited for her to start laying out our secrets for everyone present to know. "We were just wondering when you and Popuri were going to get married, Father Carter..."

Suddenly, I heard Kai nearly choke across from me in surprise before his head whipped around to get a good look at the flustered reverend, and Rick almost began to laugh seeing his rival's reaction upon hearing the news. I had forgotten how the traveller was unaware of the relationship between the pastor and his former sweetheart... He didn't say a word, though, after he got over the initial shock, and he waited to hear the reply like the rest of us.

"Um... we haven't really discussed the matter," Carter confessed with a slight cough. I could only imagine how he must've felt being under the scrutiny of the gaze of everyone in the room, but there was nothing I could do to help him. However, while her partner wasn't too keen on revealing the details of their relationship, Popuri seemed more than willing to take care of the situation on her own.

"Yes, we have," she corrected him, spinning a pink curl around her finger as she bit her lip in deep thought. "There's a bit of a problem with the whole thing... You see, we can't really get married because he's a member of the clergy." We all nodded in understanding since someone who devotes themselves to the Harvest Goddess seemed to be unable to marry. That may have been the case, yet a part of me had to question their relationship on a whole. Even so, she finished with an impressive conviction as she made her point clear, "But that doesn't mean we're not going to stay together!"

Although she still had her rather childish appearance, right then there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Popuri was a woman who was just as emotionally strong as her mother had been. Clearly it didn't matter to her that she could never belong to the man of her dreams in the traditional sense because she felt their love could withstand the test of time without a blue feather between them or a ring on her finger. Even without those things, they still shared a bond, and I had to admire her for being satisfied with what she had been given instead of what she could've had.

"Then how about you two?" Anna asked, directing her previous question towards Rick and I. We exchanged uncertain glances, but soon enough I felt his large, warm hand envelop my own which put me immediately at ease. It was a short lived sense of peace, though, since it seemed the woman wanted to squeeze little bit more information from us, from me inparticular... "After all, you and Kai have divorced, haven't you?"

Now it was my turn to choke on my tongue in response, and my chest tightened uncomfortably while I tried to think on what I could possibly say on the matter. I certainly didn't what to cause a scene, but I was more worried about hurting the feelings of the man who sat across from me. Although I first looked to my ex-husband, I realized it was Lance that seemed to be the most hurt by her probing. He hung his head and sighed heavily, excusing himself from the table before he headed out without even pausing to dress himself for the winter's chill. Opal rose as well and followed him shortly thereafter, grabbing both of their coats, and a heavy silence fell over the table once the door closed behind them. I could hear Sasha scolding the other woman for going too far as Mary apologized to me over and over for her mother's insensitivity, but I kept myself protectively numb to everything. Only Rick's reassuring hold of my hand steadied me, keeping me from beginning to shake again.

Kai was kind enough to be the one to address the question in his naturally calm manner, saving me the trouble of offering a reply. "Well, we both agreed it was for the best," he explained without any sense of hesitation, "so what they decide to do now isn't really my business." Finished giving his two cents worth, he promptly returned to what was left of his meal, and I actually sighed in relief. However, I was still concerned for my son who'd left the room, clearly distraught...

"Don't worry," Rick consoled me, starting to stand. "I'll-"

"I can go find the boy," the other insisted, scooting back his chair. The two rivals stared into one another's eyes, and after they had come to some sort of understanding, the traveller was allowed to go off in pursuit of the couple. Though I could tell the poultry farmer was about to protest further, he relented and sat back down next to me. I was actually quite confident in Kai's ability to comfort his son in what would prove to be a difficult time for the young man, so I didn't feel the need to join him. Besides, I would have my own chance to talk with my child once everyone else had gone. I wasn't sure if I could really give an explanation for what had happened between his father and I, but I knew I had to at least try to make some sense of it all.

"So, now that he's out of the room," Anna continued which caused even her husband to groan in disapproval, "how about you tell us what you've decided." How the woman remained so persistant, I don't think I'll ever know for certain.

Yet again, I was rescued from the fate of having to answer her as Rick offered up himself in my defense. "There's really no reason to is there?" he asked in an even tone. I gazed up at him in wonder since I was sure he had wanted to make me his own, but he merely smiled down at me tenderly. "Unless you'd like to, of course..."

"Well, I..." I began with uncertainty. Really, I didn't know what I wanted because I'd shared so much of my life with him already, and it seemed to be a moot point in our relationship. He had been with me for sixteen years without us being formally married, so why was it necessary for us to be wed now of all times? After I first began to realize how he loved me, I had let him come to live in my home, and we'd even raised a child together. What would a wedding band mean to us? "I don't think... I don't think it's something that we're looking into at the moment," I replied at last.

"Do you still have feelings for Kai then?" It was Sasha who spoke this time although by the gentleness in voice led me to believe she meant no harm. In a way, I actually felt as though she was speaking on Lillia's behalf. As a mother myself, I could understand her concern that I might be harboring feelings for another man, and I had often asked myself whether or not this was the case. However, after dealing with what I had during the past, I was certain that there was nothing left between the traveller and myself. At least not in my mind although I knew all to well he still loved me. He'd said so himself not too long ago...

"No," I assured the entire group confidently. "He's a good man, but I know he's not the man for me..." I turned to face Rick before giving him a light kiss on the lips. Our guests chuckled to themselves at his embrassment, and I smiled as well to see the brush of scarlet that dashed across his cheeks. I could even see his lenses fog a little. He really could be so sweet at times, but more than that, he was sincere without having to rely on words alone.

While some rely on charm and others on wits, Rick was the kind of man who could put my mind at ease with just his humble presence. From the beginning, he cared for me like no one else ever could, and he did it all without asking for a single thing in return. I never felt pressured to be grateful to him while he continued to lift my burdens one by one, and I found myself falling in love with him over time. When he held me close and rested his head on my own or on my shoulder, the world always seemed to become a more peaceful place. He wouldn't waste a single word or action on me, so I knew he truly believed in everything he said or did to assure me of his love. He was the genuine article of what I needed in the one I chose to share my life with...

And that was more than enough for me.

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Author's Note: I feel like that last paragraph didn't flow as nicely as I'd hoped, but I think it says it all really.

Before I go, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, there's always something to be thankful for, and I know that I'm certainly grateful to my readers. So thank you all! :)