June 10, Summer, year 36

One of these days I'm going to remember that there's grudges from the previous Goddess festival to work out…

To say that all of them were covered in tomato guts would have been optimistic, Claire knew full well. It was more like they were all plastered in it.

Having been given the option to go or stay, she had chosen the latter and had taken the time to get herself a dreamless period of sleep, as well as finish two of the four dresses, Lauren's and Alicia's.

"So, who started the war this time?"

Lauren and Jamie immediately pointed to the younger twins, who were glaring at each other. Claire sighed in resignation.

"Hose," she pointed sternly to the opposite side of the house. "There is no way you all are going to get tomato guts on the floor."

Not even Skye was exempt from that comment, and the silver-haired man just shook his head ruefully.

"I did try to make them stop," he said mock-meekly at the stern pointing finger of his wife.

"Of that I have no doubt," her voice was dry enough that the grass should have caught fire by proximity alone. "Hose husband of mine, while I figure out who I should let in the bath first."

-several hours earlier-

"You sure you want to stay?" Skye asked, lightly touching Claire's cheek.

"Quite. I can use the empty house to my best advantage," and her smile couldn't hide the dark circles that were starting to make themselves known under her eyes. "Just don't let them drown in tomatoes, alright?"

"Da-ad! Hurry up!"

"Go on now," Claire laughed. "Before they try to ride off without you."

He gave her a brief, gentle kiss and did as commanded, raising an eyebrow at Jamie, who had been the one complaining.

"We'll get there with plenty of time to spare," he chuckled, swinging up onto Midnight's back.

"What about Mommy?" Meredith asked, mismatched eyes looking around for the blonde, then up at her father.

"Mommy's staying in today kitten," Skye replied nudging the horse into a walk. "She needs a bit of sleep, and time to herself."

The four-year-old seemed to think about this, then pouted. But she didn't, thankfully, start crying for her mother.

"I wonder if Mom's okay," Lauren murmured softly, trying not to let her father overhear. "She's been acting funny recently, like something's after her or… I dunno…"

Mirei looked up at her sister, and shrugged.

"Momma's just sleepy," the nine-year-old replied. "She gets lots done and not lots of sleep…"

"Mom gets plenty of sleep," Jamie protested, his voice as low as his twin's. "I agree with Lauren, something's wrong with her."

"Maybe we should see if we can't get her to Doc Hardy's?" said twin sighed softly. "Though getting Mom to admit she's not okay is like pulling teeth."

Alan and Mirei both shuddered. Neither of them were fond of the dentist that they had to visit in the city, and any analogies to teeth pulling unnerved the younger pair.

"Dad could do it," Jamie nodded. "But again it's making Mom admit she's not feeling okay that's the hard part."

"Maybe we can ask Auntie Jill?" Alan piped up suddenly, making his older siblings jump. "She might know what's wrong with Momma…"

They didn't get the chance to ask, as they were shooed along to the festival shortly after arriving. Skye however, had heard their conversation, and did.

"Maybe she's just having some bad dreams," Jill suggested. "When we were kids she'd have these really vivid scary dreams that usually ended up waking the whole house."

"But every night?" Skye ran a hand through his hair. "And she won't admit to it either, it's worrying me."

"You've asked her then?"

"Several times…" Sea-green eyes narrowed in frustration. "But she always changes the subject no matter what I say."

"You're probably just going to have to keep at it," Jill suggested gently. Reaching out to pat his hand. "It's Claire, she's stubborn…"

"Tell me something I don't know," the former thief muttered.

The purple-eyed woman laughed, and gave Skye a gentle push.

"Better get to the festival before the kids get all tomatoed up," she joked. "There's a huge batch of them this year, so the free-for-all ought to be hilarious."

The contest hadn't even technically started, but the free-for-all certainly had. Boys against girls, and the girls appeared to be winning. Even Meredith was throwing tomato remains… Skye had to duck quickly to keep from getting hit himself, put two fingers in his mouth and blew a sharp whistle.

His kids stopped instantly, and found things to hide behind. The rest of them took twenty minutes to realize that there was an adult there, at which point Skye had been hit with several pieces of tomato.

There was silence for a long moment as other parents started to filter down, expecting to see the kids teaming up. An already gunky Square was not part of that equation.

It was almost funny, Lauren winced, to see all the differing parental expressions of disapproval.

"I guess they got a headstart on us," Ann sighed. "You know, just once, I'd like to come to a tomato festival and not have the place already be a complete disaster…"

Which pretty much meant that once the actual competition was over, they would all be mopping up the tomato remains. Fred started to point towards Alan, ready to pin the blame, but Cassidy kicked his ankle, hard, in the way of a sibling, and the boy fell silent.

"Might as well pass over the actual competition all-together," Karen snorted. "What the heck, they're kids."

And before Ann could reply, the green eyed cousin to Claire and Jill scooped up some tomato remains and tossed them at the redhead.

And the war began.

Claire, once she heard the full story, laughed until she cried. Skye tried to look miffed, but in the end her laughter was too infectious, and he joined in.

"Oh Goddess," Claire wiped her streaming blue eyes, and tried desperately to catch her breath. "Only Karen…"

"To be fair, it was Alan who launched the first tomato," Skye chuckled.

"Eh, it's a tomato tossing festival," Claire's eyes glittered with suppressed mirth. "And I take it there were feuds from the Goddess festival left un-revenged upon?"

"Many," and Skye tossed one arm up expansively. "And all of them apparently got resolved in one afternoon of 'Death By Tomato.'

More giggles, muffled by a handy pillow that Claire was apparently trying to eat. Skye raised an eyebrow, almost comically.

"I don't think cotton fiber is edible love," he teased.

Then he ducked as the pillow was thrown in his direction

At least we won't have to worry about anything like that until next year again. Jeez!