I want to thank Maggie for letting me add a couple of lines in TGIF to make this story work better, and for her work in making my Maggie fit her vision. And Heather Rose for rewriting her sections in her own language. The story is mine, with their help and a lot of help from shalimar, to whose online family we belong, and for her invention of Little Kids Kamp.

By
Holly H Hart

Copyright 2007 by Holly Happy Hart

I strongly encourage you to read Maggie the Kitten’s TGIF http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/story/3592/tgif, as this is an authorized direct sequel.

Permission to post to other sites is not explicitly granted. Please request permission via private message via Big Closet / Top shelf site

 

( Friday, July 1st )

 

Holly

Before the echoes of my “TGIF! Thank Goodness It’s Friday!” had died away, Shelly asked me, “Are you going to take your little girl home tonight, or stay here?”

“Do you have room?”

“Now who’s being a silly girl? Of course there is room. There’s always room for one, two, or even more. Besides, Allyson has already offered to sleep on an air mattress in Elsa’s room, so you can have her bed, and Heather Rose can stay with you or Maggie; her choice.”

Her enthusiam didn’t leave me much of an option, not that I minded staying. “It’s a good thing I always leave enough dry food and water down for my cats, so they can survive on their own for a few days.. You’re on! … Uh, this is a three-day weekend. Are you inviting us for longer than just overnight?”

“After over two years, you’re still that new to the family, Holly? Of course. The guys have been planning Monday’s 4th of July barbecue for months. If you hadn’t asked for a Gathering, you would have had an invite for the weekend, in any case. Bringing Heather Rose into the family only made it a better weekend.

And you’re always welcome to come whenever you can, and stay as long as you can . . . forever, for that matter. You can always magic the back door open, sis. We’ll all be hurt if you don’t stay. After all, it’s three hours earlier here than it is in California. You’ll be home in plenty of time for your stuffy old bank job. When are you going to quit it and come to work for the family firm?”

I ignored her last jab. After all, it was this family and their connections that had gotten me the job, and given me the small bank. Being the owner of the bank made it possible to grease the wheels of family projects. But I’m a California girl, always have been. Well, at least since I became a real girl, and for most of my life before that, when I was only a girl on the inside, looking out.

“I don’t know about you, but even though we closed at three, that was six here; and it’s what, after nine, now? I’ll bet we have some kids with real rumblies in their tumblies.”

“And some guys,” Prue interjected, “Not to mention that I could use some breakfast. It’s closing in on noon tomorrow back home.”

Just then Shelly’s hubby stuck his head in the door, “Can we eat now? We’re Staaarviiiing.”

“I guess that settles it,” Shelly said, capitulating. “Let’s get the food on the table before the hot stuff gets colder, or the cold stuff gets hotter. Holly, you want to stick your head out and call the kids in? As a new Auntie-Mommy you need practice in making sure the kids wash their hands, faces and behind their ears.”

“No I don’t. Heather Rose is fastidiously clean.” I lifted my head and looked down my nose at her through the bottom of the glasses I don’t really need, before I turned and headed for the back door.

“Kids, time to come in and wash up so you can eat!” I yelled, stepping aside so I wouldn’t be crushed in the stampede.

It was close to eleven, local time, before we got most of the kids off to bed. The adults, at least those that were from the Eastern time zone were ready for bed, too. In another hour, it would be my bedtime at home, for that matter.

Heather Rose had enthusiastically accepted the offer of sleeping with the Kitten, as Maggie is often called.

But for Prue it was still early afternoon, and I wanted to take some time to get to know my Kiwi sister a bit better. I had just started talking to her when we were briefly interrupted, but it was for a good reason, as Heather Rose came out to ask, “Mom, could you tuck me and Maggie in?”

I excused myself to Prue to do as my new full-time charge had requested. When I came back, I could hardly see to walk through the joyful tears.

Prue spotted my problem and gave me a hug before leading me back to my chair. “It’s a wonderful thing you have done for her, Holly; and I think it will be as good for you as it is for her.

We chatted for quite a while before I excused myself and followed a trail of tiny fairy lights Alysson had left to guide me to her room, watching each extinguish as I approached it. I was touched when I saw that she had turned down the bed, and laid one of her nighties out for me. I didn’t even hesitate when I saw that it was a Power Puff Girls sleep shirt, with “Girlz Rule!” obviously added by Alysson.

I fell asleep with a tremendous smile on my face, happy that all of my worry that my sisters would reject Heather Rose had turned out to be totally unfounded.

~~~~~

( Saturday, July 2nd )

I’m not usually a deep sleeper, but my relief and happiness made me one.

I was awakened by a shouted “POUNCE HUG!” with my heart beating about a thousand times a second, either that, or it had stopped. As I focused my eyes, I saw Heather Rose had grabbed Maggie just before she landed on me, and the Kitten was struggling to get away.

As my heart rate went back to normal, My daughter dropped Maggie the last two inches to the floor, and pounce hugged me herself, but gently. What a joy to think of her as my daughter.

After a lot of hugging and loving, I excused myself and went down the hall. When I came back, both little angels had gone back to sleep. Since the sun had barely risen and no sounds of life came from the rest of the house, I crawled under in and joined them. Heather didn’t even grumble when I rolled her over to make room.

Shelly’s soundproof bedrooms kept me from hearing the other family members get up and leave for work at the park. The next time I woke it was almost 9:30, and I decided to get Kitten and Heather Rose up and dressed. I found out later that Maggie and Heather Rose hadn’t mentioned that Baruchah had sneaked into their bed, and they’d left her there when they joined me. Luckily, Shelly had found her, got her up, and had taken Baru with her.

Once we got Maggie half awake, she opened her eyes, looking at things as if unsure why she was in Alysson’s room when Alysson wasn’t there. Then she popped to full wakefulness in a flash and smiled, “Auntie Holly?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Fanksforbwingin’HeaderRosetobemycuzn,I’m posi … posi … sureherismorehappiernow.” This was our Maggie of more words in one breath than should be possible. But somehow she always seemed to make it possible. ‘Maybe she has one bit of magic that really does work right?’ I asked myself.

I sent the girls off to get dressed, after giggling, “Header, dear. I’ve magically cleaned the clothes you were wearing when we arrived, even removing some grass stains you accumulated playing tag. We’ll have to see about getting you some things for the rest of the weekend later.”

“Okie!” She was smiling ear to ear as she let Magpie drag her back to her room.

We went back to the main part of the house to discover almost everyone was gone. “Mom asked me to stay here to let you in on her plans. I guess she thought that would be easier than writing a long, long note. Easier for her, maybe …” Alysson’s lovely smile told us that she was just teasing. “I’m supposed to take you to the Waffle Chalet for breakfast, so let’s finish getting ready and get going, everyone.”

“Anyway, everyone’s gone to work. This being a summer weekend, and a holiday one to boot, we need as many hands as we can get.”

I raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Do you get extra crowds at Kamp, just because it’s a holiday?”

“No, not at Kamp. But there are a lot of other activities. The theme park, mall, restaurants and such. They’re usually busting at the seams as soon as they open, all three days. It was pretty packed last night, too, but we had higher priority important business here at the house. But, hey, that’s what guys are for, isn’t it?” She smiled at my official niece/daughter. “I’m supposed to talk you into letting Maggie and I join you and Heather Rose in Lady Galadriel and get us all over to the Waffle Chalet for breakfast. I’ll call Jenna and tell her we’re on our way.”

Luckily, with so many kids, there were piles of the best and safest kid’s car seats money can buy, enhanced with loving magic. And Lady Galadriel, had been fitted to handle up to three in back, so she easily accommodated Heather Rose and Maggie in back

I knew how to get to Kamp, or to the mall, but Allyson had to lead us to the Waffle Chalet. When we got there, we found a line several hundred people long waiting to get in. “Follow me,” Alysson told us. We did, right to the front of the line, where the greeter said, “Jenna is waiting for you in room 3, Miss Johnson.”

I heard a couple of angry murmurs at our being let in ahead of so many who’d been standing in line, but heard the greeter telling them, “I realize you have been waiting, folks, but she is one of the owners, and the girls are her daughters and nieces. She is taking them to join their family.”

I hoped that satisfied them, but I was still a bit uncomfortable with it myself.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Heather Rose

 

Forward: If you're wondering about the way I'm talking or how an eight-year-old can write these parts, well...there's a couple answers. One of 'em is in my first life (when I'd been stuck in a boy's body), I'd always been good at reading and writing. Back then I was reading at like a fourth grade level by the time I was eight. I also got help from Auntie-Mommy Holly and some others who fixed up some of the really bad writing.

I also kinda still got a connection to the grown-up part of me. It almost feels like the part of me that I'm gonna be when I get older is kinda watching and helping sometimes. Sometimes it feels like they're talking when I'm having problems explaining some stuff, but mostly they just feel like they're just there and don't really get in the way much.

~~~~~

 

Oh, it felt so wonderful to finally, really, be ME!!!

It felt kinda weird when the light went away and I found I had to look up at all my new aunties. I could hardly believe it. It didn't really start sinking in 'til Maggie came in and I found we was like almost nearly the same size. I really didn't know if I should laugh or faint or cry or what. I dunno if maybe I coulda argued better with Maggie about her giving Darla to me if I wasn't so shocked, but now I don't think I could ever give up my pretty unicorn, and the book she'd colored for me with all the pretty colors is like my most favorite ever!

I hardly remember dinner, except that I needed two phone books to feel comfortable at the table even though it was one of the lower kid’s tables. Maggie and Little Sara (Auntie Rachel’s daughter) was on my right, and little Allie and Baruchah was on my left, and Alysson was across from me as table monitor.

After dinner, me and the other kids played for a little while before we got told it was bedtime. I really wanted to argue. I wasn't tired at all! Well, not really. Okay, maybe a little. Anyways, after we all got our teeth brushed and changed into our jammies (somebody lent me a really pretty 'Winnie the Pooh' nightgown), me and Maggie climbed into her bed, and Auntie Holly -- no, Auntie-Mommy Holly -- tucked us in and kissed us each on our foreheads before wishing us sweet dreams. Then she quietly walked out. I was kinda scared of the dark, until she peeked back in and some fairy lights started twinkling to give me enough light not to be scared anymore.

~~~~~

I kept my eyes closed when I first woke up. There'd been so many mornings I'd wake up wishing I'd be a little girl on the outside like I felt on the inside. Some mornings I'd open my eyes and nearly wanna cry when I realized I was still stuck in the same body I'd gone to sleep in.

I could feel a smile stretching across my face as I thought of the wonderful dream I just had. I'd been magically zapped into the shape I always felt like I aughta be, then I'd been adopted by a huge, wonderful family, and Aunt Holly had become my auntie-mommy.

I spent a long, long time just soaking up all the wonderfulness of the dream. Finally, as much as I hated to break the spell, I decided it was time to open my eyes and face reality.

I didn't recognize the ceiling at all. It wasn’t my room. It wasn't it Aunt Holly’s neither. I stared up at the ceiling for a while and wondered if Miss Hart becoming my aunt had been a dream too. I turned my head when I heard someone was snoring softly and found a lot bigger version of a familiar looking little girl cuddle up beside me. Because she looked so much bigger, it took a second to realize it was Maggie, the little girl I’d seen in the bank ... yesterday?

I felt an elbow in my ribs, turned my head in the other direction, and saw another Maggie! That's when I remembered Maggie had a twin sister. From somewhere deep in the dream that was starting to feel less like a dream, a name floated up: Baruchah!

I pinched myself, hard! It really hurt a lot and I couldn't help wimpering. I tried to keep quiet, but I still wound up waking one of the girls next to me.

“Wha’cha doin’?”

“Pinching myself.”

“Why? Don’t it hurt?”

“I’m trying to find out if I’m dreaming. Are you real, and are ya Maggie or Baruchah?”

“'Course I'm real! An' I'm Baru! Can’cha tell?” she gave me maybe the most evil looking grin that instantly turned into a really cute smile. “I’m t’one they call the ‘imp.”

"Okie, Baru. Ummm ... could ya lemme out so I can go to the lil girl’s room?”

She nodded and slipped outta bed.

Once she helped me find the bathroom, I closed the door, closed my eyes, lifted the soft flannel nightie over my head, and dropped it on the floor.

Even though I felt lots smaller than I'd been for an awful long time, I was still afraid to hope for too much. Eventually, I cracked open one eye and looked down. I had to grab a towel rack when my knees nearly gave out on me. What I expected to see wasn't there, but what I'd always secretly wished for was.

“I'm a lil girl!” I whispered to myself. I looked out the dark bathroom window and silently thanked whoever made my new life, family, and auntie-mommy real.

I did what I had to do, slipped back into the nightie, and went back to Maggie’s room. I later found out it was Baru’s too. I'd also found out Baru had gone to bed with her big sister Alysson, but she'd been at least half asleep after a night-time trip to the bathroom, and had crawled in bed with her sister and me.

 

When I came back into their room, I found Baru standing at the foot of the bed. Seeing me, that evil little grin crossed her face, and she quietly yelled, “Pounce hug!” landing on top of her poor sister.

Maggie’s yelp should have waked anyone within at least a mile. It only took a few seconds before she got over her startle, then grinned and reached up to her sister. “Ticklefess! C’mon, Header Rose!”

Of course I joined her, 'cause Baruchah really did deserve it. For some reason, all the yelling and giggling didn’t bring anyone running. Later on I'd found out from Aunt Shelly that all the children’s bedrooms are sound proofed really good, but they're wired to a magic box that listens for when kids are in hurt or in trouble or something like that.

When we finally settled down, the sun was just peeking over the horizon outside. We were all pretty tired from being up late, so once we'd settled down a bit and snuggled back under the covers, both twins fell asleep pretty fast ... maybe too fast. I couldn't tell for sure if they was really sleeping or just good fakers.

Eventually, I stopped staring at my cousins and decided to go look for Aunt Holly. I stopped as I opened their door and thought about who I was about to go see. She wasn't my Auntie any more, was she? She was my mom. Well, maybe my auntie-mommy. Still the thought gave me a happy, bubbly feeling. I closed the door behind me and wandered down the hall to see if she was awake.

I knew she was three doors down, so I carefully counted them and went into her room. A couple of steps in, I realized I hadn’t closed the door. As I turned to close it, I almost knocked over Maggie.

“Wha’chadoin’? GonnapouncehugMommy?”

“No!” I whispered. "I just wanna see if she's awake.”

“Her not wake.” Maggie grinned almost as good as her sister, darted around me and leaped at my auntie-mommy, yelling, “Pounce Hug!”

I managed to grab her elbow, but she was going too fast and just dragged me behind her. I dunno if it was both of us flopping on the bed or the way Maggie had yelled or something else, but whatever it had been was enough to wake my new mommy.

She woke and sat up with a tiny “Eep!” At first she looked scared, but after a second her face turned to a big smile as she held her arms out to me. I squealed and, without really thinking, pounce-hugged her.

She hugged me back until I could hardly breathe. When she eased off, she asked, “Are you as happy now as you seem to be?”

I smiled, and hugged her as hard as I could, It wasn't nowhere near the hug I’d given her the day before when I was bigger, but I put everything I had into it. “Yes, Mommy-Aunt Holly,” I whispered. When I pulled back, I saw tears come to her eyes.

After lots more hugs she promised me, “I’ll be back for more hugs, dear, but right now I need to make a little trip, ya know?”

I quickly got outta her way and climbed into her bed with Maggie.

We kinda fell asleep again. We musta been like really been sleeping good, 'cause next thing I knew, Auntie-Mommy was trying to wake both of us, and the sun was high in the sky. “Girls, time is flying. I crawled back in with the two of you and suddenly the morning is half over."

She made sure we was dressed nice before we went out looking for everybody else. We was only able to find Alysson, who'd been left to guide us to breakfast.

“I’m supposed to take you to the Waffle Chalet for breakfast, so let’s get the car ready and get going, everyone.”

I was really surprised when we got to the Waffle Chalet and Alysson led us past the front of the line until I heard the hostess lady tell someone that Aunt Holly was one of the owners of the waffle house.

When we got led to the back of the restaurant and though a pair of heavy wooden doors, we wound up in a really big, sunny room packed end to end with my new family. Auntie Jenna stood up in the middle of a long line of tables and greeted us with, “Well hello, sleepyheads. I was about to send out the search parties. Actually, I’m not surprised,” she said as Aunt Holly tried to hide a big yawn. “Those transformations take a lot out of you, and you, Sis, did it twice.”

I thought back to when Auntie Holly had changed to show me how she used to look. The second change was when she changed back to her real self. I started wondering how many others in my new family used to be like her or me, but got changed. Maybe that was why everyone was so cool with me and treated me just like a regular little girl, even when I'd still been in my big body. I prolly shoulda guessed it sooner, but I was pretty stressed out worrying about stuff that seemed kinda silly when ya really think about it.

Auntie Jenna saw the look on my face and said, “Holly give her a hug, fast. I think it is just really starting to sink in. She’s been running on adrenaline, happiness, and love since she got here. Dinner last night didn’t count. Right now, I prescribe a stack of at least three big Danish Waffles, loaded with butter and real maple syrup, mixed with hugs.”

I nearly choked at the idea. Even with a grown-up body, three waffles was a lot. It was a different story when the stack was put in front of me with thick syrup dripping down the sides and gobs of melting butter on. I dunno if it was the way my stomach started rumbling or what, but I kinda forgot my manners then and Auntie-Mommy Holly gently grabbed my hand just before I grabbed for the waffle on top.

At first I was a lil worried I was in trouble 'cause of the way her one eyebrow had popped up, but then I saw the smile in her eyes. She surprised me a little when she started cutting up my waffles, then even more when she popped a piece in my mouth. As I began chewing, she took a bite of food from her own plate.

I started feeling a lot littler after a while. The really young part of me that I used to think of as Rosie came out. I was also feeling like ... smaller, too. At least, I think I was smaller. It was pretty hard to tell since I'd only been little for a while. Maybe I was just imagining it? After a while, I gave up trying to figure it all out and enjoyed breakfast.

By the time breakfast was over, me and my mommy shared almost two plates of waffles, two huge slices of ham, a whole plateful of hash browns, and we had like a giant glass of orange juice, each. Her pieces and forks full were a teensy bit bigger than mine, but I still felt like a balloon that got blown up too big when we was done. I could hardly believe it when I was let out of the booster seat, but somehow I could still walk after all that, but Auntie-Mommy did make me promise not to go swimming for at least an hour.

As we was leaving the Waffle House I tugged my mom’s hand and tried to lead her towards the sign that said Kids Kamp, but Aunt Jenna stopped us. “Before we go there, we’re going to make sure you have everything you need. You need more than that one set of clothes, and I’ll bet you didn’t bring any, did you? … I thought not. And you need a hair brush, and toothbrush … and … and …”

“Aunt Jenna, I already got me a hair brush and a tooth brush." I thought for a minute before I admitted, " I do need some toofpaste, though. ’Sides, if I’d brought more clothes, they would’nt fit no more.”

“Oh, if you had brought them, they would fit. After all, those fit, don’t they? It’s all part of the service. When you get home you will find that all of your old clothes will still fit you now, and they will all look like new, too.”

“Uggh! There's some stuff in that closet I don’t never wanna wear again. I got some grownup things in there, and even some boy things in the back.”

“I’m sure you and Mommy can find someone with a use for them. There are still many boys who wish to be boys, you know.”

“Like Jeffy!’ Maggie piped up.

“Well, as far as we know, Kitten. “He’s a bit young to know yet, dear.” Jeffrey is one year old,” Alysson informed us, as she steered us towards a moving sidewalk, which Aunt Jenna told us was called a slidewalk.

The slidewalks are neat! When ya get to them ya get on this platform thingy sitting beside the slidewalk that gots like railings on three sides. When ya grab the front rail,one comes up in back, it waits 'til nobody's going past, then, ZOOM! Ya start moving, and the platform moves over on top of the slidewalk. When it beeps, and ya let go, the front rail slips outta the way. When ya step onto the slidewalk, the platform goes back to the side. If’n ya don’t get off, it moves over and slows down and ya don’t get to go on the slidewalk.

When you’re on it, ya can just stand there, or walk if ya wanna. When ya get almost where ya wanna get off, ya go over to one of these posts on the left side, press a button, and wait for a platform to get in front of ya. Get on it and when it gets to the next place, it moves over, slows down and ya get off. It’s lotsa fun!

 

Mommy and Allyson tried to tell me at almost the same time how fast they went, but one was saying miles and the other kilometers, which kinda confused me. It was lots easier just to know that you're moving lots faster than anyone can run, or even ride a bike.

I spent lotsa time trying to figger out how they got the long middle belt to curve so ya can’t see the other end for the trees, until Auntie Jenna reminded me, “Dear; We’re witches, remember?” I didn’t figure it out what she was talking about for a while, even then.

I didn't really have lotsa time to worry about stuff like that, 'cause before ya knew it we stepped to our right onto another fast belt just before we used another platform to get off down at the shopping area, where it seemed a lotta big East Coast chain stores had a branch. I tugged on Auntie-Mommy Holly’s sleeve. “Mommy, I ain't seen some of them names since I was a little … kid.” Growing up transgendered was pretty confusing, and it was lots easier to say 'kid' instead of trying to pick between boy and girl. “I never seen none of them here in California.”

“But Heather Rose, we aren’t in California anymore.”

For some reason, 'Over the Rainbow' started playing in the back of my head. “But … but …”

She leaned down so she could whisper in my ear. “I’m a witch, dear, I can use magic.”

That was when I realized what Aunt Jenna had told me about the belts. I tried reaching back to my old life to remember where I'd seen all these stores before. "Are we like in ... Penns'vania?"

“No, we’re not in Pennsylvania, but we’re close,” Alysson said. Hearing it in her British accent sounded funny. “You two go get the nuts and bolts. I’ll make sure my new niece doesn’t get a lot of old fuddy duddy clothes,” she said, looking pointedly at her Aunt Holly.

She led me into one store after another, and I almost fainted when I saw all the neat clothes that I could now fit into. “I like that … and that … and those, too,” I told her. She rejected a few as being the wrong color, or not fitting right, but the rest got put in baskets being carried by the clerks following us.

When we left the stores, I realized she hadn’t even bought anything, not even the new clothes I was wearing. At least, that's what I thought. That night when we got back to Auntie Shelly’s there they all were, waiting for us. Before I could ask more than, “How …?" I was told, “We’re Witches, remember?”

Later on I found out the stores were told we were coming ahead of time, and they all know who the family is. If we don’t actually own the stores, we own the buildings the stores are in. The bill for the clothes I'd got would get sent to the family, and they knew where to deliver all my stuff.

Auntie Jenna sat us down on a couple of benches I hadn’t even noticed before she pointed to them. Me and Auntie-Mommy was on one bench, and Alysson and Maggie sat on another to our right. She turned to them. “All right girls, I promised your mom I’d take care of your little problem last night. Everyone has had a chance to cool down, so I think we can work out a solution that will satisfy everyone.”

“Maggie, you did wrong to even go into Alysson’s room. You know that, don’t you?”

“B ... But .. I needs colors not in my cwayons!” Maggie’s lower lip was trembling, and she looked like she was almost ready to cry. I dunno if being a witch means you can read minds, but my mommy wrapped her arm around me and held me tight just as I was planning on getting up to hug my cousin. I kinda realized then maybe it wasn't the time to do that, so I just sat still and listened to Maggie say, “I needsm for Headers pwezzie!”

“Maggie, that still doesn’t mean you can go into Alysson’s room without getting permission. And you cannot go in there and take her things. You know that rule.”

“But I needered ‘em. And I did’n takum. Jus usdem.” I really wanted to stand up and defend Maggie when I saw the determined look on her face, but I knew Auntie Jenna was prolly trying to make a point so I just kept quiet.

Alysson glared down at her little sister. “When you sneak into my room and take my things without asking, that’s stealing. When you break them and I have to chuck the whole lot in the rubbish bin, that’s even worse. Maggie, that kit cost me seventeen pounds forty. That’s two weeks pocket money I got for babysitting, and…I bought that kit on special at Boots, and…Boots is in England, and because of what you did at Christmas it will probably be the 22nd century before we’re allowed back in, so you know what that means Maggie? I can’t get another kit like that one. It’s irreplacable!”

Tears began rolling down Maggie’s cheeks and her body trembled.

Auntie Jenna seemed to know Alysson was hurt, but couldn’t let her yell like that 'til her sister was crying and quickly gave her the look. “Alysson Sylvia Johnson, I think that’s just about enough. Do you still want to have that date tonight?”

Ally's voice quickly softened. “But she ruined my makeup kit Aunt Jenna. How can I go out if I can’t do my face?”

Auntie Jenna had that kinda smile mommies seem to do best. "If you promise not to throw your sister into the boiling soup cauldron, I'll use magic to fix your makeup kit."

“Really Aunt Jenna?” My older cousin smiled. “But she’s has to promise to never touch my make up again.”

 

Auntie Jenna turned to Maggie, who was sniffling and rubbing her eyes. "You hear that, Maggie? You have to promise not to touch Ally's makeup kit again without her helping you. And, Kitten, nooo magic.”

"Awwww…Aunt Jenna, I’m almos gettin bedders at magic.”

Auntie Jenna rolled her eyes and sighed, “I’m sure you are Kitten, but I mean it. No getting into your sisters make up and no more magic without your mommy or one of your aunts watching."

After a long pause, my younger cousin's shoulders slumped, "Otay, I pwomise."

"Good! Now both of you kiss and make up."

Maggie wiped the last of tears away, "I's sowwry Ally. I didn’t no means to makes yor cwayons iwwy…iwwy…iwwypas…iwwypastable."

Alysson giggled at her little sister’s toddlerese and gathered her up, "I know rugrat, you never mean to do anything bad, it just sort of sneaks up on you doesn’t it?”

Maggie nodded and snuggled with her big sister.

“Maggie,” Ally started again softly, “and I’m sorry I got so stroppy with you, but…I’ll make you a deal. If you can forgive your mean old big sister, then when Aunt Jenna fixes my makeup kit, I’ll make you up. How’s that sound rugrat? We got a deal?”

Maggie squealed and wiggled in Alysson’s arms. “Deal!”, she shouted and then sealed it with a kiss on Alysson’s cheek.

I smiled when I realized things really did eventually work out okay in the end and decided it was prolly okay to talk now. "Could ya make me up too, cousin Ally?"

"If you’re still here. Otherwise, next time you come, Heather."

My mommy let go of my shoulders just then, so I slipped off the bench and took a couple of bouncing steps over to Ally and gave her a big hug.

With that outta the way, we got onto another slidewalk that took us to Kids Kamp. When we got there, Auntie Jenna and Alysson sent us on to a kinda big building while they went off someplace else. A pretty girl who was maybe in her late teens looked up and smiled as we walked in the door. “Hi, I’m Janice. May I help you ladies? Do you have an appointment, or would you like to see a counselor?”

My mommy answered for both of us. “We’re just looking.”

The girl looked kinda flustered, but she still smiled when she said, “Feel free to look around, and if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them for you.”

As we looked at the displays in the lobby, I saw a worried frown on her face, and heard her whisper into a phone. I wandered a little closer so I could hear her better. “Hello, Miss Prue? We’ve got a couple of lookie-loos out here. One looks too young for our services, and the other is old enough to maybe even be her grandmother.” I covered my mouth with both hands when I heard that, but the giggles still slipped out, which seemed to fluster her even more.

By the time I'd got the giggles under control, Auntie Prue came out, and spoke loud enough for all of us to hear. “Janice, I rather suspected who it was. This,” she pointed at me, “is my niece, Heather Rose, accompanied by her mother. Holly is one of my sisters, and has been here before, but Heather has never seen the Kamp. I imagine they’re waiting for Jenna. Now don’t be worried, you did exactly the right thing by calling me when you weren’t sure which procedure to use. We can’t cover everything in the training course, and so there’s no procedure to follow when one of the owners, with a guest who’s never seen the place visits, is rare enough we didn’t figure it would happen often enough to a rookie to codify it.”

Turning to us, she said, “This is Janice’s first day, so don’t blame her. Jenna should have phoned ahead.”

“I didn’t, because I wanted to see how my star student handled it when faced with something unexpected. You did great, Janice,” Auntie Jenna said as she came in through a door from a back room. “Prue, do you want to show them the place, or should I?”

“I think you should. Everyone is already expecting me to be on the hot seat today.”

So Auntie Jenna gave me and my mommy the grand tour. First, we saw the suites for the staff and guests. She explained that's where everyone had gone last night, since Auntie Shelly’s house isn’t that big. It seemed like all my aunties had a cabin to use if they spent much time here and usually lived in their places when they here. “Auntie-Mommy Holly, which is yours?”

She looked down and smiled at me. “Since I started working at the bank, I don’t need one here. I use a guest suite if I need to, and have a few things stored in a locker for when I am here. I guess we will need a bigger locker from now on, daughter of mine.”

Her words and smile made me feel all warm all over. I mean, it was July and all, but it was a different kinda warm, if that makes any sense at all.

I was really surprised how much work was involved when Auntie Jenna started telling us about how the Kamp worked. Since most guests were only here for a vacation, they wanted stuff planned for them instead of exploring and finding things on their own. Games (and alternate games) was needed for all ages and boys, girls, and others that didn't like the other two choices. Of course, the mommies, daddies, and other grown ups wanted something to do while their ‘kids’ was having all kindsa fun.

"Most Little Kids are Little Girls, for some reason, but there are also Little Boys, who grew up being told they were girls,” Auntie-Mommy Holly explained. “In a way, their problem is even worse that yours. Sure many tomboys can get along fine, but when they can’t, there is even less knowledge about their problems. You think you had it bad, it is a lot worse for little boys, or even big boys.”

“You didn’t meet any of our boys last night, and only few of our husbands, because Holly asked to have a Ladies Only Gathering. She didn’t know how you would feel if you knew men were going to be voting on accepting you or not. We were only a minute away from sending someone out to get you when you arrived so precipitously, she giggled. “Instead, most of the men on the staff, and the boys in our family and our young male guests all went on a camping trip, roughing it on our back acreage."

Mommy added, “We also have athletic fields, a lake for swimming, horses to ride, and for a few family members, Unicorns. But we try to keep our guests from seeing them. We don’t want to keep having to tell guests that a unicorn picks the rider, not the rider picking a unicorn. And we do not want them trying to sneak down and get a ride.

"And we have rooms for dress up, playhouses for playing mommy, housewife, and makeup lessons. Even a nursery for those who want to be infants or young toddlers. But for that, they need to have a Mommy."

“Wow, you sure know lots about it for someone who don't work here, Mommy.” I dunno if it was 'cause my head was feelin' so full that I wasn't thinking too good or something, but somehow I had forgotten to add the 'Auntie' part in front of 'Mommy'. Even though I thought of her as a mommy, I tried to be careful to not be too pushy and actually say it, since she said she wasn't sure if she'd be able to be a mommy.

“I may not work here now, but I worked her on weekends while Uncle Bill, you’ll probably know him as Uncle Pickles, was training me to run the bank branch during the week.”

“Is that Mr. Picklesworth Ida was talking about?"

“Why, yes? What did she tell you about him?

I tried to remember her exact words. “Just that ... he recommended ya for your job.”

“Grr! We will have to do something about that woman! She thinks she is too good investigator. Maybe we should look into her to see who put the burr under her saddle.”

While my mommy had been telling me all about the Kamp, Alysson and Maggie wandered off, saying something about looking for Tamara. Just as Auntie-Mommy Holly was really starting to get frowny bumps between her eyebrows, both of my cousins came running back with Tamar and her mommy in tow.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Janet

Holly knew enough to take Heather Rose most places, but she doesn’t know much about horses or unicorns. At least I don’t think she does. But after this morning’s surprise, I’m not betting on anything where she is concerned.

Tamar and I brought them a golf cart, and soon we were on the way to the unicorn area. When we got there, there wasn’t a unicorn to be seen. “Tamar?”

My girl put her fingers in her mouth the way Grunge had shown her at Harleyfest. We’ll be seeing him again when Bill and Tamar and I go to the big Sturgis Harley Rally next month. Grunge is the six year old son of one of our friends from college.

The piercing whistle she let out made everyone jump, and brought Bill from his cottage across the road from the barn. It also brought Biker Chick and Harley from wherever they had been taking it easy.

As soon as I saw them come into sight, my eyes were on Heather Rose, watching her eyes grow as she saw these ‘mythical beasts' for the first time. No, not really beasts, for we were to find out they were more like people than any of us had realized. They did as asked if they wanted to, or stood like rocks if they didn’t wish to do as asked. And they often made us realize what they wanted, when they needed something. Only one had been willing to go to New York City to check out the zoo when we’d proposed letting the news of their existence be public.

Then, five of them had gone back after the herd had selected which of the Zoo attendants they wanted to be involved with. Five had gone, but one had disappeared, and after five months, we had no idea what had happened. Nobody has tried to claim a ransom, or even a reward for information, except the usual idiots who are looking for fame. None of their leads had proved out.

But now, ‘our’ unicorns came to a halt, with the rest of the herd spread out maybe twenty yards back. Heather Rose’s eyes hadn’t gotten any smaller, and she’d sort of stepped back, until Tamar went to Harley and whispered something to him.

Harley nodded, then slowly stepped towards Heather Rose, turning as he lowered his head so that deadly looking horn never threatened her. “He’s wonderful,” she said as she finally breathed. Tentatively, she reached out, “Can I …”

“Sure, just don’t touch the horn They almost never allow that. Some only when they are bonding,” I told her. Tamar nodded in agreement.

“Bonding?” Holly asked me.

“Yes. When a ‘corn decides he wants to have a special friend, he picks them, then comes to them and lays the horn in their hand. Then something happens. It can’t be explained. At least I can't, and it is one of the most wonderful things that can happen to anyone.”

Our attention was on Heather Rose, Tamar and Harley, as Heather Rose asked, “Can I ride him?”

When Harley backed away, I had to tell her, “I didn’t expect him to let you. I’m sorry, dear, but most of the ’corns will only let one person ride them, and many won’t let anyone.”

Heather Rose looked disappointed, but squared her shoulders, and mumbled, “Maybe someday …” as she looked at Harley, then her mom. That’s when I really knew Holly had a winner.

Biker nodded, then hooked her head to the right a couple of times, then raced off a short ways before coming back and repeating. “Mommy, I think she wants us to go for a ride,” Tamar told me.

I turned to Holly and Heather Rose. I think we’re going to have to go for a while. We’ll see you back here, or at the admin area, OK?”

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Holly

As Janet and Tamar rode off to give their unicorns some loving exercise, I consoled Heather Rose by telling her, “I want to show you one of my favorite spots. It’s just over that hill. I led her back to the golf cart, and she hopped on. “No. Sorry, we’re going to walk. I just came here to get this. Lifting the front seat, I pulled a picnic basket from under it.

As we walked, Heather asked, “Why ain’t there no fences to keep the unicorns where they belong?”

“Because the unicorns are extremely intelligent, and know they’re safe here. They can outrun anything that might come after them, even a cheetah, because they’re magic. But they also know how to ring the bell that we used to call them, if they need our help.”

Before long, we had gone over the hill that blocked out the view of a lovely little glen, where a stream of icy crystal clear water flowed from a pool at the bottom of a tiny waterfall. The lacy trees let through just enough light to let the meadow grow tall and lush, while proving cool shade along the stream. Heather Rose cried ,“Oooh! That's so pretty!” when she saw it.

“Yes, isn’t it? I love to come here to relax if I have the chance. I thought it would be a perfect place for the two of us to have a mother-daughter picnic, and make some decisions.”

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Heather Rose

“What kinda decisions?” I asked as I helped mommy spread a snowy white cloth over the grass.

“Well … “ she didn't say anything else for a minute, since she was busy opening a little square package into a bigger box that looked pretty shallow. When it was out flat, it had a long spike poking out from the bottom. I helped her press this down into the soft ground alongside the cloth. When it was as far as it would go, leaving just enough room to reach underneath with my hand, she pulled on a tab.

“When I asked for the Gathering for you, I asked for a few special things, because you are a special girl.” I think I prolly blushed then, but I didn't say nothing and just watched as she took a ball just a bit littler than a socker ball from the basket. Doing something I couldn't see, she popped it open and I saw two salads, one in each half. Holding up a smaller ball, she asked, “You can have any type of salad dressing you like, dear? What will it be?”

“Uh, ya got Thousand Island?”

“Again?”

I didn’t realize it until later, but she didn’t do a thing before she squeezed the dressing on my salad. Turning, she used the same little ball to smother her salad in what she said was her favorite dressing, Balsamic Italian. As she handed me my salad she went on. “I asked for some special dispensations, because I did not wish to make you lose some of the things you have, or some of the friends you have made. You have very many good friends that may have been the reason you made it this far without the serious problems Misty saw for you.”

“For one, you still have adult reasoning ability, and all your old memories are readily available. Most Kamp guests pay to have their big person memories , not exactly erased, but made weaker, so they can fade into the background. Most of the kids that go permanent ask to lose them, or have them buried deep.

She interrupted herself, “Ahhh! The Pizza is ready!” She opened the box we’d spiked into the ground.

Steam floated out of the box and the smell fo pepperoni and cheese made my mouth water. As hungry as I was feeling, my curiosity was stronger. “How could a big round pizza go in that little box you unfolded, and heat up without an oven?”

 

“Ahh, I am a witch, remember?”

After handing me a thick paper plate with like the hugest slice of pizza ever, she took a bite from her own slice before she went on. “You’re a wonderful artist, dear, and you have done and I know you’re in the middle of doing some work for a number of people. If we had done an ordinary conversion, you might be working at Maggie’s level. She does wonderful work … for a five year old using crayons, and, I have to admit, even better with her sister’s makeup.”

She giggled, which got me giggling. It was a good thing I'd just swallowed the big piece of pizza I'd just had in my mouth. I still kinda got the hiccups and had to stop and drink some juice that I was told to drink in slow sips. It was wonderful to see my new mommy so happy.

After I got the hiccups under control, she added, “In a normal conversion, all your artwork would likely just disappear, and the old you would be forgotten. And your friends who’re counting on you to do drawings would forget you, and either go without, or have to find someone else.

“The same would go for your wonderful stories. Our world would be a poorer place without your wonderful prizewinning ‘Shoes', which has inspired so many, even helping a large number to impress on their love ones, friends and acquaintances, by analogy, just how it feel to have a mind that is different in gender than the body holding it.

“I do not want to see that mind leave us, if only for a few years while you grow up. And I do not want to amke the rest of the world wait for you to grow up.”

”But I thought … I thought ya wanted me to become a little girl so I wouldn’t … have … a breakdown?” my voice tapered off to a whisper, and my chin began to quiver.

“I did, and I do. But I have talked at length with Dr Gina and the Pipster, and we have spoken to several others, and we have concluded that you can be very happy with the best of both worlds. That is, as long as you have this wonderful new eight year old body, and YOU can determine when you want a carefree child’s mind, you can decide to have a five year old mind, or a fourteen year old mind, or anything in between, or even an adult mind when you think you need it, without any danger of what we were so afraid was about to happen to you. You have a very strong mind, or you would not have made it to the point where I met you, but all the years of despair were pressuring you towards collapse. Now, all the reasons for that despair are gone and should never come back. Do you understand?”

“I think so …”

“Want to see some more magic?” I could tell mommy wanted to change the subject. When I nodded, she reached in the basket and tossed me a shiny little ball. Even though it started out tiny, maybe ony an inch, , it was almost too big to hold in both hands by the time I caught it. I looked up and saw her smiling at my surprise. “Wish it open!”

I wished, and it suddenly popped open to reveal a perfect silver bowl with a Hot Fudge Sundae inside! Hers opened and it looked almost the same, except hers was Hot Butterscotch. The ice cream was still barely soft, and the toppings was almost hot enough to burn our tongues. I started to ask how it was possible, then thought, “Mommy’s a witch, silly girl!”

Between spoonfuls of sundae, my mommy said, “I do not need, or want an answer now, or tomorrow, or by any other deadline. But once you have decided, and we have talked and agreed on it, then I will modify the spells to let you experience it the way you have decided for a month. If you’re comfortable about it then, I will let it go for another six months, before making it permanent. Of course permanent is only until you grow up, naturally.

“I love you HR, and I only want your happiness, but I do not want you to lose some of the happiness you always had, by making a too sudden decision.”

As she was speaking, we both noticed around the same time some really pretty music. When I asked Auntie-Mommy Holly what it was, she said it sounded like it was coming from a piccolo. Except that it wasn’t coming from a piccolo.

The cutest little silvery unicorn with a short golden horn came up to me, and we both realized the music seemed to be coming from her horn. A lot bigger unicorn who was gold colored but had a silver horn came up and stood next to the littler one.

I felt like I was floating on clouds. Mom said later that my eyes grew big and seemed to fill with stars.

I barely dared to breathe. Something, it seemed to be a little girl’s voice in my head, made me hold out my hand. The littler ’corn stepped forward and lowered her head, placing her horn in my hand. I gasped, remembering what Tamar had said that meant. She wanted to bond with me, as Harley had with her.

The bigger unicorn stepped closer, playing the same tune, but it sounded a lil deeper, more like a flute. I felt more words kinda float into my head and realized she was my new friend's mommy. My own mommy had stood when I did and put her hand on my shoulder as we watched the two of them playing a duet that seemed to be for me.

After a lil while, we heard music kinda like the two unicorns was playing, but lots deeper. A black unicorn that was a little bigger than the mommy joined them. He didn't play the exact same thing as the others, but their music fit together real nice like the way two hands do when the fingers is knitted together.

Auntie-Mommy Holly looked about as shocked as I was feeling, which is prolly why she didn’t even realize that the mother had lowered her head until she nudged her free hand up and put her own horn in my mommy’s hand. It prolly wasn't until the black unicorn blasted out the bugling sound before racing round and round the clearing, that she realized she'd got bonded too.

I felt this kinda peace that was almost like when I'd got changed and me and my mommy had become family. I noticed words in my head again. “Mommy, she says her name is Tarazed.”

As I tried to figure out why I’d never heard anyone say they could talk to their unicorns and was wondering if it was a secret only people who got bonded knew about, more words filled my head. “Her mommy's is Capella.”

“Does her father have a name?”

“Yeah. It’s Rigel.” His voice was a deep bass rumble between my ears.

 

‘All three names are names of visual stars known since ancient times’ another voice told me. I told mommy what I'd been told.

“Are you sure, Heather Rose?”

“Uh huh, just ask them!” Just as I was starting to feel frustrated when I realized she didn’t believe me, more words slipped gently into my head. ”They say they know what you’re saying, but you can’t hear them.”

The daddy unicorn hadn't come close to us, so my mommy called, “Rigel? Would you come closer?”

Her jaw hung open and her eyeballs looked like they was gonna pop out when he stopped pacing and came about halfway to me. After staring for a minute, she closed her mouth and then asked, “Is your name really Rigel?”

There was a snort that sounded the way some people look when they roll thier eyes and didn’t even need my translation. I heard Rigel’s words in my head, ‘Silly lady, you don’t believe your daughter?’ Then he slowly nodded his head several times, following it with another snort.

Mommy turned her back on the golden 'corn who’d bonded with her, waited a moment, then said, “Capella, would you come over here and face me? Then put your head on my shoulder?”

After a musical buncha notes that sounded an awful lot like laughter, the unicorn slowly went around her on the right, and laid her head on Mommy’s left shoulder. That seemed like all the proof she needed. She threw her arms about her new friend’s neck, or at least as far as she could.

“I’m bewildered. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to talk with unicorns. Talk to them, yes, and everyone in the family knows that they seem to understand everything that is said to them. But this …. This … is overwhelming. And I’ve never heard of unicorns making music, either. Oh, I’ve read of something like that, but it was in a fictional story of a magic place … ‘sort of like this,’” she said, going down to a whisper at the end.

Capella stepped back and nodded. “Ask how they make their music? I don’t see anyway for them to make a sound with their horns, but that seems to be where it was coming from.”

“Mommy, you ain't gotta ask me to ask her. Just talk to her like you'd talk to anybody else. I might need me to give you her answer, but she’s your special friend. You don’t wanna ignore her like that.”

Capella had been standing there taking it all in as I spoke. Now she lowered her head as she had when they'd bonded.

“Touch her horn, Mommy.” She held out her hand, and a look of amazement came over her as she felt a bond grow between her and Capella.

“Now she wants to show both of us how they make their music." My hand joined my mommy's on Capella’s horn, as she began to play a tune. As the notes changed, I could feel her horn vibrating in different parts. The higher the note, the closer to the tip of the horn the sound seemed to be coming from.

Suddenly she broke off, and began playing the music from a real familiar sounding waltz. I felt kinda frustrated when I couldn't remember the name, but the music just swept all the bad feelings away. (Mommy reminded me later it was the Blue Danube.) Then Tarazed and Rigel joined her, playing what sounded like different parts of the song, though this time, Rigel seemed to be playing as deep as before.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Janet

After we’d had a wild ride, I asked Tamar if she wanted to look for Heather Rose and Aunt Holly. When she nodded, I nudged Biker Chick to head in the direction where I thought they might be found.

We followed a small steam, and eventually heard music. ‘That’s gotta be them!’ I decided, ‘Only Holly would spoil this splendor with her ancient tired music’.

As the piece finished, we spotted Heather Rose and Holly. I cried out, “All right, where’s the boombox?” I was going to say more, but then I spotted three unicorns. They’d been standing just out of my vision, hidden behind some trees.

Heather Rose just pointed to the unicorn family.

“Unicorns can’t make music!” I was very positive in my convictions, until the silvery little filly walked over to me and played a short bit of the waltz we had been listening to.

Biker Chick turned her head to look at me, and I’d swear she laughed, then nodded her head.

“Capella says Biker Chick says they're special.” HR told us as she pointed to the three unicorns.

“I have to admit that. I have never seen a unicorn with that golden color, or for that matter, a silver one. And the only black Stallion we had disappeared three years ago, from the New York zoo exhibit.”

“Rigel says he’s the one that disappeared. He was feeling kinda like ... like stuck or something in the zoo, and he was really missing Capella, so he just came back here and found her.”

“Dey c’n talk?’?” Tamar asked in amazement.

“They can talk to Heather Rose,” Holly replied. “But not to me. However, they seem to understand everything I say …” I could see a thought occur to her. ‘Capella, would you go over by Rigel and play six notes?’

The golden mare went over to the black stallion and they played a duet of the six notes often used to excite crowds in stadiums. You know it, they’re the ones used to make the crowds yell, “CHARGE!” ?

“Janet, I didn’t ask them to play that tune. I just asked for six notes. That was six notes, wasn’t it? And no way were they random.”

I stood there, blown away by what the unicorn’s revelations. “Can all unicorns play music? And why haven’t they told anyone they can speak with us?”

“They don’t seem to be able to …” Holly’s words were interrupted by Heather Rose. “Capella says I’m the only one they can talk to.”

“This is big news. I have to go tell everyone, C’mon, Tamar!”

I looked at my sister, “The two of you coming back with us?”

“I’m not sure, this place is so peaceful, and Heather and I still need to talk. Especially with these new members of the family,” she gestured at the unicorns.”

“What do you mean?”

“They came to us and bonded,” she explained.

My jaw dropped. “I thought they were just entertaining you. But I guess Heather Rose couldn’t talk with them if that wasn’t the case.” After a moment I went on, , “OK. We’ll leave you to get better acquainted, but you need to be back at admin by 6PM, or you might have to spend the night here.”

“I can think of worse places,” she replied. I heard Heather Rose giggle as we rode off.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Holly

After Janet and Tamar left, HR tugged on my sleeve. “Capella wants to say something.”

I looked in her direction and nodded. "She says they been waiting ... for me? Yes, for me. She says they needed to find someone with the soul of a child, but enough experience … and … understanding?” There was a moment of silence as HR and Capella looked into each others eyes before the mare nodded and the girl smiled.“ Oh, she needed somebody with enough vocabulary to be able to understand them. They knew there had to be someone …”

HR turned to me, “Wow …” she whispered softly, her eyes glowing. “She says I’m special.”

“You certainly are, dear.” I gave her a hug.

“I’m really glad you didn’t let them make me like the other Little Girls.”

“Why is that? Oh, you mean if you were like them, you wouldn’t be able to talk with our new partners?”

“Uh, huh!”

I looked at Capella and Rigel, with a brief glance at Tarazed. “Can we tell the others about this?”

Both of the adults nodded, and then shook their heads.

“Yes and no?” I inquired, as Heather said, “She says some people, not all.”

“If I name some, can she tell me which ones?”

Capella answered with a nod. “You only have to think of them,” HR added.

“Well, I’ll name them anyway. It will help me. Shelly?”

Nod. I was glad of that.

“Prue?”

Nod.

“Janet?”

Yes and no.

“Janet, but not Tamar?”

Nod.

I wasn’t happy with that.

“Misty?”

A hesitant nod.

“Is that because she hasn’t bonded with any of you?”

Nod.

“I have to get her to try to bond, then. Jenna?”

An enthusiastic nod.

“She says that’s all.”

Heather Rose looked upset. Capella stomped her foot and gave a vigorous shake of her head.

“That’s true, Capella. Maggie is a bit of a blabbermouth.” As Heather Rose grimaced, I rolled my eyes in a silent amen.

“She says everyone can know about them, but not that they can talk to me, and understand so much when they’re talked to. She’s telling Biker Chick to not let Janet talk, if she can.”

All three ‘corns looked off in the direction of the barn they use in inclement weather, where Heather Rose had first met the unicorns.

It wasn’t long before we heard Janet’s voice, yelling, “Whoa! What’s gotten into you jugheads?” and other things of that nature.

A moment later, Janet and Tamar and their steeds were again standing in our midst. I think Janet and her daughter were more winded than the Unicorns. Actually, the unicorns weren’t even breathing hard.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Janet

We were about halfway back to the barn when Biker Chick almost threw me over her head as she came to a stop. If she’d been an ordinary horse, she would have, for I always ride bareback, with no halter or reins. ‘If Biker can read my mind,’ I was realizing,, ‘that explains why she always seems to know what I want her to do.’

Almost as soon as she’d stopped, Biker did an about face and headed back where we’d come from.

~~~~~

“Do you know what this is all about?” I asked when I found myself looking down at Holly again.

“I think so, sis. They want to limit the number of people who know that Heather can talk to them, and they, to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Capella and Rigel say that everyone can know we have bonded, but she wants to limit the number of people with knowledge about it.”

I turned my head, “Capella, Tamar already knows …”

“She says you’re right, but you should make sure she doesn’t talk about it.”

“I can do that,” I said, with a stern look at my girl. Tamar nodded wordless, until I added, “You won’t say a word about this, will you.”

“Mommy, c’n Heaver hep me talk to Harley?”

I looked at HR, who answered, “Yeah, but only when nobody else is near us, and you can't never say nothing 'bout it to nobody. This is like a pinky swear kinda secret, Tamar. You can only talk about it with ..." HR paused and counted on her fingers, " ... with like the nine of us, and only when nobody else can hear us.”

Tamar looked puzzled.

“I think she means the four of us two legs, and the five unicorns, right Heather?” I told Tamar.

Tamar got it then. “I pwomizez.”

“I’m sure that will do. Tamar was GD/AD like you, Heather Rose, and held it in even tighter, until she found this place and realized it could help her. And she didn’t have to hold it in as long as you did. You’re both very lucky to come to this place.”

“Luck? A really smart lady who used to be just a friend of mine,” Heather Rose grinned at Holly, “once told me that we make our own luck.”

Holly went over to stand behind her, as … ‘Tarazed? Strange name,’ I thought, came over and nuzzled Heather Rose. “That’s right, I told you that, didn’t I? If you hadn’t been trying to let the world how you felt, by the way you dressed on Fridays, and if you hadn’t had that ‘accident’, and fainted at my feet, and then hadn’t been so scared of seeing a doctor, all those ‘lucky’ things, you not only would not be here, I shudder to think of how I’d have felt if you’d just shown up missing, and then I found out my favorite employee was locked in a padded cell.”

“Mommy,” Tamar asked me, “What a m’ploy?”

“I’ll tell you later, dear. Hey, you two, it’s getting even later. Biker, can we go now?”

She nodded and trotted towards the barn.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Holly

“That was exciting, wasn’t it?” I asked Heather Rose when they were out of earshot. As she nodded, all three ‘corns joined in with laughing whickers.

“She says we can talk now. You said you wanted to talk to me.”

“I think some of it can be put off a bit. But yes, I do still need to talk to you about a lot of things. Most mothers watch their own mothers with their sisters and brothers, or watch their peers and learn a lot that I don’t know. I’m afraid I won’t be able to be a good mommy for you.”

“You will. I know ya will. After all, I’ll be there to help you, and I’ll always be a good lil girl.”

“I’m sure you will, but still, there is so much I don’t know …”

“Well, ain't you already been taking care of me for like ... a month? I can't imagine anybody being a better mommy than you already been doing.”

“OK. Despite what I told Janet, I really don’t want to miss out on whatever is happening back at the house. Shall we go?”

“Can I ride Tarazed?”

I think I already knew the answer, and a glance at Capella told me the same thing that she told HR, ‘”Her mommy says she isn’t big enough yet, but she did say I can ride Rigel while you ride her!” HR’s smile told me all I needed to know. She was all excited at her first unicorn ride.

I think I already knew the answer, and a glance at Capella told me the same thing that she told Heather Rose, ‘”Her mom says she ain't big enough yet, but she did say I can ride Rigel while you ride her!” Heather Rose’s smile told me all I needed to know. She was all excited at the thought of her first unicorn ride.

After I helped her mount, she looked around at the lovely little glade once more, “I see why ya like this place. It’s beyootiful!”

I nodded as we left. I had ridden horses, but not comfortably, and I didn’t want to tell her this was my first unicorn ride, too. I found that despite the similarity in appearance, the ride was nothing like being on a horse. Even without any tack, we rode comfortably and smoothly, and I didn’t feel I might fall of even once.

“I ain't sure what she means, but Capella says to tell you, ‘What did you expect?’ ”

I explained my thought to her. “I’m spoiled. I’ll never ride a horse again.”

“She says, ‘you better not!’”

‘This is going to be an interesting friendship, Capella,’ I thought, and caught a definite nod as we approached the barn.

That made me think of the time I’d last ridden a horse, when I’d visited Yosemite National Park.

Cappela snorted, telling me, ‘You’re allowed to do that there, but not here.’

~~~~~

“So, the legends and rumors are true,” Bob, the head stable hand greeted us. “I heard the old boy was back, and thought I spotted him once or twice. And I heard rumors about these two, but I didn’t believe them. All unicorns are either pure white, or darkest black. Or at least they were until now. I guess I’ll have to eat my words and apologize to a couple of people.”

He turned towards Heather and Rigel. “I never knew a stallion to let anyone ride him, You must be a special little lady.”

“She sure is. Heather Rose is just riding him until Tarazed is large enough to give her rides. He seems to be okay with that.”

Bill just shook his head. “For ghost horses that would never let anyone near them, they sure seem attached to you two. You must have bonded?”

“Yes.”

“You’re two lucky ladies. Miss Janet went on ahead, but said if you get back soon enough, they’ll hold dinner till six.”

“Thanks Bill.” I slipped off Capella and gave her a hug. “We’ll be back, but you know we live far away?”

She nodded, as Heather Rose relayed with careful words, “I think she knows.”

So help me, Rigel blinked his eye on the side where Bill couldn’t see it. As we strolled over to the cart to go back to my car, I was glad Bob had apparently assumed that the music was from a boombox in the picnic hamper.

The unicorn’s whinnied, so we turned and waved. That was all they seemed to want, as they turned and galloped off.

As we were turning in the cart, I was handed a note from Shelly.

 

I’ve sent out a memo to all staff letting them know Heather Rose is now part of the family, and reminding them about you, too, Holly. And the magical wards protecting some of the high security areas have been reset to let you pass through them as if they were not there. If you ever find someplace you think you need to go, that is still warded off, you will have to get in touch with Prue, Jenna, or me.

I may have forgotten a few places.

Huggles, Shelly

“Now that you’re officially part of the family, and my beloved daughter, I can show you a few things I’ve kept secret from you. I’m one of the weakest members in the family when it comes to magic. So I have Shelly, or Prue or one of the others put spells on some of my things so that all my weaker magic needs to do is trigger the spell into doing what I want. Of course, that means I can only use it on things I’ve thought about beforehand. But I’m getting stronger with practice. Prue says that in another year or so I should have greater power than Maggie, but with much better control.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Did anybody tell you about the incidents when some of the family went to England for Christmas a couple of years ago?”

When she shook her head, I went on. “It seems Kitten wanted some cookies, and Shelly wouldn’t make any. So Maggie tried to magic up a dozen. Well, she either put too much wiggle or too much giggle in her twitch, because it started raining chocolate cookie dough on Christmas Eve. By the time Santa had made his rounds and the downpour finally ended, there was nearly three feet of cookie dough all over central London with drifts up to twelve feet from Trafalgar Square to the gates of Buckingham Palace. The morning headlines read, “London Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas?” Shelly met with the Queen on Boxing Day, apologizing for Maggie’s misfire, and offering her assistance in cleaning up the sticky situation. She even tried to inject a little levity to the situation by joking that it was a good thing Maggie had wanted milk and cookies or there would probably be cows in the Tower of London. To put it mildly, the Queen was not amused.

Heather Rose giggled at the thought of moo cows in the famous tower, but Holly told her to hold the laughter until the end as she had more Maggie mishap to share. “Maggie made friends with a small, fire breathing dragon and never told anyone. She somehow managed to smuggle it onto the 747, and probably would have made it at least as far as customs, but the dragon got the hiccups and began filling the cabin with smoke. The plane was rerouted to St John’s, Newfoundland where Shelly had to explain to British, Canadian AND American authorities that Maggie was only a five-year-old girl, who seems to get into trouble at the drop of a hat, and not a terrorist.”

By the time we reached Lady Galadriel, we’d almost stopped laughing. I set us off again, by adding, “All you have to do to make her mad is mention, ‘Cookie Dough.’ At least she still eats them, but she hasn’t wanted to help make any since then. But don’t mention the dragon.”

“Why not? I’d really like to see it. Where's it at?”

“Maggie didn’t realize that taking it from its mommy would not be good for it, so we had to return it. But maybe someday if we go to Englyland, as Maggie and Baru call it, you can visit it. I’m sure after awhile the Queen will calm down and have Parliament recind the Maggie-Ban. I’m sure she didn’t really mean it when she said that ravens will leave the tower of England before Maggie sets foot on the shores of Great Britain again”.

Holly paused and then sighed, “On second thought, I’m sure Shelly has pictures of the dragon somewhere.”

~~~~~

Dinner wasn’t ready by the time we got back to the house, and I was overjoyed to see Heather Rose revert to Little Girl mode as soon as I told her she could go play outside. As I was standing on the porch watching her, I remembered my own words when I’d helped push Janet into accepting Tamar as her daughter. … “So you’ll be ready in what, about forty years?”

I began to shake as I remembered, ‘I’m not sure I can do this … but I’ve got to.’

Sensing the problem, Prue came up and hugged me, saying, “Worried that you can’t be a proper mother?”

When I nodded, she went on, “You’ll learn, just like every parent in the world, that kids don’t come with instruction manuals. Nobody has ever written one that works all that well, because every child, and every parent, is not the same as the next one. It will all work, because you love her and she loves you. And you both have a lot more experience that the average new parent and newborn. At least you haven’t had to go through that … yet ....”

When I jerked at her final words, she went on, “… but maybe someday, dear. She’s a lovely girl, smart as a whip, and talented. I hope everything works out the way you want it to, so she doesn’t lose what she has now. But if she decides she that’s the way she wants it to be, wants to be like Maggie and Baru fulltime, and just grow up, don’t try to stand in her way. Let it be her choice, dear.”

“Thanks, sis.” I took a deep breath, and suddenly felt better. “I needed those words. I love you, too.” I lifted my shoulders and smiled, my fears gone as I wriggled so I could hug her back.

“I couldn’t help overhearing,” Jenna said as she came onto the porch.” I haven’t had Cathleen that long, myself, of course, but I’m told that it niggles at you even after they’ve spread their wings and flown. I still have doubts, but so far it is working just fine, and the joys far outweigh the doubts.

“I can’t believe it. We just got up eleven hours ago,” I told Shelly after dinner. “And it’s only 5PM by the clocks at home, but I am ready for bed.”

”Heather Rose is running pinhole checks, too, dear. Those transformations take a lot out of you. Go to bed. We can chat without you, and if anything is said you need to know about I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

I got up and waked my little one, just enough to lead her to bed. Tonight, we were going to be together.

As I helped her undress, she smiled sleepily, “It feels so good not to hafta worry about being undressed in front of anyone. Well, not girls, I mean. Of course, the past month, when you and Dr Misty found out I was a Little Girl, had been good, but … now I ain't never gotta worry ever again."

I slipped her into her Hello Kitty pjs, and soon we both slipped into a deep sleep.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Heather Rose

( Sunday, July 3rd )

We musta slept really good, 'cause in the morning we was both feeling lots better. When I cracked open my eyes and tilted my head to the side, I saw my mommy was already awake and rolled over on her side to face me. She had one of the happiest smiles I'd ever seen as she reached over and brushed away the hair that had fallen across my eyes. Even though we was practically right next to each other, I still managed to Pounce hug her. “I love you, Mommy.”

“You can’t love me as much as I love you , dear.”

“Wanna bet?”

After we went back and forth like that a couple times, getting sillier each time, we got up, threw on robes over our pajamas (just in case the guys came out), and went down and out on the porch to watch the sunrise. It'd been a long time since I’d seen one.

I thought we was the only ones up, until Auntie-Mommy Holly asked, “How is it that you imps’re up?"

“Wait’n fer ya,” Baruchah (I think) whispered.

The other twin said, Weknow’dy’dbedownHeaderRose.” The way she mushed her word together told me she must be Maggie.

“We’s like sunzup,” Baruchah told us.

“We’ hopin’yousbehere,” the Kitten added. “C’nwesnuggleyous?”

“Uh, huh.” I sat between them on the porch swing and lifted my arms so they could squeeze up next to me. Maggie looked at my mommy and waved. “You, too, Aunt Holly.”

I felt a smile all the way down to my toes as we snuggled together, the swing swaying just a little, and watched the sunrise together. Just about when I was thinking about getting up, Tamar and her mom burst quietly out the door. I say burst, because Aunt Janet never seems to do anything quietly, even when she isn’t making any noise. Mommy says she’s like a force of nature. “Well, now we know why they didn’t answer your knock,” she said, looking down at her daughter.

“You,” she wiggled her finger at my mommy, “are going shopping this morning. You’re going to break that stodgy mold, at least when you’re here. I’ve made arrangements for some private shopping before the best stores in the Mall open.”

“So have I, and somehow I doubt it is at the same stores." Auntie Shelly had a look that said there'd be no argument. “Heather Rose, you can come along, and if you see anything you really want in either my stores or the wild child’s, they’re yours as a welcome to girlhood present. You’re a little young to give you a bank, like we did for your mom.”

It took me a minute before I realized I'd forgot to blink. “You gave her the bank? Ya mean she owns it? I thought she was just the president and branch manager.”

Just as Aunt Janet was about to answer, Aunt Shelly spoke up. “Before we go anywhere, everyone is going to have a big breakfast. We’re going to need the energy. Jenna is already fixing it. Go wash up. That especially means you two," Aunt Shelly pointed to my cousins. "I swear I don’t know how you can go to bed as sweet clean little angels and get up in the morning looking as if you’d spent the night in a hog wallow.”

“I’ll help them,” I told her, grabbing them each by the hand just as they started sliding off the porch swing.

“Awwww , you no fun.” I wondered if they had to practice at saying things at the same time like that. I was just starting to get to know them, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if they had.

Once we was all cleaned up, we followed our noses to the dining room. It looked like somebody had everything ready for half the household. “We’re letting the guys sleep in. The poor dears need their beauty sleep,” Steffie said as she and her twin joined us.

Auntie Jenna seems to really like cooking a lot, and loves to see people really enjoy her food. And if you don’t seem to be enjoying it enough, she’ll make sure you get more. It felt like we ate for days, but finally none of us couldn't eat another bite, so we all went to our rooms to get dressed so we could get undressed to try on new things.

“Janet is going to be in for a big surprise when we get into the changing room,” Mommy told me. As we got changed, I tried figgering out what she meant, then decided not to worry about it and just keep an eye on my Aunt Janet.

~~~~~

A few minutes later we gathered down next to the garage. “It looks as if you two will have to go on your hog,” Mommy told Aunt Janet and Tamar. “Lady Galadriel can’t hold five of us, especially if we buy anything.”

“That’s why were taking the big car. It will hold all five of us, and there is room enough in the trunk to throw a dance,” Aunt Shelly insisted, nudging us towards a really long and kinda old, but nice looking car. Alysson and Elsa, looking really stylish in black uniforms and leather caps, was holding the doors for us.

Ten minutes later we was at the mall, and were soon standing in front of a shop named Biker Style.

There was three really nice people waiting for us there. As the grown ups lead the way through the store and I started looking around, I kinda got the feeling there wasn't nothing there my mommy would be caught dead in, let alone get caught alive in.

Boy, I sure had a lot to learn about her. She made a beeline for what looked like black, strapless, leather bras, but with a part attached under the bra that looked like it would cover the back and belly, and had strips of something stiff stitched into them. After grabbing a couple of them, she went over to another rack and got a few different styles of leather skirts. “Boy, I can hardly wait to try these on,” she told a Aunt Janet, who was looking as shocked as I felt and had to rush to keep the dressing room door from slamming on her.

Inside, Mommy flipped her top over her head, and dropped her long, nice-but-kinda-plain-looking and old fashioned skirt to the floor, letting Auntie Janet see her red undies. Grabbing the first top, she figured out how to put it on, and adjusted it. As she slipped into the first skirt, she looked at my still speechless Aunt. “Back when I used to ride my Indian, I always envied the girls who could wear something like this.”

“You used to ride?” the words came out of Aunt Janet as a strangled whisper.

“Sure did, till I got too busy and my wife and I had too many kids for our sidecars.”

Just then I realized Aunt Shelly had followed us in, when I heard her burst out laughing. She pointed at Auntie Janet, and kept on saying “You… you …” once she was able to get it down to giggles. It musta been some kinda deep dark secret, 'cause nobody would tell me what she was laughing about.

Even after having known her for a month as my Aunt Holly, I was still feeling pretty amazed. Tamar was just wordlessly looking from one to another of us, as if she wasn't sure what to make of it.

“Help me pick out a couple of outfits, and some leather panties. These really aren’t meant to be worn under a tight short skirt. But I couldn’t resist the chance to see your face. Then we can see what else you want me to wear. Now that I have managed the bank for a couple of years, and have a daughter, I suppose I might be able to throttle back the old lady bit a bit. But with an eight year old, I should look at least thirty, I think. A young thirty, but thirty.”

When we left there, Auntie Janet took us to another two or three stores, and Mommy got an awful lotta outfits that didn't look like anything she'd wear on duty at the bank. I felt a little sorry for Aunt Janet, but it was kinda funny how my mommy had taken the wind out of her sails. I was also really proud of how pretty she looked in her new clothes.

At first Aunt Shelly seemed to be really lost, trying to figure out my mommy. After a while, she kinda got into the swing of things and helped her find some neat outfits to wear away from the bank, as well as some that weren’t so just ... ughhh ... but still okay to wear on the job.

Tamar helped me to get a few things for myself, too. Nothing all that frilly, but stuff that could take the wear and tear of being a kid better than a lot of the little girl clothes I’d collected.

Back home later, (yeah, Aunt Shelly’s is everyone’s home) the entire family was teasing Aunt Janet. In fact she was still being kidded about it the next day, despite her anguished, “How was I supposed to know that Miss Old Maid there would have been a wild child herself if she could have, forty years ago? Did you really have an Indian?”

At this, my mommy piped up. “No, I didn’t used to have one. I still have two from the original Indian company, though they need a bit of work. And I bought a new one when they brought the line back a few years ago, but I have only put a few miles on it. It was home on the West Coast while I was back here working with you people, and then, well, I can’t see a bank President riding up on a nice bike like that giving the investors much confidence, can you?

It’s different from a bicycle. Where we live, riding a bi-cycle is a positive. But a motor-cycle is not. Just like dressing this way,” she waved the backs of her hands from top to bottom at the pretty outfit she was wearing, “at the bank is not. I like the look, for it makes me look twenty years younger, like I really am. Of course that might be a bit too young, for how can a twenty year old have an eight year old kid?”

Maggie and Baruchah and the other kids who'd been playing outside tromped in. “Mommy!” Cathleen yelled as she led the pack, "can we … Oh, Heverose pwetty,” she told the other kids coming in behind her.

All thoughts of whatever had brought them in was forgotten as they came over to see the new outfit Aunt Shelly had gotten me. It wasn’t all fairy lace and pink, but a nice jumper in a deep green denim, with a pair of deep pockets for my art stuff, and a pouch I kinda think was meant as a purse, but would work good for a couple of dozen sheets of paper if I folded up. Aunt Shelly had promised to magic all my paper so that even a big sheet folded down wouldn't get all wrinkly when I wanted to draw on it.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Holly

At lunch, I took a mental head count. There were 21 adults, counting Angela and Amelia, and I think there were 23 kids. ( I’m not sure I got the latter count right. There seemed to be a lot of Brownian movement at the kids tables that were scattered all over the lower floor. )

This was the largest assembly of the family I’d ever participated in. I’d been seated next to Christy at the table, and finally got to know her. Previously, I’d heard of her, but she hadn’t been down from her Canadian Hideaway. When she showed me pictures, I realized why. Her ‘cabin’, which was on a lake in the forest, was nearly as large as Shelly’s place, and other than the cabin and the dock she’d put in, there wasn’t a sign of civilization to be seen.

“It is lovely this time of the year,” she confided, “But you wouldn’t want to be snowed in, if it weren’t for the snowcats. Of course now, I can just magic my way out. Sometimes, like this year, it takes till June to get everything in shape after a hard winter. Still, I’ve had the family there for Christmas, and it would be hard to find a better place for an old fashioned one.”

“But now, what about you? Your life seems to have been going through some changes. Here I was expecting to see a maiden aunt, but in her place, I see a lovely young mother.”

“I’ve never been all that old, I hope. But I didn’t want to be a twenty one year old Bank President, either. And while I never was an old woman, I was an old man for far too long.”

“But as to motherhood, it’s all new to me, and maybe the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. Now I know how my wife felt. As a Daddy, I was proud, and I loved my kids, but as a mom, there is something extra. And I liked Heather Rose from the moment she came in hesitantly applying for a job. There was just something about her that made me want to help her.

“She had good recommendations and quarterly reviews, but had been let go abruptly several times. She wouldn’t say why, but as I’m sure you are aware, it almost certainly had to do with being found out a pre-op transsexual. Despite our progressive laws, sometimes it is easier to find an excuse to get rid of the source of a ‘problem’, than to go through with an effective program of education and enforcement of the anti-harassment laws.”

“I hesitated a long time, at least two days, debating whether or not to hire someone that might prove to be a troublemaker, but I guess somewhere deep down, I realized she might be a victim. She’s never given me the slightest reason to regret my decision, and I don’t expect she ever will. I think she is going to decide to keep a her adult mind, yet, as she has always done, be able to retreat to childhood when she lets go. This time, I don’t think she will mind growing up physically into an adult, because she will always have that child at the surface, ready to burst forth when she needs it or wants it to.”

“I can see how much you love her. Whenever she is in view, your eyes follow her, and when she isn’t, you keep looking for her.”

“I hadn’t realized …”

“Get used to it! It’s a mommy thing.”

“You know, you’re right. I used to see my wife doing it when our kids were young.”

“Do you ever miss them?”

“A bit, but not the way I would if they hadn’t been grown and off on their own. I miss the grandkids, though, but I don’t think they’d ever understand this.”

“Most people wouldn’t … Oops, looks like the boss has something to say.”

I turned to see Shelly getting ready to tap her glass to get our attention. When she had it, she announced, “The kids took a vote, and decided they wanted to go to the park this afternoon. I need volunteers to keep track of the little monsters.” She looked directly at me, to let me know Heather Rose was going.

I held up my hand and went out to help round up the kids, and make sure everyone had an adult assigned to them, that both sides knew it, and everyone had transportation.

When we got to the park, I found myself with Shelly, as her youngest twins wanted to be with Heather. “Why didn’t you build this place closer to the house?” I said, tongue in cheek. I’d been in on helping locate the land. The problem had been in finding a large enough chunk of land for everything, in one place. Just try finding a bit over 10,000 acres someone is willing to sell, Or even just try finding 10,000 acres in one piece!

As we watched the kids, I thought about how we’d felt lucky to find this place, an old military base that had been closed. The government had about given up hope of finding anyone to take it off their hands. Because of the huge amounts of toxic waste, nobody else would touch it. But we had Pleiades Resources’s ‘technology’ on our side, and took on the challenge. To make it look good, we’d had to scrape and put back down a lot of topsoil. The EPA monitors that came in and tested the soil were astonished at how well we’d done. We didn’t tell them that we’d cleaned up the soil even before moving it, that the earthmoving had all been for show. They were very upset when we said it was another trade secret, and that we would never allow them to watch while PR worked

I didn’t know whether to feel happy or not when Heather Rose announced she was tiring of the theme park after just an hour or so. However, her words made me feel better about it, “I want to be with you, Mommy. We can help Auntie Shelly, Big Allie and Steffie by taking the ‘brats’ off their hands.” If I hadn’t seen the playful grin with the word ‘brats’, I might have gotten upset at my daughter. But the grin, and knowing how she doted on them and vice versa, made me smile at her and send her off to Shelly to work it all out with her.

After Heather Rose spoke to her, my sister looked over at me. I nodded, she nodded back, and it was settled. A few minutes later, as soon as the twins were informed of the decision, three smiling faces headed back to me, and I saw smile on the faces of the older twins, too.

I was surprised, but maybe should not have been, when Baruchah and Maggie agreed with Heather Rose that there were a lot of other things to do instead of the rides. Of course, they were able to come here almost any time. Many people never visit the local attractions, but of course, their family doesn’t own the place.

Before long, we decided to leave the others and go over to the Kamp. I let Shelly know by phone, as we’d lost sight of each other, and we were soon on our way. Once at Kamp they all settled down to play dolls with a dozen or so Kampers, never letting on that they almost lived there.

Eventually I had to tear them away when Shelly phoned to say they were on the way home for dinner,

Dinner once again had tables spread out all over the lower floor of the house, as rain was threatening, and nobody wanted to take their chances outside. Sure enough, before we were through eating, it grew very dark and the rain began, following a bright flash and almost instantaneous clap of thunder. Heather Rose came running to me, frightened despite the assurances from her cousins. Eventually, by taking my half finished dinner to their table on the deep screened porch I was able to get her to sit through the biggest thunderstorm we’d ever seen. It lasted well over an hour, and in any one minute I think we saw more lightning than we’d see in a year back home.

Heather Rose was fairly calm now, though she wanted to hold me tight, and a couple of times I heard her mumble, “I’m glad I’m a California girl so we ain't never gotta see this where we live.” I could understand it. I knew this was normal here in the southeastern US, but it was still unnerving. I think Maggie and Baru gave us both strength. Afterwards, we had to admit it was awe-inspiring, and later, days later, after we’d been back home Heather Rose began doing some drawings and a couple of paintings of it.

Once she was over her scare, I sent the three off to join their cousins in the playroom while I helped clean up. Then we ladies had a hen party, just chatting in the front room so the men could use the kitchen to finish their planning for the next day’s barbecue. At bedtime, when I went to look for Heather Rose, I found her curled up with the twins and four of their cousins. I wished I had a camera, and was surprised when one appeared in my hands.

‘Wow, I’m better at this magic than I thought’, I was telling myself when I heard a giggle from Alysson. “You’ll find a few pictures already on it, but take some for yourself, Holly.”

If you wonder about her familiarity with an older aunt, remember that when I want to let my real body age show, I am only about five years older than Alysson is. And they are growing up after becoming early teens from young adults with GD. They had showed me that they were so responsible in helping Shelly with their younger siblings, so I told them to scrap the Auntie with me, whether or not any of my sisters are within earshot.

That almost caused a battle, till I explained my reasoning. After some thought, they were put on a first name basis with all of their Aunts and Uncles, but still call Shelly, ‘mom’. Of course I expect them to be doing that twenty or more years from now, too.

After I had my pictures, the camera disappeared, ( the pictures were in an email when I got home ), and I herded some sleepy kids up to bed.

Heather slept like a log, just snuggling up to me when another two thunderstorms came through to keep me awake. The second one was stronger than the one during dinner. At one point, I’d be willing to swear that the sky was lit up for over a minute without going dark. But it had to be farther away, as I could barely hear the thunder over the noise of the downpour that accompanied it.

~~~~~

( Monday, July 4th )

Even with her angelic smile, Heather Rose had a hard time waking her mom the next morning. I just did not want to wake up. Finally she left, only to come back for another try. “Mom, Auntie Jenna says she’ll throw it to the hogs if you ain't down in five minutes. Do they really gots hogs here?”

“I’m sure the only real hogs Aunt Shelly allows are the ones Aunt Janet and Bill ride,” I mumbled as I pried my eyes open, ( figuratively, of course.) As soon as I had my feet under me, Heather Rose began tugging me towards the door. I held back long enough to grab a robe. My nightie was, let’s say, suitable for a slumber party, or if I ever find him, that one special man. But not for all the males that would likely be stumbling about down in the kitchen, especially if the word got out, giggle.

After breakfast, which included three cans of Coke, since I cannot abide the taste of coffee or that pallid imitation in the blue can, ee went back upstairs and took showers. When I came out I felt like a new man , oops, I was one most of my life, remember … Force of habit.

Anyway, I was ready to face the day, which I was informed was almost half over. “The guys are fixing a couple of sheep Auntie Prue magic’d here from her herd of trained attack sheep, Hawaiian luau style. I guess they weren’t vicious enough,” she said with a wink, as we all knew the ‘trained attack sheep’ was just a joke. “The fire was started two hours ago, and the sheep went in the hole as soon as it was down to coals. That’s besides the usual burgers, steaks, kosher hot dogs, kosher all beef bratwurst, etc. Stay out of their way. They’ve taken over the kitchen and the screen porch for their messes. But it should all be worth it, cuz I’ve told them they don’t get another meal until they’ve cleaned up the mess to MY satisfaction.”

Three hours later, at 2PM, it was worth it. I’ve got to get the recipe for that marinade they injected into and used on the sheep. I consider myself a fair cook, but I’ve never fixed anything as fall apart tender, or with that taste.

Lunch over, we thanked the cooks as we left them to clean up while we headed for the amphitheater. This was a part of Kamp that had a large area of almost twenty acres we’d flooded a few inches deep. Cut into the hillside just outside of the Kamp boundaries was a terrace that could easily seat 150,000. Everyone at Kamp, staff and visitors had seating in the top center area, while just below and to the sides were seats for anyone with a Theme park ticket for any day of the weekend. The remaining seats were for anyone that had bought a ticket at the mall or several places in the nearby towns. The admission price of $1.00 went into the running of dozens of clinics in the neighboring counties.

We’d started letting the crowds in at 2PM, having told them they could bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks for the afternoon and evening. They could also bring umbrellas for shade, but would have to take them down at sunset so they did not block anyone else’s view.

We’d added temporary staff ( mostly off duty staff from the theme park ), to handle the crowd control ,and arranged for a couple of dozen small local event catering outfits to take care of the food situation.

The afternoon’s entertainment was expensive, but we recouped a lot of the cost by selling food to those who’d not brought their own, even though .

Five big screens showed entertainment mixed with short educational documentaries on the various programs Plieades Resources was helping finance for the region, ( though we couldn’t tell them the whole truth, part of which was that we were losing money, writing it off as good will. The cost of doing the toxic cleanup and ordinary recycling was so low we were still making money at half our competitors costs. Being privately owned, we didn’t have to open our books up for a public auditor, but we still needed costs of doing business for tax purposes. )

Under the guise of providing new equipment for doctors and clinics in the area, we’d gotten small magic detectors such as Misty had used to diagnose Heather Rose, to find almost everyone in the region who was having difficulties in their lives. This was a lot more than just Gender and Age Dysphoria. It included other psychological problems even down to depression that looked as if it was more than momentary. Our biggest problem was trying to find a way to get help for them. You can’t just walk up to someone’s front door and say, “Hi, I’m here to help so and so with their bouts of depression," now can you?

We were not making anyone stay and watch all of this, as they were free to walk away and come back later. But we also gave them a few short segments on what it meant to the person involved when they realized they had some form of gender based Dysphoria, urging them and their families to go to their county health department for more information and referrals to someone who could help them cope until they reached the point of acceptance.

Shortly before sunset we asked that anything that might block someone else’s view be taken down, and a live program began. Mostly it was the drawing of stubs from kids tickets. Over one hundred kids would be able to press a button and start a segment of the evening’s fireworks display. And mixed with them, would be our own kids, including Heather Rose.

Sure, it could have all been done automatically, and in a way, it was. A computer programmed to sequence things properly selected the next switch in the sequence and lit a small light, telling the child that their switch was live.

But can you imagine the thrill for a small child, knowing that they had pressed a button and started even a small part of the show going?

The Grucci fireworks were out in the middle of the shallow pond, which gave almost everyone a reflected view as well as keeping us from starting any fires.

Heather Rose and I had to leave as soon as it was over, to head home and get ready for the next day.

~~~~~

We walked back from the show to our cabin at the Kamp, and transferring everything that hadn’t been magic’d to California already into Lady Galadriel, I decided it was time to let Heather Rose in on things.

“You were pretty preoccupied Friday night when we were on the way here, so I took advantage of that to magic us here. Since nothing had been decided, I was hoping you wouldn’t see how I got us here.”

I started Lady Galadriel, and got us on the way. “I’ve told you I am not yet a powerful witch like most of my sisters. So they put a spell on Lady Galadriel for me. When I do this,” I pushed in on the steering wheel adjust lever, then pulled it back hard, and released it … “she takes us to the nearest point to my destination where it is safe both physically and from observation.”

I completed the moves, and we found ourselves once again on the deserted road about a ten minute drive from the apartment. “Think of it as waving a magic wand,” I told her.

Heather Rose giggled at that. “You’re silly, Mommy.” A few minutes later, we pulled into the apartment’s lot and were soon home.

When I told Heather Rose, “Welcome home, darling.” That’s when it began to hit her. As the door opened and she saw a lot of her pink princess castle was now in our front room, and the rest in her room, she wrapped her arms around my waist and broke into happy tears, “Yes, it really is home, isn’t it Mommy?"

Opening the mail that had arrived Saturday I found a letter from Mrs. Blomfontaine who operated the day care center where Heather Rose used to visit, reminding me that I needed to pay for July’s day care for Heather Rose, and suggesting that I might wish to pay for August as well.

Things were looking up for these California Girls.

~~~~~

Authors note: More to come. Be on the lookout for ‘Ida the Spy’