Countess Basset’s London Home, London, England:
Monday Morning:
Charlotte was woken up early in the morning by her Uncle Sheamus. He had informed her that her mother had passed away in her sleep. She feels Zoey holding onto her as tears stream from her eyes. She knew Mona had told Mouse.

She looks down at Zoey as the teenage girl holds her. She knew that Zoey had already known her mother had passed away. Zoey had spent all day Sunday in her studio painting, and Charlotte knew that wasn’t unusual for Zoey to do when she was working on a picture.

Zoey had come out of her studio crying but wouldn’t tell her why. She had locked the door to the studio so no one could go into it. Charlotte knew Zoey was particular about who was allowed in her studio.

Zoey had slept with her last night and clung to her like she did when she first came to England. Now, she understood why Zoey slept with her and clung to her. Charlotte holds Zoey as she lets the tears come pouring out.

Ashley wondered where Zoey was. She wasn’t in her bedroom or her studio. She goes to her mother’s bedroom and knocks before entering. When she walks into her mother’s bedroom, she spots Zoey holding onto their adopted mother. She also noticed that her adoptive mother was crying.

“What’s wrong, mom?” Ashley walks over to her mother and sister.

Charlotte looks Ashley in her eyes “your grandmother died this morning in her sleep.”

“Grandma died?” Ashley felt the tears starting to form in her eyes.

Mrs. Bounty had been the only grandmother she had ever known, and now she had died. She wipes the tears away as she looks at her mother.

“How? Wasn’t she getting better?” Ashley remembered visiting her grandmother’s house when she returned from the hospital several months ago.

“She had a heart attack in the middle of the night. And yes, she was doing better, but it was just a matter of time before grandma Bounty had another heart attack, sweetie” Charlotte wrapped her arms around Ashley and hugged her. She held onto both of her girls.

Charlotte holds her girls for most of the morning as all three cries and comforts each other. By the time they decided to do anything, it was mid-day. The girls let their mother go and talk with their cousin Mona to see what she could do.

Ashley looks at Zoey “that’s why you wouldn’t come out of your studio yesterday, isn’t it?”

Zoey nods her head yes to Ashley’s statement. She had woken up early when the vision hit her and ran to her studio to paint it. She cried when she realized the vision was about her new grandmother.

The paint was still too wet to let anyone see it. She was going to unveil it at the funeral. She hopes all her aunts and uncles like it.

Ashley and Zoey walk into the kitchen and start fixing some lunch. Ashley has been learning how to cook from her mother and the Family and Consumer Sciences course she took in school. She notices that Zoey is going to help her.

“I can’t believe grandma has died.” The news still saddened Ashley.

Zoey hugs her little sister and tries to comfort her. Since Countess Basset adopted the two of them, they have become close as sisters. They were even close to Mouse as well. They loved having Mouse as their older sister. It took Mouse some time to adjust to having younger sisters, but she did.

Leslie, Casey, and Charlotte’s Place, Oxshott, Leatherhead, Surrey:
Leslie smiled as she watched both her wives move around with children. Both of them were six months pregnant with their second child. Casey was carrying her and Casey’s second baby, while Charlotte was carrying her second child. Casey’s grandfather Sheamus had donated some of his semen to impregnate Charlotte. This will make the second child he had fathered with Charlotte.

Casey had received a text from her cousin Mouse early in the morning informing them that Cara Bunty had died. According to the text, Cara Bounty had passed away earlier in the morning. Her funeral would be in two weeks in Dublin, Ireland.

Leslie looks at Casey “how are you related to Cara Bounty?”

“She’s my great-aunt on my grandfather’s side. Her children, Jack, Bruce, Charlotte, and Anika, are my second cousins.” Casey was sure that
was what they were. She could be wrong. She knew Jack’s father was her father’s uncle.

“You do know that Jack’s family and my Aunt Cheshire consider each other family, don’t you?” Charlotte looks at Casey and Leslie.

“I didn’t know that.” Casey looks at Charlotte when she answers.

“Yep, according to what my aunt Cheshire said. She and your cousin Jack are partners and consider each other’s family an extension of their own.” Charlotte didn’t know that piece of information until now.

“I bet your being pregnant by my grandfather has strengthened that bond.” Casey looks at Charlotte with a smile on her face.

“Yeah, but after this child is born. I am not going to have any more children. Two children are enough for me.”

“Don’t you mean five children are enough?” Leslie couldn’t believe that Casey had given birth to twins. As far as she knew, twins didn’t run in her or Casey’s family.

“I think five is enough.” Casey will be happy when she gives birth in four months.

“Well, we did promise your father that we would have children to carry on the Bounty name.” Leslie had a smile on her face.

“Maybe I should see about getting that drug that turned me into a fully functional woman and give it to you.” Charlotte had been surprised when they raided a drug lab.

The lab she and her team raided was making all sorts of drugs. During a shootout with the gang that was manufacturing the drugs. One of the perps had shot a glass beaker and caused it to explode. The liquid inside the breaker had exploded all over her, soaking through her
undergarments and into her skin.

It wasn’t until she passed out and was taken to the hospital. She learned that she developed female reproductive organs. Not only had it given her female reproductive organs, but it caused her breasts to go up three cup sizes. She went from being a B cup to being a DD cup.

“I wouldn’t mind being like you. I’m jealous that I’m not a fully functional woman.” Leslie may have learned she was a descendant of a powerful mage.

“I’ll see if I can find who else makes that drug and get you some.” Charlotte has had three years to adjust to being a fully functional woman.

“You could always ask your cousins where they got those cat chokers.” Leslie had been consulted about those chokers by Charlotte’s aunt.

“You know they don’t know.” Charlotte had learned that everyone related to Cheshire by blood or adoption. Has been tagged by either a bracelet with a cat’s head on it or, in her cousin Tizzy and Tizzy’s sister’s case. Some choker with a cat’s head in the middle.

“So, how many people do you think will show up for Cara Bounty’s funeral?” Leslie knew how many people showed up for her and Casey’s wedding.

“The whole clan. It’s a requirement by the clan leaders.”

“How many clan leaders are there?” Leslie knew the Bounty family was huge, but this was new.

“You didn’t read the Bounty family book?” Casey looks at her wife.

“You know I have been busy learning about this amulet and my ancient bloodline.” For the past three years, Leslie has been doing everything she could to learn about the amulet around her neck.

“There are seven clan leaders. Each clan leader is a direct descendant of Remus Bounty.”

“How many children did Remus have?” Leslie was curious.

“According to the family history. He had twelve children from three different wives. Our clan is direct descendants of his first wife. She was the daughter of a Celtic chief. Also, according to our family records, she was a druid. She practiced Druidism until sometime in the fifth century the clans switched to Christianity.”

“And your family has managed to record all births of each Bounty family member?”

“Yep. There are probably some people with Bounty blood in them that we don’t know about.” Casey remembers asking her father about the whole thing.

“Wow! I don’t think anyone in Hawaii has ever managed to do that.” Charlotte knew she could trace her family to James Cook.

“The only reason why we know who is who. It’s because the different clan leaders made it mandatory for each birth, marriage, and death to be recorded. The clan leaders meet twice yearly to compare notes and make corrections in the Master book.”

“What happens if war breaks out? Then what do you do?”

“Someone will be assigned to guard the book and make sure it is kept safe. And if possible, the clan leaders will meet. If a clan leader is killed or the book is destroyed. We try to talk to other members of the clan.” Casey knew a few Bounty’s had died during the centuries.

“Has a Bounty ever gone dark, that the clans had to go after them?” Leslie was curious.

“Unfortunately, yes. When that happens, the clan leader or their representative will either handle the matter themselves or someone is hired to handled the person. Right now, there are five people in the family who's job it is to handle naughty Bounty's." Casey knew of three of them. The other two were a mystery to her. Only the clan leaders knew who they were.

Sophia and Naeun Resident, Northridge, CA.:
Sophia blocks an attack by Naeun as they practice in the gym. She spins around and kicks Naeun in the chest. She follows through with a punch to Naeun’s kidney.

Naeun tries to defend herself against her wife, but she got the better of her. She tries striking her wife, but she is blocked.

“Not this time, sweetie.” Sophia sweeps the legs out from underneath her wife and rides her down to the mats.

Naeun looks up at her wife as she straddled her body. A smile appears on her elven face “you are getting better.”

“Thanks.” Sophia leans down and kisses Naeun passionately.

“I thought you two were supposed to be practicing?” Artemis stood near the mats.

Sophia turns and looks at Artemis as she stood nearby. She wonders what Artemis wanted.

“I thought you were watching the kids?” Sophia was in her elven form.

“They are taking a nap right now. You got a text from someone named Mouse.”

Artemis hands Sophia the cell phone. She wonders who Mouse was.

Sophia accepts the cell phone and reads the text. Tears start forming in her eyes and slide down her cheek. She couldn’t believe her great-aunt had died.

Naeun noticed the tears sliding down her wife’s cheeks.

“What’s wrong sweetie?” As Naeun rubs Sophia’s thighs.

“My great aunt Cara has died. According to my cousin Mouse, she died in her sleep this morning.” Sophia hands Artemis back her cell phone.

“I’m sorry, sweetie.” Naeun knew family meant a lot to Sophia.

“Thanks. I need to contact my father and mother.” Sophia gets up from straddling Naeun and walks out of the gym, without getting her cell phone from Artemis.

Artemis helps Naeun up off the floor. She looks at Naeun “is she going to be okay?”

“She’ll be fine.”