CHAPTER 24
That month flew through our hands. Each morning, we would take our breakfast with the more normal hotel guests, and then I would join some older women for the making of beds and tidying of rooms. The work was not hard, only an hour or two each morning, and then we were free. Maman prepared meals three nights each week, and when I visited her in the kitchen I finally saw the respect my mother had earned. She was no potwasher, no servant, but the chief and director. Thierry smiled at me when I showed my surprise.

Authors Notes:
A bit of Fluffy stuff some action not much, Next part I promise more, some more characters introduced Enjoy.

One week before Summer holidays, Natali had been living on Cocoon in her parents’ big house for almost a year. She had been going to school via holo’s and Serah’s class so she didn’t have to go to the public school. She had also been doing a lot of practice with her gunblade, and learning how to shoot a bow. During the time away from her Aunt’s place she had been keeping in touch constantly with Alexa and Mindy though, and all three of the girls missed each other very badly.

A young man finds himself in for a devilish surprise.

Jesse has inherited his Grandfather’s ranch and now must fight his father to keep it while on a quest to find Coyote and his spirit animal.

"Any other bright ideas?"

"Yes, failing that, we'll bop him over the head with a blunt instrument - the blunter the better."

"We haven't got an instrument, Susie - blunt or otherwise."

"The wheel brace, Jeffrey - and we'll get out the jack as well. I've just dreamt up a super enhancement to my latest cunning plan."

"That seems barely possible, Susie. What is it?"

"We'll pretend we kicked over the jack and dropped the taxi on Willy while he was inspecting the spondulicks. That'll prove to Wally we're as ruthless as he is."

"Except we don't have a gun," I objected, hurrying after her to the back of the van.

"We won't need one; that's the beauty of my scheme. We'll wait until Wally bends down to pull out his beloved Willy, and then - Kapow!"

"What if Wally's so ruthless, he doesn't care what's happened to his beloved Willy?"

"No man's that ruthless, Jeffrey."

The invaders came the first time bearing gifts, we all thought that they were just traders but a year later they arrived in force with rifles and cannon and attacked us in great numbers. We didn't stand a chance and retreated deeper and deeper into the Great Forest where we would be safe for a time.

Christmas has arrived, the anniversary of briony and Daphne's first meeting. Just a brief chapter describing some items of progress in their lives and a brief cameo of Daphne's family history.

The Welsh Mountain Ram 32.

Briony... Betrayed wife and mother.
Sion... Her eight-year-old son.
Ellairy... Her nine-month--old daughter.
Arfon... Brionys’ abusive and unfaithful husband.
Dave Cadwalloder... Welsh bachelor hill-farmer.
Jenny and Lassie... Daves’ sheepdog bitches.
Laddie... Daves’ sheepdog.
Jessica and Pansy... Daves’ sows.

After the transformation

“I’m a girl now, mom. What do we do?”

“Well, there’s one thing I wont do hon. I wont be forcing you into skirts and heels.”

“You.... wont?”

“God, no. I cant even imagine how traumatic this has been. The last thing you need is me making things worse by throwing you into the deep end of girlhood. You can be a tomboy as long as you need to.”

“Thanks. Maybe I’ll try some skirts too, and see how I feel.”

“Sounds good. Lets go shopping.”

 © 2012, by Susan J. Charles. All rights reserved
Edited by Holly H. Hart

Covered Bridges-3.

Chapter 3

The good thing about being a woman is crying. I lived a lot of my life before becoming me holding everything back because when you were that kid that was me in school and you cried everything was ten times worse.

Last night sucked.

I was hurting and alone and bawled myself to sleep and feel better for doing it, for getting the shit out of my system. And it took me a lot of years to get to where I can cry without feeling guilty about it.