** Sorry about the absence. I was renovating, got injured and couldn't take the time to rest and recover. Writing was difficult.
Everything should be back on schedule now.

“I look like an idiot,” I said to my reflection and the empty room.

Chapter 30

The blonde was Sharron and the dark one was Carol. The baby was Tabitha. Once they had stood and gathered their bags of baby necessities, I led them into the clinic where we left the baby with the vet’s wife to look after while I took them though to Jordan’s office.

Chapter 2

She laughed and went back to her desk. Tomorrow, she hoped, a few more answers would be forthcoming. This one had the feel of her last big case, in her mind, this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

The next day, the three detectives went north to see the doctor and the bank manager. The first would see them, in his clinic, at ten, the other, at the bank after eleven. Sally had spoken to her friend, and they had agreed to meet on his lunch break, at a café in Burton.

Chapter 29

The lunch was very nice. Discussion was launched on whether we would be able to do solo violin concerts in future seasons, and a question was put to me about a piano concert some time. We told them to get in touch with Allan as he could work out likely dates but that we may be busy with the “For those who Served” shows next year and were unlikely to be touring as we were this summer.

Chapter 1

Detective Chief Inspector Susan Cousins sat at her desk in the open office and thought about the last couple of months. It had been a whirlwind of interesting events, the least of them being the winding up of the Shields case.

Chapter 8

Andy got up and went to the bag that held the extra kit that they had brought with them. They went off to the left end of the ledge and he stood, with his back to her, as she put the wetsuit on. He checked her for wrinkles. Then they went back to the bag, and he pulled out a weight belt.

“Any idea of what you weigh?”

When she told him, he took off a few weights and helped her put it on. Then she put on the harness for the tank.

Chapter 27

Louise got on her phone to Etienne to get him to call the place we had been to lunch yesterday because he knew the owner. Then she told him that we needed lunch for the Stable Sisters plus four and she smiled as she put her phone away.

“He’s shocked,” she said. “He said that the music shop will pay for lunch as long as we stroll around the corner for some pictures there.”

Janet laughed. “Edie, we let you come early and when we arrive you have helpers, transport, and now free lunches. What else did you organize?”

Chapter 7

“All right, Alex. You’ve got yourself a deal. Now let’s cut the chat and get in there!”

Sue ceremonially opened the grill lock and gave the keys to Alex. He went to the steel door and opened the padlock, after a bit of juggling. He pulled the door open, and then looked inside. It was a fissure, about five feet high and two feet wide, which went back about six feet before turning sharply to the left, going behind the wall of the cave.

Chapter 6

Andy had a little help from Charlie as he made himself ready. It would be a bit different, negotiating tunnels with a weight belt and tank on. The mask was hooked to a snap lock on the harness, and Charlie gave him a short cable with a snap lock on both ends to attach the flashlight to the belt. The fins went on another snap lock, and he felt that if he had to walk very far, like this, he would need a rest before he could do anything.

Chapter 25

On the flight home on Sunday afternoon, I sat between Maureen and Mom and quietly spoke about the future as Ali dozed in my arms.

Mom said that she was going to push Dad into being in Fort Lauderdale by Easter and Maureen said that this would be a traditional weekend for Jordan and me to wed.

We batted it around a bit, and, between us, we thought about an Easter Sunday wedding, at the farm, with a big marquee set up. It would be kept quiet from the press, just for invited guests.

“What's wrong with Petra?” Ella asked, as her group arrived back at the beach house.

Puberty Changed Everything - Part 2

In Which I Have A Conversation Through The Door, And Wait For That Person’s Return

My body felt heavy and someone’s hand was gently holding mine. Everything was soft and warm, I seemed to be sleeping in a very comfortable bed. My eyes slowly blinked open.

The person formerly know as Sasha who was currently inhabiting my body smiled down at me tenderly. “Hey, pet… you okay?” She petted my arm softly with her free hand, and I pulled away my hand from hers, which she didn’t stop, although she frowned slightly.

It was one of my worst nightmares.

I was naked in the middle of a crowded city street and everyone was looking at me. My nemesis, who had threatened to kill me twice, and was just as naked as I was, was holding me tightly against his chest. Our clothes had completely vanished, sucked up by a street cleaning machine, which was going on it's merry way completely ignoring us. And I couldn't breathe.

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade

Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and without.

Chapter 22

We all flew back on Sunday morning and my parents were treated to concert pianist class for the first time. On the way they told me that they wanted to join us when the band played in Florida on our next leg, which started in the following week.

Chapter 21

Christmas Eve, the family sat in our lounge to watch it. I had put some serious money into the family coffers and Dad had bought a giant flat screen TV and sound bars.

That night, Jordan and I cuddled on one sofa with Ali on our laps. Jordan had finally admitted to his mother that we were a couple. She, surprisingly, was happy to go along with it, considering that many in the wide world thought we already were Ali’s parents.

He and I would be spending the night in the stable.

I got up and walked over to within a few feet of Sasha, and her tail thumped against the couch as she looked up at me queasily.

“Sorry, Master, I didn’t mean to listen in… not that I really understood much of it… just, Master and her highness were having a conversation, and that’s more important….” I frowned a little at that reasoning.