Most people who knew the old me would have told you I never would have amounted to anything other than a long time occupant of a federal hotel if you know what I mean.

But here I am on this stage fixing to receive my BIO chemical engineering degree, I would like to see the look on their faces, of coarse they would most likely never recognize me unless they knew what happened.

PREVIOUSLY
Dawn and Aunt Susan took me to get me some more clothes and if possible I would stay with them and finish the school year. Dawn was thrilled that Danica was to continue and wanted me to finish the school year with her. Shopping ended with a stop to get cosmetics and skin and hair care items. I was surprised that supportive in getting what I needed.

Chapter 9

January snow blew hard against the cabin, building a thick blanket over the mountain, covering it in white. Kodiak had left the cabin and was heading to the smokehouse for meat that had been cured late in the fall. It was unmistakable that I was pregnant; there was no way to doubt the fact that our kicking child was growing inside of me.

Kodiak had become quite the caretaker of me. He wouldn't allow me to do anything physical. Though we had been forced to sleep in the same bed, only to stay warm...he never once had done anything to take advantage of our predicament...though, why would it matter now. I waited at the kitchen window for him to return, slowly sipping on my coffee. I too had grown accustomed to the fact that I would be a mother, slowly warming up to the undeniable truth that it would happen whether I liked it or not.

Chapter 31

Sometime after 4:00 a.m., I heard a soft tapping at my door. I rolled out of the bed and quietly shuffled across the room and pulled the door open. It was the bar maid who had spoken with me, "How serious were you when you said that you'd help me get the necklace?"

I opened the door and ushered her inside, then looked down both directions of the hall to make sure no one saw her enter. "Do you have an idea on how to get it from him?"

She smiled, "I've already started." I glanced at what she was wearing; the silky sleeping gown was very provocative and sexy. "I've finally agreed to allow him to train me in the finer aspects of my sex, so he's supposed to come to my room in half an hour. You can hide out there and bash him over the head once he enters."

Chapter 20

I was up before the sun had risen; I silently brushed my teeth using the light that was from glowing coals in the fireplace. After spitting outside, I carried two logs to the hearth, and placed them in, banking the red embers around them. I quietly stood and paused at her door, looking in, gazing upon the woman I treasured. Samantha was asleep, her golden hair fanned around her face like the warm rays of the sun. I caught my breath; her look was so serene and peaceful. It was all I could do to not approach her slumbering form and smother her with kisses. It was best that I left and busied myself with chores.

Set in the backdrop of Tennessee during the American Civil War, a young, underage soldier is separated from his unit after a fierce battle. While trying to locate them, he inadvertently stumbles into mortal danger on a very dark and quiet evening. With nowhere to run, Jeremy must learn to accept the changes that have been wrought upon his body... changes that may prevent him from ever returning home again!

Chapter 16

I caught them all off guard. Over the last several weeks they had relaxed their watch over me. So, the first chance I got, Samuel, Jonah and I took our little buggy and headed off for a quick visit to town. That was the story I had given them, but I had no intention of stopping there... nor ever returning home. The youngster, Jonah, was my driver and at about five miles away from the plantation, I had him stop the buggy.

"I can take it from here, Jonah." I took the reins from his hands.

"Ma'am?" He looked at me with astonishment as I pointed toward the side of the road with a nod of my head.

"You can get out here, and head back home." I waited as he climbed down to the ground, then, without a second glance, snapped the reins and drove away leaving the perplexed youth watching me as I disappeared.

Set in the backdrop of Tennessee during the American Civil War, a young, underage soldier is separated from his unit after a fierce battle. While trying to locate them, he inadvertently stumbles into mortal danger on a very dark and quiet evening. With nowhere to run, Jeremy must learn to accept the changes that have been wrought upon his body... changes that may prevent him from ever returning home again!

This story has been two years in the making. I hope you find as much pleasure reading it, as I did writing, 'The Yankee Belle'.

I stood there looking across the street in a daze till the door to the large house opened.

I sat alone on the little park bench and contemplated the chance that had been offered to me. Slowly rolling the golden wish coin between my fingers. It had passed into my hands earlier that week but I really had nothing I wanted, I was pretty successful, and fairly wealthy... even in my advanced age.

The only thing I could have ever improved upon is my utter loneliness, up until about 10 years ago that too would have been far beyond my needs. The day that I lost my beautiful wife of 63 years was the day that I died as well. I frowned and looked at the remarkable coin, If only it would have come sooner... maybe I could have saved my dear wife.

PART 1 OF 3 this just came to me
please read and comment.

Chapter 57: Dave

That summer started to get much better after our little vacation, I took the day off that Thor had saved me and spent all day playing with him. We were in the yard between my house and Sarah's. It was fun, and people kept giving Thor hugs and treats when I told them what day it was.

Chapter 53: Sarah

Ashley pulled on my arm and asked, "So where do you want to go first?"

I looked down at Dave, and he looked like someone had just hit him over the head with a club.

Dave said, "I don't know."

Ashley stopped pulling and looked at her. "Are you OK, Sissy?"

"Huh, I… uh… yeah, I'm OK."

"Are you sure? You don't look OK."

Dave shook himself. "There's so much stuff and people."

I let out a little chuckle and then pulled them over to a bench on the side of the path. "Let's sit here a minute, until Sissy catches up."

Chapter 49: Sarah

Monday morning I was going to see if Dave wanted to go for a walk, and if he wanted me to go with him. I was just about out the door, when I saw him and Thor part way down the street. They were walking the opposite direction that they normally went, and Dave had a distinct waddle to his walk.

Chapter 45: Steve

We'd finished talking with Dave and I confessed what I had not to anyone else, my fear of heights. A couple of people knew, but none of them how much they scared me.

"So, how do you feel now?" Sarah asked Dave.

"Uh, wet, and tired, and all stuffy."

I jumped in without really thinking, "Well Cecelia, I think we can fix those problems, a clean diaper, and a nap should help." I got up and walked over.

Chapter 41: Steve

I got home from lunch on Monday, and saw that I had message waiting for me. I hit the play button and "Hello, Steve? This is Sarah, Dave's landlady, I or rather Dave needs a favor from you. Could you give me a call back this afternoon? Thanks."

Chapter 37: Ashley

We pulled into the parking lot of the Vet's office and there were two people standing outside with a gurney. As soon as Bob got out of truck, they started towards us. Bob picked Thor up and put him on the gurney and all of us headed towards the door.

I listened as Bob talked to the Doctor, "Don't try to separate the two of them. Thor is likely to get violent."

"Come on Bob, Thor wouldn't hurt anyone. He is one of the friendliest dogs I ever seen," the Doctor said. Apparently everyone thought about Thor this way.

Chapter 33: Steve

I turned and watched them leave. The woman was holding his hand like he was a child. That was weird, because while he had been in school the one thing that he had always objected to was being treated as a child. Something else had changed besides that, he was much more outgoing, and happy. Much different from the person I had met four and half years ago.

Part III: Tyke

Chapter 29: Dave

January passed quickly. I spent some time with Sarah, and tutoring Ashley. She would come over for tutoring in all of her subjects, even though she really didn't need help in all of them.

Chapter 26: Dave

Sarah invited me over to her place for Christmas Eve; I guessed that she wanted me to be able to open presents Christmas Morning. She showed up that morning to help me carry the presents over to her house so we wouldn't have to come back to get them tomorrow. It took us a couple of trips to carry them all, Sarah grumbling that we would have to just take them out tomorrow.

We added my presents to the pile of her presents for us to move tomorrow, it was quite a stack. "Wow, there sure are a lot of presents here."

Chapter 22: Dave

I got up Monday morning and went through my usual ablutions. When I went to put my pants on, I noticed that they were tighter than normal, so tight that I could barely fasten them. That was not good, now why would I be gaining weight. I thought about it for a while, and realized that with Thor out there, I was not getting any exercise.

Chapter 18: Sarah

A knock on my door woke me up, and I felt horrible, I was still in the kitchen were I was when Dave left. I looked blurrily over at the clock and whomever it was knocked again. I yelled, "Go away."

The door opened anyway. I thought for a moment, "Judy is that you?"

"Yes, and I brought a friend."

I walked over and saw Judy and Dave. Dave leaped at me and I caught him up in a hug. He was crying and babbling, and so was I. We hugged and cried together for a few minutes. When we finally let go, I looked to thank Judy and she was gone.

Part II: TODDLER

Chapter 14: Dave

I was working one afternoon, when there was a knock on my door. I got up to see whom it was, and was surprised to see Judy and Ashley there. "Hi, what's up?"

Judy, looking a little harried, answered "There was a big crash on the Interstate. They need me at work right away. Can you watch Ashley 'til Joe gets home? He should be home in a couple of hours."

"Ummm, sure. But doesn't Sarah usually do that?"

Chapter 10: Dave

It was shortly after lunch and I decided that I could use a break. I pulled on a pair of shoes, and checked out the door to see if that monster was around. I could hear it, but it didn’t seem to be nearby. I locked my door as I went to check to my mail, I never got much and the box was usually empty. I walked briskly over to the mailboxes, the less time where the dog could get at me, the better.

Checking for mail, I found the box empty as usual, I heard a voice. “Hey, little girl give us your money.”