Chapter 16

Margie still has the Narrative:

Robert was the first one to arrive a little later, and he looked as tired as I felt, but was smiling when he entered. There was no smile in his voice, however.

“Margie, what’s wrong? I felt your unease and came as quickly as possible,” he asked.

“There is a problem with one of our Daughters,” I told him, not wanting to explain everything immediately.

“A problem?”

“Yes, I’ll explain,” I told him, and reached for my first Daughter.

“This is our first born. She has a fine strong Magic Talent, a Strong Mage Talent, and she is a Tiger in her Were-form, a Siberian Tiger like her Grandfather and her Mother,” I told him with a smile.

“That doesn’t sound like she has any problems,” Robert stated.

“No, it’s our second Daughter who has the problem,” I told him, as I returned our first Daughter to her place and reached for the second one.

“This is our second Daughter,” I told him, holding her up for him to see.

“She looks just like the first one. The same red wrinkled skin and the same flaming red hair. What could be wrong?” he asked with a frown.

“Yes, she is very similar to her Sister. She has the same fine Magic Talent, and the same strong Mage Talent, but she is not a Tiger,” I told him, to a surprised look from him.

“Is that so terrible?” he asked. “Is that what was worrying you?”

“No, it’s not just that she isn’t a Tiger. It’s that she is something else, something that I wasn’t expecting. Your second Daughter is a ... a DRAGON!” I finally got out. Robert stared at me for several seconds while what I had said soaked in, then he smiled.

“A Dragon, what’s so bad about that? I’m a Dragon after all,” he said in a happy voice.

“I wasn’t expecting there to be a difference, and don’t understand how it could have happened. I don’t think that Amelia and Aideen are aware of the difference either, as they don’t get many parents who are part Were,” I told him. Robert looked a bit bemused, but I could feel his happiness on learning that one of his children was a Dragon.

“I’ll be able to teach her how to fly and how to use her Dragon Magic,” he mused happily before coming over to kiss me and both of our Daughters.

I was feeding the girls for the third time when my Parents and some of the leaders of the Clan arrived several hours later. I had managed to get some sleep in between feedings, and was feeling much better. Robert was currently asleep on the sofa across the room from me. He had watched with interest when Amelia and Celeste had changed the girls’ diapers earlier. My Mother was the first of those arriving through the door.

“How do you feel, Margie?” she inquired as the others entered behind her. There was my Father, Carl, Uncle Aengus, Aunt Gale, and two of my other Great Aunts and their Husband.

“So now you’re a Mother. Have you named the children yet?” Aunt Gale asked. Robert had been awakened by their entry and was sitting up on the sofa.

“Congratulations, young man,” Uncle Aengus told him, as they shook hands.

“Yes, Aunt Gale, I have named each of them,” I told her and reached for the Daughter at my left breast, and held her up for all to see. She was rather unhappy at being interrupted while nursing, and allowed all to know that with a loud squall.

“This is my first born Daughter whom I have named Mary Margaret O’Connell. She has a fine Magic Talent, a strong Mage Talent and she is a Tiger in Were-form,” I told them to looks of surprise, but I hurried on, not giving them time to say anything, as I quickly returned Margie to my left breast to finish nursing before picking up my other Daughter who was nearly finished.

“This is my second Daughter, whom I have named Mary Kathleen O’Connell. She too has a fine Magic Talent, and a strong Mage Talent but... !” and here I paused to draw a breath for the rest of the announcement.

“But she is not a Tiger. Instead, she is a Dragon like her Father. I have no idea how that happened,” I finished. My Relatives were more than a little shocked by all of this, but the shocks weren’t quite over yet, as the Eternal Flame appeared over the bed that I and my Daughters were in before they could make any comments on what they had heard. There were more gasps from my Relatives at this.

“I am the one responsible for the difference in the children. I insured that Margie produced two eggs at the same time, and I was the one that guided how they were fertilized. This is all a part of MY plan for this Reality. Their names, however, were not of my doing, but I approve of them,” the voice from the Flames said in less than its usual booming voice, so as not to frighten the infants. It disappeared following this pronouncement. My Relatives and I were all in shock on hearing this.

“But naming her Children after the Founders!” one of my Great Aunts murmured in shock. “It’s unheard of and has never been done before,” she finished in a disapproving voice. Katie had grown tired of me holding her up by now and let out a squall so that everyone knew it. I returned her to my right breast for some additional nursing.

“It isn’t wise to argue with the Eternal Flame, It always gets Its way,” Uncle Aengus reminded those present in a tired voice. Amelia entered then or tried to.

“There are too many of you in here. Only three visitors are allowed in the room at a time. Some of you will need to wait outside,” she informed them.

“Most of us will be leaving now,” Aunt Gale assured her as everyone filed out, but my Mother and Father, who remained along with Robert.

“Can I hold them?” Mother asked hovering over the bed in anticipation. I handed her Margie who had finished nursing.

“She needs to be burped,” I told my Mother, and Aideen handed her a towel for her shoulder before she lay Margie there and gently patted her back.

“We’ll take these two out for a while when they finish burping,” Amelia told Mother and me. “Get some sleep, young lady,” she added. The twins and my Parents were soon gone, leaving only Robert with me.

“You should go home and get some sleep,” I told him, seeing how tired he looked.

“Will you be all right?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m going to sleep until it’s time to feed the girls again,” I told him in a tired voice. He kissed me before vanishing, and I was asleep in no time.

Three days later, the girls and I were allowed to go home. We went to my house here in the O’Connell Realm. I was in no condition to try to move to the new house on Plantation Lane yet. Besides all of the baby furniture was here at my house. Mother had moved the necessary furniture here from the warehouse where it was kept. It had been used by various members of the Clan for a number of years, but was still in nearly new condition since babies soon out grew it, and it was replaced by larger furniture.

Over the next couple of weeks, while I recovered and tended my children, Mother, Robert, Celeste, and Frank with the help of some of my male Relatives moved the furniture and other things that we had bought into the first two houses, which were now both finished. Mother and Celeste set the first house up the way that they knew that I liked things. Additionally, they purchased the necessary items for the kitchen, such as the stove, cabinets, and a large farm house table in addition to a table and chairs for the dinette from stores in Statesboro. Things like pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and of course firewood were also purchased locally. Mother purchased a cold box in the Reality of Continuous Magic as well as a number of Magic powered lamps and moved all of them to the house. The second house was sealed and a protective spell was placed on it until it was to be occupied.

By the first week of October, I felt well enough to transfer my children and myself to the new house on Plantation Lane along with our clothes, the babies’ furniture, and most of the food from my house in the O’Connell Realm. My Daughters had kept me very busy with their care and the need to nurse every couple of hours, day and night. My breasts, being even more sensitive now from their constant nursing, had me in a constant state of arousal and in great need of sexual release.

Of course, I was still somewhat sore upfront, even though Amelia and Aideen had used their Mage skills to increase my rate of healing. I had nearly needed to force Robert to take me in my back door the first time to obtain some relief.

“Thank you, darling,” I whispered to him as I recovered from the series of orgasms that he had induced in me before I passed out in bliss.

“Are you sure that you are okay?” he asked, as I snuggled up against him.

“Yes, I’m marvelous now, but will need another round of sex in two days at the most, as the girls really get me aroused when they suck on my breasts,” I told him. Once he saw that there were no problems, he was as eager to continue as I was.

Celeste had taken Grace to her final prenatal appointment before her baby was due, as I had been in the clinic with my Daughters at the time. On Wednesday the 9th of October, I had Frank and her move over to Grace and Owen’s house, so they could move them to the clinic in the O’Connell Realm when Grace was due. I had of course visited her after we moved into our new house.

“Oh Margie, they are so adorable,” she said when I appeared in her parlor. “May I hold one?” she asked next, and I passed little Margie to her to hold for a time. Margie instantly began to scream on detecting Grace’s different Talent, and wasn’t quiet until I was holding her again.

“What’s wrong?” Grace asked in confusion.

“She didn’t recognize your Talent and was afraid,” I told her. “Try holding Katie, she’s more used to being held by someone else, as her Father often holds her,” I told Grace. Katie was a little grumpy also but soon settled down in Grace’s arms.

“How can they be so different?” Grace asked.

“They are almost the same, it’s just that one is a Tiger, and the other one is a Dragon,” I told her. Grace looked at the infant in her arms with a worried expression.

“Which one do I have?” she asked in a strained voice.

“Katie is the Dragon,” I told her much to her surprise.

It didn’t require long for Grace to reach her delivery time, and on the morning of Tuesday, the 15th of October, Celeste and Frank transferred Grace and Owen to the maternity clinic in the O’Connell Realm to deliver her son, Patrick Owen O’Malley O’Connell. A seven pound eight ounce bouncing baby boy with bright red hair, blue eyes, and a strong Talent.

Robert and I along with my Daughters went to visit her later that day. Frank had told us that Owen had nearly worn out the floor in the waiting room as he had paced so hard while waiting. When we arrived, Grace’s Son had finished nursing and was asleep next to her. He had some of that bright red hair visible above the blue blanket that he was wrapped in. Amelia had insisted that the girls remain outside of the room with Aideen and her, but I thought it was only so they could hold them for a time.

“How do you feel, Grace?” I asked her after looking at the baby.

“Tired and sore, but better than I was earlier. The O’Connell Sisters told me that they had started my healing already and reminded me to renew my Pregnancy Prevention Spell in a day or two. I’m certainly glad that that we are finished canning and that most of the harvest is already in, as I wouldn’t have the energy for any of that now,” she told me in a tired voice. Little Patrick started fussing then, but Grace didn’t appear to be in any condition to deal with the problem, a feeling I knew only too well.

“Mind if I hold him for a while? Maybe I can get him to settle down,” I told her.

“No, go ahead. I’m too tired right now to figure out what’s wrong,” she told me in a very tired voice. I held little Patrick and used my Mage senses to determine what had disturbed him. He was quite wet and uncomfortable. There was a station set up to change diapers there in the room, and I quickly had him changed. Once he was wrapped back up in his blanket, he was sound asleep again shortly. I returned him to Grace’s side, and was going to tell her to get some sleep as he would soon be hungry again, but she was already asleep. Robert and I tiptoed out, so as to not disturb either of them.

After collecting our Daughters, we spoke to Owen on the way out. He was doing better now, and was as proud a papa as could be. He would be staying here with Grace tonight, but would go home tomorrow to finish the last of their harvest. Joe was taking a break also today, so he thought they could finish what was left in a day or two.

Grace and her Son came home on Friday, the 18th. Celeste had been cooking for Owen and Joe while Grace was away, and she and Frank remained to help out for the next two weeks.

None of us on Plantation Lane did much to celebrate Samhain this year. Neither Grace or I could do any drinking yet as we were both breast feeding our children. Celeste and Frank did return to the O’Connell Realm for the festivities there, and stayed at my house, but needed to buy food as I had brought most of the food with me when we moved. I understand from the newspaper accounts that Halloween in Statesboro was a very lively celebration this year.

Neither of our Families attended church in Statesboro until Sunday the 17th of November. Uncle Seamus had held services for us in Owen’s chapel and had baptized all three infants. On the seventeenth, all of us transferred to the church that Owen and Grace attended, arriving about ten minutes before the service. Grace and I brought our children with us, and they thankfully slept through the service. The ladies there were amazed to see that I had twin Daughters, but didn’t comment about Grace’s Son. They were very polite if a bit reserved, possibly because of what had happened to Mrs. Schelton, which they apparently all knew about.

Thursday of the following week, the 28th, was Thanksgiving, and Grace, Owen, and Joe celebrated it at our new house on Plantation Lane with Celeste, Frank, Robert, and me. My girls were now ten weeks old and doing very well. Grace’s Son was six weeks old that week. We had acquired a turkey in Savannah and roasted it at our house. Grace made some of the vegetables at her house and transferred them to my kitchen. I also made some frozen vegetables that I brought with me from my house in the O’Connell Realm. We had both made pies and Christmas cookies. The children were much too young to enjoy them, but the adults certainly did.

Just short of four weeks later was Christmas. We all attended Midnight Services in the O’Connell Realm. Grace and Owen were amazed at the quality of our choir, and had a number of questions.

“Your Relatives sing wonderfully, how can I join them?” Grace asked.

“Yes, many of the O’Connell Women have very fine voices. The Founders had fine voices and often sang in church. They encouraged their Daughters and Granddaughters to sing also. It has grown since then to include most of the Female members of the Clan, but only a limited number sing in the choir each year. However, there are many groups that sing on other occasions and you could easily join one of them, but I must warn you that they practice often, and you might not be free at those times,” I told her. Grace appeared very disappointed on hearing this.

“We could start our own singing group, just Celeste, you, and me. That way we could practice when we all have time,” I suggested, “especially when we work together.”

“Yes, that would work,” Grace agreed in a much happier voice.

We had decorated our houses for the holiday with what was available in Statesboro and Savannah. We even had a tree at each house, but had to be very careful with the candles used to light it. The balls, strings of popcorn, and tinsel made the trees look wonderful even when the candles weren’t lit. A very good time was had by the six of us at the dinner that we had that day at Grace and Owen’s house. Joe had gone into town for Christmas week and the week leading up to New Year’s. He had friends and Relatives that he wanted to visit over the holidays.

For New Year’s Eve, we all went to the O’Connell Realm for a short time, taking the children with us. The Girls were now over three months old, and young Patrick was more than two months old. We only stayed for the dinner and some slow dancing, as the celebrating would wake the children plus Grace and I were still a bit tired from taking care of them. We also only had a taste of the ale, and drank mostly water and a bit of tea, as we were still breast feeding the children. We left for home well before midnight and the start of 1908.