Chapter 2

Taylor opened her eyes.

She saw pink.

There was no pink in their bedroom. She blinked. Still pink. Mind slowly coming online, she noticed there was an outline to the pink, two long straight lines. Also, it wasn't so much pink as maybe flesh...

Ah, it was an arm.

A child's arm.

Reaching up, she gently lifted John Carter's arm from her face and saw Rachel's six year old snuggled against her under the quilt. He was sleeping soundly, face at peace. With a smile, Taylor gave his forehead a quick kiss then lifted herself up on her elbows to get a better look at the sleeping arrangements. Mei was gone. No surprise, as she had always been an early riser and the baby wasn't helping matters. Rachel and Anita were still asleep, with five year old Neil and little Shizuku using them as pillows. None of the older girls had come in the night, which Taylor thought was a good sign. It would be up to them to set a good example for the younger ones. A glance at the clock showed it was just after seven in the morning. Should she go back to bed? The gods knew she would need all the sleep she could get. No ... sleep could wait. She wanted caffeine.

Carefully, extracting herself from John Carter's grasp then pulling the covers back over him, she made her way off the bed. Fuzzy puppy slippers slipped onto her feet, and warm unicorn robe wrapped around her thin frame, she made her way out of the bedroom and down stairs to the kitchen.

Mei was already there, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the Sunday paper on the kitchen table. Looking up, she nodded towards the stove.

"Tea kettle went off a couple minutes ago. I was thinking of putting some bacon and eggs on."

"Thanks." Taylor paused as she passed to give Mei a quick kiss. She felt Mei's hand come up to hold her head as the kiss deepened, Mei's need expressing itself in her exploring tongue. Taylor closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment. This was what she loved about love. The small moments like this. One hand dropped down to rest on Mei's belly, and she felt a soft hand slip into her robe and caress a small breast. Breaking the kiss, she looked down into Mei's sad, shining eyes.

"I need you, Taylor..."

"We all need each other."

Anita's voice came from behind them. With no trace of embarrassment, the two turned their heads to see her and Rachel coming up to them. Both were in slippers and robes, and the next few minutes saw kisses and caresses traded among the lovers. With a resigned sigh, Anita turned to Rachel.

"So, what's today's agenda?"

"First, breakfast." From above them, the sound of a shower starting was faintly heard. "Yes. I'd prefer to drag you all into a spare bedroom for half an hour, but it's gonna have to be breakfast first. Maybe tonight." The others nodded, exchanging soft touches. "We probably should be at the hospital by 9 AM or so, see what's going on. Get in contact with the funeral home ... probably should have done that yesterday, but whatever. I'll do that. Anita, start calling the family. If you can get a calling tree going, that should help. Make sure you call Buffalo State as well, so they can deal with his classes. If they need his lesson plans, we can drop them off when we go to clear out his office."

"What about the kids?" Taylor asked. She still had a hand on Mei, having felt a kick and wanting to feel a repeat performance.

"Freddy and Cindy will have to keep them busy. If it works out, we'll bring them to the hospital in two waves to see Violet."

"Morning..."

Rachel turned to see three groggy pre-teen girls with wild hair and fuzzy slippers standing there. Smiling, she opened her arms and drew them into a hug.

"So, who wants what for breakfast?"

Cindy sat on the living room couch, mind blank. Some movie was on TV, animated. It was one she liked, but couldn't have said which one it was exactly. One of those with a young girl who looks like Nausicaa.

Shizuku was in her lap, half sleeping. She had refused to go lie down alone for a nap, so Cindy was letting her do it here. Menolly snuggled against her right side, Elly to the left. Both had inherited some of their Dad's height, unlike Cindy, so despite being seven or eight years younger were able to rest their heads on her shoulder. Elly was like Cindy in that she had the same abnormally thin waif like body as Mommy Taylor, but at this stage in her development Elly looked like a beanpole. Blond Menolly was starting to show the curves of her birth mother Rachel, although it was still very slight. The rest of the kids were scattered around the room. Both Freddy and Jaxom had a sibling in their lap or next to them, thoughts on how they were too grown up for that kind of thing forgotten for now.

The only one missing was Violet.

There had never, in Cindy's entire life, been a moment when Violet wasn't there. Even more so than Daddy. Only a half year apart, Violet had been her first playmate. Her first friend. The one she told secrets to, ran to when something happened, crawled into bed with when she was afraid. Violet was the one she had looked up to, had wanted to copy. Oh, Cindy was her own girl in most ways, such as style and dress, and had her own interests. But, as soon as Violet showed an interest in some book, or band, Cindy just had to try it. Her older sister was just so cool and knowledgeable about such things! Luckily the same hadn't been true with boys: neither had ever gone after the same one, or even gone for a discarded ex. They had tried brothers once, though. That hadn't turned out well!

That memory brought a smile to her lips. The two of them, both kicking their dates in the crotch for suggesting they lose their virginity in a four way orgy. Hell no!

The doorbell echoed into the living room. Freddy, lap empty, stood and headed out. Cindy gave the matter no further thought. Her mind once again was on Violet. How she had looked, almost lifeless on that hospital bed. You could see her breathe, chest rising and falling, but that was it. She didn't think John Carter and Neil had really understood, and wished to hell she hadn't. Who was going to comfort her...

"Cindy! Someone to see you!"

What the hell was Freddy yelling about. Or, should they start calling him Fred now. No, it was too soon for that. With a sigh, Cindy put her arms under Shizuku and stood, holding the toddler. Turning, she placed her down in her seat, head on Menolly's lap, and headed towards the front hall. Who the hell would come out here on a Sunday. Especially with snow starting to come down a bit, and their long driveway. Turning the corner ... she saw Greg.

"Greg!"

Ignoring her grinning brother, she sprinted toward her boyfriend. With one powerful leap she was in his arms, feet off the ground. Strong brown arms wrapped around her like she was a baby, gently cradling her slight form as all composure left.

"Greg! Greg! Greg! Greg! Greg!" Face pressed into his shoulder, she couldn't stop crying. Behind her, Freddy gave his classmate a somber nod.

"Take care of her."

"I will, man."

They went for a walk in the snow.

Cindy's home was on the site of an old farm, bought up before the developers could turn it into a few dozen McMansion lots. Fred had built the new house set in the middle, surrounded by their own private park and garden. Evergreen trees and bushes pushed out of the snow, providing color in this winter wonderland. Bare hand holding his, Cindy led Greg on a wandering path around the house. She was clad in faded, light blue, jeans, a pink winter coat covering her sweater. Long brown hair, almost a match for her mother's, fell to her waist. Greg towered over her in his dark red Clarence hockey varsity jacket. Fred had always been amused at his children going to a school with a "red devil" as a mascot, even more so when his daughters started dating Red Devils. So long as they picked the good ones.

Cindy pulled herself closer to Greg as they walked, her small white hand almost lost in his large brown one.

"How did you know?"

He looked down at her. Greg had never seen this lovely creature so sad. It was all he could do not to just stop, hold her, and never let go. He contented himself with squeezing her hand.

"Rick saw the report on the news last night and recognized the last name. He gave me a call this morning." His expression became concerned. "Why didn't you call me, Cindy? You know I'm always there when you need me." She looked down at her feet.

"I ... I just couldn't. I didn't want to drag you into this."

"Didn't ... Cindy, that's the entire point of loving someone! I'm here to have your problems dumped on me! You should know that!"

"I do..."

"Then take advantage of me! That's what I'm here for!"

Cindy barked out a laugh, a trait taken from Mommy Rachel, casting an amused eye up at her man.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Greg let out an exasperated sigh.

"You know what I mean. I just ... want to help you."

Cindy was silent. Their feet were taking them towards the play house and fort. Greg couldn't help but look at it with envy. His parents were well off, one reason they were living in Clarence, but nothing he had as a kid matched this for coolness. Hell, he wouldn't mind one now. It was an old west cavalry fort, complete with small block houses on the corners, about twenty feet square. In the middle was a matching playhouse, complete with kitchen and all the furnishings young pioneers would need to invent their own fantasies. One could tell both the fort and the house were well used, the wear showing not carelessness on the part of the Hunt children, but love. Toys were meant to be played with.