[M] The Further Adventures of Little John and the Siblings Balloch-Chapter Three

[The Lifted Lorax]

[M rating for violence, possible sexual themes, brewing and consumption of alcohol, and also just in case]

[Chapter One Part One (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33885)
Chapter One Part Two (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34510)
Chapter Two (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35067)]


Hamish had been splitting wood. Not of the euphemistic sort, of course, though things had been going well with Adelaide Schneider's father and older brother. They had gone on a wild boar hunt, though Hamish had no idea what this proved, and brought back a large-tusked male. He'd since gained official permission to court the fair-haired lass from her father who had helped him lay the foundation of his house and put up most of the skeleton beams before the first snow fell. No, Hamish had splitting literal wood all morning for the fireplace, though the wood pile now would be enough to get them through the new year.

Since her birthday mid-November, his sister had been sick. It hadn't been the type of sick their older sister Mary nor their mother had had, a hacking cough that often came with blood and sputum. No, Fenny had been nauseated and often vomited though thankfully the snowfall starting in early December hadn't made it any worse. Now it was a week from Christmas--nearly a month since she'd been feeling this way--and Hamish had finally forced her to go see a doctor. Neither of them thought much of doctors, but neither of them were often sick either. Splitting wood calmed Hamish's nerves; the last time they'd spoken to a doctor it was to be told their mother would eventually be claimed by the same illness that had killed their sister.

Nottingham was the closest thing to a city they had and it was a two day ride. There were, however, two or three villages between here or there that were bigger than their little Hamlet and it so happened that Erick Braun needed to go into town for some supplies that day. As a favor he'd brought Fenny with him so she could go see a doctor. Now in the pale grey late afternoon Braun's cart came trundling back along carrying his sister. She jumped out near the Schnell farmstead, thanked him, and went quietly inside. Hamish followed, frowning. Fenny being quiet was almost never a good sign.

Inside Fenny was pacing. Up the ladder to the loft where her adopted sons, Harry and Charles, slept. Down the ladder to pause in the kitchen, then through the little passthrough where the door to her and her husband's bedroom was into the sitting room. Pausing and chewing her lip, looking around, she sighed and shook her head and began to trace her route in reverse.

"Fen, wha'--?" Hamish left the question hanging, fearing the worst. She was quiet and more restless than usual; cause enough to make anyone who really knew her worry.

"Where's John an' th' boys?" she asked quietly, looking at her brother with solemn eyes. In his heart he feared the worst. Without waiting for an answer she told him to go get them and he did as he was told.

Once all of her boys were gathered in the kitchen near the warm stove, she took a deep breath.

"Well boyos, I wen' ta th' doctor...an' I go' some bad news. Ge' oocher tools, coz I ken as there's snow bu' there's nothen fer et. I looked all aboot th' place an' we go' n'choice; we're gonna hafta build."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John found it slightly overwhelming how many blessings had been given to him and Fenny. Since they returned there had been nothing but happiness. Hamish had been allowed to start courting Adelaide, and that seemed to make him happy to no end. He worked tirelessly, helping with the crops and working on his house. There was an unspoken understanding that when the house was complete he could ask Adelaide to marry him.

While Herr Schneider was helping with the house his son Gunther helped John with the hops and barley harvest and the brewing. Though Harry and Charles were always around, it was Gunther who seemed to be the one truly apprenticing to the priest. They made their own syrupy mash with the barley and when they brewed the tangy scent of hops filled the valley air. They also made mead out of the honey, and sold a bit of it as well to families who didn't have their own bees. Little John worked feverishly as well that autumn, but not all of the work was simply industry working itself out of his system.

Some of it was nervousness.

Fenny's illness had confused him. Some times she was well, eating everything with a hearty appetite and happy as could be, and then other times the simplest mention of food was enough to send her running for the honey pot. They had taken to having a bucket on her side of bed to ward off the frequency of times she had gotten sick and was not able to get to out of bed in time.

Today he had been digging up hop rhizomes with the boys. If they left them in the ground it was likely that some starving ground squirrels might make a meal of their hard-earned start on next year's crop. When Hamish ran out to fetch them, John's heart grew stiller. Fenny had news from the doctor, and it didn't seem like there had been any 'good' to the news. John and the boys rushed back to the house and waited anxiously for Fenny to tell them what it was she had to say.

She had gathered them by the fireplace in the kitchen. "Well boyos, I wen' ta th' doctor...an' I go' some bad news."

Little John was glad that he was sitting. He grew paler in his worry about Fenny.

"Ge' oocher tools, coz I ken as there's snow bu' there's nothen fer et. I looked all aboot th' place an' we go' n'choice; we're gonna hafta build."

John walked up to his wife and put his arms around her, comprehension still not making its appearance. "Oh, God, Fenny. What ever it is, I want you to know we'll get through this together, okay? You're not alone." He drew back and looked into her eyes. "What did the doctor think it is?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Bad news. Hamish's blood went cold and his face grew pale. Dear merciful God please don't make him bury another of his kin before their time. When Fenny mentioned building he was confused. Building what? A coffin? He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find his voice. Little John managed to express his concerns for him.

Charles and Harry exchanged concerned looks, then frowned at the mention of tools. The Schnells had just adopted them that autumn and they were just settling down into their familial roles. In Robin Hood's camp, they had been like brothers, but they weren't actually related by blood although to look at them they both could have easily passed for Little John's sons. They had just gotten used to sharing a common father and mother, and even uncle though Hamish still never seemed quite certain what to do around them. Their little family had just been forming; they didn't want illness to tear it apart again especially not so soon.


Fenny, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as worried as anyone else did. She put her arms around her husband, though her hands didn't shake and her face wasn't pale. She looked up into his concerned eyes and their wasn't a trace of worry in her own.

"Weell I should hope we'll ge' through et tagether," she said gently, a hint of some unknown emotion beginning to show through in her voice. "Fellen trees an' knocken doon walls an' sich es hard werk ta be doin' on me owwen, spesh'lly en th' wenter, an' doc said as I shoulna be doen stuff like tha' anehwey. I'd say wait tell th' snow melts bu' we gotta be done by spreng. I mean, I looked all aboot an' there's no other place, John. We're gonna hafta build a nurs'reh." She couldn't help it anymore; the wispy little Scot's heretofore blank expression blossomed into a wide grin with sparkling, happy eyes as she searched for her husband's reaction.

After a few moments for mental processing there was the sound of wood scraping on wood as Hamish's legs finally gave out on him and he collapsed into a chair. Leaning an elbow on the table he held his head in his hands for a few moments, still unable to speak as his emotions switched directions completely. He'd kill her. He'd wring her scrawny little neck for putting him through that!

[EvelynWillows]

"We're gonna hafta build a nurs'reh."

Little John looked at Fenny's eyes. "A nursery? Like a greenhouse for flowers?" He blinked a few times and saw the grin tugging at her beautiful lips.

A nursery, where you take care of delicate things. Like....babies.

He looked back down at her. A big, goofy grin covered his face. He opened and closed his mouth, once, twice, three times...then he licked his lips and tried to talk. "Babies? We're having babies?" His eyes darted from her eyes to her stomach and back again. "Really?!"

Big strong arms engulfed her and lifted her up, spinning her around himself. "Fenny! This is wonderful! Boys, say something! You're going to have a little sister. OR brother. OR BOTH!!!!" He shook their hands vigorously as Charles and Harry smiled shyly at Fenny.

"The baby can sleep with us," Harry volunteered. "But I'm not cleaning any diapers!"

John released Fenny and grinned at Hamish. "We gotta get your house finished, brother. Then I think we should add on a few rooms here, eh? Heck! We should add on a few rooms to yours too! At this rate there'll be a yard of Schnells and Ballochs in no time!"

He grabbed both his boys and gave them hugs, which embarrassed Charles entirely. The boys looked at Fenny again, and Harry wiped his eyes as he peeled out of Little John's embrace. "I didn't know that babies made you sick," he said to Fenny. "But I'm glad you're not dying." His eyes brimmed suddenly and he threw his arms around his new mother, sobbing uncontrollably.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"A nursery? Like a greenhouse for flowers?"

Fenny giggled madly and shook her head. As slow comprehension and a goofy grin dawned across her husband's face her grin grew wider, if that was possible. She nodded vigorously when he guessed correctly and made a noise of surprise as he picked her up and spun her around. She was still caught up in his embrace when he started shaking the boys' hands and laughed when he finally released her.

"Weell I were thenken tha'," she said when Harry volunteered the loft to be shared. "Bu' I dun fancy climbin' up theer en th' meddle o' th' night, y'ken? An' ye'll clean s'many diapers as I tell ye." She nodded firmly.

"Hey whoa!" Hamish held up his hands, palms out, in protest. "Dunchee go plannen no bairns fer me boyo. Gotta meery th' lass ferst, hey?" The thought of children of his own still terrified Hamish, though he was gradually getting used to the idea. He and Adelaide had talked about it a time or two, though they'd never settled on anything definite she'd made it clear she wanted children. "An' ye!" He stood up and wrapped Fenny in a tight embrace. "Dunchee e'er do tha' ta me again. I'll wreng yer fecken neck." He grinned and kissed the top of her head before releasing her and punching her arm. "Congratchelashins."

"Oh aye, het th' pregnant wemin," Fenny teased with a grin, punching her brother back. She was caught by surprise when Harry broke free from Little John and attached himself to her, sobbing. Her heart broke a little when he said he was glad she wasn't dying and she felt a little guilty for the act she'd put on. "Ach! Lamb!" she cried, hugging him tightly back. She had stopped growing at his age so they were roughly the same height. She stroked his hair and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Aye, bairns make ye seck fer a le'l bet, bu' et goes aweey. I'm no' dyen aneh time soon. Too stubborn fer tha', love, dunchee worreh." She kissed his cheek and wiped the tears away, touched at his reaction.

[EvelynWillows]

The next few days Little John and the boys worked hard to finish hauling and stacking the wood that Hamish had split. They moved Hamish inside as well. He protested, of course, but the winters were harsh there in the hamlet, and although the man cherished his privacy, eventually he saw the sense of of sleeping inside where the warmth was. By next year he'd be in his own home any way, and Fenny could use the extra help inside.

On clear days the men would go fall trees for lumber. They had already cut plenty for hamish's home, and they were stacked and seasoning near his plot of land, but they needed land for more rooms. John was feeling ambitious; he had figured another two rooms with a back entrance between them. Then when they needed to add more (John joked that it would be another dozen), they could just add on to the hallway as well. It was on one of these clear days that they saw a horse with a woman on it leave Widow Fallow's home and head to theirs.

He watched quietly as she grew nearer. With a chill he recognized her face; Lady Morgan Renault. She stopped her horse near Little John and seemed to be struggling to come up with the right words. Finally she tightened the cloak around her shoulders and took in a deep breath. "Is...is Will Scarlet here?"

Little John shook his head. "No ma'am." He noted her tired, pale appearance. "Would you like to come in, M'Lady?"

She nodded, and Little John helped her off her horse. He blanched slightly when her condition became apparent to him. "Boys," he said, turning to Charles and Harry. "Go tell your mother we have a guest."

The boys ran off to the house and burst into the main room, bringing in a gust of cold wind. "Ma! Ma! Lady Morgan's here, and she's bigger'n you!!!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Lady Morgan's eyebrows rose when Little John Schnell told the boys to fetch their mother. She recognized the boys from the little thieves' village, but hadn't known they belonged to the odd couple. Or else there were some very unorthodox family practices going on in the Schnell household.

"Ach! Close th' door an' wipe yer feet!" Fenny chastised, brandishing a sewing needle at them.

It was a Christmas present she was working on, though it was for Hamish so she didn't hide it away hastily. For the boys she had to work on theirs after they went to bed since they were in and out all day, and John usually allowed her an hour or two before his soft, slow kisses got to be too much. Even now with a baby on the way their marriage bed didn't go cold so long as Fenny was feeling well, and she was certain that never had two people loved each other so much.

"An' o'course Lady Morgan's bigger'n me. I'm no' all tha' tall lads."

Fenny chuckled a little and stood, not quite registering what had been meant because she was more concerned with the appearance of the noblewoman. She was beginning to show a tiny bit, at roughly two months "and then some" her modest bump was a little more pronounced on her small frame than most. Then again, perhaps she was just a bit bigger than most...

"So Her Highness has reterned," she said, slipping her feet into her boots and stepping out the door after wrapping her tartan around her shoulders as a shawl. Her face fell, however, when she saw Lady Morgan's condition and that she was indeed bigger in all dimensions. Frau Schnell's eyes traveled from head to foot then back again, stopping both times at the noblewoman's belly, and she sucked hard on her teeth. "Come en, have a cuppa," she said at last, holding the door to the warm kitchen open for Morgan. "S'pose yer looken fer Well, hey?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan stepped inside the doorway and nodded. "Yes, I was hoping that he'd be with you." She took a shuddering breath. "He's not here, is he?" Her eyes brimmed over before she hastily wiped them dry.

Charles and Harry stared for a moment before rushing back outside. This was women's business. Women's teary business, and they wanted nothing to do with it.

The lady sat at Fenny's table and rested her hands on the edge. "I'm sorry to bother you like this." She took in the modest cabin and the sparse furnishings, including the little sewing project that Fenny had been working on. "I have to find Will. I can't go back without him. I have no where else to go," she said. She bent her head to her hands and wept. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...I'm just so scared! What do I do?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Hoi lads!" Hamish waved at Harry and Charles as they ran back out of the house. He'd been hauling wood and set his most recent load down in the barn. "Wha's th' rush, hey? Wha's all thess?" He jerked his head in the direction of Lady Morgan's horse.

Inside Fenny had put the kettle over the fire. In one corner of the kitchen she and John had finally built that oven, made of sturdy brick, and she peeked in for just a moment before shutting the door again though not before the smell of warm bread had escaped. It was only four days to Christmas now and she'd been baking and cooking like a mad woman for the past week, several loaves of bread being her latest project.

"Nah, he en't here," she said softly. When she turned back from the oven she noticed with some approval that the boys had made themselves scarce. Her expression softened when Lady Morgan began to cry. "There noo deary," she said gently, rubbing Morgan's back. "We ken as where he es, we kin send someone oot ta go get 'im en a few days. There's s'poseta be a grea' storrim commen; ye kin feel et." She dabbed at the woman's tears with an end of her tartan, long since washed clean of what they had endured in Nottingham.

Fenny Schnell liked people to see her somewhat rough exterior most of the time, didn't want people treating her like any delicate simpering female. But inside she really was a tender soul and it killed her to see a noblewoman like this. She turned and took out mugs from the cabinets and readied the tea for when the water had boiled. A place for everything and everything in its place; she knew exactly where each thing was and it would go back there when she was done with it. It was small but Fenny loved her little kitchen.

"He'll come back, y'ken," she said, sitting down at the table and taking Morgan's hand. "Well an' me, we grew up tagether. He's a righ' rogue an' a knave...bu' he awweys do wha's righ' en th' end. He'll do righ' by ye, lassie, dunchee worreh." She gave the younger woman a small, reassuring smile.

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan nodded, wiping the tears away with the back of a hand. "I hope so, Missus Schnell." She took a shuddering breath and put a hand over her stomach. She looked up at Fenny at the mention of the coming storm. "I know that it's Christmas, and you undoubtedly have plans...but may I stay here? Until we find Will, that is. I just need to find him and to know if there's a future for us or not."

Outside the boys ran up to their Uncle Hamish. Charles was the first to speak. "Lady Morgan's here, and she's going to have a baby too."

"Yeah!" Agreed Harry. "She must have been lots more sick than Ma 'cause she's pretty big. Or maybe there's two in there!" He grinned. "Or even three!"

Little John had walked up behind his boys and put a hand on each shoulder. "Now it's not polite to gossip," he chastised. "You boys go feed and water the animals. Make sure to take out the ice, now, here?" He waited for them to scamper off before turning back to Hamish.

"Looks like Will done did himself a mess."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny chewed the inside of her lip but nodded.

"We're runnen oota room bu' lemme talk ta John. Et's jis' un-Chrestchen ta turn a body oot enta th' snow. An' at Chressmass too." She shook her head slightly. "Theere's a future fer ye, lass. He's a stupet get bu' hes Ma raised 'im righ'." The teapot began to whistle and Fenny carefully took it off the fire before pouring them each a cup.

"So ah...Gisbourne...he banesh ye er sommat? Fer th' shame er some sich bollocks?"

Hamish raised his eyebrows as the boys spoke. They crept even closer to his hairline as Little John seemingly confirmed what they were saying. Fine kettle of fish this was.

"S' et's true then?" He sighed and shook his head. "Laddie ne'er could lessen ta good advice. Guess et's upta us ta go backta Sherwood, then?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan shook her head. "No, not Sir Guy. He offered to marry me but I don't love him, I love Will." She began to tear up again. "But...before I was kidnapped by the Merry Men, I was betrothed to Prince John. We were going to marry in the summer."

She sniffed. "I was going to be a princess! And I had to fall in love with a poor Scot and give him my maidenhead in a stupid chicken coop!" That set it off again, a whole new round of weeping and wailing. "Oh God! How did this all happen to me?!"

Little John adjusted his jacket. "Aye, but I don't feel right about leaving Fenny alone either. What if she falls down or something?"

The boys looked up at him. "We're here," Charles said."We'll take care of her."

"Boffum," agreed Harry. "We ken take care'o boffum."

Charles smacked his brother with the back of his hand. "Stop talking like Uncle Hamish," he chastised. "You're no Scot."

"I am if'n I wanna be!"

Little John looked at the boys and scratched his head. "Didn't I just tell you to go tend to the animals or something?"

Charles looked a little chagrined. "Yes Sir. Maybe we'll go get the eggs, eh?" He grabbed his little brother and went off to the barn as Harry protested that the chickens didn't lay eggs in the winter.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach, love makes us do stupet thengs, lass," Fenny smiled gently, rubbing the girl's back. "Drenk up, love. Et'll make ye feel bedder, promess." This particular tea had dried chamomile she had picked earlier that summer, which would help to calm the hapless girl and make her sleepy.

"Et's no' all bad," she said with a small smile. "Th' on'y part I'd regre', ef I was ye, es th' checken coop. Well's a good man when 'e wansta be. An' he'll wanna be fer ye. Poor Scot's wife er prencess, he'd make sure an' take care o' tha' bairn o' yers e'en ef ye had meerried Sir Guy. He kens as wha's righ' when et comes ta a duty as a da, an' he'll do et."

"Weell, she woulna feel righ' boot bein' left aloen neither," Hamish said with a chuckle. "She'd make ye take 'er weth ye."

Their conversation was interrupted by Charles and Harry, somehow back already from the chores they'd been set, offering to take care of the women. Both of them. Hamish had to work very hard to hide a smile when Harry insistently proclaimed that he was a Scot if he wanted to be. He noticed that Harry had been talking "like Uncle Hamish," not "like Ma." Hamish felt flattered, even if the title of "uncle" did still feel a bit weird to him, like putting on shoes while your feet were still wet.

"I'll go," the Scot volunteered once the boys were gone. "By meself so's ye kin be here fer Fen an' Lady Morgan. After th' storrim hets an' blows etself oot I'll saddle up th' horse an' go. Shoulna be more'n four er five days theer an' back, dependin' on th' snow."

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan was beginning to feel better. The tea helped, though it wasn't too hard to make her feel tired. She was, in fact, carrying a bit more that Fenny. She had gotten pregnant about a week after Fenny, but twins ran in her family.

"Yes, I suppose it does. And I'm sure that Will will do what's right...but...do you think he loves me?" She looked at Fenny. "You know him best; would he be glad to see me, or would he resent me for the rest of our lives?" Lady Morgan had parents who hated each other and were only seen together for public functions. Their private lives were separate. She didn't want that kind of division in her family.

Little John nodded at Hamish. "Let's make sure that Fenny approves, though. Perhaps Gunther will go with you, he seems to do well on a horse and if you went alone and something happened Adelaide'd have everyone's head." He grinned. "Let's go see what Fenny has decided for us. I'm sure whatever it is involves a lot of hauling wood and skipping lunch."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny sighed and shook her head. "I coulna say, lass," she said sadly. "We ne'er really talked boot et...he en't th' touchy-feely sort, hey? Bu' wha' I do ken es yer th' ferst wemin ta really tern hes heed sence...well, sence me, I guess." She chuckled a little. "I wun lie ta ye, he's ben weth others. Bu' I en't ne'er seen 'im make 'em great cow eyes at anehone else. Do I ken as ef he loves ye?" She shrugged. "No. Do I thenk as there's a good chance? Aye. E'en ef he denna, he'd steck wi'ye. I thenk he'd resent hisself afore he resented ye. Hes fault, after all." She winked and nudged the noblewoman gently.

Hamish chuckled and reddened a little. It took some getting used to, everyone knowing his personal affairs. He headed toward the house with John, hoping they weren't interrupting some sort of female bonding type thing. Did Fenny do female bonding type things?

[EvelynWillows]

They put Hamish in the loft with the boys, and hung a blanket near the fire to give Lady Morgan a bit of privacy. That evening the dinner was relatively quiet. The boys were solemn, remembering that in the camp, at least, Lady Morgan was revered as their 'ticket out'.

Little John found comfort in harder work the more upset his world was. He had never been one for Christmas himself, but he knew that it meant a lot to many people. He had made a few small gifts and bought the others from local craftsman. It was a simple Christmas, but there was nothing to keep them from feeling like kings.

[The Lifted Lorax]

That night they hung a blanket near the fireplace in the sitting room for Lady Morgan and Fenny put down as much as they could spare for her to make her comfortable, a few blankets and pillows. Having mostly done with Hamish's gifts and put the final touches on those for the boys' the previous night, Fenny instead sat with a large basket of pine boughs to tie together into a garland (http://factorydirectcraft.com/pimages/20100526153528-273246/9_foot_artificial_pine_garland_with_natural_pine_c ones_1.jpg) to decorate the house. Eventually Hamish said goodnight as well and then the house was still with only Fenny, Little John, and Lady Morgan in the sitting room. Although it was her own house, Fenny was beginning to feel like she was intruding on Lady Morgan's privacy and so after about an hour she put aside her project and said goodnight.

In bed she lay awake until her husband came to her then instantly snuggled up for warmth, sticking her frozen toes between his legs and the mattress. Fenny laid her head on Little John's chest and put an arm across him, looking at nothing in particular.

"Thenk he'll merreh 'er?" she asked quietly. "Awweys ben a rogue, hem. Kinda like Hamish...on'y less morals. We should tell th' boys as they're aloud ta talk roond 'er. They were awful quiet a' denner. I dun wan' 'er ta feel awkward er nothen. She's prolly usedta a nice beg Chressmass...wanna make et as nice s' posseble, hey? No', y'ken, sommat unnat'ral-like, bu' I bet she'll feel a le'l queer ef no one talks ta her all dey."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John drew air through his teeth in a sharp gasp as Fenny's icy toes tucked themselves between his legs. He wrapped his arm around her as he pulled her close, chattering his teeth for a moment until the chill passed. "I thought you'd put icicles in the bed for a moment!" He smiled at her in the candle light.

He listened to her questions and sighed. "I don't know about Will, love. I'm really not the right one to ask. See...I don't know if you knew this or not, but he and I sort of had a rivalry over this pretty redhead girl a little while ago. I don't really like him much." He chuckled quietly. "Hopefully, Fenny. Hopefully Will will do the right thing and marry her, and maybe he'll figure out what's really important in life." He squeezed her tight and then released her. "But...if he doesn't and if she is desperate, Fenny, we can always offer to raise up their child as our own. I mean, what's one more little arrow in our quiver, eh? There are lots of ways that God builds families."

He kissed her forehead then her lips when she mentioned letting the boys talk. "Oh very well...I suppose I'll give the lads back their tongues!" He grinned and rolled over towards Fenny and kissed her again. "Hm, there's a tongue behind those lips, isn't there? I think it's time for your daily inspection, Missus Schnell." He grinned and pulled the covers higher as he made them a little private spot on their bed, kissing her until she giggled back. It was almost Christmas. Time for happiness, joy...and love.

The snow fell thick and quiet that night. When the first rays of the sun hit the hills, the glistening world was covered in a bright, clean layer of soft frosting. The birds outside were chirping as if their lives depended on it, and the edge of the roof eaves were hanging heavy with thick frothy clumps of snow, still clinging to the roof and refusing to fall off. Little John rolled over onto his stomach and smiled at Fenny. He kissed her nose before pulling on a sweater over his night clothes and going into the main room of the house to stoke the fire.

Upstairs, two sets of eyes peeked over the railing at their Uncle Hamish, the divider blocking Lady Morgan from view, and their sleepy-eyed bear of a father. The boys giggled and covered their mouths, waiting for their father to see what they had left for their parents downstairs. The giggling got louder.

Little John peeked up and squinted at the boys. "What are you on about?" he asked, looking around. "Did I forget my trousers?"

Harry laughed. He covered his mouth with one hand and pointed with the other.

Little John followed the line until he came to a little birdcage built out of bent willow branches, cleverly woven together. Inside was a beautiful little bird (http://www.kanarini.net/gallery/karderines/images/karderina.jpg)with a red face and black, tan, and white feathers. Each of its wings was tipped in brilliant yellow. It let out a lovely little trill (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V89-wTa6qcY&feature=relmfu) when his eyes landed on it.

(Sorry about the ad in the beginning of the video)

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, we could take the wee one," Fenny sighed, nodding. "Bu' th' on'y quever yer arrow ought be en es me owwen." She grinned and giggled, hugging her husband tightly before he rolled over to face her. She mocked disdain as he kissed her. "Ach! Inspeckshins? Ah me...th' life o' a pregnant wemin. Well, Mester Schnell, I s'pose ye gotta do yer duty, hey?"

Little John pulled the covers over their heads. Fenny grinned as he kissed her and in the back of her mind wondered whether she ought to add a bit more to their quilt; his feet must be cold. She giggled as he kissed her more and wiggled beneath him. Christmastime was one of her favorite times of the year, and the more people she had to love the happier she became.

Fenny yawned and stretched as Little John smiled at her. She grinned sleepily back and puckered her lips as though to kiss him, though she was too lazy to lift her head. Perhaps winter could mean that they had a bit of a lie-in in the mornings, though not too much. Behind the curtain the snow made the sun all that much brighter and the Scot groaned in protest as her husband rolled from bed. She tried to pull him back in, but as soon as she'd rolled onto her stomach she was done for. Her face was in the soft, inviting pillow and her muscles relaxed as she tried very hard not to fall back asleep.

Hamish was sitting at the small wooden table in the kitchen. His hair was tousled and he was nursing a mug of strong black tea. The bed in the somewhat roomy loft only fit two at a time, and so he and the boys had agreed to rotate one of them on the floor with a pillow and blanket. Last night had been his turn on the hardwood floor. The loft (http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4688374196732934&pid=15.1) itself ran from one end of the house to the other, though not all the way from the kitchen door to the fireplace so it afforded a view of both the kitchen and the sitting room. Fenny and John's room, as well as the pass through from the front of the house to the back, were directly underneath. Hamish looked up blearily at John as he stepped out of his bedroom into the hallway.

"Uunh." He nodded in greeting before taking another sip of tea. "Mm?" He jerked his thumb toward the kettle before his eyes slid closed for a few moments longer than a blink naturally should last. Needless to say, when not on the road or being thrown naked into the streets Hamish was very much not a morning person. Particularly not with the poor quality and quantity of sleep he'd managed to get the previous night.

Fenny stepped out not long after, boots already on to keep her feet warm and hair a bit more unkempt than just regular bedhead. She'd stolen her husband's other sweater, having only dresses of her own. Though her wool dresses were warm, it was simply easier to slip on Little John's huge, thick sweater over her head when she wasn't quite ready to be awake and in the world yet. She started at the chirruping from the sitting room.

"Wha' th' bloody Heell...?" she mumbled, looking over to see the source of the noise. She frowned at her husband when she saw the bird. "John, wha'--?"

[EvelynWillows]

"Merry Christmas!!!" Charles and Harry hollered from the loft. They scampered down the ladder as quickly as they could without breaking their necks.

"Widow Fallow's cat broke its wing!" explained Harry. "And she said we could try to save it."

"Yeah," Charles said, blushing bashfully. "We've been hiding it in the goats' shed until today. Do you like it? Now it can be like spring even when there's snow on the ground!"

They both looked at their mother with expectant, hopeful looks on their faces.

"I've got a bunch of worms and seeds saved up," Harry volunteered.

Lady Morgan peeked out from behind her blanket. She ran a hand through her long hair and smiled tiredly. "It sounds like a stable in here," she muttered, looking at the boys and the bird. "Does no one believe in sleep any more?" Her smile told them that she wasn't truly upset. She looked at the tea pot and then at Fenny. "May I have some tea?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny hooted in surprise and spun around to see her boys scrambling down the ladder. She opened her mouth to chastise them, telling them to be more careful coming down, but lost the heart to when they scampered up to her looking expectant. She smiled and kissed the tops of their heads.

"Et's loveleh, pets," she said warmly. "We kin kep et s'long's yer da says et's arrigh'." She looked up at Little John with a hand on each of the boys' shoulders. "Bu' we gotta let et go en th' spreng, boyos. Fesh gotta swem, bairds gotta fly." Fenny grinned and kissed Harry's forehead when he told her he'd saved up seeds and worms from before the snow. Until this baby was born, he was her baby though she was coming to love both of them very much.

Fenny turned to give Lady Morgan what-for when she complained that their home sounded like a stable. She saw that she was smiling, however, and held her tongue. When she asked for some tea she shrugged.

"Ye'll hafta ask Kepper o' th' Cup en theer." She jerked her head toward the kitchen, then turned to look at Hamish. He looked up with eyes resembling a Saint Bernard and scratched his stubble sleepily. At Adelaide's request he'd started shaving, though because of the snow he'd been able to let himself go for a couple of days.

"Unf," he grunted before turning back to stare into his cup, eyelids slowly drifting downward again.

"I thenk tha' means 'aye,'" Fenny shrugged. "We dun go' sugar ta speer, though. Tha's used fer emportant thengs like cooken an' brewen."

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan poured herself a cup of strong, bitter tea and sat at the table across from Hamish, using the cup to warm her hands. She looked out the window and saw blinding white.

"I suppose it will be a while before we can go find Hamish." She cleared her throat and looked at Little John and Fenny. "I suppose...is there an inn nearby? I don't want to be a burden. I'm sure this is already awkward enough, me here in your home and it's the holidays as well. You don't need another mouth to feed." She sipped at the cup gently, minding the scalding water.

Little John had gone over to the fireplace and added more wood, stacking it to make the most use of the brick to absorb and re-radiate the heat into the room. He glanced at Fenny. There was an inn in the next town, but with it being the holidays and the town nearly an hour's drive away in the summer, it could be a death trip to send her out alone. "We couldn't do that," he said. "You're practically family now. We wouldn't sent you out in this weather even if you weren't."

The boys had taken that opportunity to peek at the backed goodies that Fenny had made, with hopeful eyes. They remembered their chores then, the desire for milk to drink with their cake reminding them that there was still a goat who needed to be milked. Nearly as quick as they descended, they climbed up into the loft and got dressed in their outside clothes, thick layers of wool and cotton to keep out the majority of the chill. Then they grabbed their tools, bucket, towel, and washcloth, and scampered off into the barn.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny looked at her husband when Lady Morgan suggested she stay elsewhere and raised her eyebrows. She wouldn't get a mile even on horse before having to turn back for some reason. Even if she could forge her own way, that'd be downright mean.

"Aye lass, ye'll stay put righ' here." Fenny nodded firmly. "Et'd be unkind ta send ye oot en th' cold like thess, an' John's righ', yer practically fam'leh. 'Sides, we'll have 'nother mooth ta feed soon nuff. Wha's one a few months early, hey? Sides, Well kens th' wey here, mayhap he'd show up fer Chressmass anehwey." She smiled kindly at the noblewoman sitting at her kitchen table. If anyone had told Fenny three years ago the sort of Christmas she'd be having now, she'd have laughed in their face and insisted they'd had a few too many.

"Oi!" Fenny smacked away the boys' hands as they peeked at some of the baked goods on one of the counters. The boys scampered off however, with admonishment to be more careful going up and down from the loft, and out the door in their warmer clothes. Fenny raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Goen ta chores wi'oot bein' told? Et es a Chressmass miracle." She chuckled a little and turned to Hamish. "Adelaide comen roond taday?"

"Hmm?" Hamish looked up from his nearly-finished tea and rubbed his eyes. "Ach...aye, thess afternoon. Why?" Fenny shrugged.

"Go' a few thengs fer Frau Schneider as thanks fer th' yarrin." Soon after they'd returned from Robin's camp, Adelaide's mother had taught Fenny how to knit and as an early Christmas gift--so that she could make a few gifts of her own--had given her a few skeins of soft grey wool. "See to et Hilde comes too...Et's jis' funneh ta watch."

"Yer a cruel wemin, Fen," Hamish muttered darkly, tossing back the rest of his tea.

Hildegard Schneider had harbored a desperate crush on Will, and it was unclear whether she still bore a torch for the absent rogue. What had been clear was Harry's fumbling feelings for the girl whether he realized it or not. They were the same age and as such they played together with some of the same children in the hamlet. One moment he'd be picking her up--or trying--to carry her over a mud puddle, the next he'd be pushing her into it. A number of occasions Hilde had run home crying, prompting Frau Schneider to come over to the Schnell farmstead to have a chat with Fenny about it. Usually Harry and Charles would both be sent out to do something in the barn while they giggled over the boy's struggle with the onset of puberty but in the end Fenny would always have to sit down and talk to him about it, usually doling out a punishment along with it though she tried not to be too harsh.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John just shook his head at the both of them. They both enjoyed it, entertainment at Harry's (http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x4509915/portrait_of_smiling_12_year_old_boy_mon155061.jpg) expense. It had to be a Balloch thing, because John always felt a bit of empathetic pain for the poor boy. He just wanted to be noticed by her, and sometimes that involved a mud puddle or pulled pigtails.

Charles (http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/09/20/2_Storm_060906040715474_wideweb__300x375.jpg)was more reserved, though he never seemed to hold back in his treatment of his friend, and now brother Harry. They had settled in well for having lost so much in their short lives, but John was hopeful that the boys would come to eventually think of themselves as Schnells.

Lady Morgan sipped her tea. Then a feeling of woozyness hit her and she rushed to the water basin, vomiting the yellowish liquid of her empty stomach into the bowl. Little John recoiled slightly and looked at Fenny for advice. Shouldn't the nausea have been over by now? He cleared his throat. "Maybe I should check on the boys, eh?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny winced at the sickening sound of sick hitting the bowl. She'd have to wash that out really good now. She nodded when Little John suggested he go check on the boys and stood to cross over to Lady Morgan. She held back the woman's hair and rubbed her back for any vomiting remaining before taking the bowl and tossing its contents out into the snow not directly in the path of the doorway. She left the bowl out there, too, to be washed later and retrieved the empty bucket which had been placed on her side of the bed for just such an occasion.

"En't et a bet late fer tha'?" Fenny asked with some concern. Hamish stood abruptly.

"I thenk mayhap John an' th' boys need help...weth tha' theng..." Without standing on ceremony or bothering to make a better excuse Hamish pulled on a sweater and left. He had boots and a sweater to keep warm, but that was it;his kilt still left him exposed to the elements. The project Fenny had been working on the previous day was stitching in a rabbit fur lining for a muffler she'd knit and a pair of socks that would go over his knees.

"Shoulna ye be be'er by noo?" Fenny started again. "I mean...I'm stell...bu' I'm no' s'far along's ye, righ'? S'there sommat wrong, Morgan?"

[EvelynWillows]

"No, it's not anything wrong," Lady Morgan panted as she rested her head. "My family always have hard pregnancies. It's a curse." She tried to wipe her lips off. "Damn that Will! He's not supposed to get me pregnant the first time! Not the very first time!" She tried to hold back the tears. "What if he's dead? What if the new sheriff caught him and he's been tried and convicted?"


In the shed Harry was almost done milking the goat. He and Charles were in a heated discussion, though, about whether their mother would be able to milk herself to lessen the let out like the goats did. Soon the talk quickly turned to whether it was possible to make butter and sour creme from human milk, and that led to discussions about how babies were made.

By the time Little John reached the shed, Harry and Charles were wrestling on the ground, the milk spilled, and their hair covered with bits of straw and clumps of dirt. He had to haul them bodily apart. "What's the problem here, boys?!" He held them each by the scruff of their necks, which wasn't as easy as it sounded. Though John was a big man, the boys were quickly growing into their feet.

Harry pointed at his brother. "He started it! He said that I was dropped off by some bird in the chimney when I was born, and that I'd probably scare off any girl I'd want to marry when they saw my--" He blanched, realizing that he was about to say something out loud in front of his father.

Charles grinned. "Little wormy squirmy." He taunted, leading to a violent shake from John. About that time Hamish came around the corner.

John looked at his brother in law. "Looks like we need to talk to the lads, Hamish." He let go of their collars. "Clean up the milk. Your ma's going to be really upset you wasted a whole day's worth over your squabbling!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny patted the girl's back sympathetically. "He en't e'en ben caught, lamb. Robin's good boot taken keer o' hes owwen an' he'd come find us ef anehthen'd happened. As fer gettin' pregnant th' ferst time..." She shrugged and sighed. "S' a bet o' bad luck, bu' th' sex gets be'er. Trust me." She grinned and winked.

Hamish came around the corner and into the barn just in time to see spilled milk and hear the words "little wormy squirmy." Given the cold, he'd actually been considering the merits of trousers on his way from the house to the barn and had been surprised to hear the topic continued outside his head. He was even more surprised to find that it came from his adopted nephews. Shutting the door to the barn to keep the cold out, Hamish raised his eyebrows when Little John suggested they talk to the lads.

"Ef et's a talk an' et's go' lettle werrimy squerrimies they're yer lads, boyo. I'll have no--" He was about to protest that he'd have nothing to do with any sort of talks about the facts of life, but then remembered that John himself had been raised in a monastery. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. Fenny would kill him if he gave them the sheep talk. "I s'pose ye ji's stumbled through et yerself, denna ye?" he asked with dismay. "Dun...dun answer tha'. Please. Ye er...ye wanna do et noo?" He hadn't planned on having this conversation so soon, if ever.

[EvelynWillows]

The boys were putting away the goat and salvaging what bit of the milk still remained in the bucket. A few shovelfuls of dirt covered up the spilled mess in the shed.

"Yeah, I think we'd better. Sounds a bit like Hilde's been telling Harry here that he came from a stork." He looked at Charles sternly. "You know that jokes are just a few steps away from an outright lie, don't you?"

The older son hung his head, though it was evident that he was fighting hard to keep his smirk from spreading forth. "Yes Sir."

Little John sighed and looked at Hamish. "Um, maybe we need to get a woman's perspective too, eh? I don't want to tell them something and then have Fenny's wrath on me for saying it all wrong." He nodded towards Harry and Charles. "Come on, then. If you're going to talk about such things you might as well know the truth about it all."

He couldn't help but grin at Hamish behind the boys' back, though. This was something that he wasn't planning on, but no one could say that it wasn't amusing.

Charles was the first one in the little cottage. He gave Fenny a sheepish look as he set down the nearly empty bucket. "We had a little mis-HAP," his face froze when his voice jumped up an octave. Clearing his throat he tried again. "Mishap in the BA'rn." He frowned again, his ears burning red at the squeak that escaped his lips.

His brother giggled. "Swallowed a frog, did ya?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish personally disagreed with Little John's views on the difference between jokes and lies, but it was his son he was reprimanding so he held his tongue. He paled as his brother suggested they get a feminine point of view. This was not a talk he wanted to have with his sister in the room! Why couldn't John just do it the way Duncan Balloch had and taken his children one by one out on some sort of hunt and had a lone, awkward conversation there? Send them to their mother if they got confused on anything?

"Er...ye do ken as I'm pretenden like Fen's stell a verjen righ'?" Hamish muttered to his brother as they walked behind the boys toward the house. Already a trench in the snow had been nearly forged. "Thess en't really sommat I talk about weth me sesster." His face flushed and he shook his head. If both Fenny and John were talking to them why did he have to be present.

Inside Fenny was pouring herself and Lady Morgan another cup of tea when the boys came in.

"Shoes," she said sharply without looking up.

Snow was to be kicked off of their shoes before taking them off and placing them on the square of brick about three feet long and the width of the door that opened to it. Fenny threatened anyone who walked on her floor with wet shoes that they would be first the ones to clean it up then the ones to replace the wood when it rotted through from being too wet all the time. Setting the kettle back down, she looked up and smiled at the boys.

"How'd she do, hey?" she asked before looking in the pail. "Ach! Wha's all thess then lads?"

"We had a little mis-HAP," Charles' face froze when his voice jumped up an octave. Clearing his throat he tried again. "Mishap in the BA'rn."

Fenny had to work hard not to giggle as well. She looked sternly at Harry as he teased his brother. "Tha' en't kind, Harry," she chastised. "An' be keerful, et'll happen ta ye some day no' too far off, too. Wha' kinda messhap?" Until John came back inside she wanted to treat Charles' cracking voice as gingerly as possible; she didn't know how sensitive boys were about this sort of thing, at least around their family. When her husband walked in she gave him the same warning about shoes she had the boys before kissing the top of Charles' head.

"Looks like Charlie here's go' hesself a cracked voice, John," she said with a twinkle of amusement in her eye. Despite her smile, still she dreaded having to have any sort of 'facts of life' talk with either of the boys. She'd been hoping John or maybe Hamish would take care of it.

[EvelynWillows]

"Mmm..." Little John mused. He had knocked off the snow on his boots and set them by the door to dry. "It's not all he and Harry have. They seem to have been listening to others about how babies are made and born, and they have all sorts of strange notions running around in their heads. I think it would be prudent if we talked to them about growing from a boy to a man and all the implications that entails."

"I also think we should teach them enough about girls that they don't accidentally become fathers before they become husbands." He remembered Lady Morgan and blushed. "No disrespect meant, Ma'am."

She hid her mouth behind a slim hand and nodded. It wasn't obvious if she was laughing or visibly upset, but her shoulders were shaking.

Little John waved towards the table. "Sit down, boys. I think we should start this out by hearing what you think you know, then we can go about correcting the parts that you got wrong."

Charles blanched. "What?!" He swallowed and slowly lowered himself into a seat. "But...but you want us to tell you about the KISSing?" He tried hard not to look at Lady Morgan, whose bodice had fallen open just a bit at the front and was now revealing the tops of her creamy white breasts.

[The Lifted Lorax]

As Little John suggested they talk to the boys about becoming men and teaching them about women, Fenny turned a little pink and exchanged a glance with Hamish who looked just as helpless. Neither of them wanted to be in the room with the other during this conversation, but it seemed like this would be a family affair. They nodded very slightly at each other than looked away in a silent agreement to just ignore each others' presence unless absolutely necessary.

"Ach! Ye en't ben less'nen ta Hilde Schneider's rot boot cabbages an' pups an' whatnot have ye?" Fenny asked disdainfully, rolling her eyes. Her parents really did need to have a talk with that girl, and she sincerely hoped for Hamish's sake that they'd not kept Adelaide in the dark about where babies came from. She looked to Lady Morgan.

"Ye kin, y'ken...go have a lie-doon en th' setten room ef ye wan'," she said gently. "I ken as thess es kinda...toochy. An' awkwerd." She turned back just as Charles was lowering himself into the chair across from her and voicing his dismay over having to talk about "the kissing."

"Ye too, Lamb." Fenny motioned over to Harry for him to have a seat. "We're on'y doin' thess once tell yer brother er sesster's yer age." She turned to look at Charles and leaned on her arms on the table. "Noo...wha's thess aboot th' kessen?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan smiled thankfully and went to lie down. She was tired, her stomach was empty, and they were about to talk about unmentionables to their sons. Why didn't they just let them find out about it on their wedding day the way civilized peoples did? After all, there really wasn't much to it. Will Scarlet found his way around her skirts easily enough.

"Why do I have to go first?" Asked Charles.

Little John was pouring himself a cup of hot water for tea. He scowled at the boy. "Don't sass your mother, son. Tell us what you think we know. There's no shame in the love of a man and his wife; it's what God designed, and it's only our sinful natures that make it something to be embarrassed about."

The older son bit a the corner of one nail. "Well...Kissing on the lips don't do it, but when you touch tongues you can plant a baby in the woman's throat and it goes down into her stomach." He glanced at John, who had suddenly come down with a coughing fit. "And...sometimes the babies are spit out by the moms in the gardens so they grow up in a cabbage, or a bird picks it up with some seed and it grows in the beak of a pelican. But if the baby stays in the ma then after she gets nice and ripe it's pop outta her belly button." He smiled, glad to have that part over.

"Don't forget about the tits," Harry volunteered.

"Son!" John scolded him abruptly. "They're breasts! And what about them?"

"Well, the daddy has to make sure that they work right, so that's why the men are always putting their mouths and hands on the ti--breasts."

Lady Morgan let out a little laugh that was quickly buried when she shoved a blanket in her mouth.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish laced his fingers behind his head and turned around to face away from them. He was very red with a combination of embarrassment and hard-to-control laughter. He felt as though he would pop a blood vessel if he held his laughter in much longer and had to take several very long, deep breaths to suppress it. He turned back around when he felt that his face was back to a normal color.

Fenny had choked on a sip of tea and wiped her mouth as she coughed. The coughs soon turned into fake ones to hide her laughter. She knew she shouldn't laugh at boys who didn't know any better, but she didn't remember ever thinking anything so outlandish before her father had talked to her about it. Although, she supposed it depended on where one grew up and since the boys had heard various things from friends in various places it made a little sense that they would try and mash them all together to try to make heads or tails of this unknown process. She herself had for a very long time thought babies came from various farm animals. Until she was five or six years old Hamish had had her convinced that she had been birthed by their best milk cow and the only reason her parents kept her around was because the cow would dry up if they didn't. Even though her parents had insisted that wasn't the case, she'd remained convinced for a very long time that babies were either birthed by cows and sheep or hatched from eggs like chickens.

"Werk righ' fer wha'?" Fenny asked, genuinely curious but having to talk around a knuckle shoved between her teeth to keep from laughing. "Er...ne'ermind. Tha's er...tha's qui' a few weys as babes kin be bairn. Um...John, ye wanna star'?" They were, after all, boys. Fenny was fully prepared to talk about the joys of womanhood with any daughter of theirs, but she knew next to nothing about boys' puberty beyond the raging hormones and terrible acne. She and Hamish would make crude innuendos as jokes but they both steadfastly refused to speak seriously with one another about sex in any form. Suddenly she looked up at her brother and pointed at him sternly, temporarily breaking their silent agreement. "No sheep!" He held up his hands defensively.

"I weren't gonna say anehthen aboot sheep!" Though he added under his breath, "Prolly rollen en hes grave as I dun though."

"Ach! On'y ye'd unnerstan' any o' tha' rubbesh! I ended more confused as when we started!" Fenny shook her head and looked to her husband. "Sorreh. Erm...John?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John had managed to get his tea leaves into the little ball and steep a nice strong cup. He sighed. "It's me, isn't it? I get to tell them what I can?" He smiled at Fenny. "Okay, but you get to teach the girls stuff."

He sat down and looked at the boys. "You probably noticed that you're changing. You're getting taller, but also, um, hairier, and stinkier,"

Harry laughed and punched Charles in the shoulder. "You certainly are!"

John cleared his throat with a warning tone. "You'll be there soon enough Harry. Anyway, you'll start to grow a mustache soon, and you'll also get hair in...other places. You're voice will crack and squeak until it settles into it's deeper tone."

Charles looked up. "When's yours going to change, Uncle Hamish?" He grinned.

"Boys, this is serious. You're going to go through some emotions too, like anger and sentiment and liking girls."

Harry blushed.

"Parts of your body will seem to have a mind of its own and will, erm, stand up once in a while." He looked at Hamish. "But just because they're talkin' doesn't mean you should be listening." John drew a hand through his hair. "I don't think I'm telling this right. Okay, kissing. Okay? Kissing does not make babies happen."

Both boys looked at John with wide eyes. "But...you and Ma do it all the time and now you're having a baby!"

Charles nodded. "So...if kissing doesn't make babies, what does?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oi!" Hamish scowled at Charles. It was true he didn't have as deep a voice as some, Little John for instance, but neither was it unnaturally high. He liked to think of it, like himself, as of a medium height. He also noticed with some umbrage that it was he who got the look when John noted that just because they may feel certain ways didn't mean they should act on them.

"Ach...yes dear...vague," Fenny nodded, resting her forehead on her hand. "Vague's hoo ta do et." She got up and crossed to the counter to rip off a hunk of the bread she'd baked the previous day. At that moment it was the best bread she'd ever tasted and she was impressed with herself for it. She sighed when Charles asked what did make babies if not kissing.

"Et ah...et kin lead ta bairns bein made, bu' no' th' wey ye haird." She sat back down and took another bite of bread, making a small noise of pleasure as she did so. "Y'see...girrels en't bairn able ta have bairns. Lads en't th' on'y ones as star' changin' roond yer age. Cept weth girrels et's deffernt, see. They ah...ach..." She rubbed the back of her neck and took another bite to give herself some time to think. "They star' thess...flow once a month, from their...ahem...their girrely bets an' after tha's when they kin star' havin' bairns. Dun ask me th' hoos er whys coz I en't a doctor. Bu' um...tha's when their wombs--s'th' enside bet where th' babe grows, see--s'when et starts ta be fertile an' a man kin plant hes seed...erm...Kinda like farrimen y'see on'y deffernt. Weth people." She looked desperately to her husband for help. This was where the man's part came in.

This was the most mortifying conversation she'd had in recent memory and she was once again seriously considering just letting the older ones teach the younger children about all of this. How were they supposed to explain lust or a body's reaction to touch? Furthermore there was some sort of deep mortification that after this talk their children would know that they had sex and what likely happened. She felt a little violated by the thought.

[EvelynWillows]

"Like planting garlic!" Little John had an idea. "Remember when you helped us plant garlic? We poked a little hole in the ground with your finger and dropped a clove in, then covered it back up? And in the spring there'll be nice big garlic plants in there. Well, making babies is like planting garlic. Only much more enjoyable. See...God made a special place in a woman where the babies are planted, called a womb. And when a man and his wife come together in love, the man can plant his seed in his wife's womb, and if her body's ready to receive it then they make a baby!"

He seemed satisfied with his answer. "Yeah...now the exact what-nots and how-tos are things that you'll have to wrlk out with your spouse after you're married. Don't worry, it's like a two piece puzzle piece. There are only certain ways that things can fit together, and you'll figure it out. It will be alright."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny looked up, a little impressed with her husband's analogy. Maybe they could figure this whole thing out after all...

"'Cept ye dun use yer fenger...mich...well, no' fer th' planten, anehwey." Fenny cleared her throat and nodded. "Bu' ah...aye, yer da's righ'. Tha's hoo et goes mos'leh." She looked from one boy to the other, searching for signs of either comprehension or confusion. She hoped to have this conversation done with soon.

"Soo ah...queschins?" she asked, taking another bite of bread. "An' we kin try'n answer et's bes' we kin."

[EvelynWillows]

The boys stared at Fenny for a moment. Then Harry piped up "So if kissing doesn't do anything, why do people do it?"

Little John sat at the table and looked at them. "Son, it's like hugs. It doesn't actually fix anything, but when you get one it feels nice, doesn't it? There's certain kinds of...touching, that's for you to share with your wives when you grow up. Your wife. One each. And those are the things that you'll be curious about as you get older, and, well...you have to make yourself wait."

"It's like shoes."

He took a sip of his tea and nodded. "You've got a special thing; your virtue, that God made just for you to share with your wife. See? It's like you have a pair of warm, soft shoes that's just for her, but you haven't found her yet. And so you go around letting other people wear these shoes that are supposed to be hers, and some of them have dirty feet, or they don't wear socks, or maybe they walk these shoes through the mud and wear holes in them. Then when you find your wife all you have are these dingy, dirty, broken shoes that everyone else has used, and you're offering them to her as a gift. Well, she's not really going to think it's a special gift, is she?- if they've been had by everyone else? That's like your kisses and hugs and the other special touching that husbands and wives do. You have to wait and share them with her and only her."

He turned his eyes on Harry. "And you- you've been awfully grabby around Hilde lately. I know she's cute and you like her..."

Harry made a face.

John kept talking "...but you're taking something from her that's not yours to take. She's not some little puppy to be poked and prodded when you feel like it. She's going to grow up into a young lady and one day she'll find her husband, and it might not be you. It's not right to wrestle around with her or pull her hair like that. Treat her the way you'd want someone to treat your future wife, ey?"

The young boy looked embarrassed.

His brother came to his rescue. "Yeah, she might grow up and be my wife."

Harry's head whipped up and he tackled his brother, sending him sprawling and laughing onto the floor.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Shoes?" Fenny frowned in confusion, but as her husband explained she smiled approvingly. If she hadn't stolen him away from the clergy and he'd wanted to somehow earn his way back in he'd have made a fine preacher. He had a good way of explaining things that were hard to understand. "Aye. S'a good way o' looken at et. Well done love." She popped the last bite of bread in her mouth as Little John warned Harry against poking and prodding at Hilde.

"Aye Lamb. Girrels is meant ta be touched all gennle-like. Dun mean ye kinna play wi' her er nothen, jis'...no pushen er pullen er sich, hey? Hold 'er hand ef ye thenk she's s' pretteh." She winked at Harry and gave him a small smile, then chuckled as Harry tackled his brother to the floor. "Arrigh'! Arrigh'! Nuff!" Fenny rose and pulled the younger off the older and kept him from further fighting with a strong hug around the shoulders.

"Yer lucky lads," Hamish said quietly after some contemplation. "Wesh our Da s'plained et tha' wey." His sister looked up with her brow slightly furrowed and he gave her a meaningful look.

The way Little John had explained it had very possibly had more effect on Hamish than it had on his nephews. He knew his brother-in-law was right...so what kind of a life, what kind of a man, was he offering Adelaide? If virtue were shoes to be given as a gift, the soles of his had fallen away, the laces lost, and the sides tattered and muddied until they were unrecognizable and useless. The Scot chewed his lip and his sister seemed to be able to look into his mind. She let Harry go and crossed to her brother so as not to be heard; she didn't want to accidentally encourage the lads to let their father's warnings and advice go unheeded.

"Shoes kin awweys be took ta th' cobbler, hey?" she said quietly in his ear. Biting the inside of his cheek he nodded without looking at her. It made him feel a little better, but still he was worried about what kind of a man he was and what kind of a man Adelaide Schneider deserved to marry.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John noted the brief look of dismay that came over Hamish's face before he had a chance to cover it, and saw Fenny go over to speak to him. She was a good sister.

"Alright boys, we're going to get some more wood stacked in here so your mom can get something cooked to put in those bottomless pits you call stomachs. Harry, you stay in here."

Harry beamed at his brother triumphantly.

"You'll bring the wood from the door to the hearth and stack it neatly, hear? And then you can sweep the floor once we're done. Charles, you and I will go get the wood in the shed and bring it to the door."

Now it was Charles' turn to gloat. He pulled his jacket off the peg and pulled on his boots. As John passed Hamish he reached out and touched his arm. "After breakfast you and I will go get the girls in the sled, eh?" He nodded and smiled, then gave Fenny a quick kiss on the lips.

He was looking forward to having the girls over. It was always a nice visit, and he was very fond of the Schneider girls. Since Hamish had started courting Adelaide, though, they'd been more careful about keeping their visits well-chaperoned to quell any rumors that might flare up.

John pulled on his boots, sweater, gloves and hat, and went out to fetch the wood, giving Fenny and Hamish a bit more privacy.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Er...Aye," Hamish nodded. He wasn't sure if he entirely trusted Little John's tone, as if this were a topic he wanted to continue with Hamish himself. Surely he knew more than his sister's husband did, having had much more experience from a much earlier age.

Fenny smiled at John as he got back to business and started assigning chores. She kissed her husband but scowled when it was so short. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Ach, c'mere ye bear..." She smiled and kissed him tenderly before leaning up to murmur in his ear. "Yer th' one as getsta talk ta 'em aboot aneh do-et-yerself nonsense, I hope ye realize. I'll have no part o' et." She nipped quickly at his ear before kissing him on the cheek and poking her tongue out at him smugly. "Hop to et lads! Nearly halfwey ta lunch noo!" They weren't really, but she tended to exaggerate to make the boys hurry.

There were two fireplaces, one in the living room and one in the kitchen, and between the two of them they managed to keep the entire house warm so long as John and Fenny left their door open. She swept away splinters and soot from the kitchen hearth to make a clean spot for the new wood and beckoned Hamish over while Harry waited.

"Et's no' too late, y'ken," she said quietly to her brother. "An' sides, ya ben faithful ta her an' tha's wha' coonts. Righ'?"

"Well...aye, bu' I mean...Wha' John said..." Hamish rubbed the back of his neck then helped dust away the soot. Fenny could tell that it had troubled her brother very much. "S'true, realleh. I jis'...ne'er realleh though' o' et tha' wey. An' ye ken Da. He denna keer much s'long's no one woond up en Morgan's sorta trouble." Fenny nodded. They'd both admired their father very much, but had no illusions about his shortcomings. Turning a blind eye to roguish behavior was one of them, possibly because he hadn't been the most well-behaved teenager in the highlands before settling down with their ma, either.

"Weell...look a' Da, hey? Him an' Ma..."

"He weren't nearly s'bad's me. An' Ma...well she were Scottish, weren't she? Ackshalleh knew sommat boot all tha'. Had ta, denna she? Adelaide...she dunno nothen boot nothen. She's stell ennesent, clean...pure. Purer'n aneh lass as I e'er me'. Hoo kin I...y'ken...ruin tha'?"

Fenny sighed and shook her head. "Et's no' ruinen ef ye meery 'er ferst, ye bampot. An' whaddye mean, she dunno nothen? Like she dunno..." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and Hamish shrugged.

"Dunno. Bu' ef she dun I dun wanna hafta be th' one splainen et ta her like she were me daughter er sommat. An' e'en ef she do...Should I tell 'er? Boot th' others, I mean. I dun mean getten enta names er aneh sorta number er nothen, bu' jis' y'ken...tha' I'm no'..." He flushed a little and Fenny did too before suddenly becoming very busy with trying to build back up the fire. They were straying now into territory that made them both very uncomfortable with each other.

"I coulna tell ye, Hamish. Ye kin ask John's advice, bu' tha's sommat ye gotta decide fer yerself. An' ef ye do tell 'er...ye gotta be wellen ta lev weth th' consequences, n'matter wha' they are."

[EvelynWillows]

As they worked together Little John thought about what it was like for a fourteen year old boy to have gone through what Charles had experienced. He never got the whole story of what had happened to the lad's parents, only that they had died in the previous year. John wanted to understand his adopted son. He wanted to know what motivated the boy and what he aspired to.

"This spring we'll be turning the soil and planting," he finally said to Charles. "I think you're strong enough to work the plow. We can trade off, plowing and planting."

The boy looked at John and paused to take a breath. "I don't know nothing about plows."

"Anything."

"What?"

Little John smiled. "You don't know anything about plows."

"That's what I said."

The older man shook his head. "No, son. You said that you didn't know nothing about plows, and that's not proper."

Charles frowned. "Who cares? Uncle Hamish talks worse than me and he--"

"I."

"What?!"

"He talks worse than I."

He blinked at John. "Okay, whatever," he said, filling his arms with more wood.

Little John bit the inside of his mouth. "I'm sorry, son, I'm nit-picking right now and that's not what I need to do. I just wanted to talk with you." He filled his arms as well, wondering how he could get through to the heart of the youth. He'd started getting surely with them in the last few weeks, and John wanted to nip the attitude before it became too big. Charles was a good lad in a difficult place, but disrespect was something that his father didn't want to tolerate in their home.

They brought the last armload into the house and took off their snow-covered things, doing their best to not get Fenny's floor wet.

John smiled at his wife and gave her a proper 'snog', drawing "Ew!'s" from their younger son. John laughed. "One day, son, you won't think it's so bad."

Lady Morgan had gotten up and was trying her best to help Fenny, but the truth was that she didn't know her way around a kitchen. The servants always did things for her. She wound up sitting by the fire and feeling a bit out of place. It was difficult to keep her eyes away from Hamish as well; his Scottish dress reminded her of Will, and she was constantly reminded that she was constantly reminded that her baby's father was out there, unaware that he even had a child on the way.

The Schnells had a nice little family. Everyone had their duties and their 'place' to be. Morgan had neither of these things. She'd never felt more lost in her life.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Mmm..." Fenny leaned into John's kiss and grinned after it had ended. His kisses always put her in a good mood. "Aye," she agreed when Little John assured their youngest he wouldn't be saying "ew" in a few years. "Bu' tell then I kin as getcher kesses all t' meself!" She lunged at Harry as he tried to run away and caught him about the head with her arms, smothering his face playfully with kisses and giggling as he protested loudly and struggled to get away. Finally she released him and mussed his hair before returning to the fire.

"Yer good lads, both o' ye." Fenny smiled and added more wood to the dying fire.

Morgan had gotten up and tried to help, but was really rather useless in the kitchen. Fenny appreciated it, though. Not wanting her to feel badly and knowing how terrible it was to feel useless, she smiled kindly at the woman and beckond her over.

"C'mere lass. I kin show ye a theng er two me Ma showed me when I were young." She took off Little John's sweater so as not to get it dirty and pulled back her hair with her old fair ribbon before having Morgan help her take out ingredients to make their breakfast.

First flour, butter, and water became biscuit dough. Fenny mixed the dough together with her hands then had Morgan roll it out and cut the biscuits, correcting her when she made them all different sizes or the dough was rolled unevenly. Once those were in to bake she showed the noble woman how to fry up sausages over the fire and, setting those aside, how to make a rue for gravy using the grease and some flour. Since the milk had been spilled and there wasn't a whole lot left, what little there was went toward making the gravy. The Scot showed her how to properly hold a knife to cut up the sausages and add them to the white mixture. The deep cast iron skillet was set aside over some coals at the edge of the fire to be kept warm and thicken while Fenny took their other pan to cook up a few slices of cured ham.

"Morgan dear, stir the gravy hey? Dun wan' et ta get a sken." Gravy skins were one of the unforgivable sins of cooking to Fenny's mind.

Finally the biscuits were done just as the ham was. She had Morgan set the table and put down a few trivets so she could set the hot skillet down without scorching the wood. Dusting her hands off then wiping them cleaner on the underside of her tartan, she carefully transferred the hot biscuits from the pan to a plate and set them between the gravy and ham.

"John love kin ye call th' boys en? Breakfast's readeh."

Hamish had taken Charles and Harry outside to find chores to keep them busy, but finding very little to do it had become a romp in the snow. Her brother didn't participate as much, however. The snow came halfway up his calves and though he didn't want children he knew Adelaide did and didn't quite feel like freezing himself sterile.

[EvelynWillows]

Morgan fumbled about in the kitchen, trying not to spill too much gravy when she stirred the pot, not make the biscuits too fat or too flat, and not get burned by jumping sausage grease. She was getting frustrated with the whole procedure, and felt her eyes tearing up. "Is this what my life is going to be like now? Slaving over a fire for hours to put together a meal that will be devoured in minutes?" She sat the spoon down and flopped in a chair at the dining table.

"You know this is somewhat your fault," she said, frowning at Fenny. "If you hadn't helped those thugs kidnap Sir Guy and myself I'd still be engaged to the prince and not growing this baby inside of me! My life wouldn't have been ruined!" She buried her face in her hands. "Why didn't you just let me go? Why? I never did anything to you!"

Morgan began to weep openly at the table. Little John looked over at Fenny and cleared his throat. "Uhm, you still want me to call in the boys?"

Outside, Harry and Charles began to pelt each other with handfuls of snow. Almost on cue they decided that it would be more fun to gang up on Uncle Hamish and cover him from both sides. "Monkey in the middle!" Charles yelled, sending a big ball of hard white coldness at Hamish's head.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny began humming a tune to herself as she began cleaning up the kitchen. It was a song that had always felt old to her, even when her Uncle Argyle had played it on the bagpipes. If it had words she didn't know them. She looked up, however, when Morgan asked if this was how her life would be then went on to accuse her of ruining her life.

"Oi noo," she said defensively, putting down the rag she'd been using to clean and putting her fists on her hips.

"Uhm, you still want me to call in the boys?" Fenny shook her head.

"Give us a mo', love. Her highness here seems ta thenk I'm some sort o' a slave driver." Fenny leaned against the counter and folded her arms across her chest, lips pressed together. "Fer one, ef ye wasna s'damn useless ye woulna thenk et were slaven. I were tryen ta do ye a kindness by teachen ye sommat! Ef ye acsh'lly learn ta help yerself et wun take hours."

"Fer two, Sir Guy offered ta meerry ye, denna he? An' ye said no. An' we're doen ye a kindness. Period. Ef yer gonna spet en our faces like tha' fer hopsitaliteh, ye kin walk righ' enta th' snow an' ride back ta where ye came from an' I wun lose a nigh's sleep o'er et."

"Fer three, I en't the one as boffed Well Scarlet, am I? I denna force ye ta go enta tha' checken coop an' he sure as Hell denna force ye ta spread yer legs like a harlot." It could have been the hormones or it could have just been that she had a quick temper anyway, but Fenny had no use for people who blamed others for their problems. "I waited a year an' a half, ye coulna wait a week. That en't my fault, ya stupet child."

"Oi!" Hamish covered his head with his arms just as the snowball hit. At the same time Harry's missile caught him in the gut. "Two on one that en't feer!" He started to try and pelt them back, but it was useless. They were throwing twice as fast as he could even make one. It had been a very long time since Hamish Balloch had thrown a snowball. At least, one that wasn't aimed to intentionally hurt with a rock or chunk of ice hidden inside it.

[EvelynWillows]

"Really? I'm the one who acted like a harlot, is it? You're the one who kidnapped me, put me in bondage so that I was forced to spend the night with strange men twice!- and then was at his mercy with all the damned sweet-talking and soft touchin'! And whose name did he mutter in his sleep, hmm? YOURS! You knew he had me in that coop the night before, and you did nothing about it!" She threw a towel at Fenny. "You might as well have put me there purposely knowing what kind of man he was! How can I help that I became enamored? He knew exactly what to say to me!"

She grabbed her cloak off the peg and wrapped it around her shoulders. "And thank you very much, I WILL take my leave. You can tell Will Scarlet to go to hell for all I care, and don't he dare try to claim this child as his own; if this is what I have to expect from the Scottish side of the family then we're both better off as far away from you ALL as possible!" Morgan was crying openly now, but they were tears of anger and not sadness.

"You helped them kidnap me, and then you went off and got yourself in trouble in town. It's because of YOU that my brother's dead! It's your fault, Fenny Schnell, and I'll never forgive you for ruining my life!" She ran to the door and struggled with it a bit, pulling it when it was designed to be pushed, until she finally got it opened and stumbled out into the snow.

Little John stood there gap-jawed. He'd never seen such a screaming fit between two women in his life, and wasn't sure what he could do without getting his head ripped off for mis-stepping.

Lady Morgan stumbled out to where the boys were playing with Hamish and stepped right into a wayward snowball. "Oh!" She stopped in her tracks and tried to brush the snow out of her eyes.

Harry gaped at the lady. "I'm sorry! I meant to hit Uncle Hamish!"

Charles had just been pegged by Hamish in the shoulder, sending snow into his hair and down his neck. He laughed and was already beginning to load up his next handful of snow when he noticed Lady Morgan on the door stoop. "Is breakfast ready?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Yeah an' I'd help 'em again coz thess slaven yer betchen aboot? Et's th' good life! Yer brother's deed through no fault o' mine! He'da ben kellt anehwey!" Fenny snapped back. How could this girl spending the night with Will have been her fault?! "I hadja tied ta a tree, no' my faul' ye denna steey there!" But Morgan talked over her, proclaiming that Will had muttered Fenny's name in his sleep. Her mouth opened and closed several times wordlessly.

"No one e'er said Well Scarlett were smart, ya selly bint!" she snapped back. "En't my faul' he go' some torch fer me s' dun ye dare blame me fer tha'! I weren't stupet nuff ta gev en ta no sweet-talken fer seventeen years! No' me faul' ye kinna kep yer knees tagether fer three days! Woulna be surprised ef ye was lyen boot tha' maidenheed o' yers! An' dunchee dare thenk I wun tell 'im boot thess! He go' a righ' ta ken!" But Morgan was already taking her cloak off the peg and heading toward the door.

"Fine! Go die en th' snow ya useless betch! I'm jis' sorry we wasted th' wood ta kep ye warrim!" Morgan kept pulling at a door that was meant to be pushed so Fenny marched over and turned the knob, pushing outward. "Dun let th' door hetcha where th' good Laird splitcha." Grumbling, she slammed the door after the noblewoman and huffed back over to the table to stir the gravy then put a clean plate over it to keep in the warmth.

Hamish was laughing in his snowball fight with the boys when one of Harry's went astray and there was a noise of protest. He looked up to see Lady Morgan on the stoop and frowned. There was something wrong. He waved a hand vaguely at Charles then waded through the snow to the bottom step.

"E'erthen arrigh' Morgan?" he asked with some concern.

[EvelynWillows]

Morgan tried to speak through her emotions, but all she could manage for the first few seconds were shuddering breaths and a sort of step laddering intake of air. She brought her hand to her chest and calmed herself. "Wou-ould you b-be s-so-oo kind as t-to sad-ele my hor-horse, plea-please?" She didn't know if she could trust herself to say more.

Maybe she should take Sir Guy's offer. No....she would take it. She didn't care if she ever saw another Scot again in hey life.

Little John slowly walked over to the door where Fenny stood. "Sweetheart...Fenny...do you think you might have been a little hard on her? Maybe we could call her back and just start over, eh? A fresh start? It's not right to send a pregnant woman out in weather like this."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oi noo," Hamish said softly walking up the steps and frowning. "Yer no' goen n'where en thess, hey?" He turned his face over his shoulder to Harry and Charles. "Go enside lads, help yer ma weth anethen as left." He turned back to Morgan. "Wha' happened, hmm? Wha's s'bad as ye thenk et's a good idea ta go oot en thess mess en yer condeshin?" He wasn't scolding but his tone a bit gentler. Fenny had been a bit touchy even before she found out she was with child and he'd learned well how to tiptoe around a hormonal lady.

"I denna keck 'er oot, she left!" Fenny protested, throwing the towel Morgan had hurled at her onto the floor with a sharp snap. "She were blamen me coz she kinna kep 'er knees tagether! I wun tolerate tha' John, no' en me owwen hoos! Dun tell me yer taken her side!" Her face was flushed with anger and now she turned it onto her husband, poking him in the chest.

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan shook her head vehemently. "I have, I have to go. This was a mis-mistake." She still shuddered in her breathing, but she seemed to be gaining hold of her hysteria. "I can't stay here. Pl-please, just help me with the saddle, then you'll nev-never see me again."

She wiped her sleeve across her eyes. They had grown red and swollen from her tears, and her extremities had gotten red from the crying. Her nose, ears, and fingertips were pink compared to the paleness of the rest of her skin.

Little John knew that he was getting into dangerous territory. "I'm not taking anyone's side but God's, Fenny. We're told to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek when they insult us. Now think about how you might have felt had you been in her place. What if you and I had gotten a bit more than warm that first night in my cart, hm? And what if later that night Hamish had been killed while you and I were having our little romp in the blankets, and then I went and left you alone? That's basically what she's going through, Love. She had no one, no one but Will Scarlet, and she might not even have him."

He tried to put his hands on Fenny's waist. "Sweetheart, you have the world compared to Morgan. Please be gentle with what God's laid at your doorstep."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ah no ya dun," Hamish said gently, putting an arm around Lady Morgan's shoulders and steering her back toward the door. "Ef ye go' en a row weth someone...Okey, ef ye go' en a row weth Fen et were prolly a mesunderstanden. Come enside an' warrim yerself up an' we'll clear thess all up. Hey?"

Fenny folded her arms across her chest even as her husband put his hands on her waist. "I were gennle weth wha' were put a' me doorstep! Took 'er en, denna I? Taugh' 'er hoo ta be useful denna I? An' she spat en me face coz she thenks she's better'n us! An' I had th' good sense no' ta ge' meself en her wey en th' ferst place, denna I? Kept me knees tagether. An' she go' folk! She go' tha' bloody Ser Guy ta meery 'er, she go' no righ' ta betch! An' whaddye mean, she migh' no' have Well? Wha', ye thenk a Scotsman woulna do righ' by hes owwen bairns?!" Fenny's face was red and she was beginning to tear up with anger. She poked Little John repeatedly in the chest as she spoke. It didn't even occur to her that perhaps both she and Morgan were blowing this way out of proportion.

"She'll prolly have them duelin' each other fer th' honor o' raisen her bairns!" Fenny blew a stray curl out of her face. Hamish opened the door and guided Morgan gently over the threshold. "An' I woulna be en her place coz Hamish woulna get hesself kellt like tha'! My brother dun blackmail ennisent folk an' my brother dun condone rape!" Hamish turned Lady Morgan around and made to guide her back out the door.

[EvelynWillows]

Each jab of her little finger hurt more than the last, until there was a pulsing circle of pain on Little John's sternum. Still, he figured that she needed to do something to demonstrate her anger, and a little circle of soreness was much better than broken dishes or a chair with a broken leg. "Now Fenny, just take a breath. You did great, Love, you did, but part of being gentle is to just let people talk out their frustrations without getting defensive. I mean..."

"She'll prolly have them duelin' each other fer th' honor o' raisen her bairns!" Fenny blew a stray curl out of her face.

John looked up to see Hamish guiding Lady Morgan into the house, and then right back out again.

"...an' my brother dun condone rape!" Fenny said with a flourish.

Lady Morgan put her hand on the door and pushed back into the house. "Robert never condoned blackmail or rape! How dare you besmirch his name! He was doing his job, and it were yer husband'd killed him!!" She rushed at Fenny with her hands outstretched, but whether it was to scratch at her face or push her over they couldn't tell.

Hamish grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her backwards. "Oi no!"

Harry and Charles high-tailed it up the loft ladder to where they could get a better view and be out of the grown-ups' sight. This was not the time to get sent out to do chores.

John wrapped his arm around Fenny to hold her tight as well. Two pregnant, moody women in a catfight was not what any of them wanted. "Now hold on! You're both getting too worked up over nothing."

"Nothing! My life is not nothing!" Morgan struggled in Hamish's grip, her fury now turned towards John.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oh so et were 'is job ta hold us all pris'ner weth secrets an' blackmail fer Baron What's-'is-butt's death were et?" Fenny demanded, turning and trying to start at Morgan but finding herself held firmly in place by Little John. "Coz that were fer attempted rape et was an' dunchee dare say as I deserved et!" She was still struggling to get at Morgan, fists raised and ready to swing as soon as she were close enough. The fact that Little John had killed the Sheriff of Nottingham hadn't yet registered.

Morgan was slipping from his grip. Hamish instead hooked his arms beneath hers and laced his fingers together on the back of her head, effectively pinning (http://www.wrestlingfurnace.com/formalities/holds/image11.jpg) her arms. He looked over Morgan's head as she struggled to get away.

"Noo le's jis' e'erone calm doon, hey? Wha's all thess o'er anehwey?"

Fenny ignored her brother. "I opened me hoem ta ye an ye spat en me face an' cursed me countrehman! Th' on'y reason ye met 'im en th' ferst place were because o' yer brother!"

[EvelynWillows]

"My brother did no such thing!" Shrieked Morgan, beginning to kick and wriggle in Hamish's arms. "He never blackmailed anyone! He didn't break any laws! HE WAS A GOOD MAN!!!"

"They're having a pissing match," Little John said in answer to Hamish's question. "They were just doing women things in the kitchen and they all of a sudden it was a battleground."

"She told me to get out!" Morgan turned her glare at John. "And YOU! I was willing to overlook what you'd done on account as it was your wife on the gallows, but I'm not ever going to forget that you were the one who killed him! You're a murderer! I hate you!"

Little John tightened his grip on Fenny. "We need to just all calm down, okay? Today's a very emotional day, and we should all just caaalm dooown."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"We stell go' th' notes threatnen ta hang us!" Fenny shrieked back, struggling just as hard to get away from her husband and teach a lesson to the ungrateful woman standing in her kitchen. "I were on th' gallas as fer d'fenden meself 'gainst rape an' murder an' yer brother knew tha'! Ye tell me hoo five on one en a dark wood enna some sort o' attempt! I woulna ben en Sherwood at all ef et weren't fer hem! He go' hesself kellt an' GOOD RIDDANCE!"

Hamish was having a hard time keeping a hold of Morgan with all of her wriggling. If she weren't pregnant he'd have just thrown her over his shoulder potato-sack style but he didn't want to be responsible for nor blamed for any miscarriage. He rolled his eyes at the entire situation.

"Et en't a pessen match Johan Schnell ye take tha' back!" Fenny shrieked, still trying to squirm out of his grip. "I wan' 'er oot me hoos! I tried as ta be kind ta her bu' she spat en me face, she dun deserve quarter!"

"Noo look here!" Hamish bellowed over the two screaming women. "Nex' one as talks shite boot famileh er deserven shelter er I dun keer wha' gets ta have a good set en th' stream oot back then a good long romp en th' snow. Clear?"

[EvelynWillows]

"I don't believe you! Show me the notes! Robert would do no such thing!" Lady Morgan began to sob in Hamish's arms. "He's not a bad man, he's not! He was a servant of the crown, and I didn't deserve to be kidnapped by Robin Hood." She wept softly as she hung from Hamish's grip. "I shouldn't be here!"

Little John ran his arm tighter around Fenny. He buried his nose in her wild hair and spoke near her ear. "This is your house, Fenny, but I'm your husband, and I'm telling you to calm down so we can talk about his like adults. For just this once, Fenny, do - what - you're - told." He waited until he could feel her body relax before he would let her go. "No one needs to go anywhere today, for the sake of the Lord. It's cold, a storm's coming, and Christmas is nigh."

The boys up in the loft looked at each other, slightly disappointed. They were hoping to witness some cat-fighting, but it seemed like their entertainment was winding to a close. Breakfast was cooling in the kitchen but no one seemed to mind.

[The Lifted Lorax]

As Morgan relaxed in his grip then just sort of hung there, Hamish put an arm around her to support her then led her gently over to a chair, pulling it out for her to sit down. Looking over at Fenny and John he sat down next to her. It had been a long while since he'd seen his sister this enraged over something so small. He'd almost forgotten how much of a firecracker she was and it scared him a tiny bit.

Fenny had become still in her husband's arms and though her body relaxed her hands were still clenched tightly into fists. She didn't appreciate very much being told to do what she was told. Little John wasn't her father! With a deep breath she broke away from him. Taking the now-cool skillet of gravy she set it back over the coals to warm and wordlessly stomped into their room, slamming the door.

Just as it seemed perhaps she'd barricaded herself in there, Fenny came back with three scrolls, an envelope, and a small white box. In the box was the finger with the ring and on the inside of the lid was R's first message. The three scrolls had their red ribbons re-tied around them, and the envelope contained the still unread letter. Wordlessly she set them all in on the table in front of Morgan before going over to the fire and carefully taking the skillet back out.

"Breakfast, lads," she called up to the loft, knowing they could hear her. Silently she sat down and began helping herself to a few biscuits, not looking at anyone.

[EvelynWillows]

The boys crept down the ladder, wondering if the good stuff was going to be left unsaid now that they were within sight. Harry walked over to the kitchen and took Fenny's hand in his. "I love you, Ma." He said quietly.

At the table Lady Morgan first reached for the box. It was different from the rest, and it had been set closest to her. She opened the lid and then gasped, dropping the contents on the table.

Charles watched wordlessly as the finger and ring rolled to a stop near the edge of the table. His eyes grew cold, but he said nothing. Instead he quietly got himself a plate and put a biscuit and gravy on it. He sat down next to Little John and watched Morgan as she turned over the lid with shaking hands and began to read the message to herself.

She looked more upset than she had earlier. She looked up at John and Hamish, wondering if she should go on. Then she untied the scrolls one by one and read them. As she got further and further into the readings she began to weep silently at the table. Finally she picked up the unsealed envelope and broke the wax. She slid the parchment out and read it as well. "I don't understand." She wiped at the tears in her eyes. "Why would he do this? He was...he was a good man. Why would he do this?"

Little John bent his head. How do you explain to someone what another's motive was?

[The Lifted Lorax]

Harry's hand in hers had surprised Fenny. She looked up as he said he loved her and called her Ma and that was the end of it. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I love ye too, Lamb," she said quietly, her voice shaking. With her free hand she brought him forward to kiss his forehead. She sniffed and swallowed back the tears. "Now et up afore et ge's cold again."

Fenny helped Harry with his breakfast before serving her own. She was starving by this point. She ate silently as Morgan opened the box then read all of the notes that had haunted them. The entire time she was choking back tears and wouldn't look at anyone. Everything that had happened since they came here...it was her fault. The guilt had weighed heavily on her for so long and Morgan blaming her for an unwanted pregnancy just made the burden that much heavier.

"Ye arrigh' Charlie?" Hamish muttered quietly in Charles's ear as he sat between him and John. As the finger had skittered across the table he'd kept an eye on both boys for a reaction and had seen the coldness in the lad's eyes. Already the boy had seen too much.

"Why would he do this? He was...he was a good man. Why would he do this?"

"Coz we kellt th' wrong man es why," Fenny said hollowly, not looking up though she'd stopped eating. "Well...et weren't th' wrong man. Et were jis' a man from the wrong famileh. Some baron er hes cousin er some sich." She set her fork down and looked up at Morgan, a few tears running down her cheeks.

"I me' John boot year an' a half ago a' th' May Feer," she said quietly. "Started helpen 'im sell brews when a man as too much en 'is cups started ta ge' a li'l too close. Had ta show 'im I meant bessness an' he wen' on 'is wey, though' I seen th' last o' hem. Showed up later while John were off payen th' taxes, cept he had a frien' weth 'im who put a knife ta me throat. Hamish an' John took keer o' 'em wethoot herten anehone too bad, sairtenleh wi'oot kellen n'one."

"Then thess man...tha' man," she nodded to the finger, "he asked roond I guess. Rode on ahead o' us, hem an' four o' hes friends. Set th' barrin an' hoose on fire. Lost th' whole barrin, half th' hoose, an' a melk cow. Had a barrin-raisen th' next dey, bu' I wen' fer a walk tha' nigh'...en th' woods." Fenny took a deep, shuddering breath. It was becoming harder not to cry as the long-suppressed memories came flooding back. Her voice was choked with tears when next she spoke. "Et were five on one...I'm luckeh I screamed er..." She buried her face in her hands.

"John'n'me came runnen," Hamish said hollowly, picking up the story. "They were holden 'er doon...God kens as what'd happen ef we were jis' tha' much slower. Kellt 'em, both o' us...buried 'em. Though' tha' were th' end o' et." Fenny sniffled and brought her face up out of her hands, having herself under control now. The fact that her adopted sons were at the table was something she'd temporarily forgotten.

"Me'n'John were marrehd en September," she said quietly. Her voice still shook. "Three er four deys later, we go' tha' on our doorstep, nice le'l wedden geft." She nodded at the box before looking up at Morgan. "An' tha's why, Morgan. Tha's why I ruined yer life. Ta save me owwen an' me famileh's. Ye wanna say et's my faul' yer en yer setchashen, go righ' ahead. Bu'...there's no' a soul kin blame me fer wha' I dun ta kep me'n'mine from swengen."

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan starred at Fenny, her tears drying as Fenny's story grew. She grew paler and paler, and seemed about to get sick at any moment. She looked at Hamish and John when the part about Fenny's near-rape came up. Wordlessly Morgan shook her head.

"But...but Robert didn't know that. How could he know what those men did? Why didn't you just report them to him?" She put a hand on her chest as she tried to force down the bile that had threatened to rise up in her throat. She pushed the scrolls away from herself and looked hard at the ring and the finger on it. "Why? It doesn't make sense. He said he was upholding the law. Why would he have done all that? And it doesn't change the fact that you didn't have to kidnap Sir Guy and me. That didn't have to happen."

"Well, no," admitted Little John, "but it's not Fenny's fault that you took a shine to Will Scarlet and him to you. That's not something she did."

Charles had finished his plate and went to the sink to scrape the leavings off into the chicken's bucket. He looked outside and noticed the nearly noon-time sun. "Uncle Hamish, do you want me an Harry to go get the Schneider girls? On account of you might be needed more here?" He looked back at him with a blank stare.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Them as knew wha' happened knew why," Fenny said quietly.

"On'y court as woulda hung us were Nottenham's court," Hamish added gently with a small nod. "We denna say nothen coz we'd'a ben th' ones as ta get kellt. A noble's life es werth more'n a yeoman's oot en these parts, lass. E'er'one kens tha'."

Fenny bristled when Morgan once again brought up the kidnapping of her and Sir Guy. She opened her mouth to retort, but her husband cut her off. It was probably a good thing he had, too; even Fenny would have to admit anything she had to say would have led to another fight. She settled for simply nodding in agreement with John.

"I'll go wi'ya lad," Hamish said quietly when Charles offered to go pick up the girls. He stood, his breakfast also finished, and scraped off what little was left into the bucket before rinsing the empty plates and leaving them to dry. "Hurry up Harry," he said gently over his shoulder as he followed Charles outside.

"S' wha's on yer mind, boyo?" Hamish asked casually once they were out in the barn and hooking up the sled to the horse. "I saw tha' look on yer face. Tha' ol' fenger denna skeer ye, ded et?"

[EvelynWillows]

Harry hesitated for a moment before leaving the house. He worried that his mom would need him around; that she seemed so fragile emotionally and she might just shatter and die of a broken heart the way his own mother had.

Little John still sat between Fenny and Lady Morgan. "Try to understand, ladies, that the men in this have pulled you both into their sins and so you've suffered, but the suffering doesn't have to continue. See, the Brambleberry Man, the one who tried to rape Fenny, brought his friends in with him and tried to take what he wanted. He coveted her, he tried to steal her, and then he tried to rape her. True, we killed him and his cohorts in defense of Fenny, but in a land where the rights of Prima Nochta rule, who's going to care if another peasant woman is raped?"

He looked over at Fenny. "And you, dearest, tried your best to protect your family. You tried to do whatever it meant, even leaving the comfort of your home, to keep us from hanging." He turned his gaze on to Morgan. "And you were an innocent caught in the cross-fires of the corruption of your brother and Prince John's men. It wasn't your fault, but it was because of what they did that you were taken. True, we could have had you chaperoned better, but in the end it wasn't rape, was it? Because if it is just tell us and we'll string Will Scarlet up by his balls ourselves."

Lady Morgan shook her head. "No, it wasn't rape," she said in a small voice.

"Alright. That part is settled at least. Now it's important to understand this; you two didn't do anything on purpose to hit each other, right? It wasn't aimed at hurting each other, at least. And you both want the same types of things; love, a happy family, a warm place to sleep?" He looked from one woman to the other. "I'm hoping you do, at least."

Outside in the barn Charles was quietly hooking up the cart to the horse Will had given the Schnells. "Nah, the finger didn't scare me. It can't hurt no one." He looked up at his uncle. "Did that man really try to hurt Fenny? I mean, it wasn't a mistake, was it?"

Harry wandered into the barn and stood off to the side. He's been snapped at often enough for lacing the wrong strap through the wrong fastener.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"...in the end it wasn't rape, was it? Because if it is just tell us and we'll string Will Scarlet up by his balls ourselves."

"Aye," Fenny agreed. "I'm a feer wemin; I'll be ferst en line ta do et, too." But she knew that Will Scarlet, pig-headed and stupid though he was, would never rape anyone and Morgan confirmed as much. "Aye, I do," she said softly when Little John asked them about what sort of things they wanted. She took a deep breath, about to do something she'd never done to someone other than Hamish or John. "I'm sorreh, Morgan. Ef I said anehthen as wha' het too close ta hoem. I ken as ef et were Hamish an' someone were sayen those thengs about 'em they'd be bleeden by noo. Beg brothers es kinda emportant, hey?" She looked up from the table at the woman across from her. She hated apologizing.

Hamish sighed and put a hand on Charles's head, smoothing his hair down a little. "No...et weren't a mestake. There's bad men en thess werrild, Charlie, as thenk they kin take wha'e'er they wan' whene'er they wan' from whoe'er they wan'. Et ent' righ', bu' some folk thenk like tha'. Bu' tha' man...he kinna hert n'one noo any more'n tha' fenger kin. Yer da an' me made sure o' tha'." He looked down at his nephew. "S'tha' wha' were botherin' ye? Hem?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan couldn't hold back the tears. She half-crawled, half-walked to Fenny and threw her head on her lap, weeping and trying to talk through the blubbering. Eventually she was able to calm down enough to speak. "I'm so sorry, Fenny. I'm just SO scared, and I never knew what Robert did. I never knew! He was all I had, and with John out of the picture," she looked at Little John "Prince John, I don't know what to do. I'm just scared, Fenny. I'm so sorry!" She slumped down to sit on the ground and buried her face in her hands.

Little John put a hand on Fenny's shoulder and smiled at her approvingly. She had just learned to love her enemy.

Charles watched Harry stalking chickens in the barn.

The older boy tightened the cart harness around the horse's chest and made sure it sat evenly on its shoulders. "No, it's not Lord Davenport who worried me." He licked his lips and couldn't meet Hamish's gaze for a few moments. He shifted his eyes down the horse's legs and tried to speak a couple of times but all that came out was a frustrated squeak. "My Da, and Harry's...they worked together in the mill. They worked for Davenport." He glanced up at Hamish. "They all disappeared a while back and our Mums died that winter, both of them. I think that our Da's..." He began to choke up.

Harry looked up, his arms full of a red hen chortling comfortably in his warm embrace. "Charles?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Tears began to form in Fenny's eyes. Morgan's crying was starting to make her feel like crying, which was frustrating which made her want to cry even more! It had been such a stressful morning. She patted Morgan's hair as she laid her head in her lap and apologized for everything, saying that she had only been scared.

"S'arrigh'," she said thickly, looking up at John and smiling back a little as he put a hand on her shoulder. Morgan pulled away from her, lamenting that she didn't have anyone left. Fenny knelt and hugged the girl gently. "Easy there, lass," she said quietly, tears beginning to fall. "Ye go' Sir Guy, who looks jis' like Well. An' ye go' Well Scarlet hesself. He's a rogue an' he's stupet bu' he kin be a good man. I ken 'im, lass, an' he'd take keer o' any bairn what's hes." She pet Morgan's hair gently and let the tears fall. Now was her chance to be weak, while only her husband was looking.

"Laird Davenport? Who...?" But Hamish stopped himself from finishing the question. He knew who. Charles knew the Brambleberry Wine Man. His blood ran cold as Charles talked about his and Harry's fathers and his mouth dropped open in horror. "Oh God..." he said softly, crushing Charles to his chest with a tight hug. It wasn't often Hamish showed physical affection to someone other than Fenny or Adelaide, but when he did it was always for very good reason.

"Ne'er ye min', Harry," Hamish said, looking up at the younger boy. "Jis'...ye jis' look after tha' checken, hey? She seems pretty happy wi'ya." He looked down at Charles, feeling somewhat sick. He had killed the boy's father. Both of them. Though it was possible John had. "Wha' they look like, son?" he asked quietly. "Mayhap weren't them, eh?"

[EvelynWillows]

Charles swallowed hard. He felt the guilt of his father weighing down on him. "Harry's Da had big arms, he could break a bear's back by squeezing it, and mine, he had hair like mine and he was tall. I remember that Da said they picked up some extra work from 'ol Barnabas Davenport, but we thought it was bucking wood or such. And then Ma thought that he got drunk on the money and was asleep in some bar...but...Don't tell her, Uncle Hamish. She won't want us no more." He trembled and looked at the ground. He rocked back and forth for a moment and buried his hands in his hair, not sure of what to do.

"I don't want her to hate us too. Please don't tell her. Please."

John set a pot of water on the fire for tea. It would be a bit before the girls arrived to spend the afternoon with them, but it was never too early to start the tea. He looked out the window and wondered what was taking Hamish and the boys so long with the wagon, but then he figured that the Scot had it handled. Instead he helped Morgan back up to a chair and held Fenny's hand. "Maybe you'd both like to lay down? It's been a rough morning."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish swallowed hard. Harry's father had knocked his sister to the ground and held her legs apart by the ankles. Charles' father had tied her arms and covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream. He opened his mouth to speak when the boy begged him not to tell Fenny...but then his heart broke when he voiced his fears that she would hate them. He shook his head vigorously and put his hands on Charles's shoulders.

"No lamb...Noo ye lessen ta me, hey?" He bent over to look the boy in the eye. "Lessen ta me, Charlie. Fen'd ne'er hate ye. Neither o' ye. Yer ma an' da an' me, we love ye sommat fierce an' en't nothen e'er gonna change tha', ye hear?" Hamish remembered what he was like at fourteen and even when upset physical affection had embarrassed him, so he tried to refrain from showing too much with Charles. But if anybody needed to know he was loved, it was this boy. He was even surprised at himself at how much affection he was showing...this sleepy little hamlet had definitely changed Hamish Balloch.

"Noo ye lessen ta me," he started again, still looking Charles in the eye, "ef there's anehone as ken aboot walken en yer famileh's shadow et's me'n'yer ma. Me'n'Fen...we had a older brother an a older sesster. Alastair'n'Mary. An' they were like us on'y be'er a' e'erthen. Alastair were a bedder hun'ner an' farrimer an' sich, Mary were be'er a'...Iunno. Girrelly thengs, I guess. An' we ne'er heard th' end o' et, boot hoo we should be more like 'em. Bu' we weren'. Coz ye en't wha' yer famileh do, boyo, yer wha' ye do."

"Folk make mestakes, e'en Da's. Mine made a lo' o' 'em, got hesself kellt from some. Bu' ye en'tcher da, an' Harry's no' hes. An' Fenny'd ne'er make th' mestake o' thenken ye are. Ef I told 'er, she'd stell wanchee th' same an' love ye th' same. We all would. I stell do." Hamish's expression was nothing but sincere and his tone earnest. "Hell, she'd prolly e'en apologize ta ye, an I think Fenny's on'y said sorry five times en 'er whole life. Bu' Charlie...we're famileh, hey? An' familehs steck tagether, dun matter wha' someone else do. Wha' yer da ded...et were yer da, no' ye." After a long pause Hamish cleared his throat and looked back down at Charles. "Noo...I wun tell 'er ef ye stell dun wan' me to. Bu' I thenk she needs ta ken. Secrets go' a nasty wey o' eaten a' a famileh. Bu' I kin tell ye noo tha' tellen 'er wun change hoo she feels bootchee er hoo much she wansta kep ye. Both o' ye."

Inside Fenny sniffled and nodded, holding Little John's hand tightly. "Bu' I...I gotta do th' deshes ferst...afore Adelaide an' Hilde ge' here." She hadn't realized how late it was, nor did she realize that Hamish and the boys hadn't left yet. But laying down for a nap in their nice, warm, soft bed (http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.5011871104893204&pid=15.1) sounded like a wonderful idea.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles listened stoically to Hamish explain that Fenny would still love him, and that he and Harry weren't their fathers. They weren't to blame for what their fathers did. Still, the knowledge that his dad and Harry's helped to try to rape their new mother ate at his soul. He nodded after Hamish said that secrets had a way of eating at a family.

"Okay, we can tell her if you're sure that she won't hate us. I don't want her to think of that every time she sees us, Uncle Hamish. It was almost better not knowing what happened. Our Ma thought that they were ambushed by highwaymen and dead on the side of the road. When Harry 'n me joined up with Robin Hood I thought we'd find out who killed our dads, but they didnt' kill people; just robbed them. And aside from Lord Davenport they were all poor."

He wiped his eyes dry as they finished up hitching the wagon. Charles got a few blankets and put it behind the bench for the girls to use. "All set." He looked over at Hamish. "Harry and I can get them, honest, especially if you want to get cleaned up a bit before they come over. You're getting a little....ripe." He managed a grin. "Ma says that girls don't like stink."

Little John kissed Fenny's palm. "Go to sleep, dearest. I know how to wash a few dishes. I did my own for plenty of years before I married you, didn't I?" He went to tuck her in. "Don't worry my love. Your kitchen will survive an hour or so without you."

Once he made sure that both the mothers-to-be were tucked away in their prospective beds he went and washed up the breakfast dishes. There weren't many, to be sure, but he still admired how much work Fenny managed to do every day. He looked up and saw the carriage begin to move down the snowy lane. Good, the boys were busy and the house was quiet. What could be better?

[The Lifted Lorax]

"I ken as she wun hatechee. Ne'er could." Hamish patted Charles on the head. He was a good boy. He chuckled and pushed him gently when Charles told him he stank.

"Arrigh' then, I'll stey here an' tell yer ma boot wha' happened then wash up." He smiled and helped the boys get situated and saw them off before heading to the house.

"Aye, ye washed 'em," Fenny said, "bu' who's ta say ye washed 'em righ'." Fenny was very particular about the way her kitchen was kept.

Finally, however, she acquiesced. Little John was just finishing up the dishes when Hamish came back in looking serious.

"Where's Fen?" he asked quietly. "We go' a wee problem."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John dried his hands off. "She's sleeping. They both are." He draped the towel over the dishes and pulled out a chair. "What's wrong, Hamish? I haven't seen you this upset in a long time." He thought about Morgan and checked to make sure that she was alright. She slept with her hands tucked under her chin. As she breathed, small sup-sups of weeping still sneaked through and disturbed her breathing.

He drew the improvised draped over Morgan's little 'room' and then turned back to look at his brother-in-law. "What's wrong? Are you worried about Will?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish shook his head. "Nah, Well's a good lad. He'll do wha's righ'. Nah, et's er...et's boot th' boys."

Hamish sat down at the table and looked up at John. His eyes were deeply troubled. How could he say this? Well...was there any other way he could?

"We kellt their fathers, John," Hamish said softly. "Charles recognized th' reng. Their da's werked a' a mell fer 'im. Some laird er sommat. Bu' they disappeared a while back after sayen they pecked up extra werk. From hoo 'e says they look...hes were th' one holden 'er legs. Ye ah...ye go' Harry's da. Th' beg fella."

Hamish shuddered at the mental image created by the memory. Fenny struggling on the ground, screaming. Charles's father had been cleaved right shoulder nearly to his hip if his spinal column hadn't stopped Hamish's sword. John's axe in Harry's father's skull, black blood pouring over his sister's pale skin in the moonlight.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John stilled. He stared at Hamish and wanted to ask him if he was sure, but he could tell in his brother's eyes that there was no doubt. He stared at the table for a moment as the strands of fate unraveled in his mind's eye, revealing the symphony of events that led to where they were now.

"God is awesome, isn't He?" John finally asked. His eyes were brimming over. "He brought those boys to us through this horrible event, so that we could be a family where before there was only pain and loneliness. He let the sheriff blackmail us because it was the only way we'd ever meet Charles and Harry, probably, and He also freed Lady Morgan from living in the shadow of her brother, and possibly from a bad marriage to Prince John, though we'll never know for sure." He sighed and wiped his eyes. "How are the boys taking it? Or do they know?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"John..." Hamish said quietly before looking at the table. He was talking about God at a time like this?? But as he held his head in his hands he listened to Little John and what he had to say. He sighed and shook his head.

"Ya shoulda ben a preacher, boyo," he said quietly. "Ye kin tern e'en stuff like thess enta summat good. I'm glad Fenny metchee." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Already it had been a long day and it wasn't even noon. "Charlie do, I dunno ef Harry were payen attention er no'. He were busy catchen chickens. He shoulna ken tell 'e's older ef he dun...ef a' all. Knowen sommat like tha' bootcher owwen da...tha' kin break a growwen man, ne'ermin' a boy. Charlie denna wan' me ta tell ye an' Fen. Though' she'd hate 'em an' no' wan' 'em anehmore." He looked up at his brother-in-law. "I coulna le' Harry go roond th' rest o' life wonnerin tha', too. Coz ye ken Charles well, n'matter wha' I tell 'im."

After a few moments silence, Hamish spoke again. This time more cautiously. "So eh...earlier, when we was talken ta th' boys...ye soonded like ye wan'ned ta talk ta me, too."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John smiled at the thought that they'd ever love Charles and Harry less because of who their fathers were. "It's to be expected; boys take a lot of worth through who their fathers are." He thought about their collective Father and how they'd all been adopted into His family. It gave John a place to start when thinking about how to approach this with the boys. "We'll just have to make sure the boys know every day how much we love them."

Hamish's semi-question made John look up. "Ah...that. I didn't want you to feel like I was coming down on you hard or anything, Hamish, with the whole 'shoe' analogy. It just sort of came to me, and I was standing on the side watching myself say all these things to the boys."

He smiled at his brother. "You are going to be a fine husband for Adelaide. I know that Satan's whispering in your ear that your filthy and dirty and you'd never be good enough, but he's just trying to tear you down, Hamish. All that Liar has are words to remind you of where you've been. But where you've been is not as important as where you are and where you're going, my brother. I hope you know that in your heart."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Boys took a lot from who their fathers were. Hamish nodded. "Aye, I ken tha'...bu' they go' theirselves a da noo who's a good man. Anehone'd be prood." He smiled a little.

Then promptly wished he hadn't changed the topic. As Little John explained himself, Hamish turned pink and looked back at the table again. He'd asked about earlier because all this touchy-feely nonsense was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. This was even better at accomplishing that.

"Ah...I ken as ye wasna talken ta me," he said quietly, not meeting Little John's eyes. This was difficult enough to talk about with his sister, possibly the only person in the world dearer to him than Adelaide. But her husband?? "Bu' I'm no' a good man, neither. I kin try, bu' I'm no'. Et's ben...years. I kinna e'en remember 'er name, jis' her face. No' Iona, afore her, Fen were real young. Me too...too young. An' sence then, Hell I los' coont years ago. Adelaide...I thenk she ken some o' et, bu' no' e'en th' lettlest bet." Hamish addressed the table, very resolutely not looking at his brother.

"How do I tell 'er sommat like tha'? When she's gone unteched her whole life, an' me...I jis' threw et awey like et were nothen. Felt like et a' th' time, nothen. Then there's still...temptayshens. En Nottenham, when we went oot ta look fer Fenny there were thess barmaid asked me ta walk 'er hoem. An' I almos'...I mean, I denna, bu' almos'. An' I ken as close on'y coonts en horeshoes, bu'..." He finally looked up at Little John, looking a little bit helpless.

"Wha' kind o' a man like tha' deserves ta have a wemin like Adelaide Schneider as hes wife, hey?"

[EvelynWillows]

"None of us deserve anything good. Show me a man who says he's never been tempted, or lusted, or hated, or coveted, and I'll show you a liar. We all deserve dust and fire, Hamish. Dust and fire. You got a weakness, we all do. You're weakness was some kind of... finding comfort and value in the arms of women. Other men find it in a bottle, or in gambling. Others...well, they find it in killing or taking things that aren't theirs to take."

Little John sighed. "There isn't a perfect man or woman out there, brother. Not a one. Adelaide's got her weaknesses too, I'm certain." He held up a hand. "She's wonderful, Hamish, but when she thinks of herself she hears the Prince of Lies whisper in her ear too. He might tell her that she's not worldly enough, or maybe that she'd not be able to carry babies because she's too narrow-hipped, or he might tell her that she'd never be enough to keep you happy. It's your job to let her know every day that you love her, and to help her see what God sees in her."

He took a sip from his cold tea. "I don't deserve a woman like Fenny. If you think Adelaide's pure, how much more is Fenny to have grown up like she has and still kept herself chaste? We men are all just scum, Hamish." he chuckled. "We're lucky that our women seem to only see the good in us. It's like God said to Himself Well, if We don't make the women a little bit blind to their men's faults then they'll never tolerate them!- and so He gave us a big advantage. They can't see all of our faults, but that's all we see about ourselves."

"You'll do what you can to be a good husband, and if I think you're straying off the path don't think I won't knock some sense back in you. What you did as a lonely, scared young man is not who you are now. You're a man now, Hamish. You might have been tempted in Nottingham but you resisted it. Remember what the Good Book says? Resist temptation and the devil will flee from you. You did it. Keep doing it." He took another sip of tea. "And the boys and I will help you get that house of yours put up so you can hurry up and get married."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish breathed a sigh of relief. Coming from the ex-preacher it somehow made him feel better than if it had come from anyone else. Even Fenny could tell him the same thing til she was blue in the face, but Little John had a way of putting things that put him at ease. Truly no one deserved his sister more than this man.

"Whaddye mean, growwen up th' wey she ded an' kept 'erself chaste? Stell es, en't she?" Hamish winked to indicate that he was joking, though he would still ignore as hard as he could that his little sister was probably laying with this bear of a man in front of him every night not a hundred feet from that very kitchen table. "Thankee, John," he added more softly. "Bu' dunchee go looken a' my wife's heps n'more, unnnerstan'? Like 'em hoo they are, an' they're mine ta gawp at thanks vurrah much."

Then it struck Hamish what he'd just said. My wife. His wife...soon he would have a wife. It felt...good. He could never go back to Scotland now, he'd never hear the end of it. Two years ago not even Fenny could have predicted that some day soon Hamish Balloch would have a lovely young wife of his own. Still, one thing remained.

"So...hoo do I tell 'er?" he asked shyly. "Boot...t'others?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John got a good chuckle out of Hamish's joking threats. "As far as I know Fenny is; I try to keep her too worn out with dishes and growing babies to have any energy left for extra-curricular activities." He grinned slyly into his cup. Truth be told, he had been a bit insecure when they were with Robin Hood's men, but now that they were home again he felt them back into their comfortable roles.

"Well, as soon as she's your wife I'm sure that you'll go about reshaping her a bit. Maybe a few cousins for our children to play with, eh? But before that...Maybe you and Adelaide should spend some time talking about what you expect out of marriage and what your hopes are. That would be a good time to be honest with her about the past. Not names and dates, but the fact that you had been with others should be brought up. It could be as simple as telling her that you wished you had waited to make your wife the first, but you didn't think that you'd live long enough. Or something along those lines. It has to be honest."

"She'll want to know if you have any babies out there, and if you loved any of the women you've been with. She'll need to hear that you've been faithful to her every since you realized that you loved her. She needs to be the one who excites you every moment of the day, and she needs to know that there is no one else in your life now." John looked up at Hamish. "She loves you, Hamish. She loves you beyond belief. It's a rare thing to love someone and have them love you back."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Tha's true, all o' et," Hamish said earnestly.

He'd never been in love before, and he had been faithful to her since before he'd known he loved her. There was no one in his life except her, and never would be again. It was the being brutally honest part that Hamish was going to have some trouble with. He was nervous; he didn't want to see that hurt in her eyes, didn't want to have to wipe away those tears. What if Adelaide didn't want him after that? The thought made his chest tighten.

"I jis'...I dun wanna hert 'er. Tha's gonna be th' werst o' et." Hamish looked up out the kitchen window facing the track the boys had taken from the barn. "When d'ye thenk th' lads'll be back?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John went back to the sink to rinse out the water pot and put on a fresh brew for tea. Fenny was good about having her camomile for her nerves in the evening, and he wanted to have it ready for her when she crawled out of bed. "It wouldn't make sense for her to be hurt by what you did before you met her...but then again, women aren't known to be the most sensible of God's creatures." He smiled at his brother.

He looked out the window, following Hamish's gaze. "Oh, you know boys. They're probably looking at some new knife Gunter has or trying to figure out who sits where." He sat back down. "Do you think Charles will be okay? It can't be easy to learn what he did today."

Lady Morgan was shuffling out of her little enclosure. "To learn what?" she mumbled sleepily. She slumped on the dining table chair and looked over at the kitchen. "Is that tea you're brewing?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach...course she'll be hert. She's a wemin, en't she? I kin hear 'er noo. 'Why denna ye wait fer me? Dedjee love any o' 'em? Were they prettier'n me?'" Hamish rolled his eyes.

"Eh?" He looked up as Morgan entered the kitchen. "Oh eh...nothen. Jis' wha' we hadta talk boot earlier. Y'ken...when a ram fancies a ewe an' all tha'." He looked up at John. "I thenk he'll be fine."

It wasn't much longer before Fenny emerged. She'd tamed her hair somewhat. It was still wild, but the bedhead was gone. She wore the warm red dress Widow Fallow had given her in the fall. It was warm and festive and had quickly become her favorite dress. With the small bit of weight she'd managed to put on since getting pregnant it fit better, as well.

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan smirked. "Um, ewes and rams, right." She ran a hand through her hair and peeked out the window, watching the carriage growing closer. "So...these girls who are coming to visit, is one of them your sweetheart?" She looked at Hamish. "I never took you for a wooing man, Mister Balloch. I guess there's hope for you Scots yet."

She peered at her tea cup and swirled it a bit. A few leaves had fallen out of the holder and made a little pile on the bottom of the cup.

"There's hope for all of us," Little John said. He smiled at Fenny. "And there is my sweetheart. Are you feeling better?"

The sound of excited barking came closer to the house as the boys returned home with their guests. The horse made a soft shush-shush sound stepping through the snow that could be heard even inside the house. Charles sent Harry and the girls in while he unharnessed the horse and put him away.

The front door burst open. An excited three month old mutt (http://www.humanesocietydover.org/images/mutt.jpg)came charging in, with a pink-cheeked Harry grinning after it. "The Schneiders gave us a dog to guard the house! Can we keep him, Ma? I named him Chance!"

The girls were a bit more subdued, having knocked the snow off their shoes and entering with quiet smiles into the warmth of the cabin. Adelaide immediately went into Hamish's embrace. "Merry early Christmas!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Sure I'm th' wooen type," Hamish said with a shrug. He'd wooed many women in his time. "Ji's no' th' set'len doon type. Bu' er...thess place has a wey o' changen a man, hey?" He turned a little pink and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. "An' I en't a messter anethen! Jis' Hamish's good nuff fer me."

Fenny nodded sleepily. "Aye, a bet. Thess babe o' yers wun stop maken me ell, though." She nudged him gently in the ribs before hugging him around his middle. She didn't even come up to his shoulder, but that was okay; she would still hold him to the promise he'd made and some day get him to make her a kissing stool. A bassinet and a crib were the priority, though. "Thenk th' boys told 'em arreadeh?" Fenny had come home from the doctor only a few days ago and they hadn't yet had the chance to tell anyone. She was sure, though, that once the Schneiders knew everyone would. There weren't many secrets in this hamlet.

Fenny laughed as the dog came barreling through the door. She was even willing to overlook the snow it was tracking across her floor as it bounded up to Morgan and put his wet paws on her lap, panting happily. She looked up at Little John.

"Kin we kep 'im, John?" she asked quietly with a small smile.

Hamish wrapped his arms around Adelaide and kissed the top of her head, burying his nose in her hair and breathing deep. His Adelaide! They hadn't seen each other since the last snowfall since it was harder to cross the fields in this weather and his heart had been aching for her.

"Murrah Chressmass pet," he said quietly back, smiling into her hair. He gave her a little squeeze before releasing her. "Oi Hilde. Murrah Chressmass" He nodded at his future sister-in-law and gave her a small smile as well. "Thess es er...Lady Morgan. Morgan, Adelaide an' Hildegard Schneider." Hamish felt awkward introducing them so formally and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan had shrieked at the dog's paws on her dress, and she almost looked like she was going to get queasy.

Little John laughed at the pup. He broke off from the shrieking human and began to sniff around. "I suppose we can give him a Chance," he acquiesced. "We need someone around here with good ears." He was thinking of all the wedding gifts they had received, and one in particular. Yes, a guard dog around would be a good thing.

Harry peeled off in laughter at John's pun. He looked up at the loft and realized that Chance wouldn't be able to climb up into their sleeping quarter. "Can I sleep downstairs? Please? He'll be all homesick unless he has someone to snuggle with!" He looked over at Fenny and John and gave them his best pleading look. "I'll bathe him every day if you want me to!"

"No you won't," Charles countered. "You don't keep any of those promises."

"I do too! I didn't tell the Schneiders about Ma's baby now, did I?"

The girls clasped their hands to their chests and shrieked in happiness. "A baby?! Mutter thought it might have been a little baby! She'll be zo excited! Oh ja! A little baby!" Adelaide's eyes drifted to Hamish. "Isn't that the best news all yahr?" The older sister hugged her fiancee around the waist. "Just think! You'll be an uncle!"

"Again!" John added. "The boys broke him in for us; now he should be able to handle a little diapered baby by now." He grinned at Charles. "Right?" His eyes searched the boy's.

The older lad looked hesitant for a moment, and then realized that John knew. He knew, and he still wanted them to both stay. He smiled shyly. "Right, Dad."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny frowned a little when Harry begged to sleep downstairs. "We dun have no room, Lamb," she said sort-of apologetically. "Spesh'leh weth Lady Morgan, an' ef Well's gonna be commen roond. Ye'd hafta slep by th' ketchen fire an' I spent too many nigh's on a cold rocky groond ta le' aneh son o' mine do th' same when he go' a perfectly good mattress." She followed his gaze to the ladder, then looked up at her husband. "Thenk we could build some proper steers, John? I mean, sence we're gonna be builden aneh how."

Fenny listened to the boys argue back and forth and was about to stop it when Harry let her news about her baby slip out. She felt a bit cheated, like her thunder had been stolen, but he hadn't meant anything by it. There was little her Lamb could do that was unforgivable. She winced at the sudden screaming and squealing in excitement.

"Ach! Bairns? Me?"

Hamish looked like he wanted nothing to do with it. Sure, he'd settled into his role of uncle. But the boys were older. Babies were so tiny and fragile and what if he held it the wrong way or something and did some sort of permanent damage? They'd never forgive him! He'd never forgive himself. But Adelaide put her arms around his waist and hugged him and the stark panic at the word baby seemed to ebb away. He relaxed his muscles and smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head.

"Aye, pet. S'wonnerful news." He gave her a little squeeze, knowing what she was thinking. She was thinking of the day she could ask him how wonderful it would be that he was going to be a father. He didn't feel ready for that yet...he wanted her to himself for a little bit before he had to start building cribs and changing diapers. Maybe Fenny's babies would be good practice...

His sister looked back and forth between Little John and Charles. Something had passed between them while she was asleep. She didn't ask now, but made a mental note to ask her husband about it when they had snuggled into bed for the night.

"Yer gonna teach 'im ta roll over, y'ken, so's ye kin wipe hes felthy paws off. Wun have n'pups trackin mud'n'wet 'cross my floors," Fenny said sternly to the boys. Mostly Harry.

[EvelynWillows]

Harry nodded eagerly and went to fetch a towel so that he could start teaching the dog now.

Adelaide's little sister perked up. "Will Scarlet's coming here?" She asked hopefully. Even though he was much too old for her she still harbored a crush on the Scot. "When's he coming?"

Lady Morgan looked down at her teacup. She caught the youthful rush of color that flooded Hildegard's face. She didn't want to be the one to dash the little girl's heart. Suddenly she wondered if Will was just a cad who enjoyed going around and breaking young girl's hearts, or if he was innocent of instigating any of it.

Charles was standing over by the stove and noticed that the fire had died down. "Ma, you want me to add wood to the fire for lunch?" Like every teenaged boy he was all stomach and legs. Even though it had only been a few hours since they had breakfast his stomach had started to growl.

"I'll help you," offered John. He waved at the table. "Why don't you ladies relax and talk? And you too, Hamish." He teased.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Eh...we dunno yet dearie," Fenny said carefully. She didn't want to be the one to tell the girl either. "Hamish an' John gotta go oot'n fetch 'im, bu' they canna weth th' storrim commen. I'd go weth 'em, bu'..." She gestured vaguely to her stomach and rolled her eyes. "No' taken aneh chances, hey? Too skenneh as es." Hopefully she could gradually turn the topic away from Will Scarlet, and she found babies were always a favorite with girls of the hamlet.

"Ach! Ye jis' et, boyo!" Fenny rolled her eyes, but then Little John offered to help. She would start lunch in a little bit; standing was making her queasy. Slowly she sat at the little round table next to Morgan.

"Oi! Sence when'm I a ladeh?" Hamish demanded indignantly. "I'll show ye a ladeh!"

"Hamish!" Fenny said sharply. Her brother had the good sense to look contrite.

"Anehwey, ye er...ye wanna go fer a walk, Addy? Jis' a short one. Fresh air's good after bein' cooped up enside, hey?" Hamish wasn't sure if he wanted her to say yes or no.

He was trying to prepare in his head what he was going to say, how he was going to tell her...but there was no possible way he could be prepared for this. His heart pounded in his ears. He just wanted to get this over with; it was better if she left him now before there was any sort of official engagement, spare them both the embarrassment. Then he'd just drink himself to a slow death, that's all. The world wasn't as bright without Adelaide.

[EvelynWillows]

John handed Charles the little hatched, hilt first, so he could split a piece of wood into kindling. They exchanged a look that somehow said that they could get through whatever life threw at them. The boy was in that strange place between a child and a man where so many got lost for decades before ever emerging. Some never did.

Harry and Hildegard were playing with the new puppy over by the fire. Hilde was telling him that her older brother had picked out this dog especially for the Schnells when they had to leave for their journey. She grinned at the young boy on the carpet next to her. "They never told us they were bringing family home." She glanced back at Hamish and sighed. "I hope Will comes home for Christmas."

Near the table Adelaide blushed. "I alvays vant to valk mit you, Hamish." She gave him a little wink and picked her jacket up. "You don't have mistletoe hiding do you?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Harry sat by the fire with Hildegard and pressed his lips together when she mentioned Will. He was jealous over the way she said his name and looked wistful at the idea of him coming back.

"Well it's not his home, is it?" he countered, perhaps a little more spitefully than he'd intended. "He lives in Sherwood Forest now, with Robin Hood. He'd only be coming back for Lady Morgan, anyhow." The boy scratched behind the dog's ears vigorously and smiled at it.

"Ach! I dun need n' messletoe!" Hamish leaned down and kissed Adelaide gently before pulling his sweater back on over his head.

"Messletoe!" Fenny declared from her chair, "Tha's wha's ben messen!" She made a mental note to find those few sprigs of mistletoe she'd bought the week before after she was done tying that pine garland.

Hamish took Adelaide's hand gently when she was ready and led her out the door, holding it open for her. Their boots made a soft slish-slish noise in the fresh, powdery snow as they trekked through it. He put his arm around his sweetheart as much for warmth as for affection and kissed the top of her head. He was quiet for a long while, trying to figure out just how to say it. His heart had leaped into his throat, which would surely get in the way of his talking. After a few minutes of aimlessly slish-slishing he cleared his throat.

"Addy...Adelaide...I love ye. More'n anethen else en th' werrild. An'...an' I wanchee ta unnerstan' tha' real good." Well, so far so good. "Bu' we need ta talk, pet. Boot...well, boot me past, see. Coz I go' one. I mean, e'erone's go' one. An' I'm sure ye ken I were a rogue, hey?" He looked at her for confirmation. "An' I jis'...I need ye ta ken e'erthen afore ye go an' meerreh me. I dun thengs, Addy. Thengs I en't prood of. Thengs as make me sure I en't worthy o' callen meself yer husbin'." His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her reply. Perhaps going for a walk wasn't such a good idea; his knees were shaky and he felt like he was going to fall over.

[EvelynWillows]

Hilde pursed her lips. "Lady Morgan? But she's so old! Why would Will be coming for her?"

"Hildegard Schneider!" Little John's voice cut across the room. "And you, Harry, don't you have other things to talk about? Why don't you two spend some time teaching Chance a few tricks, hm?"

Lady Morgan nearly coughed into her tea cup. She put a hand to her chest and tried to compose herself. "Old?" She whispered to Fenny. "She thinks I'm old?"

Adelaide leaned her head against Hamish and smiled. He was so strong and sturdy, but she also saw his vulnerable loving side as well. She loved every thing about him. Especially the sound of his voice. She frowned when he started to talk about his past. "What kind of things, Hammish? Are you in trouble with the law?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but his father's voice cut in from the kitchen and he winced. He nodded in agreement when Little John suggested they begin teaching the dog some tricks.

"There's an idea! Why don't I tell him to sit, and whenever I do you push his backside down so he sits?" Young Harry had no idea how to train dogs, but he figured this was a start. He sat back on his knees. "Sit, Chance! Sit!" He gestured toward the ground with his index finger in a gesture he'd seen many times from Fenny when he and his brother had gotten into trouble and she made them sit at the kitchen table to talk to her.

"Ach, she's twelve love," Fenny said with a small smile. "E'erone's auld a' tha' age. Sides, ef yer auld jis' thenk hoo ancient I mus' be." She giggled a little and took a sip of her tea.

"Wha'? No!" Hamish looked down when Adelaide asked if he was in trouble with the law. "Nah, et's nothen like tha'. Bu'...Addy...well, I ben a few places, see? An' I gotten drunk more times'n I kin count. An'...ach..." Why was it so hard to say?? He better just say it. With a sigh he stopped and faced Adelaide, brushing back a lock of blonde hair before putting his hands on her shoulders gently.

"Adelaide, wha' I'm tryin' ta say...an' et's no' easeh fer me...es tha'...Well...on our wedden nigh'..." He spoke softly, trying to keep his voice from wavering. Taking a deep breath he pressed on. "Ye er...ye woulna be me ferst. Bu' I wesh fer all th' werrild ye was. Addy, ef Ida ken I'd e'er find ye Ida waited tell Kengdom come ef tha's wha' et took. Honest!" Hamish spoke earnestly and sincerely as he forced himself to keep his eyes on hers. He started searching those beautiful blue eyes for signs of tears. "An'...an' eff tha' dun set weth ye an' ye wanna leave...well, I kinna stop ye. I'd leave me too. Bu' I though' tha' ye should ken afore ye made me yer husbin'. Kinna start oot a meerage weth secrets. Bu' b'lieve me, pet. B'lieve me when I say tha' I wesh fer all th' werrild I hanna dun what I ded." He clenched his teeth, trying to keep the emotion from creeping into his own voice. Hamish was terrified. She'd run away crying and he'd never be allowed to see her again.

[EvelynWillows]

Hilde smiled at Harry's suggestion and they began to teach the very excitable, very playful puppy how to sit. She was very happy to push the puppy's hindquarters down, but every time she did it would simply shift over and cause her to fall to the ground. She wound up laughing alongside Harry and having a very good time of it.

Fenny's words calmed Morgan a bit. She had begun to worry that Will would think her too old to bother with, and he'd leave her and the baby to their own resources. She took a drink of tea and watched John working with Charles. They seemed a happy family. "How old are you?" She asked Fenny. "Your oldest must be fifteen or so. That would mean that you'd have had to been a very young mother. Or else you hold your age well."

Outside in the soft breeze Adelaide tried to decipher what Hamish was saying. His cute accent was starting to get in the way of understanding what he didn't want to say. "I wouldn't be your first? You were married before?" She kept the tears down as she tried to remember if she'd ever heard rumors of this before. "What happened to your wife?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Harry laughed every time the puppy pushed Hilde to the ground. He thought the way her nose crinkled when she laughed was cute, but he'd never say that out loud. That was girl stuff. Still, he was enjoying himself immensely and laughed when the puppy's entire rear wiggled along with his tail.

"Me?" Fenny squinted one eye and thought for a minute, counting in her head. "Well I guess I'm boot twenny-five noo, gev er take." She looked up at Morgan and laughed when she began to talk about how young a mother she must have been. "Oh, nah! Charles'n'Harry're adopted. They was leven weth Robin Hood, coulna leave 'em oot en th' cold like tha'. Tha's no life fer a lad. They en't brothers by berth, neither, bu' God wellen we're parents 'nuff fer 'em." She looked over at Little John and Charles and smiled before turning back to Morgan. "I'm a vurrah auld mother an' tha's th' truth o' et."

Oh God. Hamish hadn't thought she'd have taken it that way. He shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. "No, Adelaide, I ne'er ben merrehed afore. Whech jis' makes et all tha' werse, bein' a sen an' all. Addy, wha' I'm tryin' ta say...en th' plainest werds I kin..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly before opening them and looking at her. "Ye woulna be th' ferst wemin as I lain weth."

[EvelynWillows]

It took Adelaide a few moments to understand what Hamish was saying. She thought hard about the facts. He hadn't been married before, but he had laid with someone. She searched his eyes. That was a lot to take in.

"Vell..." Her eyes drifted down to the ground. "I suppose I knew das you had kissed other gurls, ja? And maybe stolen a bit of a touch here and there." She hadn't been prepared to think of him as having been intimate with anyone else before. That was a whole other layer of life she wasn't ready to contemplate.

"Do you... do you have eny children? Ah, did you love her?" At this point she still thought that it was a singular 'oops' he had experienced, maybe with someone he had been in love with. The thought that he might have exchanged body fluids as easily as others gave out handshakes hadn't occurred to her. She held onto Hamish's hand desperately. She wanted to hug him and rest her head against his chest, but she felt like he needed to see her eyes as they talked. Then a thought hit her. "Was she married? Is her husband going to come looking fer ye?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

And here came the questions. This was the part he hadn't had a chance to rehearse because he didn't know what she'd be asking apart from "did you love them." Hamish cringed when instead his love said "her." Singular. Even now she chose to think the best of him.

"Her? Ah...There was...erm...there was more'n one," he said quietly, looking ashamed. "Dun go' n' bairns as I ken. Sure e'en ef I ded, their ma's woulna wan' nothen ta do weth me. Bu' I awweys ben keerful boot tha' sorta theng."

His heart broke as she asked about any husband that might come looking for him. Even now when he knew she was hurting, she cared for his well-being. There was no woman in the world quite so good-hearted as his Adelaide, he was certain of it.

"Few o' 'em were," he said, still looking ashamed. His eyes flicked over her face but he couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. "Bu' mos'ly et were da's as was throwen me oot enta th' street. An' no, Adelaide. I ne'er ben en love afore I metchee. Ne'er loved afore I metchee. No' someone as weren't famileh by blood. An' I'll sweer tha' afore God hesself, an' e'en Fenny kin vouch fer me ef ye ask 'er."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide stared at him a while, her chest heaving as the enormity of what he was saying sank in. Her eyes searched his face and small tracks of tears formed down her cheeks. She licked her lips. More than one? How many was more than one? But that didn't really matter, did it?

She looked at this Scot who she'd given her heart to. He didn't have to tell her anything at all, truly. She laid her hand on his cheek. "When was the last time, love?" She listened to his answer and then asked him "And after we're married? Will there be others?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish flinched as Adelaide's hand came up, expecting to be slapped. He was surprised, therefore, when she touched his face lightly.

"Las' time were when we wen' back ta Scotland, afore I knew fer sure ye loved me," he admitted. He wouldn't tell her about the barmaid in Nottingham since ultimately nothing had happened, and he was glad he didn't have to. "Bu' afore tha' et were afore we e'en came here weth John. An' I ne'er looked a' n'one else sence layin' eyes on ye. I swear."

Hamish's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously when she asked if there would be anyone else.

"No Addy! Ne'er!" He put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her forehead. "I coulnna hertchee like tha'. Et...et's kellen me noo ta hafta tell ye thess, bu' I coulna meerry ya weth secrets on me name. Knowen tha' ye could decide ta leave me an' no one'd blame ye, no' e'en me. Ye'd be well en yer rights."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide smiled at Hamish. "I'd neveh leave you, Hamish. I love you and that's for always." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"I'm no' going to say thet I'm happy aboot it." She said as she wiped a tear off her cheek. "But you were honest, Hamish, und I know it weren't easy to be." The tears threatened to overflow as the thought of how recently his trip to Scotland had been. She remembered how she had run out to meet him when she caught a glimpse of the group returning. In truth she saw Fenny's hair first, then Little John's height, but it was Hamish who she'd looked for all those days they were gone.

She shyly slid her hand back into his. Despite the snow and breeze his hands were always warm. She liked that about him. There were a lot of things about Hamish Balloch that she liked, but the fact that he was always warm, both inside and out, was one of the top reasons. "Let's get back, hey? Hilde will accuse me ov bein' oot here smoochin' wit you if we tarry long."

[The Lifted Lorax]

She seemed...alright. And she still loved him! Hamish gently put his palm against her cheek and softly caressed her skin. It was so soft under his hardship-calloused hand.

"Bu'...we're arrigh', hey?" The corners of his lips turned up slightly. She said they should get in before her sister accused them of kissing. He chuckled softly at her word choice. "Smoochin' eh?" He grinned. "Well who's ta say we en't oot here, smoochin'?"

Hamish nudged Adelaide gently before leaning down and kissing her softly. A soft kiss soon built to a more passionate one. Still, though, he was gentle. He didn't want to scare her.

[EvelynWillows]

"Ja, we're alright." Adelaide shared is smile and returned his kiss. "I'm glad you told me ferst. I don't vant eny secrets vit you. None at all, okay?" She thought for a moment. "What's yer middle name then, hey? And yer birthday, and yer favorite color, and...and everything!" She laughed and threw herself at him, covering him with kisses. "I vant to know everything about you. At least, as much as I can before we're married, hey?"

Lady Morgan had gone out the back to relieve herself in the little outhouse in back, leaving the Schnells to themselves. Well, mostly to themselves, but if Harry got his dream then one day Hildegard would be a Schnell as well.

Chance was having a good time learning how to 'sit'. He'd wait for the feeling of Hildegard's hands on his rump and then scoot over. Every time he did it he was rewarded with an earful of girlish giggling and a huge grin from his new boy. He barked happily and tried to get them to play the 'feed the dog' game, but so far they weren't picking up on his cues.

The little fire Charles had helped make was nice and warm now, and the pot for chicken and dumplings was warming on the oven. Little John was trying to keep Fenny from having to do too much work now that they all knew the reason for her 'sickness'. He sat down and took her hand. "How's the most wonderful little mama in the world today, Missus?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish grinned and laughed and accepted her kisses gladly. He hugged her about the waist then put an arm around her shoulders and started leading her back toward the house. None too quickly, mind. He wasn't eager to share his Adelaide again just yet. He liked it when it was just the two of them.

"No secrets. Promess. Me meddle name es Wellyem. Father McKaffey said me berthdey's en September. I thenk he said th' twenny-sexth bu' I dunno." He shrugged. "I'm twenny-seven noo anehwey, gev er take. Me favorite color?" He thought for a moment. He didn't really have a favorite. "Green, I s'pose. Ef I hadta peck one." Hamish smiled down at his bride-to-be. He was pretty sure he'd have the best wife in the entire world, no matter what Little John said about his sister. She was his sister, she didn't count.

"No, Chance!" Harry insisted through giggles. "You gotta sit! Like this!" He took the puppy's hips and pushed them down gently until he sat, but the dog just sprang right back up again, barking happily. "Ugh! You're hopeless!"

Fenny sighed in contentment as she looked around the warm, cozy kitchen then into the sitting room where the children were playing with the puppy by the other fire. This was what life was about. This was what she had been hoping for, all those years on the road.

"A le'l queaseh," she admitted, squeezing Little John's hand and leaning forward to kiss him softly. "Bu' happeh. Hoo's beg ol' Papa Beer, hmm?" She ran her palm against the grain of his beard and smiled. It seemed like most of the men here grew beards in the cold months then shaved them off when it got warm. She wouldn't have minded so much if it didn't just tickle so much!

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide leaned against Hamish as they walked. She looked over towards where their home would be. Their home...it sounded so perfect. He was the one she was meant to be with, she knew it. "Vat do you think, Hamish? Maybe this summer? Or autumn... When do you think we'll get married, hey?"

She gave him a sly smile. "Maybe ve vait until Fenny's baby is born, then she can enjoy it too." Her thoughts were filled with Christmas joys, new babies, puppies, and Hamish. She kissed him again as they walked slowly back to the Schnells' home.

Hildigard scowled at Harry. "Maybe You should show him how to do it, Ja? Stand up, and when I say sit, you sit." She stood over the boy with her hands on her hips and a determined look in her eyes. Pointing to the gound with one finger she reiterated "Come on, ja? Stand up Harry and do vat I tell you."

Little John raised his eyes at his wife. Quietly he said to her "She's starting early isn't she?" He grinned at his wife. "He'll have many years to learn how to be a perfect husband. After all, if you made me this good in only a year and a half, think what she can accomplish in the next ten years!" He leaned forward and gave Fenny a light kiss. "Especially if she takes any cues from you."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"We kin get meerehed whene'er ye wan' love." Hamish smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze. "Yer da wun lemme propose officially tell me hoose es belt. We kinna beld tell spreng an' Fen says she's due roond May er June, so that'll be boot th' same time I guess. An' then whene'er ye wan' love." Hamish tried to remember the last time he'd been this happy and was coming up with nothing.

"I'm not a dog!" Harry argued, scowling and standing to face Hildegard. He folded his arms over his chest stubbornly. "And I'm not doing what you tell me to."

Fenny smiled and kissed her husband. "I dunno...e'en though he en't by blood he takes after hes ma. Stubborn as th' rock. They'll have quite a time o' et, those two." She moved chairs and sat on John's lap to be able to watch the children, leaning against him. "Tha's hoo I trained ye, after all." She grinned and leaned her head against his. "Won'ner ef e'erthen's goen arrigh' fer Hamish. I thenk I ken as why he wan'ned ta go fer a walk weth Adelaide."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide walked with Hamish in silence for a while. "Do you think you can wait that long, love?" She looked over at him. "I mean... to not um... you know. Can you wait until summer to lay with me?" Her fingers curled around him and her cheeks grew even pinker. She dropped her glance, letting her lashes brush her cheeks. "Isn't that a long time for a man who's used to, um, that?"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for his answer. She feared that he'd be tempted to seek out the arms of another woman if he wasn't able to lay with her until over a half year from now.

Hildegard frowned at Harry. "How iz he to learn if he can't see vat ve vant, hey? Just do it Harry!" When he persisted in refusing she thrust out her hands and shoved him over. "Then I don't vant to play vit you!"

The puppy scampered away and hid under the dining table just as Lady Morgan returned to the house. She side-stepped in time to avoid being bowled over by Hamish's flailing arms as she tried to stay upright. "What in the world?!" The lady put a hand up to her breast. "Are all children such beasts?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, et's a long time. Ben a long time arreadeh..." Hamish looked over at Adelaide. He knew what she was really asking. He stopped walking and faced her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Addy, I'd wait a hunnerd years wi'oot anehthen a'tall ef I had ta. Yer gonna be th' on'y wemin I share a bed weth fer th' rest o' me life. I sweer et."

"Well if you wanna show him so much, why don't you do it then?" Harry demanded. "Go on Hilde! Sit!"

Hildegard shoved him and he flailed his arms, trying to keep his balance. "Sorry, Lady Morgan. Hilde shoved me. It's not my fault." He shoved the girl back.

"They en't beasts," Fenny said defensively. No one was allowed to speak ill of her children or the Schneiders. "They're cheldren. All cheldren're like 'em, else they're meserble. An' ye two!" Fenny pointed sharply to the children. "B'have yerselves er I'll 'ave Charlie take ye straight home, Hilde. Harry, dun push girrels."

"But Ma! She started it!" Harry protested, pointing at Hilde.

"I dun keer who started et, I'm feneshen et. Hilde, ye say yer sorry too, then Harry." She rolled her eyes.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide smiled shyly at Hamish. She supposed that was good, that he felt he could wait. "If you say so, Hamish, den I'll believe it." She took a shuddering breath. "But if you think you canna vate..." she looked at him and blushed deeply, "then come tell me, ja? Let me help you first my love. I don' know vat I'd do if you vent and had another now that ve have talked promises." She swallowed hard. "I don't know vat I'd do."

"I din start et," Hilde defended herself. "You did! Ven you didna' do vat I say to do!" She planted her fists on her hips and stuck her bottom lip out at Harry. "But I'm sorry, I am, that yer too stubborn to play nice vit me."

"Hildie!" Little John said in a surprised voice. "What is going on with you, heh? It's not like you to be this way to Harry. He's your friend. Now apologize properly to each other. Both of you."

The little girl burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. She stood there in front of the fireplace crying while Harry looked on in a kind of mute shock. Lady Morgan wasn't sure what to do either. She sat down and simply waited for Fenny to fix what ever was wrong with the little girl.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Addy, I'd ne'er do tha' ta ye," Hamish said softly, kissing her on the forehead. "I'd ne'er have 'nother, an' I woulna ask ye ta...y'ken. Compermise yerself. I dun wan' n'bodeh ta have reason ta talk bootchee. An' our wedden nigh'...I wan' et ta be special, hey? I waited thess long, an' I wun say et en't a temptation--et es--bu' we on'y ge' one wedden nigh'. I dun wanna ruin et jis' coz I'm empashent."

"Well you can't get everything you want, Hildegard Schneider!" Harry shouted back before sticking his tongue out.

"Put tha' tongue back en yer heed 'fore I cut et off, boy," Fenny said wearily. "Now say sorreh, both o' ye."

But Hilde made an insincere apology and she was about to chastise her for it, but Little John beat her to it. She was as surprised as anyone else when the little girl burst into tears. Harry looked helplessly at his parents for help, then back to Hildegard.

"Hilde...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you cry..." he said meekly, not sure why she was crying.

"Wha's wrong, Hilde?" Fenny said with a frown, standing to cross into the sitting room.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide slid her arms around Hamish and buried her face in his chest. She was relieved that he felt that way. "I'm glad, Hamish. I am. I love you so much, but I'm not looking forward...to dat." She tried to smile but found that the opposite was happening. "It's not fair that the thing men vant most has to be so horrible for vomen," she confessed. "I love you, Hamish, but dat scares me. If ve only kiss for the rest of our lives I'll be happy." The thought of marriage bed blood and pain was beginning to terrify her. She'd just as soon stay engaged forever and enjoy his kisses then have to ever do that with anyone. Especially with someone she loved!

Little John was awestruck by the tears as well. He acted like Hilde had suddenly transformed into a giant cobra.

The little girl wailed and threw her arms around Harry, who promptly forgot what all the fuss was over. "My whole life is ruined!" She cried. "Will's gonna marry that old lady over there, and Adelaide has Hamish, and I don't even have a friend who'll help me train a stupid dog!!!" She began to bawl. "I hate my life!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish cupped the back of his sweetheart's head with his hand and kissed the top of it. He frowned and looked down when she admitted that she was scared of having sex and claimed that it was horrible for women. Well, that was the first he'd heard of that, and certainly none of the many women he'd ever been with had complained.

"Addy, whatchee mean?" he asked quietly. He didn't want to embarrass her but at the same time he wanted to allay any fears she might have. "Et's jis' as good fer wemin, ask anehone. I mean, I heard et herts a le'l th' ferst time bu' no' mich. I'll be gennle 's possible, promess." He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorreh I kinna say more ta help ye, bu' ye go' nothen ta be skeered of. Ya kin eh...talk ta Fenny boot et ef ye wan'. She en't shy. 'Sides, though' ye wan'ned bairns?"

"I'll...I'll help you train him, Hilde..." Harry offered, shell-shocked. He'd staggered a little when she threw her arms about him and patted her on the back awkwardly.

"Ach, lamb...Dun hatecher life. Et en't e'en started ye', promess," Fenny said gently, putting a hand on Hildegard's shoulder and trying gingerly to gently pull her away from the poor confused boy.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide dried her eyes and smiled bravely for Hamish. "I'm sorry, love. I'm being silly, ja?" She didn't want to scare him away from marriage just because she didn't want to bed him. She couldn't imagine anything that involved blood and having part of her torn as something any sane woman would look forward to.

She slid her hand back into Hamish's and took a cleansing breath to air out the sniffling. "Okay, then maybe ve should get back. My nose is about to fall off my face." She smiled at her Scot as they started to cover the last few hundred feet to the cottage.

"Hey, I'm not an old lady," Lady Morgan insisted. "And there's no guarantee that Will Scarlet will marry me." She smiled at Hildegard. "And don't worry, Hilde. There are lots of men out there to choose from. Just because you haven't met the one you'll want when you grow up doesn't mean he doesn't exist." She took a sip of the cold tea in her cup and wondered what would happen to her when her baby was born. Would Will want them?

Hilde allowed Fenny to pull her off of Harry. "Really? You think there's someone else out there for me?" She looked at Fenny. "But look at you and Herr Schnell. What if you had never met at the fair? Your whole life would have been ruined. What if I missed meeting my future husband and I grow old alone? I don't want to be alone!" The girl started to cry again. She put her hand on her lower stomach and gave Fenny a strange look. Gingerly she lifted up the frocks of her skirt and saw a line of blood sliding down her leg. The poor girl grew pale and she screamed. "I'm dying!!!"

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide dried her eyes and smiled bravely for Hamish. "I'm sorry, love. I'm being silly, ja?" She didn't want to scare him away from marriage just because she didn't want to bed him. She couldn't imagine anything that involved blood and having part of her torn as something any sane woman would look forward to.

She slid her hand back into Hamish's and took a cleansing breath to air out the sniffling. "Okay, then maybe ve should get back. My nose is about to fall off my face." She smiled at her Scot as they started to cover the last few hundred feet to the cottage.

"Hey, I'm not an old lady," Lady Morgan insisted. "And there's no guarantee that Will Scarlet will marry me." She smiled at Hildegard. "And don't worry, Hilde. There are lots of men out there to choose from. Just because you haven't met the one you'll want when you grow up doesn't mean he doesn't exist." She took a sip of the cold tea in her cup and wondered what would happen to her when her baby was born. Would Will want them?

Hilde allowed Fenny to pull her off of Harry. "Really? You think there's someone else out there for me?" She looked at Fenny. "But look at you and Herr Schnell. What if you had never met at the fair? Your whole life would have been ruined. What if I missed meeting my future husband and I grow old alone? I don't want to be alone!" The girl started to cry again. She put her hand on her lower stomach and gave Fenny a strange look. Gingerly she lifted up the frocks of her skirt and saw a line of blood sliding down her leg. The poor girl grew pale and she screamed. "I'm dying!!!"

- - - Updated - - -

Adelaide dried her eyes and smiled bravely for Hamish. "I'm sorry, love. I'm being silly, ja?" She didn't want to scare him away from marriage just because she didn't want to bed him. She couldn't imagine anything that involved blood and having part of her torn as something any sane woman would look forward to.

She slid her hand back into Hamish's and took a cleansing breath to air out the sniffling. "Okay, then maybe ve should get back. My nose is about to fall off my face." She smiled at her Scot as they started to cover the last few hundred feet to the cottage.

"Hey, I'm not an old lady," Lady Morgan insisted. "And there's no guarantee that Will Scarlet will marry me." She smiled at Hildegard. "And don't worry, Hilde. There are lots of men out there to choose from. Just because you haven't met the one you'll want when you grow up doesn't mean he doesn't exist." She took a sip of the cold tea in her cup and wondered what would happen to her when her baby was born. Would Will want them?

Hilde allowed Fenny to pull her off of Harry. "Really? You think there's someone else out there for me?" She looked at Fenny. "But look at you and Herr Schnell. What if you had never met at the fair? Your whole life would have been ruined. What if I missed meeting my future husband and I grow old alone? I don't want to be alone!" The girl started to cry again. She put her hand on her lower stomach and gave Fenny a strange look. Gingerly she lifted up the frocks of her skirt and saw a line of blood sliding down her leg. The poor girl grew pale and she screamed. "I'm dying!!!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Nah, et en't selleh," Hamish said with a shrug. He felt more comfortable talking to Adelaide about this than to his sister, but even so they were beginning to wander back into awkward territory. "When I ferst herd there were blood I though' th' same theng. Why'd a wemin do et, y'ken?" He made a face. "Bu' I guess no'. Seriousleh, talk ta Fenny. I mean, she's gonna be yer sesster righ'?" He smiled and bumped her hip gently with his as she took his hand again.

"Aye, bedder ge' enside then," Hamish agreed with a smile. "Yer nose es too cute ta le' et jis' fall off." He leaned over and pecked her on the nose before starting to walk again. This behavior was very, very different than what he was used to, but only Adelaide could ever bring it out in him. Around everyone else he was the same tough, stoic Hamish.

"Aye, well put Morgan," Fenny agreed, smiling approvingly at the younger woman. She looked down at the girl when she asked about what would have happened if Fenny had never met her husband. That was a 'what if' she didn't want to think about. "Ye wun mess meetin' hem, pet," she promised, petting the girl's hair gently. "God'll make sure yer weth th' man yer meant ta be weth. Ye'll meet 'im. Migh' take a le'l bet as ta ken et's hem, but ye'll meet 'im. Ye wun grow auld aloen." She wiped the tears off of little Hildegard's cheeks.

When the girl announced she was dying Fenny had a very hard time trying not to smile. "Ach! Pet! Yer no' dyen, I promess. Eh...Harry, why dunchee an' Charlie go an' check on th' animals en th' barrin, hey? Make sure they're warrim 'nuff? An' eh, grab Adelaide while yer oot there, tell 'er we need ta see 'er." She started gently leading Hilde to the door to the bedroom she shared with her husband. "Morgan, why dunchee ge' some water an' a cloth hey?"

Once inside, Fenny shut the door and had Hilde perch on the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath and thought hard, wondering where to start. First and foremost in her mind was wondering whether the Schneiders had taught their girls anything. Sex was one thing, but especially considering Hilde had reached that age this was something she'd deserved a heads-up about! Fenny half expected her future sister-in-law to get to her wedding night and wonder why Hamish was taking his clothes off.

"Yer no' dyen, Hilde, promess," Fenny said, kneeling in front of the girl on the edge of the bed. "Noo...why dunchee tell me wha' yer ma's toldje boot yer cycle, hey? So's I ken whatcha ken an' where ta start." At least she was figuring out how to deal with puberty for both boys and girls now instead of when her own children were grown.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide shook her head softly as they walked back together. "I don't know, love, but if it's something you vant to do, I'll be brave for you. Maybe Fenny can tell me how to make it not so bad, ja?" She smiled up at Hamish. "I don't want to keep you from anything you like, Hamish."

Harry and Charles burst out of the house and started towards the barn. Charles saw Hamish and Adelaide first and he nodded towards them. "Mom says they need you. Hilde says she's dying 'cause some blood ran down her leg."

His younger brother punched his arm. "That's not what Mom said! She just said to tell Addy she needed to see her!"

"Whatever," the older boy answered. "It's all the same anyways, eh? Addy inside, and we outside." He shrugged at Hamish and went into the barn.

Morgan felt a swelling pity for the girl. The first blood could be a frightening thing. She went to find where the clothes might be kept. Little John grabbed a bowl and began filling it with water warmed by the stove. He knew a little bit about all that was happening, but not enough to be the one in charge. He half-wished Fenny had sent him out to the barn with the boys.

"My psycho?" asked Hilde. "You mean craziness? Am I losing my mind?" She bent forward a bit and groaned. "Ach! What is that?! I hurt!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well, I dun wanna force ya enta nothen, love, no' jis' ta please me." Hamish looked down at her, a little dismayed at the thought that she might be too scared to ever even try making love, but trying to be understanding about it. "Bu' yeah, talk ta Fen. She'll help ye. I mean, she go' a bairn noo dun she? Musta done sommat righ'." He grinned and winked, trying very hard not to think about his sister having sex, nor to remember the visual of the time he had accidentally walked in on them in a panic that R had gotten them.

Then the boys came running out. Hilde had blood run--? More female stuff. Hamish flushed briefly and shook his head, rubbing his face. Lord help him if Adelaide ever got pregnant, Lord help him even more if they had girls. He wasn't sure how often he could do this.

"Eh...aye, why dunchee go en, love?" Hamish kissed her briefly. "Thenk I ken as wha' tha's aboot, an' I'd rather no'. No' er...no' realleh me place, aye?" They'd had to halt their travels often enough because of Fenny's complaints of stomach cramps and several times he'd been shut down and out of a bedfellow for a night because of that women's curse.

Fenny had to work even harder at hiding her smile. She felt bad for Hilde, panicking and not knowing what was going on. Still, at the same time the things the girl was saying were terribly funny for someone who did know what was happening.

"No pet! Yer cycle. Et's yer erm...welcome enta weminhood, I guess ye could say." She frowned in pity as Hildegard bent forward. "Et's cramps dearie, nothen ta worreh boot. Yer no' crazy an' yer no' gonna die, bu' et migh' feel like et sometimes." There was a chair in the corner and Fenny pulled it over to the bed and held Hildegard's hands, wondering where Morgan was with that water.

"Y'see Hilde, when a girrel reaches a age her cycle starts. Et means ye could have bairns noo ef ye wan'ned to. Bu' dun yet!" she added hastily. "Yer too young fer any o' tha' stuff, spesh'leh bairns. Bu'...aneh o' et." She would leave The Talk for Herr and Frau Schneider; she was sure they'd be displeased if she were the one to tell Hildegard, and she'd already done it once today. She'd met her quota for the next decade or so.

"Anehoo, from here on oot thess'll happen once a month tell yer realleh auld, 'cept when yer weth child I guess. Et en't jis' ye, e'er wemin ye ken gets et. E'en Adelaide an' yer ma. Pretteh soon yer friends'll start ta get et too, ef they hanna arreadeh."

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan took the bowl of water from Little John and knocked on the bedroom door. When she was given permission to enter she quietly did so as if there was something she was sneaking up on. In a way she was; the master bedroom had been closed the entire time she had been at the house. Now, coming into the Schnell's sanctuary she felt like she was stepping into sacred space. With a blush she realized that the bed Fenny and Hilde were sitting on was the same one that the bear of a man had probably impregnated his wife in. She blushed at the mental image of him bending over his lover the way Will Scarlet had bent over Morgan in the coop.

"Um, here's some water." She set the bowl down on a little table. "How are you doing child? Would you like some warm tea? It always makes me feel better." She knelt down near the young girl and handed Fenny the clothes she had found.

Adelaide came into the house and looked at Little John. He wordlessly pointed towards the bedroom door.

"Hello? Hilde?" Adelaide poked her head in and saw her sister with the older women. "Hilde, are you okay? Charles said you were dying!"

"I'm not dying," Hidle smiled through her tears. "I'm getting ready to be able to have babies now." She burst into tears. "I hate this! Why didn't anyone tell me about how much it hurt to grow up!"

Adelaide looked at Fenny. "Are you sure she'd starting the blooming? I just started last year, and I'm four years older than she is!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, I thenk tea's good," Fenny said, nodding and looking up at Morgan. "Thankee. We go' some ment, I find tha' helps me."

She looked up as Adelaide entered the room and beckoned her inside. She didn't want to cause Hilde any more embarrassment. Even if she was too upset at the moment to be embarrassed, she'd look back on this day and be mortified, she knew it. Fenny raised her eyebrows when Adelaide not only stated that she'd only just started last year, but also that she was only four years older than Hilde. Sixteen? She could have sworn the Schneiders before had said she was older than twenty. Maybe she just couldn't count. Little John had been teaching his wife to count and read and she was very proud of that.

"Late bloomer, eh? Et happens. I were a le'l younger'n her." Fenny gently lifted Hilde's skirt up to her knee and began to wipe the blood off of her leg with a damp cloth. "I'll eh...I'll letchee ge' th' rest o' tha'," she said awkwardly, handing Hilde the cloth.

"Hoo auld are ye, Addy?" Fenny asked with some concern. If she was indeed sixteen, then Hamish at twenty-seven marrying her would almost be like Will Scarlet marrying Hilde. "An' er...I thenk mayhap ye bedder take 'er hoem, have 'er lay doon a le'l. Yer welcome ta come back, y'ken. Bu' I thenk mayhap yer ma go' some talken ta do weth 'er, hey?" She shifted uncomfortably. She lowered her voice and stepped in to speak privately to the girl. "Erm...ye ken as where bairns come from, righ'?"

[EvelynWillows]

"Hoo auld are ye, Addy?" Fenny asked. "An' er...I thenk mayhap ye bedder take 'er hoem, have 'er lay doon a le'l. Yer welcome ta come back, y'ken. Bu' I thenk mayhap yer ma go' some talken ta do weth 'er, hey?" She shifted uncomfortably. She lowered her voice and stepped in to speak privately to the girl. "Erm...ye ken as where bairns come from, righ'?"

Adelaide's eyes flew open wide at Fenny's questions. She grew uncomfortable and wanted to change the topic as quickly as possible. "Um, yes'M. I'll take her back righ' aweh, and 'ave Ma talk ta her, and such."

Hilde was wiping her leg off. Her crying had nearly stopped. She looked up at Fenny. "Can I come home back too? I won't cry any more, I promise."

"It's not that, Hilde," the older Schneider sister said. "You just need to lay down a bit. The first few times are always the toughest. It vill be okay, I promese." She smiled at Fenny. "Tell Hamish I said Merry Christmas, ja? Und I'll see him soon if the snow's not too high." She put an arm around her sister. "Come on now, let's go home and you'll feel better."

Charles and Harry looked over at Hamish when he wandered over to the barn. "Didja get kicked out of the house too?" asked the older of the two. "At this rate we should build a fireplace in here to keep warm! We're spending more time outside than inside!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Adelaide's avoidance of her questions didn't go unnoticed. Fenny pressed her lips together, but didn't press the matter. Much.

"I thenk mayhap she oughta talk ta ye, too?" she suggested gently, raising an eyebrow. "Ef yer getten marrehed girly, ye oughta ken as what ta especk. Dun wanna ge' surprised er nothen."

"Ach, Hilde, yer welcome here anehtime ye wan', love," Fenny said gently to the younger Schneider. "Et's jis' I thenk ye'd feel bedder ef ye lied doon fer a spell. Curl up en bed weth some tea, kep warrim." She nodded sagely, then nodded to the elder sister. "Aye, I'll tell 'im."

"Me?" Hamish looked over at the boys. "Nah. I chose ta stay oot. Dun wan' n'part en tha' girrely stuff." He pulled a face, then looked out across the yard. "Aye...y'ken, a fire pet woulna be hard. Fenny an' me usedta do et all the time en Scotland. Meddle o' th' wen'ner, find a place as wun set e'erone's roof on fire, beld a beg bonfire. All our friends from th' vellege'd come oot weth us. Et were great fun, great wey ta kep oot th' cold."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide blushed ferociously. "Hamish said you'd tell me ev'rything I needed to know if I asked you," she confessed. "Ma's not one to say much. She doesn't go much past cabbages and kisses." She smiled apologetically. "But I'd better get Hilde home and varmed up, ja? She needs a bit of rest."

She smiled at the two women as she helped her sister out of the bedroom and onto the front deck. Little John looked at his wife. "They're going? I'll drive them if you'd like. It's a bit of a walk in the snow." He went to the barn to where the boys and Hamish were hiding out. "Hook up the horse will you?" He raised an eyebrow at Hamish. "The girls are going home already."

Charles looked at Hamish. "Didja scare them aweh then, Uncle Hamish? It must be those bare Scottish knees of yers." He eased, grinning wickedly.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Er...aye," Fenny said, a little awkward. She was furious at Hamish for volunteering her for such a task, but even more furious at Frau Schneider. The girl was getting married soon and she didn't know where babies came from? That was irresponsible parenting, that was! Fenny didn't care how awkward the woman felt, she needed to talk to her own daughters about this sort of thing. But, she supposed if their mother wouldn't she would probably be the next best person, and now she didn't care if the Schneiders got mad at her. They wouldn't talk to their daughters their way, so she would do it her way.

"Aye, go an' ge' Hilde en bed, then have Herr Schnell breng ye back roond, hey?" Fenny suggested. "We'll have a cuppa an' I'll tell ye whatchee need er wanna ken." She followed and stood on the porch with the Schneiders. "Aye, theer goen. Bu' breng Addy back, hey? We need ta have a le'l chat, wemin ta wemin."

Once back inside she looked at Morgan. "Kin ye er...help me weth thess one? Seein' as, y'ken...yer en th' same spot as me." She smiled a little.

"Ach! Not ye too!" Hamish rolled his eyes and cuffed his nephew gently in the back of the head. "I s'pose yer da putchee up ta et, eh? All part o' thess scheme ta make me weer troosers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm2khIPDg8g)! Help me hetch up th' horse lad, an' ne'ermind me knees!"

[EvelynWillows]

"I wish I was in the same spot as you," Lady Morgan said wistfully. "You have a good husband who loves you and's proud to be the father of your child." She smiled sadly, willing the tears to stay away. "But I'll do what I can to help." She sighed and watched the young ladies leave. "I wish my mother had told me the ins and out of....well, all this. I"d had known that it took more than kisses myself to get in this predicament. Maybe I'd have stopped before it went this far." She sighed and smoothed the comforter back with a hand. "Maybe you could show me a bit of how to make this thing you call 'lunch'?" She teased, standing up. "It won't be long before they're back."

Charles laughed and helped Hamish with the cart. He helped Hilde and Adelaide up into their seats as Little John settled in front of them. "Will you be back?" the lad asked, leaning over the side of the cart. He looked at the girls bundled up in their blankets and held up a sprig of mistletoe. "Because if you're not coming back I'm claiming my kisses now."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny pressed her lips together and shook her head at Lady Morgan's doubt. "He'll meereh ye, an' he'll be a prood father an' love ye an' th' child fer all's he's werth." Fenny began wiping down the counter. "We grew up tagether, I ken 'im purdy good."

She smiled when Morgan asked to be taught how to make lunch. "On'y s'long's ye dun start blamen me fer stuff agin," she teased before showing Morgan how to make the chicken and dumplings Little John had been preparing for.

"Ach! Go on, lad, getchee a lassie o' yer owwin ta try tha' on!" Hamish grinned and pushed Charles gently. In truth, the lad had reminded Hamish of himself just then, which was worrisome.

"Yeah, that's not fair!" Harry cried, shoving his brother off of the running board.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles laughed and hopped off the cart. "You're both just jealous because I thought of it first." He tossed Harry the mistletoe. "Here, take it. You need something to give you and edge with the women, even if it is just Hilde."

The little girl glared at the older Schnell brother. "You're nothing but a big bully, Charles!"

He made a little face at her as the cart pulled out. "Crybaby."

His brother shoved him again. "Leave her alone," he snarled. "You're just a friggin' bastard anyway."

That brought a glare from Charles that threatened to boil over into fisticuffs if they weren't interrupted soon.

Inside the house, Morgan was trying to be good and appreciative over what Fenny was teaching her. She sighed. "I don't know what to wish for; a boy or a girl. They're both so filled with challenges!" She rested her chin on her hand. "All this waiting to see Will again is killing me. I wish I could just 'know' what was going to happen. It's so hard to just trust that everything is going to work out well."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Both before and after his comment to Charles, Hamish had been whispering sweet nothings in Adelaide's ear, kissing her cheek now and then to punctuate his sentence. He looked up at the boys and frowned and the cart started to move. He kissed her lips gently, but also in somewhat of a hurry.

"I'll see ye agin soon, hey?" he said quickly, pressing another kiss to her cheek before jumping off and letting them go on their way. He slogged through the snow over to the boys and stood between them.

"Oi noo!" he said sternly. "There en't no need fer name-callen er shoven er eny o' tha'. Harry ye go en th' hoose, an' why dunchee tell yer ma whatchee said while yer at et. An' ef ye dun, I well an' ye dun wan' tha'." Hamish's look said that he meant it. "Charles, yer oot here weth me." He took the boy by the shoulder and steered him toward the barn with a strong grip. He was always 'Charlie' to his uncle, so when Hamish called him by his given name there was sure to be trouble.

"Wha' were tha' all 'boot, hey?" Hamish demanded gently once they were in the barn, leaning against the closed door and folding his arms. "Weren't no need fer tha'. Aneh o' tha'."

"Boys're easy when theer young," Fenny said, nodding and remembering when Hamish and Will had been young as well as thinking about some of the younger boys in the shire versus the older ones. "They figh weth hetten an' shoven. Pull 'em apart, kep 'em separate fer a hour er two, an' they're good 's new agin. Frien's like nothen ne'er happened. Girrels seem ta be a bet easier ta handle when they're aulder." She shrugged. "Jis' hope fer ten fengers an' toes an' a brain as en't addled none. I ken as tha's wha' I'm prayen fer." Fenny nodded sincerely before returning to her cooking.

"I'm tellen ye, et'll werk oot th' wey th' Laird means et ta, an' he well marreh ye." She pressed her lips together. "An' he'll do hes best ta do righ' by ye, werk hard ta gev ye a good hoem an' put food on th' table. Say er...es Well gonna be a laird o' some sort noo?"

[EvelynWillows]

Harry seemed petulent, but he stalked back to the house. He spent a goodly amount of time stomping his feet on the stoop before pulling off his boots and going back inside. "Ma," He set the boots down by the fire and went over to stand next to Fenny. "Ma...Charles called Hilde a crybaby and made a face at her, so I called him a friggin' bastard." He stood there with his head lowered and looking up at his adopted mother with his big brown eyes.

Lady Morgan covered her grin with a hand. "Oh....oh my." She patted Fenny's hand. "I'll make us some more tea."

"Charles, yer oot here weth me."

Charles frowned at his uncle but followed along obediently. He was almost certain that a belt would appear and a lesson branded onto his backside. When Hamish simply asked him what was going on he felt both confused and relieved.

"Wha' were tha' all 'boot, hey? Weren't no need fer tha'. Aneh o' tha'."

The young boy crossed his arms and tried not to frown at his uncle. "It was just a Christmas kiss, Uncle Hamish. It was harmless, but Hamish is so jealous over any little look I give Hilde. It's annoying. And she's always crying over Will. He's not even close to her age! And he's always sticking his business where it don't belong. She shouldn't throw herself away pining over him." He scowled at his uncle. "He's probably got himself a half dozen bastards out there anyways."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny had had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Hamish had clearly had to separate the boys and made Harry tattle on himself the way their father used to when he'd had to separate them, but the way he'd gone about it was so terribly blunt it was funny. Still, she couldn't be seen laughing or else he wouldn't take her seriously.

"An' where'd ye lairn language like tha', young man?" she asked sternly when she could finally keep a straight face. "An' farther more wha' makes ye thenk et's righ' ta call someone tha', hey?"

"Aye well harmless er no' ye ken as yer brother's sweet on 'er, ye shoulna tease 'im like tha'. Et migh' be annoyen, bu' tha's hes job. All le'l seblens're annoyen. Trus' me!" Hamish rolled his eyes. "As fer Hilde, she's jis' a le'l girrel, she'll grow oot o' et. An' whatcha mean, stecken hes bessness wheer et dun b'long?" He narrowed his eyes. He felt he had a good idea what Charles had meant, but he wanted to hear the boy say it himself so he could reprimand him properly.

On the subject of any children Will might have, however, Hamish had struck Charles before he even realized what had happened. It was open-handed and not very hard at all, but enough to sting. The Scot tried to hide his surprise that he'd hit the lad at all; it was around this age he'd stopped getting smacked for popping off, and so had never thought to hit Charles before.

"Ye dun say tha' sort o' theng boot Well Scarlet, lad," he said in a low tone. "He's a dear friend o' yer ma'n'me an' I wun suffer ta hear tha' sort o' talk boot 'im unner me roof, unnerstand? He dun go' no bairns an' I kin vouch fer tha', an ef ye e'en make a suggeshin o' et ta Lady Morgan et's yer ma ye'll answer ta an' I wun stop 'er."

[EvelynWillows]

Harry blushed. "With Robin Hood's men," he said. "They say things like that all the time to each other. Besides, Charles broke Hilde's heart when he called her a crybaby, and he made an ugly face at her. And that was after he tried to steal kisses from her and Addy!" He looked from Fenny to Lady Morgan.

"But I won't call him that no more if you says so. I'll just punch him in the nose next time." He frowned at at the ground.

His brother was having a worse time of it. "Harry's just a kid, Uncle Hamish. He doesn't know how to be sweet on no one. He hasn't even told Hilde that he likes her, for cryin' out loud." He scowled as he thought about his little brother and the Schneider girl. "As far as Will Scarlet goes, he'd better not come within a mile of Hilde. Afore they know it she'll be expectin' just like Lady Morgan!"

Hamish's blow stung Charles and brought glittering tears to his eyes. He glared at his uncle.

"Ye dun say tha' sort o' theng boot Well Scarlet, lad," Hamish said in a low tone. "He's a dear friend o' yer ma'n'me an' I wun suffer ta hear tha' sort o' talk boot 'im unner me roof, unnerstand? He dun go' no bairns an' I kin vouch fer tha', an ef ye e'en make a suggeshin o' et ta Lady Morgan et's yer ma ye'll answer ta an' I wun stop 'er."

"This isn't your roof, uncle. And you've got rotten friends if Will's one of yours." He brought a hand up to his cheek. The respect and love he had for Hamish faded with that strike. "If you ever hit me again I'll kill you. Do you understand?" He glared at Hamish. "You're not my dad. You killed him, remember?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny chewed on her lips to keep herself from grinning. The boy's heart was in the right place, he just needed a firm but gentle hand to guide him. She and Little John could give that to him.

"Well, tha' were vurrah sweet o' ye, lad, bu' ye dun say thengs like tha'. S'no' nice, an' I'm sure Hildegard denna thenk et were all tha' nice neither."


"But I won't call him that no more if you says so. I'll just punch him in the nose next time."

"Ach! No lad, ye dun punch 'im neither!" Fenny cried, having to stare at the table for a moment to hide her grin and laughter. When she could keep a straight face again she looked up. "Ye tell yer da er me, hey? Then we'll straigh'n hem oot. En th' meantime ye jis' tell 'im no' ta do et, tha' et en't like a gennleman." In the back of her mind though, she was worried about Charles. He'd been getting more sullen lately and now picking on Hilde and trying to steal kisses from her and her sister was troubling.

"Aye, I ded," Hamish said, his face expressionless. He felt a pang of guilt, but he knew that that was what the lad had been aiming for. "An' ef ye wanna breng tha' up e'er time yer mad a' me, I kin remind ye o' zackly why I ded et, too. I kin describe et fer ye ef ye wan'. En great detail. Th' look en me sesster's face. Her screamen an' cryen. Th' strugglen en the dert en th' dark. I en't ne'er heard 'er scream like tha', ye ken." It hit Hamish just what he was saying and to whom he was saying it. He sighed and rubbed his face.

"I'm sorreh," he said after a few moments pause. "An' I'm sorreh I hetchee. I denna mean ta...I dunno no other wey. Me owwen da'd box me ears fer some o' th' shite ye ben sayen taday. An' I denna mean ta repeat hes mestake...bu' I guess et's too late fer tha'." He shrugged. "Best I kin hope fer as ye'll fergev me fer tha'." He cleared his throat, not used to apologizing for hitting someone before. If Charles had been a grown man he wouldn't have; but he was just a boy, and that wasn't a fair match.

"Harry's a ked, aye. Dun mean he dunno hoo ta be sweet on someone. Et's deffernt fer e'erone. Ferst time yer ma e'er were she married 'im. Me...well, we awweys ben deffernt on tha'. Jis' leave 'im aloen, boyo. Let 'im do et hoo he wansta, there's no need ta make thengs harder on 'im. An' dunchee never, ever talk boot Well like tha' agin, whatchee said boot Hilde." There was a marked change in Hamish's tone; it had become very low and very, very angry. "Tha's seck es wha' tha' es, an' I wun tolerate et an Fenny def'netleh wun." He took a deep breath and rubbed his face again. Lord help him if he ever had children.

"Ye dunno th' half o' Well, lad. He's a deffernt sort, an' sometimes he makes bad choices, bu' he en't a bad man. He reached boot yer age an' jis' kinda go' stuck were all; we all do, et's jis' upta us as ta hoo long we're stuck. Hell, I were fer a long time too. Bu' he's no' thess sort o' vellen as ye seem ta thenk he es."

[EvelynWillows]

Harry nodded and sat with the women at the table. "Yes Ma'am. I'll tell you next time, I promise." He smiled at Fenny. "I'm glad you took us," he said suddenly. "I'm glad we're home." What he meant was that he was glad that this was him home, but he didn't know quite how to say that at twelve years old, give or take a year.

He laid his head on his hands. "What's wrong with Hilde, Ma? Why'd she have to go home? Did I do something wrong?"

Lady Morgan was touched by the boy's concern for his little friend. She gave Fenny a secret smile between the two women. Young love was a sweet thing. "I'll go stir the dumplings," she said. "You stay here. He needs to talk." She patted Harry on the arm and went over to putter in the kitchen. She supposed that domestic life had its appeal. Maybe she could see herself living like this. Maybe.

She wondered where Will was at this moment. Was he warm? Was he hungry? Her tears welled up silently as a pang of loneliness hit her as she thought about her baby's father.

When Hamish started to describe Fenny's attack Charles found his heart beating hard against his chest. He couldn't take his eyes off his uncle. The images came to his mind and he saw his father doing those things. His father, who had hit him countless times much harder than Hamish had, who had beat his own wife to unconsciousness, and who was now dead and cold in the ground. Charles had heard his dad apologize to his mom after she woke up from a beating. It didn't mean anything. Sorry didn't mean anything.

Charles didn't want to be his dad. He didn't want to make those same mistakes. He saw the disappointment in Hamish's eyes and his young heart broke. He couldn't hear the compassion in the Scot's words. Charles heard that he was sick and that even Hamish was turning out like his own dad. The boy thought that meant he was destined to do the same. Foolish pride and stubbornness burned in his gut. "Can I go now?" He finally squeezed out. Charles didn't know exactly 'where' he wanted to go, but he knew that he couldn't stay in this barn much longer and not begin to cry.

He couldn't let anyone see him weak. He'd been hit too many times by his dad for being a 'pansy', and from what he could tell he wasn't going to be able to expect any different here.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Theer's a good lad," Fenny said approvingly when Harry promised to simply tell her or Little John rather than hitting his brother or calling names. She allowed herself to finally grin when he said he was glad to be home. "Well, I'm glad ye decided ta come hoem weth us. We woulna have et aneh other wey." Reaching behind his head she pulled him gently forward and kissed his forehead fondly.

She couldn't help but laugh a little, however, when he asked if he'd done something wrong. Fenny nodded when Morgan excused herself and smoothed down Harry's hair. She smiled kindly at the boy and shook her head.

"No lad, ye denna do nothen wrong. Well, ya pushed 'er bu' ye apologized fer tha' an' tha's no' why she left. Hilde's...goen through some changes, boyo. Jis' like ye. Well, no' jis' like ye coz boys an' girrels're deffernt. Bu' anehwey she's goen through some thengs so she's jis' gonna go an' have a lie-doon's all. En't nothen ya ded, Lamb, I promess."

Hamish looked closely at Charles as the lad digested everything. He could see tears in his eyes that weren't left over from the sudden strike and knew that there was more to his surly attitude than there seemed to be. The boy needed to talk to someone and Hamish saw in him the sort of boy he had become shortly after Mary's death. He found himself, odd as it felt, wanting to be there for Charles to talk to, to keep him from becoming the sort of man the Scot himself had been.

"Can I go now?" There were tears in the lad's voice.

"No," Hamish said simply, standing firmly in front of the door which opened inward and leaning against it. "Ye ben taken a attetude weth yer da an' ma lately, Charlie. Ben meanen ta talk ta ye boot et. Wha's ben on yer mind?"

The kid needed to cry, Hamish could see it. Charles also needed to know that it was alright to do that. Hamish himself had cried shortly after rescuing his sister from the gallows a few months ago, but that was the first time in years. He was so used to looking out for them, to being the protector, to being the strong one, that he hadn't allowed himself to cry in far too long and when he finally had was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop. He didn't want this boy to lead the same life he had.

[EvelynWillows]

Harry seemed happy with Fenny's explanation. He got down on the floor and started playing with Chance again, all worries dissipated for the moment. His life was simple now that there wasn't the daily struggle to survive.

Lady Morgan set the lid on the pot and sat back down next to Fenny. She smiled softly and put a hand on her abdomen. "I hope that by the time this little one is worrying about such things I've learned a few more things myself." She sighed. "I don't know how you stay so calm."

Charles had frowned and taken a step back from Hamish. "What is this now? An inquisition? There's nothing on my mind! Nothing. Can I go now? Please?!" He had the look of a cornered animal; desperate to the point of panicking. He was quietly clasping and releasing his fists as he stared at the door behind his uncle.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled at the boy on the floor, playing with the puppy and occasionally seeing if his and Hildegard's efforts at teaching him to sit had worked. It had only trained him to scoot over. Shaking her head she looked up at Morgan.

"Dun tell 'im, bu' ye make et up 's ye go," Fenny said in a low voice with a conspiratorial wink. She, too, put a hand on her abdomen though there wasn't really anything there yet. "Laird help me when thess'uns bairn. Er...y'ken...begger'n noo. I'll have no idea wha' I'm doen. An'...dun tell John bu' I'm a le'l skeered ta be honest." She leaned in and lowered her voice more, glancing over Morgan's shoulder to make sure Harry wasn't paying attention. "I mean, tha's a entire human bein'...squeezed through theer? S'like tryin' ta push a apple enta a wine boddle!"

Hamish leaned heavily against the barn door. He was short, but stocky with thick arms strong from years upon years of tending to livestock and plowing fields then from swinging a sword or axe and getting into fights. He stood like a mountain in front of the only exit.

"A wha' noo?" he asked with a slight smile. "Ye musta ben talken ta John lateleh, tha's a real beg werd." He considered Charles standing in front of him for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet and his eyes soft.

"Truth es I dun b'lieve ya, Charlie," he said at last. "I ken as wha' losen kin's like. I were prolly roond yer age when Mary--er, me beg sesster tha' es--when she passed. I'm boot 's far from Fenny 's ye are from Harry. An' I 'member wha' et ded ta me." There was some indiscernible sort of emotion deep in Hamish's eyes that Charles couldn't quite figure out. If he'd looked hard and deep enough, he'd have found it was a very deep, lasting sorrow and many years of regret.

"Y'see, I'm no' lettin' ye outta thess barrin coz ya remind me o' me atcher age," he continued after a brief pause. "I loved me Da...vurrah mich, bu' truth es ye go' a bedder da noo'n I e'er had. Bu' he's also a bedder man'n I'll e'er be, so I'm doen sommat my da shoulda done fer me bu' ne'er ded an' talken ta ye boot thess afore et gets oota hand. Coz one theng I awweys swore ta meself, es ef I e'er somehow had meself a ked I'd do e'erthen en me power ta make sure he denna lead th' same life I ded." He sighed.

"Well, ye en't me son. Bu' yer kin 'nuff, an' I kinna jis' stand by an' watchee turn enta me." Hamish shook his head slightly. "No' when ye go' s'much ye kin do, sich a brigh' future." He folded his arms over his chest and looked softly at Charles. "S' tell me wha's on yer mind, boyo."

Hamish's eyes glanced down to Charles's flexing hands. He'd gotten walloped quite a bit when he was younger for hitting Fenny or pushing her or just doing something that would leave bruises. Since hair-pulling was for girls, he'd learned to tackle and pin her without leaving marks so he wouldn't get in trouble. He knew how to take down someone Charles's size without hitting and for the most part without hurting (though when they were children he would wrench Fenny's arm or else there was no point); if the lad charged him, he could pin him and sit on him all night if he had to.

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan chuckled behind a closed hand. "You make it up?" She shook her head. "Oh my...how did our parents ever manage with us?" She smiled and traced the rim of her cup with one fingertip. "Honestly, I thought that Will was large. I don't know how I'll be able to stand giving birth." With a conspiratorial glance she blushed and then leaned forward. "Tell me, Fenny. Does 'it' ever get to where we enjoy it as much as the men do? I mean, I've heard that it can be wonderful. Have you gotten to the point where you actually look forward to being intimate with your husband?"

She blushed slightly. "I really like Will, I do. But I don't know if I can stand that kind of discomfort again."

Charles felt trapped. On one hand, he had respected and liked Hamish very much, looked up to him, even, but the recent shock of finding out what had happened to his father was still stinging his heart. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Your no kin of mine, Hamish." Gone was the term 'uncle'. The youth felt the shame well up in him about his father...his father the rapist. He felt the tears threaten to flow, and instead of admitting the hurt inside threw a punch at the Scot. It wasn't Hamish who Charles saw; it was his own father. He thought of his mother, lying sick and heartbroken in her bed, and the sight of the men wrapping her cold body in the blanket for a pauper's burial.

As Little John and Adelaide drove back to the Schnell's house the young lady looked over at the large man and shored up her courage. "Herr Schnell?"

He glanced at her. "Ja, Addy?"

"How did you wait so long before taking Fenny to your bed?"

John choked. "What?!"

"I mean, how did you stand it? Did you, uhm, take care of your urges by yourself, or were you completely chaste? Is it wrong for me to touch myself and think about Hamish?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled. "Same's their parents; ye jis' do as how yers ded an' change th' thengs ya denna like. Someone'll ge' et righ' evensh'lly."

"Righ'?" she chuckled in agreement when Morgan started talking about size. "I mean, Leddle John..." she shook her head, "nothen's farther from th' truth. An' ef ya thenk aboot th' size o' a babe...Ah, bu' I guess God has Hes weys, hey?" Fenny smiled gently when the lady started asking questions and nodded. "Aye. I mean, th' ferst time's good a' th' time, spesh'leh when ye wait long's John'n'me ded an' leven unner th' same roof th' whole time. Bu' really, looken back on et..." She made a face. "Et were stell good, bu' et on'y ge's bedder lass. I look forward ta et e'er nigh', sometimes e'en duren th' dey." Fenny grinned cheekily as if that were something naughty and nudged Morgan a little. "Hoo else ya thenk most folk ne'er stop a' one, hey?"

Hamish frowned in hurt and disappointment. He figured at some point one of the boys would deny they were family, but it had hurt much more than he'd anticipated. The boy had clearly scrapped before, but thankfully Hamish had many years on him or else the punch may have connected. Charles had practically told him he was going to swing before doing it, and so Hamish caught his wrist and twisted him around until it was held behind his back. The Scot was taking very special care not to hurt the lad, but also he couldn't be the one getting hurt either.

In the end Charles was held with his back against Hamish's chest and one arm pinned behind his back. Just for insurance, a large forearm wrapped around from shoulder to shoulder to keep him from injuring one or both of them in any sort of struggle he might put up.

"Aye, an' I'm sure ya meant e'er werd o' tha', hey?" Hamish said quietly. He could do this the rest of the day if necessary.

Hildegard had been in the back of the sled while Little John and her sister rode up front. She had been half-dozing, trying not to focus too much on the pain, but crinkled her nose when Adelaide started asking questions.

"Vhy vould you do that?" she inquired loudly from the back, referring to Addy's question about touching herself. "And vhat vould you do in bed anyvey? Take a nap?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan blushed at Fenny's confession. First that she had mentioned her husband's 'size' then she had said that she actually looked forward to it. "Really? You... you want to do that again? You have?" She raised an eyebrow and took a long sip of her tea as she thought over the implications. "Do you think that Little John can have a few words with Will? You know; share some techniques with him or something?" She smiled shyly and took another drink.

"My mother always made it seem like something that men enjoyed and women tolerated. I wasn't surprised when it hurt so much; even though the kissing was nice at first." She frowned. "Maybe he was doing it wrong?"

"But then again, I got pregnant didn't I? So it couldn't have been entirely wrong." She shrugged. "I suppose it's like anything else. You have people who can do things, and then you have people who are really good at doing things." She thought about the tall man married to Fenny and felt a blush come to her ears as she wondered what it would feel like to lie under someone who could make 'that' feel good.

Charles had cried out when Hamish pulled his hand around and pinned it behind the boy's back. He struggled in the Scot's grasp until he was completely worn out. "Let me go!" He tried to no avail to slam his head against Hamish's nose and tried a few other tricks that had worked on opponents less skilled then he. Finally he slumped against the stronger man. "Just let me go, please! I'm not going to turn into you. I promise." He clenched his eyes shut and fought against the emotions surging up inside of him.

He didn't know what it was he was feeling. On one hand, Charles was angry at the world; at his dad for getting killed while hurting Fenny and for his mom's death as a result of that. He was upset that he had come from such a sorry beginning, and he was scared that Fenny would still hate him despite Hamish's promise and Little John's acceptance of him. He was afraid that Harry would be affected by it too; their dad's had done everything together, and it turned out that they had died together too. If Charles had to admit it, he was also sad about the flicker of disappointment that he thought he saw in Hamish's eyes when Charles' attempt to kiss the girls had been thwarted.

The young boy bent his head and tried to swallow down the pain, but the tears found their way out of him, and soon he was weeping in Hamish's arms.

Little John's head jerked up when he heard Hildegard's voice.

Adelaide spun around to glare at her sister. "I thought you were asleep! Why are you spying on me?!"

The ex-priest saw with relief that the Schneider's home was just over the next crest. "Oh look; there's your house." He glanced at the elder sister. "Perhaps this can wait until we've dropped off your sister, ja?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny chuckled at Lady Morgan's uncertainty. "Ach! Et denna happen ferst time oot th' gate y'ken," she said with a grin. "Et's great fun descoveren each other, feggeren oot wha' makes t'other teck, whatchee like an' dun like. S'good fer brengen folk closer tagether. Ye jis' gotta git usedta each other a' ferst."

She tried not to laugh too hard when Morgan asked if Little John could have a talk with Will about "techniques or something." She didn't want the lady to think she was laughing at her; it was just a very funny question in a funny situation. She shrugged and shook her head.

"Well he kin try lass," Fenny said with a chuckle. "He kin try ta talk ta hem boot bein' gennler. Migh' help ef ye had a proper bed, too. Dunno ef Well'd be too wellen ta hear 'im oot though, as he's go' quite a few years on John s'far's--" She stopped abruptly, realizing what she'd been saying. Surely Morgan had to know she wasn't his first. Still, it could be hurtful to hear it spoken of so casually. "Mayhap ye'll ge' realleh good tagether, hey?"

Hamish wordlessly held onto Charles as he struggled, avoiding attempts at smashing his nose and other things to get away. He held on even when the lad promised not to be like him. All at once the Scot felt all of the boy's burdens on his heart as if they were his own and felt a pang of pity for him. Finally, at long last, the tears Hamish had seen at the beginning of this conversation came. Charles could finally learn that it was okay to feel everything he was feeling.

Hamish didn't say anything. He simply turned the boy around to face him and held him in a strong hug. For as long as Charles needed he simply rested his chin on his nephew's head and hugged him strongly around the shoulders. It would be a bit awkward when he stopped crying, of course, but he hadn't thought that far ahead. He just wanted Charles to know that it was okay to not be tough all the time, that he didn't have to be the protector all the time. That was the first step on the road to becoming numb to the world, and it was there he'd wished Duncan Balloch had stopped him.

Hildegard braved sitting up to cross her arms and scowl at her sister. "Vell I'm in the cart too you know!" She stuck her tongue out. "I can listen to vatever I vant to, especially if you're shouting it all over ze neighborhood!"

Hilde looked up when she saw her home. She wanted to go to her mother and tell her what had happened, just to make sure the priest's wife hadn't been lying to her to make her feel better. It surely felt like dying. As soon as they pulled up she jumped out and ran inside.

"Muttie! Muttie!" Hilde hastily kicked off her snow-laden shoes near the door and ran to her mother. "Mama Frau Schnell says I'm going to have babies now, is that true??"
\

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan saw the humor in it too, and had to nod. "I suppose that's true; we'll just have to learn together." She sighed. "I hope he's okay. It seems so cold to be out there in weather like this. I almost feel guilty getting to stay in your warm house when he's out there." She stopped and looked at her benefactor. "Thank you. For all this; for letting me stay here, and for being so nice to me even though I was mean to you."

She blushed slightly. "I wasn't very nice to you from the beginning. I was mostly scared."

Charles wept for a long time, allowing Hamish to hold him as he tried to sort through his feelings. "Why'd he do it? Why was my dad so bad, Hamish? If he had been home my mom wouldn't have died. He wouldn't have died. I don't want to be like that. I don't want ma to hate me!" He buried his fists in his eyes and knelt on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Hamish. I'm sorry I said those things to you." He rocked slightly on the ground and tried to keep the sobs from happening, but it was a loosing battle. He melted into tears again and this time it took a long time before he was able to catch his breath.

Little John hitched the horse and followed Hildegard into the house just in time to hear her ask her mother the question. He felt Herr Schneider's eyes upon him.

"Oi, vat's this all aboot?" asked the senior Schneider.

Little John's eyes grew wide. "She's talking about the bloom. Fenny told her that her body was learning how to be ready for a baby, not that she had any reason to or anything." He glanced with a certain amount of trepidation at the Schneiders. "She started her, uhm... her female cycles. Her moon blood."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach!" Fenny waved a dismissive hand. "He's a highlander, he's usedta et. We dun have hooses s'nice as thess en Scotland; s'no' much o' a change fer hem." She smiled graciously and nodded. "Aneh time. We all get skeered e'er noo an' then an' do er say sommat stupet. Et'd be a hard werrild endeed ef no one ne'er fergave no one, hey?"

Hamish let the weeping boy slip from his grasp as he knelt on the ground. His heart broke for Charles as he wept, asking why his father had been a bad person, lamenting the death of his real mother, still expressing worry that his new mother would hate him. He waited until Charles had caught his breath before speaking.

"S'arrigh' lad," he said quietly, kneeling down next to him before sitting on the ground with his back against the barn door. "Ye denna mean et, I ken tha'. As fer yer da...well, I denna ken 'im. Bu' sometimes Charlie, sometimes folk lose their weey an' et kin take 'em a long time ta find et again ef they e'er do. An' ye ken wha' th' great then boot tha' free well God gave us?" Hamish only paused for a brief moment. "Ye dun have ta be hem. Ye kin make a totally deffernt path en life as he e'er had, an' et starts righ' here. Day ta day. An' e'en ef ya lose yer wey, ye kin find et again. Hell, lookit me I'm leven proof!" He smiled a little.

"An' yer ma wun hatecha I sweer. I promess ya, ye kin walk straigh' enta tha' hoose righ' noo, tell 'er e'erthen, an' ye ken wha' she'll do? She'll hug ya, an' she'll 'pologize." Hamish nodded seriously. "Then she'll ask ef ya wanna talk aboot et an' make ye some tea, coz she sweers tea makes e'erthen bedder." He rolled his eyes. "We all three o' us ken as ye dun hafta go doon th' same path as yer da er yer ma er whoever. Me'n'Fenny'n'John, none o' us ded. We foond our owwen wey, an' ye kin too."

Hildegard looked from Herr Schnell to her father, then to her mother. "So is it true, Mama? I'm not dying?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan took comfort in Fenny's words. She finished the last of her tea. "I'm sorry to be such poor company, but I think I'll go lay down again." She smiled as she watched Harry, snuggling with the overgrown puppy on the floor. "I think the lad has the right idea."

"God bless you, Fenny Schnell. You've given me hope." She smiled shyly as she got up to leave. "Little John's lucky to have you, you know. You're a good match."

Charles shook his head and raised his eyes to meet Hamish's. "I'm scared. Everyone always said I was the spittin' image of my dad. What if ma looks at me and sees him?" He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. "Will you go with me? I don't want to tell her by myself, but I have to know if she still wants me to stay." He took a shuddering breath. "If she doesn't I can always go back to the Merry Men when you go get Will Scarlet."

Frau Schneider looked at her little girl in shock. "How can you be in the bloom? You're four years younger than your sister. It's not time for you. But if you are bloomin' early, then no, sweet liebchen. You're not dying."

The older brother cleared his throat, looking at his parents. "I'm gonna go cut some wood or something," he said nervously. Their family was very closed about such things, and talking about his sisters' 'bloom' in front of the preacher made him a bit uncomfortable.

"Aye, me too," Herr Schneider said, reaching for his hat.

"I'll join you," Little John agreed. He followed the other men out and let the women straighten out their affairs in private. He'd wait until Adelaide was ready to go back to his house.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach, go on," Fenny said, waving her hand towards the sitting room. "Yer no' comp'neh yer famileh noo. Sleep whene'er ya like." She smiled at Morgan and then at the sight of Harry slowly drifting off as he snuggled with Chance. "Well thank ye lass. Bu' dunchee go getten no ideas!" She chuckled and shook her head. "I thenk ye'll be good fer Well. I realleh do."

"Aye, well she hanna yet has she? They all said Well Scarlet looked jis' like th' butcher, dun mean he's like 'im 'tall." Hamish chuckled at his own joke implying Will to be the son of someone other than Mr. Scarlet. That wasn't true, of course, but it was still funny to joke at his expense.

"Course I'll go wi'ye lad," he said, standing up and offering his hand to Charles. "Bu' dun say I denna tell ya so." He grinned and winked. Of course Fenny would want him to stay! He was her son!

Hildegard hugged her mother happily, glad she wasn't dying. It was the best news she'd heard all day! Of course she trusted Frau Schnell to tell her the truth, but what if she had been wrong? That would have been awful to just die suddenly when someone else said you were fine!

The girl was led up to her room and made comfortable. Adelaide and Frau Schneider gave her some tea and a water skin full of hot water. Adelaide kissed her mother goodbye as she readied to head out again and Frau Schneider sat at the edge of Hilde's bed and explained things in a quiet voice, embarrassed by the topic.

"Herr Schnell?" Addy said, stepping out to where the men were. "Hilde is taken care of. I'm ready to go back now."

[EvelynWillows]

Charles accepted Hamish's help, and then brushed himself off. He was muddied and tear-streaked, and he was certain that his nose was an unattractive shade of red. It didn't matter, though. He was going to go face the core of the matter. Whether Fenny... Ma, wanted him to stay or not would be settled and he's at least know where he belonged. Part of him was terrified, and another part relieved.

"Uncle Hamish? You said you didn't want me to turn out like you. But you're doing pretty good; everyone likes you and Adelaide's gonna marry you. What's so bad about turning out like you?" He glanced over at the stout, strong as a tree-trunk Scot. "You've almost got Harry convinced he needs to start wearing a kilt."

Little John nodded his goodbye's to the Schneider men and went to help Adelaide up onto the cart. He unhitched the horse and then led her out a bit before climbing in next to Hamish's fiancee. His mind was working in hard little circles as he went over the events of the day. It was going to be Christmas soon, and after that, springtime and new babies. It seemed like the year was spinning very quickly.

"So Adelaide, everything alright with your sister? She's convinced she won't be dying any time soon?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish finally opened the door and let Charles out, walking along side him toward the house. It felt like he hadn't been inside all day and he was starting to lose feeling in his toes as well as other appendages from the cold. When Charles asked what was so bad about turning out like him, the Scot was touched. Never had he ever actually expected anyone to look up to him.

"Well he do need ta start wearen a kelt lad! Bu' tha's go' nothen ta do weth me." He chuckled and mussed the boy's hair. "Nah. Mayhap I'm doen fine noo, bu' et took me a long time ta ge' theer. Two years ago..." He shook his head. "I weren't th' kinda man as ye'd be prood ta ken. I denna have aneh plans ta seddle doon er marreh er nothen. I were happy jis' travelin', fighten, drenken, thieven, chasen girrels." He shrugged. "Et were semple an' I denna hafta thenk too mich on et." Hamish sighed.

"Bu' then John happened. An' yer ma...callen her stubborn as an arse'd be a compliment ta th' arse. An' she knew I woulna leave 'er. Commen here's made me a deffernt man, Charlie. A bedder man. I woulna mind ye haven thess sorta life, ef et's wha'chee want. Bu' I dun wanchee ta have ta go th' long way roond like I ded. Ya make lotsa mestakes an' start carryen lotsa regrets on the wey ef ya take tha' road."

"Ja, Herr Schnell, everyting's fine now," Adelaide assured Little John. "Muttie ist explaining everyting and she doesn't think she's dyin' now. Hildegard, that is." Her face pinkened as she thought about her questions earlier and wished she could take them back. But what was done was done and so she pressed forward, curious as to what the ex-priest would say on the subject of self-pleasure and how he'd waited for Frau Schnell before she had been his wife.

"So um...vill you answer my questions, Herr Schnell?" she asked shyly, glancing up at him then looking away.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles chuckled. "Well, I'll never make the mistake of wearing a kilt! There's not enough protection there for my boys. They need their safe place, not hanging about like..." he looked over at Hamish and blushed. "I mean, yeah. I'll do my best, Uncle." He scratched at a spot behind his ear as they treked towards the house in the snow.

He felt his heart beginning to race as they got closer to the house. "Maybe we can tell her later, eh?" He looked over at Hamish in a near-panic. "I mean, maybe it would upset her too much with the baby on the way? We should wait until after."

The Schneider house wasn't even out of sight, and Adelaide was asking him about Hamish again. Little John cleared his throat and tried to find the answer in the clouds.

"Well, to be perfectly honest Addy, it was a difficult thing to be faithful to Fenny. There were many nights when we laid in each others arms before we were married and struggled with the idea that we were going to be married anyway... so why wait? But it was because I loved her so dearly, and more than that, I love the Lord. He made Fenny for me and me for her, so I had to trust that His timing would be perfect. Don't get me wrong, I wanted her badly. Very, very, badly."

He cleared his throat. "It's not really wrong I think for you to touch yourself and think of him...but..." he pressed his lips together. "When we think something, it's as bad to God as if we did it. Remember the time that Jesus was telling the people that if they hated someone it was as bad as killing them, and lusting after someone was as sinful as having sex with them? Well, for me I figured that if I thought about Fenny that way before we were married, then it would be the same as having her before we were married, and it would be me telling the Lord that His grace wasn't sufficient for me." He shrugged. "I'm glad I waited. There's nothing so magical as holding your wife, or husband in your case, and knowing that you made it special."

Little John tried not to blush. "But if you already have, it's not the end of the world, Addy. We're all just people, and none of us is perfect." He looked over at his future sister-in-law. "Did that answer your question?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish laughed out loud at the boy's sudden frankness. He pushed Charles a little. "Ach! Et's more free boyo! Why d'ye thenk Scots go' sich beg familehs, hey?" He chuckled as they continued toward the house. As they got closer his nephew seemed to fidget more and lose heart. He shook his head when Charles suggested they do it another time. "Noo's good a time 's aneh. Bedder, e'en, afore yer ma's go' her hands full weth cryen an' droolen an' wot. No' ta mention th' baby."

Adelaide tried not to blush as the ex-priest explained to her his view on the matter. It was very confusing, being told one moment that it wasn't wrong to touch herself and think of Hamish then told the next that it was as good as having lain with him already.

"Ja...I think..." she answered finally. "But I cannot help it, Friar Johan, thinking of him in dis vay. Vould the Lord send me to Hell for that?" She looked up at him, clearly worried. "But ve haven't...you know...Ve won't until ve are married. Hamish even said so."

[EvelynWillows]

Charles nodded. He stepped up on the front porch, then had to lean over the rail to hurl his breakfast onto the snow below. It was really frightening to him to think of being sent away from his new family. His stomach clenched terribly until the entire contents were gone. He coughed, embarrassed, and looked at Hamish. "Sorry," he mumbled. He turned and looked at the front door like it was a snake. "I guess this is it."

Taking a deep breath, Charles opened the front door and walked in. He saw Fenny in there, and Harry sleeping with Chance, and lost his nerve again. He looked at Hamish for some support. He just didn't know what to say to his new ma.

Little John chuckled at Addy's fear. "Let me ask you, Adeline. Do you love God? Have you asked Him to lead you in your life, and submitted to Him? Because if you had, nothing's going to separate you from Him. You're not going to hell for wanting to be with Hamish. God's not like that."

He smiled at the young lady at his side. "And it's a good thing that Hamish is of that mind, Addy. Your brother and dad'd be all over him if he miss-stepped. But let me tell you, even if you did have a bad day and you guys went too far; God can forgive that. He can forgive the most wretched murderer, He can forgive over-anxious love. Just don't use His grace as an excuse to do things you know you shouldn't."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish jumped back to avoid the remnants of Charles's breakfast. He tried not to gag and looked on with pity, patting the boy's back and grabbing a handful of snow.

"Here, have at some snow ferst," he said, "tha' bile'll rotcher teeth." He didn't know if that was true or if it was just an old wives' tale his mother had told him to make sure he rinsed his mouth after every time he was sick. What he did know was that there had been enough sloppy drunkards in their village with only half a mouthful of teeth to convince him there couldn't be any harm in it.

"R'lax, boyo! Ye'll be fine, promess." He smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging manner.

Fenny was puttering about the kitchen, making sure lunch got done properly. She had another kettle on for tea while she was at it and looked up and smiled when Hamish and Charles entered.

"There ya are! I were begennen ta worreh th' snow monsters gotchee. Wha were so ennersten oot theer, hey?" She kept her voice low so as not to wake Harry or Morgan. "Oi, shoes!" She pointed to the door.

Hamish obediently kicked the snow off his shoes and slipped them off before stepping onto the dry wood floor. He waited for Charles to do the same then pulled a chair out for the boy and gestured to it before taking his own seat.

"Hey Fen? We was ah...we was ootside acoz we was talken boot thengs. An' ah, Charlie here has sommat he wan'ned ta tell ye." He gave his sister a serious look and Fenny stopped puttering to sit down and listen.

"Wha's th' news, boyo?" she asked, sitting down next to Charles.

When asked if she loved got and had submitted to Him, Adelaide nodded. "Oh ja, Herr Schnell, with all my heart!" And she breathed a sigh of relief when told she wasn't going to Hell for wanting to be with her love. She shook her head when Little John warned her not to take advantage of God's grace and love.

"Ve von't, Herr Schnell, I promise! Thank you!" She hugged him tightly for a moment before righting herself in the seat again. Now all she had left that she wanted to know, among the things her mother was too embarrassed to talk about, was whether it hurt as much as it sounded like it did. But that, she knew, was a private conversation to be had with Frau Schnell.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles didn't know where to start. He looked at Hamish and then at Fenny. He wished they had never shown Lady Morgan the letters or the finger. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Where would he start?

The lad had a difficult time meeting Fenny's eyes. "Ma..." He found his throat had closed up. "Those men who attacked you, the ones in the forest?" He glanced over to where Harry was still napping with the dog and lowered his voice. "Our dads were there. They were with Lord Davenport. They were working for him when they attacked you." He felt his eyes well up with tears. "Ma thought that he'd run off or gotten mugged somewhere. We didn't know what he had done." He rocked in his chair and looked up at Fenny. "Please don't send me away." The flood gates broke again, and he felt his cheeks wetting with tears. "But if you gotta send me, at least keep Harry. He's just a kid, he don't know what happened."

Little John returned her hug a bit awkwardly. He was only used to hugging Fenny; Adelaide's hug was a little bit unsettling, considering their topic of conversation. Still, she meant it innocently enough. "I'm glad I could help, Addy. I hope you and Hamish are happy all your years. He loves you dearly." The little Schnell household could be seen over the next crest. It was about twenty minutes away at the pace they were taking. Not too bad for a winter afternoon.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny waited patiently for Charles to start. He seemed upset already...had he broken something? Had he accidentally killed one of the chickens? He wasn't looking at her, which wasn't a good sign.

As the lad spoke Fenny's mouth slowly dropped open in horror. Hamish and John had killed their boys' fathers! She felt a little sick at all the implications and wondered if the boys would ever be able to forgive them. Her heart broke when Charles begged her not to send him away, or to at least keep Harry if she did. Shaking her head, Frau Schnell rose and hugged her son round his head, pressing it into her chest.

"No lamb!" she said emphatically, trying to keep her voice down. Harry didn't know, and she didn't want him to know for a long, long time yet. She couldn't have him waking up and asking questions. "No, ne'er!" She pulled her chair closer to his and sat so they could look eye-to-eye. She gently wiped the tears from his cheeks and kissed his forehead.

"Lessen ta me, Charlie. Yer da an' me, we love ye an' Harry vurrah much. Like ye was our owwen fer real, by blood y'ken? I'd ne'er, e'er send neither o' ye awey. I promess." She looked directly into his eyes as she spoke, keeping her hands on each cheek and kissing his forehead again before pulling him back into a hug and rubbing his back gently. "I love ya, Charlie, an' nothen's ne'er gonna change that. Nothen. I jis'...I hope ye kin fergev us en time, y'ken?" She kissed his temple and sniffled, trying to keep from crying herself.

"Ye wan' some tea love? Et'll make thengs bedder, awweys do." Without waiting for an answer she went to the counter and started preparing tea for the water just beginning to boil, setting out a mug for her brother too. Hamish was sitting easily in a chair across the table with a small, smug, told-you-so smile.

"Danke Herr Schnell," Adelaide said with a slight blush. "I think you vill be a very goot brother-in-law to have." She smiled brightly. She was looking forward now more than ever to becoming a part of Hamish's family.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles was relieved beyond belief that Fenny didn't send him away. He was embarrassed to cry in front of her, but the entire day had been a big festival of emotions. He blushed a bit when she embraced him against her chest. Yes, she was his adopted mother, but she was also very attractive and loving, and he had begun to develop what amounted to a school boy crush on her. Heck, he had a crush on everyone at this point.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Ma. There's nothing for us to forgive." He wiped his eyes and tried to compose himself. As she kissed his temple and rubbed his back he tried not to think about being squashed up against her ever ripening breasts. It was a confusing place to be. He loved her; she was his mom, but she was also his friend, and he carried the guilt of his father's assault in his heart. He just didn't know where he fit.

Charles laughed when Fenny suggested they have some tea. He caught Hamish's eye. "Tea. She's making tea." He broke out into stuttering laughter again, his emotions rolling back and forth between sorrow, relief, and humor.

Little John parked the cart near the front of the house and helped Adelaide down. "Why don't you go ahead, lass? I'll get the horse." He was certain that she was as eager to see Hamish as he would be to see her again. John smiled. Young love, always so impatient.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish chuckled as he watched his sister get up to make tea. Charles pointed it out and he shrugged.

"Wha'd I tell ye? Sure's seasons." He chuckled again.

"An' jis' wha' es s'funneh boot maken tea?" Fenny demanded, turning around and putting her fists on her hips. Hamish shook his head and stood, making his way around the table and pushing her gently away.

"Nothen. Noo go set doon ya numpty, yer pregnant."

"Dun mean I'm made o' glass!"

"Aye, yer made o' sommat more emportant noo."

But all the same Fenny huffed and slumped at the table, resisting the urge to go up and correct Hamish on how to make tea. He knew how, of course, but he didn't know the way she did it, which was of course the only right way to do it and she didn't care what they said at the palace. She took the tea gratefully when Hamish had finished and sipped carefully.

"Are you sure?" Adelaide asked Little John as she hopped down.

He insisted he would get the horse and she smiled gratefully, hopping through the snow like a hare to get to the door more quickly. She'd have run if the snow let her. Kicking the snow off of her boots she knocked briefly but didn't wait for an answer before entering. She knew she was welcomed as family. She also knew that she'd get walloped just as anyone else if she walked on Fenny's floors with wet shoes so she slid them off and set them next to Hamish's. His feet looked so big compared to hers!

Hamish had barely sat down when he stood up again, crossing to hug Adelaide gently. He kissed the top of her head and guided her to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for her.

"Ye wan' some tea love?"

[EvelynWillows]

"It's just that you think tea fixes everything," Charles explained. "At least that's what Uncle Hamish says. He told me you'd just make tea and it would all be okay." He laid his head on his arms and watched his uncle puttering around in the kitchen. When Fenny sat down he reached out and took her hand in his. "He's right to worry, though. My ma was far enough along that we could feel the baby moving when she took sick and died. None of us want to lose you, ma," He let go of her hand and blushed, looking away self-consciously.

"I should go get some more wood," he said, just in time to see Adelaide come in and disappear into Hamish's embrace.

She smiled at him and nodded."Tea sounds lovely." She looked over at Fenny. She'd have to find some private 'woman' time to talk to her, but for now it was just nice to be near her Hamish again. She tried not to scowl at Charles as he got up from the table to go outside. Once the boy was gone she bumped Hamish and ran her hand behind his back, pulling him close to her. "So, didja miss me?"

Little John put away the horse and shut the barn door after tossing in an armful of hay for the steadfast beast. He saw Charles fetching wood and decided to help the lad. He wasn't normally a man of many words, so they worked in silence for a while, moving wood off the pile and filling the wood carrier (http://www.parrottcanvas.net/Merchant2/Firewood%20Carrier/album/slides/07042%20Firewood%20Carrier%20HR.jpg)to bring it inside.

He glanced at his son, wondering if there was something on his mind. Probably girls, or dogs, or hunting... John smiled at the lad. "You'll be taller than I if you keep growing like you have been."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oh tha's wha' Uncle Hamish says, es et?" Fenny raised an eyebrow and put her fists on her hip as she was steered off.

"Aye, an' et's true. S' shut yer gob an' drenk yer tea. There's a lassie." Hamish grinned cheekily. He knew Fenny had always hated being talked down to and told what to do like that, which was precisely why he did it.

Both of the Scots were touched by Charles' concern for his pregnant adopted mother. Fenny felt a pang of sorrow when he told them about his mother, but before she could open her mouth to say anything he had stood and Adelaide was through the door. She was certain he wouldn't want anything being mentioned in front of her.

Hamish grinned and was surprised at his sweetheart's playful forwardness in front of his family. He liked it. Wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair, he gave her a little squeeze.

"Aye. Kinna wait tel I wun hafta mess ye coz I'll wake up next ta ye e'er mornen," he said softly in her ear. Adelaide may have been getting more comfortable, and even he was more comfortable with displays of affection in front of his family. But tender words were still cause for embarrassment to him, paranoid they'd tease him for it.

Charles trudged out to the wood pile, and only looked up when Little John joined him. His father was usually a man of few words and when they were alone together Charles preferred it that way, not out of any dislike for the man but simply because it was more comfortable. He shrugged at Little John's comment before grunting as he picked up the wood carrier.

"Not likely," he said simply. "No one's taller'n you, Da."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide giggled as Hamish squeezed her. "I dun mind sleepin' in the barn until our house is done," she said playfully. "But I suppose that your sensitive highland legs couldna take the cold."

Addy grinned at her fiancee. Unofficial fiancee. "So... Da says that the house won't be much to put up once the snow melts. I think he's just excited about getting us girls out of the house again, so he and ma don't have to chop so much wood for the winter. Gerald can cut his own wood." She innocently took a cup of tea and took a sip, not aware of what her parents meant when they used that excuse for getting some private time.

Little John smiled at Charles. "You're a good lad, Charles. I'm proud to have you as my son." He took a few pieces of wood and followed the boy back to the house.

They could smell supper cooking, bringing John's stomach to a gurgling growl. He chuckled at himself.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Adelaide Schneider, wha's go' enta ye?" Hamish asked with a grin, looking at her curiously. She was normally shy about any such implications so he was surprised that she was being so bold, particularly in front of other people. "An' ya leave me legs oot o' et! They kin stand th' cold feer nuff!" He stuck his tongue out before pushing her gently and mussing her hair.

"Tea tastes funny," Fenny said from the kitchen table, frowning at her mug. "Oi Addy." She smiled in greeting.

"Et dun taste funny, ya jis' thenk et do coz ye denna make et." Hamish rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand.

"On'y I kin make tea's proper from me owwen kettle. Dun no one else touch et!" Fenny nodded in a convicted manner. She choked on her tea, however, when Adelaide mentioned her parents chopping wood for the winter and her brother cutting his own. "Keps 'em warm, I imagine," she said with a wry grin, earning a glare from her brother.

Charles smiled back at Little John. He was proud! He knew the awful truth and he was still proud to have him as a son! Maybe things would work out here, after all. He led the way back to the house and sniffed the air.

"Mmm...Ma's got somethin' on awful good," he commented, hauling the wood faster. "I'm starving!"

"Ach, there 'e es," Fenny said when her husband entered behind Charles, standing after he'd set the wood down and hugging him.

She kissed him and she had meant for it to be a peck at first, but a second kiss lasted longer and she gently pressed it deeper, very suddenly wanting her husband very badly to take her in a manly fashion. Who cared if they had a full house? It was their bedroom! Fenny pressed her ripening breasts against her husband's chest before eventually pulling away, though not before she'd nipped at his lip, and grinned.

"Dedja have fun?" she asked casually, still grinning at John.

[EvelynWillows]

"Umm," Addy sat down at the table and fondled the handle of her tea cup. "If all people do once they get married is work and cut wood I'm going to have to get myself my own hatchet. I can't expect Hamish to do all the splitting on his own, though he do have nice arms." She smiled over her shoulder at him. "Anyway, I'll be too busy with the animals I expect. Several families have already whispered in Ma's ears that they're gonna give us a bit of livestock. Seems everyone's excited about the strong Scottish children they're expectin' us to have."

She smiled at Fenny. "Guess they're already asking you when you'll have the next little one, eh?" She smiled at Charles and Little John as they came in the door. When John's eyes lit up at the sight of his wife it wasn't hard to envy the pair. Adelaide blushed when their kiss intensified. She wished she could kiss Hamish like that.

"Dedja have fun?" Fenny asked casually, still grinning at John.

"Oh ja, let's do that again." He kissed her once more, picking her up in his thick arms and swinging her to the side a bit. Once he broke free of the kiss he set her down and grinned. "Oh, you mean the little trip to the Schneiders?" He glanced at Adelaide. "It was fine. Hilde's doing well, and Addy's back in one piece, so it was fine." He sniffed the air and then noticed his wife's hard peeks showing through her dress. He immediately wanted to have a reason to take her back in the bedroom. Alone.

"Ah, but I twisted something. Maybe you can take a look at it, eh?"

Lady Morgan picked that moment to wander into the rapidly filling dining room. "Something smells divine. Is it almost dinner time?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

When Adelaide had started talking about getting her own hatchet, not being able to expect Hamish to do all of the wood-splitting, Fenny had turned red up to her hairline and hid her face in her mug to keep from laughing too much. Hamish looked less than impressed at his sister. Although, he supposed he deserved it; that's what siblings did, after all. He was sure he'd teased her at some point in the day and was only getting his back.

"I er...I kin splet all th' wood ye wan', love," he said, kissing her forehead. "No need fer yer owwen hatchet." Although he did pale a little at the mention of children. And everybody expecting them to have children. He seemed to have done fine with Charles this afternoon, but the lad was a teenager; it would be so easy to screw them up and be a bad father to them in their younger years. He was relieved when the topic turned to Fenny's own babies.

"Eh, actually no one ken, Addy," Fenny said with a shrug. "Jis' foond oot meself coupla days ago. Snow's ben s'theck we hanna ben able ta see th' neighbors s'much. Ye an' Hilde're th' ferst ta ken, bu' knowen Hilde an' yer Ma e'erone else ken by noo too." She grinned and her face had brightened at the sight of John.

Fenny was about to explain what she'd meant by 'have fun' when Little John picked her up in his strong, thick arms andd kissed her deeply. She was all grins when he finally set her down and hit hip playfully when he pretended to realize what she'd been talking about. She really wished it wasn't almost suppertime as her breasts strained a little more than usual against her dress. And her husband had apparently sprained something; that might cause problems.

"Aye love, Gev et 'ere, hey?" Fenny moved to take a seat again. "Aye," she said over her shoulder to Morgan. "Ammost suppertime. Charlie getcher lump o' a brother up an' tell 'im ta wash up wi'ye."

[EvelynWillows]

Harry had rolled over and woken up and was starting to play with Chance again. He'd touch one of the pup's whiskers, and then the dog would flinch and paw at his nose before going back to sleep. Then Harry would tease another whisker, making the dog swat at his nose again and give a little 'woof!'. It was all good fun for the lad.

Charles leaned over the chair and watched his brother. It was nice, having a dog. Maybe the mutt would turn out to be a good hunter for the family, and next year Charles could go out and get some fresh meat for them. He looked at his parents and saw Little John blush slightly when Fenny told him 'to give it here'.

Little John flushed a bit. "Well, it's actually not something I can just whip out here. It's up in my leg, see..." he raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's a torn thread or something. From lifting heavy things." He smiled bashfully at Fenny. "You might need to look at it tonight."

Charles turned around and gave his parents a long, hard look. He twisted up his mouth and tried not to look too shocked that his dad, the priest, for crying out loud!, was making innuendos at the dinner table. He stole a glance at Hamish to see if the Scot had caught on. Living with Robin Hood's men for nearly a year educated Charles quickly on the ways of life, and he had been a quick study in all things 'manly'.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, after denner then," Fenny had caught on and there was a sparkle in her eye familiar only to her husband. "Kinna let et set too long, though. Me uncle Robert had a pain en hes hand, though 'e were jis' gettin' auld an' field werk were bein' harder on 'im. Hour later, deed o' a heart attack." She nodded seriously. "So we better take a look at et real soon, hey Papa Beer?" Little John looked especially bearish with his shaggier hair and grown-out beard for the winter and Fenny often took delight in teasing him about it. She wrapped her arms around her husband and hugged him tightly, pressing herself against him more but most especially her chest, just to tease him.

Hamish was watching his sister and brother-in-law with pressed lips. The nerve! Some people had to stay chaste, it was rude to talk about such things in front of them when temptation was so very great. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking away. When he did, he caught Charles's eye behind Fenny's back; it was clear the lad wasn't ignorant of the subtext and he exchanged an exasperated eye-rolling expression with him.

"Oi! Wha'd I say?" Fenny said sternly from Little John's arms, looking around at Charles. "Wash up! Ye too, Harry," she added, looking over to the sitting room. "Wash up, suppertime. An' quet teasen th' dog like tha'."

- - - Updated - - -

"Aye, after denner then," Fenny had caught on and there was a sparkle in her eye familiar only to her husband. "Kinna let et set too long, though. Me uncle Robert had a pain en hes hand, though 'e were jis' gettin' auld an' field werk were bein' harder on 'im. Hour later, deed o' a heart attack." She nodded seriously. "So we better take a look at et real soon, hey Papa Beer?" Little John looked especially bearish with his shaggier hair and grown-out beard for the winter and Fenny often took delight in teasing him about it. She wrapped her arms around her husband and hugged him tightly, pressing herself against him more but most especially her chest, just to tease him.

Hamish was watching his sister and brother-in-law with pressed lips. The nerve! Some people had to stay chaste, it was rude to talk about such things in front of them when temptation was so very great. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking away. When he did, he caught Charles's eye behind Fenny's back; it was clear the lad wasn't ignorant of the subtext and he exchanged an exasperated eye-rolling expression with him.

"Oi! Wha'd I say?" Fenny said sternly from Little John's arms, looking around at Charles. "Wash up! Ye too, Harry," she added, looking over to the sitting room. "Wash up, suppertime. An' quet teasen th' dog like tha'."

[EvelynWillows]

Charles and Harry rushed to wash their hands so they could set the table. The chicken dumplings had been cooking for long enough that the boys felt like they'd die if they didn't get a bite soon. They raced each other to set the table and pump a pitcher of cold water for the table, then stood by to wait for Fenny to tell them that it was okay to bring the soup to the table.

Lady Morgan watched in near-rapt awe as the boys went about their chores. "You have them well-trained I see."

"Not really, it's just that they're really hungry," Little John teased. "Boys are always motivated by food."

Adelaide smiled at Hamish. "Es dat true, Hamish darling? Es food your motivation?" She gave him a sweet wink. She couldn't believe that by this time next year she'd be Frau Balloch and she'd get to go to sleep every night in his arms. She thrilled at the thought of their first night, despite the probably pain that she might have to endure. After all, if Fenny said that it was something she looked forward to, it couldn't be all bad.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach! Keerful weth 'em deshes lads!" Fenny cried as they rushed to set the table. Still, she smiled. They were good boys. "Go on, then. No, use th' potholder, et's hot." She chuckled at both Morgan and Little John's comments. "Aye, et's coz they ken as they'll ge' food. Watch ef I told 'em ta go muck oot th' horse's stable er gather up eggs, they'd be aboot et all dey."

"Eh, I do awweys look ferward ta a good 'ot meal," Hamish said with a shrug. This was met with a look of contempt from his sister.

"He'll et enethen, Addy. Jis' kep yer fengers 'wey from hes mooth while 'e's at et."

"Oi! Tha's unkind!" Hamish pretended to look indignant, though he knew Fenny was just teasing.

"I'm yer sesster, et's me job ta be unkind ta ye," she answered with a shrug.

Once the boys had brought the large pot over they all sat down and took hands. Fenny waited for Little John to say the blessing and murmured "amen" after him, then took the ladle.

"Arrigh' boys, gimme yer bowls." Once dinner was dished out and everyone eating contentedly, Fenny slid her hand over John's thigh under the table and gave him a squeeze.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide smiled at Hamish. She didn't think it would be terribly bad to get her fingers stuck in his mouth If his kisses were any indication, there was a lot of pleasure to be had between his lips. "Oh, I know my way around a kitchen. Hamish will have to take care not to get too plump once I'm cooking for him everyday." She gave him a wink as they began to gather around the table She made sure to get a seat next to him at the table and twined her ankle around his once they had sat.

Lady Morgan wound up sitting between the boys, not from any pre-planning but because it was the only seat left once everyone had scrambled to the table. They all held hands, and Little John asked the Lord's blessing on their day and the meal, and then it was a scramble to fill bowls and pass them around the table.

Little John smiled at Fenny and covered her hand with his. He squeezed her back and then ran his hand up her leg, feeling her firm thigh through her skirt. Two could play the teasing game.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach! Tween th' two o' ye I'll have n'choice!" Hamish lamented, pretending to be upset.

To be perfectly truthful, after years of hard living and sparse meals he had quickly become very passionate about good food and had found plenty in the little hamlet. If it hadn't been from Fenny's kitchen, it had come from Widow Fallow's or the Schneiders or any one of their neighbors. In the almost two years they'd been there, he'd gotten a little thicker around the middle but farm work and hunting had kept him from getting too fat.

Hamish was glad Adelaide had gotten to sit by him, but was surprised when her ankle twisted around his. What had gotten into her? Still, it wasn't an unpleasant thing but he looked up at his sister as if she might be able to tell though she was preoccupied with her meal. He had a small smile on his lips as he brushed his bare foot with hers and shyly put his free hand near her knee under the table. It was a bold move, particularly considering their kissing had never yet gone beyond chaste, closed-mouth kisses.

Harry and Charles chattered nonstop, the food seeming to disappear from their spoons somewhere between their bowls and mouths. Every now and then as one of them chewed a dumpling or piece of chicken they would be reproached by their mother for chewing with their mouths open. They would apologize quickly, though Fenny herself was a little distracted.

She smiled back at Little John when he squeezed her hand and was a little surprised to feel him retaliate. Fenny tried to keep from giggling too much as she hooked her ankle around his and brought their feet between their chairs, just so they both had a fair chance. Slowly her hand slid up her husband's thigh and to the inside, brushing him slightly with her fingers when she reached that place where his leg met his hip.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles and Harry devoured their supper with thankful enthusiasm. Harry beamed at Fenny. "When I grow up, I'm going to marry a girl that cooks like you do!"

"Who," Little John corrected. "Who cooks like Mom does."

"I dunno." Harry looked perplexed.

"No." The large man chuckled. "I mean you should use the word 'who'. Who cooks like you do, not 'that' cooks like you do. 'Who' is for people, 'that' is for things." He spooned a saucy dumpling into his mouth and made a small sound of contentment. "He's right, you know. Cooking is a very important criteria in choosing a wife."

Lady Morgan shook her head and smiled at herself. Will Scarlet was in for a sad marriage, then. She could barely boil a pot of water without burning anything.

Charles started to say something to tease his brother but then he glanced at Hamish and closed his mouth. Instead he poured more water for himself and looked over at his parents. "Will you teach us how to read?" He asked out of the blue. "I can read a little, but not really enough to do much. You're always reading that Deutsch Bible you have; will you teach us how to read too?"

Little John smiled and nodded. His hand on Fenny's thigh slid up higher to mimic hers. "Considering how much snow is coming down outside we'll have plenty of time for outside lessons." And indeed, the snow outside was coming down quite hard. John pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes as he studied the window. "Adelaide, you might have to stay the night if this keeps up. We might have to wait until the weather breaks and it's safe to take you home."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled at the compliment. "Thank'ee, Lamb. I coulda burnt water fer all ye knew when ye brough' me hoem Johan Schnell," she added, looking at her husband. "Cookin's no' all there es to et. 'Sides, et's emportant ta ken as hoo ta cook fer yerself, too. Lookit Hamish, after all. He's useless."

"Oi!" Hamish scowled but said nothing. Another reason Fenny didn't like to let him make the tea was because the last time she had he'd nearly set the house on fire. Again.

Fenny glanced at the window when John acquiesced to teaching the boys how to read because of the weather. She was concerned the nursery wouldn't be built in time...but there wasn't anything they could do about it. She smiled gently and nodded.

"Aye, he kin teach us all, hey?" He had been teaching her to read in their spare time and she was getting better; she knew the sounds of the letters and could read small words like "cat" and "were", but she wasn't up to things like reading the Bible yet. Particularly since her German wasn't at that high a level yet, and she only knew simple things like greetings and "please" and "thank you."

Little John told Adelaide she may have to stay the night and his wife nodded. "Aye, I were thenken th' same theng. Migh' hafta sheer a floor weth Lady Morgan. Wesh we could tell yer folk ye were safe, bu' I'm sure as they ken as we're no' s'foolhardy ta go oot en a storm like thess."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide blushed slightly as her foot caressed Hamish's ankle. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor," she replied. "I'm sure that Vater wouldn't mind me staying here vit Lady Morgan." She looked at Hamish. The thought of sleeping under the same roof as he made her tingle all over. It felt somewhat illicit, yet also thrilling.

"Oh, I dun need to learn to read!" insisted Harry. "I'm going to grow up to be a farmer. What's a farmer need reading for?"

Charles scoffed. "Alright, you be the stupid farmer who can't read, and I'll be the rich landowner who can." He gave his brother a look of contempt. "Anyway, I'm sure Hilde would rather have a husband who can read than one who can't."

Harry was out of his chair and plummeling his brother quicker than anyone could react. Before they knew what was happening the two boys were on the ground fighting with each other.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish gave Adelaide's knee a gentle squeeze and avoided smiling too much as he shoveled another mouthful. He really wanted to kiss her and those enticing lips of hers...but there were people about. He still wasn't quite there yet.

Fenny felt free to smile, particularly more so as her hand slid between her husband's thighs and she caressed him gently. It felt naughty, what they were doing, even though they were man and wife. Perhaps because they were at the dinner table and not in the privacy of their own room.

The moment was ruined, however, when Charles made his comment about Hildegard and Harry had tackled him to the ground. Fenny stood abruptly and started around the table. Hamish had stood at the same time and started around the other side, annoyed that his time next to Adelaide had been interrupted.

"Oi!" he shouted, grabbing Charles by the back of the shirt and hauling him off of his younger brother. "Wha'd I say taday, eh?"

"An' ye Harry!" Fenny grabbed the younger, smaller boy and pinned his arms behind his back. "Wha'd I tell ye boot hettin' yer brother?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John was worried that the exertion would hurt Fenny and the baby. He took Harry off her hands. "Sweetheart you shouldn't be doing that! You might strain yourself or loose the baby." He turned to look at his younger son with disappointment. He shifted his glare from Harry to Charles.

"Now what's this all about?

"I was just defending myself!" Charles insisted.

"Bloody hell! You need to shut your mouth!" Harry tried to swing another punch at Charles but was jerked further back by Little John. "You stop talking about Hilde!"

Adelaide had set her spoon down and was staring open-mouthed at the two boys. It was rather cute that they were fighting over her little sister but still... she had never seen such silliness in all her life! She shook her head and looked at her fiancee with wide eyes.

Little John frowned at his boys and then shot Hamish a glance. "So, this isn't the first time they've been fighting? Is there something here I need to know?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny pressed her lips together when Little John took Harry away from her. She folded her arms across her chest, mumbling something about porcelain, but didn't try to take the boy back. She knew that something like that could hurt the baby; God forbid if Harry accidentally elbowed her or something, she was sure the guilt would never leave him. She could, however, scold from the sidelines.

"Oi, language!" she snapped when Harry swore at his brother.

Hamish nodded at John. "Aye. Charlie here tried ta steal a kess weth some messtletoe afore ye took Hilde hoem," he confirmed. "An' I told 'im ta knock et off!" He shook Charles by the collar before pinning his arms to his sides. "Dunno wha's go' enta 'em."

[EvelynWillows]

"Hildegard is barely twelve," Adelaide said to Charles. "You're too old for her!"

Charles glared at Hamish's fiancee. "I don't fancy her! I'm just teasing Harry is all." To which Harry reached out and tried to kick his older brother.

"Besides," the older boy added. "Hamish is way older'n you and you're marrying him!"

"Oh dear Lord in Heaven!" John pulled Harry back further. "Will you two stop it? You're both too young to be worrying about marriage and such! You should be building snow forts and hunting rabbits! Boy things!" He gave Harry a shake and looked from him to Charles. "Now I want this to stop, hear me? I won't have my boys fighting over kisses and girls. Trust me, if you need more chores to keep you busy I can find more chores!"

Charles hung his head slightly. He still had an obstinate look on his face but he nodded. "Okay, Da."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oi!" Hamish shook Charles again. "Et's deffernt, an' dunchee talk ta Adelaide tha' wey neither."

Fenny had to chew her lip to keep from smiling when Little John told them they should be worrying about "boy things." It was true, never had she seen two boys more worried over marriage than these two at such a young age. She nodded, however, when John promised to find more chores for them.

"Aye, I dun thenk there's nuff wood cut yet fer th' nursreh," she added. "Et'd be a shame ta hafta go oot en thess mess ta start fellen trees an' cutten planks. Ye mind yer da an Hamish. An' me, fer tha' matter."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John nodded. "You boys go wash up for bed. I'm done talking to you tonight."

"But Da! I'm still eating!" Harry complained.

"No you're not." He gave the boys a stern look. "Off to bed with you both!" He released Harry's shirt and let the boy go. "Next time maybe you'll think about the consequences before you fight."

Adelaide smiled at Hamish. He had stood up for her, and that made him her hero ten times over. She slowly sat down next to Lady Morgan and waited for the boys to leave the table before resuming her dinner.

Charles waited for Hamish to release his collar and then quietly went to wash his hands and his face. He had to start controlling his impulses, he knew that much, but it was difficult to do that when Harry was such an easy target. It wasn't always that way, but Harry's obvious crush on Hildegarde was too sickening sweet to resist. Besides, that was what big brothers were for, wasn't it?

Once the boys had climbed up the stairs to the loft Little John looked over at Lady Morgan and Adelaide. "I'm sorry you had to see them act like that."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish let go of Charles but stayed standing at the ready in case he tried to do anything to Harry once he'd let go. He looked sternly at the lad and sincerely hoped that their talk had done at least some good.

"An' remember wha' we talked boot," he said as Charles climbed the ladder.

"Wha's tha' then?" Fenny asked, sighing as she sat. Hamish shook his head.

"Nothen. Jis' needed talken were all. Maken sure he dun make my mestakes."

Fenny nodded her understanding. They both had things they'd done that they wish they hadn't, that they didn't realize they wished they hadn't until they'd come here. They hadn't realized how unhealthy their life in Scotland had been, nor their roaming the country side. On Hamish's part she knew he wished he hadn't gotten into so many drunken brawls, owed so many people money...and right about now he was probably regretting Makenzie Donwald, too.

She had been his first, though he hadn't been hers--Hamish had afterwards made it a point to never take a girl's virginity--and at the tender age of thirteen he hadn't entirely grasped what exactly that sort of a thing meant. She was older than him, fifteen, but Hamish had always appeared and felt older than he was so it hadn't particularly mattered to her. He thought about her occasionally, though not in that regard but simply where she was and if she'd found a husband...or if she had gone to one of Scotland's few cities and wound up on a street corner somewhere. Hamish had found himself thinking about her today as he warned Charles against all of the mistakes he'd made and told Adelaide of the women he'd been with and had found that he did, indeed, regret it.

Adelaide shook her head when Little John apologized that they had to see that. "Boys vill be boys, Herr Schnell," she said, though was secretly glad Hamish had stood up for her. She smiled kindly.

"Aye, bu' et's wha' th' parents do when boys are boys as wha' decides th' sorta man they are," Fenny said solemnly, returning her hand to John's thigh once he sat back down.

[EvelynWillows]

They set out a bed for Adelaide near Lady Morgan's spot by the fire, and made sure that Harry and Charles were both tucked away safely in the loft. Little John took a moment to shake Hamish's hand before they went to bed. "It's good to know that you're here to back us up, Hamish. The boys are lucky to have you as an uncle."

Charles peeked over the edge of the loft and then rolled over to his spot of the floor.

"What's going on down there?" asked Harry.

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

"But you were looking. Something must be happening."

Charles looked at his little brother. "So you really like Hilde, huh?"

Harry blushed. "I don't fancy her neither!"

He chuckled. "Okay, Harry, but just so you know, I'm not going to give you a hard time anymore, okay? Promise."

After a few minutes of quiet Harry replied "Thanks."

"Hey, that's what brothers are for, right?"

Little John was looking forward to his own bed and his wife's embrace. It made him feel a bit guilty that they were the only ones in the house who could be in the arms of their beloved, but then again Fenny and John had waited a long time for the privilege. He made sure that every door was locked before retiring to the bedroom. "Hello, Frau Schnell. I bet you want to go straight to sleep tonight." He grinned and took her in his arms. "Unfortunately your bear needs a little honey before going to sleep."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish smiled and shrugged. "Weren't nothen. They're good lads, both o' 'em. Dun wanna see neither o' them take some o' th' paths I took. God bless th' broken road, hey?"

Once Fenny and John went up to check on the boys, Hamish turned to his sweetheart. He looked over at the curtain, behind which Morgan was already laying down, then kissed Adelaide's forehead.

"I er...I gotta go upstairs weth th' boys. Barrin's good nuff fer me, bu' they made me come enside fer th' wenner." He rolled his eyes as if he weren't grateful for the warmth.

He looked down at Adelaide's deep blue eyes, at the way the fire shining off of her long hair made it look like gold, and he wanted her then and there company be damned. But they would wait...they had to...he'd promised. He'd always known that a girl's virginity was supposed to be a gift, which was why even when he'd lost his own virginity he'd never taken a virgin. Hamish wanted his wedding night with Adelaide to be special...for both of them.

"So er...sweet dreams," he said softly, leaning in and kissing her goodnight gently.

Fenny pretended not to notice as they came down the ladder and saw Hamish kissing his sweetheart in their sitting room. Smiling, she wordlessly went into their bedroom and closed the door behind them, lighting a candle quickly and getting undressed for bed. She smiled at Little John as he took her in his arms when she was down to just an undershift.

"Oh? An' who said I jis' wan'ned ta go straight ta sleep, hey?" She grinned and nuzzled her face into his chest before looking up at him. "Papa Beer needs some honey, hmm? An' eh...where migh' he find tha', hey?" She pulled her husband down to kiss him and giggled a little against his lips. She liked the games they sometimes played, the euphemisms they used. It was playful and she liked playful. "Ich liebe dich," she whispered against his lips, using the German words he'd taught her for I love you.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide kissed Hamish back on the lips, still mouth closed, but wanting more. She watched him with shining eyes as he climbed up the ladder. Her body had a strange new ache to it; she could only guess that it was wanting to be with her Hamish and being more aware of what that all meant. With a sigh she went to lie down near the lady, who was already snoring softly.

Addy smiled to herself. Maybe by this time next year she'd be the one expecting a little baby. She put her hand on her stomach and thought of Hamish. Hopefully she'd have a chance to find out from Fenny what all the excitement and mystery was about sex. She'd hate to have Hamish laugh at her on their wedding night if she didn't know what to do.

Little John smiled down at Fenny's bright eyes. "I heard that pregnant women were always tired, and they never wanted visits from their papa bears." He snuggled his furry face into her neck and tickled her with his tongue until she laughed. "Ich liebe dich auch, mein Lieblings kuche." (I love you too, my little cake.) He chuckled and picked Fenny up and moved towards the bed. "And now, I'm going to hunt for some honey. Bzzz...." He pushed his nose against her chest and made buzzing noises with his mouth.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish climbed the ladder and pushed Harry over. They had agreed they'd take turns sleeping on the bed or the floor, and last night had been his turn on the floor; tomorrow would be Harry's. He sighed and rolled over onto his stomach, trying hard not to think about Adelaide. But it was difficult...she was nearly all he thought of anymore.

Fenny grinned and shook her head. "I heard tha', too. An' sometimes tha's true...bu' I also heard et makes 'em wan' et more." She bit her lip a little shyly. She giggled when Little John stuck his bearded face into her neck then outright laughed when he started intentionally tickling her and licking her. There was nothing sexier than a man who didn't take himself too seriously in the bedroom. It spoke of confidence.

"Cake," she chuckled as he picked her up. It wasn't the first time he'd called her his "lieblings kuche." "Awweys cake."

Fenny jerked forward a little as he made buzzing noises against her chest. She laughed and tried to squirm away, the vibrations tickling immensely. Running a hand through his hair she tried to gently tug him away so the tickling would stop, but it was no good. He was a very insistent bear.

"Ach! Woe es me I meerehed a honey beer," she lamented, laughing.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide tossed and turned in her bed. All she could think about was Hamish, only a few yards away from her. She stared up at the loft and wondered what he was doing up there. Was he laid out on the bed, his arms over his head as he slept? Did he hold his pillow? Did he ever do what she was doing and wish the pillow was her? She watched Lady Morgan sleeping soundly and envied her. At least she had lain with her lover once already, and would probably do so again.

She pulled the curtain aside a bit more so that she could look up at the loft. Adelaide trailed her fingers along the collar of her dress and thought about her kiss with Hamish. It was another of their chaste, closed mouth kisses, but she wanted so much more. She had seen lovers kiss before; their mouths open to each other, their lips moving about as if they were tasting each other. She moaned softly to herself. The summer seemed so far away!

"Cake and honey," Little John agreed. He loved to tickle her, but with a houseful of guests he knew that he'd better quit while they were ahead. "Maybe a little cream on the side." He laid her down gently on their bed. "I love you, Fenny Schnell. And I always will." He began to kiss her more gently, more passionately, as his hands worked to undo the fastens on her dress. He had been aching for her touch over the last three hours and wasn't about to let a little sleepiness take away their evening together.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish rolled over. It was no good, he couldn't not think about Adelaide. He punched his pillow into a lump and closed his eyes, but no. It only became her soft breasts he rested his head on. He laid on his side and curled his knees a little, but that was no good either, and in fact worse as he thought of several wicked things he'd done in that position that he'd love to do to her. Back to his stomach, only to imagine himself between creamy, quivering thighs...

But that moan wasn't imaginary. It was soft, almost inaudible, but definitely not imaginary and definitely coming from downstairs. Hamish knew there was a curtain up anyway, just for this purpose, but it didn't stop him from scooting up to the head of the bed and peeking between the railings down into the sitting room. There he saw Adelaide, trailing her fingers along the collar of her dress. She was seductive and probably didn't even know it; it only made him want her more and she didn't even know he was watching. She looked up to the loft only a few seconds later and he smiled at her.

"Mmm cream...I kinna wait fer Spreng," Fenny said with a smile as he laid her down gently on their bed. "I love you too, John Schnell, an' I awweys well."

Their kisses increased in passion as he worked to undo her dress and she to pull off his simple wool shirt and undo his trousers. Since he'd come home from the Schneiders she'd had a need to feel his skin against hers that was almost urgent. If she'd known what hormones were she'd have thought to think that the likely culprit of the sudden want...but as it was she didn't care about the reason. All she knew was that she wanted him and he was her husband so she could and would have him. She wasn't even worried about the cracks in the ceiling where the noise would rise up to the loft if they were loud enough; every time she'd made a mental note to put chinking in those cracks to stop it, but not this time. This time it was just her and John and no one and nothing else.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide smiled back at Hamish. It was good to know that he was having a difficult time getting to sleep too. From where she was lying she could look back and up to see him. She turned slightly to get a better view of him, not fully aware that doing so exposed her soft cleavage to his view. She mouthed 'I love you' up to him in the loft as her hands wrapped around her pillow and drew it under her head so she was better propped to look at him. If she couldn't hold him, at least she could watch him until she fell asleep.

She took a deep breath and sighed. Addy had never been so happy and so in love before in her life, and she imagined that she never would. Her mind could only imagine the types of wondrous things he could do with her; he had experience, and in a way that added to his appeal. She knew that he'd be well-versed in what they did after they got married, so her lack of knowledge wouldn't trip them up. She watched Hamish up there and wished she could even just hold his hand as they slept.

Once their clothes was off Little John had no hesitation in touching Fenny all over, drawing his hands across her skin and kissing her body in a lust-filled, passionate way. His mouth found her sweet spots and he was eager to feel her hands and mouth on him. His legs entwined around hers, rubbing along her calf and laying his responsive, hardened manhood across her upper thigh as they pet on each other. John's groans of need were almost guttural. He nearly growled with desire as his mouth drew her skin into his lips and left small bruises where he had kissed her.

He slipped a hand down between his wife's legs and found a warm, wet center of need pulsing there. It only made him ache harder for her to have this physical confirmation of the level of arousal Fenny had reached already.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish groaned inside when Adelaide turned, exposing her cleavage to him. He had to close his eyes and take several deep breaths as he felt his body react to her. He couldn't get aroused, not here sharing a room and bed with two young boys; it would look wrong and feel wrong and be wrong despite the reason being Adelaide. His Adelaide. He smiled when she mouthed at him and mouthed back I love you too.

He propped his pillow up with his arms under it and watched Adelaide watching him. He couldn't wait to have her, couldn't wait to call her his wife. Adelaide Balloch. It was the best name he'd ever heard in his life. He grinned stupidly down at her and reached out to wrap his fingers around one of the bars like an animal in a cage, though to him it was the closest he could get to holding her hand as they fell asleep.

Their clothes were finally off and Fenny's husband was all over her. His lips, his hands, his body...there wasn't a single part of them that didn't touch each other. She passionately, almost desperately kissed his neck and shoulders, splaying her hands out across his upper back. Slowly she slid her hands down his back and pressed her nails gently against his flesh, pulling them up again to his shoulders.

Her moan against John's skin was muffled as he slipped his hand between her legs and felt her. She moved her hips against his hand and bit his shoulder gently, moaning a little louder this time.

"Oh John," she gasped against his skin, moving her lips across his neck and chest. "John please..."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide wanted to reach up and stroke Hamish's fingers. She wanted to rest against his chest and feel his heart beat with hers. She sighed and murmured slightly in her sleepy state. The ache in her chest crept down to her loins as she watched Hamish above her. She wondered how it would have felt to have had his lips against hers as she fell asleep, and her small pink tongue darted out to wet her lips. She rolled her bottom lip through her teeth and groaned slightly. It was going to be a long night, and she doubted she would be able to sleep.

She'd have to try, though. She knew that it was important to Hamish that they make it to their wedding night. Oh...but how much she wanted him! Her eyes turned up to find him again, and she shifted again in the bed. There was not comfortable way to lie when what she wanted was to be in his arms.

"Ah, yes, I love your teeth, Fenny." He gasped as her fingernails raked across his skin and her teen left little indentations on him. He dipped his fingers into her honey pot, probing deeply with one until he felt the end of her swollen, slick tunnel. "Oh dear God," he groaned against her skin. He had to be inside of her. He needed her how. John adjusted his position, aware of the growing baby inside of her and not wanting to hurt it. He laid facing Fenny and drew one of her legs over his hip. Then he wove his top leg through hers, so that they were incredibly close but both on their sides. He pulled her leg higher with his hand and adjusted his hips until he was able to press himself up into her heat fully, drawing a gasp of pleasure from his lips.

Slowly, pulling her up with her leg and thrusting into her with his hips, he began to deeply plunge into her and build his mounting pleasure as he felt her body react to his. "Ah Fenny, I am the luckiest man on the earth. Oh dear God..."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish bit the inside of his lip as Adelaide's pink tongue darted out. He wanted that tongue on him, on his skin. She rolled her lips over her teeth and he wanted her teeth biting, scraping against his skin too. He heard a small groan and that was nearly his undoing. He took several slow, deep breaths and closed his eyes. Go to sleep Hamish, just...go to sleep.

But it was very difficult to keep his mind off of everything he wanted to do with Adelaide when the sounds of his sister's marriage going right kept floating up to him between the cracks. He wondered if Charles was still awake to hear and hoped that if he was he'd be wise enough not to open his eyes near one of those cracks. Granted, that was his sister down there...but that was Adelaide in the sitting room and the thought of making those sorts of sounds with her was the very opposite of repulsive.

Fenny gasped as John's fingers explored her. She bit her lip and slid her hip closer to his hand. She needed him, and now. He slid off of her and for a moment she thought something was wrong, but found that it was only so they could lay on their sides. She wondered why for a moment, but then realized he must have been thinking of how it would be for the baby. Fenny grinned at the thought and allowed herself to be pulled closer and her leg to be pulled over his hip.

She sighed in pleasure as they finally became one, at long last. It had felt like forever, though it had only been the night before. Fenny moaned against her husband's lips and slid her hands over his shoulders, gripping him both for leverage and for support. She grinned when he claimed to be the luckiest man on earth.

"N'more th' luckiest man..." gasp "than I am th' luckiest wemin." moan Her pleasure began to build as she gasped for breath in her husband's embrace.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide sighed. Maybe a drink of water would help? She quietly got out from under the covers and padded over to the kitchen. The moonlight glistened blue off the snow, and shined to highlight Adelaide's form through her chemise as she stood near the window and poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher. She turned to the side as she leaned a hand against the counter and lifted her hand to drink the water. The soft material of her under dress draped alluringly across the curves of her body, revealing more than it was supposed to hide.

Once she was done she rinsed off the cup and set it down before turning to return to bed. Her eyes unconsciously looked up, wondering if her love had fallen asleep yet. Undoubtedly he was having an easier night of it, at least from what she could see.

Little John's gasps came in rhythm to his movements into Fenny. Each stroke seemed to draw some sound of pleasure from his lips as the grew closer and closer to his fulfillment. He waited until he could feel her own twitching, orgasmic response before he let himself succumb and simply float in the twitching release of completion. He groaned against her neck as each drop was pulled from his body almost painfully. "Ohhh...Gah!" He clenched his teeth and growled into her hair. Then, panting, he laid next to her, still inside her but reluctant to pull away quite yet. "You...are amazing." he drew in a deep, shuddering breath and then sighed in pleasure.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish frowned as he watched Adelaide get up and pad across the floor. He heard her going under the overpass and quietly got out of bed and picked his way around Charles to the other side of the loft, the side that looked out over the kitchen. He watched her get a glass of water and groaned as the moonlight shone through her soft chemise, revealing her slim figure. It was everything he'd imagined it to be. As she rinsed the cup he sat on the floor of the loft near the ladder; he'd avoid using it to make less noise.

She had just turned when he landed softly on the kitchen floor next to the ladder. Crossing the kitchen in three steps Hamish wrapped his arms around Adelaide's waist and kissed her deeply and passionately. Every second of the kiss said something different. I love you. I want you. I need you. Be mine forever.

Fenny let her head fall back as she moved as one with her husband, gasping for breath. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and moaned his name, long and low, as she fell into the oblivion of release. It was only shortly thereafter she felt her husband reach his own completion and curled her body into his, gasping and groaning and pulling his hips against hers. She shuddered as he growled next to her ear and couldn't help but grin.

"I'm amazen?" she panted, laying next to him with her leg still over his hip. "All tha'...weren't my idears..." She laughed a little and sighed in contentment. "Wha's thess...thess ah...growlen all 'boot...hey? I mean...I like et...wha's et all 'boot?" Her words were light and breathy in between gasps for air.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide let out a soft gasp and then her eyes lit up as she realized that it was Hamish coming towards her. She melted into his embrace and his kiss. The feel of him as her lips parted was electrical. She ran her hands along his scalp and across his shoulders, pulling him closer as she experienced her first full kiss.

She pressed her body against his as the kiss lasted longer, and she could feel that familiar needful ache run through her loins and breasts. His arms felt right to her; like home and happiness. Adelaide quickly learned how to touch him with her tongue and pull on his lips with hers as their kiss lingered. It was all they had at the time, but it was wondrous. Hamish's kiss made Addy feel light-headed and like everything in the world was perfect.

Little John chuckled lightly at Fenny's question. He was gasping for breath as well, and he started to answer her when an involuntary twitch made him clutch at her and let that last release empty itself. "I, ah, well, I was thinking like a bear," He laughed softly. "And you just made the perfect honey pot for me to make mine." He smiled at her through his longish bangs. He had never quite let his hair grown that long before around her. "I suppose you brought out the beast in me, eh?" He smiled and kissed her flushed lips softly. "It's a good think you're already pregnant Frau Schnell. I gave you enough seed to plant a hundred acres I reckon."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish groaned slightly as Adelaide pressed herself against him. She was trapped between him and the counter and he would have taken her there if he could have...but no. They had to force themselves to wait. Still his need pressed against her and he hoped she wouldn't take that as any sort of pressure to be with him. The entire world had stopped and all there was, all there ever had been, was him and her and that kiss.

"I jis'...I hadta do tha'," he panted softly, whispering lest he wake anyone else up after the kiss had finally ended. He leaned his forehead against hers and looked her in the eye. "Afore I wen' crazy jis' thenken boot et. So...I'm sorreh, ef ye weren' readeh fer et."

Fenny gasped as one last twitch ran through Little John's body and into hers. She grinned and kissed his neck as he explained himself, giggling at the idea.

"Well, I like thess beast en ye," she said softly, grinning. "Et suits ye." She made a small noise of contentment against his lips as he kissed her, then chuckled as he talked about having given her so much seed. "Aye, a good theng endeed. Ef I weren' afore I am noo." She laughed lightly and kissed his chest. "Guess noo we ken as hoo et happened, hey?"

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide smiled softly at Hamish and whispered back to him "I loved it." She drew her hand to his neck, cupping him softly as she leaned her lips closer to his and brushed against them. Her tongue slid out and traced the edge of his lips gently, cautiously, as she asked him for another. Even as she kissed him she could feel hardness pushing against her stomach and hip. Her free hand moved down to where whatever it was, was, to explore what her love might have been carrying around with him that would poke a her still.

As her hand brushed across him her eyes widened. "Is that... is that big thing you?!" She felt a near-panic rise up in her, not at the thought that he'd want her right now, but at the thought that such a thick thing was supposed to go inside of her on their wedding night.

Little John nodded and smiled. Eventually he reached for a small towel to wipe themselves off with before going to sleep in each others arms. With any luck Fenny would be feeling frisky again in the morning. John was quite grateful at her wonderful, enthusiastic appetite. It made play time between them something that he always looked forward to.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish grinned. She loved it...he hadn't frightened her. Her tongue caressed his lips again and he obliged, covering her mouth with his and sliding his tongue between her lips, pressing his body against hers. He cupped her face and kissed her more passionately but breathed in sharply when her free hand slid down and strayed across him. His eyes went wide and he tried to break away softly so as not to discourage her in the future, but he needed to breathe. And he needed her to not touch him like that or he might not be able to wait anymore.

"Is that...is that big thing you?!"

Hamish smiled, almost embarrassed, and looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. She really didn't know anything about a man, did she? Well...he would have a lot of fun teaching her.

"Aye...sorry boot tha'," he whispered back, flushing a little. "Kinna help et Addy...I jis' love ye s'mich. An' I wan' ye s'badleh."

Fenny took the towel gratefully when Little John handed it to her. "I thenk tomorrah's gonna be a linens dey," she commented with a giggle. Once or twice a week she would strip all the dirty linens they had and wash them in the stream. "Mmm me beer," she said with a contented smile as she snuggled down and closed her eyes to fall asleep.

[EvelynWillows]

"I love you too. I can't wait for us to be married." She whispered, breathless. Adelaide leaned forward to kiss him again. Now that she had tasted the wonderful thrill and completeness in his kiss she wasn't sure she could stop. She didn't want to stop. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, in the world better than kisses, she was certain of it.

"But... I've hugged you before an' you never had anything like that on you. Where'd it come from?" She looked at him with her wide, trusting eyes and seemed to be wondering if he had some kind of a magic trick he never told her about. True, it was a little shocking to think that he wasn't exactly like she was, although she knew that men and women were made 'different', other than breasts and some vague idea that they could pee standing up, she had no idea what 'different' was.

Little John was almost too content to bother with wiping off, but once they were both more presentable he cuddled Fenny against his chest and smiled peacefully. He was completely, utterly happy. He wanted nothing else in his life at the moment, except to sleep with his wife, and almost as soon as the towel hit the floor next to the bed he was asleep.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish smiled into Adelaide's kiss. He couldn't wait to be married either, to be able to be with her completely and have no worries about anything except his land. And children. Maybe.

Adelaide asked where exactly "that" had come from and Hamish flushed. Did she really know so little?? Dear merciful Heaven Fenny needed to have a talk with this girl. He cleared his throat as he searched for an answer.

"Well er...ye ken as hoo a man's belt, aye? An' eh...well, s'what happens when we ge'...excited roond a beautiful wemin sich's yerself." He smiled nervously and kissed her again. "S'hoo I were made ta fet ye."

Fenny snuggled into Little John's chest as he pulled her against him and grinned. The nausea that stayed with her all day usually seemed to go away some time around supper, which she was glad for. She just suspected her husband would be in for a disappointment in the morning if he had anything naughty in mind. He passed out before she did and she smiled at the deep, even rise and fall of his chest, though she didn't follow very far behind.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide gave Hamish a blank look when he offered his explanation and gave her a kiss. She tried to smile at him, and Lord knew she wanted another one of those wonderful kisses!~ but she couldn't figure out what exactly he meant. "Fit me where exactly?" She shook her head. "No... I love you Hamish, but if that huge thing is supposed ta fit me anywhere to make a baby it's not happening! We'll have to adopt."

She lowered her voice and looked around to make sure that no one had heard her. "But you can kiss me again if you'd like. Please?" She smiled sweetly and moved closer into his embrace. That first kiss was the nicest thing she had ever experienced up to that point, and each kiss afterwards seemed only to get that much better.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish tried very hard not to laugh. "Well try et ferst, love," he said quietly, leaning his forehead against hers and kissing her nose. "Ye ne'er ken. Er at least talk ta Fenny boot et afore ye go veseten any orphanages." He'd make Fenny be the one to explain to her how men were put together and how it was supposed to feel good. Right now he just wanted to kiss her.

Hamish smiled when she gave him permission to kiss her again. He obliged happily, sliding his tongue between her lips and flicking it across the roof of her mouth lightly. This time he adjusted himself and pressed his need gently against her sex. Perhaps if he could get her used to the idea of it, she wouldn't be so scared come their wedding night. But he didn't want to scare her now, either, so he wouldn't push if she objected.

[EvelynWillows]

She smiled brightly as he moved closer and kissed her. His mouth fit hers perfectly, and the feel of his tongue and heat met hers and made her head swim. Then she felt him moving closer, and the warm, hard length of him melded intimately against her body. Adelaide felt a new stirring inside of her, as if parts of her instinctively knew that parts of him were calling out. She moaned softly into his kiss and pressed her hips against his as her arms snaked around his waist.

This was nice. She could get used to this.

Her leg pressed between his as she tried to get closer to him. Indeed, the only thing separating her from the cool night air was a thin layer of muslin. Her breasts tingled when they brushed Hamish's chest. Before it had only been the cold that had made her nipples harden under her clothes. Now it was her love's kiss that made her body intensify.

Adelaide panted softly once the kiss was broken. "Wow, is that how it is then?" She blinked up at him in amazement. "And does it get better... you know, when we come together?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish groaned then remembered the people present in the house and lowered his voice. He made a soft noise against Adelaide's lips as she pressed her leg between his, trying to get closer. His wearing a kilt and her a dress made for an awful lot of convenience....No. They had to wait. It was like...teasing. Only long-term. He had a hard time breathing as he felt her arms slide around his waist and slid his own hands from her back down to her rear, pulling her sharply closer.

Finally the kiss ended and he looked at her in amazement. He'd never, ever been with a girl before who could make him feel the way he had just then. Hamish panted a little and smiled when she asked if that's what it was like.

"Aye, a bet," he said softly, nodding. "'Cept et's more fun wethoot yer clothes, y'ken?" He chuckled softly then nodded again. "Aye, et gets so mich bedder, trust me Addy. Et er...et may hert a' ferst. O'vviousleh I dunno ferst-hand, bu' s'wha' I heard. Bu' jis' th' ferst time, an' I'll be gennle an' slow's possible, I promess." He kissed her gently, pulling her against him again. This had been a mistake; now he wouldn't be able to go without her touch, without holding her body against him. It was an amazing high, this being in love.

[EvelynWillows]

"I do trust you, Hamish." Adelaide moved her legs slightly, brushing against his hardened manhood as she pulled herself closer to kiss him again. One hand pulled him closer, the other slid around his waist and then began to move down his stomach. Each kiss had made her bolder and more curious about this man who she loved. As her fingertips fluttered against his flesh she also pressed her mouth harder against his, her kisses growing more urgent.

She broke the kiss but left her lips hovering near his as she searched his eyes. "I want you, Hamish. I want to be yours completely." Her breath came in soft pants, causing her chest to heave and thrust her breasts against him. Her pupils were as dilated as if she had been drinking wine, but tonight all she had been drunk on was her love for her Scotsman.

- - - Updated - - -

"I do trust you, Hamish." Adelaide moved her legs slightly, brushing against his hardened manhood as she pulled herself closer to kiss him again. One hand pulled him closer, the other slid around his waist and then began to move down his stomach. Each kiss had made her bolder and more curious about this man who she loved. As her fingertips fluttered against his flesh she also pressed her mouth harder against his, her kisses growing more urgent.

She broke the kiss but left her lips hovering near his as she searched his eyes. "I want you, Hamish. I want to be yours completely." Her breath came in soft pants, causing her chest to heave and thrust her breasts against him. Her pupils were as dilated as if she had been drinking wine, but tonight all she had been drunk on was her love for her Scotsman.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish's body ached for her as she kissed him back. With a thrill of excitement he felt her hand sliding down his stomach and even a kilt was starting to feel tight. He groaned against her and put his hands on either side of her onto the counter behind her.

"Oh God, Addy, I..." He shook his head and kissed her hard again. "We er...we gotta stop...afore et..." He interrupted himself with another passionate kiss. Adelaide had told him she wanted to be his completely, and God knew he wanted it too. But still, John's little sermon about shoes had stuck in his head pretty hard. There had to be some sort of compromise...

There was. Oh, he was going to Hell for even thinking this in regards to such a good, pure girl as Adelaide Schneider. But it was better than taking her virginity.

"Addy...we can't. Bu'...I ken sommat we could do. I jis'...I wan' et ta be special, fer both of us. An' I dun wanchee ta have aneh regrets...ef ye change yer mind."

Hamish looked down for the briefest of moments before kissing his sweetheart again. Slowly his kisses traveled down her jaw and to her neck. He kissed across her collarbone and pushed her shift aside only a little to leave a small hickey where it wouldn't be seen. Smiling a little he kissed his way back to her neck and groaned softly into her flesh.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide sighed happily when Hamish left kisses down her neck. She moaned softly and ran her hands down his body, feeling the pull of his mouth on her skin and wanting nothing more than to have more of him touching more of her. Gradually her hands crept across his kilt and she palmed the thick circumference of his shaft in her hands, feeling the pulsing of his heartbeat there almost as strongly as in his chest.

"What... what can we do, Hamish?" She lifted her eyes to his and leaned closer even as she explored the strange hardness under his clothing. She had seen some of the animals breeding in the field and was beginning to wonder if men had a place in their bodies where the slick, pink hardness came out of like the animals did. If so, why was it laying so flat against his belly? Shouldn't it be hanging towards the floor?

She began to get bolder and was running her leg against his. Her body ached in horrible ways that she had never imagined, and she knew that Hamish knew how to make everything feel better. "I'm not going to change my mind about you, Hamish. I love you. I don't want anyone else but you." Her shift had slid off one shoulder, exposing the top of one curved, creamy breast. Adelaide's eyes were full of lustful want. She had tasted a bit of passion in their shared kisses, and now, in the warmth of this little cottage, she needed to feel the rest of what that promised to deliver.

The puppy wuffed in his sleep and his feet twitched like he was dreaming of chasing rabbits, but other than that and the sound of burning wood in the metal stove the only sounds were their labored breathing in the kitchen. "Teach me..." Adelaide begged as her lips touched Hamish's again.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish gasped almost loudly as Adelaide's hand slid downward to his need. Her touch was innocent and curious and it took everything he had not to lay her on her back on the kitchen table. Breathing heavily, he swallowed hard and shook his head, trying to clear his mind enough to think. She was making it very har--difficult with her begging him to teach her what they could do to each other.

Chance made a quiet noise and Hamish nearly jumped out of his skin. He had forgotten that they were in a house full of people, most of whom if not all could hear them. Licking his lips he looked around. There was nothing for it. Kissing Adelaide again he pulled away from her and had to wait a few moments to calm down enough to be able to walk.

"Here," he said quietly, crossing to the pegs near the kitchen door and handing her her coat. He slipped on his shoes and waited for her to get hers on before guiding her out the door.

Wordlessly, Hamish picked his love up bridal style and carried her across the snow. She was surprisingly light, even with the heavy coat, and he had no trouble carrying her the entire way. Once they'd reached the barn he set her down gently and led her up the ladder to the hay loft. The cold had gone a ways toward remedying Hamish's walking problem, though he was sure it would become a problem again very soon.

The Scot looked at his bride-to-be as if wondering where to start. What would she be comfortable with? What wouldn't compromise her honor as much? But most importantly, what did she deserve? Hamish had spent his entire life taking from women. Granted, they'd usually done their fair share of taking during the course of a night, too. But he didn't want to take from Adelaide. She deserved so much more than that. Hamish decided that he was going to give.

"Are ye sure thess es whachee wan', Addy?" he asked, leaning over her. "Coz ye kin sey no er stop at aneh time an' I sweer tha'll be th' end o' et, I wun push n' further. I jis'...I wanchee ta be sure."

When he'd received confirmation, Hamish leaned in and kissed his love. It started tender at first, but passion quickly built. Gently he pushed her thighs apart with his hands and settled himself between her legs as his kisses moved down to her throat, then shoulder, then breasts. The top of her shift was pulled down and Hamish gently sucked first on one nipple, then the other, making sure to give the free breast plenty of attention with his fingers in the meantime. He could have bitten, just lightly...but she probably wasn't ready for that just yet.

From her breasts he kissed over her clothed stomach, though clothed was a very loose term. He smiled up at her as he teased her bellybutton with his tongue, trying to tickle her playfully. Grinning, he slid further down Adelaide's body and kissed her hips first through the shift. Then he slid the thin muslin up over her hips and he pressed his lips to her bare flesh, groaning softly at the feel of her under him.

Very slowly, very gently, Hamish pressed kisses across Adelaide's hips, then down to her thighs and he worked his way inward. Lastly he kissed the inner part of Adelaide's thigh where her leg met her pelvis and smiled gently before blowing cool air onto her warm, wet center.

"Are ye sure?" he asked one last time, looking up at his love and making sure to keep his hands and mouth away so it wouldn't influence her in any way.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide shivered when she realized that Hamish was going to take her outside the house. She giggled against his chest as he picked her up and carried her across the snow. She looked at his face, outlined in the winter moonlight, and wondered how she had managed to get such a wonderful man as her betrothed. She lightly traced the curve of his jaw with her fingertips as they crossed to the barn. She didn't even feel the cold on her bare legs.

She followed him up the stairs and was disappointed that the dark hid what was under his kilt. She finished the climb and found herself in his bed loft. Adelaide felt very daring and very, very aroused when she saw his old sleeping area. She felt him leaning over her as he asked her if she was sure and she nodded at him in the dark. Then she added in a small voice "I want to be with you, Hamish. I love you."

She softly moaned into his kiss and returned the passion in his touch. Her hands moved over his body, and she gasped when he pushed her legs apart. Her thighs trembled as he settled between them, but she wasn't cold. She was excited and scared. Adelaide gasped and then gave a low, shuddering moan as Hamish's lips moved over her body. When his mouth met her nipple for the first time she cried out softly "Oh God!" but her hands ran through his hair and pulled his head closer. Her legs moved alongside his body, raking up and down and then finally hooking around his hips and legs. She shuddered hard when his fingers rolled her hardened nipples between them. "Hamish... oh God Hamish, that feels... oh...."

Adelaide laughed and groaned as he moved further and further down her body. Her hands grabbed at his shoulders and then his hair, wanting to feel every bit of him. "What are you doing?" She asked, trying to raise her head up to look down at him. "Oh, ohhhh," She threw her head back and shivered at his kisses. She knew that she should be doing something for him too, but she couldn't reach him. Plus, with what he was doing she was having a difficult time thinking straight.

Hamish blew on her sex and she nearly squealed. She tried to bring her knees apart to shut out the overwhelming feelings that she was feeling.

"Are ye sure?" asked Hamish.

"Oh yes, yes I'm sure." She raised her head to look at him. Her expression was one of passion and emotion; consequences be damned. She was in the throes of lust and need; there was no stopping for her.

The door to the cabin closed and Chance barked in the night as he bounded out of the house. Footsteps moved across the snow, the schlush-schlush sound loud in the quiet of the night. Chance barked again and sounded like he was moving across the field towards the garden.

The barn door opened and shut. In the silence, Charles' voice reached out. "Uncle Hamish? Are you out here?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish had grinned at all of Adelaide's reactions to his touches and his kisses. He ached to be inside her, but found that strangely enough it made him happy just listening to how he made her feel. Addy answered him, yes she was sure, and he nodded slowly.

Sliding her knees over his shoulders, Hamish kissed the inside of Adelaide's thigh once more before spreading her soft petals with his fingers. Slowly he brought his lips to her, kissing her delicately before sliding his tongue along her fully. In the background was the cabin door closing and the sound of Chance running out over the snow; pup probably just needed letting out. He wasn't concerned. Hamish's tongue was just beginning to probe his love's tight entrance when the barn door opened then shut.

Quickly, as though acting on instinct, Hamish covered Adelaide's mouth and put a finger to his lips. His face fell when Charles's voice rang out, asking if he was there. Sighing, he hung his head. Better to go meet the boy than to stay quiet and let him wander up the ladder and find him there with Adelaide. All it would take would be him innocently mentioning it to the wrong person and she would never be able to show her face in public again whether she married him or not. That was the last thing he wanted for his beautiful fiancee. Sliding back up her body, he whispered lightly in her ear.

"Be right back." He kissed her temple then slid to the top of the ladder. "Aye lad. Jis' coulna sleep, came oot here ta thenk's all. Go back ta bed, hey? No need ta worreh."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide had to bite her fist when Hamish touched her innermost sensual areas. Her thigh seemed to shake of its own accord and her throat vibrated with her mewing and moans. She wriggled against his touch as the hunger in her loins seemed to take on a mind of their own.

She was surprised when her lover covered her mouth. In her passion she hadn't noticed the sounds outside of the barn, and barely even registered Charles' voice when he called out for Hamish.

Charles looked up at the hay loft in time to see the outline of Hamish's head poke over the side. "Aye lad. Jis' coulna sleep, came oot here ta thenk's all. Go back ta bed, hey? No need ta worreh."

"I wasn't worried about you," Charles amended. "It's just that I noticed that Adelaide's not in her bed. I thought maybe Will Scarlet might have come by and decided to deflower another of the girls, but then I remembered that you said that he was a decent fellow." His eyes shone bright as he looked up at his uncle. "It's a good thing you're here, huh?" He shook his head and backed towards the door. "I'm going to get Chance. You finish your thinking up there. I'm sure it won't take too long." He moved out of the barn and left to go after the dog.

Adelaide reached out and caressed Hamish's thigh. "Love," she whispered, squeezing him gently near where his leg met his torso. "Come on, we have the whole night to finish our lesson," she giggled.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish watched the lad go. Had he known? Was that bit about calling him a decent fellow supposed to have kept him in check? He sighed...they shouldn't be doing this.

Adelaide wasn't making it any easier. He groaned when her hand rested on his thigh and clenched a fistful of hay. This was going to be...very difficult. Hamish didn't like being good sometimes. And even at that, he wasn't even sure this was all bad. Sighing, he turned to his love.

"Addy...love..." Hamish kissed her lips then her cheek. "I...I ne'er shoulda come doon from th' loft," he admitted before leaving a very small, soft kiss on her neck and looking at her. "He called me a decent fella, Charlie. An' a decent fella woulna do thess ta ye; no' en a hay loft en th' meddle o' th' nigh'. Et should be en a bed, our bed, aneh time we wan' coz we're marrehed proper." He would be kicking himself for this in the morning and half-hoped Adelaide stopped him.

"An' ef we kep at et thess wey, well...I go' a purdy good idear hoo th' nigh'd end, an' tha's no' hoo ye wan' et ta be. I thenk..." Hamish sighed then took a deep breath. "I thenk we should go back enside, love, an' ge' some sleep."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide frowned at Hamish. "What are you saying? Don't you want to be with me? We're as good as married; all we need to do is say the words. We don't have to wait for a house." She searched his eyes even as her hands found his body and she tried to pull him closer. She kissed his cheek and the corner of his mouth, drawing her small tongue across his lips.

"But Hamish... he's just a boy. Please, I don't to stop now. This is magical. I never thought that it could feel like this." She smiled up at him. "There's plenty of time to sleep later, Hamish. Right now will never be back again. "This was my first real kiss, and the first time I've been touched by a man." She slid her hands down, trying to brush the hardness he kept hidden under his kilt. "It could be a time of many, many firsts."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"No, Addy, o'course I wanna be wi'ye!" How had this gotten so out of control? Hamish breathed in sharply as her hands slid over him and then to his kilt. Why was she making it so difficult?! He sighed and took her hands gently in his, looking her in the eye.

"Aye, we dun hafta wait fer a hoose," he said quietly, "an' aye, et could be a nigh' o' many fersts fer ye. Ye'd get no complaint from me. Bu' Addy, ye deserve a hoose. Hell, ye deserve a palace! I'd gev ye th' moon ef ye asked fer et. I'll start measuren noo hoo high ta jump ef ye wan'. Bu' love...ye wanna be like Lady Morgan?" Hamish looked at her seriously. "She's a bonny lass, loveleh when she en't bein'...noble. Bu' she denna wait weth Well an' had a tumble en a derty checken coop an' woond up en a bad wey. An' I gotta ask meself, ef my wife deserves a palace, wha' makes a place like thess," he gestured to the loft, "good 'nuff fer 'er, hey?"

It sounded sort-of like something Little John would say. Sort of. John was better at it, but Hamish couldn't exactly make Adelaide wait, go up wake John, wait for him to get pants on, explain everything, then bring him out here to talk to the eager young girl. Hamish knew, just knew, he'd be kicking himself in the morning.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide's eyes filled with tears as she listened to Hamish's words. He said that he still wanted her, and his words made sense, but her heart felt like he was rejecting her. She nodded and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"You're right Hamish. You're right. I just... I just want to be with you so much, and the way you made me feel..." she blushed and the hairs on her arms raised up at the memory. She squeezed his hands back. "You're always protecting me, my love, even from myself, ja? I know tomorrow I'll be glad we waited, but tonight it's verrah hard to not beg you to keep touchin' me like you were doing." She leaned forward and kissed him briefly.

"Let's go back then, and when this snow melts we'll start working on that house."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish saw the hurt in his sweetheart's eyes and his heart broke for her. He didn't want her to feel like he didn't want her; he absolutely did. He just couldn't let her do this, not now. Not like this.

"I'm sorreh, Addy," he said quietly, kissing her forehead. "An' I'm sorreh fer putten ye en thess posesshin. Coz et'd be vurrah easy ta letchee talk me enta et, too. I weren't havin' a bad time o' et, b'leeve me." He smiled a little. "Et jis'...et dun feel righ'. An ye deserve fer et ta be righ' th' ferst time."

Hamish pulled his love into a strong hug, wrapping his arms around her and burying his nose in her hair. He loved the smell of her hair. He only hoped that this wouldn't put any sort of distance between them.

"I love ye more'n anehthen en th' werrild, Adelaide Balloch," he whispered in her ear, turning pink. He'd finally said aloud the name he'd tried in his head a hundred times or more and it sounded perfect. It sounded more than perfect. It sounded like Schneider had been the wrong name all along and it was being corrected only just now...he only hoped she felt the same way.

"Noo c'mon," he said, pulling gently away and holding a hand out to her. "Le's ge' warrim an' try ta sleep a le'l, hey?"

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide melted into Hamish's embrace and buried her face into his chest. She loved him dearly, and she was slightly embarrassed for nearly begging him to take her virginity in that hay loft. He was right; it didn't feel right, but it certainly felt good.

She stifled a laugh of happiness when she heard him say Adelaide Balloch. She looked up at him and smiled, really smiled as she basked in the knowledge that he wanted her to be his wife. "I love you more than anything too, Hamish. And when we're finally husband and wife I expect to have another go at learning those wonderful things you were going to teach me, ja?" She laced her arm though his and walked bare-footed towards the barn door.

The snow outside was still falling (http://s3.amazonaws.com/picable/2009/08/29/1305721_snow-falling-at-night_620.jpg) soft and steady. The distant sound of someone's dog barking seemed muffled, as if it was coming from behind a wall of thick blankets. The warm, piney smell of the fire in the cabin was a welcome invitation to get in out of the cold. Adelaide leaned against Hamish for warmth and shivered.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish chuckled when Adelaide mentioned that she fully expected him to continue teaching her when they were finally married. "Aye liebchen." He kissed her forehead affectionately. The Scot, always a Scot, never used the German that had sneaked into his sister's vocabulary; he was too proud of his own heritage for that. But the common pet name he'd heard in nearly every household here felt right just at that moment, if not strange on his tongue. "Course I'll teach ya. All tha' an' more, pet, I promess."

At the barn door Hamish scolded Adelaide gently for trying to walk out into the snow barefoot. He and Fenny had gone too many winters without shoes to allow his love to do the same thing voluntarily. Putting an arm behind her knees he swept her up and carried her bridal style, playfully humming the wedding march as he stepped over the threshold of the barn as if stepping into their new home with her. Careful not to drop her he sludged through the steadily falling snow and tried to kick his boots as gently as possible against the wall to get the snow off without waking anyone.

Once inside Hamish set his lover down on the warm(er), dry wooden flooring while remaining on the stone section to take off his shoes. Stepping over the cold puddle created by snow melting off of everyone's shoes over the course of the day he took Adelaide into his arms and kissed her lovingly.

"Noo go ta sleep, hey?" he whispered with a smile. "Wun do ta have us both dozin' an' folk won'nerin' wha' we go' up ta."

[EvelynWillows]

He was every bit her knight in shining armor. Adelaide rested her head against his chest as he carried her to the cabin She imagined that it would be wonderful to sleep in his arms, hearing his heartbeat, and knowing that he was hers and hers alone. She huddled in the cabin, her toes curling to grab on to the imagined heat of the wooden floor as Hamish took off his boots. She remembered how she had compared their shoes earlier in the day and noticed how big his shoes were next to hers. Other parts of him were plenty big too; and her memory of that made her blush. She hadn't been able to do much more than feel him through the kilt, though, and her curiosity still burned hot in her flesh.

Adelaide smiled into his kiss and returned his hug warmly. "Good night, Love." She whispered. Quietly she tip-toed across the room and slid into her warm blankets next to the sleeping Lady Morgan. She felt a pang of guilt as she glanced at the lady. They had been in similar situations; Lady Morgan in a chicken coop and Adelaide in a hay loft. The only difference had been that Hamish had stopped them from going too far.

What would Lady Morgan be doing differently if Will Scarlet had also had the same amount of self control? Adelaide felt her eyes water as she thought about the other woman They weren't so different in age, maybe a year or two off. Addy tucked her fists under her chin and tried to let sleep take her.

Up on the loft the mounds of blankets were in disarray. Harry's head poked out from under the mass of cloths and quilts, and it was difficult to tell where boy or blanket left off.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"G'nigh'," Hamish whispered, smiling and stealing one last kiss before she turned to tiptoe back into the sitting room.

He tried to climb the loft with as little squeaking from the ladder as possible. Looking at Harry on the bed, he smiled and shook his head before yawning. The the emotional exhaustion of the day and physical happenings in the night had left him drained of energy. He staggered over to the bed and shimmied in.

"Oi, hetch o'er boyo," he whispered hoarsely, nudging the kid over but trying not to wake him. Hamish laid on his side and looked at the pile of blankets on the floor next to him, unable to even see Charles's head. Surely he still had to be awake, since he'd only left the barn a few minutes before Hamish and Adelaide.

"Charlie," he whispered, sliding his foot from under the covers to poke the boy with his toe. "Wha' were ye doen oot theer, anehwey?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"G'nigh'," Hamish whispered, smiling and stealing one last kiss before she turned to tiptoe back into the sitting room.

He tried to climb the loft with as little squeaking from the ladder as possible. Looking at Harry on the bed, he smiled and shook his head before yawning. The the emotional exhaustion of the day and physical happenings in the night had left him drained of energy. He staggered over to the bed and shimmied in.

"Oi, hetch o'er boyo," he whispered hoarsely, nudging the kid over but trying not to wake him. Hamish laid on his side and looked at the pile of blankets on the floor next to him, unable to even see Charles's head. Surely he still had to be awake, since he'd only left the barn a few minutes before Hamish and Adelaide.

"Charlie," he whispered, sliding his foot from under the covers to poke the boy with his toe. "Wha' were ye doen oot theer, anehwey?"

[EvelynWillows]

Harry sighed in his sleep and rolled over. "Chance... ssssiiiiiitttttt." He frowned slightly and then relaxed again into his dream. His light brown hair had gotten tosseled in his sleep and was sticking up in embarrassing angles.

Hamish's toe found only more blankets in the loft. Charles wasn't in his bed. His pillow still had the indent on it where the boy's head had laid.

Snow slid off the roof in a loud 'shuuuushhh!' and fell to the ground outside. It was thick out there, probably twelve or fourteen inches, and the snow seemed like it would keep falling through the next day. The weather hadn't broken enough for icicles to form yet, but it was definitely going to be a white Christmas.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish's toe found nothing but squashy blankets and he frowned. Sitting up, he peered at the floor through the dark and saw that the boy wasn't there. When Charles had interrupted him and Adelaide he'd thought the lad had only taken Chance out to go pee. A dog would be done by now.

Getting up, Hamish padded across the floor and carefully went down the ladder. He wouldn't wake Fenny and John just yet; it could just be that Charles had needed to get out of the house for a bit. But the memory of a dog barking far away concerned him. He pulled on his boots and stepped outside into the cold. Standing on the porch, he had to look closely to find the lad's quickly disappearing footprints.

"Charlie!" he called out, stepping out into the deep snow and following the tracks, ignoring the ones that led to and then away from the barn. "Ye gotta come back en noo boyo! Et's th' meddle o' th' nigh' en a blezzerd, ef ye hanna notessed!" Hamish strained to listen over the howling wind, still following the footprints as his concern grew to a slow, steady fear.

[EvelynWillows]

The snow continued to fall, but far-off, across the fields and towards the stream, the bark of a dog could be heard. It was bitter cold, though, and Hamish knew that if he wasn't prepared for it he'd wind up victim to the winter storm himself. Though the snow was heavy, the near-full moon cast a blue glow across the snow and lit up the world in a monochromatic wonderland.

Through the sharp chill the soft, beckoning smell of fireplaces warming cottages could be smelled. The snow was heavy enough that even the rabbits had stayed in their little tunnels all snug and curled up in their furry clusters. Only a fool would go out on a night like this. Or a child chasing a dog.

The Schnell's cabin door opened and Adelaide peeked her head out. "Hamish? Is something wrong?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish heard the bark off in the distance and turned his head, listening closely. They were off in the direction of the stream. The stream! If it was iced over Charles could easily fall in, or even if he weren't the slippery ground near it could be his undoing. Hamish had to suppress a thrill of fear in his chest. Dear God please don't take more family from him, especially not a child. He wasn't sure he could handle a child.

The Scot spun around at a voice from the cottage. His breath began again when he saw his sweetheart. Shaking his head, Hamish made a motion indicating she should go back inside.

"S'arrigh' Addy. Charlie wandered off enta th' snow, after tha' damned dog I fegger. Ef Fen wakes up, let 'er ken wheres I am an' tha' I'll be back." He climbed the front steps of the porch and kissed his lover sweetly. "I'll be back."

[EvelynWillows]

The snow was high and cold, washing over the tops of Hamish's boots and chilling his calves. Occasionally the sound of Chance barking would seem to drift in the wind, but overall it seemed to come from the direction of the stream towards the Schneider's house. As Hamish got closer he could see the curve of the stream bank. Most of the water had frozen over and snow was creeping across the banks into the center of the stream.

Out in the stream, Chance was trapped in the ice (http://fillinn.com/img01/ice-cold-dog03.jpg). Charles nearby trying to reach him. The boy was creeping out, his hands reaching for the dog as it barked and clawed at the edge.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish trudged through the snow, following the footprints at a quick but steady pace before they disappeared. His head was bent against the wind but every now and then he looked up to check where he was and make sure he wasn't walking into anything dangerous. He got closer and through the snow he saw Charles on the bank of the stream, hand outstretched towards Chance who was stuck in the ice. Running the last few yards, he grabbed Charles's collar and yanked him back, pulling him backwards across the ice and onto the snow.

"Whatcha thenk yer doen, boy?" he demanded. "Ye coulda fell en yerself an gotcherself drooned! Noo stey here!"

Sighing, Hamish shook his head and carefully edged out onto the ice. He'd had experience with this sort of thing before except with sheep rather than a dog. Creeping out, he tested his weight each step before putting his foot completely down. At one point, about halfway to Chance, he heard a slight crick! in the ice and stopped. This was as far as he could go.

He looked around but all of the trees were too far away to fetch a branch quickly enough. This was going to be cold. Hamish lifted his foot and plunged it through the thin ice in front of him, boot instantly soaked though the water felt strangely warm around his numb toes. He did it again on either side, causing the ice to crack and start to float apart. Unsheathing his sword he plunged the blade into ice further out where his leg couldn't reach. The ice around Chance started to crack and float around him until there was enough for him to swim through.

"C'mon boy!" Hamish called, sheathing his sword again. "C'mon Chance! Stupet dog," he added under his breath.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles didn't hear Hamish approach in the snow, and was busy muttering to himself about dogs and stupid hypocrites. When he got his arse full of cold powery stuff he cursed loudly.

"Whatcha thenk yer doen, boy?" Hamish demanded. "Ye coulda fell en yerself an gotcherself drooned! Noo stey here!"

"I was trying to save the damned dog!" Charles protested. He backpedaled off the edge of the stream, though; he had been splashed and didn't fancy falling in. He watched in horror as Hamish purposely began to crack the ice with his boots and sword. "What are you doing?! You'll kill him! Harry will kill me!"

The dog rolled his eyes towards Hamish and then began to swim towards him. Once he reached the icy edge he scrambled at it, whining pitifully. His claws tore at the ice and seemed to make not purchase but then he miraculously found firm ground underneath and hauled himself up on the shore. He ran up to Charles and then shook himself before running in circles and barking happily as if nothing had happened.

Charles tried to shield himself from the icy spray of water, but to no avail. He turned his eyes to Hamish to make sure that he was getting out of the water safely, and it seemed like the Scot would be fine.

Then, with a quiet finality that shook them both, the ice split in front of Hamish and left the panel he was on tipping dangerously towards dumping him into the stream.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ye shoulda had 'em on a rope er sommat en th' ferst place," Hamish shot back, "an' dun sweer. Yer ma'll have me heed ef she ken as I letchee ge' awey weth et."

"What are you doing?! You'll kill him!"

"Trus' me boyo," Hamish called over his shoulder, watching the dog paddle over to him. "Done et plenny o' times afore weth werse swemmen animals'n dogs." He grunted as he helped the mutt up onto the ice, hauling him up by the scruff of his neck.

He started back toward Charles...when the ice split. He was left on an ice flow out in the stream too far from shore to jump for it. He tilted his weight and stuck out his arms as the panel of ice tilted dangerously and managed to steady it. Hamish's weight, however, was too much and his little island split in two, one for each foot. Cursing under his breath, he looked quickly around at the ice and tried not to see the black water beneath. Finally, taking a deep breath he jumped for the more solid ice in front of him.

[EvelynWillows]

"Uncle Hamish!" Charles whipped his head around, looking for something, anything that could reach him. He looked with panicked eyes as the ice split further and nearly dumped the Scot into the cold stream. "Oh God, please."

The dog ran off towards the Schnell's cabin and was soon forgotten as Hamish's situation became more dire. When Hamish jumped it seemed like he would make it, then the ice on the edge tilted and started to send him back. Charles screamed out "NOOOO!" And grabbed his hand, returning the favor as they both fell forward onto solid ground.

The boy nearly sobbed in relief. "If you died Mom would never forgive me! You're not allowed to die!" He rolled away and struggled to his feet as the cold chill finally cut through the adrenaline of their ordeal. "What are you doing out here in a kilt anyway? You could have frozen to death before you even reached us!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish's eyes grew wide as the shelf of ice he landed on started to crack and he felt himself slip backwards. Then suddenly he felt Charles's hand in his and himself being pulled forward. As he landed in the soft snow he couldn't think of a time when he'd ever been more grateful for it.

Raising himself to his feet, he brushed himself off and gave Charles a small push, indicating they should start heading back. "Ben through nuff wen'ners," he said with a shrug. "Lots o' 'em wi'oot shoes. Et's a miracle yer ma'n'me go' all our toes left. Kelt dun make much a deffernce when yer usedta et." Hamish played it off coolly, but in truth his feet were unpleasantly squashy in his boots and he couldn't wait to get back to the house.

"Wha' was ye doen oot here, anehwey?" he looked sidelong at the lad.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles was beginning to shiver now that the excitement had died down. "I was trying to save the dog. I told you. He was trying to run back to the Schneiders'."

He gave Hamish a scowl. "Didja find Adelaide? Or did you know where she was when you were up in the loft 'thinking'?" He was having to pick up his knees high to clear the thick snowfall. Charles made easier work of it going back towards the house, though, because he could place his feet in the same holes that Hamish's feet had made on his way out to the stream.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"I meant wha' were ye doen oot a' thess time o' nigh' en th' ferst place? When I left th' dog were sleepen."

Hamish raised his eyebrows mildly when Charles asked about Adelaide. What was that supposed to mean? He was fond of him, but the kid was starting to get rude and cocky and it needed to be nipped in the bud before it had become a problem. He wasn't Charles's father, but Hamish saw this as an opportunity to help correct all the places he in retrospect saw where his father had gone wrong with him. This was one of those places.

"She were prolly oot back er sommat," he said with a shrug. "Soonds like ye go' sommat en yer heed. Look boyo, ef ye go' sommat ta sey, sey et." Hamish shivered as the wind blew and cut through him like a blade of ice. He couldn't wait to get in and warm himself by the fire; this reminded him too much of winters alone with Fenny and how often they'd gone cold or hungry.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles met Hamish's gaze and held it. His eyes burned defiantly as they went from disappointed to hurt. "Nah, I don't have anything to say to you. I think words mean more than actions. But thanks for saving the damned dog. I know Harry would have been upset if it drowned."

He paused for a moment as if thinking it over, then shook his head. "That's all." He turned to go back into the warmth of the house. They could see the outline of Adelaide watching from the soft glow in the cabin window as they got closer.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish stopped and pulled Charles up short. The boy's attitude was really starting to wear on his nerves. Pressing his lips together, he folded his arms across his chest. They would both freeze out here if they had to, it was up to Charles.

"Whaddya mean, werds mean more'n actions?" he demanded, scowling. "Wha' zackly 'ave I said as ye dun thenk line up weth wha' I done, eh?"

Hamish wondered if Charles was referring to Adelaide or to something else. Perhaps he was just paranoid about how very close they had come to doing something they might both wish they'd saved til their wedding night. Or perhaps he had been talking about something else altogether that had to do with the two of them.

[EvelynWillows]

"Get your hands~! You know, you can't just jerk me around like some rag doll!" He brushed himself off and glared at Hamish.

"What do you think I mean? You can talk a pretty speech but when it comes down to it you're no different from anyone else, are you? Do you think Adelaide's father would have appreciated seeing you paw all over his daughter in the kitchen and then sneak out with her?" Charles back up a few steps. "You told me not to talk badly about Will and Lady Morgan, but here you are...just as bad! What's wrong, Hamish~ are you afraid that if you don't nail her down with a child then she'll figure out what an ass you are and find someone else?"

Charles had gotten too mad to back down now, and the soft outline of Adelaide at the window had upset him even more as he imagined her, newly soiled, and on the road to heartbreak with Hamish's child in her womb.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish found him really wanting to give Charles a good smack upside the head again. His fingers clenched and unclenched into a fist, partially out of anger and partially to keep the circulation going. He didn't raise a hand to the lad, though; he'd said he didn't want to be like his father and he meant it.

"Ye need ta stop doen tha', Charlie," he said quietly, his eyes hard as he looked at the boy. "Talken boot wha' ye dun ken, I mean. No' tha' et's eny o' yer bessness bu' nothen like tha' happened. Ded we muss aroond a bet? Aye, an' et's none o' yer bessness zackly wha'. Bu' she were beggen fer et boyo an' I denna. Adelaide's stell a verjen acoz I love 'er an' respeck 'er, an' I wun do enethen as she migh' regret later." Hamish swallowed hard.

"Coz yer righ', lad. Tha's zackly wha' I'm afraid of, es she'll realize wha' a arse I am an' decide I en't werth 'er time n'more. Bu' I love 'er too much ta nail 'er doon weth a ked, like ye said." That was the first time he had ever admitted that aloud to anyone, and he certainly hadn't expected it to be Charles to whom he'd admitted it. "Coz yer righ'. I'm a arse. I'm jis' like e'er'one else. Bu' tha' ladeh en there's th' ferst as e'er seen sommat en me as deffernt, an' I'm no' boot ta roon tha'."

Sighing, Hamish turned back toward the house and started walking. "Ge' back en th' hoose," he said over his shoulder, "warrim up an' ge' back ta bed." Turning his face forward he sighed and rubbed his face as he headed toward the house. It had been a very long, very emotional night.

[EvelynWillows]

"You didn't hit me."

It was a quiet statement, one nearly whispered as Hamish turned away to go back in the cabin. Charles' voice held a tinge of amazement as he pondered what that meant and what Hamish had said. He followed the Scot's footsteps as they walked the short distance to the door.

"You really did stop? I mean... you're trying. I believe you." Charles caught up to Hamish right before they got to the door. "I'm sorry Uncle. I thought you... I figured that you, you know. I'm sorry. I thought you were a liar just like my dad was. But you're not my dad. You're a better man than he was." He smiled a bit. "Maybe you're a reformed ass, and maybe that's why Addy loves you so much.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish stopped and sighed. He wrapped his arm around Charles's head and pulled him into a hug, mussing his hair and making snow fly about as he did. The kid didn't know what he wanted or what he was talking about, clearly.

"Look, boyo, yer gonna hafta learn. There's a grea' maneh men as en't yer da, go' et? Spesh'leh no' yer da. Er...John, I mean. An' yer gonna hafta learn ta trust us ef we're all gonna lev tagether as a fam'leh. Go' et?" He released Charles and looked down at him. "Noo c'mon. Le's ge' enside, have a cuppa ta warrim up, an' ge' ta bed. We're gonna be deed en th' mornen a' thess rate. We'll be lucky ef we en't seck fer Chressmass."

Hamish led the way up the steps, kicking the snow off of his boots and shaking out his clothes before opening the door and stepping into the kitchen. The fire in the kitchen fireplace didn't immediately warm him completely, but it was like Heaven after being out in the cold so long.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles nodded and sniffed as he followed Hamish inside the cabin. Adelaide was there, and nearly as soon as Hamish entered she hugged his frigid body against her own.

"What happened out there? Where were you?" she whispered.

As if on cue Chance ran in, all wet and muddy. He shook himself off in the entryway and then went to find a dry rug to rub himself off on.

Charles shook his head at the dog. "Bad boy! Get back here!" It was almost comical; trying to scold the dog while trying not to wake the others. He went over to the mutt and tried to grab it before it laid down next to Lady Morgan but it was too late. The animal found his warm spot and claimed it, his thick tail thumping on the floor.

"I'll make you some hot tea," Adelaide offered. "It will warm you two up."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish was taken by surprise as Adelaide tackled him with a hug. He recovered quickly enough and hugged her back, smiling as he rested his cheek on top of her head. This was home. He was suddenly very aware of how cold and wet he must be and gently pulled Adelaide away to spare her the discomfort.

"Ach!" Hamish shielded his sweetheart from the majority of the dog's mess with his own body. "Tha' happened," he whispered back. "Tha' stupet mutt ran off an' go' hesself stuck en th' ice. An' thess stupet mutt," he ruffled Charles's damp hair affectionately, "were tryen ta go after 'im."

He watched as Chance trotted over to Lady Morgan and laid down, reveling in the warmth of the fireplace. Smiling and shaking his head, he turned back to Adelaide and kissed her forehead.

"Ta love," he said softly. "Much obliged."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide obliged Hamish and made a couple of cups of tea. She watched as Charles hung up his jacket and climbed up the loft. They heard him telling Harry to scoot over, and then soon afterwards were rewarded with the sounds of his heavy, exhausted breathing.

"It were quite a night," she commented as she set the glass before her beloved. "I think we need to sleep twice as hard to make up for the hours lost." Addy blew on her tea and waited to take a sip until it had cooled a bit. She had watched the way Hamish had interacted with the Schnell's boys. In truth, it seemed that Hamish had more time with them then John did, but perhaps that was just this day. Nonetheless, she felt like he would be a fine father one day. Now that she wasn't as afraid of the act that made children, she was certain that nothing would mar their happiness once they were wed.

"Drink up, love. We all need our sleep." She looked at him with sparkling eyes and looked forward to the day when they could slide into their bed as man and wife. Her arms leaped with tiny bumps as she envisioned what that night would be like. Ah, summer was so far away!

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, ye wun ge' a no from me," Hamish said quietly, pulling Adelaide into his lap while he let the tea cool.

The wool of his tartan was still a little damp, but the lanolin made it somewhat water proof. Hugging his girl around the waist from behind he snuggled his face into her hair, breathing deep and enjoying her scent. He grinned as he kissed lightly behind her ear, happy to just be around her. By now Hamish wasn't trying to seduce her; he was exhausted and really only wanted to sleep anymore. But he found himself wanting to do things with her he'd never done with a woman before. He wanted to kiss her and snuggle her and just hold her in his arms while she slept. He wanted her to always know that for as long as she was his she would always be safe and warm, even if he himself had to go without.

Reaching over, Hamish turned his face to where his cheek laid flat against Adelaide's shoulder as he took a few sips of his tea. Making a small noise of contentment he kissed her shoulder lightly and set it back down again.

"I love ye more'n anehthen, Addy," he said softly. "Ne'er ferge' tha'."

[EvelynWillows]

Eventually Adelaide let Hamish go to sleep. She dimmed the light and nudged Chance aside so that she could crawl into her own blankets and fall into a well-deserved sleep. She dreamed of a little house with him and children running around the yard, playing and filling their home with laughter.

The morning found Little John and Fenny feeling remarkably refreshed, though the press of Fenny's bladder was the first thing she noticed that day. John spent some time stretching and listening to the wonderful quiet that only a deep snowfall could bring. The house felt wonderfully warm, though that was partially due to the insulating factor of all the snow piled high around the little cabin in the glade. Three deep, powdery feet feel between the time that Hamish and the others finally came into bed and the time the household had begun to wake up. They could almost dig a tunnel from the front door to the wood shed.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny woke slowly, feeling Little John stretching beside her. The house was quiet as was outside, usually an indication of a deep snowfall. She wondered if it was still snowing, but the curtain was drawn and she didn't want to open her eyes to check. But she had to pee...dammit.

Stretching, Fenny opened her eyes and kissed Little John lightly. "Be righ' back," she whispered. As she slid out from under the covers she was surprised that her naked body wasn't immediately assaulted by chilly air. The floorboards were plenty cold, though. Slipping on her old, tatty dress and wrapping her tartan around her shoulders for warmth she crept out to the kitchen to grab her boots before tiptoeing through the sitting room to the back door. Setting her boots down gently so as not to wake anyone, she slipped her feet into them then slid out the door quickly to avoid letting the cold in.

Indoor bathrooms. That's what the world needed. Fenny mumbled a string of curses under her breath as she trudged through the knee-high snow out to the outhouse, feeling sick now that she was upright and moving. She hated being pregnant. Once she was done in the outhouse she had only made it a few steps toward the house before having to pull her hair out of the way and empty her stomach into the snow. Wrinkling her nose, she covered it with more powder then let a handful melt into water in her mouth before swishing and spitting it out lest her teeth rot out. Fenny had to stay bent over for a few moments before she could continue on.

Slipping her boots off, she returned them to the stone by the kitchen door before going back to bed. Not, however, before slipping out of her dress and hanging it up to dry. Fenny pressed her body against her husband's enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers.

"Mornen, Papa Beer," she muttered quietly, snuggling her head under his chin and wrapping an arm around his middle.

[EvelynWillows]

"Oh! My Lord in Heaven! You're freezing!" Little John's eyes sparked open as Fenny's cold skin and colder feet pressed against his body. He turned towards her and wrapped his warm limbs around her body to get her back to human temperature.

"Aren't bears supposed to be warm and furry? You're neither of those things, Frau Schnell." He nuzzled her with his soft, furry beard and kissed her neck. "Now I, on the other hand, am both." He smiled at her in the morning light. "How are you feeling, Mama Bear?"

Out in the main room Lady Morgan was beginning to stir. She had to go to the outhouse too, and she was feeling quite sick from the pregnancy, and wasn't in a very good mood. She didn't sleep very well and kept having nightmares of cold, stinky wet bears laying on her. When she rolled over she found that indeed, a cold, stinky wet dog was snuggled up to her.

"Get off, you! Mangy mutt! Scoot!" She tried to push the huge pup off her blanket but he only rolled over towards her further and wagged his damp tail.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach...Sorreh love," Fenny apologized when her husband was startled by her coldness. She giggled and snuggled against him as he pulled her in close to him and warmed her up.

"Aye, yer quie' heereh, ye selly man," she giggled, kissing Little John on the cheek as he tickled her neck with a bearded kiss. "Kinnae wai' tell Spreng, I ge' ta see me husbin's face agin." She smiled back as best she could and closed her eyes momentarily. "Bet peely-wally," she admitted when John asked how she was feeling. "I hope thess dun go on th' whole time, hey? Er yer on'y geddin one." Lady Morgan could be heard in the sitting room and Fenny shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Soonds like her highness es up an' aboot."

Up in the loft, Hamish was slowly stirring. Charles had gone back upstairs and stolen his spot in bed, forcing him to sleep on the floor again. There would be retribution for this. Lady Morgan's voice cut through his head like a knife and he winced, praying silently the high-maintenance guest would just go back to sleep.

[EvelynWillows]

"Oh dear God! Can't we have a civilized house for people?! Dogs belong outside!" Lady Morgan finally got Chance to get off her and she stumbled to her feel. Her hair was mussed, and her clothing in shambles from having tossed and turned all night. She leaned against a chair and it slipped out from underneath her hands, clattering to the floor. "Damn it!"

Charles peeked an eye out from the blanket and glared in Lady Morgan's general direction. "If men were blind there'd be no one getting married," he muttered as he buried his head in the covers again.

His brother's eyes popped open. "Chance!" The boy sprung up out of bed and high-tailed it towards the ladder. "Hey boy! Wanna go outside?"

Back in the privacy of the master bedroom, Little John sighed against Fenny's chest. "Do you think if we just ignored them they'll forget about us?" he teased. "Maybe let us 'sleep' in for a while?" His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "Or... something?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"We kin try," Fenny groaned, looking up at him. She caught the sparkle in his eye and felt a little guilty. She was feeling too sick to be able to give him what she knew he wanted. "I could stay en bed weth ye all dey, Herr Schnell," she said softly with a small but weak smile. She was trying not to double over to calm her churning stomach.

Hamish winced when the chair clattered to the floor. Having had about enough of Lady Morgan as he could tolerate early in the morning, he stood and groaned. Looking at Harry over his shoulder, he turned upon seeing him near the ladder.

"Steady on, lad!" he warned. "Woulna do ta hae' ya fall an' break yer neck, hey?"

Waiting until the boy was safely down, Hamish climbed down himself and shuffled into the sitting room where Morgan was. He drew himself up to his full height--which, to be honest, wasn't much taller than hers--and folded his arms across his chest. She needed to know that this wasn't her castle and they weren't here to cater to her every whim, and rudeness would not be tolerated.

"Look 'ere, Lady," he said softly, looking down at her sternly, "these fine folk was kind 'nuff ta take ye en when ye had n'wheer else ta go. Best ya star' showen a bet o' gratitude, hey? An' kep yer voice doon while yer at et. Some o' us had a later nigh' 'n others, an' I'm sure Fen wansta sleep 's'well. Th' dog steys, an' we wun hear 'nother werd on et less'n et comes from th' lady er man o' th' hoose, hey? Less'n ye wanna be th' one stuck oot en th' snoo all nigh'." His tone was neither threatening nor angry, but carried a firm warning.

[EvelynWillows]

"Yes Sir," Harry said, slowing down considerably. He paced himself going down the ladder, then practically pulled on his jacket and boots as he raced with Chance to the front door. The dog barked happily at his boy, then with a whiff of cold air they were out and into the morning sun!

Charles groaned and rolled back over. He was feeling the aches of the previous night, and in the light of the day it seemed less important who was kissing whom in the hay loft.

Lady Morgan (http://www.digitalimagemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/greenhat_orig.jpg) was trying to brush the dirt and grime off of her under dress when Hamish drew himself up and crossed his arms over her. As she listened to his words her hands shook slightly, but she only nodded slightly and waited for him to be done. Her bedding was covered in wet mud and debris from the dog, who had obviously rubbed himself clean on the thin blanket Lady Morgan had tried to stay warm in. She lowered her eyes and blinked away the sudden wetness that filled them.

"Yes. I'm sorry." She whispered as she slipped into her green overdress and slipped her boots on. "I'll be more considerate." Morgan gathered up the blanket to shake out on the back porch. The clumps of dirt seemed to stick everywhere. As she picked up the bedding the wet puddles on the floor seemed to grow muddier from the mess. "I'll get that," she said, looking up at Hamish. "I'll clean it up."

In the next room Little John kissed Fenny's forehead. "You don't look well, love. Let me go make you some tea. You rest here, hey?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach!" Hamish (http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkPt9E9BQeG4AI5WJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBxdD ZqNXUzBHNlYwNkZC1pbWctc3VtLTEEc2xrA2hxc3Vt?w=1508&prtnr=Getty&h=1024&imgurl=d4.yimg.com%2Fsr%2Fimg%2F1%2F40011fb8-661b-3724-acd4-0aaf9769b92e&size=169KB&p=Alexi+Lalas&ni=72&no=1&tt=ALEXI+LALAS+SHOWN+HERE+WITH+HIS+GUITAR.+LALAS+I S+A+KEEN+MUSICIAN+AND+IS+A+MEMBER+OF+THE+USA+SOCCE R+T&sigi0=&sigi1=11plo6lip&tmpl=&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com&imgs=yahoohq) rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I mean' make yerself yoose-full an' stop yer bellehachen, no' b'come a semperen le'l slave er some sich shite." He was quietly glad Adelaide wasn't anything like Lady Morgan and wished Will all the best of luck with her. Will...what were they to do about him now.

"Ye ge' th' blanket, I'll ge' th' floor. Bedder clean et up afore her highness rolls 'er lazy arse outta beed," he said, going for the mop in the kitchen. "She'll sken me effin she finds oot I le' th' dog on 'er floors wi'oot wipen 'im doon ferst. We'll find ye a bedder blanket, too."

"Ach, noo!" Fenny protested, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. "Ef I'm gonna be useless, I wan' summon ta be useless wi'me." She put on her best smile. "Please? We'll jis'...stey here an' snuggle all dey."

[EvelynWillows]

Morgan stood there for a moment before gathering up the blankets and going outside to shake them out. As she was going out, Adelaide was coming in from her trip to the outhouse. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her future husband.

"I didn't expect you up so early this morn," she teased. "You must have slept well, my love." She stole a glance around to make sure that they weren't being spied upon before stealing a kiss from her lover. "I had the most wonderful dreams, Hamish. They seemed almost real." She smiled brightly at him and a dimple in her cheek creased merrily. "How about you? Did you sleep well?"

Little John smiled down at Fenny. "Sure we can, but who'll feed the animals, love? I have to take care of my livestock; it's a gift that needs tending, it is. But you can snuggle and I'll bring you hot tea, and as soon as my chores are done I can bring my cold toes back to bed with you if you like." He smiled and kissed her chin, nose, and forehead in rapid succession. "You deserve a day to lay in and rest, sweetness. After all, not everyone can grow a Schnell in their womb, can they?"

Lady Morgan was out on the front porch, shaking the blankets out into the snow, when she felt a warm trickle down the inside of one leg. She frowned to herself. Had she just wet herself? She'd heard of some women having trouble with that during pregnancy. She lifted the hem of her skirt and looked at her leg.

A warm, red line traced the inside of one leg. Morgan felt her chest tighten in panic.

"No." Her throat constricted painfully. What should she do? What did this mean? She felt a strong ache rush across the top of her abdomen like a cramp from when she was just starting to blossom, but this one felt like it was accompanied by stabbing. Morgan choked back the tears. "Oh God!" She whispered to herself.

She clutched the blankets to her chest and stumbled back into the cabin. She saw Hamish and Adelaide in a half-embrace and wasn't sure what she should say. "Is Fenny up?" She finally asked, a note of panic in her voice. "I need to ask Fenny something."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Eh..." Hamish rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head slightly when asked if he had rested well. "Charlie kecked me oot th' beed. Slept on th' floor again. Kinnae wait tell we go' a hoose o' our owwen, love." He smiled and kissed her head. "Are we sure magic's o' th' Devil's werk? Et'd make tha' belden go by a migh' quecker, tha's fer sure. Noo wha' was these dreams, love?" He accepted Adelaide's kiss gladly and kissed her cheek, right at the dimple. He loved her dimple.

"Noooooo!" Fenny protested, shaking her head 'no' and a good portion of her body wiggling along with her head. "I kinnae snuggle by me lonesies, ya wee ninneh! Godda have me Beer! Dunchee ken as tha's wha' bairns es fer? Chores?" She giggled as he kissed her face and hugged him tightly. Having a lie-in did sound appealing today. "Oi! There bedder no' be anehone else as growen a Schnell, messter!" She stuck her tongue out and poked him in the chest with her finger.

Hamish looked up from his loves embrace. Lady Morgan had a pained look and was asking for Fenny. He frowned, nearly scowled.

"Wha's wrong?" he asked, before almost immediately shaking his head. "Ne'er mind. Set doon. Fen!" he added, bellowing through the door. He released Adelaide and crossed over, banging with the flat of his fist on the wood. "Fenny getcher arse oota beed, sommat's wrong! Tell John ta put some clothes on!"

Inside, Fenny sighed and looked mournfully at her husband. "Well...guess tha's our call, hey?" Slowly she rolled out of bed and got dressed.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide giggled. "I can't wait either. You'll never want to climb out of bed once we get our own. Our fields will get overgrown and our animals will run away from lack of tending! She hugged him close, his scruffy beard and all, and sighed happily. She wasn't as scared as before about the wedding night, especially now that she had an idea of the good feelings that could come with Hamish's touch.

Little John had chuckled and fell back into bed with his wife. "I know, Lovely, but the animals are cold and hungry, and who will tend to them if not me? The boys can do it, sure, but do you really want to leave them to their wits for a day? The mess would be horrible, I'm sure. Just think of your floors." He ran his hand over Fenny's shoulder and down her breasts, resting his heavy palm on her ribcage. "Besides, it's nearly Christmas. There's baking to be done isn't there?"

He was in the middle of kissing her again when the call from Hamish came. "Ey, that's not a nice way to call you. Get your arse out of bed? Who does he think he is, anyway? Your brother?" John grinned and gave Fenny's cute 'arse' a smack as she crawled out of bed. He slid out and pulled his clothes on as well.

"Wonder if the goats have gotten out again?" He put on his favorite sweater and helped Fenny tie the loops behind her still slim waist. He kissed her neck as they got ready to leave the room.

Lady Morgan felt the sick feeling begin to fade. It felt like a strong cramping, but there was no reason for it, was there? She took a cloth and began to wipe off her leg, thinking of little Hildegarde just the other day with her first bloom of womanhood. Morgan sighed. Was this normal? Was she just being a frightened silly woman? She still felt the shame and sadness welling up inside of her from the situation she was in.

Foolish, foolish girl! Morgan chastised herself. Oh, if only! If only.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach, lead me no' enta temptayshin," Hamish teased gently, leaving his sister's door to go make some tea. He was beginning to adopt his sister's philosophy, if only because he could think to do nothing else as Lady Morgan cleaned herself up. He saw blood near her ankle and pursed his lips. Would she still want them to get Will when she'd had a miscarriage?

"Me floors!" Fenny lamented, sighing. "Fine, I guess ye'll hafta go jis' ta kep a eye on me floors. Animals be damned." She grinned through the nausea when she felt her husband's hands on her. "Aye, baken. An' cleanen, an' I stell hanna feneshed tha' garland. An' eh...tha' Marten Loothr fella they're talken boot, when I were en toon I heard hes kind're starten ta put candles on trees an' sich fer Chressmas."

The bonny wee Scot jumped a little when her husband smacked her and grinned. Her eyes held a promise to get him back for that later. Once she was dressed she stepped out of her bedroom and yawned widely.

"Whachee wan'? I were haven a good lie-en y'ken."

"Et's er...Et's Lady Morgan," Hamish said from the stove, jerking his head over to her.

"Wha' boot?" Fenny turned toward the lady as she was cleaning the blood off of her leg and her face fell grave. "Are ye en pain, lass?"

[EvelynWillows]

Lady Morgan looked up at Fenny and jumped self consciously. "Oh! Ahm, it feels a bit like the monthly bleeding, not too bad, but ~ I don't think that I'm suppose to bleed, right?" She finished cleaning off her legs and slid her skirt down, conscious of the men in the room.

She leaned forward and put her head in her hands. "I wish my mum were still alive. She'd know what to do." She sighed. "I'm so tired, Fenny. Are you tired too? I just don't feel like I care any more. I just want to sleep and let the world pass by. Is that normal?"

Little John came around and looked concernedly at the lady. "Widow Fallow has a lot of experience with babies. Maybe I should see if she'll come over, hey? I could take Adelaide home while I'm at it."

Upon hearing that she was going home today, Addy felt her throat tighten. She didn't want to leave Hamish, not yet, but she also knew that she had more time with him then she was supposed to have. She glanced over at her fiancee. He was getting tea boiling and seemed to be fairly engrossed at making it 'just right', like Fenny liked it.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny shrugged and shook her head. "Me'n'Hamish're th' youngest two. We dun 'member aneh o' thess stuff from our Ma. I'm tired, too...bu' I stell wanna do thengs."

Little John spoke and voiced the same idea Fenny herself had just had. She nodded and looked up at the ladder to the loft. She raised her voice as she spoke.

"Charles I ken as yer up! Ge' doon here, ge' dressed an' fex up th' hairse an' sleigh, hey?" She turned to her husband and smiled a little. "See? Thess es wha' they're good fer!" she teased, nudging him a little. "Free labor!"

Hamish looked up at Adelaide upon hearing that she was going home and exchanged a look with her. He was thinking the same thing and wished now more than ever that his house was done. He never wanted to be without her by his side ever again! Not after having had a taste of what nights in her arms could feel like. Still, he knew that she had to go home so he held his tongue.

[EvelynWillows]

Charles groaned. "I'm sick! Hamish will do it, Ma. He's got plenty of energy." He was already staring at the ceiling, though. He knew that he was as good as cold and wet, and might as well get up. Still, he felt like it was partially Hamish and Adelaide's fault that they had been kept up that late last night.

With a sigh he threw off his covers. "I'm coming," he grumbled. "Just give me a minute. I'll be there."

Little John looked over at Fenny and grinned, bumping her hips slightly. "See? One son says yes but doesn't follow through, and the other speaks no, but does as his father commands. Which is the obedient one?" He was quoting another parable in the Bible but also poking fun at Charles, their proverbial son. Harry was prone to agree to do things and then quite honestly forget in his youthful exuberance, but Charles was the one who they could count on.

Adelaide helped Hamish with the tea. "Mayhaps you'd like a quick breakfast first?" she asked, hoping to stall her departure. "Something to keep you warm until you get back? Some porridge maybe?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Now!" Fenny shouted up to the loft, shaking her head and poking the kitchen fire back to life. She smiled as Little John quoted a Bible parable at her and bumped him gently with her hip. "'Cept I'm their Ma, en't I? Harry migh' no' obey hes father, bu' me on th' other hand...well..." She grinned and winked before shuffling over to get a pot.

"Aye, porridge is a good idear," Hamish chimed in, catching onto what Adelaide was trying to do. But Fenny shook her head.

"Thess could be serious," she said evenly, moving to make porridge anyway. "I'm sorreh, bu' et's bedder th' sooner Mari's o'er here. Kinnae waste anehmore time'n we arready have."

[EvelynWillows]

Charles scrambled down the ladder and rubbed his eyes. "When I grow up I'm going to sleep in every day for a week! I won't get out of bed until noon at least, I will." He pulled on his dried socks and shoved his feet into his boots before pulling on his coat. "I shoulda been born a bear."

He grumbled a bit more and then made his way out into the barn to get the carriage ready.

Lady Morgan gratefully took a cup of tea that Adelaide handed her. "Isn't Widow Fallow the lady with all the little babies? Maybe I should go to her house, instead of pulling her away from her family." She looked up at Little John. "If it's bad news then the trip won't hurt anyone, and if it's not, at least her children won't be left alone and she won't have to make the trip."

Little John thought about her suggestion and nodded. "That seems to make sense." He looked over at Hamish. "You probably want to ride over with us, eh?"