Sugar and Spices

Disclaimer:

Sex: As described in "Collins Australian Pocket English Dictionary"; SEX: (seks) n. [L. sexus] 1. The character of being male or female. 2. Either two of the divisions, male or female, of persons, animals, or plants. 3. Sexual intercourse. So yeah, there is sex, well, why wouldn't there be. Doesn't mean all readers are going to enjoy reading about it, but it's there. Oh, and it is predominantly XX sex. It's what? XX, as in of an all lesbian nature. See, here's the deal. Unlike most TV shows that only allude to homosexual encounters, I'm doing the opposite. Nice for a change huh? Don't like it, don't read it.

Violence: Um, yeah, it's there, mostly later. Can be quite gory in parts, so be warned. Weak stomach? Don't read it or get something to eat, or clear a path to your nearest site of internal human bodily functional depository. Ie: somewhere to throw up ;)

Language: Heh, yeah, that too. Getting quite a reputation here aren't I. Well once again, it is included, had to give you value for you internet dollar didn't I. Again, mostly later on in the story. But it is there, ugh, here, ugh, you know what I mean.

General: Ok, here's the deal. My story, my characters. The location isn't mine. It's set in a city I once visited and fell in love with. But the industry is one I work in, the situation sadly can and all too often does happen, though not so violently, thankfully. Criticism is welcome, so long as it's constructive. Personally I hope you enjoy this tale, please let me know if you do. EMAIL

Personal Rant: In this day and age, we're all too fond of losing sight of the important things. Our friends, our family, and at times, the ones we love most. Which is why I beg you now to remember these people. Remember them for who they are, and what they are, and for how they've helped make you the person you are. Love is a precious gift, so please respect every persons right to choose to love and be loved. By whoever it is.

1st Corinthians 13:4 - 8. "Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoice with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never fails."

Dedication: Lastly on a personal note, I'd like to dedicate this finished story to my soulmate. Thank you Gremlin, for finding me, for not giving up on me, and for once again, teaching me that true love is possible. My heart is forever yours. I love you.

**************

"Noooooo" her tortured voice screamed as her mind reeled from the scene her minds-eye saw, "Please, I beg you". Limbs flaying in the air as sheets wrapped and tangled around the tall body, sweat pouring from strained muscles trying to break free of its capture. A loud thud and the body fell to the floor with a sudden jolt. "What? Oh damn, not again, wretched dreams". Yet another lousy start to the day. The early morning light slowly filtering through the window, slowly touching the furniture and illuminating the room. It was a small room painted pale sky blue, comfortable double bed opposite the window, chest of draws on the wall near the door, stereo and a laptop were all that was to be seen in the room. The view from the slightly frosted window was of English Bay, off Beach Ave. in Vancouver.

The only solace of waking like that was the view out of the second story window. The tranquillity of pounding surf on the beach and gulls flying all added to the sense of peace that allowed her some small respite from her nocturnal terrors. 'One day, I pray these will stop' she thought as she quickly ran her fingers through short blonde hair. Twisting her body she slipped out of bed and padded into the kitchen, at least this time she hadn't woken Mary up. Putting a pot of coffee on, placing a cup on the bench and pausing in thought. The last few months had been hard. Adjust to a new country, new job, new flat mate, and trying to mend a broken heart. The last thing she really wanted was to deal with was these 'dreams'. Nightmares was a closer description, but Lian had always believed that they came to her for a reason, she just didn't know what that was, yet.

Pouring the coffee and adding a generous amount of milk, it smelled terrific. 'Just what the doctor ordered' she thought. Walking back to her room she switched the light on and sat down in front of her laptop. Turning it on, and waiting while it booted up. Connecting to the Internet, she watched as her email download. "Three messages, one urgent" it showed as the messages were filtered to her inbox. She scrolled down the list of senders, seeing the flashing message from her parents, "Damn it, forgot about that" she said clicking on it.

(It said)

"Wonderful, just wonderful", she thought "next thing they'll be trying to get me to come home and oversee the blasted deal, like thatÕs going to happen, not!"

"Oh yeah, sure I'll let Jason know how I am" she said quietly, " bet he'd love to know what I've been up to". Smirking at her last remark and remembering the night before. She'd gone straight from work out to the clubs with Mary, and hadn't gotten in till early this morning. Something Jason would not have been overly pleased to learn of. With that thought she clicked on the next message.

(It said)

"Oops, 0 for 2 here, not a good start at all" she muttered to herself as she clicked on the final message.

"Well what do you know, things just took a turn for the better". It'd been eight long months since Lian had seen her childhood bestfriend, and she had missed her terribly. After many nights of chatting with Roxanne and Mark, trying to convince them to come over, Mark had finally agreed to it, not that that would have stopped them, but it was better to have him on board than left behind. "Ok, so when would be good?" she thought "Now.... nah, can't say that". She leaned back thinking for a while. Looking up at the screen and smiling, "hmmm, what about then.... Yeh, that'd be cool". She quickly typed off a reply. "See what she thinks about that" she uttered. Just then a head poked round the door.

"Morning" a sweet sounding voice chimed "you're up early again, same problem?" Mary had woken up to the irresistible aroma of the freshly brewed coffee, a telltale sign that her roommates sleep had been broken again.

"Uh huh" Lian nodded sipping her coffee and twisting round to face her housing companion, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I had to get up early anyway. Promised I'd go for a run with John this morning. Would you like to come?" Mary was worried about her new companion. Many nights she'd heard muted cries coming from the young girls' room, not to mention the banging on the walls. Once she'd even found a gaping hole in the wall, discreetly hidden behind the door, but noticeable just the same, how it got there she dared not ask. She'd moved in with the young Australian when they'd discovered at work that they were both looking for somewhere to live. So far it'd been pretty good, the kid was a good cook, kept the entire place net and tidy, and was a reliable sort.

"Umm, where are you going?", Lian wasn't to keen on jogging, as she still carried an ample portion of puppy fat on her large frame. She did enjoy some exercise, but the thought of pounding the pavement for several miles was not a big turn on.

"Down to the beach as it happens" Mary replied. 'Trying to get this kid out of here and into some activity was harder than a table full of bickering customers' the waitress thought to herself.

"Uh, ok, why not" the thought of pacing along the sand was a decent one, at least it wasn't out on the roads. Driving on the other side of the road was enough of a hassle, trying to get around the 'driving habits' of her new countrymen/women was another. So 'running' on the road was not a thought she happily considered keeping clear of the roads as much as possible was a high personal priority. "Give me a few minutes to shut this down and get changed" she said as she started closing down the computer.

"Ok, meet you out front" Mary replied. 'Excellent! Finally some progress, wonder what put her in such a good mood, usually she's cranky after waking up early'. Mary thought as she walked out of the room.

"No problem" Lian remarked absently, looking around to make sure she'd put everything away. Tidying up had always been a habit of hers, but it had become a necessary part of her career. "Mess means Loss" her tutor had drummed into her, she'd hated him at the time. But on reflection, she silently thanked him for the hard lessons he'd instilled in her. But becoming a qualified Cook had been her biggest thrill, she loved cooking, now she could do it for a living.

Standing in the doorway switching the light off, glancing back at her room she thought 'Well it's a long way from the country farmhouse that's for sure'. Lian had only recently moved to Vancouver from Victoria, Australia, and the young Australian had found the change quite difficult at times. She didn't have many personal items 'couldn't afford to carry them' was the excuse she used, 'never know how long I'll be here for, so why bother making myself at home' and to all intensive purposes this was true. So why change now, 'I could be up and off tomorrow, don't want to get tied down here' was the closing thought. But at other times the coldness of her surroundings really hit back at her. There were no photos of friends, no knickknacks, no pictures on the walls, nothing to say she lived there. "Oh well, you chose this life. Get over it!" she said to herself as she walked through the apartment and out the door.

***************

The jog had been nice, a trifle too tiring, but not too bad. They'd jogged up and around English Bay and back. Lian was relieved when they'd finally returned home, being hot and sweaty was not one of her favorite physical conditions. Remembering that statement she blushed. In a previous conversation with Mary and John she'd voiced her opinion about being "hot and sweaty" with other people, only to have John go crimson and Mary break out in laughter, "What?" was all she'd got out before the realization of her statement. "Well how would I know anything about that!" she'd declared in her defense. Lian was not 'experienced' in any form of intimate relations, in fact she was a virgin in the truest sense. The very thought of being with someone was a scary one to her, Lian had had some bad experiences growing up, and was now wary of anyone and everyone. 'Never let anyone know you care, that way they can't hurt you with it' was her line of reasoning.

'Oh well' she sighed, that was in the past, at least she could look John in the face now, without laughing. "Ugh, better grab a shower and get my butt to work" she grumbled. 'Work' now there was a thought. Her new house of employment was pretty good, she enjoyed being there, the owner was terrific and had taken a real shine to her. Her boss was fantastic too. The added bonus of meeting Mary and sharing an apartment with her was an unbelievable chance of luck. So far moving to Canada had been a good thing.

Padding into the bathroom and switching the light on, Lian looked in the mirror. 'Whoa' she breathed 'damn, is that really me?' she pondered 'guess it must be'. Lians' appearance had altered quite a bit in the last six months, her face becoming more drawn than it had been, and she'd started losing weight, something she was greatly relieved about.

Stripping off and stepping into the shower, the lukewarm water felt great on her hot sticky body. Finishing she toweled off and put her uniform on 'Well it could be worse' she thought. Actually Lian quite liked her uniform, she was proud of her chefs outfit, and her 'right' to wear the customary black buttons was a great source of pride for her. They signified her status and that she 'knew' her way around the kitchen, she'd paid her dues, had been certified and now could do as she wished. Grabbing her knife kit she headed out the door, "Another day, another dollar" she said as she closed and locked the door.

*******************

"Eating again I see" Joe remarked as he walked past.

"Awww leave off Joe, you know I never get around to breakfast" Lian mumbled through a mouthful to her boss. Joe, the Head Chef at Roughton O'Keefes Restaurant, her immediate superior. He was a tall man, with thick jet-black short-cropped hair and startling blue eyes. Of medium build and in his mid thirties, a real catch to anyone who was of a mind to look, but Lian wasn't looking, not even noticing his attentions.

"You need someone to take care of you Roo" he smiled back at her. Joe was indeed curious about this new comer to the city, she was younger than he, that was true enough but by how much no one knew, but she had a purity that held his fascination. Lian wasn't a 'looker' at all. She was taller than most women were, she had to be at least six feet tall and that blonde hair of hers was strange. Nearly everyday it was different, the way it fell or the colour, he couldn't quite place it, but he was willing to put it to further investigation. Then there were her eyes, sometimes gray maybe green, then again were they blue, it was hard to tell, every time he thought he was sure, they changed again.

"I'll think about it Joe, but thanks for the concern". Lian finished the conversation and started her daily routine. Being a Cook wasn't exactly what Lian had wanted to become. She had wanted to be a Marine Biologist, but dropping out of high school had put an end to that idea, and the fact she lived nearly 2 hours drive from the nearest ocean made it somewhat of a joke, especially within her family circle. But she enjoyed her work, it was hard, on your feet all day, dealing with the pressure of deadlines and customers demands. It wasn't easy by any means, but it was rewarding, seeing happy faces strolling out the doors at night, knowing that to some extent, she was responsible for that.

Standing at one of the many stainless steel sinks peeling carrots, she pondered on the mornings activities. Going for that jog had been quite invigorating, in fact Lian had been thinking about taking up some sort of physical exercise, maybe a martial art or sport that would be a little more demanding of her. As her thoughts turned to this Mary entered the kitchen.

"Hey there Giant" Mary grinned at the tall woman.

"Hey Short-stuff, what happened to you this morning, lost you after the jog" she replied to the smaller woman. Mary was indeed 'short' compared to Lian, she was lucky to be five and a half feet tall and in her early thirties. With fire red hair and hazel flecked green eyes. She was by no means 'unnoticeable' that and her reputation of having a temper to match her hair, Lian was careful not to annoy her.

"Ummm, well John and I, uhhh...." She smirked, trying to find the right words to tease Lian the most as she explained what had 'happened'.

"Ahhh, never mind, should have guessed" Lian chuckled, 'gods, she never quits teasing me, just how 'innocent' do they think I am' she thought.

"Yeah, anyway.... I'll be home tonight anyway, so I'll cook, I know how you dread it after a late shift" Mary answered "what do you feel like?"

"Have we got any of that chicken stuff left?" the cook queried.

"You know, for a Cook, you have a terrible vocabulary for food, but yes we do, with rice or potatoes?" Mary admired the young cook, but her description of food was unbelievable.

"Ok, rice thanks, many in tonight?" Lian was well aware of her 'culinary descriptions' but found it amusing that people expected a Cook /Chef to use the 'correct' terminology. The fact being that most of the names that were used were so lengthy and over rated, it was nice to be able to refer to a potato as a spud and eggs as "cackleberries". The last was always bringing the house down when it was used in conversation.

"Nope, nice and easy for a change, only about a hundred, well back to work, catch you later" and with that Mary bustled back out in to the dinning area.

She spent the rest of the day in relative peace. The lunch crowd had been pretty good, only one customer had been a slight hassle, playing the front staff around, all over a tuna sandwich to boot. Come ten p.m. though Lian was ready to go home. Thankfully the apartment wasn't to far from the restaurant, only about a half an hours walk. Not that youÕd want to walk it alone, so Lian always waited for Mary, and Mary always waited for Lian, it was a deal they had. This night fortunately neither had to wait, all of Mary's tables had finished on time.

"How'd you go tonight?" Lian asked.

"Ugh, not bad, they were ok, did you see that one guy who kept dropping his fork in front of Liz?" the waitress responded.

"Yeah, I did, what a loser, I mean I can understand his interest, but really, that trick is so old, I think my baby cousin could come up with a better plan" Lian recalled at the nights events.

"Oh well, Liz got her own back. She sort of ÔaccidentallyÕ spilt his hot coffee, right into his lap. That must have hurt" she giggled at the picture she'd seen. The guy deserved it, no questions asked, luckily he was reasonably intoxicated, so he had thought he'd been at fault.

"Well she got off lightly" Lian thought remembering the look on the bossÕ face. Afterwards Harry had been mad as hell, fortunately for Liz he'd only given her a severe talking to, and the customer had insisted that it was he was to blame.

"Yeah, she did, glad it wasn't me. Here we are" Mary was considering getting the door, when it was opened before her. "What?"

"I forgot to tell you, I finally got a key cut today, sorry" Lian stood smirking with the door open waiting for Mary to pass through.

"You little rat, you mean to tell me that you got my keys out of my purse. Got a key cut and put my keys back without me noticing" Mary was stunned, 'that little fink, says a lot about our security'.

"Yep, youÕve got to be more careful with your belongings pint-size. Never know who's around. Race you!" the Cook replied, then gave the older woman a light tap on the arm and bounded up the stairs.

"You little brat, you're dead when I get you!" Mary took off after the younger woman, wondering what had put her in such a good mood all day.

As they reached the door, Lian unlocked the door and dashed through, barely ahead of Mary. "Ha, I win!" she rejoiced bouncing around enthusiastically.

"Only just! Besides, your legs are longer, and your ten years younger " the red headed woman quickly retorted as she staggered into the entryway and leaned against the wall.

"Excuses, Excuses" Lian taunted. "Oh poor old thing, you need a wheel chair or something?"

"Brat! I hope you meet someone younger than you, and they give you just as much trouble" Mary was now standing in the kitchen "you want a cold drink?" opening the fridge door.

Just a water thanks" the ecstatic blonde answered.

"WHAT? Water, that's a first, no milk or OJ, you feeling all right?" 'what has gotten into her today', Mary completely stunned she leaned against the kitchen counter and stared in disbelief.

"Nope, water, plain old unadulterated, non-carbonated pure H20 thanks" she cheekily replied flopping onto the nearby sofa.

"Ok, just checking, what's up with you today anyway, you've been in the biggest happy mood I've seen all season?" Mary asked passing over a glass of chilled water, her curiosity having finally peaked.

"Oh, wondered when you'd get around to asking about that" Lian answered "seems you're not the only one who got lucky this morning" taking a long sip.

"Ewww, low blow kid" Mary blushing lightly at the woman before her.

"Didn't think I'd pass that one up did you? Ah well never mind, anyway, my good mood is due to the fact that Rox and Mark are coming over" Lian was in a good mood, something that had been lacking lately. Normally reserved and even brisk to the extreme with people, she had been quite 'chatty' all day, a rare sight indeed.

"ThatÕs great! When are they coming?" Mary was interested in meeting these people, which in an instant could make her young roommates disposition change drastically.

"Well I've suggested Thanksgiving, we don't celebrate it in Australia, but I figure that as I'm living here now and all of that, well, I have a lot to be thankful for these days". Lian was indeed excited about the pending travel plans, and it was only a few months off. Thanksgiving would be an ideal time for Rox and Mark to come, the summer season would be long over, she'd have been there for nearly nine months and could ask for a little time off with out a guilty conscious. It would be a perfect time for them to be here.

"Well I look forward to meeting them, will they be here long?" Mary was becoming more curious about these people by the minute.

"I don't know, I only found out this morning, I'll go check now if you want to start dinner" she suggested poking out her tongue and ducking out of the room before Mary could take a swipe at her with the tea towel.

**********************

Bounding into her room and flicking on the light and her laptop. She waited while it booted up for the second time today, clicking the mail icon, "Two messages, none urgent" it replied. Scrolling down the page to see whom they were from. Rox sent one, the other one was from Jason. "Damn, doesn't that guy ever learn", Clicking on the latter message.

(It said)

"Oh sure Jase, just what am I supposed to tell them huh? That I didn't ring because I was out roaming the streets till all hours getting plastered. Yeah bet they'd love to hear that!" grumbled Lian quite fed up with JasonÕs behavior. He had developed the very annoying habit of sticking his nose into Lians' business. He meant well, but the fact that he'd taken the attitude that Lian was 'his responsibility' didn't help any. Jason was a nice enough guy, certainly handsome, tall, light brown wavy hair and rich brown eyes, and he had a really nice personality. They'd known each other since childhood, and at one stage Lian had even considered being with him. But that was a long time ago, now he was employed by her father, and felt it to be his 'duty' to see to her welfare.

Lian stared at the screen trying to think of something 'polite' to write back to him. But the current thought running through her mind was to tell him exactly what he could do with his good intentions. She finally calmed down and typed off a short note to let him know she'd received his mail, that she was indeed fine. That she had intended on contacting her parents as soon as was humanly possible and thanked him for his concern. "There, that should get him off my back for a few days" she muttered as she clicked on Roxs' message.

(The message read)

Two months, just enough time for Lian to get enough hints from her colleagues on how Thanksgiving is supposed to work. Being a Cook was one thing, but playing hostess was an entirely different. It wasn't that daunting a task, but to say she wasn't nervous would be a lie.

Lian closed down the computer, and walked back out into the kitchen. "Okay, good news. Rox is coming for Thanksgiving and they'll be here for two weeks, not bad eh?" she was indeed in a good mood, despite the other email she'd received.

"Two weeks, not bad at all! So who's cooking, you or me?" Mary beamed back.

"Actually I was thinking maybe 'we' would, what do you think?" Lian had realized that maybe for her first attempts it would be wise to enlist some local help.

"Oooo, I get to share the kitchen duties with the world travelling chef, you're on!" the woman replied. It was a rare day that Lian let anyone in the same space as her, let alone the kitchen. Lian had only been at ÔRoughton O'Keefes RestaurantÕ for two weeks before one of the waitresses had over stepped the mark. She'd walked up behind Lian and tapped her shoulders as a joke. Unfortunately for the girl it had backfired, Lian had spun round so fast, knife in hand that the girl had stumbled backwards into a stack of pots and pans, which consequently came down on top of her. The look on Lians' face had been one of pure rage, she didn't like people getting in her space, let alone playing jokes in the kitchen. She had however bent down and helped the girl up, neatly placing all the items back on their shelves, checking to see that the waitress was ok, then returning to her previous job as though nothing had happened. Since then nobody got in the Cooks way.

"Yeah, I thought I'd try working with you, just this once you understand?" Lian jokingly remarked picking up a very hot carrot stick and munching on it.

"Whatever you say Chef! Here's dinner, grab the cutlery will you" Mary chuckled carrying the plates round to the table.

They sat there in silence, neither wishing to talk, after the humming and banging of the restaurant, sitting quietly was very enjoyable, and after sharing the apt for the last four months they could anticipate what the other needed before they had to ask for it. Mary passed Lian the remote for the TV, she switched it on, just catching the roundup of the news headlines. "Usual stuff by the looks of it" Lian commented. "Uh huh" was all she got as a reply. "You want it?" Lian questioned, indicating the remote, "I'm going surfing". Shrugging and passing the control to Mary she stood clearing the plates and walked to her room.

Booting the laptop back up, she sat down on the bed, waiting to get all her connections through, then switching her chat program on. Clicking on Renee's number and typing short a message. Sending it off immediately.

Two minutes later a reply came.

"Hey, about time you showed up!" Renee had been waiting all evening for her friend to log on.

"Sorry about the wait, I had a few things to clear up first, you know I never get anything done once we start talking" and it was true. Once Lian and Renee started they'd be there for hours. Lian had met Renee only a few months before she'd moved to Canada, and over the time period since, they'd become quite close.

"Yeah well, you know I'll wait for you. So how was the grind today?" the message came back.

"Oh, same 'ole same 'ole, never changes. How's Amy?" Lian was sure her parents would not be happy that she freely talked to Renee. The fact that she was gay would not have gone down well with them. Lian had been raised in a rather zealous household, and whilst her mother wasn't quite as vocal as her father was, neither considered that choice of lifestyle as 'acceptable'.

"She's fine, been working hard, as usual, I'm trying to get her to take a few days off, but you know what she's like, stubborn!" It was amazing how much they had in common, considering that they'd grown up on different sides of the world. Renee was quite stunned when she found out one night from Mary that Lian didn't talk to anyone about her past save the two of them. Lian had told her all about her past, about all the little things and she was both proud that she'd told her and also frightened. Lian had been through quite a bit in her childhood, not all of it good either, and she was determined to keep an eye on her and make sure no one hurt her anymore.

"Oh well, these things happen, hey what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Lian keyed in as she opened up a browser window.

"Uh, nothing, Amy isn't planning anything, and I can't be bothered this year" the very thought of Thanksgiving was cause for dread. The previous year she'd hosted her family, and it had been somewhat of a disaster. Mainly due to her youngest brother turning the oven off so the turkey didn't cook and then there'd been the suspicious power cut to their apartment.

"Well, I was thinking about having one here, I know we're a month before you, but would you like to come? Some friends from my home town are coming and I'd like it if you could meet them". Well she'd asked, no harm in that, she doubted that Renee and Amy would come, it was a long way from Maryland to Vancouver and neither of them liked flying.

"Are you kidding? We'll be there with bells on! Amy will be thrilled!" Renee was surprised to say the least, an open invite from Lian was not to be sneezed at.

"Excellent! So far that's seven of us, this should be good fun, Mary and I are cooking so I can promise I won't poison you" 'unreal, they're coming, damn I am having a good day' Lian thought to herself.

"That'd be great! Hate to say this mate but it's nearly twelve here and I've got the breakfast shift in the morning, so...."

"Yeah will do, night" Lian turned the box off. 'Great they're coming, Rox and Mark are coming, Mary and John will be there, this should be good'. It was then that she realized that 'they' were all couples, and then there was her. 'Damn, how'd I do that? Crap I hate being the gooseberryÕ, she began a mental check of ÔwhoÕ she knew that might like to come.

"Hey Mary, is Harry going out to Toronto for Thanksgiving this year?" Lian yelled through the open door into the dimly lit livingroom.

"Uh, don't think so, his family are going away this year, why?" Mary answered absently as she watched images flicker across the television. Most years Harry had traveled to Toronto to be with his sister and her family, but this year he'd made no mention of his plans, only that the family was going south for the holidays, presumably to Richard's, his brother-in-lawÕs family.

"I was just wondering if he'd like to join us, Renee and Amy are coming, and there's you and John, and Rox and Mark, so what do you think?" Lian was fond of Harry, he'd taken a real interest in her and how she was. Not to mention since she'd found out that his daughter had died in a plane crash a few years back, Harry had no family, except for his sisters. So Lian had tried to be as caring for the older man as she could, always greeting him with a warm smile and making sure his favorite foods were in stock, she couldn't help wishing he were her father.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan, I'm sure he'll be thrilled, ask him tomorrow." 'What a day indeed' Mary thought to herself. "I'm off to sleep now, so I'll see you at work tomorrow"

"Well you'll find it hard to avoid me, night" Lian replied, turning her computer and the lights off, climbing into bed and going to sleep, the last thing she thought was 'please, let me sleep tonight'.

*********************

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Lian screamed as she shot straight up in bed. Panting heavily as she tried to regain her breath and control of her quivering body.

With that Mary bolted into the room, "What on earth??? Are you ok?" Marys' face was pale white, waking to a blood chilling cry was not a choice way to start the day.

"Uh, yeah... I'm... ok..." Lian stammered back, rubbing gently at her shoulder, still feeling the pain there.

"Are you sure, you seem to be waking up like this more and more lately, and to be honest I'm getting a little worried" 'worried' that was an understatement, Mary was way past 'worried' how about consumed with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, just another dream, that makes what, three this week, IÕm sorry I must be driving you nuts, it's a wonder you get any sleep at all". Lian felt quite guilty about that, it was bad enough that she had to tolerate this plague, let alone putting it on to others.

"No, it's ok, I'm just a bit troubled about what to do for you" 'should I wake you, should I let you be... please kid, tell me what to do, no one should have to go through this' Mary silently added.

"Oh, well thanks but there's nothing you can do. They come and go, just have roll with it" 'I wish they'd just go once and for all' Lian thought to herself, she didn't mind the dreams to start with, they weren't that scary, but lately they'd gotten more so. The latest ones seemed to revolve around a battle of some sort, and she always woke with the same searing pain in her shoulder. "I'll just try some warm milk tonight, see if that helps".

"Ok, well just take it easy today ok, you look like you've seen a ghost" Mary strolled out of the room. Wondering if the kid wasn't cracking up under the strain of living away from her friends and family.

Looking at the clock Lian noticed that it was five-thirty am. "Wonderful, just wonderful, now I've got to get up! What a start to the day". Lian rolled out of bed noticing that the pain in her shoulder had gone. Turning the light on as she walked into the bathroom, and running some cold water into the basin, 'no time for a shower this morning, have to make do with this' she thought as she wiped over her face and limbs with the flannel washer. Putting her uniform on, strolling through the door and headed to work.

****************

The mornings work had been pretty easy, few customers and even fewer hassles, just the way she liked it. Lian enjoyed the breakfast shift, it was nice and peaceful at that time of the day and the city had an appeal that was unmistakable, the day was new and anything was possible.

Mary had come into work a few hours ago appearing none the worse for wear after the mornings intrusion. Lian had wanted to tell her about the dreams, but how do you tell your roommate and new friend that your dreams are of killing people in cold-blooded murder, no she was better off keeping this to herself. Even if she told Mary, there was nothing she could do to stop or prevent them from coming and claiming her during the night. Better she just keep her mouth shut and put up with it.

It was now two in the afternoon and Lian was getting ready to finish for the day. Having the afternoon to herself was a rare treat for Lian, and she'd planned on going round a couple of the sports buildings and training establishments to see if she could get some information about classes.

"Hey, how you feeling now?" Mary asked as she came into the kitchen carrying a tray of used plates.

"Huh, oh yeah, fine" Lian replied trying to recall what Mary was referring to.

"Ok then, you off now?" she questioned turning to look at Lian as she placed the dishes into the sink.

"Yep, what time you finish?" the younger woman asked.

"About six-ish" Mary answered.

"Fine, I'll be back before then. See you later" Lian responded.

"Ok, see you, have fun" Mary was somewhat intrigued as to where the younger woman was off to, normally when she had an afternoon off, she'd stay at the restaurant and either work or sleep in the back.

Lian nodded as she passed through the door. She knew Mary would be wondering what she was up to. But she didn't want to give the game away just yet, Mary had been encouraging her to 'do something' outside of working and playing on the computer, so now she was going too.

She walked along the footpath heading slowly towards the local gym, that was the best place to start she believed. As she approached it, she noted that it had recently been repainted, all the signs were fresh and it was clean. That being her first impression of the establishment, she thought 'Well that's a good start' as she opened the door and stepped through.

The inside foyer was all re-carpeted and had been repainted also, 'not bad at all, wonder if they've stuck the bill for this on their admission' was her instant reply to the surroundings.

She poked around looking for someone to talk to, she noticed that the gyms equipment was in good shape, the rooms were nice and neat, didn't smell and there was an air of pride. 'I could get used to this place' she considered.

"Can I help you?" a strange voice asked.

"Huh, oh, umm, I'm interested in doing some martial arts classes, do you have any?" Lian was annoyed at being caught off guard and mentally chided herself for being so careless.

"Yes, we do as it happens, we offer Karate and a basic self-defense class, they're on Monday and Wednesday nights. The charge is $45 a month and you provide your own gi" the efficient instructor answered.

'Well they certainly have their act together' Lian thought "Ok, well I might see you some time then, thanks for that". She said as she walked back out into the daylight.

"One down, ten more to go" she absently said to herself as she strode away on her quest.

*************

The rest of the afternoon was relatively quiet, the other places were by and large pretty much the same, one or two were real dives, but that was to be expected. As it got late she started heading back towards the restaurant, being sure to be there before it started getting dark, it was late September so generally it didn't, but Lian never let things go to chance, especially not with other people who were counting on her.

She arrived back at work, striding through the front door, and between the tables, she noticed that some of the customers' eyes had followed her. She never did figure that one out, she couldn't understand what they were watching her for, sure she was tall, big deal, okay she wasn't from round here, but that you wouldn't know unless she spoke. As she turned round some of the people lowered their eyes if she looked at them, others openly looked back at her. 'What are they looking at?' she puzzled 'I must remember to speak to Mary about it, she's bound to know' and with that thought dismissed the onlookers.

"Evening Liz" Lian greeted the woman behind the bar with a smile "the fire brand around?"

"Yep, out the back waiting for you" she said as she returned the smile.

"Thanks, see you tomorrow" Lian replied and walked through the doors heading to the back kitchen.

"Hi, on time as always" Mary hailed the younger woman.

"Har-dee-har-har, come on short stuff, my feet are killing me and I want to go home" she retorted quickly.

"Oh all right, since you put it like that" Mary stood and they walked back through the kitchen, "Night all, behave".

"Night" a chorus of voices sung out.

"So where have you been all afternoon, you obviously didn't go home" Mary was still in full swing from riding the adrenaline of the nights service, she wanted to know what her roommate had been doing.

"Well that didn't take you long, I've been out pounding the pavement as it happens, looking at some classes" Lian turned to the shorter woman, waiting for the stunned look that was sure to be there.

"YOU've been looking at classes! Good lord, whatever next! So you finally took my advice huh, good for you" she was stunned, after trying with her for two, no, three months now, good gracious, had it been that long, oh well perseverance pays off.

"Yep, went and signed up at the local gym, I start in two weeks, they had to order in a gi for me, and I don't want to go until I've got them". Well it was a fair request, it was bad enough she was going to stand out because she wouldn't know what to do, let alone with the added pressure of being out of the expected dress code.

"Oh... right.... Well, I might join you, what are you doing?" she stammered, 'damn the kid was serious about this'

"Kyokushin Karate, and a few weights" there that ought to get her attention she mused.

"YOU'RE doing WHAT? Do you know how dangerous that stuff is, poop kid, you're really asking for trouble, I'll come for the workout, but that stuff you're on your own with". She just went from stunned to stupefied, 'ok the kid has lost it, what on earth is she doing that stuff for, gods her build is enough to frighten most people, let alone add a deadly skill to it'

"Ok, ok, calm down I didn't think you'd be up for that, but the circuit work would be good to do together. Anyway you've got a couple of weeks to think about it" she replied.

"Ok, sure, the circuit sounds good" Mary breathed in relief.

As they walked a long the street slowly making their way to the apartment building, they passed a hot food stall. "Have you eaten yet?" Lian asked before she could even think about whether she had done so herself.

"Uh huh, got dinner from Joe and Sasha, you?" Mary remarked thinking about the first and second Chefs, Joe was fine, a little overbearing, but basically all right. But Sasha, well she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something wasn't right.

"Nah, not hungry, I'll just grab some fruit later" was all she managed to mutter back, as she also was thinking about Sasha. One person that just got on her nerves no matter what he did. There was just something "off" about him, he was very helpful, always behind you 'just incase' he said. But maybe that was it being 'behind', Lian didn't like people being 'behind' her, she distrusted people who she didn't know and the ones she did know were only treated marginally different.

Eventually they got home, and settled in for a quiet night at home, just sitting back watching the TV and a video or two. Lian made herself a glass of warm milk and had turned in by nine p.m., and after a long day she felt entitled to it. The nights sleep was also a decent one, no violent dreams, and just flashes of faces she didn't know and of places she'd never been.

*************

The two months past in a peaceful manner, Lian started her classes and found much to her delight that she seemed to some extent a natural at it. She was well aware of her natural fighting nature, but as for trying to discipline those inclinations and use them in set patterns, well she was doubtful as to her capabilities. So she was enwrapped to discover she could do just that within a short amount time.

Also her 'dreaming' seemed to have eased off considerably, much to both her and Marys' relief. They'd had a whole month of unbroken sleep and pleasant awakenings.

Work had been going really well, Lian had settled into all her responsibilities as a Cook, only to find to her shock that she'd been given a raise when the third Chef left. So now she was the third in command, a daunting task at first, but Harrys' faith in her made her plod on through it determined not to let him down.

Time ticked on and Thanksgiving slowly crept closer and as the excitement built, so did the apprehension. Lian was beginning to wonder what she was thinking inviting all these people to dinner, and for such a special occasion to boot! 'Idiot what did you think you were doing, you can't pull this off, you don't know the first thing about holding one of these things, idiot!' She always did this, couldn't help but belittle her own skills, it came so naturally. But she'd go through with it come hell or high water, letting someone down was out of the question. Harry had agreed to come, Renee and Amy were ecstatic about the party and Rox and Mark were going to be here, so there was basically no getting out of it anyway.

***************

"You coming or not?" Lian was standing in the doorway of the apartment waiting for Mary to get her gear together.

"Yeah, I'm coming! Little pain in the...." She trailed off as she approached the waiting woman.

"Bout time, we were late last week due to you and John insisting on a long farewell, next time I'm leaving with out you, oh and I'm not a 'little pain in the' ass either, I'm a big pain in the ass". She retorted and took off down the stairs not bothering to wait any longer.

'How on earth did she hear that' Mary thought to herself as she walked after her. The last month in particular she'd noticed little changes in Lian, the biggest being her sleeping pattern, she didn't scream out as much as she used to, there were still nights of whimpering and the odd bang on the wall, but by and large things were ok. The other things were less obvious, like her hearing range had become much larger, and her increased tolerance of others getting in her personal space, she didn't like it and was still very protective of it. But had learned not to scare the pants off any unsuspecting passerby, and the rest of the staff had also learnt not to get in her way. So as far as Mary was concerned the changes had been a good thing.

They arrived at the Gym, just in time for Lian to get changed and race into the dojo without the Head Instructor noticing that she ran in just at the last minute. The class went well, and Lian enjoyed the full workout that was the standard procedure, then made her way out to the weights room where Mary was working.

"Hey kiddo, how goes it?" Mary was puffing as she strode along on the easy walker.

"Yeah, not bad thanks, how's it in here, not many in tonight" Lian looked around the room, instead of the usual ten to fifteen people there was lucky to be five.

"No kidding, just wait till next week, they'll all be in here trying to work off the holidays over eating" she chuckled back.

"Oh but of course" she replied " you ready to go?" just the thought of people punishing themselves for their appetites was enough to make her laugh. 'People are so stupid some times' she thought.

"Yep, just grab my gear, and we're out of here" she said as she hopped off the machine.

They made their way through the complex and out the main doors, the fresh air hitting them in the face like a bucket of ice.

"Whoa!" Lian exclaimed, "eep that's cold, forgot how warm it gets in there".

"Oh yeah, what a shocker" Mary shivered in response.

"You up for a jog home?" well it was a thought, and at least it would keep them from getting to chilled.

"Ok" Mary replied as they started on their way home.

Finally reaching the doors and walking up the two flights of stairs to the front door of the apartment Lian reached into her pockets to retrieve her keys and unlocking the door. They both stumbled through, completely exhausted.

"Augh, that feels better" Mary breathed as she fell into the sofa.

"Here you go you old wuss" Lian passed her a bottle of ice cold water, "you coming with me in the morning to pick up Rox and Mark?"

"Thanks, damn is that tomorrow, oh yeah sure, man the time sure has flown by, seems like only yesterday you told me they were coming" Mary gratefully took the bottle from Lian.

"Yep, have to be up and gone by seven, the flight gets in at eight thirty, so it'll be a long day" Lian sat down on the floor just in front the sofa so she could stretch right out.

"Ok, I'll be up, you still planning on putting them in your room?" she asked.

"Uh huh, I don't know exactly the standing of their relationship, but 'tis better to go with the most obvious, then they have a choice. I'll take the sofa" Lian mused over the discussion, Rox would have been mortified at being spoken of in such open terms.

"Ok, well let me know if it gets too rough, you can bunk in with me" Mary was not too keen on the thought of the tall woman camping on the small sofa. How she thought she'd fit six feet into an area that was barely four-foot was beyond her.

"All righty, well I'm for bed, so I'll see you in the other side, night" Lian stood and ambled off towards her room.

"Night" Mary returned.

**************

"Come on, come on" Lian was impatiently pacing up and down the arrival gate watching for her friends.

"Oh just calm down you big goof, they'll be here as soon as they can" Mary was laughing at the young woman's eagerness.

Eventually the two weary Australian travelers strode down the line, only to be lifted off their feet by another very happy Australian.

"Hey stranger, how the hell are you, you little beggar" Lian was in full 'Aussie' swing, lingo flying.

"I'm good, how the hell are you, and who you calling a 'beggar' ya old goat" Rox was almost weeping with joy at seeing her old friend.

"Hi Lian, missed you, you nerd" Mark walked up to her hand out expecting a shake.

"Oh give me a break Mark, I'm only living here, I'm not a Canadian, yet!" Lian laughed and grabbed a hold of him and pulled the pair of them into a bear hug, easily holding the two travelers in her long arms.

In the meantime Mary collected the bags and stood waiting for the three to gain their composure. 'This I think will be an experience and a half' she thought. She quietly observed the two strangers, Rox was about the same height as Mary, had long deep brown wavy hair and rich chocolate eyes, she was young though, could've barely been nineteen. Mark was about five-foot-eight" had brown hair tied into a ponytail, deep brown eyes also and was around twenty-one.

"Okay come on you lot, let's get you home where we can hear ourselves think" Mary had decided to take charge of the situation.

"Beauty mate" three voices all said at once, then broke into laughter.

"Oh boy" was all Mary muttered.

*************

The drive back had been an interesting one, Rox and Mark taking everything in that they could, which after twenty-four hours on the plane wasn't an incredible amount, but still enough to be able to pass comment on the scenery and surrounds. Rox and Lian sat in the back talking at 100 kilometers an hour whilst Mark sat in the front of Mary's' Mazda MX3.

"Anything you particularly want to see while you're here Mark?" asked Mary starting the conversation.

"Everything and nothing, what I wanted to see most I just did, so I'm happy" he answered.

"Huh, oh you mean those two getting back together, yeah that was a sight" Mary laughed as she checked her rear mirror seeing Lian and Rox still flapping their gums at an amazing speed.

"Yep, those two have got to be the best example of friendship I've ever seen, through thick and thin, good and bad, they're always there for each other" Mark spoke directly from his heart, something he prided himself on doing.

"Really, that's nice to know. Lian has been kind of lost for a while, but she's better now. So you looking forward to the party?" Mary asked as she turned off the No. 99 onto Marine Dr. towards their apartment.

"Oh yeah, been hearing a lot about these 'holidays', and it seems pretty fitting to be saying thanks for this" he was indeed amused at Lians' choice of timing, and suspected that it was a deeper occasion than what she was letting on.

"Uh huh, I'm really glad you could make it, she was pretty stressed about the whole thing, but that seems to have gone, 'tis amazing the affect you two have on her", she responded.

"Well all I'll say is, it goes both ways" and it was true, Mark hadn't seen Rox as happy as she was right now in a long time, he too missed his big burly friend, but it wasn't the same, and he knew it.

"Okay, here we are" Mary said as they pulled up in front of the building, "everybody out".

They all piled out of the car, and slowly climbed the stairs. Finally reaching the front door, Lian unlocked it and carried some of the bags through. "Follow me" she cried as she headed towards her room, "we decided to put you in here, hope that's ok".

"Oh, umm, yeah but you didn't have to do that, I would have taken the sofa" Mark replied blushing.

Rox leaping in to help their defense, "Yeah, I mean thank you, but we're not dependant on staying in the same room", that was one way of putting it she figured.

"Oh, well whatever makes you happy, it's your choice" Lian answered padding into the kitchen, seeming undaunted by Rox and MarksÕ refusal of her offer.

"What would you like to drink? Tea, coffee, OJ, milk, water? Take your pick"

"OJ" they both answered.

"Water thanks" Mary chimed in.

"Ok two OJ's and two waters' coming up" Lian took the order in her best impression of a waitress.

"You sure you're a Cook?" Mark jokingly remarked, "cause you could of fooled me"

"Oh shut up butt breath, make yourself useful for once and take your drink" Lian responded passing the glass of orange juice to him.

"Would the pair of you just behave, really, in front of strangers and all" Rox complained.

"Awwww, all your fault" the two culprits accused each other.

Mary just looked at the trio and broke into laughter.

"Okay, well you two go grab some ZÕs and we'll go out when your conscious" Lian said as she placed her empty glass in the sink.

"No problems there mate, feel like I could sleep for a week" Mark responded placing their glasses next to Lians.

"Night bud, see you soon" Rox said as she stumbled into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Mark only a few paces behind her.

"So much for not sharing the same room" Mary chuckled.

"Huh, oh right, heh, wonder if they noticed?" Lian mumbled. It had felt so good to see her friends, she had missed them both, but she'd also realized that she didn't 'need' them anymore, she had 'made it' here on her own, and she was proud of that, more so than she thought she would have been.

*****************

The week preceding the party was spent showing the tourists around the sights of greater Vancouver, they went to Lonsdale Quay, the Museum of Anthropology, Stanley Park, to a Canucks game, even took the ferry over to the Island and spent a couple of days looking around Victoria.

"Well that was fun" Mark enthused as they entered the apt after a day at the Aquarium.

"Yeah, it's pretty good, I'll grant you that, better than Sea World for sure" Rox added.

"Well that wouldn't be hard, last time I went there half the attractions were closed, it was a real disappointment" Lian reflected. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves," she concluded.

"So what's the deal with tomorrow? Any set protocol we should know about?" Mark queried.

"As I understand it, the locals get to wake up any tourists in the wee smalls of the day, dousing them with ice and then throwing them into the straight" Lian was enjoying the stunned look on her visitors faces. "Oh relax, we get up, watch some TV, finish off some cooking, then stuff ourselves silly and collapse, that's as I understand it anyway".

"Oh, thank goodness" Rox breathed, "cause I didn't bring my bathers".

"No kidding, boy were you gonna pay if that was the drill, you know how I hate the cold" Mark was not entirely appreciative at the thought of an icy wake up.

"Heh, pair a babies, you two been going soft in my absence?" Lian was openly taunting Mark now, knowing that the ex-army trooper would bite at this accusation.

"Soft! Me soft, I'll show you soft" as suspected Mark took off after Lian chasing her around the room, eventually catching up to her on the third pass of the couch and bringing her down with his best rugby tackle.

Mary chose this particular moment to walk I through the door, seeing the tall woman on the floor with Mark half under half over her, and the two of them laughing, Rox standing in the corner nearly doubled up in laughter.

"What on earth is going on????" Mary bellowed over the ruckus.

"Oh just these two proving how macho they are, no big deal" Rox managed to get out before the next wave of giggles hit her.

"Oh, hi Mary, have a good day?" Lian responded before punching Mark in the ribs, "and as for you, we'll continue this later".

"Any time babe, you know that" he challenged, "Sorry Mary, we'll try and curb this desire to kill each other" was his best attempt at a semi apology.

"Nah, it's fine, just don't break anything ok" Mary answered chuckling at Lian and Mark trying to get off the floor.

"Hey what time is it?" Lian asked as she finally stood up.

"Uh, bout 4:30, why?" Mark answered.

"Ah great, perfect timing, I have to go back to the airport, Renee and Amy get here at six, anyone want to come for the ride?" she said as she walked to the door grabbing her jacket and keys.

"Yep, count me in" Rox leapt at the opportunity. She had never met the two Americans, and wanted to get a good look at the people that her old friend chose to associate with.

"Ok, well grab your gear and lets go" was the retort, "I'm not gonna wait for you, so hurry up slow coach" she teased.

"Ah, hang about you old nag, you know I'm coming!" she teased back.

"Okay, we'll see you later, anything anyone needs while we're out?" Lian asked as they headed out the door.

"Yeah, a decent beer!" Mark called out laughing "this foreign stuffs no good".

"Fine, anything else? no, okay, see you later" and they were gone. Mary and Mark stood there looking at each other.

"Damn it's quiet when she's gone" he spoke.

"Heh, yep, but peaceful is a nicer way to put it" Mary joked back.

***********

"Okay, here they are" Lian commented as she saw her other friends strolling down the gateway. The drive out to the airport had been a good run, despite the congestion of traffic and people making their way home for the holidays.

"Is that them?" Rox pointed out the two travelers that were carrying a great deal of luggage.

"Yep, but what on earth is in those bags, they're only supposed to be coming for three days" Lian noticed that Renee and Amy had an amazing amount of bags for only two people.

Finally the two Americans made it to their eagerly waiting companions. Placing the bags on the floor, they both gave Lian a hug and warmly greeted Rox.

"Been a while kid" Renee giggled as Lian gave her a huge bear hug back.

"Too long my friend, too damn long. Hi Amy how you been, see you finally gave in and took your partners advice, you look like you need a break" she enthused.

"You just watch yourself you little turkey, or it'll be you weÕre eating tomorrow" Amy teased in return.

"Renee, Amy, this is Rox, my oldest, nearest and dearest friend, come all the way from Australia to spend the holidays with us" she laughed back.

"Nice to meet you" they all said in unison.

"All rightly, lets hi-me-home eh, then we can start to have some fun" Lian said as she grabbed a handful of luggage, "what in blue blazes have you two brought, looks like you've come for a year"

"We have" they both laughed, "only joking, we brought a few trinkets for you" Amy finished.

"Oh, fair enough, lucky me" she replied as they approached the car.

Loading up the MX3 and driving back home was a breeze, the foursome had a good time discovering the difference between Canadian, American and Australian beers. So by the time they did manage to make it home, three of the company were well on their way to having the 'holiday spirit'.

"What happened to them?" Mary and Mark questioned as the group staggered through the door.

"Oh well it sort of started out as a discussion about beer, then they had to prove the argument, and the next thing you know.... Anyway, I saved you a few beers Mark" Lian responded deeply amused at her guests laughing and slurring.

"Awww, come on Lillycat, you know we're only having fun" Rox mumbled as she tripped over the bags and fell onto the sofa.

"Lillycat???? Where did that come from?" Lian was rolling in laughter now, it'd been a long time since she'd seen her dear friend inebriated, and it was truly a funny sight to behold.

"Heh, dunno, just 'POPPED' into my head, dats all.... hic!" she replied.

That then started an in-depth conversation about things that go 'pop' in the night. Which under normal circumstances would have been funny, but under the current ones it was down right hilarious.

"Okay you lot, time to turn in, it's ten o' clock and its gonna be a long day tomorrow, so I suggest we get 'some' sleep tonight". Lian was happy and enjoying herself immensely, but she knew that none of her friends would be in good moods the next day if they continued their set course.

"Yes Mum/Mom" they all answered at once, and braking into another set of giggles.

"Uh, children" she retorted.

"I'll help you Lian, we're putting the new two on the sofa right?" Mary asked as she stood, of all the company, apart from Lian, she was the most sober.

"Yep, so we have get to get the Aussies into my room, then the Yanks out of the way while we roll out the sofa, and finally get ourselves into some sort of order. Either that or we can leave 'em here and just go to bed ourselves" She jokingly replied, but semi-considering the idea.

"Okay, Rox and Mark first, let's go!" Mary commented, lifting Rox to her feet whilst Lian got a hold on Mark and carried him into the room.

Placing the two Australians on the bed, and walking out, carefully closing the door behind them, 'now to tackle the other two' Lian thought to herself, 'this would be fun'. Eventually getting the other two to calm down long enough to erect the bed, and getting them settled, Mary and Lian slowly crept into Marys' room, and fell on the bed.

"Well that was fun. You know what we should have done though don't you?" Lian started giggling.

"No, what?" Mary answered slightly puzzled.

"We should have switched partners on them, can you imagine their faces in the morning, crap that would have been funny" she was now rolling in laughter.

"Ooo, that's mean!" Mary replied, thinking about the look on their guests' faces in the morning had they pulled such a prank, "You wouldn't do something like that? Would you?"

Lian just grinned, a full toothy grin.

"Poop, you would! Remind me never to get drunk in front of you again!" she chuckled, 'what a night indeed' she thought, 'I've never seen her like this before, hope it lasts for a while'. "Night Lillycat" she chirped.

"Aughk! Don't you start! Goodnight" she replied as she rolled over.

They then turned in, sleeping well into the next morning, all the occupants of the flat completely exhausted.

************

"Mmmm, that smells good" Rox commented as she walked out into the living area. Having been woken up to the delightful smells of Lian cooking a multitude of dishes for the communal breakfast.

"Heh, thought you'd enjoy one of my old style breakfasts, how'd you sleep?" Lian remarked as she stirred the scrambled eggs and checking the toast.

"Uh, I slept well, don't know about Mark, he ended up sleeping upside down on the bed without any covers and....." she stopped as she noticed that Renee and Amy were still asleep, together!

"Oh, yeah, sorry I guess I should have told you, ummm...." Lian had completely forgotten that this sort of relationship was foreign to Rox, 'Idiot, just because your comfortable with it doesn't mean she and Mark will be, you know he has a hard time accepting this sort of thing' she mentally chided herself for her lack of foresight.

"Oh it's ok, we pretty much figured it out anyway, it just would have been nicer if you'd told us first" Rox smiled at her friend. She and Mark had suspected that a lot of things had changed with their world traveling friend, and this proved it. Not that it bothered them too much, but it was certainly different to what they were accustomed to.

"Huh, yeah, sorry about that, didn't think of it. Can you wake them up, and go stir Mary and Mark, I think Mary should be awake by now, if not give her a good kick, that should get her up" Lian said as she started getting the plates out.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather wake her, I mean you two are.....?" she trailed off.

"WHAT! No, no, we're not, ummm, what made you think we.... Oh right cause of... and we're in the same room and.... " Lian broke into laughter at the deep crimson blush that had crawled up Roxs' face. "Sorry mate, no we're not, we're just bunking in while the gangs here".

"Oh, well in that case, sure" Rox greatly embarrassed at her faux pas, walked off to do the best job she could at waking the sleeping troop.

Breakfast went well, everybody eating to their hearts content, the 'cook' of the house having out done herself as usual. Harry had arrived by ten and John not to long after. Mary and Lian spent a large portion of the day in the kitchen finishing up the last minute specialties. Renee, Amy, Rox, Harry, John and Mark all sat around in the living room telling stories and getting aquatinted with each other. Finally came the long awaited feast. And a feast it was, turkey, yams all the trimmings, the two workers truly out did themselves.

"WOW, that looks unreal, you two should work in a restaurant" Mark chortled, much to the amusement of his companions.

"Yeah, well we would, but it's quite hard to find a decent establishment round here" Lian laughed back.

"I don't, I hear there's two positions opening up at Roughtons in a few days" Harry added.

"Thanks, we'll keep it in mind" Mary answered as she placed the last dish of vegetables on the table.

They all sat down around the table, passing bowls and platters back and forth until everyone had everything they wanted. Lian leaned back in her seat, which just happened to be in the corner so as she could see all her friends.

"Well, I'm not usually one for saying grace, but sitting back here, and looking at the people who share my life, I truly am thankful to whoever is responsible for this" Lian announced.

"Lian, I think you just summed up the meaning of this whole circus in one sentence, well done" Harry commented with everybody nodding in agreement.

Lian was absolutely content at the sight before her, and in that moment anything and everything seemed possible. 'Well done indeed my child, you've done me proud' a voice echoed in her mind, 'you've still got a lot to learn, but you're getting there'.

To Be Continued...