Oh boy! Hey, Hey! It's a national holiday
- P. MacDonald
Piper snapped awake five minutes before her alarm went off, noticing a long mass of ebony hair draped over her chest and an arm that wasn't hers around her waist. She smiled happily at the discovery and snuggled closer to the form that had attached itself to her back, turning gently in the embrace so she could study her while she slept. Her face was so different in repose as it lacked the intense wisdom that asserted itself in waking moments. She seemed so very young and vulnerable, easy to see the young girl that hid just below the surface. Unable to resist, she placed a tender kiss on one of her eyelids and smiled as the face twitched and dark orbs were reluctantly revealed. She studied them at close range; they were truly black without a trace of any other color and they filled rapidly with life and intelligence.
"Good morning," Piper said, rolling over to turn off the alarm.
"Good morning," Bailey said when she turned back around.
"What a nice surprise," Piper said, cuddling up to her. "I tried to call you all night last night."
"I know," Bailey said. "I fell asleep early and didn't wake up until after midnight, I'm sorry."
"That's okay, I'm glad you're here. I missed you."
"I missed you too," Bailey said with a kiss.
"What time did you come over last night?"
"Two-thirty."
"Nancy let you in?" Piper asked. "She's usually not up that late."
"I let myself in, I didn't want to wake you."
"More magic?" Piper asked with a little grin.
"A little, perhaps."
"My, my, maybe I should buy a guard dog," Piper said, playing with a strand of ebony hair.
"I like cats better."
"Yes, but a cat wouldn't alert me in the middle of the night when someone sneaks into my house and slips half naked into my bed."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Only if it's not you," Piper said, burying her head into Bailey's chest. "We got the contract by the way."
"I never had any doubt," Bailey said a little distractedly as Piper began kissing her breasts.
"You didn't?"
"No, I'd knew you'd do it," Bailey said, breathing in sharply as Piper suckled her.
"I didn't do it alone, I had a little help."
"Not according to Mr. Norvath," Bailey said unevenly, a tongue starting to tease at her. "I checked my mail before I left last night, he contributes the success solely to your performance in the boardroom."
"He's seems to be a good man," Piper said with another kiss to Bailey's breast before straightening and placing one on her mouth.
"Yes, he does," Bailey said. "Would you like French toast before we leave this morning?"
"Are you gonna make it?"
"No, I thought I'd go pick it off the tree in the backyard," Bailey said, rolling out of bed and putting on her shirt.
"Funny. Yes, I'd love some."
"Alright," Bailey said. "Are you packed? We only have a couple of hours."
"Yep, I packed before I went to bed. I'll go hop in the shower."
"Okay."
"I'm glad you came over last night," Piper said closing in on her and enveloping her in a hug. "You can sneak into my room anytime."
"I'll keep that in mind," Bailey said as Piper stood on her tiptoes to peck her on the cheek.
"I take it we're not leaving from the airport?" Piper asked as Bailey pulled into the C-Corp parking garage.
"Nope, we're leaving from the roof."
"Well, that's door to door service," Piper said as Bailey turned off the car and hit the remote for the door. "Kinda scary though."
"What is?" Bailey asked as she got out and walked around to the trunk.
"Taking off from so high up," Piper said. "There's no margin for error."
"I never thought about it," Bailey said with a shrug.
"Here, I can carry mine, you don't have to do that," Piper said tugging her bag from Bailey's hand and shouldering it. "Are you sure it's safe?"
"As safe as anything else in life."
"You're not being very comforting," Piper complained as they emerged into the lobby.
"Good morning, Miss Cameron, Miss Tate," said a security guard that Piper had seen before but didn't recognize.
"Hello, Allen," Bailey said and Piper smiled at him on their way to the elevator.
Once inside, Bailey produced her key and inserted it into the control panel. "It'll be alright, it's like being on a plane once you're in the air. Noisier though."
"Will you hold my hand?"
"Of course."
The elevator doors opened to reveal an overcast sky instead of an office hallway and Piper experienced a second of disorientation as she was led out onto the roof. She noticed with apprehension the little red helicopter that looked distressingly like a toy.
The pilot, a handsome man in his thirties, was waiting beside it and approached them when he noticed the women get out of the elevator.
"Good morning, ladies," he said cordially as he opened a door that led to a rather narrow back seat.
Bailey nodded politely to the man as she took Piper's bag from her, waiting until Piper got in before she put the bags on the floor in front of the seat and climbed in herself. The pilot shut the door behind her and climbed in the front, situating himself behind the controls.
"It'll be about four hours to Lakefront from here, give or take," the pilot said preparing for take off. "I'm Chris by the way, and if you need to talk to me during the flight use the headsets hanging up back there."
"Thank you, Chris," Bailey said.
"Very good. We'll be off in a few minutes."
Bailey noticed Piper nervously struggling with her seatbelt and gently shooed her hands away to fasten it for her. "It'll be fine," she whispered in her ear as the engine started up.
Bailey secured their bags under the seat and put on her own seat belt before offering her hand to Piper who grabbed it tightly and looked around worriedly. Bailey smiled brightly and waited for Piper's wandering eyes to meet hers and when they did she paused her nervous gyrations and tentatively returned the smile, but clenched Bailey's hand even tighter as the helicopter began to rise.
Piper closed her eyes tightly as she felt them begin to move forward and she kept them closed until she felt lips on her cheek and Bailey's voice in her ear.
"Look out the window," Bailey said, pitching her voice to be heard over the chop of the blades.
Piper hesitantly opened her eyes and saw that they were already speeding along. She could see the Atlanta skyline begin to fade in the distance and she began to gradually release her death grip on Bailey's hand. When her grip completely relaxed, Bailey took her hand from Piper's and shook it to revive the circulation. Piper noticed the action and smiled at her apologetically as she gently took her hand again and snuggled up to her on the bench, watching the world go by through the window.
II
Let me take you far away,
You'd like a holiday- K. Meine
As they approached their destination, Bailey put on one of the headsets so she could listen to Chris communicate with the tower. Piper had actually fallen asleep about an hour into the flight and had her head resting on her shoulder. She saw Chris turn a look in her direction and tap his headset, nodding when he saw that she was already wearing one.
"Ma'am, I understand that you'll be returning on Sunday, is that correct?"
"Yes," Bailey said.
"I'll be staying locally. What time is departure on Sunday?"
"I think 1:00 in the afternoon would be fine."
"Very good," Chris said. "We'll be landing in about five."
"Thank you," Bailey said and removed the headset.
"Piper," she said as she gently nudged the weight resting against her.
"We there?" she asked around a yawn.
Bailey nodded to the affirmative and Piper smiled. "I can't believe I fell asleep."
Bailey returned the smile with an effort and Piper could tell she was beginning to show signs of nervousness. She patted her comfortingly and lay her head back on her shoulder.
A few minutes later, they touched down gently and Chris turned in his seat. "Ladies, the terminal is that way," he said with a gesture. "I'm afraid it's a bit of a walk," he added while the blades gradually ceased their rotations.
"Thank you, Chris," Bailey said. "We'll see you here on Sunday," she added, removing her seatbelt.
"Happy Thanksgiving," he said with a grin that Piper returned brightly while Bailey retrieved their bags from under the seat.
Chris got out of the helicopter and opened the door on Bailey's side so they could get out. She dropped onto the tarmac and shouldered their bags, extending a hand to help Piper to the ground.
"Thanks, Chris," Piper said as the man closed the door behind her.
"My pleasure."
Bailey nodded to the man and began to lead Piper toward the terminal, which was a good distance across the tarmac.
"Piper," she started when they got out of earshot. "I'm a little nervous."
"I know you are," Piper said. "But I shall protect you," she exclaimed in a deep voice, puffing out her chest.
"You're a dork," she chuckled.
"Is that your favorite word or something?"
"I'm considering it. I might call down to personnel on Monday and have them add it to your business cards."
Piper chuckled. "Hush," she said giving Bailey a bump with her hips.
They walked in silence until they approached the terminal and Bailey took a deep breath. "Piper… I…"
"It'll be okay," Piper interrupted and squeezed her hand tightly. "I promise."
Bailey relaxed slightly and let Piper open the door for her.
"Piper!" a masculine voice called loudly from halfway across the room.
Bailey studied the man as he approached. She guessed him to be a little over six feet tall and he had Piper's pale blue eyes. His hair was a dark brown but she could see traces of red in it. He was leading a pretty woman that was about her size with blonde hair and dark brown eyes.
Piper felt the hand in hers tense upon hearing her brother's voice and she squeezed it reassuringly before letting go to meet the incoming embrace of her brother.
"Corey," Piper replied happily as her brother embraced her, picking her up off her feet.
"Bailey," she said as soon as she hit the ground. "This is my brother Corey and his wife Jennifer. Guys, I'd like you to meet Bailey Cameron."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bailey," Corey said, offering his hand in greeting which she shook lightly.
"Hi, Bailey," Jennifer said and offered her hand as well.
"It's nice to meet you both," Bailey said but quickly reached for Piper's hand as soon as she left the grip of Jennifer's greeting.
"Everyone is glad you could come, Bailey. Let me take your bags," he offered and with a gentle nudge from Piper she acquiesced and slipped the bags from her shoulder, which he immediately collected.
"Where's my niece?" Piper asked.
"She's home with Mom and Dad," Corey said. "We can't wait to show her off," he added with a smile at Jennifer who beamed silently.
"I bet she's a cutie."
"That she is," Corey said with pride. "You guys ready?"
"Yep, lead the way," Piper said with a squeeze and a gentle tug on Bailey's hand.
Bailey had the almost overwhelming urge to go for her cigarettes as Piper chatted pleasantly with her brother and his wife while they walked out of the building and to the car. Piper would occasionally turn a look in her direction and smile at her comfortingly but she knew her nervousness was showing.
Corey stopped at the rear of a white GMC Jimmy and deposited their bags in the back before he unlocked the doors so they could get in. Bailey climbed in the backseat behind Piper and let out a little sigh she hoped was undetectable.
Piper heard it and pulled Bailey's hand into her lap and gently stroked the top of it with her other hand in an effort to relax her.
Corey pulled out of the space and they were soon on the road. Bailey looked out the window at the passing city while Piper and her family jabbered back and forth, the scenery changing slowly from city to countryside.
"The Camaro finally died, Corey."
"Really?" Corey asked. "What happened to it?
"Bailey says it has a cracked block," Piper said and Corey winced.
"You're probably better off getting a new car than repairing it."
"I kinda figured."
"What are you driving now?" he asked and Piper smiled slyly.
"A '65 Corvette."
"No shit?" Corey asked with a look in the rearview. "Where did you get that?"
"It's one of Bailey's, she letting me drive it for a while."
"One of?" Corey asked. "How many cars do you own, Bailey?"
Bailey who had only been vaguely paying attention to the conversation looked up confusedly when Piper nudged her.
"I'm sorry?"
"Piper was telling me you have several cars, including the Corvette Piper's driving," he explained. "How many do you own?"
"Four."
"Really?"
"She has a thing for classic black muscle cars, Corey," Piper said with a playful squeeze on Bailey's hand. "She has a '71 HemiCuda and a '70 GTO Judge with a Super Duty."
"No kidding? I'm jealous, what's the specs on the Corvette?"
"396/425."
"I take it you're a collector."
"Somewhat. Although, I haven't found anything that has caught my eye in a while."
"What else do you have?"
"A '65 Shelby GT."
"Whoa. Which one is your favorite?"
"The Barracuda."
"Do you work on them yourself?"
"Only the Barracuda," Bailey said. "It's the only one I restored myself."
"I didn't know that," Piper said and Bailey shrugged.
"Really, I have an old Challenger out in the barn that I can't get to run right," Corey said. "Could I talk you into taking a look at it?"
"Sure."
"Great, I'll come get you on Saturday, alright?"
Bailey looked at Piper who nodded. "Alright."
"I'm excited. It's completely restored with the exception of a paint job. I've been struggling with getting it to run for over a month."
"No kidding," Jennifer broke in. "He goes out there to hide I think."
"I do not," Corey defended and Bailey's attention wandered while they argued back and forth for a few minutes.
Corey turned off onto a dirt road and Bailey could see a large two-story plantation home in the distance.
"That's it," Piper said with a squeeze to Bailey's hand.
Bailey gave her a nervous smile as the car pulled up to the front of the house and stopped. She began to breath a little faster when she saw a man and woman she assumed to be Piper's mother and father come out of the house and begin to walk down the steps.
Piper knew she was afraid and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Trust me when I say this is going to be a lot harder on me than it is you," she said with a sigh as she got out of the car and Bailey hesitantly stepped out herself.
Piper's father was a solid, strong looking man that was pushing sixty, with light red hair that had almost completely given over to gray and intelligent dark blue eyes. Her mother was a pretty woman that Bailey could see Piper physically favored. She was short and had an easy smile with thick brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Mom, Dad," Piper said. "This is Bailey Cameron. Bailey, these are my parents, Jack and Elizabeth."
"How do you do, young lady?" Jack said and shook her hand with a firm grip.
"It's nice to meet you both," Bailey said and quickly remembered. "Thank you for having me," she added.
"It's our pleasure, dear," Elizabeth said winningly with a Cajun accent. "Just call me, Liz."
"Alright."
"You sure are a pretty thing and what a lovely accent," Liz complimented, shooing Piper away. "Go kiss your father, Piper."
Liz took Bailey by the hand and tugged her in the direction of the house. "Corey, quit gawking like an idiot and take their things up to Piper's room."
"You come along with me, I have a whole weekend of tormenting my daughter planned and I'm going to start by showing you all of her pictures from when she was a baby," Liz said dragging Bailey up the stairs, who shot a beseeching look over her shoulder at Piper.
"Mom," Piper both whined and threatened.
"Join us in the kitchen when you're ready, Piper," Liz said, leading her captive into the house.
As soon as the door closed, Piper turned a pleading look on her father but only got a powerless shrug in return. "I'm afraid you're in for it," he said hopelessly. "She's a beautiful girl, Piper," he added, embracing his daughter.
"I know," Piper said with a smile, returning the hug.
"You better go to her rescue."
"Okay," Piper chuckled and kissed him on the cheek before following her mother and Bailey.
Piper walked through the door and made tracks for the rear of the house. She could smell food cooking and smiled to herself as she approached the kitchen. Her mother's voice wafted down the hallway and her pace increased.
"Take off those sunglasses and let me see you," Liz demanded in a friendly tone.
Bailey sat totally at a loss before a table in the kitchen with several photo albums in front of her. She took her sunglasses off apprehensively and put them in her jacket.
"What gorgeous eyes," Liz said looking closely at Bailey's face. "Try smiling a bit, dear. Those eyes of yours can be a little intimidating."
"Mother," Piper said sharply from the doorway. "Don't embarrass her."
"Je ne l'embarrasse pas," Liz spoke. "Je la complimente."
"Non, tu la genes," Piper said. "Tu peux bien m'embarrasser, mais va doucement avec elle, elle n'a pas l'habitude."
Bailey listened curiously while they argued back and forth, reaching out to open one of the photo albums in front of her and smiling at what she found.
"Est-ce que c'est toi, Piper?" Bailey said. "Quel gros bebe."
Both mother and daughter stopped arguing abruptly and turned to her with almost identical gaping expressions.
"You speak French?" Piper asked.
"Oui," Bailey said with a little smile.
"Well, how embarrassing," Liz said with a blush. "You're right though, she was a fat baby."
Piper let out a long suffering sigh and sat down beside Bailey. "I wasn't that fat."
Liz joined them at the table and smiled pleasantly. "Let me show you what she looked like with braces."
"Okay," Bailey said enthusiastically.
Piper closed her eyes.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, Piper sat firmly entrenched in the throes of an impressive sulk as she listened to her mother gleefully tell childhood stories about her while Bailey continued to thumb through the photo albums. To make matters worse, Bailey even chuckled from time to time as she nibbled on the sandwich Liz had made her. Her own sandwich remained untouched in front of her because she couldn't stop grinding her teeth long enough to enjoy it. She rejoiced when Jennifer entered the kitchen with her fussing niece.
"There she is," Piper said, happily hopping up from the table. "Oh, she's so cute," she cooed at the baby in Jennifer's arms.
"Devon Tate," Jennifer said. "Meet your Aunt Piper."
"Well, hello there," Piper said in a baby voice tickling Devon's chest.
"Here," Jennifer said, handing the child to Piper. "Will you hold her while I make her a bottle?"
"Of course," Piper said, taking the crying baby and sitting down next to Bailey.
"Isn't she adorable?" Piper said to Bailey who looked at the child uncomfortably.
"Devon, this is Bailey," Piper said formally to the child when Bailey didn't immediately answer. "Bailey is your Aunt Piper's girlfriend," she added in a whisper.
"Would you like to hold her?" Piper asked Bailey whose eyes widened.
"Piper, I…uhm…I've never held a child before."
"Then this'll be a new experience for you," Piper said, placing Devon in her arms. "Keep one arm under her for support," she added rearranging Bailey's limbs to accommodate the baby.
Bailey tensed and cradled the child as if she were extremely fragile. "Piper, take her back."
"Nope," Piper said and took a bite of her sandwich.
Bailey looked worriedly at the baby in her arms as Devon grabbed a fistful of her ponytail and immediately stopped crying.
"Looks like she found a friend," Liz said, watching with interest from across the table.
"Yep," Piper and Jennifer said at almost the same time and laughed.
Bailey looked at the child in wonder. "Hello," she said rather stiffly and Piper chuckled.
"She's not going to stand up and shake your hand, goofy."
"Be quiet," Bailey said and Liz chuckled.
"I see she's already learned to deal with you," Liz said with an amused look at Piper, who scowled.
"Would you like to feed her, Bailey?" Jennifer asked.
"I… I don't know how."
"All you have to do is hold the bottle," Jennifer said offering it to Devon who instantly took it in her mouth.
Bailey brought a hand up and very tentatively took the bottle from Jennifer's hand.
"Try to relax, sweetie," Liz said. "She's not made of glass."
Bailey nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay."
Piper leaned over and rested her cheek on Bailey's shoulder. "I think she likes your hair," she said, watching Devon happily pull on Bailey's ponytail.
"I guess so," Bailey said.
Liz got up from the table after a moment and began to putter around in preparation for dinner.
"I'll be back in a minute," Jennifer said, leaving Bailey and Piper at the table with Devon.
Bailey quietly fed the baby and studied her carefully for a few minutes. "She kind of looks like you did when you were a baby," she said to Piper who smiled. "Only not so fat though," she added innocently a few seconds later and Liz chuckled from across the room.
Piper's smile vanished and she let out another long sigh. "I can see this is going to be a long weekend."
"Piper, don't be a spoilsport," Liz chided as Jennifer walked back into the kitchen.
"Is she done, Bailey?" Jennifer asked looking over Bailey's shoulder.
"I think so."
"Yep, here let me take her," Jennifer said and Bailey held the baby out to her. "She likes you, Bailey," she teased as she took possession of Devon who didn't want to let go of Bailey's hair.
"Piper, if you're done eating why don't you show Bailey around," Liz suggested. "Dinner will be a few hours."
"Okay," Piper said getting up from her seat and tugging on Bailey's arm. "Come, let me show you the spread."
Piper gave Bailey a tour of the house and was relieved to note that she seemed far more relaxed than she did when she arrived. She took her up to her room and her eyes narrowed when she entered but she didn't say anything, not wanting to make Bailey more uncomfortable than she already was.
"This is our room," Piper said pulling her inside and jumping on the bed playfully, extending a hand in invitation. "What do you think so far?" she asked when Bailey sat down beside her.
"I think you have a wonderful family."
"I told you it would be alright," Piper said as she rose from the bed to get a brush from the dresser. She climbed over the bed and sat back down behind Bailey so she could brush her hair.
"Where did your father and Corey go?"
"They're out in the barn I'm sure," Piper said dismissively, pulling the tie from Bailey's ponytail and starting to run the brush through her hair.
"What are they doing out there? Do you have farm animals?"
"No," Piper said. "There'll be a crowd of relatives over tomorrow and we'll eat Thanksgiving dinner out there."
"In the barn?"
"Yeah, after dinner they'll clear the tables so everyone can dance and goof off."
"Goof off?" Bailey asked shooting an uncomprehending look over her shoulder.
"A lot of my relatives can play an instrument, so quite a few them will play music for everyone to dance to," Piper explained giving the turned cheek a quick peck. "Dad and Corey are probably out there cleaning up and getting the place ready."
"Oh," Bailey said quietly and yawned.
"I didn't know you could speak French Can you speak any other languages?"
"Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Italian."
"Wow. I'm embarrassed you caught me arguing with Mother."
"Thanks for coming to my rescue," Bailey said with a smile. "Your mother is pretty… uhm…"
"Overwhelming?" Piper supplied helpfully and Bailey nodded. "Yes, she is. She doesn't mean any harm, although she's taking far too much pleasure in tormenting me," she added with narrowed eyes.
Bailey yawned again and Piper put the brush down. "You tired?"
"A little."
"You can take a nap if you want," Piper said. "I know today has been kind of tough on you."
"Will you take one with me?"
"I'd love to," Piper said wrapping her arms around her waist and placing a kiss on the back of her neck.
Bailey lay down on the bed and Piper cuddled up to her back. "You're so beautiful," she said into her hair as she felt her begin to drift off.
III
Look my eyes are just holograms
- T. Tikaram
Liz glanced over her shoulder and did a double take when she saw Piper giving her the evil eye from the doorway.
"Someone has a nasty look on their face. Where's Bailey?"
"She's upstairs sleeping on the new queen-sized bed that someone thoughtfully replaced my old twin with," Piper said dryly and Liz chuckled.
"My that was thoughtful," Liz agreed. "The two of you would've never had fit in that old twin."
"I think you're enjoying yourself a tad too much at my expense," Piper accused leaving her post in the doorway to enter the kitchen.
"Perhaps," Liz said with a shrug. "But I've waited thirty long years for you to bring someone home and I'm going to make the most of it."
"I asked you to take it easy on her, she's not used to being around people," Piper said. "It took a huge effort on her part just to agree to come."
"Honey, she seems to be adjusting quite nicely," Liz said. "Don't be so protective. Sometimes the quickest way to adapt is to jump right in."
"Maybe."
"She certainly is a beauty," Liz said. "Sweet girl too, although she's terribly bashful for being as old as she is."
"Like I said, Mom," Piper said. "She's been alone most of her life. Today was harder on her than you think. That's why she's upstairs asleep, she didn't even stir when I left her."
"Poor thing. Maybe I was a little too boisterous. I'll try to be a little more subtle."
"I'd appreciate it," Piper said, enveloping mother in a hug. "By the way, I cannot believe you showed her that horrible picture of me. I thought I threw that out years ago."
"You did, but I found the negatives. Besides, you looked so cute."
"My face was covered with chicken pox and I hadn't washed my hair in a week," Piper grumbled. "I looked like I slept face down in a pan of Crisco."
"Bailey thought it was funny."
"I can forgive her though."
"Go get your girl and run outside to get Corey and your father," Liz said with a slap on Piper's rear. "Dinner will be ready in a bit."
"Okay."
She made her way back through the house and up the stairs to her bedroom to find Bailey still asleep on the new bed. She studied the sleeping form with interest, noting that she always slept in a fetal position as if something was hurting her. She considered that thought for some time as she gently lay down beside her and stroked her hair.
"Bailey," Piper said quietly and she stirred slightly. "Bailey," she repeated and her eyes opened.
"Hmmm?"
"Time to get up, sweetie," she said with a kiss to her cheek. "Dinner will be ready in a few."
"Okay," Bailey said and sat up with a stretch.
"Wanna go outside with me and get the guys?"
"Okay, where's the closest bathroom?"
"Third door on your left," Piper said with a smile as Bailey left without a backward glance.
Piper rolled over on to her back until Bailey came back into the room and jumped playfully on the bed beside her making her giggle.
"Feel better I take it?"
"Much," Bailey said, placing a kiss on Piper's mouth.
"Wow," Piper said when they parted. "That must have been some nap."
"Just glad to be with you."
"I'm glad you're here." Piper said stealing another kiss. "Now put your sneakers back on so we can go."
"Okay," Bailey said, looking around for her shoes. "Where did you put them?"
Piper got up to help her look but suddenly remembered. "Oh, I put them under the bed."
Bailey bent over on her hands and knees to get the shoes. "Did you take them off of me when I was sleeping?"
Piper admired the bottom covered in faded blue jeans with a raised eyebrow. "Can I get you to stay like that for awhile?"
"Huh?" Bailey said with a look behind her and blushed when she realized what Piper was talking about. "Be quiet," she said standing up quickly.
"You look good in jeans, I wish you'd wear them more often."
"It's all I packed," Bailey said as she seated herself in a chair to put her shoes back on.
"That's good news."
"Don't tease me."
"I'm not teasing you, I think you're beautiful."
"Thank you," she said shyly. "But you're still teasing me."
"Well, maybe a little. You ready?" she asked when Bailey stood up and put on her jacket.
"Yeah, lead the way," she said. "Where's your coat?"
"Hanging by the door; I'll grab it on the way out," Piper said as they exited the room.
Piper took her arm and cuddled up next to her when they exited the house but frowned as she paused when they reached the bottom of the steps to light a cigarette. Bailey tried to ignore the little scowl being directed at her but Piper relented with a surrendering sigh and led her toward the distant barn.
"Sounds like Corey's working on his hotrod," Piper said as they approached and the sound of an engine trying to start became audible. "Do you think you can fix it?"
Bailey shrugged and stepped on her cigarette. "Dunno."
"You'd probably be his hero if you did."
"I just want to be your hero," Bailey said under her breath but Piper heard it and squeezed the arm in hers tightly.
"You already are, goofy," Piper said but was a little dismayed by the sad look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Bailey said, shaking her head and putting a smile on her face.
"You don't fool me," Piper said as they entered the barn. "You can tell me, you know."
Bailey just nodded noncommittally and Piper opened her mouth to speak but closed it as Corey called out.
"Bailey, come over here and take a look at this," he yelled from the far end of the barn.
"Let's go see what he wants," Bailey said, tugging Piper in Corey's direction before she could protest.
They rounded what Bailey guessed used to be horse stall to find Corey covered in grease to his elbows.
"This is my toy," he said proudly, gesturing to the primer covered Challenger.
Bailey let go of Piper and examined the car with interest as she circled around it slowly.
"1970?"
"Yep."
She leaned over the engine compartment. "440?"
"Yes again. You know your cars."
"Just old hotrods. Start it up for me."
Corey smiled again and walked over to put an arm through the driver's side window. "Ready?"
Bailey nodded and cocked an ear to listen as the engine attempted to turn over. "That's good," she said and Corey pulled his arm back through the window.
"What do ya think?"
"I dunno. Sounds like it's not getting gas."
"That's what I thought, but I've checked the fuel system from end to end."
"New engine rebuild?"
"Less than a month old. Carburetor too."
"Do you have an engine manual?"
"Yeah, it's over there on the bench."
"Can I read it?"
"Help yourself."
Bailey went over to get the manual and Piper turned to Corey. "Dinner's almost ready, you'd better go clean up," she said. "Where's Dad?"
"He went over to the house and Mom sent him to the store for something, he should be back any minute."
"Oh," Piper said. "You're filthy," she added with a look of disgust.
"Gee, thanks."
"Anytime."
"I'm gonna go on in. I'll leave you two alone if you…uhm…wanna…" he trailed off, waggling his eyebrows at her as he passed.
"Out of my sight," Piper said with a swat to the back of his head.
"Owww," he said cheerfully, continuing on his way.
Bailey appeared at her side as Piper watched her brother exit the barn with a grin. "Where's your father?"
"Mom sent him to the store," Piper said taking her hand and noticing she had the thick, dirty manual in the other hand. "What are you going to do with that?"
"Read it."
"I see, wanna go for a roll in the hay?"
"Can I take raincheck?"
"Nope, one time offer," Piper said with a flip of her hair.
"Have you brushed your teeth today?"
"Twice."
"Hmmm," Bailey said making a show of pretending to think. "Do we have time before dinner?"
"If we can speed along negotiations."
"Oh, alright," Bailey said dramatically and laughed when Piper did a little hop and hurriedly led her by the hand to the stairs.
"Piper," Corey yelled from outside the barn. "Dad's back."
"Grrr," Piper growled. "I guess we don't have time. Can I get that raincheck?"
"Sure, Esmeralda," Bailey said and chuckled when Piper scowled.
"I should never have told you."
"Too late now."
"You woke up in a good mood," Piper said shrugging off her annoyance. "Come on let's go, goofy," she added with a tug on her hand.
Bailey squirmed nervously in her chair but subsided with a gentle nudge from Piper under the table. She felt like every eye at the table was directed at her and she became extremely uncomfortable as she waited anxiously for Piper's mother to sit down and officially start dinner. She almost sighed with relief when Liz finally stopped putting food on the table and took a seat.
"Bailey, would you like to lead us in grace tonight?" Piper's father asked from across the table and she tensed.
"I'm afraid it's been a long time since I've been at a table that practiced grace."
"You've no judges here, do your best."
Bailey nervously wracked her brain, struggling to recall the last meal prayer she had heard as Piper took one of her hands and squeezed it gently and Corey took her other hand.
"Bless us, O Lord…" she began uncertainly, "…and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen."
"Amen," those gathered said in unison.
The dishes were passed around until everyone had what they wanted and Bailey began to relax a little as the attention moved from her to the food on their plates.
"Bailey, you have a very strong accent," Jennifer said conversationally. "Where are you from in Ireland?
"Belfast," she replied, beginning to tense again.
"How long did you live there?" Jennifer asked.
"Sixteen years."
"Where's your family at now, Bailey?" Liz asked and got a sharp look from Piper.
Bailey took a deep breath. "My father and oldest brother are dead. I have a mother and a younger brother but I haven't seen or spoken to them in fifteen years."
"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't know."
"It's alright."
"Did they pass over while you were young?"
"They were killed in Belfast."
"Killed?" Jack said. "How?"
"Northern Ireland is occupied territory, Mr. Tate. A British officer saw fit to order his men to fire into a crowd in the attempt to stop two fleeing Irish dissenters. A crowd that, in addition to several men, women, and children, included my entire family," she finished with a touch of malice.
"I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Me too," Bailey said quietly but Piper could see her eyes flashing.
"Bailey, I'm sorry," Liz said. "It was not my intention to start dinner on an unhappy note. We're very glad to have you here for the holiday and I apologize for bringing up such an unpleasant topic for you."
"It's alright. It's not a topic I that I like to discuss."
"That's perfectly understandable."
Bailey poked at her food uncomfortably and was relieved when Corey started up with a story about one his cousins. She looked up at Piper in time to see her shoot a grateful look at her brother and see the responding wink she got in return. She found herself feeling grateful too as she realized that he took the spotlight from her and placed it on himself because he knew that she was uncomfortable. She analyzed that critically and it occurred to her that it was done out of a sense of protectiveness. It was not something she would have expected from someone she only met earlier in the day, and for the first time in her adult life she felt a sense of belonging. She risked another glance at Piper and found her smiling slyly at her with a knowing look on her face. She smiled in return and bashfully returned her attention back to the food on her plate.
"Would you like to join us, Bailey?" Jack asked.
Bailey heard her name and surfaced quickly from her thoughts. "I'm sorry?"
"Jack, I'm sure she doesn't want to play guns with you and the boys," Liz said and Bailey's eyebrows knitted.
Jack ignored his wife. "We have a marksmen's contest every year on Thanksgiving Day. I asked if you would like to join us?"
"Oh yes, Piper mentioned something about that," Bailey said coming up to speed. "What would I win?"
"Someone's pretty cocky," Corey said.
"Yes, what is the big prize you guys compete for every year?" Piper asked.
Jack looked uncomfortable. "Everyone puts in a hundred dollars and Uncle Marlon judges and declares a winner."
Liz perked up. "You guys go out there and gamble? I can't believe you've kept that a secret all these years."
"Where do you think you got your living room set last year for Christmas?"
"You said you saved for it, you jerk," Liz said and Piper and Corey laughed.
"How many people enter?" Bailey asked when the laughter subsided.
"Between twenty and thirty," Jack said, trying to ignore the glare from his wife.
"Okay," Bailey said with a shrug.
"Great."
"Starts around ten. Piper can show you the way," Jack said.
"Alright."
Piper looked at Bailey carefully and smiled to herself. She suspected that her relatives would never know what hit them and almost laughed at the imagined reactions.
"Bailey, you didn't try any of the potato salad," Liz pointed out.
"I don't like mayonnaise."
"Oh, I'm glad you told me that," Liz said with a chuckle. "Is there anything else you don't like?"
"No, just nothing with mayonnaise."
"She eats her salad dry and likes Pepsi," Piper said. "She told me that Coke sucks," she added and got a snicker from everyone but her father who grinned.
"Be quiet," Bailey said to Piper with a blush.
"If Piper gets too uppity, dear," Liz said. "I have some pictures you haven't seen yet and several stories I'm sure she would be mortified for you to hear."
"Mother," Piper growled. "Did you embarrass Corey when he brought Jennifer home?
"Oh yeah," Corey said with a nod and Jennifer chuckled. "I tried to leave two days early, but Dad hid my keys."
"Gee, that's great news. Maybe we should've rented a car."
"Fortunately, you're at my mercy until Sunday," Liz said smugly. "By the way, what time do we need to have you back at the airport?"
"Around one," Bailey said.
"How did you like flying in a helicopter, Piper?" Corey asked.
"I had some problems on take off, but it was fun when we got going. I fell asleep for a bit."
"Where did you take off from?" Corey asked.
"From the roof of C-Corp."
"Really?" Corey asked. "What does the 'C' stand for?"
"Cameron," Bailey said.
"Oh, I guess that should have been pretty obvious," Corey said.
"Duh," Piper provided helpfully and Corey laughed.
"Would anyone like any desert?" Liz asked and received several affirmative responses.
Bailey finished her dinner and spent the rest of the evening watching Piper's family interact with wonder and fascination.
I can't believe you're reading that dirty old thing in bed," Piper said sulkily, referring to the engine manual that Bailey had been reading for the last hour.
"Hush," Bailey said and Piper rolled over in a huff.
Bailey had returned to the bedroom in her usual black shirt and shorts with her long hair hanging loose about her shoulders. Piper had been dismayed to see her take a seat against the headboard and begin to study the greasy manual.
Piper turned an annoyed glare on the wall across the room. She couldn't believe she was sharing a bed with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and all Bailey wanted to do was read a dumb engine manual. If it weren't so frustrating she would have found it amusing. Bailey looked like the last person on Earth that would choose to spend her time reading about car engines. She turned over warily when she felt Bailey get up from the bed but was distressed to see her dig in her bag and produce her laptop.
"Is there a phone line in here?"
"Behind the dresser. What are you doing now?"
"Gonna see if there's an online update or FAQ to the manual," Bailey said stringing the telephone cord back to the bed and resituating herself.
Piper put the pillow over her face and sighed. "Would you like to see me naked?" she asked suddenly throwing the pillow aside.
"I love to see you naked," Bailey said, not looking up from her laptop. "I think you're beautiful, but we're in your parent's house. I would be uncomfortable."
Piper sighed. "What did you think of the movie, did you see anything you would like to try?"
Bailey colored. "Honestly, Piper. That movie scared me the first time I watched it."
"Really? How come?"
"Those women were so…exposed," Bailey said keeping her attention on the screen in front of her.
"How did that affect you?"
"It scared me to imagine myself in that manner."
"Why?" Piper asked. "You're gorgeous, Bailey."
"It scared me because at the same time it excited me to think of you seeing me that way," Bailey said. "I don't think that came out right," she added after reviewing her words.
"It came out fine, I understand. Would you like to see me in that manner?"
"Yes," she said, her color deepening. "But I don't think I'm ready for that just yet."
"You really are a treasure, Bailey," Piper said."I'm so glad to have found you."
Bailey put the laptop on the floor and rolled over to place a kiss on Piper's cheek. "Let me hold you," she said quietly and Piper turned into her embrace.
IV
You have underestimated my power,
As you shortly will discover
- P. Simon
"Piper, I don't know about this," Bailey said worriedly while she sat cross-legged on the bed and let Piper finish repainting her nails.
"I told you we would have relatives over today."
"There's a lot of people moving about downstairs," Bailey pointed out, having heard them when she returned from the shower.
"I know," Piper said. "It means a lot to me to have you here and I know this isn't easy for you. Just try to relax and be yourself. I won't let you out of my sight all day."
"Okay," Bailey said with a nervous sigh.
"Would you let me put a braid in your hair?"
"I dunno, I've never braided my hair."
"Let me try and if you don't like it we can take it out," Piper said with a comforting smile and she nodded. "Turn around."
Bailey resituated herself so Piper could play with her hair and fidgeted nervously until she announced that she was finished.
"Go look in the mirror and tell me what you think," Piper said and she got up from the bed and hesitantly looked in the mirror attached to the dresser. There was a thick roped braid that wrapped around the bulk of her hair, traveling in a circle from the back of her neck around the top of her head that served to keep her hair away from her face and hold the back freely in a large tail that flowed down her back. She poked the braid curiously and tried to view it from several angles in the mirror until Piper snickered at her.
"Just tell me what you think, goofy," she said rolling her eyes.
"I like it. Will you show me how you did it?"
"Of course," Piper said with a grin. "You ready to face the Tate nation?"
"No," Bailey said and Piper chuckled.
"Come on, let's get it over with," Piper said getting off the bed and embracing her from behind. "You can't hide upstairs all day."
"Yes, I can."
"Quit it," Piper said, tickling her. "You've already charmed everyone else."
"I have?" Bailey said with a chuckle as she slapped Piper's hands away.
"Yep," Piper said. "My mother likes you a lot and I think Corey has a crush on you."
"Really?"
"Really, now quit procrastinating," Piper chided. "Besides, I want to see you show up all the boys today."
Bailey tensed slightly. "What makes you think I will?"
"Because I don't think there's anything you can't be good at."
Bailey grunted noncommittally.
"Come on, let's go," Piper said, gently tugging her toward the door.
"Wait," Bailey said letting go of Piper's hand and picking up Corey's engine manual. "I need to give this back to your brother."
They traveled unmolested to the kitchen where Piper again had to tug on her to get her to enter the room.
"There they are," Liz said as Piper entered the kitchen. Noting with amusement that her daughter had to pull a little on Bailey's hand to get her to follow her in.
"Hi, Mom," Piper said. "Hello, everyone," she added to the several women who were milling about. "This is Bailey Cameron," she said trying not to wince when the grip on her hand tightened uncomfortably.
"Hi, Bailey," a few voices said around the same time.
"Bailey, that's my Aunt Jane and my Aunt Barbara," Piper said pointed out. "That's my cousin Darlene…" The list continued and Bailey nodded to each one as they were introduced. "…I think that's everyone here at the moment."
"Everyone else is already out in the barn," Liz said. "The rest of you go find something to do so I can feed them breakfast," she added pleasantly to the gathered women who filed genially out of the room.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Piper said as soon as they left, leading Bailey to a chair at the kitchen table where she seated herself with a relieved sigh.
"Sweetie, everyone's just curious," Liz said. "Next time you visit it'll be a lot easier."
"Okay," Bailey said, unconvinced.
Liz chuckled and sat a plate of food in front of her. "Have some breakfast before you go play with the guys," she said and turned back to her chores.
Piper scowled when she didn't get a plate and narrowed her eyes at her mother's back. "Where's mine, Mom?" she asked with exaggerated sweetness.
"You know where everything is, Piper," Liz said without turning around.
Piper let out an aggrieved sigh and rose from the table to get her own breakfast. She sat down with a huff a moment later and received a quick amused look from Bailey.
"Where's Dad?" Piper asked chewing on a piece of bacon.
"Your father..." Liz started in an accusing voice, "… left the house early this morning with Corey. I assume they're out there making wagers already."
Piper snickered. "I think it's kinda funny."
"I'm so glad for you. It would serve them all right if Bailey showed them up."
"She will."
Liz turned to look at Bailey thoughtfully. "Do you think you can, dear?"
Bailey nodded. "Sure."
A slow smile began to form. "Would you do me a favor?" she asked sitting down at the table.
"Okay."
"I can't believe my mother," Piper said with amusement as she and Bailey walked down an old dirt path behind the barn. "She really likes you."
"I like her too."
"Did you see all the girls hanging out in the living room as we left?" Piper said with a slight frown. "They couldn't wait to get back into the kitchen and gossip."
"Hmmm," Bailey nodded as the voices and laughter of several men became audible.
"What did you do with Corey's book?"
"I put it back where I found it while you were jabbering with your relatives in the barn."
"I do not jabber. I was having a conversation."
"Whatever," Bailey said, chuckling when Piper poked her in the belly.
"Bailey!" Corey yelled out when they emerged into a clearing.
Bailey took in her surroundings with interest, noticing several folding tables and two clay pigeon launchers that were mounted on two old car tires that sat side by side about twenty feet apart. She also noted several targets had been set up in the distance and that there were over twenty men milling about talking and joking with one another.
"Everyone, this is Bailey and she's gonna to participate today," Corey said loudly when she and Piper came to a stop next to Jack. Everyone greeted her amiably and she turned her attention to Piper's father.
"What do I have to do to win?"
"You seem pretty confident," he said in a friendly tone.
Bailey produced two one hundred-dollar bills from her jacket. "I've two hundred dollars that says I'll win," she said as everyone started to close in on her with grins on their faces. "Anyone care to match it?" she asked, enjoying herself.
There was the rustle of clothing as everyone dug in their clothes for money and Jack chuckled. "I smell a ringer. But I'll ante up anyway," he said, reaching for his wallet.
"How do you expect to win, young lady?" a gravelly voice with a Cajun accent asked and Bailey turned to the man.
"Bailey, this is Marlon," Jack said. "He's Elizabeth's brother and he decides the winner."
"Nice to meet you. If I were to hit six clay pigeons launched at the same time, would I win?"
Marlon chuckled. "Young lady, I believe almost everyone here could do that if their shotgun held six shells."
"With a handgun?" Bailey inquired and the smile vanished from his face.
Several of the men outright laughed while the others rolled their eyes and muttered disbelievingly.
"I've another hundred that says I can," she added, producing another hundred-dollar bill.
Jack rocked back on his heels and smiled. "I definitely smell a ringer," he said with a chuckle. "I'll just stick with the two hundred.
"Set up the pigeons boys, and ante up," Marlon said loudly and turned to walk from man to man with a large Crown Royal whiskey bag that the majority of men dropped money or checks in. He returned a couple of minutes later and looked at Bailey.
"Where's your gun?"
"I'll have to borrow one," she said. "Does anyone have a Browning Hi-Power?"
"I think Tommy has one," Corey said. "Tommy!" he called out and a young man in his twenties stepped out of the crowd. "Loan Bailey your Browning," he said and Tommy pulled the handgun from his belt and offered it to her butt first.
"Thank you," Bailey said, taking the gun in her right hand.
She shot a look at Piper who was beaming a smile at her. She returned it with a quick grin as Jack handed her ear protection and she stepped forward between the pigeon launchers, resituating her sunglasses and checking her weapon.
"Anytime you're ready, young lady," Marlon said and she nodded.
Both launchers, holding three pigeons apiece, let go with a clack as the six little orange discs were flung into the air. Piper watched in fascination as Bailey's gun tracked to the targets as if it were an extension of her body. Five shots rang out in rapid succession, followed by three more in a burst to hit the last disc that was in danger of evading her.
Bailey de-cocked the pistol and walked over to hand it back to Tommy.
"Thank you," she said as the man absentmindedly took repossession of the gun, his mouth hanging open.
"Holy shit," Marlon announced as the rest of the men stood silently gaping with their faces pointed up to the sky.
"Gentlemen, I believe we've been had," Jack said smiling in amusement.
Piper laughed delightedly as she jumped up and down in front of her father. "Pay up, losers!" she yelled to the guys now mumbling among themselves.
"Where in the nine levels of Hell did you learn to shoot like that?" Marlon asked.
"Practice," Bailey said with a smile as Piper threw an excited hug around her.
"I've been shooting all of my life and even when I was in my prime I couldn't have hit two of those," Marlon said with a reluctant grin before turning around. "Anyone care to try and top that?"
Marlon observed all the shaking heads and turned to Bailey with a smile. "Looks like you took everyone to the cleaners," he said with a sly smile as he handed her the bag of winnings.
"Thanks," she said, giving the bag to Piper who took it excitedly.
"Well…" Jack started with a chuckle, "…I guess that about wraps it up. Well done, Bailey."
"Thank you," Bailey said with a hesitant smile.
"Come on. Bailey," Piper said with a look at her father. "Mom will want to see her money," she finished and Jack let out a delighted laugh.
"I should've seen her hand in this when you continued to up the wager. Now I'll never hear the end of it."
I can imagine," Piper said with a knowing grin at her father. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking Bailey's hand and leading her away. They had almost reached the barn when Corey came jogging up the path and fell in next to them.
"Bailey, that was fantastic," Corey said, nudging Piper with his elbow. "Some of the guys want to know if you have a sister."
"I'll bet," Piper said.
"These are yours," Bailey said, offering him a set of keys.
"These are my Challenger keys."
"I thought you might want drive it."
"Huh?" he said with a puzzled scowl but it slowly changed into a grin. "You're kidding me."
"Give it a go."
"No way," Corey said with an enormous smile as he jogged off towards the barn.
"You fixed his car?" Piper said shaking her head in wonder as Corey got out of earshot.
"Yes."
"When did you do that?" Piper asked with a chuckle.
"Last night while you were sleeping."
"You really are something else," Piper said, amused. "I thought I smelled gasoline on you this morning," she added as they passed the back of the barn in time to hear the Challenger roar to life.
"What else do you have up your sleeve?"
"Just an arm."
Bailey had said she wanted to take a nap so Piper left her in her bedroom with a kiss and ventured downstairs to see her mother. She rolled her eyes as she entered the kitchen and all conversation came to an abrupt halt.
"Gosh, I wonder what you guys were talking about?" Piper asked, receiving several chuckles.
"Where's Bailey?" Liz asked.
"She's upstairs taking a nap," Piper said as she put the Crown Royal bag on the counter in front of her mother.
"What's this?"
"It's Bailey's winnings," Piper said and Liz cackled gleefully.
"She won did she? I can't wait to lord it over your father."
"Dad laughed, he knows he's in for it."
"What did she win, Liz?" Jane asked, not content to eavesdrop any longer.
"Did you know the boys gamble on the outcome of their little shoot out every year?"
"No," Jane said with a scowl and several of the other women mirrored her expression.
"They do, and Bailey went out this morning and showed them up," Liz said proudly, digging in the bag and letting out a gasp at how much money she found. "My God, how much is in here?"
"Around the neighborhood of six thousand dollars I'd think," Piper said and eyes widened all over the room.
"Good God, how much do those morons wager?" Barbara exclaimed.
"A hundred dollars a person to enter, but Bailey bet another hundred that she would win, and then bet another hundred when they didn't believe her. There's several personal checks in there too," Piper explained, cheerily delighting in the irritated expressions that encompassed the room.
"You should give this back to her," Liz said, offering the bag back to Piper but she refused.
"She said to split it among the girls that had a husband or boyfriend out there today," Piper said, the expressions in the room changing from frowns to grins.
"Is she sure?" Liz asked. "That's a lot of money."
"It all came from your husbands," Piper said dismissively as she browsed through the refrigerator.
"Does she really own the company you work for, Piper?" Jane asked.
"Yes," Piper said, pouring herself a glass of milk.
"She's very beautiful," Barbara said.
"Yes, she is," Piper said, reaching over her mother's shoulder for the cookie jar.
"Piper," Liz said. "Is she really sure she doesn't want the money?"
"Mom, she doesn't say stuff she doesn't mean," Piper said. "You'll embarrass her if you try to give it back."
"Alright," Liz agreed. "Janey, make a list of everyone who was out there today and I'll split it among the girls.
"Okay," Jane said happily and immediately went about assembling a coven of women to help her with her task.
"Where's Jennifer this morning?" Piper asked.
"Right here," Jennifer said entering the kitchen with Devon.
"Goody, I was hoping to spend some time with my niece today."
"Here you can feed her, she's been fussing all morning," Jennifer said, handing Devon over.
"Good morning, Devon," Piper said, cradling the baby in her arms.
"Did I just see Corey driving his hotrod around out front?" Jennifer asked as she prepared a bottle.
"Yep," Piper said as she sat down at the table with Devon.
"I guess he fixed it," Jennifer shrugged.
"I guess he did," Piper said. "So, what's the new gossip around the homestead? Well, that I'm not a part of."
"I'm afraid all the juicy stuff involves you," Barbara said with a grin. "But I'm sure we can dig up some old standbys. "
"Please."
Piper sat happily in the kitchen for over an hour, feeding and playing with Devon while listening to all the current news and gossip about family and friends. She was pleasantly relieved that everyone had apparently decided to rely on her mother for information pertaining to Bailey and that she was not going to have to suffer a group interrogation.
"Well, well," Liz said haughtily when Jack entered the kitchen. "I heard that an Irish girl kicked some ass out there today."
"You heard correctly," Jack said with an amused smile as he endured laughter from all the women.
"Serves you right," Liz said. "The girls and I are going to enjoy spending your gambling money."
"Huh?"
"Bailey gave the winnings to Mom to split among the girls," Piper explained.
"Why would she do that?" Jack asked. "She won fair and square, that was a lot of money."
"She doesn't care about the money," Piper said. "She only played because you asked her to."
"Who doesn't care about that much money?"
Piper opened her mouth to speak, hesitating when she noticed all the cocked ears in the room. "Dad, she owns a multi-million dollar corporation. The fact that you asked her was the only thing she cared about," she said reluctantly as Corey entered the already crowded kitchen.
"Where's Bailey?" he asked.
"She's sleeping," Piper said. "What's up?"
"Did you know she fixed my car?"
"No, I found out the same time you did."
"Bailey fixed your car?" Jennifer asked.
"Yeah," Corey said. "Runs like a raped ape. I wanted to thank her."
"When did she do that?" Liz asked.
"Last night," Piper admitted. "She read Corey's manual and pulled some stuff from the Internet. I didn't know she went out to fix it until she handed the keys to Corey."
"You mean she went out there in the middle of the night and worked on that old car?" Liz asked.
Piper shrugged wishing that there weren't so many ears in the room.
"I can't believe she did that."
"Mom, she only sleeps sporadically. She probably didn't have anything else to do," Piper explained, hoping to end the conversation.
"Hmmm," Liz grunted. "Well, you'd better go wake her. Food will be ready in about an hour."
"Alright," Piper said, handing Devon back to Jennifer and walking out of the room.
"Piper," her father said coming out of the kitchen after her. She looked at him expectantly but he shooed her to the end of the hall and looked around before he spoke. "Piper, you be good to that girl."
"What do you mean, Dad?"
"You be good to her," he repeated. "She has a gentle nature, but she hasn't led a gentle life."
"How do you know that?"
"Honey, she's a sweet girl," Jack said kindly. "Take care of her, I think she's earned it," he said and kissed her on the forehead, ambling out of the house without another word.
Piper watched him go and considered his words as she walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and stared at the form sleeping on her bed for several minutes.
"What are you doing?" Bailey asked, startling her slightly.
"Watching you."
Bailey rolled over to face her. "Why?"
"Because I can," Piper said coming over and lying down beside her, looking closely into her eyes and staring until Bailey turned her face away. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"What is it that you're afraid I'll see?" Piper asked and Bailey rolled completely over to present Piper with her back.
"Is dinner ready?"
"Almost," Piper replied. "Tell me."
"I can't."
"Why not?" Piper prodded and waited patiently for over a minute for her to answer.
"Because I don't think I could stand to lose you."
"Oh, sweetie," Piper said, stroking her hair. "I won't leave you, it's far too late for that."
"Piper, I hope with all my heart that's true. But my life is hard thing to share and would be an even harder thing to know."
"It is true and I already suspect more than you think."
"There's an unimaginably large gulf between what you might suspect and reality."
"That may be true," Piper said slowly, "but whatever you've done or have been involved in, doesn't take away from the fact that you mean the world to me."
Bailey rolled over to face her. "Just let me hold you."