randomplaces | WOT. The castle. Wagner family's holiday.

Sal rolled her eyes. "Nobody listens to me," she complained.

"Dinnae lookit me. I vas jes' t' messenger." Joy put her ears back slightly, then blinked as she suddenly acquired a Stephan. "Hello...."

The footstool, in the meantime, had turned around and was now bouncing joyfully around her feet, greeting her just like a dog.

Sal arched an eyebrow at the trotting footstool and leaned over to pet it.

"This's like a bad Disney movie," she said, smiling slightly despite herself. The smile was short-lived, though - as soon as she straightened up she was wrapping her arms around Kurt and Wolfen and trying to hide again.

Look at yourself. It's like you're afraid to leave home.

"I thought it vas a pretty good vone, mesel'." Joy shrugged and looked around, relaxing as always she did as soon as she got home.

"Shh." Kurt lay his cheek against her hair and rocked on his feet. "Shhh, Leibe, I have you."

"Have ye, b'y," murmured Wolfen, hugging for all she was worth.

"How long do we have to stay here?"

"Till yer ready t' go back." Joy twitched her ears as Stephan intently played with the hair on the back of her wrist, his little tail curled around her other wrist.

The footstool, meanwhile, put its front feet up on Sal's leg and seemed to beg for attention.

Joy glanced at it and shook her head. "Now ye've...."

Deep glad barking echoed from a side hall.

"Done it." She looked toward the dog sounds.

Sal still didn't look very pleased as she leaned back down to pet the stool, staying close all the while.

"So what are we going to do here, then?" she asked, sounding very exasperated.

Joy walked over to look down the hall. "Call yer dog off the coat tree?"

"Vhat?" Kurt's voice held startled laughter.

Sal blinked.

"Wilcoxe?" she called out, and the shaggy brown Newfoundland came around the corner, looking very pleased with herself as she sat down in front of Sal, tail thumping.

"What were you doing?"

Wilcoxe's tongue just lolled and she rolled onto her back, clearly expecting a belly rub.

"Had the parson down." Joy shook her head, then chuckled as the footstool jumped on the dog and Stephan scrambled down to join in the fun.

Sal tilted her head and smiled slightly. It was definitely cute.

"So back t' what I asked earlier... what exactly do we do here?"

"Rest. Holiday. T'ain't Hawaii, but tis fine enough fer all that." Joy looked at Wolfen, who was hiding from the game with her face on her father's chest. "Och, vhat's vrong wi' the wee lassie's wee leg?"

Kurt, staring at a random piece of furniture that was walking through, didn't hear her.

"She's no longer invulnerable," Sal said, smiling as she rubbed her daughter's back. "Because of... well, ye knows."

She sighed and put the heel of her hand against her forehead, wondering if she'd ever feel normal again.

The winged woman's fathomless dark eyes showed sympathy as she gently herded everyone toward the nearer hallway. "Och, come ye need t' git settled in before ve try anythin' else. Don't mind if the valls seem t' blur; tis jes' t' castle tryin' t' help us git on our vay qvicker."

"The castle trying to help...." Kurt took Sal's hand and winced slightly as Stephan attached himself to his tail.

"Aye, she's as alive as ever'thin' else."

"Well, I come from a living island," Sal said, looking around and holding onto Kurt for dear life, "so I suppose this isn't weird."

She still cried out in surprise when the walls did exactly what Joy described.

He rubbed her back and kept her from stumbling or anything as their hostess gently urged them forward and up a wide flight of stairs.

Their journey finally came out into a white-walled, hall-like sitting room with other doors opening off it on one side and tall windows covered with red velvet drapes on the other. The furniture tinkled merrily in greeting, and the three or four orbs floating up by the ceiling shone a little more brightly.

"Well, here ye go," said Joy. "Tis off the beaten track a bit so ye'll nae be troubled by me or Kurti stompin' around. Bedrooms there, 'n if ye need anythin' else just say it 'n somethin'll git it fer ya."

She blinked again. "Alright," she said quietly, moving toward the nearest window, wanting to know where she was. "Thanks, I guess."

The window opened onto a soft blue space. Off in the distance and above and below her she could see things floating, though they were so different from anything that she'd ever seen before that at first she couldn't understand what she was looking at.

But then slowly she realized that some of the things were floating blobs of water, some of them big enough to have things swimming around inside them; others looked like nothing so much as floating trees with leaves at both ends of their trunks; and yet others looked like small forests of gnarled trees all woven together. The occasional bird flew up from the clumps and trees, and some big ones were flying freely across the void or diving into water bubbles after the swimming things. Everything was lit by that light that had no discriminable source. The sound of water came from somewhere to the side.

"Ach!" said Kurt softly from where he looked over her head.

She spent a few minutes in silence, watching the spectacle outside the window.

"It's very pretty," she remarked. "Almost like there's no gravity." She looked up, feeling Kurt hovering over her head. "You know anything 'bout why it's like that?"

He shook his head, eyes still fixed on the beautiful strangeness. "By all rights none of this should be. It's... incredible."

Jabez frowned thoughtfully from where she'd come to look as well, then watched one of the bigger birds. "Dragon."

She smiled a half smile. "Yes, it is."

"There's a rookery 'o em on one 'o the towers," said Joy from behind them as the drape pulled itself out of the way. "Ye'll proly see 'em vhen ye go out."

"Out." Sal didn't look very pleased at that notion. At this point all she wanted to do was go to sleep and not wake up for a few days.

"After ye've had a good rest." Joy sighed as she read the brokenness in the other woman's body language, though she was reassured a bit by the way her family- even the frightened teen- were gathered around her supportively.

"Are you tired, Meine Leibe?" Kurt looked down in concern, his tail snaking around Sal's waist.

Another sigh. "Not particularly," she said. And she wasn't. She just felt like sleeping because... because she didn't have to think when she slept. She hadn't dreamed since the war ended.

But when she was awake she couldn't stop thinking about what she had done.

"No," she reiterated, trying her best to smile. "I'm not."

"I'd best be goin'," said Joy. "Remember, if ye need aught jes' ask anythin'."

Kurt turned to look at their hostess with a smile that was echoed from where Stephan had hopped over to Jabez's arms. "Thank you, Joy. Vill ve see you later?"

"Maybe." She twitched her ears in a smile, then turned and left the room.

"Needs silver things for her wings," said Jabez thoughtfully, her own silver things jingling softly as she moved her tail.

Sal turned and watched Joy leave, waving slightly. And then she sighed again, turning her gaze back to what was in front of her.

She wasn’t sure how she should deal with what she was seeing. This place was so strange, and it bore no resemblance to home. Despite the fact that her family was around, and that they were all safe and in one piece, she was still frightened and still wanted to go back. The beautiful spectacle in front of her did nothing to quell her fears that she wouldn’t be able to go back to her island, wherever it was.

“So everything floats,” she said, “and we’re in a very pretty castle. But apart from that, what makes this place any more relaxing then back home?” There was bitterness in her voice.

"Can I go outside 'n play?" asked Stephan innocently, looking up at Sal. "It's not raining."

Sal smiled down at Stephan. "Soon as I figures how t' get outta here, sure."

Kurt turned as something gently tapped his elbow, then blinked at the broom that was bekoning them toward the door they'd come in through. "I think some... vone... vants to show us the vay."

Sal shrugged. "Okay." She tore herself away from the window and grinned down at Stephan again. "Let's go."

The trip that the broom led them on was a short one. Kurt took Sal's hand as they came to the big old iron-bound door, then gently pushed it open to find a grassy garden courtyard that looked very commonplace but for the tree floating in the sky above them. More normal trees: apples and cherries heavy with fruit, stood here and there in the yard, intermixed with raised beds of herbs and medicinal flowers. One of the apple trees bore a knotted rope on one branch, which waved its tassled end invitingly as Stephan made excited happy sounds and rocked forward so that Jabez stepped onto the grass.

Sal watched, slightly amused, as Stephan barreled toward the rope swing, but was quickly forced to do a ninety degree turn toward a fountain, where a few fat koi fish were observing everyone placidly.

She smiled, but didn't laugh at the little boy's sense of absolute wonder as he poked one of the fish gently between the eyes.

Stephan gasped with delight as fishy lips gently nibbled little fingers and looked up at Jabez with shining eyes as she walked over to hunker next to him. Then he squealed and started to chatter as the broom brought over a head of lettuce in a net bag and showed him how to rip peices and feed the big fish by hand.

Kurt watched, then guided Sal over to where a bench sat in a mossy nook, chuckling as Wolfen stopped emoting NO and looked around, then abandoned ship to go and see what had her nephew so excited. Nearby Wilcox lay and watched everyone, panting and scrubbing the grass flat with her tail.

"So," said the blue man softly, ignoring the beauty all around him to look at the beauty at his side.

Sal broke away from him and took a step toward Wilcoxe and petted the dog behind her ears, then turned to Kurt. "So what?" she asked quietly, deciding that the bench would be uncomfortable. So she just sat on the grass.

The place was peaceful, but again it did little to calm her mind. There was a beautiful cacophony of soft noises, but the noise in her head drowned it out.

He followed her and gently gathered her into his lap, wrapping her in his arms as he thought of how much he missed the conversations that they used to have. But he wouldn't push her. He could remember what it had been like shortly after he'd killed his brother.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I know you do," she said. "I love you too."

And then, inexplicably, she was crying.

"Ach!" His arms tightened as he turned her sideways, one hand going up to stroke her hair as he lay his cheek against her forehead.

"What the hell is the matter with me?" she asked quietly, not really talking to anyone.

Kurt kissed her softly. "It's alright, my Schönheit."

She shook her head. "It's not," she said firmly. "I should be taking care of you lot, not being so ... weak like this."

Still, she held onto him for dear life as the warm, gentle breeze lifted the tree leaves.

"You're not being veak. I nearly died vhen... mien brother died."

"But you cared for him." Sal shook her head. "There was no love left for Shasta. I'm not that much of a forgiving person. I should just realize that I saved your life and get on with it."

"Love or no, vhen ve take a human life it takes a part of our own vith it." He kissed her gently on the bridge of the nose, trying to fill that broken place in her soul with his love.

Then he made a soft sound and just wrapped himself around her and rocked. -Ach, Gott sie Danke. Thank You for this voman und these kinder... so much more than I deserve.-

She smiled back at him, still sad. "I keep hopin' you'll save me from this," she whispered. "But it ain't workin' so far."

The breeze picked up again and she shivered.

Kurt leaned down to look at her face, his own dark with sadness. "Ach, Leibe."

"Hm?" She met his eyes, still not feeling exceptionally talkative.

"You did it for me," he said softly, laying his hand on her cheek. "You did it for our kinder. If you hadn't done it... if she had gone on to kill others, vouldn't you have been nearly as responsible as she for those deaths?"

"I didn't have to kill her like that," she whispered, her eyes wavering and suddenly seeming to stare right through him. "That... that makes me a sadist. I wanted her to just die. There was nothing noble behind it. I'm just as bad as she..."

"If you vere a sadist she vouldn't have died so qvickly und cleanly. Sal, your own grandfather doesn't hold it against you." He nuzzled close, breathing in the scent of fire and the sea that always seemed to cling to her.

"There's a reason," she said bitterly, "that they call that one of the unforgivable curses."

"Nothing is unforgivable," he countered softly.

"I begs t' differ."

"Nothing," he said firmly, frowning down at her.

"Then I should have never killed her in the first place."

Kurt gave her a gentle but thorough kiss, then looked her in the eye and said rather bluntly. "It vas us or her. She vouldn't have stopped vith just us. You stopped vith her. It's done. It's over. Und ve still love you."

"Fair enough." She folded her arms and scowled slightly.

"Vhy are you angry?" His voice softened as he looked down at her, his love dancing in his eyes.

"Because nobody understands."

"Understands vhat?" -There's more than vhat I told her?-

"I enjoyed... seeing her dead. I remember feeling like that." She laughed bitterly. "Further to that, had we been anywhere else, I'd be in jail right now.... I'm no better than she is. And you can deny it all you like but it's true."

"So because of vindictive feelings you're going to turn avay from the people who love you; who are grieving, most of them, und let Shasta win despite her death by destroying you?"

"Maybe I deserve that," she said quietly, "for not being the better person."

"Do they?" He pointed to the children.

She paused, and then promptly started crying again. "No."

"Und vhat about this vone?" His hand lay over her belly. "You're her vorld right now."

She closed her eyes, feeling tears run down her face. "I know."

"If you keep on like you are Shasta vins. Und everyvone around you who loves you loses." His voice was quiet and relentless.

"What do you suggest I do, then?"

"Forgive yourself und look to tomorrow instead of yesterday."

"I suppose," she said, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand.

Tomorrow did seem a little brighter. Even if it was a dim light in the darkness. She lifted her eyes and watched the children at play and let herself smile.

But then she looked up at Kurt and felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and looked away, realizing that some of the hurt had shown in his eyes. "If I had stepped forward und done something you vouldn't be feeling like this."

She smiled and shook her head. "You did plenty."

Kurt swallowed. -They're alive. Scars heal. They don't condem me for my failure to protect them. Und this isn't about me!-

His eyes glistened.

She kept smiling and pulled him down to her for another kiss. "There's nothing that you could do or not do that would make me angry at you."

He closed his eyes and focused on returning it, but the tears escaped anyway.

Sal opened her eyes and looked at him. "I mean it," she said, lifting a finger to his face to dry his tears. "You did what you could."

The tension was broken by another happy giggle from the fish fountain as the kids took turns feeding the koi, assisted by the sentient broom. Wolfen was stuck to the centre pillar of it, swishing her fingers in the water only to crow with delight when the fish made a go for them, thinking they were food.

Sal looked over Kurt's shoulder and smiled.

He looked too, the tears dripping a little worse as he saw all three of his children happy for the first time. "Ach," he whispered, smiling. "Ve need a camera."

"You'd think I'd have one given all the photos on my wall," she said quietly, leaning back against him and watching the joy out of the corner of her eye. "Maybe we should take a cue from them?"

"They're so beautiful." He cuddled her close, tail going around her waist. "If not for the fur and tails it would be hard for me to believe that they're mine. Especially Wolfen."

"Oh they're yours," she said with a laugh. "Look at how they act."

"Vhat?" He looked down at her quizzically.

"They take so much delight in... life. They get that from you."

"Ah." He lay his cheek on her hair and watched as Jabez's slow but lovely smile bloomed at Stephan and Wolfen's laughter, then chuckled as a stream of Newfoundland- accented baby invective was hurled toward one fish who greedilly shoved another. "That's you, Leibe."

"A great set of blended characteristics we've made," she said with a smile, her own hand resting on her stomach. "Wonder if she's gonna turn out just the same?" She bit her lip as Stephan got thoroughly soaked by one of the fish as it went for more food, but as his smile didn't waver, she didn't feel the need to get up.

Not only did his smile not waver, but the fish soon were delighted and astonished by the introduction of a fuzzy little guest in their domain. Stephan chortled and reached out to gently touch them.

"Und that's his mother coming out," murmured Kurt, holding Sal a little more closely, his hand covering hers that lay on her belly.

Sal turned her head slightly to look into Kurt's eyes. "You never did tell me what she was like."

He chuckled. "Vocal. Daring. Brave. Loving. She lost her whole reality und then everything she'd come to love, und made it through vith her sanity intact."

"Remarkable," Sal said quietly. "I'd have liked to meet her."

A smile through his tears as sadness mixed with joy and was refined to peace. "She vould have gotten a kick out of being a big sister."

"Soggy doggy!" Wolfen laughed at her nephew.

Sal's eyes travelled back to the children; she laughed softly at their antics. "And what about me? Think she and I would have gotten along?"

"Yes." There was soft laughter in the single word.

She turned back to him and saw light in his eyes. "What makes you so sure of that?"

"Your personalities vere very alike. The pair of you vould have turned Harry's or the Port Club on end."

She actually laughed, honestly, out loud, for the first time in two long weeks. "Thanks for the assessment," she chortled, her mind's eye conjuring up visions of what Kurt was describing.

She laughed until she cried and then was forced to stop for breath. "That'd have been some funny, eh?" Even the accent was coming back.

"Oh yes." He was grinning now, that devil may care one that hadn't really been around for awhile. "Especially if Logan had been there too."

She giggled, then sighed, now completely relaxed. The part of her mind that was paranoid about leaving home was nothing more than a niggling little voice that she could ignore. "Thanks."

"Und the music mix on the jukebox...." His eyes widened. "Metallica und Bon Jovi und Deep Blue Sea."

"Don't forget Freezepop," Sal said, waving a finger in his nose. Then she sighed again, looking around from side to side as though trying to figure out if they were being watched.

And Kurt gently tipped her head back and caught her lips with his.

"OOOO!" Wolfen paused halfway into the water to grin.

She closed her eyes and was taken into it for a second until her daughter's voice reached her ears, and then she started to laugh right into his mouth.

"Sorry," she said, ducking down and blushing slightly as she waved to Wolfen. "Didn't think that'd draw much attention."

He hid his face, shoulders shaking, then looked up and shook his head at their tiny shipping fan. "At least she didn't come and crawl between us this time."

"KISS!" squealed Wolfen, and fell in, cussing surprisingly as Jabez and Stephan fished her out and got her set right side up.

Sal pointed to the fountain and tried rather hard not to laugh. "See, lookit this. Lookit what you've given me."

Then the crying started. Wolfen had most likely soaked her stitches, and no matter how tough you were, that hurt. Sal winced, then looked at Kurt apologetically before getting up and going over to tend to her daughter.

Later that 'night' Kurt crouched on the edge of the big canopy bed, watching as Sal tucked a dozy Stephan, a quiet Jabez, and a crashed hard Wolfen in, his glowing eyes soft with contentment.

She grinned down at the children as she smoothed the blanket. "Ye sure this ain't gonna be too crowded?" She turned her gaze to an oil lamp that was fitted into a metal sconce on the wall next to the bed and concentrated as the flame shrank down, leaving the room bathed in soft, dim light.

"Lots of room," said Jabez softly, cuddling Stephan as Wolfen curled against her back.

Sal smiled again, watching Wolfen sucking on her tail-tip. She hadn't the heart to try and stop it, it was too darn cute. "Alright, then, if yer comfy, I won't try to split ye up."

Jabez smiled, then looked down at Stephan as he yawned and murmured, his little fingers grasping the front of the long white nightgown she'd found in the wardrobe. "I like it here."

"Ja?" said Kurt softly, absently twitching his tail and then curling it around his ankle as he asked God to give them a peaceful 'night' of sleep free of nightmares.

"It's quiet. And happy." Jabez turned the smile to him.

"I'm glad you like it here," Sal said, her voice just above a whisper as her eyes shone in the dim light. "I'm sure we'll find much more to do tomorrow."

"I liked it when you were talking normal, too." Those crimson eyes turned to her.

"Yes, b'y," Sal said with a chuckle. "I thinks it might stay stuck fer awhile..." She reached out and put her hand over her daughter's, grinning. Then she sobered slightly. "But yer okay?"

"Worried 'bout you," she admitted softly, curling her large fingers around her mother's smaller ones.

Sal frowned slightly. "I'm better now," she said, her gaze flicking knowingly to Kurt for a split second. "It's just... lots happened while you were gone."

"Yeah." Jabez sighed and gently squeezed her hand, then closed her eyes and curled around the now-sleeping Stephan. "Love you guys."

"Love you too, as'ika," Sal said softly, standing up and looking down at her kids with pure, unadulterated love showing in her face. Then she looked at Kurt and smiled widely, pointing to the open door.

'We should leave,' she mouthed.

He nodded and hopped down, then came to put an arm around her waist and a hand on her belly as he too looked down at the three in the bed for a moment before leading her out of the room and gently closing the door. "Jabez looks better."

She nodded. "Yes, she does. And so do you."

"Me?" He blinked, hand arrested on its way toward her face.

Another nod and she stepped closer, her arms going around his shoulders. "Yeah."

"Did I look that bad?" His hand continued on its way to tenderly cup her cheek.

"A little," she said, smiling up at him. "Then again I probably looked somethin' awful meself." She paused and then brightened. "Know what we needs t' do?"

"Vhat's that?" He smiled down at her, tail finding its place around her ankle.

"We need to see if there's anywhere to get a nice dinner. I think a date's in order." Her smile widened.

He pulled her close and rested his cheek on her hair, then started as something tapped him on the arm and looked down at the broom. "Er... yes?"

It bowed and pointed toward the far door.

"Okay, that is somethin' I'll never git used to," she said quietly, surveying the broom with wonder. "Havin' inanimate objects come t' yer aid."

"Ja," he said thoughtfully, then took her hand and made as though to follow the broom, which hopped and hurried forward with the occasional check to make sure that they were still following.

She laughed. "Wonder where it's takin' us?" She kept her eyes on it, and then stopped when it did, pointing enthusiastically to a doorway. "In there?"

Kurt blinked with surprise as he took in the angles of the walls and windows and realized that they were some distance from their apartment, then he looked through the doorway and blinked again at sight of the carefully decorated balcony and the white-clothed table set for two. "Ach, it looks like somevone else vas thinking the same thing, Leibe."

Sal smirked and looked down at what she was wearing: a simple green dress with long sleeves, fitted at the waist but otherwise comfortable. It had been the only clean thing in the wardrobe that she'd liked. "Guess it's good I dressed up, I guess."

"C'mon." Grasping his hand tightly, she led him through the doorway and onto the balcony, shuddering only slightly at the way that it seemed to hang over empty space.

He seated her gravely, then paused and leaned over the railing to look at the clump of trees that floated some distance beneath the castle.

She shuddered again, and laughed, covering her eyes with her hands as she watched him lean. "Don't do that."

He straightened with a chuckle, but then remembered and sobered. "I'll ask them to move us somevhere else."

No, no, I'm fine here.... Just not when you... lean." She looked down at her hands, suddenly feeling much the same way she had almost a year ago.

"Do you realize it's been not even a year yet?" she said.

"Ja." He took his own place, starting slightly as the cello in the corner began to play a soft melody that mingled softly with birdsong and running water. "Not even six months."

"Well," Sal said with a sideways grin, "I kept track from the first day we met, really..." Another laugh. "Feels like ages, though, and I dunno if that's good or bad."

"It feels like you've alvays been part of my life." The wine bottle poured itself into two tall glasses, which then spun over to sit in front of them. Kurt frowned and tasted, but then relaxed at the sweet, sparkling taste.

Sal stared at the glass of wine and remembered her present condition, instead grabbing the glass of water that was already there. "I wish I could say the same," she said, tilting her head and watching him with a smile on her face.

"It's not vine," he said softly as the glass tinkled softly in dismay. Then he quirked an eyebrow. "Ach, but do I fit into it vell, at least?"

Yes, teasing, though he really wanted to know the answer to the question.
She lifted the wine glass to her lips and took a taste. Whatever it was, it wasn't bad. She took a few moments to savour the taste and then put the glass back on the table. Only then did she answer him.

"I had no life before you," she said quietly.

"Ach," he said softly, reaching across the table and taking her hand as an apron set two plates of finely sliced roasted turkey and trimmings in front of them.

"So I guess that yeah, you do fit into my life rather well." She stared into his eyes unwaveringly. "And I don't think I'd have come back if you weren't around."

She was speaking around corners, but she hoped he knew what she was getting at.

He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, then chuckled as the salt celler seemed to tiptoe over to her, its little spoon rattling shyly. "Your reputation has preceeded you, Leibe."

She shivered slightly, blushing, and took her hand back in order to season her food - with just a little less salt than normal. Then her hand was right back where it was before, and she was still staring at him with that smile on her face.

He sighed and smiled, and then his plate was beside hers, and his chair was next to hers as he held her and asked a blessing on the meal.

She waited for him to finish what he was doing and then spoke. "So. How're ye doin'?"

"Better," he said honestly, wondering at the way that the reply seemed somehow out of place.

She lifted her glass to her lips again. "Only better?"

"Better is good." He tore open a soft roll and buttered it, then offered her the top half.

She smiled and took the roll. "Yes, it is." She took a bite; the roll wasn't half bad, and the butter was nice herbed stuff. "I just wanted to know; goodness knows I scared ye half t' death..."

"You did. But I've been scared vorse." He took a forkfull of the turkey and lifted his eyebrows at the taste. "Hmmm."

She took a cue from him and also tasted her turkey. "What are you hummin' fer? This's delicious!" She elbowed him in the ribs gently and snickered. "Wonder if the apron cooked it?"

He gasped slightly and curved away from her elbow, then had another bite. "That was a sound of appreciation. I haven't had something this good at high class restaurants."

"Oh," she said, teasing. "I didn't realize you were such a connoisseur of turkey." She decided to leave him to eat in peace and concentrated on her own plate. Even the dressing was made just so, with the flavour of Mt Scio summer savoury throughout. She wondered where they'd acquired that. "I ain't never had somethin' like this period," she said with a grin. "Guess I won't be cookin' while I'm here."

"Vic vould be trying to get the recipe by any means necessary." He chuckled, then remembered what condition they'd left their friend in and sobered slightly.

She turned to look at him. "He'll be fine," she said simply, resting her hand on his knee. "Don't worry."

"I'm not," he said softly, picking up his knife. "I've seen his double come through vorse. Und Gott has everything under control."

She watched him for a moment and then nodded. "I know," she said. "I just wanted to... reassure you for a change."

He chuckled, then stabbed one of his baby carrots and offered it to her.

She also laughed. "What's this about?"

"Vell," he said innocently. "Sharing makes things taste better, but the turkey already tastes good, und you have your own, so...."

"Brat," she said, eyes alight with laughter as she took the carrot.

"Ah, but a cute und fuzzy brat." The corners of his mouth twitched.

"No argument there," she said, going back to her plate. "Though I think 'cute' is too meek of a word to describe ye," she said, grinning impishly.

He blushed beneath his fur. "Vell, that's only fitting, then."

She was laughing outright. "What's to blush about?"

He looked to the right, and then to the left, then glanced at his mostly empty plate before dipping his head and trying to change the subject with a kiss.

She had the breath taken out of her for a moment as he kissed her, and had every intention of staying that way for as long as she could. Then she remembered that he'd cut her off.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" He looked at her with a soft smile, those golden eyes dancing with laughter.

"We were speaking," she said, making a great show of being stern, "of your tendency t' blush needlessly. An' then ye cut me off. That's rude, b'y."

"Forgive me, Meine Leibe." The corners of his mouth turned up further as his thumb gently stroked her cheek. "I vas overcome by your beauty und couldn't help myself."

"Stop that," she said with a giggle, feeling her own cheeks start to burn. She hunched her shoulders and stared at the ground.

"No. Let me see your eyes," he said softly, dipping his head so that he could see her face.

Sal relaxed suddenly and did what he asked, flicking her gaze back to him. "Why?"

That tone of voice always got her.

"Because I vant to lose myself in them," he murmured. "You have the most beautiful eyes, Meine Leibe."

She blinked a few times, as though what he was saying confused her. Then she felt this unwavering urge to slap him, which was quickly replaced with regret that she couldn't because if she did, she probably wouldn't be the object of his affections for the rest of the evening. "Thanks," she said slowly.

His grin faltered and his brows drew together in concern. "Sal?"

"Yeah?"

It was his turn to drop his gaze. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" She was really confused now.

"For teasing you. I thought you'd hit me." He peeked at her sheepishly from under his slightly overlong curls.

"Well," she said with a grin, leaning forward and brushing those curls out of his eyes, "I wanted to, but then I figured that wouldn't be the best idea."

"No?" An eyebrow quirked.

She shook her head, cheeks aflame. "No."

"How hard vere you going to hit me??" Laughter made his voice shake slightly.

"Hard enough that you'd probably make me sleep in the next room," she said, suddenly sporting an evil grin.

"Vould I be avake enough to make you sleep anyvhere?" The laughter got away from him.

"Probably not, which is just as problematic." Her grin didn't falter.

He shook his head, then caught her up in his arms and teleported so that they suddenly stood on the broad bole of a tree a little distance above the castle.

"Ach...." He blinked, suddenly distracted by the beauty at his side by the sheer reality of everything that suddenly surrounded them. It looked a lot different than it had through the window.

"Where..." She looked down and out and saw the castle and tried her hardest to climb atop his head. "Oh @#$#." She held on for dear life. "Why'd ye bring me up here?"

He held her close with arms and tail. "Shhh, Leibe, look."

"At what?" sne inquired, shaking slightly. "The giant floating castle we came from, or the void?" She wasn't angry, just a little uneasy.

"But it's not a void, it's full," he said softly, his head still turning. Then he blinked as a flying flower came and hovered in front of his face.

She shook her head, still uneasy. "It's very pretty, I guess.... I just don't like that there's no solid ground."

He poked at the finger and blinked as it settled on his finger and held on with little green roots, then blinked again as it suddenly took off and fluttered away.

Sal didn't really notice; she was still getting used to the landscape in front of her. It was still unsettling to be in a place where there was no ground. She snaked an arm around Kurt's waist and stayed close, although by now she wasn't clinging so desperately.

Kurt watched the flower go, then looked down thoughtfully. "Hold on."

"I don't mean to be facetious, but I already is, make no mistake about it."

He nodded.

Then jumped.

She started to scream, but then realized that she was floating.

A whimper left her.

"This's no better," she complained.

He nuzzled her gently. "Change und fly."

"I can't," she said.

"Why not?" He looked at her with concern.

"Because I'm too scared to even let go of ye," she said, smiling through her nervousness.

"Close your eyes." He shifted so that she was laying on top of him. "You're not falling. Everything's alright... and it all smells good."

She sighed languidly. "Right." Then she made the mistake of opening her eyes. That started the trembling all over again, and she laughed despite herself.

"We'll go back." He stroked her hair. "Brace yourself."

"Well, wait a minute," she said, her eyes closed again. "What th'hell was the point of all this if I don't learn anythin'?"

Kurt chuckled, his chest swelling a little with pride for her. "That's it, Leibe."

She rested her chin on her hands and looked at him. "This is a pretty nice arrangement," she quipped.

He chuckled and tucked his chin to smile at her. "Und they say no man is an island."

She laughed. "Sure he is. Haven't you heard that Paul Simon song?"

"Uh... maybe?"

She just laughed again and scooted up a little bit so that her face was level with his. "It's not important," she breathed before lowering her lips to his and kissing him.

He sighed and put a hand to her hair, concentrating on the moment till a tickle on his finger made him open one eye and see that the flower was back. He quirked an eyebrow and flicked the finger, but the flower clung.

She noticed that he was distracted and laughed softly, finally breaking their kiss. "What's wrong?"

Kurt sighed again, though for a different reason as he showed her the annoying little stowaway.

She took his hand as though it were inanimate and examined the little flower that was stuck there. "That is so cute," she said, using her own pinky finger to prod its stem gently.

It twitched amusingly, then gave a little hop and held to her finger, petals fluttering slightly.

Kurt tipped his head up and sniffed it thoughtfully, then smiled and gently got it back on his own finger before transfering it to Sal's hair.

Sal snickered. "Do you think it's a good accessory?" Her arms went around his neck again.

"Purple looks good on you." He smiled and stroked the other side of her hair. "But then everything looks good on you."

She snuggled close to him, her cheek resting on his shoulder. "You always say stuff like that," she said, stifling a yawn that came out of nowhere.

"I'm a very truthful man." He kissed her gently on the forehead, ignoring the flower as it flitted away to wherever.

She nodded. "So I've learned." She paused. "Can we go back?"

"Yes. You und Baby hav had a long day." He glanced toward the castle, then smirked slightly. "Brace yourself."

"'S got nothin' t' do with a lo - oh, alright." She held on just a little tighter.

And the two of them vanished with a cloud of smoke, leaving the little purple flower to flutter about in confusion as it tried to find its new friends.

WOT. The castle. Wagner family's holiday.

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Bed time

el Date

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