Intuition

by Jennis Slaughter

  Eventually she poked Raelin’s cheek with the hand not stuck in her mouth, hoping she would be able to get the older woman’s attention, eyes wide and innocent as she continued to poke and squirm.

  “Delaney…” Raelin’s voice was rough from sleep. “Delaney, there’s a poke monster in bed with us, and is poking me like crazy. Wake up and save me.”

  “Quiet or she’ll know I’m here,” Del whispered, keeping her eyes closed.

  “Don’t want Aunt Delly. She gets grumpsy when I wakes her ups,” Ari grouched around her thumb, curling closer to Raelin. “You betters not be a cranky pants too, Auntie Raedin,” she muttered, nearly getting Raelin’s name out.

  Wrapping her arms around the little girl, Raelin quickly rolled out of the bed, and started to head downstairs. “Then we will leave Aunt Cranky Pants in bed, and go eat pancakes without her. What do you say to that Miss Ariel?”

  “Serve her rights,” the toddler nodded popping her thumb back into her mouth and resting her head on the witch’s shoulder.

  Chuckling Del pulled herself out of the bed and followed the pair, rubbing groggily at her eyes as she walked. “It’s serve her right baby and there’s no way I’m going to let you eat pancakes without me.”

  Huffing into Raelin’s now drool dampened shirt, the tiny blonde simply muttered around her fingers. “Sees? Cranky pants.”

  Laughing, Raelin walked downstairs with the little girl securely in her arms. “So would you like to go out for breakfast or do you think that we can talk Miss Cranky Pants into fixing it for us?”

  “I wants ta go to the smiley pancake place,” Ariel responded sleepily. “But we’s need to goes soons or they will makes the chicken pieces insteads. Mommy says we miss it so much ‘cause Aunt Delly takes too longs to gets readies and we miss breakfasts. Cause she’s a cranky pants, but I knows how to hurries her ups. Watch.”

  Lifting her head off the witch’s shoulder, she gave the Chief trudging behind them a soulful look, green eyes wide and bleary. “Aunt Delly, can we go to the smiley pancake place?”

  Looking up and seeing Ariel’s pouty face, Del paused a moment. “Sure munchkin, just let me get a coffee or something into me first,” she replied.

  “But Delly, we needs ta go now, if we don’t we’ll miss it and all of the pancakes that didn’t get to be picked won’t be smiley any mores. They’ll be frowny and that’s so sad,” the tiny blonde replied, quivering her bottom lip.

  “Okay, you’re right. We can’t have frowny pancakes, can we? I’m going to run up and get dressed. Your Mommy is in the kitchen, because I can smell the coffee brewing. I’ll be back down once I’ve cleaned up some,” the blonde sighed. Good God, the kid had her hook line and sinker and she knew it. She placed a gentle kiss to Ariel’s forehead and a second one to Raelin’s lips letting it linger ever so slightly before she turned and trudged all the way back up the stairs muttering about regretting teaching Ari the Delacroix pout the whole way.

  Once the older blonde was safely up the stairs, Ariel popped her thumb back into her mouth and looked at Raelin with a smile. “Tolds ya.”

  Raelin looked at the little blonde in awe. “I’m gonna have to ‘member that Miss Ari, because it takes me forever to get her up some mornings. Thank you. Now why don’t we go fix her a cup of coffee and take it to her so she can’t complain?”

  “Okay, but Mommy says I can only have drinks in my Sippy cup, so can we put it’s in my Scooby Doo cup pwease? So I can takes it to her?” Ari asked as Raelin set her down on the counter. She pointed to a cupboard just to the left of them. “Up theres is where Mommy keeps it.”

  Opening up and reaching into the cabinet the witch took out two Scooby Doo Sippy cups and offered them to the little girl. “Which one should Aunt Delly have?”

  “I gets the one with Scooby and Shaggy and Fred. Delly gets the girls. That’s the one she uses when we play tea,” the blonde smiled, swinging her legs excitedly. “But I wants to play coppers this mornings. Can I have the Mommy and daddy drink?”

  “Sorry Ariel. Its apple juice for you, though nice try.” Jessie smiled, as she entered the kitchen, pulling her fingers through her long dark hair.

  “But Mommy, I want to catch the bad guys like Aunt Delly. That means I gotsta drink the big girl juice,” she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

  “Ariel, I drink apple juice all the time, and while I don’t catch the bad guys, I do play with Rori a lot,” Raelin worked on a compromise.

  “Oh! Then I’ll have apple juice. Aunt Delly says I’m tough all on my own anyway. I don’t need the big girl juice,” she said nodding. “Almost dones? I gots to get Delly her magick drink.”

  Raelin head whipped around to look at the little girl. “Why do you call it her magic drink Ariel?” The witch wasn’t sure how much Jessie had told her or how much the little girl had overheard and was concerned.

  “You magick it right? Aunt Delly’s gots a banged shoulder rights? A baddie tried to hurt her. So you puts magicks into it so it makes her feels better,” she looked at the shocked expression on both women’s faces and her face fell. “Did I do bad?” she asked worriedly.

  Bending over so that she could look the little girl in her eye, Raelin quietly reassured her. “No, Little One. You didn’t do anything wrong, but can you tell me how you know that a baddie hurt Aunt Delly?”

  “I had a bad dream one night but then Fi came and made me feel better. She told me that Delly gotsed a bang bang from a baddie, but that she was okay. Cause you makes her magick drinks so the achey’s go away,” the little one said softly, afraid she was going to be scolded. Her Mommy and Auntie looked so serious now.

  “You’re right; I did make Aunt Delly a drink that made her feel better. Can you tell me when did you have this dream? Was it before you met me the first time or after you came out to our house?” Raelin was blanketing the room with calm hoping that Delaney would stay upstairs for a while longer. She needed to find out more from the little girl.

  “Befores,” she nodded. “Am I in twoubles?” She didn’t know why everyone was looking at her like that, but usually it meant trouble. Like when she tried to draw pretty pictures on her Mommies walls to make it all pretty.

  Looking over to the dark haired woman, Raelin could tell that this was still shocking the younger woman. Turning back to the little girl, she smiled. “Just one more question, and then we’ll make Aunt Delly’s coffee okay? Was this dream before Aunt Delly met me or after?”

  “Afters. Cause if was before, you wouldn’t have been able to magick her back to lifes.”

  “Thank you ma’am. Now can you tell me how Aunt Delly takes her big girl drink?” Raelin asked the tiny blonde while reaching over to touch her mother, still sending out calm vibes.

  “Black, cause she’s bad ass,” the toddler grinned, crossing her arms confidently across her chest in a signature Delaney pose.

  “I’m going to kill your wife,” the brunette muttered, approaching the tiny blonde. “Ariel, what did Mommy tell you about that word,” she said calmly.

  Eyes widening she looked at her mother her thumb immediately shoved into her mouth in a nervous gesture. “That it’s a bad word and I should nevers, evers says it. That just because Aunt Delly says something doesn’t mean I should too. I sorry Mommy,” she murmured around the appendage in her mouth.

  “That’s right. Thank you for the apology and be sure not to say it again,” Jessie admonished gently, proud of her girl for knowing she had said a bad word and apologizing for it.

  “Can I takes the magic drink now? And my apples juices?” she asked earnestly, her thumb never leaving her mouth.

  “Yes you can, but you need to take your thumb out of your mouth so you can carry them.” Raelin beamed at the little girl.

  Jessie helped the little girl to the floor once she’d taken her thumb out of her mouth. She waited patiently as Raelin handed her both cups, warning her that the girl cup was hot. She thanked both older women before scampering off careful
ly to find her Aunt.

  Raelin poured herself a glass of apple juice and leaned against the counter waiting for the questions that she knew would be forthcoming.

  “Raelin, can you explain to me what just happened with my daughter?” Jessie asked concerned.

  “Umm, since Ariel is related in a sense to Delaney, she may have inherited her empathic abilities and may have a few other abilities of her own. You already knew that she could talk with Rori, but there is nothing wrong with her. Let me assure you of that.”

  “Empathic abilities? Inherited? I’m not sure I follow. I assumed she could talk to Rori because of her connection with Del and she could talk with Rori because of you?” Jessie asked confused. She wasn’t aware of anything special with Delaney and she had no idea what Empathy was.

  “Delaney can pick up emotions, it’s how she knows when you’re upset and she just calls or drops by. I also believe that she is a bit psychic, because of her success at the missing children’s cases. She just knows things.” Raelin was at a loss for the first time in her life trying to explain something. “It seems that Ariel has inherited that.”

  “Wait, since when? And why Ariel?”

  Sighing, Raelin now wanted Del to come down and help explain this, but it seemed that she was on her own for now. “Ever since the accident where her grandmother Fiona died and she was in a coma, Del has had this ability. And because Ariel is from her, that’s where she got it from.”

  “Um wow. I’m not quite sure what to make of this. What do I do about it?” Jessie asked, playing with the small child’s placemat that marked the toddler’s seat at the kitchen table. “Will she be okay? Will it harm her?”

  “No, no, it won’t hurt her at all. In fact, since we’ve found out about it now, and with your permission, I can help her get used to the ability like I did Delaney. It will be like its second nature to her, once she understands it more.” Raelin walked over to her friend to give her a hug.

  Sighing and taking some comfort in Raelin’s strong presence she gave the taller woman a squeeze before pulling away some. “If it will help her, then feel free. I just want her happy and healthy. I’m just worried, she’s only four. She hasn’t even started school yet.”

  “And now is the best time to start teaching her all sorts of things. She can start reading and writing, just ask her what she would like to do. She will surprise you ever day with what she can accomplish, I promise you,” the witch reassured her.

  “Yeah, she’s a smart little girl. Gets it from Del, I would imagine. It’s just one more connection of many that she has with her mother.” The brunette sighed turning away from Raelin to look out over the backyard through the window over the sink picking up a cleaned Sippy cup from the drying tray. She ran her fingers lovingly over the picture of SpongeBob on the side.

  “Delaney is not her mother, and you know that Jessie. She gave you an egg, but your body took it within itself to nurture it and grow it. You are Ariel’s mother, and no one else.” Raelin knew that she was being stern, but she felt that Jessie needed to hear it that way.

  “I know that, and Delaney would never do anything to try and deny that. It’s just hard sometimes, you know? I get jealous sometimes when I see her wanting to dress like Delaney, or saying how she wants to be just like her Aunty Delly. I hate myself for it because Del gave us such a gift. I should be nothing but grateful.” Jessie shook her head trying to dispel the melancholy thoughts running through her mind.

  Thinking quickly, Raelin tried a different course. “Ariel knows right from wrong. She knows that she isn’t supposed to swear.” The witch smiled here. “She is very polite, honest and even though has questionable taste in her clothing for someone so young; she’s a very good girl. She didn’t get that from Delaney...she got that from you and Mike. You are her parents in every sense of the word. She would be just as much your daughter if you adopted her from a stranger, but if it would make it easier for you, we can stay away for a while.” She knew that Delaney would have a hard time with that but would eventually agree once the witch explained it to her.

  “No Raelin, I could never do that to either of them. Delaney would understand eventually, Ariel wouldn’t. Besides, you’re right anyway. Thank you for putting things into perspective.” Jessie smiled warmly at the woman next to her. They heard giggling from the top of the stairs and knew they soon would be joined by the trouble twins. “We can talk about Ariel’s abilities and what to do for her later, if that’s okay. I have a feeling we are about to lose the peace and quiet we are enjoying.”

  Raelin closed her eyes and pictured Ariel in her mind. “You better not be running down the stairs Little Miss. You know how Aunt Delly trips over her own two feet?” She thought to the little girl.

  “Sowwies Raedin. I slowing down!” She said as she took the last few steps one at a time, holding carefully to Delaney’s hand. She rounded the corner into the kitchen, strutting proudly as she walked next to the Chief. She was dressed in her favorite white button up dress shirt, her sleeves rolled messily to the elbows, and a pair of slacks that fitted her just perfectly. The whole thing was finished off with a set of classic detective style suspenders, and she grinned madly as she copied the taller blondes pose, her outfit a complete copy of what Delaney herself was wearing. Del grinned when she saw the toddler watching so that she could take a sip from the matching Sippy cups at the same time.

  Once more, Raelin thought to the young girl. “Just make sure that you have your Sippy cup and not Aunt Delly’s.”

  “I gots it. See?” She announced proudly. “Shaggy, Scooby and Fred. Right here.” She smiled pointing to each. “Pancake time now?” The little one asked, earnestly looking between the three adults.

  “Let me go get dressed real quick and we will go.” Raelin patted her wife’s shoulder. “Be right back,” the witch wasn’t at all surprised that Ariel could ‘hear’ her. It seemed that she had picked up the abilities that her wife had, but since she was a child, she had the ones that almost every child of her age had. Only time would tell if the ‘hearing’ would remain.

  Smiling Del nodded and moved deeper into the kitchen, subtly switching her coffee into a proper travel mug. She smiled as Jessie moved around the kitchen, packing a small day bag for Ariel, as the little one slipped a small notebook into the pocket of her pants. Raelin came back down a few minutes later and they piled into Jessie’s car, not wanting to move around Ariel’s seat. They laughed and joked with Ariel until they pulled into the parking lot of Mike’s Diner and made their way to Ariel’s favorite booth near the jukebox in the corner.

  “Well, look who we have here. Delaney Delacroix? Haven’t seen you around these parts in a while,” the younger waitress smiled.

  “I don’t live in the city anymore,” Del answered, taking the menu she was offered.

  “I heard that through the grapevine...that you had up and moved to that town that you cleaned up, and became the new Chief and a kept woman. Must be nice...you want the usual?”

  “The usual would be fine.” Delaney chuckled. “Emily, meet Raelin.”

  “Nice to meet ya? What can I get for ya, Hun?” The fiery red head stood next to the table with her pencil posed above her pad.

  Turning to her wife, Raelin sweetly asked, “What is your usual dear?”

  “The Breakfast special,” she replied evenly. “Bacon, eggs, a couple breakfast sausages, hash browns, and toast,” Del answered, knowing what Raelin was implying.

  Jessie interested herself in her menu, wise enough to stay well away from what was brewing on the other side of the table.

  “Hmm, do I even want to know what was for dessert?” the witch muttered beneath her breath. “Why don’t you take everyone else’s order, Emily, and give me a chance to scope things out.”

  “Sure thing, Hun. So Miss Ariel, are you wanting your smiley pancakes this morning?” Smiling, the waitress looked at her favorite customer.

  Ariel looked up a serious look on her face. She pulled out her noteb
ook and started scribbling nonsense in it with the crayon she had been coloring with. “I’m the ones asked the quest around here.”

  Del moved her eyes from her wife over to her favorite blonde. “It’s ask the questions baby, but that was pretty good.”

  “Delaney!” Jessie snapped. “I’m sorry Em; she’ll have her smiley pancakes.” The attorney sighed. “I’ll get my usual too, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure thing.” Turning back to Raelin, she waited.

  “I’ll have scrambled eggs, a double rasher of bacon, cheese grits and some biscuits. Would you mind bringing a pitcher of orange juice and glasses for everyone?” Raelin asked.

  “Not a problem.” Writing everything down, the waitress turned back to Delaney. “So how do you like living out in the boonies?”

  “It’s pretty great actually. Hard not to be happy when you get to wake up to your spouse every morning. Speaking of, how is your husband? Still on deployment?” she asked giving Raelin a significant look.

  “He’s good, and he’s due back next week hopefully. Let me go get this in and I’ll bring you out your drinks.” Turning away, the young woman scurried off.

  “Feel better?” the blonde asked Raelin, dryly.

  “Didn’t feel bad in the first place. Just curious.” Raelin smiled back.

  “But you called Emmy a bad name that Mommy said I nots allowed to say.” Ariel chimed up from the scribbles she was still working on in her little notebook. “Wants me to throw my book at her?”

  “It’s throw the book, Munchkin,” Del corrected absently looking hard at Raelin.