Intuition

by Jennis Slaughter

  Ariel looked up at Raelin, trying to process the information. Nodding, she got to her knees beside the calico. “I sowwies,” she said apologetically to Tasha. She held out a hand like she’d seen her Mommy do at the pet store when she’d gotten her fishy. Tasha relented and rubbed slightly against the little girl’s fingers before gingerly jumping onto the bench next to Rori. “Is she a cranky pants like Aunt Delly?”

  Putting a hand over her mouth, Raelin hid her smile. “She can be, but when someone is going to have babies, they are allowed to be that way.” The witch was cracking up inside.

  “Daddy says Mommy was a real cranky pants when I was a baby. She gots mad at him and said it was all his faults anyways,” Ariel said matter of factly. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Raelin’s legs. “Will I be ables to have one of the kitties?”

  “I don’t know sweetie. We shall have to see what Rori and Tasha say. They are the parents, and some people don’t like to give away their children,” Raelin answered honestly.

  “But I wants a pet kitty,” the little girl whined, throwing her best puppy dog look. She pulled on Raelin’s pant leg, sniffling as a tantrum threatened to break out.

  “You can’t always get what you want Ariel, and besides, you wouldn’t like it if your Mommy gave you away to someone else, would you?” The brunette knelt so that she could look the little girl in her eyes.

  “But I wants one,” she said more insistently, stomping her foot and putting her hands on her hips.

  “Well, I will not even ask Rori or Tasha to give one of their children to a spoiled little girl who thinks that she can get her way just because she throws a fit. And if you keep acting this way, when we go to the Foundation, you will have to sit quietly next to me, and not play with the other children. It’s going to be your choice.” Raelin wasn’t sure how Jessie handled situations like this, but she was not going to put up with it.

  Ariel looked at her in surprise for a moment, and then broke down crying, not because she was still trying to get her way, but because she’d been bad. “I sowwies I was bad,” she cried reaching out at Raelin.

  Holding the little girl at arm’s length, Raelin waited until she had quieted down. “I know that you’re sorry that you were bad, but you cannot act like that when you don’t get your way. If you do that, some people won’t like you very much, and I want them to like you. You are a beautiful smart big girl, and I want everyone to love you.”

  Still sniffling, Ariel nodded having learned her lesson for the time being. “Sowwies,” she said around the thumb she’d once again stuck in her mouth.

  Reaching up, the brunette tugged at the thumb. “Why do you suck your thumb? You have a beautiful face, and you hide behind your hand all the time.”

  Ariel said nothing and just looked down at the ground.

  “Ariel, why do you suck your thumb? Are you afraid of something?” Raelin leaned over to catch the little girl’s eye.

  “The others at my precool don’t like me. I tries to play with thems, but they always tell me to go aways and stop being wierds, but I not wierds. They says I look funny cause I don’t look like my Mommy, and that my daddy doesn’t like me and that’s why he goes away so much, but I knows my daddy loves me,” the little girl sniffled, clutching at Raelin’s shirtsleeves. “They push me arounds sometimes cause I the smallest in my class.”

  Without thinking, Raelin picked up the little girl and held her close, rubbing her back. She wasn’t sure what to say to make the little girl feel better. “Have you told your Mommy about this?”

  “Yeps and Mommy talked to Mrs. White bout its, but nows the kids are evens meaners cause they call me a tattletale. I don’t know what that is. Sometimes they says meaner stuff, but they no talkies it. Mommy says she will make sure I’s in a good cool without those guys when I go to big kid cool next year.”

  Sitting them down in her chair, Raelin settled the little girl in her lap. “You can hear the other kids no talkies? Do you hear every body no talkies or just certain people?”

  “Only sometimes. Like when Mommy is really mad, or the kids is being really mean. It’s really loud in my ears,” Ariel said.

  “So just when people get mad, okay. Well then, we shall have to figure out what to do to help you not hear them. Hmm. let’s think. Okay, what is your most favorite thing to do in the whole world?” Raelin smiled at Ariel.

  “Sometimes I hears them when they is sad too. Or really happies but it’s so loud. Sometimes I haves to cover my ears, but it doesn’t make if softers,” the blonde replied. “I likes it when I get to cuddle with Mommy and reads my bookies.”

  Sighing, Raelin realized that this was going to be much harder than she thought that it was going to be. Softly she asked, “Have you found anything that helps you not hear the no talkies?”

  “My thumbs,” Ariel said, sticking her thumb back into her mouth out of habit.

  “Was I saying something in no talkies that you were listening to?”

  “You was sads, ‘cause you wants to have a baby with Delly, but you cants and I is closest to Delly so you wants me to be happies, but can’t be happies if I is bad cause people don’t like when I is bad.”

  Raelin’s heart jumped to her throat, as she listened to the little girl. She tried to keep her mind as blank as she could. “You’re right. I do want to have a baby with Aunt Delly, and I do want everyone to like you, and I’m very sorry that they don’t. I am very happy that I am going to try and help you not hear people all the time, without using your thumbs.” She smiled at Ariel.

  “How? Sometimes I hear lots of things and people talkies at same time and my head feels dizzy. I don’t wants it. Will you make it go aways forevers?” she asked earnestly.

  “I will try sweetie, but I can’t promise that. I hope to teach you how to block the no talkies, but to still be able to have it every once in a while,” she was being as honest as she could with the girl. She wasn’t sure how much help she was going to be.

  “Okays. Does everyone have no talkies?” she asked looking up at her aunt.

  Delaney came down the stairs and stepped happily into the kitchen, a brush in one hand and buttoning the last of her uniform shirt’s buttons with the other. She skidded to a halt when she saw Ariel clinging to Raelin, the obvious signs she’d been crying on her face. “Uhh, is everything okay?” she asked her wife concerned.

  Ignoring her wife, Raelin answered the little girl. “No sweetie. Not everyone has no talkies. Aunt Delly and I can feel when each other is sad, but we can’t do that,” the witch was about to go on when she looked up at her wife and thought. “We can’t, can we?”

  “Not that I know of,” Delaney thought back without realizing it as she grabbed an apple out of the fridge and took a bite.

  “Get a bottle of spring water to go with that.” The witch smiled as she let the little girl listen to their conversation while putting a finger over her lips to keep Ariel quiet. “You’ll be thirsty soon enough.”

  “Thirsty?” Del thought back, “Why, what are you planning?” She grabbed a bottle of the spring water from the fridge and set it next to her laptop bag and the two baggies she didn’t want to forget.

  Ariel giggled as she listened to the no talkies.

  Smiling at Ariel, Raelin continued. “I just know you. And you shouldn’t think with your mouth full. It’s rude.”

  “Think with my…” Del stopped and turned abruptly to look at Raelin. “You’re kidding right?” She said out loud.

  Looking at Ariel, Raelin thought. “How come she doesn’t know that it’s rude to talk with her mouth full? I thought everyone knew that.” She tickled the little girl.

  Ariel nodded. “Yeps, even I knows that. So you and Delly can no talkies too?”

  “Wait, I’m confused here. I just had that entire conversation with you in my head didn’t I? Since when can we do that?” Del asked, looking between Ariel and Raelin.

  “I’m not sure. We never actually tried it before.” Raelin smiled at he
r wife. “I wonder what the range is.”

  “Why, you want to pester me at work too?” Del laughed, making it clear she was only kidding. “Although it would be nice to have during those meetings with the Mayor. Give me something else to listen to.”

  Cocking an eyebrow at her wife, Raelin turned back to Ariel and thought. “I want you to picture a wall in front of me and just try and listen to Delly alright.” Looking back over to Delaney, she thought. “I want you to no talkies to Ariel at the same time I do so we can teach her to block people, okay?”

  “I can try but I can’t promise she’ll be able to hear me,” Delaney thought back.

  “What kind of wall? Can it be pink with yellow stars? Or purple polka dots?” Ariel asked earnestly.

  Smiling, Raelin answered back. “It can be any color you want. Are you ready?”

  “Yeps, all ready.” Ariel nodded.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” Delaney agreed.

  “By the way Delaney, Jessie said that your father wants to see you.” Raelin mentally winced as she thought that at her wife, knowing the reaction that she would get, but it would boost whatever Delaney would think to Ariel.

  “Well my father can stuff it, for all I care. I’d really rather not talk about him,” Del huffed. Looking at the tiny blonde, Delaney smiled, trying to push down the emotion that bubbled up at the mention of her father. “You know what squirt, if you are a good girl maybe we can convince your Aunty Raelin to let us order pizza for supper tonight.”

  Ariel concentrated on the wall like she’d been told and tried to listen to Delaney at the same time. “I can do it a littles, but it’s hard to do a wall and listen too,” Ariel whined frustrated she couldn’t do it right away.

  Kissing Ariel’s forehead, the witch reassured her. “It’s not anything that you can do right away. We will work on it while you are here. Now I want you to no talkies to me whenever you start hearing other people okay. That way we can practice.”

  “Kays. I’s try.” Ariel nodded, pressing her hands to Raelin’s cheeks, despite them being covered in the syrup from her breakfast. “Thanks, Aunty Rae.” She smiled, giving the witch a sticky kiss.

  Del chuckled from behind her coffee mug at the adorable scene.

  “Why don’t you give your Aunt Delly a kiss too? I’m sure that she wants one.” Raelin arched an eyebrow at the blonde.

  Del winced, but knew she couldn’t refuse the tiny blonde so she leaned down so Ariel could give her an equally sticky kiss. “Thanks baby. How about we wash the sticky off you and get you dressed so Aunty Raelin can get ready for the day as well huh? Then you and I can clean the kitchen a little.”

  “Okays. Can I wears my jeans and favorite sweater todays?” Ari asked.

  “I don’t see why not,” Del replied.

  Watching the two blondes trek out of the room, Raelin finished her breakfast and sipped her juice. Ariel had more abilities than the witch knew about so she was going to be doing a lot of journal reading and research at the bookstore. Putting her dishes in the sink, she headed upstairs to get dressed.

  Choosing to put on a pair of black jeans and a blue V-neck, she brushed her hair back in a loose ponytail, and slipped on a pair of shoes before she turned to go downstairs.

  Del met Raelin in the hall as she and Ariel left the guest room. “Hey, she’s all ready to go. We’re going to go clean up breakfast and then I need to head out.” Del smiled, taking in her wife’s form. “You look good.”

  “Thank you, so do you.” They walked down the stairs together. “I need to get a few things from the office, so I won’t be more than a few moments.” Raelin let her hand caress the blonde’s butt, knowing that it was harder for her to feel anything with her vest on.

  Del felt the fleeting touch on her ass and sucked in a breath. They’d been interrupted last night and she felt the heat immediately flood her body. She watched as Raelin walked away from her then gave her head a shake, lifting Ariel to sit on the counter. “Okay munchkin. Let’s get this kitchen cleaned up so your Aunt Rae doesn’t need to.”

  The older blonde grabbed a dishcloth and started cleaning the dishes. “Okay Bean, here’s your job. I’m going to give you one of these dishes, and all you need to do is put it under the water from the tap and rinse ‘em off. How ‘bout it?”

  “Okays Aunt Delly. I’s going to do it.” The smaller blonde smiled, rinsing the plate Delaney had just handed her.

  Picking up her briefcase from the floor the witch put the family journal and the background checks from the casino inside before closing it and looked around to see if there was anything else she was forgetting.

  She was about to head for the kitchen when her cell phone rang. Not really recognizing the number, she answered it. After a few moments her face broke out into a huge smile and she thanked the caller. Hanging up, she peered out the door and was pleased to see that her wife was still in the kitchen, but she carefully blocked her emotions to Ariel as she called Kasey.

  “Spaulding,” Kasey answered somewhat breathlessly.

  “Do I even want to know what I interrupted?” Raelin shook her head and closed her eyes.

  “My phone was in another room,” Kasey replied even as she was batting away Jenny’s hands. “What can I do for you?”

  “Yeah, right, okay listen...Delaney is going to get a delivery this morning around eleven and she should be with me at the Foundation when it arrives. Would you mind putting it into one of the cells and when she gets back, tell her that there’s someone demanding to see her.” Raelin wished that she could see her wifes face, but that would give too much away.

  “What kind of delivery are we talking about here?” Kasey asked with good humor.

  “You’ll see. Just give me a call when it arrives please. The Chief should be at the Department in about fifteen minutes. Thanks Kase.” Raelin closed the phone and concentrated on keeping her thoughts on something else until her wife left for work.

  Del knocked on the office door and poked her head in. “Hey Darlin’, the kitchen’s clean, Ariel’s dressed, and her book bag is packed next to the door. She has a couple of EpiPens in a special bag to keep them from getting too hot because it’s supposed to get very warm today. It’s in the front pouch of her book bag and I set it next to the door. I moved her car seat to your truck, but you can move it if you plan to take the car. I’m going to head out unless you need anything else done.”

  “Yes, there is something else I need.” Raelin tugged the blonde into the office by her belt and pressed her against the wall with her body. “I need my good-bye kiss before you leave.”

  Unable to help herself, Del groaned at the contact and pulled Raelin closer crushing their lips together and letting her wife know just how much she’d wanted her, both last night and right that second.

  Sliding her leg between Delaney’s thighs Raelin answered her wife’s need with her own. Removing her lips from the blonde’s only when she needed to breathe, she growled. “It’s gonna be a damn long week.”

  Del closed her eyes against the sensation and heat Raelin’s thigh caused as it pressed against her. She squirmed against it, trying to resist the urge to turn them around and finish what they’d started last night. “Yes, but just think how much fun it’s going to be when we finally get some time to ourselves,” the blonde husked a lecherous grin on her face. She pulled at the V-neck of Raelin’s shirt, leaning down to suck and nip at the taller woman’s collarbone where she knew it would be covered, leaving a pronounced mark that would take a day or two to fade.

  Inhaling sharply Raelin stepped back, her heart racing. “We had better get back out there. Don’t want to leave Ariel alone for too long,” she shoved her hands in her pockets to keep from grabbing the woman and showing her exactly what she wanted. “You go out first.”

  “Yeah, can’t leave the baby. Right, I should go to work anyways,” Del managed, fiddling with her belt so she didn’t rip the clothes from Raelin’s body. After a few seconds of looking at Raelin, she started a
little. “Right, that means I have to move.”

  She muttered, finally stepping out of the office and back into the kitchen where Ariel was drawing at the kitchen table. “Hey Ari, I’m heading into town now. I’ll see you later when I visit the foundation. Love you.” She smiled, giving the toddler a kiss.

  “Loves you too, Aunt Delly,” the little girl smiled.

  Raelin came into the kitchen. “See you around ten, right?”

  “Yep. I’ll meet you up there.” She smiled, pausing at the back door. “I love you.”

  “I love you more...now get out of here.” The witch laughed as the blonde stuck out her tongue, and jogged to her Jeep and headed towards town. Turning to Ariel, she leaned over the picture that the little girl was drawing. “Whatcha got there?”

  “I drews a picture for you and Aunts Delly. Looks, this is my family. My Mommy, Daddy, me, and here’s you and Aunt Delly. I evens puts Rori and his girl kitty here. This is the house and we is havings a party cause Aunt Delly is goings to haves a baby. I dreamed about its last night. It was a good dream.” Ariel said, smiling up at her Aunt proudly, pointing out each person as she named them.

  Raelin’s face went white and she grabbed hold of the back of the chair. Delaney was going to have a baby! Closing her eyes briefly, she sent a prayer to her Goddess, wishing it so before she opened them back up and looked at the picture again. “Yes, that is a very good dream, and it’s a beautiful picture, thank you. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeps, can I puts it on the fridge? Mommy puts all my pictures there,” she asked earnestly, jumping down from her chair and holding the picture out.

  “Yeps, I bought some magnets just to hold up your pictures,” Raelin responded back, pointed to the fridge as she grabbed the keys to the truck.

  Ariel giggled as she used the animal and letter shaped magnets to display her picture as high as she could reach. Nodding her satisfaction at its placement, she padded over to where Raelin was waiting by the door. “We go now?” She said, spotting her book bag and grabbing it.