Insight

by Jennis Slaughter

  Shaking her head, Raelin slowly slid into bed with her niece’s help. “No, she’s too far away, but it sure does feel good. Do we still have some soup in the fridge?”

  “I think it’s actually frozen. We were out, so Kasey made a huge batch and popped a bunch of it in the freezer. I could thaw some out real quick,” Jenny answered, sitting next to the brunette on the bed.

  “Kasey cooks? What else have you discovered about your Deputy?” Raelin leaned back against the headboard.

  “She cooks really well actually. She’s from Houston, and when she was a kid, she used to win competitions in horseback riding. Not the show jumping, some kind of race. Steeple chasing, I think she said it was.” Jenny laughed. “Maybe we could get them horses to ride here. Just think; Del and Kasey in those uniforms atop a couple of horses.” Jenny grinned roguishly.

  The smile that appeared on Raelin’s face bordered on leering before she coughed and tried to compose herself. “So, you like your Deputy in uniform?”

  “Let’s just say she wears it well and I make sure she knows it.” Jenny smiled. “You haven’t seen Del in hers yet, have you?”

  “No...not yet, but I have imagined it a few hundred times.” Raelin closed her eyes for a moment and smiled. Clearing her throat, she opened them back up and shook her head. “I’ll just take a sandwich then. I didn’t eat breakfast and my stomach is beginning to rumble. Ham with Swiss please, and a glass of tea please.” Leaning her head back against the headboard, Raelin reached out again to feel the lines, smiling at the sensation.

  j

  Kasey stepped through the front door, calling to Jenny that they were home. Del had wanted to pick up a couple things and change before they headed back out to the hospital.

  Del locked up the Jeep, stepped through the door a few seconds later, and had to grab the doorframe to steady herself. She immediately got the sense of Raelin and it just made her miss her witch even more. Even the house seemed to be asking for its witch. She trudged up the stairs, intent on heading to the bedroom to change. She opened the door and stopped dead when she saw Raelin propped against the headboard, laughing over something Rori had said. “Raelin? What are you doing here?” she asked surprised.

  The witch didn’t immediately answer; instead her eyes were traveling up and down the blonde’s body, stopping every so often to enjoy the curves. “Umm, hi. Decided that I would heal better at home.”

  “You could have called me. How did you get home?” Del asked, glad to have her witch home. She noticed Raelin’s obvious once over and grinned as she sauntered over to the bed.

  “I called Jenny and asked her to come and pick me up. Don’t worry; the doctor cleared me to come home as long as I stayed in bed with limited walks,” she reached out to hook her finger through Delaney’s belt loop and tug her closer. “Thought that I would surprise you...did it work?”

  “It did. I’m not sure how though. I should have clued in when I felt that jolt earlier,” Del said, leaning over her witch. “Good surprise though.”

  Wrapping her good arm around the blonde’s neck, Raelin drew her down for a kiss. “So you felt me come...we’ll have to try something different next time and see if you can feel me again,” she ran her tongue over Del’s bottom lip before kissing her hungrily.

  Del had to press a knee onto the bed to keep from falling on top of her witch as they kissed. It felt so good to have Raelin back in the house and not having anything but Raelin in the back of her mind. She deepened the kiss, taking in as much of her witch as she could before she pulled back, needing to take a breath.

  “I guess that I don’t need to tell you how good you look in the uniform. I’ll show you just how much I like it when I’m better.” The witch let her hand roam down Delaney’s side wanting desperately to touch her.

  “Yes, well, I’ll hold you to that. I know you like this get up, but is it all right if I go change?” Del asked, skimming her lips over Raelin’s, and then trailing them across her jaw.

  “If you must, go right ahead. Take a shower if you want. I’ll be right here when you get out.” Raelin reached up and started to unbutton Delaney’s shirt. “Just thought that I would help.”

  Del let Raelin undo all of her buttons, before she had to stop once she reached the Chief’s utility belt. “Thanks, now I’m going to go shower before I end up doing terrible things to you.” The blonde smirked, pressing Raelin back into her pillows with a passionate kiss.

  Holding the blonde where she was, Raelin let her hand part the shirt to cup one of Del’s breasts. “It would be terrible if you didn’t do those things to me, but I’ll give you a rain check until later...if that’s what you really want.”

  “It’s not what I want. Sadly, we both know that it wouldn’t be doing you any favors if I had my way with you. I’m willing to bet you’re already feeling pretty achy just from the trip up the stairs,” Delaney breathed, struggling to keep herself under control as Raelin’s hands moved over her skin.

  “Okay, go take a bath.” The brunette reluctantly let her hand drop away for her lover. She knew that Del was right, but couldn’t help herself. She was too happy at being home.

  Del closed her eyes, feeling the loss of Raelin’s touch. She stood up to her full height, unclipped her belt, and dropped it into the drawer of the nightstand next to her. “Do you need anything before I shower?”

  “No, I’m good. I’ll probably fall asleep soon. You were right about being a bit achy.” Raelin carefully scooted down until she was comfortable.

  “Okay. Get some rest then. I won’t be long.” Del smiled, kissing Raelin’s forehead before heading for the bathroom, grabbing a hoodie and shorts on the way.

  j

  Del finished rinsing her hair, standing for a few long minutes as the water poured over her. She hadn’t been able to relax the entire time she’d been in the shower, but at least she felt a little more human. Sighing, she switched off the taps and opened the curtain. As she reached for her towel, she noticed Rori sitting on the counter with his back to her. She jumped and quickly grabbed her towel wrapping it around her. “Why do I even bother with locks? Rori, what are you doing here?” she asked irritated.

  “I wanted to ask you a few questions, and do not worry, I didn’t peek,” was the feline’s droll reply.

  “Cause that makes me feels so much better. You couldn’t have waited until oh, I don’t know, I wasn’t naked?” she hissed, hiding behind the curtain.

  “Get over it. I’ve seen worse than you, and I wanted to talk with you before you went back out there. You wanna put something on?”

  Del quickly toweled off and pulled her clothes on, muttering about locks and having them for a reason, all the while. Finally, she finished and started drying her hair. “There, I’m clothed. What can I do for you?”

  “First of all I would like to thank you for taking such good care of Raelin. I know that we got off to a very rocky start, but I’m a big enough cat to admit when I’m wrong, and in this instance, I am. You are good for her, and I thank you so very much.” The gray cat bobbed his head.

  Del took up a seat on the closed toilet lid so she would be eye level to the cat sitting on the counter. “You are welcome. I promise you I will continue to take care of her to the best of my ability for as long as you both will have me. She’s a good person, and so are you.”

  Rori butted his head against the blondes. “I thank you for saying that, but it leads me to a question. When are you going to tell her about her inheritance?”

  Del closed her eyes with a sigh. “I was waiting for the right time. I guess now that she’s home and more comfortable I should probably tell her soon. It will be easier for her to process everything in a place where she feels safe. How do you tell someone who’s lived such a simple life that they own half a town and who knows how much money?”

  Rising up and arching his back in a stretch, Rori replied. “I don’t think that it will change her at all. Knowing her, she’ll try and give it all away, but you need
to make sure that she doesn’t do that. Whatever Arthur left her is her family legacy and she needs to continue that. I’m trusting you to help me advise her when we can.”

  “I can’t tell her what she should do with her inheritance,” Del said, giving his chin a loving scratch.

  The cat shook his head. “I’m not asking you to do that. I’m asking you to advise her. She will ask for your opinion. You know this. Give it honestly, and let her make up her own mind. Just don’t be silent...unless it’s called for of course. Okay?”

  “You got it, Boss. I’ll help her as best I can. You’re a good man Rori. I’m glad she’s had you all these years,” she smiled at the cat. “Also, I picked up some more salmon and some shrimp for you as a treat. Don’t tell Raelin. She’ll think I’m spoiling you.”

  “Thank you.” The cat watched the blonde stand up to leave. “By the way, I need to tell you that I wasn’t looking directly at you when you came out of the shower, but your reflection is quite pleasant in the mirror. Nice ass for a human.”

  Del flushed a bright red and opened the door, chasing him out with an indignant look on her face. Once he was out of the bedroom, she listened to him laughing at her the whole way down the stairs; she turned back to the bed to find Raelin asleep under the blankest. Delaney had to admit that she looked healthier here, in her own home. The bronze glow to her skin was coming back, and her face had lost the tension and stress it had always carried at the hospital.

  The blonde sat on the edge of the bed next to the witch and simply watched her sleep. Making a quick decision, she gently stretched out on top of the sheets next to the witch, taking Raelin’s hand in hers and let herself doze in and out of sleep, simply enjoying being so close to her lover after the separation of the hospital.

  j

  The grass in the glen was now almost waist high and tickled Raelin’s hands as she walked through. The sun was low in the skin with the breeze was cool against her skin while birds chirped in the background. The witch smiled as crickets began to play their evening songs.

  Del smiled when she saw Raelin enter the glen from her place on the opposite side; just outside the circle of trees. She moved forward to meet the witch, parting the tall grass as she moved. She stopped a few paces from Raelin, smiling up at her, the orange hue of the setting sun complimenting her darker complexion and giving her a glowing appearance. “Funny seeing you here.” The Chief smiled.

  Raelin reached out to caress the blonde’s face. “It figures that we would meet here. This is the place where we first truly made love together. I am so glad I am home and with all of this behind us.”

  “Me too. It’s so good to have you back at the house. I can’t wait to just build a life together, this time without anything hanging over our heads,” Del replied, reaching up to run her fingers over Raelin’s forearm, leaning into the witch’s touch.

  Taking a step forward, Raelin nodded her head. “I know...so I wonder why we’re here together. I know that we shared dreams before, but I can’t figure out why now.”

  “I wouldn’t know, but I’m not going to complain. Anytime alone I get with you is always good time.” Del smiled, wrapping her arms around Raelin’s waist, drawing her closer.

  “I think so too, but there are so many things that I want to do with you that I don’t know where to start.” The witch ghosted her hands down Delaney’s back. “Have you felt the energy? It’s pure...untainted.” Raelin giggled. “It felt so good to be home, and just to know that you were nearby, made it better.”

  “I felt when you arrived. I’m not sure I feel the lines like you do, but the heaviness I always felt in town is gone. Everything just seems so much lighter,” Delaney answered, reaching out to rest a hand on Raelin’s hip.

  Del was just about to rise to her toes to give Raelin gentle kiss when a gust of wind and flash of light stopped her. She looked to her left and saw Raelin’s Goddess approaching her once more. She bowed her head deferentially, acknowledging the Goddess.

  Raelin dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “My Goddess.”

  “Rise, my Chylde...it gladdens my heart to see you two together. I know that times have been tough, but it seems that you have come through it fine.” The dark haired woman touched the witch’s shoulder, bidding her to rise.

  Del offered a hand to her witch as she rose and offered the Goddess a smile, “Yeah, but something tells me you didn’t have any doubt that we would.”

  “I did not, and I wish to offer you my blessings on your union if you would wish it.”

  Raelin smiled and turned to the blonde before she dropped back down to one knee. “Delaney Delacroix, would you honor me by becoming my wife, my partner, and truly my other half, in this lifetime and every other one following?”

  Del was surprised when Raelin dropped to her knee, but knew there was only one answer. She reached down and cupped Raelin’s cheeks, pulling her up into a kiss. “Yes, a hundred times yes.”

  Kissing the blonde for a few moments, Raelin forgot that they were in front of her Goddess until Delaney pulled away. “I believe that someone is waiting on an answer,” she kept Raelin’s hand close to her heart.

  Not moving her hands, Raelin looked to her Goddess. “Would you please?”

  Smiling, the spirit stepped closer. “This is a scared place, this glen surrounded by trees, which is appropriate as it is a circle, an infinite thing. It, like your love, is magical and never ending, never changing and yet always adapting. Your love is freely given to each other, and is a source of light to others.”

  A golden glow filled the glen as the Goddess continued. Clasping her hands together, she offered a silent prayer, and when she opened them back up there were two intricate silver Celtic rings sitting in the cup of one hand. “I bless this marriage with the gifts from the east - new beginnings that come each day with the rising sun, communication of the heart, mind, body, and soul. I bless this marriage with the gifts of the south - the light of the heart, the heat of passion, and the warmth of a loving home. Gifts of the west - the rushing excitement of a raging river, the soft, and pure cleansing of a rainstorm, and a commitment as deep as the ocean itself. And gifts of the north - a solid foundation on which to build your lives, abundance and growth of your home, and the stability to be to be found by holding one another at the end of the day. Do you each promise to show each other your honor and fidelity, to share you laughter and joy, to support and stand by each other in times of difficulty, to dream and hope together and to spend each day loving each other more than the day before?”

  Del smiled at Raelin, green eyes locking with rich brown. “Yes, I do.”

  “I want nothing more.” Raelin smiled back.

  The spirit handed them the rings and bade them to put them on each other, and to join hands. As they did, she placed her hands over theirs. “You have freely given your love to each other, and I freely bless this union. May your love always burn as bright as it does right now. What I and you have joined, let no one break apart,” she nodded to the women.

  Raelin leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Delaney’s lips. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, more than anything,” Del whispered against Rae’s lips; her hands wrapping around the taller woman’s neck to hold her in place, completely forgetting about the Goddess standing next to them.

  Smiling against her mate’s lips, the witch lost herself in their kiss.

  “There is someone else who wishes to bless this union.” The Goddess stepped aside so that the two women could see Arthur and Quinlan floating at the edge of the glen. They were holding hands and smiling broadly.

  “Momma...dad...” Tears sprang in Raelin’s eyes.

  Del felt a heat flush through her when she realized that Rae’s parents had probably just gotten their first look at her while she was in a rather compromising position. “That’s amazing,” Del breathed, and she suddenly missed her own mother and grandmother.

  “Fear not, Delaney, They are here also.” The Goddess point
ed a few paces over. Fiona and Grace were smiling and waving at the blonde.

  Del gasped at the sight of her grandmother and a woman she’d only known from worn photos. “Fi? Mom?” She felt her throat tighten and struggled to hold back the wave of emotion that rolled through her.

  “They all wish you both to know that they are so very happy that you have found each other and wish you both all the happiness in the world.” The Goddess turned back to the two women. “It is time for you to rejoin your world, but rest assured that we all shall be watching over you.”

  Raelin stepped forward. “Thank you for your blessing and for allowing us this time with our parents.”

  “Yes, thank you, although those words don’t seem like enough,” Del managed around the lump in her throat.

  “You both are now my Chyldren and I shall always be near.” The beautiful woman smiled and slowly faded from view.

  Del grinned as soon as the Goddess was gone and wrapped her arms tightly around her witch. “I’d say I wish I never had to wake up, but then I think I’d miss out on the everyday stuff. I guess I’ll see you when I wake up.”

  “I’ll see you.” Raelin held the blonde close. “I love you, Delaney.”

  “I love you too, Raelin.” Del smiled, memorizing how Raelin looked in this moment before she woke up to the same beautiful sight.

  j

  Raelin slowly opened her eyes to see Delaney staring at her. “Hi...I just had the best dream.”

  “Mmm, me too. We got married in the glen. Your parents were there and my mom and Fi were there too,” Del murmured, still half asleep. She cuddled as close as she dared to Raelin’s side.

  “Del...that was my dream. My Goddess blessed the joining and...oh my, Delaney, look.” The witch held up her hand.

  Del’s eyes went wide at the flash of metal on the ring finger of Raelin’s left hand. She quickly lifted her own left hand and saw the matching silver on her ring finger. “Jesus,” she breathed. “How is this even possible?”