My sweet, wonderful readers :D I beg
some indulgence from you all. I was talking with one friend about the
twins and how with them I'd stumbled over taboos I didn't even
realize existed. I talked with my BR and then moves on to poking my
"Irish friend," as I differentiate Tara Finnegan from my
other friends; how sad that she's my only Irish friend... at least
that I know of. So I'm spending some Mondays with the twins' and
their back story. I can't truthfully predict when active sex scenes
will. But here is some Vala-related fiction to enjoy after the marathon that was the June Spanking A to Z challenge. D
(Updated with some thoughts from Tara and some other editing, 7/5)
---
Ailin glanced at the IRA men standing
beside Aunt Margaret. How dare they show their faces here.
Adan
shook her head. Don't, brother.
Dad whispered
into Margaret's ear.
Ailin patted his mother's shaking
shoulder. "He's in a better place now, Mam." He looked at
her neck; he couldn't stand to look at Aunt Margaret's tear-strained
face again.
Mam caught Ailin's hand and held it in
both of her small ones. "Aye. And soon shall we too."
Ailin glanced to the right, waiting
until Adan met his gaze. He arched a bright red eyebrow.
Adan shrugged before returning her
attention to the priest. She made a small shake of her head, her red
curls shaking against her back.
"After the funeral dinner,"
Mam whispered and joined Adan in a return to reverence.
---
Adan blinked. "Ah, when do we
leave? Where are we going?"
Dad nodded sagely. "Packin' the
limit of what can go on the plane in baggage, then selling all else
off. The tickets give us three weeks."
"Just three weeks?" Ailin
raged. "How're we supposed to say good bye to friends, to
everything we've known in just three weeks?"
"Don't you raise your voice at your
dad!" Mam's expression held the thunderclouds of an angry Irish
woman. "And think of your aunt. I just got her to sleep."
"We'll have each other, brother."
Adan grabbed one of Ailin's hands and held tight. "You won't
have to say bye to me."
Ailin breathed in deep, his eyes closed
as he focused on the connection to his sister. "But I never said
I'd join the fighting. Why are you punishing us by moving us to the
States? Have you tried seeing if we can just move south? Live in
Ireland proper where we belong?"
"Goin' to the US is easier,"
Mam explained as she caressed her twins' joined hands. "Besides
we already have all the visas lined up. Uncle Sean and Aunt Lucy are
speaking for us all. And how can you think it all about you, Ailin?
Do you forgot all your younger siblings and cousins?"
Ailin glanced at the scared faces
peeking between the slates in the stairway. "I'll be up to tell
stories in a moment. To bed with all you!"
A pounding of little feet sounded on the
stairway as the youngest O'Briens' ran back to their beds.
"Mam, Dad, do you know yet what the
limits on baggage is? Will we have to go buy bags?" Adan
questioned, smiling when Ailin's shoulders slumped down to their
normal.
"Good girl." Mam nodded. "Two
suitcases per adult, teen, and one fer child under 12 years of age.
Then we can each have a carry-on. You and I'll set out to the
discount store tomorrow to add to what we already have."
"This is for the good of the whole
family," Dad announced as he sank into his rocking chair. "We've
lost too many to the fighting."
"But Dad, that very chair that you
worked so hard to make won't be able to go with us!" Ailin
pulled his hand free of Adan's grasp.
"Sure some things will have to be
left, but I've already gifted this chair to Father Finnegan. We'll
make our way. New York has one of the largest populations of Irish
people outside of Ireland. We'll be okay."
Ailin shook his head and hurried up the
stairs.
---
"And they all agreed that Fionn mac
Cumhaill was too smart." Ailin smiled, the joy reaching his eyes
as little James snuggled down into his pillow.
"Everyone be quiet now even if
ye're not asleep yet." Ailin rose from his stool and crept out
of the room.
Adan reached in to flick the light
switch, casting the room into darkness. She'd already changed into
her flowing flannel night gown with the lace edging that brushed the
floor as she walked.
"So was that keeping the peace or
agreeing with them?" Ailin frowned at Adan as they moved down
the hall to their bedroom.
"Must you try to be the rebellious
son just 'cause you reached sixteen years of age?" Adan
countered.
"Must you be the perfectly obedient
daughter?" Ailin turned on their bedroom's light and hurried to
his side of the room. He flopped down on his bed.
"Hey." Adan sat on Ailin's bed
beside him. "Dad and Mam have thought this through. It might
feel scary and horrible now, but there's Irish and there's Catholic
churches in the States. Dad was right when he said we'll be good
there."
"Will we have to go to public
school there, where we'll be teased for our way of speaking?"
Ailin looked up at Adan. "There we'll have an accent."
Adan snorted and then blushed to the
roots of her hair.
"Oh drop it. Mam's not here to
lecture your un-ladylike behavior." Ailin sat back up before
lowering himself to the side of his bed.
Adan joined Ailin in kneeling.
They prayed, "Hail Mary, full of
grace, the Lord art with ye'. Blessed be the fruit of thy word, Lord
Jesus Christ. Blessed are ye among women. Pray for us sinners now and
at the day of judgment."
---
"Mary! Susan! Link hands with me
and each other," Adan called out as the little ones followed
behind her off the plane terminal. She smiled at Ailin as he caught
James and Fynn.
Mam, Dad, and Aunt Margaret ended the
group, their arms full of the carry-on bags.
"There should be chairs by the
customs spot. Get all the children there while we deal with
passports," instructed Dad.
Ailin and Adan nodded before guiding the
little ones to a few rows of plastic chairs bolted to the ground.
"I wonder if we'll ever feel like
Americans," Ailin murmured under his breath to Adan.
"It'll take time, brother. Have a
little patience. There'll be lots of surprises here." Adan
leaned over to kiss Mary's forehead as the brown-haired girl settled
herself into a plastic chair.