“Umm, yeah. Umm, who are you?” Raelin whispered back.
“I is Ariel. ‘Members? You and Aunt Delly is watching me cause my Mommy was working, then some bad men came and then you came and then I saw Mommy, then I came to cuddles with yous and now we wakies.” Ariel whispered, a confused look on her face.
“Who is Aunt Delly and your Mommy?” Raelin didn’t recognize the child at all but she was quite comfortable in talking with her.
“You is silly Aunty Rae. Delly and you is marries. I was the flower princess and Mommy is Mommy. She puts baddies away,” the little girl explained.
“I’m what?” Raelin exclaimed a bit louder.
Del jerked awake at the voice and looked up to see Raelin staring down at Ariel with a profoundly confused and shocked look on her face. “Rae you’re up. How are you feeling?” she asked, her voice rough with sleep and slightly slurred as she tried to talk around a badly cut lip.
Raelin turned her head at the sound of the rough voice and discovered a young woman sitting in a chair next to the bed with a split lip and a badly beaten face. The woman’s green eyes were bright with worry and both wrists were wrapped in gauze. She scooted away a little bit, concerned at the stranger in her bedroom.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Del said softly, wincing as she rose from the chair to sit next to Raelin on the bed. “You gave us quite a scare last night.”
“Umm, sorry about that,” the witch pushed herself up to a sitting position but kept contact with the little girl.
“I thought I’d lost you. I’m not sure what I would have done,” the blonde said, shaking her head. She reached her left hand up to brush a stray strand of dark hair away from her wife’s face, her touch lingering over the bruise on her cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Ariel, why don’t you go wake your Mommy before she realizes you’re gone and has a fit.”
“Nopes, I is going to stay. I is comfy,” the little girl replied, scooting closer to Raelin.
“Okay well, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Del replied with amusement.
Slowly Raelin pulled away from the blonde’s hand and glanced around the room. She did recognize it as her bedroom, but there were added items that she had never seen before in her life. A jewelry box, a leather jacket was tossed over the chair next to the window and a picture of herself with her arms around the blonde in the glen was on the dresser. “Umm, Delly?”
Del gave Raelin an odd look, her head tilting to the side. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Ariel. Since when do you call me Delly?” she asked.
“Aunty Raelin’s bein’ silly this mornin.” Ariel shrugged.
“Silly huh? Well, maybe she just needs some hugs and kisses to cheer her up. Just be careful ‘cause she’s a bit sore baby.” Del smiled, leaning in to brush her lips over Raelin’s careful of both her own and Raelin’s injured lips.
Raelin jerked her head back. “Umm, who exactly are you?”
Del reared her head back at both the obvious rejection and the words. “What? Raelin, it’s me, Delaney,” she stated, a mixture of confusion and hurt on her face.
“See, I tolds you she is being funny. She didn’ts know who my name is,” Ariel huffed.
The brunette had never ever kissed a woman before, and though the act was foreign to her, she had to admit to herself that it felt natural. “Uh, Ariel here says that we’re married...is that true?”
“Yes it is. Raelin we’ve been married seven months now. Don’t you remember?” the blonde asked, her voice thick with hurt. She held her left hand up, the Celtic ring on her ring finger catching the morning light. “Can’t you feel me?”
Shaking her head, Raelin looked puzzled. “Nooo, you’re not touching me,” she looked down at her own hand and was shocked to see the same ring on her own hand along with an engagement ring.
“Do you remember me at all? The first time we met, our first kiss?” she asked, then she finished her thought in her mind as Ariel was sitting next to them still. “The first time I made love to you? In the glen under the stars?” she thought.
Slowly shaking her head, Raelin answered, “I apologize, but I have no idea who you are.”
Del’s eyes widened at Raelin’s words and she sucked in a deep breath. She was hurt and confused and above all she had no idea how she was supposed to handle this. She concentrated and felt genuine confusion from her wife and knew that Raelin had no idea who she was. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of her lungs.
“Ariel, I need you to be a big girl and go wake your Mommy up for me. It is very important and I need you to go quickly. Tell her I need her to go downstairs to get Jenny and Kasey,” Del said around the tightness in her throat. She turned her attention back to the woman in front of her. “What is the last thing you remember?”
Concentrating for a few moments, Raelin’s eyes lit up but then became confused. “I was teleporting out of a closet at the casino as Bisanti was coming to get me, but ...why was I locked in a closet?”
“You don’t remember porting me or Ariel out of there?” Del asked, watching Raelin’s face carefully.
Shaking her head, Raelin slowly scooted out of bed, wincing at the soreness. “No, I am so sorry, but I have no idea who you are,” she crossed over to the dresser to pick up the picture and look at it. Turning to the blonde, she asked, “When was this taken?”
Fighting back the overwhelming sadness, Del answered the question. “Seven months ago. At our joining ceremony. “Raelin, can’t you feel me at least? Not physically, but in here?” she asked, pointing to her own chest.
“In my chest...of course not. Why would I feel you there?” The witch put down the picture and happened to glance at herself in the mirror. “Goddess! What happened to me?” She reached up to touch her eye.
“I don’t know, you ported me out before I saw. They probably took a couple swipes at you like they did me,” Del answered, pacing the length of the bed a couple times before the aching in her body forced her to stop. “Who is the Chief in this town?” Del tried.
“Kasey Spaulding, of course.” Raelin leaned forward to inspect the damage to her face. “She’s my niece’s fiancée.”
Del turned her back to the witch, trying to keep herself together. Not only did Raelin not remember who she was, but she couldn’t even feel their link anymore. “Raelin, I’m the Chief,” she crossed to the closet and pulled out the jacket to her dress uniform, her badge still attached to its front.
Turning around to face the woman, Raelin shook her head. “No, Kasey is. She has been since she quit the FBI.”
“My badge is right here, Raelin. What exactly do you remember about Kasey leaving the FBI?” Del asked.
“She...she wanted to be with Jenny...I think. I’m not real clear.” Raelin wiped her hand over her eyes.
“That was part of it, but not the whole reason. You were shot saving my life. You pushed me out of the way, took the bullet and she felt responsible because she wasn’t supposed to let you anywhere near what was going on. Don’t you remember? The scar from the surgery is right there on your chest, just below your right breast,” Del explained sadly.
Without thinking, Raelin pulled up her shirt to see if the blonde was telling the truth, and indeed she found the scar. Looking up, she realized that she had just exposed her breasts to a stranger so she blushed and turned around. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me, but you’re right.”
“It’s okay, we’re well acquainted, your chest and I.” Del sighed, trying to get her head around everything. “When I kissed you before, didn’t that feel at all familiar?” she asked, hoping for any little spark of recognition she could muster.
Taking a deep breath, Raelin smoothed her hair away from her face as she turned back around. “I am really sorry, but I have no idea who you are. I’m sorry.”
“Del, everything okay? Jessie came down and said you needed to see us,” Kasey said, stepping into the room with Jenny, Jessie, and Ariel right behind her.
“Yeah, um you should ta
ke a look at her now that she’s awake,” Del murmured, trying to keep it cool in front of her friends.
“Okay, well Jenny can you grab the first aid kit out of the bathroom for me?” Kasey asked, stepping towards the witch. “Good to see you awake Rae, how you feeling?”
“I’m good Kase, but this woman says that we are married and that she’s the Chief. Can you tell me what’s going on exactly?” Raelin let the Chief lead her over to the bed to sit down.
Kasey’s eyes went wide and Jenny nearly dropped the first aid kit she was carrying over.
“Sees? I told you alls that Aunty Rae was acting silly,” Ariel huffed from her place clutching onto her mother’s pant leg.
Jessie looked at Del, saw the lost look on her face and immediately went over to place a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“She’s right Raelin. Delaney is the Chief, and she is most definitely your wife. You guys got married seven months ago in the glen out back. Don’t you remember?” Kasey asked, immediately grabbing a pen light and shining it into the witch’s eyes.
“No, I don’t remember. And since when did I come out of the closet? I thought that I had just decided to be alone for the rest of my life.” Raelin held still as her friend checked her out.
“Since you and Del took out a slave trafficking ring together,” Jenny replied confused. “It’s not like you tried very hard to hide your relationship. Especially once Brito was booted out of his job.”
“Del, everything indicates that she’s fine. Some bumps and bruises, but no signs of a concussion. I can’t explain the memory loss,” Kasey said, shaking her head.
“I don’t understand. Why would she remember you and not me? She met me first,” Del said. “Wait, Raelin I’ll prove it to you.” With that, Del headed quickly down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing what she wanted, she was back in the bedroom in a matter of minutes. “Here, read this. You wrote it to me just yesterday,” Del said, holding out the letter.
Reading the letter that was written in her own writing, the witch could hardy refute the truth, and she glanced back up at the blonde standing anxiously in front of her. “We’re really married?”
“Yes, or as much as we can be according to the state. More importantly, I love you more than anything,” Del whispered desperately. She felt Ariel clutch at her leg and instinctively rested a hand on top of the tiny blonde head waiting for Raelin’s response.
Looking back down at the letter, then at the child that was hanging onto the blonde’s leg, Raelin realized what the letter really meant. “I had to get you out of there...I couldn’t let...you and Ariel down. I knew that the cost would be high, but to me it was worth it if you two lived on.” She looked up at the blonde. “I don’t remember you, but I must have loved you very much.”
All of a sudden, she grabbed at her chest and moaned. “Oh Goddess...it hurts!”
Del was at her side instantly. “What hurts? Raelin what’s wrong,” she asked, a panicked edge to her voice.
Kasey’s hand flew to Raelin’s free wrist. “Her pulse is racing,” she breathed, tilting Raelin’s face up to look into her eyes. “Tells us what’s wrong so we can help.”
“It’s like I’m empty inside...and there’s an ache that goes on forever.” Tears were welling in the brunette’s eyes.
Ariel scampered between the adults and climbed up into the witches lap, taking the woman’s face between her two hands, staring into her eyes. “Aunty Raden...Momma Quinlan says to reach out to your love, and you will find your way.” The little girl thought to her Aunt.
Hearing the little girl’s voice clear in her mind, Raelin opened her heart like her mother had taught her and was literally knocked back by the emotion that she felt. She wrapped her arms around the little girl and held her close as she lay against the bed.
Del watched with a mixture of fear and longing as Raelin fell back onto the bed, clutching Ariel close. Kasey, Jenny, and Jessie all watched with a mix of shock, concern, and complete confusion at the scene playing out in front of them.
Carefully the witch formed words in her mind, and sent them to Ariel. “You can hear my Momma?”
Looking down at her injured Aunt, Ariel smiled. “Nots all the time, but right now I is. She says that yous and Delly are meant to be together, and yous gave youself to save us. She says yous know what to do to member. Goes to place where you gave youself first.”
“But I don’t know where that is?” Raelin thought back.
“Yous will when yous supposed to. Now can we have pancakes?” The little girl smiled down at the woman.
Raelin smiled and answered aloud. “Yes, we can now have pancakes.” Carefully she sat up, still holding Ariel. “I think that breakfast will help everyone.”
Del relented, knowing that pushing too hard might make things worse. “I’ll go start it,” she said quietly, needing to get out of the room and away from everyone for just a few minutes.
“Wait please.” Raelin carefully set Ariel down on the bed so that she could walk over to the blonde. “Are you in a lot of physical pain?”
“A little, but nothing I can’t handle,” she answered, unconsciously rubbing at her wrists.
Taking the blonde’s wrists into her hands, Raelin concentrated on the area and felt the warmth of healing spread from her hand to the affected area. Once she felt that was completed, she slowly raised up one hand to let her finger gently move over the cut on Delaney’s lip.
As she did, she had a flash of memory of her doing the same thing at a past time. As she watched the cut slowly close she looked up into hurting green eyes, and whispered, “I kissed you the last time.”
“Yes,” Del breathed, the press of those memories nearly choking her. “You did.”
“Can I get a rain check?” Raelin asked as she continued to heal the blonde’s wounds.
“You’ve never had to ask before. No reason to start now,” Del said with a weak smile.
Kasey watched Del, concerned for her best friend. She exchanged a worried glance with Jenny and Jessie, all three unsure how this was going to play out.
“Can my pancakes have smileys on them?” Ariel asked earnestly.
Del took a step back from Raelin at the little one’s question, doing her best to smile. “Sure baby, I’m going to go get them started now. Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll see you down there.” She looked back at Raelin. “Thank you, I feel better now. I’ll see you downstairs.” Turning the blonde headed for the bedroom door and down the stairs to try to distract herself with making breakfast.
Jessie picked up her little one and settled her across her hip. “That was a pretty neat trick just now. I don’t think I’ve seen you do that before,” she said in reference to the healing Raelin had just done.
Raelin turned to the woman and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Raelin Montrose and you are?”
All three sets of eyes widened at Raelin’s self-introduction. It had been a good long while since they’d heard Raelin use that name.
Jessie took her hand, indulging the woman next to her. “Jessie Bell. I’m your attorney and Del’s best friend. This little ruffian is Ariel.” She smiled, ruffling Ariel’s hair.
“She’s your daughter? She looks so much like...um Delaney.” Raelin smiled down at the little girl. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It’s no problems. We’s family, that’s what they’s do.” Ariel smiled.
“I’m going to go get her dressed,” Jessie said, trying to avoid the subject of Ariel’s relations. She headed out the door and down to the bedroom.
Kasey stood from her spot on the bed where she’d been watching the whole thing go down still without an explanation for the memory loss.
Turning around, Raelin smiled at the look that her friend had on her face. “I know that look. What don’t you understand?” She chuckled.
“Why you can remember me, but not Del. You technically met Del first, and wouldn’t have met me at all if not for her. You have no signs of a concussion
or any lingering head trauma so I’m not sure why you are suffering a memory loss,” Kasey mumbled almost as if she were talking to herself. She started babbling about the likelihood of posttraumatic stress disorder and listing it’s symptoms as she thought.
Going over to the nightstand, the witch picked up the letter and handed it to her friend. “Here, read it. It seems I knew that I would lose something, and it ended up being the memory of anything related to...her.” Raelin couldn’t say the blonde’s name without feeling something in her heart.
Blushing as she read the second paragraph, Kasey nodded as she finished the third. “Looks that way. So, you think this is your price for using what I assume was a very high level spell?”
“I have to assume as much, but it looks like I did it willingly...Kasey...Jenny, can I ask you something?” She looked at both women.
“Go ahead,” Kasey replied.
“Sure Rae.” Jenny nodded.
The brunette turned to sit on the bed. “Do...she and I love each other? Are we in love? I know what the letter says, but I need to hear it from someone else.”
Kasey smiled at her friend. “I have never seen a couple love each other more fiercely and completely than you and Delaney do. You jumped in front of a bullet for her, and she took on a mad man with a gun. She ended up getting shot and cracked on the head with his handgun because he laid his hands on you.”
“Kasey is right. You told me about the first time you ever saw her. You said you could feel her gaze on you like a pair of hands. You are both completely head over heels for each other. Of course, it’s one thing for us to tell you that, but it’s another for you to believe it,” Jenny said with a soft smile.
Raelin stared down at her hands. “When I was talking with Ariel, she told me that Momma said to open my heart, and when I did, I felt all of this love and emotion, and it filled me up. Is that how I feel with her?”
“I can’t tell you that for sure. I know that you and Delaney share a very special connection. I would imagine that’s what you felt. Delaney is an Empath, she can feel what you feel and you once told me you could feel her too,” Jenny explained.
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