Chapter 20 Part 1

    Georgia could feel the emotions that Skye was pumping out like water gently cascading over her, pulsating waves that seemed to breathe. If Skye felt excited or anxious the waves were like heavy breaths being taken but sadness and the shame Skye was feeling was a slow and infuriating event and she couldn’t relate to the feeling of shame that Skye was having right this moment but she knew it was an emotion she had never felt before…preferably never to feel it again. She took in the waves emotion that washed over her and even as she concentrated on the feeling, she felt the sadness and thought it curious.

    Being inside Skye’s head had woken her up to many emotions that she had not felt for centuries, some she never felt… ever. Typically Georgia had three states she resided in… enjoyment, boredom and rage, with the lacking of the first two directly causing the third but watching how this life worked and feeling what Skye was feeling began to wreak havoc with her own sense of self. Never had the vessel contained both souls at the same time and she missed the blessed peace within the body, missed the chaos she could cause and even missed having the Guardians chase her down with vows to kills her and bring the innocent one back.

    Forever it was the game they have played since she was cursed so many centuries ago and in truth the Guardians had been cursed along with her. Cursed to spend their immortal lives keeping her confined when they had been hers in the beginning and they protected her life with their own. Now they only protect the Vessel and only when the innocent soul resides with in it.

    Georgia decided right then that as soon as she had the chance she would push forward. Skye was weakest when saddened or ashamed as she is now but Georgia didn’t know how to drive so she sat back and waited until the moment would arrive for her. Through Skye’s eyes she watched with fascination as the garage door rose and she saw the road on the other side. When she was in control, her magic took her from place to place in a flash of light and being bound with Skye’s soul prevented that magic from taking hold. Instead of thinking about that she sat quietly in the armchair that she fashioned in Skye’s mind and watched the scenery go by, wondering what she would see on their journey.

    The ride to the shop was relatively silent with Chase’s eyes glued to the side view mirror. Skye had fidgeted with the radio enough that he had to grab her hand and put it on the wheel making her jump and leaving it painfully on a station that was having and 80’s weekend. Cindy Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ was giving him a headache but he didn’t lose his focus. He couldn’t understand what passed as music as time went by but he could remember little girls everywhere being strangely inspired by the song when it first came out and whipped people into a frenzy of colourful clothes and wild hair. He didn’t even want to think about the Madonna influence.

     As soon as Skye turned left around the little park in the middle of the square he looked up and saw the Odds & Ends sign and let out a sigh of relief.

    “Oh don’t relax yet,” Skye said with a grin when she pulled into her parking spot in front of the store. “Wait until Anna and Leigh get a load of you.” Chase had handled women fawning over him before and just ignored it since none of them really appealed to him when they were like that. He shrugged it off before she continued. “Just wait…” her voice sang with amusement and for a brief moment he wished he could turn back.

    Skye grabbed her laptop out of the backseat and headed for the door, keys in hand so she could unlock it. When she stopped to fiddle with the lock, Chase turned his back to her and scanned up and down the street as his nostrils flared. When he was satisfied with their surroundings he turned to Skye who had stopped and froze before she actually put the key in the lock. Her hands were shaking. Aware that she was going to have a hard time keeping it together, he plucked the keys right out of her hands and inserted the key in the lock. Before he even had a chance to turn it the door opened wide and Leigh stood before him in blue jeans and a deep green blouse that set off her hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair swept up high on to her head in a tousled bun gave her a casual and yet sophisticated look.

    Skye immediately forgot what she was doing until she noticed Leigh’s wide eyes as they did a head to toe sweep of Chase snapped her out of her daze. Quickly she stepped past her nudging the stunned woman gently out of the way. She felt Georgia rise up just a little to examine the new person and Skye released and inner growl in her head.

    “Tsk tsk kitten, I’m just looking.” Georgia crooned and Skye shook it off turning to Leigh who was still staring at Chase while he stood solidly in the doorway looking unimpressed but waiting patiently for Skye to introduce him. She took a deep breathe to calm herself.

    “Leigh, this is cousin Chase.” She paused when he put out his hand, “he’s Deacon’s cousin and will be staying with me and the kids for a while.” Leigh gently, almost suggestively put her hand on top of his and gave a little squeeze. “Well, hello cousin…” her eyelids dropped to halfway and she stepped forward into him. Right before she could press herself up close and personal Skye took his other hand and began to lead him to the office more so far away from Leigh.

    “Chase is going to look at our books so no disturbing him ok?” she called out over her shoulder as she hurried him away. Not that he minded at all with the waves of sexual energy coming off of Leigh and her body language only showing one thing. He turned and took one last look at her who stood with her hip out, hands clasped in front of her. She gave a sly smile and licked her lips seductively before he was dragged into the office and Skye shut the door.

    Before she said anything Chase took a walk around the office and looked out the windows making note of what he could see, where people could hide and made a mental note of any possible escape routes. When he turned back to Skye she had a sour look on her face. “You’re really going to look at our books?”

He nodded.

    “Well I guess I should tell you the whole story then.” She took her seat behind the desk, took a deep breath, held his gaze and told him everything that happened with the bank and possible foreclosure.

Chapter 19 Part 3

    Dominic had come and gone, everything was put on the table in regards to the day and the attempt to break free from Georgia. Dom had put out there that if the only time she was ever quiet was when she was observing, then Skye should give her something to watch. In his own Dominic way meaning she should get up and go back to work.

     As thankful as she was for his input she had no idea how she was going to function out in the open around people even if those people were hers.

     Still having no further insight into how Georgia was semi free and how this would all work in their grand scheme of things frustrated them all. Skye was surprised at how her whole world was turned upside down and she wasn’t in a strait jacket yet considering this was all so new, and bizarre…very bizarre and yet old and familiar feeling to her at the same time. She didn’t trust her calmness about it all, or not knowing if it was her or Georgia that was radiating the sense of ease.

    After Dom left the first thing she wanted to do was have a smoke. Something she figured out that Georgia herself hated by the sense of disgust that would trickle over her as soon as she lit one up…that only made her want to smoke more. She sat herself down and looked at her dogs sitting patiently at Chase’s feet as he resumed his usual post of leaning against the raining, arms crossed across the broad chest she was trying so hard not to notice when Maury’s voice finally broke through her thoughts.

    “Working will keep you mind off of things.” Maury told her while he and Skye sat side by side watching the sun begin to set. It was her favourite time of day as the sky changed from blue to hues of orange, red and gold. Skye exhaled and pondered what work would be like with all of this extra baggage she had on top of trying to dig them out of the hole they were in. She loved working at Odds & Ends and now dread was creeping in about trying to control things with Georgia and if the distraction would even work to keep her quiet. Skye didn’t like the situation at all. “What if she tries to break out again?” she asked through another exhale.

    Maury shrugged and tossed a casual look Chase’s way with a smirk. “Big and bad will be with you, just put him in the office and put books in front of him.”

    Skye started at that and looked at him blankly for a moment before she replied “And I should tell Anna and Leigh what exactly?”

    He gave her and incredulous look as he stood up and stretched “The truth…” he said “He’s your cousin… in law and he came to look at the books. Simple and it’s not a lie because, he will be looking at your books.” Skye couldn’t deny his reasoning but now not only the terror of being outside the house if Georgia attacked made her nervous but, also that Chase would see how much trouble she was really in.

   She could feel Chase’s eyes on her and looked up into his aqua eyes. His gaze was steady and seemed to be searching hers, like he knew that she was hiding something and for all of his gifts that were being revealed day by day to her, she thought he most likely knew for sure. Her heart started pounding as she fell into those blue-green eyes and she could feel Georgia stirring inside of her like an itch she couldn’t scratch. That caused her mind to shift and think about Georgia’s reactions to Chase. Why he created a reaction in her at all and got her thinking about their possible past together.  Skye hoped that she could work something else out on top of it all. Maybe if she could get Maury to come in instead of Chase, would Georgia leave her alone?

    She thought that it might work. “Maybe you should come with me Maury? She gets a little restless whenever Chase is around.” She left out that it was only when he was looking at her.

    “Really?” Maury asked glancing in Chase’s direction. When he made eye contact, Chase merely lifted and eyebrow. “Why is that?”

    Skye balked at the question as soon as she saw the corner of Chase’s mouth twitch and turn upward. Just then Savannah came out and told her mother that she had a phone call. Thanking everything that was holy, she now had an excuse to leave the awkward conversation. She rose to her feet and put her cigarette out in the ashtray leaving the men to their plans.

    “Who is it Ladybug?”

    “It’s Auntie Leigh!” Savannah sang as she disappeared into the front room to continue watching cartoons. Skye paused and took a deep breathe before picking up the phone.

     She tried to put a smile she didn’t have into her voice. “Hey! What’s going on?” when she didn’t hear anything right away she froze, panic beginning to well up thinking of Marcus. “Leigh?”

     “Hey, sorry! Jordan had a jellybean half up his nose. That could have been a really inconvenient hospital trip.” She sang down the line and relief flooded Skye as she let out a laugh that she desperately needed.

    After stoically avoiding the questions Leigh was asking her about the new additions to the household. Skye decided against telling her that she was going to bring Chase in to the store with her. She felt better showing up with him instead because then Leigh and Anna would be so busy looking at and falling over him that they wouldn’t look at her too closely while she tried to keep Georgia at bay.

    With exhaustion tugging at her with every movement she sought out her kids. They almost seemed happier of late with the extra people in the house. Even Gertie, who spent a lot of time with Savannah who loved Jack to pieces. Angel took her post downstairs while Kona gently nudged Skye forward to bed. Skye wasn’t ready though, she had something she needed to do first.

    One by one Skye checked on each of her children hugging Savannah and tucking her in tight, brushing Kyra’s hair and telling her everything was going to be fine. When she asked Kyra what she thought of Chase and Maury she merely shrugged but Skye had been watching her with Chase and knew that her daughter was more than comfortable with the increased testosterone in the house. Last was Cy as he laid on his back in bed, one knee up and hands behind his head.

    She sat gently on the edge of the bed realizing now that she hadn’t asked him how he was taking all of the changes and the fact that he was now something that they had thought unreal and impossible and if she was honest she still really didn’t know what that was. He hadn’t hit the age where he would change they said, shape shifting, increased muscle mass and all of the things that Maury was helping him with…preparing him for. She put a hand on his leg and he flinched. Hurt flashed across her face before she could stop it and she removed her hand placing it in her lap and lacing her fingers together.

    “Sorry mom, I wasn’t expecting that.” Cyrus said softly.

    “Are you sure?” she replied, “Maybe you’re thinking now…” she felt tears welling up as she continued, “that I’m not your mom…”

    The thought had bounced around in her head for days and she pushed it out repeatedly. The thought of Cyrus thinking that she was a monster scared her more than she was willing to admit to anyone. Cyrus didn’t hesitate.

    “You are my mom. I had trouble in the beginning…I’m still having trouble but not where it comes to you being my mom.” He said but wouldn’t look at her. “I’m trying to figure it out and I’m scared you will disappear and that we will have to be taken care of by people we barely know.”

    She felt a sense of pride in her son at that moment. That he had thought about this meant more than she could have imagined. “I’ll take care of the girls no matter what.” He continued, his voice was unbelievably small as he finally looked up at her. “I’m not letting you go mom…not without one hell of a fight.” Cyrus sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She thought she could feel his strength and resolve in that action. He reluctantly loosened his grip enough to whisper to her.

    “I promise…”

    The next morning the now expected and quickly becoming normal hustle and bustle of the house was in full swing. Maury was making the girls breakfast while telling Savannah outrageous stories of wild animals from another place in time. Kyra listened and didn’t react in the same why her little sister did but she listened intently anyway. Cyrus was trying to find his text book that he had probably left on the floor by the couch in the living room when he and Maury were attacking each other on the PlayStation but Chase and Gertie were not in sight yet so Skye took that as her cue to go get her coffee, head out back with the dogs and try to do something that used to be normal before she headed off to work.

    She was leaning on the railing watching the dogs run in circles and do their morning thing with her coffee in one hand and cigarette in the other when both dogs, changed direction and ran past her. “I’m starting to think my dogs love you more than me.” She said knowing the reason why. She didn’t even need to look at him to know it was Chase and that he had that knowing and smug grin on his face.

    His large frame entered her periphery as he leaned back against the railing beside her and tapped the pocket of her sweater that she had her cigarettes in. Without a second thought she reached in, took out the pack and handed them to him along with the lighter. The silence was deafening for a few minutes while the stood facing opposite directions from each other but so close that Skye could feel the heat radiating from him. A flash of Deacon swirled through her thoughts, remembering that his temperature always ran hot. Hot enough were most of the time he slept on top of the blankets.

    She gave Chase a sidelong glance and he seemed not to notice her looking at him from head to toe. A silent comparison going on in her head but when she got to his torso, the flat but rippled plane of his stomach, the smooth molded shape of his shoulders as her gaze rested on his defined  pecs she felt her face heat and had to turn away quickly.

    In her head she heard Georgia let out a low laugh. Skye started and shook it off, tossing her cigarette into the ashtray just to have a reason not to stare. Now she couldn’t wait to get to the shop so that she could be distracted from thoughts of anything but work.

    “I’ll be in the SUV.” She said abruptly and strode into the house. After kissing each of her children on the head she picked up her jacket, laptop bag and keys on her way to the garage. The comforting and normal beep of the car alarm disengaging was music to her ears as she tossed her bag on the back seat and got behind the wheel.  She decided to warm it up while she waited for Chase and no sooner had she made that decision she saw is frame fill the doorway to the garage. He looked casual in his dark blue jeans and the long sleeved white shirt that hugged his upper body.

    Mentally she slapped herself for even noticing that anything hugged his muscular frame. She may not be ready to move on but she could appreciate the male form in all its glory, she thought to herself. “Oh how glorious it is…” Georgia chimed in and Skye gave her a mental push backwards that made the goddess again laugh softly. Seeing him unnerved her but apparently it amused the second soul. All she could think about was how so very similar he was to his cousin and how she felt like she was betraying his memory for looking at another man.

She felt ashamed.