A/N: Alrighty, I promised I'd be back, and here I am, with a brand spanking new legacy!! Hopefully no computer trouble this time ::crosses fingers::. Trying out a few things new this time around, but we're starting with the generic Alphabet challenge (again!) with names being chosen mostly from the UK (Scottish, Irish, English, etc.) So! Here's hoping you like it!

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The warm waves of the Trianic Sea came rolling up onto the sand, just inches from where Aislynn McTavisham sat. She barely moved, almost as if she were in a trance, letting the mist fleck her face in welcome of her new home.

Her new home.

Aislynn shook her head. She’d been here barely and hour and already she was referring to it as “home”.

“Just shows you how much I couldn’t wait to get here,” she murmured to the waves. They gurgled in response, making a soft sucking noise as they drew back from the shore some.

She closed her eyes and let the warm sun envelope her in it’s embrace. She took in a deep breath of salty air and tried to force the past horrific months from her mind.

It had all started when she’d met him. Tavis. It was all she could do not to shudder at the memory his name provoked.

Her name had been Brigid Graham then, and Tavis had been her first boyfriend. He was infinately charming, and he’d whisked her off her feet so fast and so effortlessly, it had been incredible she hadn’t realized sooner who he was, or rather, what he was.

Their love had been fast-paced, and reckless. He’d influenced her to do things she’d never have done herself, never have even thought of doing. All along there was always a little voice in her head warning her of her actions, softly chiding her misdeeds, and always she pushed the thoughts away, preferring to live in the moment, to live and breathe for Tavis and his love.

But his love wasn’t really true. Her heart still ached with the thought, with the image of him divesting his secretary, Eugenia, of her clothing, of what he did to her. It had disgusted her until she felt she was going to be sick, and yet she couldn’t look away. She watched as their lovemaking began sweetly, and watched as it ended violently. She could still hear poor Eugenia’s screams in her dreams when she slept at night. And to think it could have been her.

She shuddered despite the warmth of the sun. Reality came back to her quickly. She looked hopefully up and down her solemn little beach, happy with her progress. The last six months of her life had been Hell, what with the trials. Finally her lawyer, Marcus Grady, had suggested she be placed into the witness protection program, and she’d readily agreed. It would have been different if she’d had any family to speak of, but ever since Papa died five years earlier, she’d been on her own.

And so Brigid Graham became Aislynn McTavisham, she’d cut her hair, and she was flown across the wide ocean to the Covena Isles off the coast of Southern Edanomella. The program wrote her a check for §20,000, and Marcus had helped her finance the plot of land she now owned. He’d tried to talk her into a smaller plot, to save her money for an actual house rather than what she’d chosen (which was, essentially, a hut), but she’d insisted on the beachfront property, no matter the cost.

She took another long breath of tangy-sweet air, then stood and turned towards the ridge, looking up at her little shelter.

“Home sweet home,” she said softly, before heading up the hill.

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great start!

I will second that pookie_dilly! Brilliant piece of background story.

Sue

Wonderful! Can't wait to read more.

Thanks Pookie, Sue and FaerieWings!! Makes me feel all squishy!!

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Aislynn’s first few days in her new home were quite uneventful, though that’s how she preferred it. Never again would she have to worriedly look over her shoulder, or dread answering the phone that never stopped ringing. In fact, her phone never rang here, and for that she was incredibly grateful.

She’d been warned by Marcus not to become employed right away because of legality issues with her credentials. Her name had been changed, her entire birth certificate wiped clean and rewritten with new names, a new birth date, and a new hospital. She now had a whole new social security number to memorize, and she would have to take a drivers test if she wanted to have a license in this country.

She had been reciting her new name to herself ever since she was put into the program, and now it was finally starting to not sound as foreign on her tongue when she used it. Still, it was hard to just forget your true past, your true name… it was, essentially, her entire identity that had been changed. For that reason, and the lag in her credentials being confirmed, Marcus had told her to hold off on employment for the first month or so. He’d placed the remainder of her funds into a small checking account at a local bank, and so far she’d had no problems withdrawing from it. However, it occurred to her that her funds were dwindling rapidly, and she needed to find some sort of income in order to make ends meet… especially if she wanted to expand her little hut into a house.

And so it was she took about half of what she had left in her account and she hired a roommate finding service in order to help supplement the income.

“Hello, you must be Ms. Hawke. We spoke over the phone,” Aislynn greeted the elder woman. Odd… she wasn’t dressed as someone from a roommate agency… but perhaps things were done differently over here.

“I am Lady Gaillea,” said the woman.

“Oh! Oh they must have sent you in her place then. I am Br..” she caught herself. “Aislynn McTavisham.” She extended her hand.

Lady Gaillea accepted Aislynn’s hand, but instead of shaking it in greeting, she turned it palm up and inspected the lines that criss-crossed there. After several strained moments of this, and some incoherent mutterings, Aislynn began tugging her hand back awkwardly.

Lady Gaillea looked up sharply, increasing her pressure on Aislynn’s fingers to stop their wriggling. Aislynn stilled and let out an exasperated breath.

“I’m looking for a roommate, I was told that your agency helps arrange that?”

Lady Gaillea held up her other hand to silence Aislynn, still muttering under her breath.

Finally she looked up with a decidedly sly glint in her eye and released Aislynn’s fingers.

“You have money?” She asked, proffering her hand.

Aislynn handed her the check timidly.

The old lady sniffed at the amount, tightening her mouth a little. Aislynn grew wary.

“That is the amount we agreed upon, correct? I really don’t have much to speak of,” she said, indicating her hut. “As you can see,” she added.

Lady Gaillea studied Aislynn for a moment, before assumptively nodding. She moved in eerily close to Aislynn, so close Aislynn had to strain not to step away.

“What is it you truly want?” Lady Gaillea asked in a hoarse whisper.

“What I want? I want a roommate…” Aislynn floundered. Lady Gaillea shook her head.

“No, I mean here,” she stubbed a finger at the middle Aislynn’s chest. Aislynn rubbed the spot absently.

“In my heart? I don’t know… I guess I want a family someday. I want to feel true love. I want to feel secure… safe. Safe from… from everything…” she frowned, not really understanding why she’d felt compelled to answer that question. She blinked and shook her head quickly then focused on the older woman.

“Why do you want to know that? Do you screen eligible candidates so that you find the best match or something?”

“Or something,” the woman repeated, grinning. Aislynn frowned again before Lady Gaillea cackled loudly.

“Don’t you fret, Brigid Graham. You will soon have what it is you wish.”

And with that, the old lady shifted around Aislynn swiftly, and was around the corner before Aislynn could even comprehend what had just happened.

Ohh, what a nice beginning!

I hope she finds somebody who is good for her!

-Taco

Great Beginning! I'll be sure to read more!

Oh my! That's certainly disconcerting - someone already knows her true identity!

And on a side note, I love the names you've chosen and used to far. They're beautiful!

Welcome back. This is a great start. I know I'd be freaking out about the strange old lady knowing my real name.

Thanks guys for the comments!! And thanks, FaerieWings, for the compliment on the names! I usually look up every name and it's meaning, so it's always a little bit of "research" on my part

And now, to continue! I had to break this update into two parts... hope you don't mind

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Aislynn paced the short length of her kitchen in impatience. At every slight song she would nearly lunge for the phone, only to be disappointed by the dial tone on the other end. Finally, after several more minutes of her pacing, the phone jangled noisily for her attention.

She snatched it up and said breathlessly, “Yes, hello?”

“Hello, Ms. McTavisham?”

“Yes?” Aislynn’s voice was coming in nearly a squeak of a tone. She cleared her throat.

“Ms. McTavisham, this is Ms. Hawke returning your call. I could only make out a short bit of your message… but I’m afraid I didn’t quite understand everything you’d said,” Ms. Hawke paused slightly on the other line.

“Ms. Hawke, I was just wondering if you had sent someone over earlier today to appraise my land and I?” Aislynn held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Why, no, not today, Ms. McTavisham!” The matron practically laughed at Aislynn. “I had mentioned some time later in the week would be best.”

Aislynn’s breath came out in a loud whoosh. ****, she thought.

“I beg your pardon?!” Ms. Hawke’s voice sounded very affronted. Aislynn realized she must have spoke aloud.

“Oh, no… I mean, I’m sorry, Ms. Hawke… I just… I think I’ve been scammed… and it’s nobody’s fault but my own. I was just hoping I was wrong,” she said woefully.

“I see,” the matron sounded as if she couldn’t give a flying penny if Aislynn had been scammed or not. “Well then. As we have that sorted out, I shall see you perhaps Friday?”

Aislynn bit back the tears. She’d given that miserly old woman the money she had set aside for Ms. Hawke’s fees. She couldn’t afford them now, not if she wanted to have food to eat and hot water to bathe in. With a weary sigh she explained to Ms. Hawke that she would no longer require her services. Ms. Hawke’s tones became very clipped and abrupt.

“Ms. McTavisham, I hope I am not remiss in reminding you that there are no other roommate services on Covena Island, and that to rebuke your verbal contract with this one will only warrant you no future business with us.” It wasn’t a question, but more of a threat.

Aislynn hesitated. She couldn’t believe she would be making enemies this early in her stay here, in her new home! Reluctantly, she bowed her head. What was she supposed to do? Give this woman every last penny she had? She wouldn’t.

“Yes, Ms. Hawke. I am aware of the circumstances,” she said softly.

After a crisp goodbye, the sound of the phone being slammed down ringing through her ears, Aislynn slid her receiver back on its hook slowly. She chewed on her lower lip, trying to think of something.

She needed money, that much she was sure of, because now she was down in funds by fifty percent and what she had now was not going to last her very long at all. She considered calling Marcus and pleading with him to either extend her another loan from the program, or to allow her to seek employment, but when she called his office she only got his voice mailbox. She didn’t leave a message. She needed to think.

How had Lady Gaillea known her true name? Had she slipped up in introducing herself? She couldn’t remember. It was alarming, and completely confusing.

She sank down onto her beat up loveseat. It had stains on the sides and rips in the upholstery, the cushions were lumpy and you could feel the springs sticking in your back if you leaned on it too hard, but for §100 it was the best she could do.

Even the sun setting over the waves wasn’t enough to break her melancholy. A tear slid slowly down her cheek as she tried not to let the hopelessness overwhelm her.

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Pics are in the next post!

“Hello?” Came a deep voice from behind her. Aislynn jumped and scrambled up and out of the loveseat, brushing the tear away from her cheek. There was a man with short brown hair with a shaved bald spot on top, dressed in a Kimono and wooden sandals standing confusedly near her mailbox. Aislynn couldn’t help but be wary.

“Can I help you?” She said, not daring to advance towards the stranger. The man frowned.

“Well, I was trying to find my way back towards the airport. For some reason, I was sure it was on this road… but I seem to have gotten lost,” he said with a shrug. He nodded his head towards the beach and the quarter-sun settling down into the sea. “Nice view.”

“Thank you,” she said, inclining her head. “The airport is on the other side of the island. If you’re walking it will take you nearly two hours to get there. What time does your flight leave?”

The man grimaced. “Twenty minutes,” he said glumly. “That’s so strange! I’ve been here hundreds of times… its as if something in my head was telling me the airport was here!” He ran his hand over his forehead and pate. Aislynn smirked a little.

“You know, most men don’t actually volunteer to appear bald…” she said, indicating his hairstyle. The man looked at her, almost as if he were shocked by what she said, and Aislynn could have kicked herself for her forwardness. She started to fumble with trying to apologize, but before she could get past the first “Um… I mean,” the man was nearly doubled over with laughter.

Aislynn chuckled nervously, relieved he had reacted agreeably to her joke. The man finally righted himself, still chuckling and wiping his eyes a bit.

“I don’t think anyone has ever said it that way,” he said, his shoulders still shaking with mirth. “I’m an actor for Takemizu Village Theme Park,” he explained.

Aislynn shook her head.

“I just moved here…”

The man looked at her, stunned. “You’ve never heard of Takemizu Village?”

Aislynn shook her head.

“Designed by E. A. Maxoid? The great inventor of all simulated entertainment?” He gestured with his hands, waiting for a sign of recognition. When she didn’t show any sign of it, he dropped his hands and explained.

“E. A. Maxoid became the first to ever create a simulated board game. He started three separate theme parks; Twikkii Island, Takemizu Village and Three Lakes. In order to make the place seem as authentic as possible, he hires people that come from the three various locations that the parks are themed after, and has them reenact certain aspects that would be distinctly from that region. So for Twikkii Island, there are several hula dancers and fire dancers that live there now, teaching the locals and the tourists their past-time. At Three Lakes there are mountain-men and women that specialize in Slap dancing and axe-throwing, and at Takemizu, there are plenty of people that teach massage, Tai-Chi, meditation, and the art of tea serving. I was hired because even though I was born here, my father moved to Xing-Pao for a business venture, and my mother and I joined him shortly after when I was only four. I was brought up in their culture, so when the opportunity came up to teach Tai-Chi at Takemizu Village, I took it.” He finished with a shrug.

“Wow!” Aislynn said, overwhelmed with all this information. “It sounds wonderful. Why are you here?” Aislynn blushed with the rashness of her question.

The man smiled sadly.

“My parents moved back here before they died. They are buried here.” Aislynn didn’t need any more clarification.

“Oh. I’m so sorry,” Aislynn said. She gestured to her little kitchen. “Are you hungry? I mean, you already going to miss your flight, right?”

The man looked at his watch.

“Why not?” He said. He smiled, and Aislynn felt a tiny flutter in her stomach that disarmed her.

“My name is Aldis,” he said, extending his hand. She took it tentatively.

“Aislynn,” she said.

I'd somehow missed that you'd started a new legacy! Nice beginning . I wonder if Lady Gaillea has something to do with Aldis's misdirection... he seems very likeable.

Great start! I really enjoyed your other legacy as well but ran out of time to read it and then I saw that it was closed. I'm glad to see you started something new.

I really like Aldis and his explanation of the three theme parks!!

Aldis is cute! I love the idea of the "theme parks". Great updates.

Thanks everyone for the compliments! Its very encouraging. I'm sorry it's been a while between updates, but over the weekend (last weekend, that is,) both my husband and myself came down with the flu, so I was out for the count until Wednesday, dealing with feeling crummy on top of a whining husband . And normally Friday's are my day's off from work, so I usually get a lot done legacy-wise on those days, but I had to make up some hours I missed at work from being sick So here is the new update! Hope you enjoy!

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Aislynn wasn’t very adept at cooking. She’d never needed to be. She knew her way around a microwave incredibly well, and so therefore she’d never really bothered in learning how to use the stove, other than to boil some water for the occasional ramen soup in a cup. Her specialties included microwaved burritos, instant pudding, and jello.

So when she decided on a boxed dinner of macaroni and cheese for dinner with Aldis, she seriously began chiding herself for the rash decision.

What was I thinking?! she thought to herself, as she boiled the water for dinner. She kept eyeing the box of macaroni and cheese warily, not knowing what to expect. She was sorely tempted to forget the whole thing and offer him an instant meal instead. Her fingers twitched with the idea.

“Looks like it’s going to rain soon,” Aldis said smoothly as he stood considering her bookcase. His eyes passed over the rough and tattered edges of the covers and pages, the bindings cracked and bruised appearance. It looked as though she was either a healthy reader, or she’d bought them all second-hand. Taking notice of her small shambles of a home, he decided on the latter.

“Mmm,” Aislynn agreed, looking at the churning gray clouds gathering over the sea, obstructing their view of the diamond-white stars. A slight wind lifted her hair from her neck and pushed it into her eyes. She tucked it back, and looked at Aldis.

She watched as he chose a book off the second shelf, and she swallowed as his hands gingerly eased the book open. He didn’t say anything, just simply handled the book with great care, as if he respected it’s age. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him she’d purchased them for §0.80 a piece at the pre-owned bookstore in town… it felt like it would have made her situation that much sadder.

Her eyes wandered over him as he turned the pages. She was surprised at how gentle he was. It made her think of how gentle he would be in other things, and a warm blush bloomed on her chest and neck and rose to her cheeks, and she quickly pushed the thought from her mind.

She turned back to the stove, biting her lip when she realized the water was ready. She poured in the pasta tentatively, and let out a breath, as it seemed to settle at the bottom of the pan. There, she thought. Nothing scary about this.

She waited the allotted ten minutes for the pasta to cook, daring to take small glimpses of Aldis when she thought he wasn’t looking. When the buzzer chimed, she then preceded to the sink with the pot to drain the water. She placed the cover over the pot, making a small sliver of space to drain the water out of (she hadn’t gotten around to buying a colander yet), and she tipped the pot.

She’d never expected the pasta to come barreling out of the pan at such force, but when the big hunk of it hit the cover of the pan, it startled her, and she let out a scream as she dropped it into the sink. Aldis looked up alarmed and came up into the kitchen to see what had happened.

He looked down into the sink to see the pan upside down, steam rising into the air, and a big block of pasta, all stuck together with very questionable looking blackened edges, and then he looked at Aislynn, her blue eyes wide and her mouth stuck in a small ‘o’. He started to smirk.

“What happened?” He asked innocently. Aislynn was grateful that it was mostly dark out, as her face was surely flaming as red as her hair.

“I think I burned our dinner…” she said feebly. Her chin wobbled a little and she set her jaw to stop the tears from coming.

Aldis couldn’t help it… she looked so forlorn that he threw back his head and laughed.

Aislynn blinked at him confusedly. She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or angry with him for laughing at her, when suddenly a giggle started bubbling up inside her. His laugh was so infectious! She covered her mouth to stave off the laughter. She should be angry… he was laughing at her ineptitude! She found it hard to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching. He was still laughing!

“What’s so… so… funny?” Aislynn asked, before she, too, began dissolving into giggles.

It happened before either of them knew it was going to. As Aislynn gave into her mirth, Aldis quickly ducked his head and pecked her on the cheek, stopping her laughter almost instantaneously on a quick intake of air. She stared at him as if awestruck, and he sheepishly blushed a little, then looked away and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. What an idiot, he berated himself. He should never have let it happen… he was better at self-control than that! But she was just so beautiful; he couldn’t help but fall into those incredible blue eyes, her high cheekbones, and her lovely long red hair. He nearly groaned with longing just looking at her.

No, he chided himself. It’s too fast.

Too soon.

Change the subject.

He cleared his throat again, preparing to step around her and start clearing up the mess in the sink, but he never got the chance. Suddenly her lips were on his, and his eyes flew wide in surprise. They clashed with the bright blue of hers, and in their depths he saw the passion in them… the lust in them. He tightly wove his arms around her and she moaned into his mouth, echoing his longing with hers.

They blindly made their way to the bed, passion stumbling their steps and minds, until they fell to the bed in a lovesick heap. Her hands were everywhere, and he growled his satisfaction from deep in his throat. Neither one of them heard the rain starting to fall in earnest outside, nor the rumble of thunder in the distance.

Finally they broke apart long enough to shed some of their clothing, her shirt being pulled off hurriedly, his kimono unknotted with urgency. He leaned her back and kissed her deeply, running the tips of his fingers over her collarbone and down the staircase of her ribs sending a shudder through her.

“What about… dinner?” she gasped between shudders. He kissed her again tenderly this time, making her mind feel fuzzy and drunk with pleasure. He kissed her until she forgot what she’d just asked him, and she made a small sound of protest when he broke the kiss.

“I’d rather have dessert,” he muttered roughly, pulling the covers over them to hide them from the night.

Aldis is cute - despite the pate! (Please tell me you're going to change that. )

The next morning should be interesting.

Originally Posted by Saoz

Aldis is cute - despite the pate! (Please tell me you're going to change that. )

Of course!!!! How could I not?

Oh wow, very good so far

Great update! I like Aldis, he's a good match.

Aislynn woke the next morning to the sunlight pouring through her one and only window. She held a hand up to shield her eyes; secretly wishing she’d bought some blinds or curtains at half price somewhere. She sighed and turned over to face Aldis, and it took her a minute to realize she was in the bed alone.

She sat up quickly looking around the small room.

“You idiot!” she said to herself softly. She gathered her knees under the bed sheets and hugged them to her. She hated herself for the tears that sprung readily to her vision, but she let them fall, sliding slowly down her cheek and dripping onto her covered knees.

“How could I have been so stupid?” she mumbled into her knees. “Men don’t stay the entire night if that’s what you do when you first meet them.”

But you thought he was different, a small voice in her head interjected. It had felt so real, so passionate. You don’t feel those things when it’s just a one night stand… do you? Last night had been…

She shook her head, trying to shake the idea from her mind. That’s crazy, she thought again, brushing the wetness from her cheeks and climbing out of bed. Of course you acted of your own mind. You couldn’t have been under a spell… could you? She stood chewing on her bottom lip, pondering the thought. Her mind sped back to Lady Gaillea and how her eyes had glinted. Was she the reason Aldis had come by?

“Ridiculous!” she said aloud, forcibly making the bed, erasing the thought from her mind with stiff tugs and pats on the covers. She quickly dressed and ran a brush through her hair, then reached for the door.

She nearly screamed with alarm when she pulled the door open to see Aldis standing in her kitchen, wearing a tracksuit and performing some type of exercise.

“Aldis!” she said, her breath coming out in a rush. She made every effort to curtail the bubble of glee and relief at seeing him still there.

Aldis finished his exercise and turned to her. The smile he gave her almost made her breath catch.

“I’ve made breakfast,” he said, indicating the counter holding a steaming plate of pancakes. He can cook, too? Aislynn thought with astonishment.

They ate their pancakes in an awkward silence. Last night’s storm had left the grass dewy and lush, the smell of freshly washed dirt and sand mixing with the luscious smells of their breakfast.

“So,” Aislynn broke the silence when they were near to done with their meal. “How are you going to get home? Do you have another flight scheduled?”

“No,” Aldis said evasively. He finished his bite of pancake thoughtfully, then set his fork down. “No, I haven’t called the airport yet. I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”

“What do you mean?” Aislynn set her fork down.

“Well, I don’t know,” Aldis said looking down at his fingers. “I mean, being here last night really brought me back to how much I loved this place. The water,” he gestured to the ocean lapping at Aislynn’s shore. “It made me remember what it was I wanted in my life, I guess, and I can’t really get that working for E.A. Maxoid and Takemizu village.”

“What do you want?”

Aldis looked out over the ocean.

“I want a home. I want a family. I want children…” he stopped and sighed, turning back to her. “I’m never going to have those things if I’m still working for Takemizu.”

Aislynn toyed with the remaining food on her plate. She could certainly relate, however she didn’t tell him that. A small look of defeat fleeted across Aldis’s face.

“It’s stupid, I know…” he stood up abruptly and began clearing the plates. Aislynn swallowed.

“No, it’s not. It’s not stupid at all. I agree with you, actually,” she doggedly followed him out to the curb where he was putting a tied up trash bag into the bin. “So what are you going to do? Do you have anywhere to stay?”

He shrugged.

“No, but I can just stay in a motel or something until I figure it out.”

Aislynn closed her eyes, and held her breath.

“Youcouldstayhereifyouwantedto,” she said in a rush before daring to open her eyes again.

Aldis just stared at her. She blushed a little.

“I mean, well… it’s not much to look at, I know… but… well, you wouldn’t have to s-stay at a motel or anything…” she babbled. Oh god, this is stupid! She thought. “I mean, of course you don’t have to… I’m just… offering… if you want to… that is..”

Stop stuttering! She told herself.

Aldis seemed to consider her for a moment. After what seemed an eternity of her awkward stuttering, he finally placed a hand on her shoulder to still her nervous twitching.

“I wasn’t asking for this, I hope you know that,” he said softly. In no way did he want her to feel that he was waiting for a hand out. He didn’t know what he’d planned on future-wise with Aislynn… he’d just known he couldn’t bring himself to go all the way back to Takemizu village with her being so far away.

“I know,” Aislynn said, her skin tingling from where he’d touched her. “And I hope you know I’m not offering this because of last night,” she said holding her elbow shyly.

Aldis blinked at her, saying nothing.

“I don’t know what came over me… but…” she let out a breath and gestured with her arms. “That wasn’t me… I’m not like that. Usually. I’m not that… loose.” She looked at him and folded her arms across her chest, as if to prove the point.

After a moment, Aldis nodded, his jaw a little tighter than it was before.

“I understand,” he said slowly. “But I want us to get one thing straight,” he said as he reached out to hug her.

“What’s that?” she said after she pulled away.

“Not once did I think you were ‘loose’,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Awww.

Aww.

With Aldis now living with her and sharing her home, they were going through food a bit faster than Aislynn had been by herself. It wasn’t that Aldis ate a lot, (he actually ate very little for as big a man as he was, standing six feet, three inches tall), but they just seemed to go through it that much faster. And so it was, only a week later, that Aislynn found herself shopping for more groceries. Aldis had given her a lengthy list of things she needed to find, stating that they were “necessary” if they wanted to ever have edible food. She chuckled to herself. I guess I’d better start reading some cookbooks, she thought as she tested the firmness of an apple.

Aldis had been very respectful of her wishes, or conditions as she had put them, and he had taken to sleeping on the worn out love seat at night. Thankfully they had not had such a storm as they had on the night they had met, but she could tell it was harder for him to wake up when it had drizzled throughout the night. He had enlisted into the recruits right away, bringing home nearly §1000 his first two days, and he had said he wanted to invest it in building some more onto their little hut.

No, my hut. Not ours… Aislynn thought. He’s not staying. Just getting back on his feet, like we agreed on. Right.

It was much later when she returned home, after having familiarized herself with the entire grocery store three times over trying to find everything on Aldis’ list. She was just rounding the corner onto her street when she stopped, nearly dropping the bags of groceries all over the road.

There, on her property, where her little hut had once stood overlooking her beach and the Trianic, was an actual house. It had actual paneling—it may have been a little rugged looking, but still, it was paneling—and a wooden tiled roof now, no longer thatching!

She hurriedly ran to it, nearly tripping in her haste, and she rushed into the door, spinning once, and turning to her left into what looked like the main living room. She dropped the bags of food on the floor and stared.

There was a splendid cream-colored carpet that felt deliciously plush beneath her feet, actual wallpaper on the walls. There was a proper kitchen with a tall refrigerator and more than one counter, and a stone floor. There was a table off of the kitchen, surrounded by windows (something she had mentioned earlier that week as a desire she’d had since she was a child), and off the dining nook was a sliding glass door leading to a small deck.

Aislynn was almost hysterical in her awe. She was so excited she didn’t hear Aldis come up behind her until he cleared his throat.

“What do you think?” he asked quietly. She turned to him and nearly stepped away in shock.

Aldis was no longer Aldis.

It took a while for her to find her voice, but when she did she was afraid of what it would say. “Hubbah-hubbah” was the first thing that came to mind, and she certainly didn’t want to say that aloud.

Instead, she swallowed (her mouth was quite parched all of a sudden), and she licked her lips slightly.

“It looks…” she didn’t know what to say. It was wonderful, it was marvelous, and it was everything she’d dreamed of. Was there even a word to describe that? She didn’t think so.

“Do you like it?” Aldis asked, a look of concern crossing his features. She hurried to assure him that she did, when suddenly a wave of nausea hit her, sending the ceiling twirling above her.

“I…” she started, then she had to smack her hand to her mouth. Aldis’ eyes widened in alarm, and he stepped out of the way.

She quelled the first urge swiftly and demanded hurriedly, “Where’s the bathroom?”

Aldis pointed towards the hall where she’d come in. “To the left of the hall.”

She went running and made it just in time. After she had emptied the contents of her stomach she stood wearily, pressing cool, trembling fingers to her forehead to steady her dizziness. Aldis leaned in the doorway with a glass of water in his hand, his face a stony brick wall.

“You don’t like it. Any of it.” He stated flatly, handing her the water then crossing his arms. She sat on the edge of the tub sipping the water gratefully, her mind spinning. Aldis made a soft sound of frustration in his throat and he turned sharply on his heel to leave her.

“Aldis,” she said softly. He stopped and turned to look over his shoulder at her. “Aldis, its not that I don’t like it. I love it! I couldn’t find the words before,” she took a steadying breath, the dizziness finally subsiding. She set the water on the edge of the tub and walked to him. “I was in shock. I am in shock. How… why…” she floundered with her hands. He took them in his.

“I did it for you,” he said simply. She looked up into his eyes, searching. “I did it for you,” he said again, more urgently this time, before his lips came down on hers.

***************************************

It was some days later that Aislynn lay out in the sun, trying to let the warmth of the day release her inner turmoil. She knew what she had to say, and yet she didn’t know how to say it. She loved Aldis. And she didn’t know how to say that, either.

He’d sacrificed so much, and she had given him so little in return. She’d found out that he’d spent his savings on the little house he’d had built, plus the money he’d been earning from his job, down to the last simoleon, to the point where some of the walls in the second bedroom went without wall paper, and they had very limited furniture. Every day since then he had come home with something new to put into one of the rooms, yesterday’s bonus bringing them a brand new widescreen TV. He’d only questioned her unemployment once, and where she had been vague and evasive, he only nodded and accepted it.

He hadn’t touched her since that first night together, until that kiss they shared when she’d come home to this house. He’d respectfully made his bed on their sofa (which had been bought with using a down payment from her old love seat), and had not mentioned sharing the bed with her. His mannerisms were so confusing to her… should couldn’t tell from one day to the next if he was even remotely interested in her. His expressions were always so closely guarded and his actions so rigidly platonic that the kiss and that night just seemed like reckless abandonment on his part.

She turned onto her stomach gingerly, holding her breath until she positioned herself the right way, then let the breath push out between her teeth.

Perhaps it hadn’t been everything she’d remembered. She seriously thought that Lady Gaillea had something to do with the fact that she’d been so ardent that evening, and that he’d been so receptive. She’d tried since then to flirtatiously touch him or seduce him, and his actions had only made her that much more confused. Any time she did these things, he seemed to almost enjoy it at first, and then draw himself inward and he’d make an excuse to leave the room. She’d finally realized that the only way to keep him in the same room was just to be as platonic as he was.

And so this was why it was going to be so hard to tell him the truth of her condition.

She certainly knew of his wishes for his future,… but she was entirely certain from his actions that she was not a part of his plans, only a means to an end until he got back on his feet. She figured he’d be here until he saved up enough money to buy himself a home, and by that time she may be able to buy this one off of him to stay here. It was a two bedroom after all… just enough space.

She heard the car door shut from the carpool bringing Aldis home, and a hot tear seared it’s way down towards the shell of her ear and fall to the towel beneath her.

What was she going to say to him?

------------------------------------

Just a side note; Aldis came LOADED with almost §40K, so I took advantage of that and built them this little bungalow house. There are indeed some walls missing wallpaper inside at this point in the story, and you can probably see some of the siding is missing as well, because I utilized that money down to the point where they had §12 left and he had two days off in a row Fortunately, he also came packed with skills and he started out pretty high on the Military career track once I got him on it, so we were able to accommodate the loss in funds rather quickly. And just in case anybody is wondering, here are their stats;
Aislynn; 8/2/5/3/7 - Family - LTW=Graduate 3 children from College.
Aldis; 8/4/4/7/8 - Family - LTW=Have 6 Grandchildren.
And they are three bolters, so naturally there are a lot of autonomous mushy stuff going on behind the scenes

I love how you made the renovations into a story.

And a little upset stomach..... interesting.

How cute! I love Aldis and Aislynn. I can't wait for the babies!