Kay held Cassandra close as Tabitha swirled some more potions together. Tabitha had been in an uncommonly good mood and that normally meant trouble.
"Are you sure this concoction of yours is going to help her stomach?"
"Of course, Kay. I use it all the time."
Kay had been annoyed when Pilar had come to the door with Cassandra instead of Migual when she had gone to pick her up. Pilar had explained that Migual had been up all night with her with a stomach bug, but her explanation didn't appease Kay much. She was still angry and was snapping at everythign that moved, including Tabitha.
"I just don't want her to end up with donkey ears or anything," she said angrily, holding the squirming baby as if she was expecting her to explode at any second."
"You've been watching too much Pinocchio. Trust me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."
"Oh really? What about when you made that salve for her first tooth and she ended up having a snake tongue for two days? Or when you gave her those nose drops and her nose turned green?"
"Minor issues. She cleared up quickly, and they did help," she pointed out. Just then Jeremy walked through the door.
"What's going on? Mom trying something else on Cassie? This I gotta see," he said, leaping over the couch to get a closer view. Kay crunged and begrudgingly help Cassandra out for Tabitha gave her the dose. Cassie squeked and screamed for a bit, then calmed down and shut her eyes. Soon she was fast asleep.
"That should do it," Tabitha said, feeling relieved.
"Wow Mom, this one actually worked. Good job!" he said, giving his mother a playful pat on the rump, then leaping out of the way as she swatted back, grinning. He snatched Cassie from Kay's arms and rocked her in his own.
"Common Cassie Wassie. Wet's put oo in beddie to sweep all the icky drugs off," he cooed, carrying the sleeping baby off. Kay rolled her eyes at the baby speak, but Tabitha smiled as she watched her only son walk off with the baby in his arms.
"Hard to believe he's younger than her isn't it?" Tabitha asked Kay.
"I dunno Tabby, sometimes I think Cassie is way more mature than that son of yours," Kay said smiling. Kay had taken a liking to staying with Tabitha, even after Jeremy was, well, born wasn't really the right word. Tabitha had had a few pains she had thought were heartburn, had a few bubbles come out of her ears, then her stomach sort of..opened and there was Jeremy, fully grown. He had then stood right up and said in an exasperated tone, "whew it was getting cramped it here." For Tabitha, it was absolute love at first sight. Mother and son had bonded quickly. For Kay, it had been, well, weird.
"Alright Kay, time for your next witching lesson."
Kay groaned, but joined Tabitha at the spellbook anyway. Today they were learning about hex's, a personal favorite of Kay. She liked to think what sort of hex she could eventually put on Charity to make her ugly, give her a huge wart of something. Then they'd see what Migual thought of her. Jeremy returned to the room.
"Why don't you come over here too Jeremy? You would do well to learn a few things as well," said Tabitha.
"I don't think I really need to, Ma. I think I've got a few things covered," he said, turning Kay's hair purple, bright blue, then normal again without her even noticing. Tabitha stuffled a giggle and waved her son off. He trounced down the stairs to talk to the guest's int he basement. Moments later, the floors were roaring with their laughter.
"I don't get it," said Kay. "They will hardly say to words when I'm down there, yet the second he walks in the room it's like being in a comedy club for them."
"Yes, he certainly has a way with demons," Tabitha said fondly.
"Yeah, because he's part one himself," Kay joked.
"You really think so?" Tabitha asked,hopefully.
Kay shook her head and returned to the hex's.
"This one looks good. Making their tongue grow to fill their whole mouths."
The rest of the afternoon was spent in relative calm, with the occasional loud gaffaw coming for the direction of the basement.
 

Theresa returned home with her arms full of groceries. Gwen sat int he study with both kids in playpens studying for her case. She took one look at Theresa and lept to help her before bottles of wine could crash all over the carpet.
"What on earth are you doing, Theresa?"
"I'm making dinner tonight."
"You make dinner most night, Theresa. What is with all the ingredients?"
"I'm making a special dinner tonight. Luis is coming over," she said with a wide smile that let Gwen know immediately she was up to something, and she didn't like the look of it.
"WHat is going on Theresa?" she asked, sceptically.
"Nothing. Luis has just been upset because he and SHeridan broke up and I..."
"They WHAT?" Gwen shreiked. "Oh my gosh! I have been so horrible! I've been so involved with the case and the kids and Ethan and you and I trying to get over him I have spent barely any time with Sheridan. Oh she must be in so much pain!"
"I think Luis is probably in more pain than she is," Theresa said angrily. Gwen gave her a look.
"They're proabbly both hurting. They loved each other so much." Theresa nodded in agreement.
"Well, I thought a nice dinner would help cheer him up so I'm making it special for tonight."
"I hope it's okay, but do you mind if I take Martin and Alicia and visit Sheridan for a while before dinner? Would keep us out of your hair. I know how much you hate to be bothered when you're 'creating.'"
Theresa smiled. "Sure. Just make sure you're back before 6:00. That's what time Luis is coming."
Gwen nodded and went to pack the babies into the stroller.
"Whew! That was close! She doesn't expect a thing," said Theresa as she began to unload her groceries.
Gwen sighed as she placed Alicia in her seat next to Martin.
"I wonder what Theresa is up to," she said, and was rewarded with a nose squeeze from her only offspring as an answer.
 

Sheridan laughed as Trevor and Alicia clapped as Martin performed his own version of standup comedy, speaking his own language, interjecting a real word in now and again.
"I'm glad you brought them over, Gwen. It's really made my day."
"I'm so sorry I haven't been over more, Sheridan. Things have been so busy...I should have been there for you."
SHeridan patted her best friends knee. "No problem Gwen. You have more than enough to handle on your own. I still can't believe you and Theresa are able to live under the same roof and you both still have all you hair."
Gwen laughed."I was sceptical at first as well, but she's not bad at all. I guess I never gave her a chance, not really. We got off on a horrble foot, and I think it took both of us realizing that we were actually in the same boat to get along. She's really a very good person. A little flighty, but very dependable and loyal. I don't knwo how I would have gotten through all this without her."
SHeridan smiled. "That's really big of you Gwen. I know it would be hard for me to be friends with someone who was out to get me before they even knew me."
"Enough about me, how are you holding up," Gwen asked, concerned.
Sheridan sighed. "It's hard, but I honestly think I made the right choice in the long run. Actually, no, I didn't make the choice at all. Luis made it for me. But I realized how unfair I was being to Luis this whole time and I can't blame it at all for leaving. It was selfish of me to think I could have both of them with no repercussions whatsoever. It took everything I had to not run out that door and into Luis' arms, but I watch Antonio with Trevor and see how much they love each other, and I realize, I actually love Antonio too. Not in the way I love Luis, but honestly, I think it is better for me to live with this kind of love than with the feirce, passionate love I had with Luis. I still hurt, so badly. But I am happy with Antonio. Happier than I thought I could ever be without Luis."
Gwen nodded, not quite understanding. Martin walked toward her, a silly grin on his face.
"Gwen? Inna Momma fora towel inna Loois inna yum?"
"Yeah baby. As soon as we get home." Gwen said without even thinking about it. Sheridan looked at her.
"You mean you actually understood that?"
"Yeah. Well for the most part. He will use words he knows if he doesn't know the word he is looking for. Basically, he wanted to know if Theresa was going to give him dinner with Luis. She invited him for dinner tonight. Said he seemed sad."
"I can imagine he is feeling about the same I am. Knowing it was the right thing but hurting all the same. You are amazing Gwen. I don't think i could have ever figure out what Martin was trying to say."
"It'll come easily to you once Trevor starts trying to talk. Alicia has been trying to stand on her own, but she hasn't tried talking much. Martin always translates for her so she doesn't need to. Well, I'm sorry to cut this so short, but Theresa would kill me if I wasn't home in time for dinner. She's up to something, I just odn't know what it is yet."
Sheridan laughed."When is Theresa not up to something?"
 

Julian walked into Eve's office, surprising her.
"Julian! What are you doing here at this hour?"
Julian stopped her from further questioning with a passionate kiss on the mouth.
"That," he said as he released her and walked toward the door. Eve laughed and pulled him back, pulling him into another passionate kiss.
"I have patients waiting you know," she said.
"I don't care," he said in the same tone of voice.
"Someone will come lookign for me before too long," she said.
Julian reached behind him and locked the door. "Some one won't be able to get in," he said, unbuttoning Eve's office coat.
"You're not exactly silent making love you know," she said, helping him out of his suit coat.
"Would you rather I were?" he asked, lowering her gently onto the desk.
"No," she answered, pulling him closer to her.