Titles: Raspberries 5: Core Haven.

Authors: By Roy's Lady 51, Scribe, Evil Cordy, Mac, Jag, Eph, Robin and Tequila Sarcasm.

Feedback: peppery_lime@yahoo.com, catya0@yahoo.com, poet7766@yahoo.com, evilcordy@hotmail.com and royslady51@yahoo.com

Fandoms: The Sentinel/Emergency!/Due South/Just Shoot Me/Harry Potter/Star Wars: TPM Crossover

Series/Sequels: How'd you guess? Raspberries, Blastberries, Squealers, and Sentinel Evolutions.

Archive: Yes

Cores/Trios: Jim/Blair/Scribe, John/Roy/Jane, Megan/Marco/Mike, Steph/Carter/Maccuci, Peja/Rafe/Chet, Simon/H./Kata, Benton/Stanley/Dennis, Qui/Obi/Ginny, Heri/Draco/Palu, Mitri/Harry/Snape.

Warning 1: Bathroom Humor/Slash/Threesomes/AU/OX/MarySue

WARNING 2: Note that ALL posts in the series should be considered to be potentially hazardous to your health. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! If you choose to read anyway, please remove all choking hazards, liquids, and small furry pets from your area, and put the sort of padded mats that gymnasts use around your seat. If you ignore these safety warnings and choke, or spew on your monitor, or fall out of your chair and hurt yourself, that's your fault.

Warning 3: This title page will be periodically updated and will serve for all posts in the series.

NOTE: Previous Chapter included Kata as a co-author

Summary: *WE* don't think so! *We dumped THAT job on PEJA!

Disclaimer: WE ain't made no dough on it, nor any money, either. However, if you think you want to stand up in court, in PUBLIC, and be told THERE that S.S.I., Food stamps, AND Medicaid are all federal programs of which the benefits are Non-Transferable, and thereby make a total ass out of not only yourself but your legal department, AND the board of directors... be my guest. This is something I'd LOVE to get to watch! (I'm equally certain that any cops in or near the courtroom would be equally entertained!)

By Roy's Lady 51, Scribe, Evil Cordy, Mac, Jag, Eph, Robin and Tequila Sarcasm.

Core Haven, Chapter One, Scribe #1

"Mommy?"

*mrph*

*pokepoke* "Moooommy?"

"Guh. Mmm? Whassit, baby?"

"Woyal wet agin."

"Urgh." *sigh* "Why didn't you wake up Daddy Blair? He's sleeping on the outside."

"Did. Him said wake up Daddy Jim."

"Then why didn't you wake HIM up?"

"Did. Him said wake YOU up."

"Figures."

Scribe struggled up into a sitting position. Their fire was just banked coals; like the others in the cave, but there was plenty of light to see the two men sleeping on either side of her. "Give it up, you two. Jim, you're better at playing possum than Blair is, but you're a freakin' Sentinel--you aren't ABOUT to sleep through this."

Jim blinked, and yawned. "What's that, dear?" he said innocently.

She kicked his leg, but without much actual ire.

"Slug. I thought it was agreed that one of the one's who was sleeping on the outside would be on potty patrol."

"Don't blame ME," Jim protested. "Blair was sleeping closest to the kids--I figured it would be him."

Scribe sighed. "Well, you two HAVE been doing a lot more physical work, so I suppose I can..."

"Just a second." Jim sat up, too, taking Scribe in his arms. Remy, standing beside their sleeping furs, giggled. His mommy and daddies sure were mushy sometimes.

Scribe pushed at him gently. "Um, audience?"

"Not that, Scribe. Hold still a second." Jim bent and sniffed at her, eyes narrowed in concentration. He licked the skin of her neck, and she shivered. "Lift up your shirt a little."

"Jim..."

"Not for that reason. Just enough to uncover your belly."

"Oh." Understanding dawned in her eyes. She lifted the loose shirt a little.

Jim scooted down and embraced her waist, pressing his ear to the soft plain of her stomach. His expression was intent. After a moment he smiled, peeked up at her, and pressed a kiss just below her navel. "Hello, mama."

Scribe smiled back at him. She'd been wondering for about a week whether or not she could be pregnant again. "Does it sound all right?"

"The heartbeat is still very faint, but it seems nice and steady." He looked over at his son. "Hear that, peanut? You're going to have a baby brother or sister."

While Remy squealed and danced, Scribe said, "'A' brother or sister? You're sure?"

He nodded. "One heartbeat."

She heaved a gusty sigh of relief, then poked him in the chest. "I'm overjoyed, but I swear, if there are to be any more kids in this family, you or Sandburg carry them. I'm pretty sure that between Jedis and wizards, SOMETHING could be arranged."

Blair sat up abruptly. "I volunteer to be the first one, if they do! Motherhood must be an incredible experience."

Jim leaned over and flicked Blair's nipple ring, drawling, "Breast feeding could be hazardous."

"You two get out of the way, if I'm going to help the boys," Scribe ordered. They scooted around to let her stand up (Jim and Blair carefully supported her), and step out. She took Remy's hand. "Do you need fresh bedding, sweetie?"

"Jussa bottom. Him kick-ed the covers off AGAIN." Remy's lip stuck out. Royal might have gotten Blair's reddish hair, but Remy had gotten his cold nature.

They went over to where the little boy with the long, reddish brown curls was sitting miserably on the side of the miniature sleeping nest. Scribe squatted down. "Hi, sweetie. Didn't wake up in time?" He nodded sadly. "Don't sweat it. You're still a little guy--you'll have a mistake now and then. I tell you what--from now on we're going to put a chamberpot RIGHT NEXT to you when you go to sleep. Maybe if you don't have to get up and feel around for one, it will help. Stand up."

He did, and Scribe scratched the damp, fragrant bottom fur into a pile. "Remy, you go and pull one of the covers off our bed, and don't listen to Daddy Blair, no matter if he gripes. He doesn't NEED two." She stood, tucking the cover under her arm and taking Royal's hand. "C'mon, dollbaby, and we'll get you cleaned up."

They picked their way between the hearths, long practice letting them avoid treading on their sleeping Clanmates. She had to smile when she passed Peja's group. Peja had had triplets a few months before, and thanks to her Kreelo biology, it had been much easier on her than bearing twins had been for Jane or Scribe. Chet was sleeping between Peja and Rafe, and the kits were piled on and around him, like a litter of regular domestic cats. He did most of the nurturing, and actually seemed a little disappointed that he had to use milk skins instead of being able to nurse the babies himself. All three babies had black and gray tabby markings, and Scribe had to restrain herself from reaching down and stroking the dark W marking between a perked set of infant ears.

She dumped the soiled bedding into the pile that would be washed later that day, then checked the large hollowed out stone block that held most of the clan water supply. She frowned. It was quite low. Who's turn had it been to replenish the supply last night? Someone was due for a dressing down, if they didn't have a damn good explanation. There HAD to be water available at all times. Since they were spending so much time in the cave these days, with the air kept dry by the constant fires, the had to watch out for dehydration.

She scooped water into a metal kettle, grateful that they had the Jedi to help supply such amenities (hollowed gourds and thin stone vessels just didn't work too well for cooking--she missed her Corningware and Teflon pans). She poked up the coals that were kept burning near the water, then settled the kettle on it. "Okay, sweetie, Mommy has to go get some more water. What are you going to do?"

"Or 'Ise gonna be still an' quiet."

"And what AREN'T you going to do?"

"Play wiff the fire."

She rumpled his hair, then kissed him. "Good boy. I think you may have better sense than all three of your parents." She picked up a large, closely woven basket, dumping a carved wooden scoop into it. "Be right back."

She walked to her own hearth, to find her two husbands talking quietly. Blair looked up at her with a brilliant smile. "So, what does it feel like--a boy or a girl?"

"Right now it feels like gas." She sat down and began to pull on her thick, tough hide boots. "Hand me my coat, wouldya?"

Jim frowned. "Where the hell do you think YOU'RE going?"

"The water cistern is only a quarter full, and I'm going to need a good bit of that to wash Royal. I have to get..."

Jim snatched away her boot. "Like hell you do," he said grimly. "The very idea of going outside, carrying a load, in your condition."

"Jim, I'm not gonna be able to stay inside for the next seven or eight MONTHS. Not only would I get cabin fever, I'd get sick from lack of fresh air."

"I know that, but this would be too much of a shock to your system. You just stay here--I'll go."

"Nope." Blair was already getting dressed. "You can go get Royal cleaned up--I'll go."

Scribe's eyes got huge. "You're going outside voluntarily?"

He was pulling on his coat, but he paused to bend over and kiss her. "What can I say? Love will make a man do a lot of things he might not, otherwise."

"You're telling me. You hate the cold even more than I do, and can you remember how badly I used to bitch when this started?"

Jim was getting dressed, too. "What do you mean, 'used to'?"

She shrugged. "I grew up in a semi-tropical state. We'd had maybe a couple of dozen days that could be classified as 'wintery' in the past decade. I lived in Denver for a couple of years as a kid, and I loved the snow, but even I got tired of it after about six weeks, and it's been TWO YEARS. I'm ready for a change."

Blair sighed. "Well, hon, get used to it. We have at the very least a few centuries of this to go, if not a few millennium."

"Please don't remind me." She looked pensive. "You know what I really miss? Sunrises and sunsets. This perpetual twilight is driving me nuts. Do you realize we're going to have generations who won't know what the hell they really are?"

"Yeah," said Jim. "But just think of the wonder when they finally get to see one." He pointed at her.

"You go back to sleep for a little longer."

She saluted. "Yessir."

He walked back to Royal, and Blair picked up the basket and headed toward the front of the cave. Once there he had to put down the basket so he could untie the layers of hides and furs that curtained the entrance. Once he had them free, he ducked under, causing as small a gap for as short a time as possible.

It wasn't all that much brighter outside, but he estimated that it very early morning. It would have been just after sunrise. He stood for a moment, gazing around at the scene that was at once familiar, and oddly alien. The clearing before the cave was a symphony of white, gray, and lavender in snow, and shadows. In the middle distance, he could make out some darker smudges that suggested the heartier vegetation. He wondered if that would survive the entire ice age, or eventually give up.

He walked a few paced, feet throwing up little puffs of sugary snow, then set down the basket, squatted, and began to shovel the powder into the basket. He'd empty it into the cistern, and the heat of the cavern would melt it quickly. It would take at least eight or ten baskets to fill the cistern to an acceptable level. *It might have been Draco or Neville who was on water patrol last night. Neither of them seems to have grasped the fact that you can't just fill the cistern with snow and forget about it. It loses too much volume when it melts, and you have to keep adding.*

He finished piling the snow in the basket and stood up, lifting it. He eyed the hole he'd dug in the snow. He felt cold, damp touches on his face and looked up. Fat snowflakes were swirling down from the iron gray sky. He looked back at the hole. In a few hours, he wouldn't even be able to tell where he'd dug. He shook his head, hefted the basket, and headed back to the cave--and his family.

"Well? What did they say?" Jane prodded her brother.

The satellites are in place, programmed, and are functioning. We'll have a normal ice age weather pattern stabilized within a few days. It will be a rough few days, though, as the planetary rotation is altered to allow long, wet springs for accelerated growth of available plants and short, hot summers for gatherings and such. If we wanted a Temple on an iceball, we would have built one on Hoth!"

I've got our cavern system re-enforced, and stable. But I think the Jedi at the Little River Temple should expect to be on 'transfer' patrol. The food stores are low, and going outside while the orbit and rotation are being rearranged is not likely to be a good thing." She mused.

A thought struck her then, and she grinned. "How are the new Kreelo padawans doing?"

Qui smiled. That had been unexpected. Several kits from each village had shown themselves to be very strong in the Force, and although those with parents had not allowed their offspring to be taken offworld, they had allowed them to be taken to the new branch temple and paired with a Master Jedi. Orphan kits had gone to Coruscant and from all reports had settled in nicely. So strong they had proven to be, that the Cre`che was a bad idea…the cre`che master had many children to watch and the young kits were too powerful not to have their own masters. So they had been chosen quickly.

"Quite well, on and off world."

"And those hybrid elves?"

Qui's face fell, and he shook his head. "You didn't exaggerate the clumsiness."

She chuckled, "No, I didn't. Never thought I'd be believed on that score either, though. I know the Council and you, too well."

"Moi?"

"Yes, you." She regarded him silently for a moment. "I'll wager they aren't too happy about Obe."

"No, having him go online and "attach" to an iceball as his home territory wasn't well received."

"Do I need to go over there and "discuss" it?"

Qui paused, looking at his sister. "I don't know, yet. Maybe."

"Qui, you wouldn't come even that close to an answer that would let me loose in the main temple if the main problem weren't Mace Windu. I'll handle it, or rather, I'll handle the Hooligan!"

"Jane."

"No sweat, bro."

"JANE!"

"Chill, I said I'll handle him. I know exactly how to shut him up!"

"Oh shit…oh Force…now wait just a Bantha Bite here, little sister!"

He felt the Pulse of a Force Message. A nice, strong one, several minutes in length. DAMNITALLANYWAY! "What did you tell him?"

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Uh…noooo, not really."

"Didn't think so."

The Jedi Council stared at the place were the Force Message had appeared and finally, message delivered, had faded. It had begun with a medium grade insult to all of them, a rather high grade and very detailed one to Windu…one that involved references to his probable genetic code, none of which had included anything sentient, and had continued to explain the reasons for Sentinel Emergence. All of which had been delivered in very small, short words, in a tone that suggested they were all moronic five-year-olds. In the main mess hall, at suppertime: Where the entire Temple had witnessed their collect ass-chewing.

Mace quietly sent a retraction of his objections via normal communication channels to the Little River Temple, with no explanation whatsoever.

Core Haven, Chapter One, Scribe #2

"Don't look at me," said Scribe. "I suggested the name--I've done my bit." She noticed TW looking uncomfortable, as usual. "Sweetie, why don't you move over onto the furs? They're close enough so you'll still be participating, but you can lay over on your side and prop your future offspring up on some pillows. Take some of the load off your bladder for a little while."

"Thanks," TW groaned, as her husbands helped her move into the suggested position. "Ya know, I wouldn't give up Melia or this one..." she paused, "Or these ones? Anyway, I'm happy with the situation, but I'll tell you the truth..." She looked at Carter and Malucci, "One I deliver, neither one of you are TOUCHING me till I'm on that contraceptive potion
Snape came up with."

The former Potions Master had earned a debt of gratitude from the women of the clan when, operating on the principle that if there was vegetation that ensured conception there was probably some that would PREVENT it, he had tinkered till he came up with a working potion. It smelled like very old, well used sneakers, and tasted not much better, but for the chance to make whoopie freely, without worrying about catching pregnant every ten months, the women were willing to choke it down.

It had been agreed that the birth rate needed to slow a bit. It just wasn't normal to have half the women of a tribe pregnant, while the other half were still nursing their last infant (or infants). TW was probably going to be the last unplanned pregnancy.

Actually, the men of the tribe were grateful, too. There were a lot fewer 'bachelor' nights now that the girls weren't worried about getting knocked up again.

Scribe patted her head fondly. "No problem."

There was a whine, and TW said, "Marietta wants you."

She snorted. "That isn't her 'I'm hungry' whine. That's 'I'm bored. Daddy, do something.'"

"Oh, come on, Scribe," chided TW. "She loves you."

"I know she does," agreed Scribe. "But she's Daddy's girl. And Papa's girl. And that's all right with me. Jim and Blair are absolutely potty about her. If we were back home, you wouldn't be able to find that child in the pile of pink ruffles they'd lay on her. I think she's going to be a girlie-girl, one of the few on this planet." She shrugged. "Eh, there had to
be a first. But she's gonna have it rough, because we're a LONG way from Barbie dolls and patent leather Mary Janes around here."

Blair was speaking. "While the Shaman, Guide, Mage, and Sentinel gifted among us have all been working diligently on their gifts, seeking deeper understanding, I think it's time that we became a bit more organized about it. I propose an official structure where we can meditate, focus, educate, and just basically become more in tune with our inner resources." He shrugged. "Let's face it--there are a LOT of distractions here at the Clan cave, and you can't really let yourself go else where on the planet for fear that something large and nasty will take you unawares. We need a safe place, set apart."

There were general murmurs of agreement. "Okay," said Jim, "That's agreed. As soon as the planetary adjustments are made, we can begin to scout suitable locations, and..."

"Uh..."

Jim sighed, and there was general eye rolling among the other Clan members, but it was all good natured. "Let me guess. This has something to do with all the time you've been spending away, that you wouldn't explain?"

"Not even after he tickled you breathless," Scribe chimed in, "and I threatened to cut you off. THAT'S dedication."

He shrugged, smiling. "Anyway, I found a place, and I've been doing a little with it, along with the help of the Spirit animals. It's still really crude. I mean, it's like a line sketch compared to an Old Masters painting, when I think of what it COULD be. And of course it's just a suggestion."

"Of course," came a chorus. The didn't sound convinced.

"Really. I'll abide by Clan decision."

Megan snorted. "As if we could live with downcast, moist puppy-dog eyes unless the place was a fucking disaster."

Peja spoke up. "Blair, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're seeing this as more than just a gathering place, aren't you?" He nodded. "You're thinking along the lines of a... a base. A school for the untrained?"

"Exactly! The Jedi have theirs, and I think we should have ours! As it is, the training of new Sentinels, Guides, and Anchors is very hit or miss. Think of all the ones who go unrecognized, and unbonded." The Clan shivered, each thinking of what life would be like if they'd never found their own bondmates. "We could offer a place where they could be trained among their own kind--trained SYSTEMATICALLY. And with the greater concentration, it will be easier for the destined to meet."

Peja spoke again. "I think it's a fine idea, but I can see some possible problems. The Jedi council for one. They're already snotty about allowing padawans to be trained here, rather than back on Coruscant."

"They have to face facts. Not all Sentinels, Guides, and Shamen are Jedi, just as all Jedi are not Sentinels, Guides, or Shamen. Here, the ones who are could receive BOTH kinds of training, but they're not equipped to do best by our kind. Simple fact."

"They could cause trouble."

"They could TRY," amended Scribe. "Luckily, we have a proven means of dealing with them." She pointed to Jane, who gave a wicked smile, and bowed. "And I'd kind of like to see them try, since we're going to be cooped up in here for a little while."

Core Haven: Chapter 1: Jane #2

Jane 'borrowed" fifty padawans…normal ones. Senior Padawans who wanted to earn some credits were hired for a construction project that their use of Force Lifting was needed for. She also bought and brought in several stone-mason droids…and in less than three weeks after the last earthquake generated by the change in orbit and rotation, Blair had his new Temple of the Sentinels built. He'd stared at her when she told him what she intended, but agreed that the original structure would serve better as a Tank Temple, like the one in Peru. It had a lot more tanks, though.

And at present, there were sixteen pairs of either Masters and Knights or Masters and Padawans, from the main Temple on Coruscant, using those tanks. One IN the tank, and the other monitoring the newly online Sentinel in the waters.

One of the Master Jedi within the waters of a Tank, was Mace Windu, his new padawan seated on the verge receiving his lessons on Sentinels, Care and Feeding thereof, from Blair.

Windu's transportation back to the Jedi Temple at the capital was waiting outside. He, like the others, would be bundled aboard still wet, and taken home for his adjustment period, so that the Jedi themselves could enjoy all the fun involved in an unassisted Sentinel Emergence.

Jane chuckled heartlessly, knowing that all the Jedi would be back on Genesis within a month, readily endorsing the specialized Temple and begging for proper lessons. The rest of the Jedi population will have shoved them back…but probably not before the presence of several newly active sentinels had a chain reaction on anyone in the Temple with compatible genetics…who would then come online on their own. The stubborn High Council would then have a choice. Endorse the new Sentinel Temple publicly, or try to train their sentinels on their own. A newborn sentinel was trouble, never mind a whole herd of the critters, and a bunch that were Jedi, either trained or being trained was…well, she didn't want to think about that too hard.

Blair grinned ruefully as she mentioned this aloud to him. He had no wish to monitor so many new Sentinels…they would be returning home with Windu, until their abilities settled down.

She left the Temple and returned home to the Cave when Jim got there to take the Night Shift of monitoring the new ones in the tanks. He could see to getting them shipped home. In the gathering twilight she passed about eighty padawans, Harry and the other Hogwart students among them, practicing katas under the watchful eyes of several masters, Qui Gon, among them. Obi led the younger or newer padawans in some of the easier ones, while his Master taught the older children. Remy and Royal were both in the group of youngsters Obi was teaching, both were already showing clear signs of Force control, as young as they were. He eyed both, then called his Bondmate to his side to check the young Clanmembers.

Qui nodded, summoning two as yet unpaired Masters in turn, who tested the toddlers, then formed training bonds with the twins. Then Qui told a watching Peja who grinned and went hunting for Fannie.

"THEY WHAT?!" Fannie shrieked in dismay. "THEY'RE STILL BABIES! I'M GONNA SKIN QUI GON!"

Qui stared toward the Cave. "Uh oh. She doesn't seem too pleased." He said in a nervous aside to Obi."

"Maybe you should have asked her first." Obi Wan was staring in fascination at his master's hair. His puke-green, glowing hair…all nine feet or so of it. "Uh, Master…."

The other masters were sporting the same glowing locks, in different colors. One master had puce hair, the other one seemed to have something close to maggot-yellow. They stared at each other and sighed in resignation, then went to go look for Severus.

Core Haven, Chapter One, Scribe #3
(TW is on hiatus for a while, due to logistics)

Snape looked at the miserable, itching, scratching Peja. "Good lord, woman. What did you do to get her
started this time?"

Peja scratched. "I jusssst told Ssscribe about Rrremy and Rrroyal bonding as padawans. She was pissssssssed, and gave me mange. Jane wasss amussssed at that, but ssssaid she felt obligated to do ssssometing for it."

"Well, just let me finish mixing up this batch of potion and I'll tend to you. I think considering the sudden massive demand I should tend to it first." He went back to stirring the potent smelling mixture. Then, raising his voice so that the assembled Jedi (who sported a variety of hair colors that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Halloween wig shop), could hear him said, "You all DO realize that this will NOT take you back to your natural color? It will only turn whatever you have bright yellow, and will give it the scent and flavor of pineapple. This was what Scribe requested originally, although I haven't quite figured out WHY."

"Because if it tastes and smells to good the sentinels will each try to eat it…right off your head. And for some reason none of them can stand pineapple anything once they go online, that's why."

"Ah, yes. A good reason then. And it's not really a cosmetic at all, is it?"

"No, it's more like self-defense, actually."

There were mutters of agreement. Scribe sitting against the wall with Marietta on her lap, snickered quietly. This had slightly redeemed her feelings, though she was still irritated. She was of the firm belief that not-quite-three was TOO damn young to have a career mapped out for you, no matter WHAT the fuck the Force said. She remembered her first encounter with Qui Gon after she'd been informed of her sons' new status.

She was a lot shorter than the Jedi, but she still managed to get up in his face. "Damn it, if one of my kids wants to be an artist, or an exotic dancer, or a damned insurance actuarial, he CAN be!" she'd snarled at Qui Gon. "You don't DO this sort of shit without consulting with the parents! Jane agrees, and that's probably the only reason I'm ripping you a new one instead of fighting Jim away from a new crop of blueberry hair right now. And you're just lucky that -I'm- the one who ran into you first, because I don't think Jim is going to be too very pleased about this, either."

She stamped her foot. "I knew there was a reason I wasn't so crazy about the second part of the Star Wars cycle! Yeah, I liked your character, and Ewan as Obi Wan was sexy as hell, but they started laying out the whole official bonding-training bit. It wasn't so bad when it was sort of an unregulated apprenticeship thingy, but then Lucas brought in all the rules and regulations, and it pretty much went into the crapper, as far as I was concerned, and..." Qui Gon was blinking at her. "And you have NO idea of what I'm talking about." She threw up her hands. "Why do I even try?! Kata, TW, Peja, and Jane are the only ones who can really understand my pop culture references."

She pointed at Marietta, who was laying in a nest of furs, watching her mother with wide-eyed interest as she made angry noises at the tall man. She sucked her fist. This was even more interesting than all the noise and movement that took place in the furs at night. "Do you see that baby?"

"Yes, a beautiful child. I'm sure she..."

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR HANDS ON HER! Not unless it's to change a diaper. I've had a half-dozen Jedi Masters, her daddy, who is an Alpha Sentinel, and her other Daddy, who is an Alpha Guide, and Jane, who is a Master Mage... I've had ALL of them scan that baby, and I have been assured that she is one hundred per cent, abso-fucking-lutely, plain vanilla! She's not a Guide, Magic User, Sentinel, Anchor, or Force strong. She's just a normal little girl, and considering the concentration of all of the aforementioned that she's going to be growing up with, that makes her pretty damn unique. There's nothing I can do now about Remy and Royal. The only reason I haven't tried to kill someone is that they can be trained HERE. Believe me, if anyone ever tries to take them off-world before they're of age and making their own decisions, SOMEONE is going to end up dead!" She lifted on her toes, nose almost touching his. "ARE WE CLEAR?"

Jedi Masters did not squeak, but Qui Gon came close.

"Yes."

Scribe had nodded sharply, then gone to pick up her baby. Jane had sidled over, not bothering to hide her grin. She had a soft spot for her brother, but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy watching him get dressed down by a righteously wrathful female. She poked him in the side. "You've never dealt directly very much with the parents, have you?"

He'd sat down, tugging on his beard. "No. I've always met the padawans in the Creche. The parents I've met were always very proud."

Jane shrugged. "Their kids were older, and they'd known about the Force, Jedis, and padawans all their lives. It was a mythical concept to her up until a couple of years ago, and she never thought it would involve her personally. She looks young, but remember, she had the age regression, so Royal and Remy are actually late-in-life babies for her. She'd
assumed that she was never going to have children, never even gonna be in an intimate relationship. She effectively lost all her family when she was pulled into this project. Oh, she knows they're doing well, but she can't ever see them again, and family is IMPORTANT to her. Can you see exactly what those kids mean to her?"

Qui Gon nodded slowly, wincing. Jane continued. "You're just lucky you weren't there when she heard the news. Her telekinesis kicked in. It's a good thing we were outside, but EVERYONE hit the ground. I haven't seen that many rocks and branches whizzing through the air since I saw 'Twister'. They only stopped when one of the kids came out to see what was going on."

The first Jedi stepped up to the cauldron to take a dose of the potion. His hair, which had been the color of the hot rod in American Grafitti ('somewhere between puke green and piss yellow') changed to bright gold, and the sweet smell of pineapple filled the room. The man sighed in relief, and made way for the next Jedi, who sported magenta locks.

Obi Wan came in and wandered over to Scribe. "Is it safe for me to be here?"

Her lips twitched. "I'm not mad at you, kid. It was your boyfriend's decision to tie my babies up for the next twenty or so years. Have a seat." He sat beside her. She indicated the line of Jedis waiting to have their hair turned. "We're going to have a higher per capita concentration of un-natural blondes here than Los Angeles and Vegas combined. I'm not sure if Jim is going to be able to come around them when they're in a group, as much as he hates the scent of pineapple."

She bounced Marietta. "Don't tell Qui this, but I'm pretty much over my snit. I realize that if the boys are as Force strong as you say, they need to be trained, and none of us is quite qualified for that. It's just the idea that he didn't even MENTION it to Jim, Blair, or I. He just took that 'Jedi knows best' attitude and DID it, and that doesn't fly around here.

Yeah, the Alphas direct, but this is a lot more of a working democracy." Her eyes narrowed. "Plus, I'm a Texas redneck, and we don't like ANYONE trying to make important life decisions for our kids but us. I was perfectly happy to let him do day-to-day correction and training, but I'd say what he did went beyond that, wouldn't you?"

"His intentions were good."

"Yes, well, you know where the road that they pave leads."

"No, where?"

She sighed, reached out, and tugged his braid. "You're too yoooooung."

The Cave was quiet, and Jane monitored it while she sent an email to her other self, having had a particular HP story forwarded to her here. She sent a paper letter to the Snape in that story, along with a packet of The Tea, then took BOTH to the Snape HERE along with that story…in hardcopy.

"That tea, is from EARTH, by the way, Severus. Think maybe you might wanna have a little chat with yourself?"

He stared at her, a slow smile spreading over his face as he considered it. "Give yourself that recipe for pineapple hair, and tell him to use it on her. I promise you, she *will* understand the reference. And she's had a run-ins with that Tea before."

He chuckled softly and started making some "preparations", along with a detailed note to himself, explaining everything. The next morning, he handed a package to Jane, who sent it by writing it into her post for Core Haven. A copy of the letter (but not the supplies) went to Fannie's other MarySue…as well as the REAL Fannie, just to add confusion.

Jane also sent the real one a bottle of rapidly decomposing Moose Spit.

"You look like my dad." Draco told Qui.

Qui had heard a few things about Lucius Malfoy, and frowned at the boy. "I am nothing like your father, padawan."

"No, you're not, but with that blonde mop you're ssssporting now, you *do* look like him."

"*Mop*?"

"Yeah, it's not long enough to be real hair. And it's a little thin in back, but that'ssss your age, I ssusssspect." Draco shrugged and wandered off, leaving Qui Gon sputtering.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hagrid had taken up with two of the Mortal Centaurs, both males, since he was more than big enough to handle them. At the moment, they were deep in the forest, the three of them. Naked, hot and panting as the two centaurs sandwiched Hagrid between them, him fucking one's ass, the other fucking *his*.

They had *no* idea that Harry and Obi had been out foraging, and were watching. Not until the two boys bolted, trying not to spew. Obi headed for his Master, fast, diving into the man's strong arms, still fighting his stomache while Harry did the same…to *Snape*.

It took Severus a few minutes to get the problem out of the gibbering boy, and the image made his own stomache tighten. He sedated the boy, then took something for his own belly..

Suddenly, Qui wasn't an easy-going brother anymore, as soon as he thought he understood the jumbled images from his padawan, he became a highly overprotective Master Jedi.

"Chill, Qui! Centaurs *are* sentinents!" His sister yelled, picking up on images and his intentions. "Hagrid is *not* screwing ponies!"

Scribe and Blair overheard, let the comment sink in, made retching noises and went looking for Jim. They needed cuddles.

And something to take their minds off THAT image.

Fic: Core Haven, Chap. 1, Jane #4

"Obi, you need to take your head out of my robes *some* time, Padawan." Qui rubbed the heaving back soothingly while he got the story out of the upset teen, turning a little green himself in the process. "Ah, they're sentient, as I understand it, Obi Wan. Hagrid was NOT screwing ponies. They're centaurs, love."

~ retching sounds ~ Obi dived for a chamber pot....
***********

"Harry, it's okay, really." Snape didn't find himself in the role of comforter very often, and the boy's Jedi master was a bit upset that Harry had NOT gone to him in his distress, seeking out Severus instead. And said so.

Harry grunted out, "Gonna be sick...so back off and let Prof. Snape handle me, would you? You're a master Jedi, not a potion master." He tried concentrating on taking shallow breaths as Snape nodded sharply and handed him an open bottle of anti-nausea potion...quickly.

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

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Who the hell's that?" Jim winced at the shrill scream.

"I dunno, but it sounds like "T's" have someone." Blair commented, less than willing to go find out.

"Two someones. Female, sounds like." TW remarked, she knew better too, the T's were likely to want her to join the party. "Fannie's the Alpha Female, those are female hollers...she should go."

"I just went!" She complained, and got the latest bunch headed to the Springs!"

"I'll go, you wusses." Jane got up, smirking. "They *know* better than to mark me without cause. And I always dab a little spit in my arm pits in the morning once I start my day. I *stay* marked that way."

"I didn't think of that, you could have told us!"

"Why would I do that too soon and spoil my fun? We've got more folks now, so fun is getting less so." She shrugged. "So, now you know."

Twenty minutes later the newest females, plus Jane were headed toward the hot springs, the other two being physically identical to one of the other three she figured she knew who they belonged to. Both girls were sporting hardened white froth goatees, and were picking it out of noses and ears. More dripped slowly down fingertips and necks.

"There's your group..." Jane pointed. "The yellow, spearhead-leafed plants are a variety of soaproot." She left them there, and went back to the cave...laughing wickedly.

Core Haven, Chap. 1: Evil Cordy #1

EC rolled her eyes at the two girls Jane had just left at the spring. "Ephiney, Jag. It's about time you two showed up."

"Stick it," Ephiney spat once she scrubbed her face clear of the Mammoth and Moose spit. "You and Mac didn't mention anything like that when you Called us."

"And the fun in that would have been where?" Mac asked from where she was still scrubbing more of the same from Faith's hair. "You two might want to strip off and get washed up."

Faith grinned at the two girls who looked just like her Anchor, only with longer hair. "So, do I get to play with you two, too?"

"No," Jag said flatly as she stripped off her tee shirt and shorts.

"Sorry, luv," EC said, stroking her hands down the Dark Slayer's back. "You don't have the right equipment to give Jag a Happy."

Mac's hands tightened in Faith's dark hair, the wet locks curling around her fingers. "And I don't share my mates with my sisters. Goddess knows we share everything else."

Ephiney rolled her eyes. "We're not big on sharing either, Faith. Not that you're not hot, but I can feel your bond to Mac and EC, and I don't poach from them."

"Strip off and wash up, Eph," EC advised. "Once we get you clean and dressed we'll introduce you around. You're not going to believe some of the people around here."

Ephiney grunted and tossed aside her tee shirt. She skimmed her skirt down her hips and kicked it aside as well. "We're going to be wearing a lot of leather, aren't we?"

"Only because my clothes fit you," Mac said cheerfully.

"And what if we're normal?" Jag asked as she tried to unweave her hip length braid.

Mac, Ephiney and EC looked at her as if she'd just asked whether the sun would rise.

Jag snorted. "I meant normal for us, girls."

"Care to let me on the clue-bus, hottie?" Faith demanded. "EC's my Guide, and Mac's my Anchor, so what's normal for you?"

"She means we're witches," Mac said softly. "Specifically, my sisters and I are Nighthunters. That's sort of a witchy version of the Slayer, only we come in threes and if we die there are no others."

Ephiney smirked. "We usually just go with it. Our destiny was to fight the nasties and eventually die in a horrid messy way, but now ..." The eldest triplet shrugged. "Now I don't know. I can feel the bond between you three and I can feel it changing Mac, all of you."

"And even if Mac and EC hadn't bonded with you, we'd have had to come anyway." Jag looked Faith in the eyes. "If we three stay apart too long we'll die."

The Dark Slayer's fingers clenched where they rested on Mac's thighs. "Which means they're moving in with us," EC soothed as she glared at the youngest triplet. "At least until they bond with their cores. But they'll still be close enough."

"That's my point," Jag snapped. "What if we don't have cores? What if we're just Nighthunters? I'm not sensing a whole lot of Demons around here, you know!"

Mac's eyes narrowed at her sister as she eased Faith's hands off her legs. "Jag, shut the hell up. You're upsetting Faith. There are lots of things you and Ephiney can do, even if you don't bond with a core. We're building a New World, a new way of life. You're a damned fine warrior, Jag, and a trainer. There are kids here who're going to need that. Kids the Jedi don't know how to deal with."

"We'll do what we always do," said Ephiney. She placed her hands on Jag's shoulders and shoved her under the water briefly. When the younger girl came up glaring, Ephiney continued. "We'll survive. We'll also get back at Mac and EC for not mentioning the Mammoth and Moose Spit Facials before we got here."

"Time for the semi-annual prank war again so soon?" EC snickered.

Mac shook her head. "We are not, I repeat, not dragging the rest of the Clan into this." Her sisters raised their eyebrows at her insistent out burst. "I think we also forgot to mention that Jane could kick our collective asses."

"And she'd enjoy it," EC pointed out. "Or worse, she'd join in. Getting Scribe into it might be fun, though." She looked around at her family. "If everyone's clean I think we should go back to the cave now."

"My hair," Jag growled. She gave the braid another useless tug. It was matted beyond all help.

EC shook her head. "We'll just have to cut it."

Jag growled again.

"It isn't as if it won't grow back," Mac said quietly. "We'll ask Snape if he can work something up to make it grow faster."

"Why do I get the feeling that her eyes lighting up like that is a bad thing?" Faith whispered to EC.

The Black Witch of Britain grinned. "Because it means that she's going on a Snape hunt. And it won't be for a potion."

Jag started to hum A Kind Of Magic as Ephiney took one of Mac's daggers to her hair, leaving the wet mass still hanging thickly half way down her back.

Faith grinned. "I think I'm gonna like this Sentinel Slayer gig if it means I hang out with you guys."

"There's also the lots of sex part," Mac said in her ear. Faith shivered slightly as the warm breath ghosted across her skin. "That should be lots of fun too."

EC grinned at them both as her hands got busy under the water. Ephiney and Jag just ignored the three lovers and continued their bath. Somehow neither sister thought they'd be going anywhere for a while.

Core Haven, Chapter 1, Scribe #5

Eph and Jag were waiting behind a thick stand of brush, with Jane. The woman had exhibited unrestrained glee while she and her sister were being slimed, and Jag was eyeing her with suspicion. Finally she said, "Okay, why are we waiting here while the others go on into the cavern?"

Jane grinned. "You two like pranks, right?"

"Was Imelda Marcos fond of shoes?" Eph asked.

"We thought you'd like to get in on this one. You've heard about Scribe, right?" They nodded. "Well, it wasn't easy, but I managed to keep her from finding out that you guys are triplets, and she was in the Kreel village when you two arrived. EC and Mac are getting you some clothes that are identical to what Mac was wearing..."

Light dawned. "So THAT'S why Mac was wearing that funky scarf thing around her neck, and why you want us to screw our hair up into that damn tight knot in back."

Jane nodded. "The whole clan is in on it, everyone who's verbal." Jane sighed. "Even the littlest ones are doing a good job of keeping the secret. I'm so proud."

Eph and Jag exchanged looks. Eph said, "We haven't pulled a really good 'what the hell? There's more than ONE of them?!' for years."

"You don't have to work hard to convince me," agreed Jag, as EC and Mac returned, carrying armloads of clothing.

The girls distributed the new garments, and the two new arrivals casually stripped and began to dress. Mac said, "We're good to go. Scribe doesn't have a clue, though Sandburg almost lost it there when she started talking about our need to set up a calendar, so that the kids could celebrate birthdays. Luckily Jim grabbed him and kissed him breathless before he could give anything away."

Jane smirked. "He can think on his feet, and he knows EXACTLY what it takes to shut Sandburg up." She studied the two freshly dressed new arrivals. "Eph, pull that scarf up in back a little. There--now it covers the extra hair." She stepped back and let her gaze bounce from one triplet to the other, then chuckled. "It's like looking at Xeroxes--the lines
may be smudged a fraction of a millimeter in a different direction here and there, but otherwise..." She rubbed her hands together. "If we're careful, we should be able to keep this up till bedtime, or maybe even beyond. Okay EC, show them to the back entrance, and let's get this party started."

The triplets and EC slipped into the cave through the back passage.

(Think we should have mentioned to Jane that I'm a telepath?) Jag asked silently.

Mac just grinned wickedly and shook her head. (Nope, this'll just make it more believable.)

(Like always,) Ephiney added. (Jag, your scarf is slipping, tighten the knot.)

"Don't you three dare start giggling," EC hissed as she peeked around the last turn in the tunnel. "I'm not sure how long Faith will be able to keep quiet if she hears you."

"Sorry," Mac whispered, brushing a kiss across EC's shoulder. "But Eph's right, we haven't done this in years."

Jag's head bobbed slightly. "Looks aside, it's hard to keep up the appearance that there's only one of us for long. We're too different."

"Trust me, kitten, I've noticed," EC said with a smirk. "But Scribe doesn't know Mac's body language that well and with the rest of the Clan covering for us ..."

Jag nodded again. "Right. I play mental radio operator and you keep an eye on Scribe, EC."

"Too right," EC agreed. She tossed off a mock salute and strolled into the main cave, whistling softly.

(Pity we won't be able to pull this on Snape,) Jag said.

(Shut up, Jag.)

She winced at the doubled voice of Mac and Eph in her mind at the same time.

(Don't *do* that!)

******

Scribe walked past Mac teaching some of the children how to play a game with pebbles and a bunch of circles drawn in the dirt. The recently bonded Anchor waved at the Clan's Alpha female absent mindedly.

A few minutes later Mac and Megan walked past Scribe, talking animatedly about spears and some idea Mac had for stone points if they could find flint of the right quality. The two women nodded briefly to Scribe as they passed.

An hour later Scribe was going to the cistern for water as Mac came walking up the path with Faith and Obi Wan on either side of her. Mac was trying to explain to both of them why politicians were worse than demons or Sith and why her kill-em-all policy applied to all three.

But Scribe was positive she'd just seen Mac inside the cave arguing with Snape. She'd only caught a few words that sounded like potion components.

"Good afternoon, Scribe," Obi Wan greeted absently. He and the Dark Slayer looked a bit confused as the group stopped to chat with Scribe.

"Hi, Obi, Faith. Um, Mac? Weren't you just inside?" Scribe asked, frowning slightly at the Nighthunter. And why exactly did she have a scarf around her neck? It had been there all day, even inside.

Mac shook her head. "Nope. I've been out with Obi showing Faith Jedi type stuff."

"Some of it's been wicked cool, but I don't get the whole meditation thing. Those lightsabers would have been nice to have back in Sunnyhell, too," Faith announced with a grin. "Hey, maybe you're losing it, Boss lady. I hear that can happen when you get older."

"Faith!" Obi Wan hissed.

"Sorry about that," Mac sighed as she shot a look at Faith. "EC and I are still training her."

"Grrr. Woof," Faith added with a wink.

Mac shook her head again. "We'll see you later, Scribe. Come on, Obi. Faith, heel!"

Scribe was left standing there, looking even more confused than Faith and Obi Wan had, as they continued into the cave.

Things kept going like that all day. Scribe would see Mac one place, then turn around and the Nighthunter would be somewhere else, and then some other place when Scribe caught sight of her again.

******

"Faith, honestly, that was going a bit far," Obi Wan said as he glanced over his shoulder.

Faith grinned at him. "What? I didn't even lick her."

Eph shook her head slowly. "I'm almost sorry for Mac having to deal with you and EC."

"Only almost?" Faith snickered.

"Almost," Eph nodded, "because if you weren't bonded to my sister I'd be tempted to fuck you silly myself."

"Sounds fun." The girls looked at Obi Wan. The young Jedi blushed. "I have been spending too much time with you two."

"Like you haven't been getting ideas to do with that hottie redhead," Faith laughed.

"Her name is Ginny," Eph reminded the Slayer. "Really, Faith. You're going to have to actually use names around here at some point."

Faith smiled innocently.

"You know, that's not a look that works for you," Obi Wan pointed out.

******

(Places everyone,) Jag called cheerfully, although only Eph, Mac and EC could hear her. (Scribe's settling down to feed her baby.)

(Good, I can't wait to get this scarf out from around my neck,) Eph complained. (Although this trick is harder to pull off in a hot climate.)

Mac bit back the urge to laugh out loud.

There were three ways to tell them apart once you got to know the triplets. The most obvious was their hair, they never had it all the same lengths. The second way was how they moved. Eph moved with easy confidence and the inborn grace of a dancer. Jag had the tightly controlled motion of a trained hunter and warrior. Mac moved with more care, the slower more deliberate actions of someone who'd had to relearn how to make her body work. But the third and least obvious way to tell them apart involved stripping the three of them bare and comparing their scars. Those were even more unique than their finger prints.

(Okay, okay, let's move, girls,) EC told them. (Eph, you're up first.)

Eph walked by Scribe heading toward Peja's hearth, making sure Scribe had seen her. (Cue the distraction, EC.)

EC smirked and sent her spirit guide, Draven the crow, swooping past Scribe with Mac's tiny Sand Cat, Najya, chasing after him. (Done. Next up.)

Mac strode toward the hearth she shared with EC and Faith, carrying extra bedding for her sisters. She paused at Scribe's for a moment. "Hey, Scribe, have you seen Faith?"

"Yeah, a few hours ago," Scribe said as she looked up. She glanced toward where she was sure she had seen Mac walking a moment before. "But you and Obi Wan were with her."

Mac's head tilted to one side as she frowned slightly. "Scribe, honey, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"Because I haven't seen Obi Wan all day and I haven't seen Faith since she and EC went off to work with her control over her senses," Mac explained. "Look, let me put these up and then I'll see if I can find one of the docs."

Scribe shook her head. "I'm fine, Mac. Really."

Mac frowned again. "If you say so, Scribe. But I still think you see one of the docs."

"No, it's okay, go do what ever you were doing," Scribe said, waving the concerned looking Mac away.

(You're evil, you know that?) Jag teased. (Time for the other distraction. What have you got?)

(I'm on it,) EC assured her. The Black Witch waved to Draco and Harry. The two young wizards started to argue loudly about something or another, or more likely nothing at all. But it was enough to make Scribe look over for a moment. (You're on, Jag.)

"Wow, those two are at it again," Jag said from practically right behind Scribe. Her head snapped around. "Hey, careful there. You're going to give yourself whiplash or something."

"I told you I'm fine, Mac," Scribe snapped.

Jag frowned at her. "Why wouldn't you be fine?"

"You were just over here saying I should see one of the doctors and I'm *fine*."

Jag blinked at her. "Um, Scribe ... I just got here. But I'm starting to wonder if you are okay. Want me to get Blair and Jim for you?"

"I am not going crazy," Scribe said firmly.

"Of course you're not," Jag assured her cautiously. "How about I watch the little princess for a while, and you can go lay down."

Scribe sent the Glare of Death at her. "I do not need to lay down, Mac."

"Right," said Jag. Her tone said "Let's humor the crazy woman". "Uh, I'll see you later."

Jag walked away very quickly, glancing nervously back over her shoulder. She made sure she went in a direction that Eph and Mac hadn't taken.

(Okay, and *I'm* evil? Hello?) Mac teased.

Jag bit her tongue. (Well, I never said I *wasn't* evil.)

(How much longer do we keep this up?) Eph asked.

(Few more hours, it's almost time to sleep,) EC said.

******

Jim and Blair bit their cheeks to keep from laughing at their jumpy mate. Scribe kept looking around as if she expected something to jump out at her as they got ready for bed.

Good nights were quietly exchanged through the cave as the rest of the Clan prepared to go to sleep as well.

"Good night, girls," Simon said as he past the hearth Mac and EC had shared since they arrived.

"Night, Simon," EC called back.

Faith answered, "Night, studly!"

"Good night," followed in three part harmony.

Scribe very nearly jumped out of her skin.

Three Macs were grinning over at her. Identical right down to the dimples in their left cheeks.

"Good night, Scribe," they said again in harmony….

Core Haven: Chapter One: Jane 5

"What do you think you're doing?" Jim muttered quietly to a Jane that had a decidedly sneaky look on her face and who was creeping around the Triplet's Hearth.

"Plotting, of course. What else?"

"Plotting what?"

"Prank war. You in?"

"Prank wa…. Oh no, not that, please, not that! Please?"

"Too late. The girls started it, Fannie responded, and now it's my turn. And the padawans have split into teams already."

"Ah hell!" Jim watched her remove the top layers of the girl's bedding and place some leaves under them before replacing the covers. He knew that the slightest bit of sweat would cause them to leave a hideous odor on the girls that no amount of washing would remove. Stinkweed had to wear off…and that took days.

It could take days before they got sweaty enough to effect the stinkweed, and by that time even the Core's sentinel would find the odors too confused to allow conclusive proof of the perp.

"You're evil!"

"This you already knew."

"Damn it." Jim moved away, wondering what was going to happen next, and to whom.

Later Jane made her "rounds" stopping by everyone's hearth and when no one was looking, added a few leaves, not stinkweed but rather firegrass, to everyone's cooking dinners. She puttered around her brother's hearth for a bit, chuckling softly as she did her thing before heading for the entrance.

//And Blair thought that concoction of his was bad…wait til the entire Cave starts to react to the Firegrass!// She cackled to herself as she wandered outdoors to see what other ideas came along.

The girls were in the spring again, with more soaproot. As it turned out, Fannie had dealt with the joke by calling the Moose and Mammoth and telling the slobbery critters, "Those new girls said they wanted some kisses…why don't you two go give them some?"

By the time Major and Roger T had finished, the girls were covered in over a foot of hardened spit and were unable to move. Qui and Obi had been required to Force Lift the three into the springs, staying near to hand until the hot mineral water had softened the disgusting stuff enough that three somewhat sickened girls could move enough to function. Fannie's laughter had been pretty…*pretty evil*, that is. There was a good bit of muttering and revenge plotting going on in the spring, Obi noticed, grinning.

//Obi Wan!// He had no trouble hearing the *Master* in his mate's mental tone.

//Prank War in progress, Master. It's just gearing up! All us padawans have already formed "teams". You're on mine.//

//gghihuigydfydtyfkiufi//

//Master, mental sputtering sounds gross!// Obi sent back at the man who had just emerged from the Cave. He was grinning fit to bust.

//Prank wars…damn!"//

//They're to be semi-annual or bi-annual or something//

//Ah hell!//

//That's exactly what Jim just said, Qui// Jane told him. //You better get your defenses up, though. I'm playing too, and I believe it's been a while since I targeted you, big brother.//

//Oh no…no// "No!" Qui Gon yelled out loud, "Now, Jane, don't be hasty…."

"Too late, brother mine. Too late. You've already been nailed. It's just a matter of time before you figure out how."

Qui just moaned softly.

From the Cave came the distinct sound of a classic "Ellison" roar and he came tearing out of the Cave…

"Which one of you perverts put PINEAPPLE flavoring in my mouth?!" he yelled, spitting and cussing.

Jane slid out of sight before he spotted her, meeting Fannie's eyes and giggling madly.

"Oh shit, you didn't?"

"Of course I did. It's the perfect opener to let him know he has to participate in the first official Bi-Annual Practical Joke War…."

"B, b, b, but Blair and me are gonna catch the fallout!"

"I know. Got all three of you with the one shot, huh?"

Scribe leaned weakly against Qui Gon, and they did their moaning together.

Core Haven, Chapter 1, Scribe #6

Scribe eyed Jim warily as he sputtered and spat. She whispered to Qui Gon, "Oh, CRAP! Jane KNOWS how much Jim hates pineapple! The woman is getting CRUEL!"

Qui patted her arm. "There's nothing really harmful about this, is there? I mean, Jim is irritated, yes, but..."

She cast him a 'look'. "I don't mean cruel to Jim--he's almost used to the teasing by now. I meant ME."

Qui was puzzled. "But how can this be cruel to you?"

"You weren't around during the Great Blueberry Disaster, were you? Jim has a nasty taste in his mouth, and he's going to want to get rid of it. It's his chosen method of replacing it that's a hazard to my sanity."

"What do you mean?"

"Scriiiiibe."

Her name was a long, low purr. Jim had spotted her. She squeaked, and ducked behind Qui Gon, peeking out. "Go away, Ellison."

He stalked toward them, eyes glittering, smile feral. "Come here, sweetie-pie."

"Go find Sandburg!"

"He hid the second I started spitting." Jim crooked his finger at her. "Come fulfill your wifely duty."

"Screw that. Call me Betty Friedan, but I'm feeling very women's libbish right now." He reached toward her, and she dodged. Qui Gon was standing very still, regarding this new mating ritual with amused interest. She thumped him between the shoulder blades. "Stop smirking! You're not the one who'll end up bowlegged." She dodged another groping hand. "Damn it, Jim! It's broad daylight, there are pre-adolescents around, I'm a busy woman..."

"Excuses, excuses..."

She thought desperately. "My period is starting."

"Good try, but I've been with you long enough to know your cycle. And anyway, the way I feel right now... *slurp*"

She winced. "Oh, that's just GROSS!"

"Get over yourself, darlin'."

"Go see Snape!"

"Not my type."

"I mean he's bound to have some sort of potion that'll wipe out the taste, you horndog."

"I prefer the natural method." *grab* *dodge* "Qui, you're a hell of a fella, but right now it is neither politic nor wise to be between me and my woman."

Scribe shoved Qui hard, knocking the startled Jedi into Jim. She headed for the woods, yelling, "AT LEAST GIVE ME A HEAD START!" Jim gave a whoop that sounded like a howl and took off after her.

The triplets had been watching this. Jag said to EC, "What do you think?"

EC shrugged. "She doesn't stand a chance. You saw how long his legs are, and she isn't the most athletic person in the Clan. It's just a matter of time before..."

Eph snickered. "Poor Scribe."

Faith was listening, head cocked, and she smiled. "Poor Scribe, my ass. That gal has a surprisingly raunchy vocabulary in what passes for privacy around here."

Jane came up behind them. "You girls want to help me prank my brother?" She was answered by evil smiles. "Goood. All I need you to do is..."

A minute later, EC, carrying a large bucket of water, stopped to talk with Qui Gon. He said, "I suppose Scribe is lucky that Snape came up with the prophylactic potion. She loves children, but if she ended up pregnant again, I think that EVERYONE would have been very uncomfortable."

EC smirked. "I think that what Jim had in mind doesn't produce babies."

The triplets and Faith suddenly came stampeding toward them, all yelling at the same time. It wasn't easy to make out what was going on as they began to chase each other around EC and Qui Gon. They caught snatches.

"TOLD you not to..."

"Nyah!" "...KNEW what to expect." "I'm gonna KILL...!" "Gotta catch me first!"

EC got jostled. "Oops!" The bucket slipped from her grasp, somehow upending and spilling the entire contents on the ground. Since it was dusty where they were standing it created an immediate mud puddle. About two seconds later, Qui Gon found himself on the bottom of a triplet-and-slayer pile-up. EC shrugged, then jumped on top of the pile.

*Oof!* "Ladies, PLEASE!" Qui Gon gasped.

They piled off. Jag, grabbing his hand and hauling him to his feet, said, "Who you calling 'ladies'?"

"Yeah," said Eph. "Who's been spreading nasty rumors about us?"

Sandburg, who had snuck out of his hiding place once he was sure Jim had caught Scribe, shook his head. "I think ALL these women are on the same wavelength. That's exactly what Scribe and Jane said. Qui, your robe is a mess."

He held the gunky material away from himself. "Yes, but the damage is limited to the material. I just have to change, and I won't need a bath."

"Your laundry is back at your hearth," piped up Mac. "I saw a fresh pile." He nodded his thanks and went into the cave.

The women huddled together, giggling. Sandburg watched them suspiciously.

"Okay, spill." They gave him wide-eyed looks. "I've stopped believing that look from any female past puberty. Give. You guys have done something to Qui Gon, haven't you?"

EC batted her eyelashes. "Us? We just, er, accidentally dumped him on his butt in the mud."

Blair studied them, then groaned and looked at Jane. "Okay--what did YOU do to him?"

"I COULD let you find out in a minute, but what the hell," she chortled. "Okay, you remember that 'enhancement' spell that Hermione has?" Blair nodded. "You remember that strong patch of catnip that I've started cultivating?"

Blair nodded again, more slowly. "You remember those pair of gloves that all the cats, domestic and Spirit, were fighting over the other day? I had enough sense to wear those when I, um, ANOINTED Qui's spare robe."

Blair slapped his forehead. "Oh, man."

Qui Gon came out of the cave, straightening his robe. He didn't notice the train of cats, from burly toms down to tottering kittens, that followed in his wake. There was a line of waving tails and twitching pink noses. He came to the group, brushing a green fleck off his shoulder. "I must say, I'm beginning to prefer the Clan method of laundry to the Jedi. I know it's more labor intensive than using the cleansers at the temple or on the ship, but somehow the clothes just smell FRESHER."

*mew* *mmryow* *purrr* *chrrup* *meow* *aarowr* *meep*

He looked down. "What the Force?" At least two dozen cats were winding around his legs, with more coming out of the cave and bushes at every second, all of them making toward him. Some of them started standing on their hind legs, pawing and nipping at the robe. "What's gotten into these cats? And why are you all laughing?"

Someone took offense to someone else pushing them aside, and began to dispute for access to the fascinatingly scented human. Cat fights can develop very quickly. Everyone stepped away from the startled and dismayed Jedi. Mac murmured, "I haven't seen anything like this since the neighbor's purebred Persian went into heat."

Jag nodded. "I think they were flying in from cross-country."

"What is going on here?!" Qui started to move.

"Careful!" said Jane. "You don't want to step on any of the babies."

There were at least six kittens attempting to climb Qui's robe, and having some success. He carefully plucked off one particularly motivated tortoiseshell. The claws were unhooked easily enough, but he had to be careful getting the kitten to turn loose of the mouthful of fabric she was chewing and nursing. It left a shredded, damp patch. By the time he deposited the complaining little one, the others had progressed almost to chest level. When he lifted his arm after setting the kitten down, there was another one clinging to his sleeve. He felt a sudden warmth spreading down his chest, and looked into the wide, innocent green eyes of a black kitten. *Mmmrow?*

"JANE!"

"Well, Qui, they're just babies, and they're EXCITED. Oops! That little gray one had an accident, too. Rub your butt on the robe, sweetie," Jane cooed. "Much softer than Mama's tongue when she cleans your bottom."

"Obi Wan! Come help your master!" Obi Wan came out of the cave, and skidded to a halt. "STOP LAUGHING!"

Obi Wan wiped tears out of his eyes and managed to draw enough breath to call out, "People! You HAVE to see this!"

The rest of the Clan came out. Soon they were propping each other up as they watched the Jedi who was rapidly becoming covered in cat hair, cat spit, cat shit, and, well, just CATS. The only one who evidenced the least bit of sympathy was Ben, who had a bit of fastidiousness himself--but even HE was smiling. Then Peja, Chet, Rafe, Chet's male kit, and Palu all seemed to get excited at once. Pupils dilated, whiskers twitched, tails waved, and they joined the clowder of cats that surrounded Qui Gon. The now thoroughly flabbergasted Jedi found himself being pushed back and forth as the heavier bodies rubbed and thumped against him.

Eph's nose wrinkled. "They're getting kitty poop and pee all over themselves."

"They won't notice or care for a while yet," Jane assured her.

Faith was chuckling as she watched the show, then a wicked gleam came into her eyes. She leaned over and whispered in Jane's ear. Jane laughed, and said a few words in Kreelo to her. She repeated them twice, and Jane nodded approval. Then Faith ran off into the bushes, giggling.

The male kit had managed to shinny up Qui Gon's tall frame and had seated himself on the Jedi's shoulders. When Qui reached up to remove him, Chet, Rafe, and Peja growled softly around the mouthfuls of robe they were chewing. He let his arms dropped, and looked around miserably. "But HE'S not potty trained, either. This couldn't possibly be any worse."

Jane snickered. "You ought to know better than to say that, Brother-mine." There was a sound in the distance--the breaking of brush, and a rumbling sound.

"Jane," whispered Blair, "what have you done?"

"Me? Nothing. This was Faith's idea." The rumbling became recognizable as a massive chorus of purrs as Kreelo poured into the clearing, making straight for Qui Gon. "She just went to have a little chat with the Kreel. Hey, it's only good neighbor policy, right?"

EC and the triplets traded looks. There was an air of calm stoicism around the Jedi Master that none of them quite believed. None of the Nighthunters tried to pull their feline spirit guides away when they and EC slipped away through the mass of Kreelo heading for Qui Gon.

EC grabbed Faith's arm as they moved. "That may have been a bit much, pet."

"Nah," Faith snickered. "They aren't going to hurt him or anything."

"That's not the point, Faith," Mac laughed as they started to put more distance between their group and Qui Gon.

Jag and Eph didn't even try to talk through their laughter.

"Get us for this, he will," EC intoned. "Sick Yoda on us, he may."

"He's not Jane, Cor," Mac managed through her laughter.

EC thought for a moment then nodded. "Fine. Jane would sick us on Yoda."

"We should split up for a bit," Jag suggested as she dropped to a crouch and rapidly shook her head. As a telepath she was more sensitive than the other witches to the results of Jane's prank on her brother, in other words the almost narcotic effect of the catnip on that many felines was getting close to overloading her shields. "Just in case Qui Gon has a Jane-moment."

"Right," Eph said, tilting her head. "Meet back at our hearth at dark?"

The other girls nodded and they splintered off in different directions.

The next morning found Faith throwing out all of the bedding from around their area, a disgusted look on her face while she worked and a sneaking suspicion of who was responsible but with no way to prove it.

Mean while, other pranks had made themselves known.

Mac, Eph and Jag had woken up to hair turned shades of purple. Flower scented purple, with the smell matched to the just-so shade. Mac was lilac, Eph was lavender, and Jag was violet. And EC was smirking about it.

Glowing whisps were following Qui Gon around, producing the "March of the Jedi Knights" instrumental every time he moved. The whisps following Jim around were singing "I Feel Pretty", and every time Scribe tried to talk her words came out in song. All of which were perhaps annoying enough, although everyone was pretty sure Scribe was enjoying it, but the whisps following Snape around were singing "Pretty Fly for a White Guy". And when he tried to send them away more appeared.

When Mac and Eph turned to Jag and raised their eyebrows she shrugged and blamed it on the catnip episode from the day before. Which from her was actually a reasonable excuse.

The triplets were about to start plotting their revenge against EC for the hair when someone beat them to the punch. The Black Witch stalked past them toward the hot springs, coated from head to toe with ...

"Black Cherry Jell-O?"

"She didn't."

"She wouldn't."

"Are you kidding of course she would."

"Shit."

"We should get to her before ..."

"Too late."

The triplets ran for the mouth of the cavern. And there stood the baby of their family, steel toed work boots and all, covered in the traditional greeting. The Mammoth and Moose Spit Facial.

And she was not happy.

As indicated by the bright shine of her leaf green eyes.

Which might have had something to do with the freesia colored hair the normally redheaded girl was sporting.

"Uh ..."

"Oh ..."

"Shit."

The triplets hit the dirt just as it exploded.

Robin's telekinetic blast threw the massive amount of slobber from her in all directions, including right back at the spirit animals responsible for her damp condition.

"Okay, now I feel better," the tiny redhead announced.

"Least ways one of us does," came a raspy Texas drawl.

"As if we were not sufficiently covered in this .... foul mucus," complained a furious Southern accent. "Really, Mr. Tanner, it seems that this young...creature... is more than able to look after itself. I don't see why you had to drag both of us along with her."

"Lighten up, Ex. What we've been missing is here."

"You've been saying that ever since Chris finally fell prey to Mrs. Travis' dubious charms!"

"S'right over this way," Mr. Tanner said as he started toward where the three Nighthunters were still crouched low in the dirt.

Jag managed a small squeak as her senses came fully on line when she locked eyes with her Guide, Vin Tanner, and then her Anchor, Ezra P. Standish. Her leopard, Anita, rumbled her approval when she was joined by a rather thin wolf and a glossy black horse.

Vin Tanner grinned shyly at her from under his slouch hat. "Hey."

"As Mr. Tanner has said in his own abbreviated way, salutations dear lady," Ezra drawled as he shrugged out of his red velvet frock coat. "I do hope you're not the one responsible for those two beastly creatures."

"No," Jag said quietly as she let the two men pull her to her feet. She staggered slightly as two new mental links snapped sharply into place.

"Whoa. Head rush ..."

"The hot springs are that way," Mac advised as she pointed the two men in the right direction.

Robin watched them go with a wide grin before she sang out, "Jag's getting *laaaaaaaa-id!*"

Before the young witch could continue her train of thought about her sister's activities her other two sisters each had a hold of one of her arms.

"Uh-oh," she squeaked. Neither of them looked best pleased with her.

"You ..."

"Are ..."

"In *such* ..."

"Deep shit!" Mac and Eph took turns snarling.

"Hey! This is not my fault!" Robin protested. "I was working on my homework..." (glare of death from Eph) "Okay, so I was reading Queen's Own again. The next thing I know I'm in the middle of nowhere with two of the Kitten's two favorite fantasy boy-toys. And then the link is yanking me this way and I get *slimed* worse than when you guys rigged my sleeping bag with ectoplasm." She grinned up at them. "See? So not my fault."

Mac pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll go ask Scribe if we can find someplace with more space ..."

"Or Jag and her boys can get their own hearth, and I'll move to a smaller one with Robin," Eph suggested. "Give you, EC and Faith your space back. Not that you've had any since Jag and I got here."

"Faith? As in the Slayer, Faith?" Robin yelped. "She's with you and EC? Who's on top?"

"ROBIN!!"

"You know Robin's smarter than anyone else, so far, right?" Blair grinned at Fannie. "She handled Mitri's two beasts wonderfully."

"So? Jane still just took her out for a 'tour'." Fannie grinned at the look on Jag's face, which didn’t look all that happy with the idea.

"Why?"

"You should sound suspicious! She's using her to deflect Qui Gon, actually. Now that he's cleaned up he's looking to get even, and there's nothing like a confused teenager to make him shift back to "Reserved and Knowledgeable, Kind and Considerate, Master Jedi" fast. The last I saw of Robin, he was rubbing her back, trying to calm her down, and Jane was sneaking off to go do…God only knows what."

"It won't matter about the cats anyway. My Master's always adopting some kind of pathetic lifeform." Obi Wan interjected as he joined them. "Blairette's kittens are still with him, even though the catnip isn't. And I think one of them has decided your little sister needs her…it's the little solid gray one. I think I heard Robin calling her Rambo because of the way she took one look at Rob's lap, and took up residence. The rest of the litter is scattered around in my Master's hair and beard."

"I can hardly wait until Yoda sees that beard. Neat and trimmed it is NOT. Not anymore. It's twice the length and thickness of Hagrid's, for pity's sake. Can you see yourself trying to do normal Jedi work with him in that state?"

"Uh, no, actually. He is starting to look just a little scruffy, isn't he?" Obi Wan sounded confused. "And that's not like Qui Gon Jinn."

"No, it isn't, is it?" Cordy said slowly…."Uh oh."

"Nope, girls, I'm afraid that one's mine. He was getting waaay too stuffy." Another voice added, as several more Clan Members joined them at Fannie's fire. This one was Dennis', and Fannie eyed him with some suspicion of her own. Benny had done wonders with the kid, but Finch could still be a little scut at times.

"Actually, he was doing fine until you irritated him," She told him. "Do you know how difficult it is to annoy that man?"

"Uh, nooo."

Obi was staring at Finch with growing accusation.

"Look kid, I didn't mean nothin' by it! I got my men, ya know…." He trailed off at the expression on Fannie's face. "What?"

"Tell me you didn't make a pass at Qui Gon?"

"No! Of course not!"

Fannie just looked at him, calling Ray as she did so.

"Well, not really."

"Uh huh, riiight. Obi, we'll take care of this…Ray?"

"You better believe that! Come on, Dennis. You know Ben promised to spank you if you got caught flirting with anyone but us. And Fraze never breaks a promise!" He grabbed the squirming, protesting Guide and hauled him off to their Sentinel for discipline.

"Spanking, huh?" Jag queried.

"He's still pretty childish at times."

"Oh! Not the "fun" spanking, then?"

"No, this is the "You won't eat sitting down for daaaaays kind."

Blair looked at the new girls and shrugged, "It works for them, though. That's what matters. The fact is, most of the time Dennis Finch has no idea of how to behave. So who else is to teach him if not his Sentinel and Anchor?"

"The "Just Shoot Me" Finch?"

"Yeah."

"Oh crap."

"Yeah. That too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane walked openly back into the Cave, grinning in a way that boded ill for somebody. She liked the effect of those glowing yellow snakelets on the backs of the heads of EC's crowd…a whole crew of seeming Medusas…but without the stone stare. Actually, the snakelets were in their bedrolls, and weren't really on their heads at all. They liked warm, moist places, and she figured it wouldn’t take long for the sleeping females to notice them. Particularly if the non-biting and harmless snakelets found the choice holes….

She had settled down between Roy and John, when the first shriek split the air….

"WHAT KIND OF GOD-DAMNED MUTHERFUCKING PIECES OF SHIT SLIMELY MULESNOTTED PEOPLE WOULD PUT PUSSY-LOVIN' SNAKES IN MY GOD DAMNED BED?"

"FUUUUUUUUUUUCK! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! I GOT A GOD DAMNED SNAKE UP MY ASSSSSSSS! HOLY FUCK!"

"YOU ARE A SIIIIICK BITCH, JANE! NOBODY FUCKING ELSE WOULD……SHIIIIIIIIIIT!"

"Jag, is (pant,pant) this supposed to feel this good?"

The woman (having just yanked one snake out of her own snatch and another one out of each of her sister's asses, stared in horror as she realized EC was enjoying her's….

"Yeah, you go girl…I like what mine's doin' to me, too…I finally got laaaaaaaaaaaaaaid!" Robin warbled happily.

Eph was carefully working a hide with a mixture of charcoal, and the animal's brain that would leave the leather soft, water proof, and a matte black when Quo Gon found her. She didn't look up at his approach, so he assumed that she was unaware of him. As the Jedi Master was about to speak the eldest of the Nighthunters beat him to it. "Jag said you were looking for me."

"I only spoke to her a moment ago, and she couldn't have arrived here before me and then left without being seen," Qui Gon said quietly.

"She didn't have to move to let me know," Eph said as she continued working.

"Ah." He chose to let the comment go for the moment. "It is in regards to .."

"Robin," Eph interrupted. "You've sensed her connection to the Force."

Jinn nodded and opened his mouth to continue when Eph cut him off again.

"No."

"Pardon?" Qui Gon blurted, put off by the young woman's anticipation of his intent.

Eph still didn't bother to look up at him as she evenly distributed the mixture across the hide. "Although I owe you no explanations, I'll give you one anyway. Robin is strong with the Force, as you've felt. All Witches of any real power are. But you've been blinded by her youth."

The large man unconsciously loomed over the kneeling woman. "I do not understand."

"Of course not," she snorted. "Think, man. She's the powerful, talented, younger sister of the Nighthunters. A child born to power of a line that has spawned some of the most powerful magic users in our mythology. Until now our lives have been very nearly inseparable from the darkness we've fought."

"You have so little faith in your sister that you believe young Robin would turn to the Dark Side?" Qui Gon demanded.

"No. I just know her that well, Qui Gon Jinn." Now Ephiney looked up at him with twin points of fire burning in her eyes. "If you train her as a Jedi, Robin *will* become Sith. As a Witch she remains in balance. With the power she holds now would you really want to face her as an enemy?" She tilted her head slightly. "Would you survive facing her as a Sith with the power she has now?"

Qui Gon frowned. "If we sent her to Yoda ..."

"You didn't answer my questions, Master Jinn," Eph pointed out quietly.

"Robin is a teenager."

"Robin is a Witch," Eph corrected. "To be exact, Robin is a Chaos Sorceress in the middle of her hormone driven teenage years. She's as yet to reach her *full* potential, but when she does, she'll make the Sith Lords and Voldemort with his Death Eaters look like toddlers throwing a hissy fit."

He raised his eyebrows slightly. "And what makes you think you can prevent her from becoming Dark?"

That earned him a smirk from the woman he found increasingly perplexing. "I can't. I don't intend to. But I can and will keep her from becoming Evil. There is a difference you know." She stood up and popped the stiff joints of her back from kneeling so long to work. "Or did you think that the Nighthunters, the Black Witch, and the Dark Slayer were children of the Light?"

The Jedi was left staring after Eph as she walked away from him without waiting for an answer. Not that he truly had one to give her just then.

Ginny found him still in the area Eph had claimed for leather working nearly an hour later, still lost in thought. "Qui? Is something wrong?"

"No, my dear," he said softly. "I've just been given much to think on this afternoon."

******

Mac shook her head and gave Robin a telekinetic shove that sent her sprawling to the ground. "Your shielding is shit, little bird, and your focus is off. You should have been able to at least deflect that push I gave you. What's wrong?"

"Qui Gon wants me to train as a Jedi," Robin admitted. "Ephiney thinks if I do I'll turn and become a Sith."

"Robs ..." Mac broke off and took a deep breath, then started again. "Honey, if any of us had been trained as Jedi we'd have turned."

The youngest sister frowned. "But why? We're the good guys, right? Fighting monsters, breaking possessions, closing Gates and Portals."

"It has to do with where our powers come from and how we draw on them," Mac explained. "Remember your first lessons, little bird. When are our powers strongest?"

"When they are in greatest need," Robin repeated automatically.

Mac nodded. "And when are they in greatest need?"

"When we are in greatest danger," came the answer just as quickly. Robin paused and blinked. "When we're afraid, when we're angry. Oh! We'd become Sith because our powers come from the Dark Side in the first place."

"And that's why you've always been the smartest of us," her sister chuckled. "See, the Dark isn't bad. It just *is*. The Sith are bad because of how they use their connection with the Dark Side. Now, let's get back to the exercise. Ground, center and focus. Now!"

That time Robin deflected the telekinetic shove back at Mac, staggering the older Witch when it impacted on her own shields.

"Glad you're happy," Robin retorted. Then she grinned, green eyes glinting under a fall of her still freesia colored curls. "So, exactly how good is Faith in bed, really?"

"Brat!"

******

"Why, exactly, am I sparring with Faith again?" asked a sweat soaked Obi Wan.

EC grinned. "Because your connection with the Force and your Jedi training put you on a near even level with a Sentinel Slayer. And because you're a Sentinel yourself."

"I haven't had a work out like this since I last when one on one with B," Faith said brightly, for all that she was a sweaty as the young Jedi. "Only without the whole hate each other's guts part of it."

"Hate leads to the Dark Side," Obi said reflexively.

"Been there done that," Faith retorted. "Let's dance, Force-boy."

Several members of the Clan paused to watch the magically enhanced girl sparring with the Force trained young Jedi. Most of them shook their heads and moved on after a few minutes. The ones who stayed longest tended to be the younger adults and Blair."They're going to get hurt," he said from behind EC.

She leaned back on her elbows to look at him upside down. "A few bruises, perhaps. I placed impact shields over them so no serious damage can be done. As good as both of them are they could inflict much in the way of physical harm to each other."

Blair frowned as he settled in the dirt beside the Black Witch. "Then why not ask someone else to spar with her?"

"Because Qui Gon's still thinking about something Eph told him, Faith doesn't like or trust most of the Jedi, and Jag would rip her apart without trying," EC explained in such a matter of fact tone that it took Blair a moment to question it.

"I guess I could understand the first two points, but ... would Jag really hurt Faith? She's bonded to Mac after all."

EC shook her head. "Yes, Jag really would. You've seen me spar with Mac, and you've seen Mac and Eph spar with each other. Right?" Blair nodded and she continued. "Have you seen Jag spar with anyone since she and Eph arrived?"

"Well, no. I thought she just didn't like doing it where she'd have an audience. She seems a lot more private than the rest of you."

"She's not. Jag doesn't spar. No more than any cat does."

"Jag ... as in Jaguar. Where did she get a name like that?"

"It's Jaguarita actually." EC smiled faintly.

Blair frowned. "Little jaguar. But why? I mean, Anita's a leopard, Eph has a spotted lion, and Mac has that tiny sand cat."

"One of the traits Jag has with her power is the ability to Ghost Shift so to speak," EC said carefully. Not quite willing to explain Jag's telepathy. "Her Ghost Shape is a small jaguar."

"Ghost Shifting ... I've read that somewhere ..." Blair nearly pulled his hair in frustration. "Damn I wish I had some of my books with me."

"It's when she leaves her body behind to do battle with something that doesn't have a physical form," EC explained as she stroked Draven's glossy black feathers. "I've only seen her do it once, and it nearly killed her. Forcing an incorporeal evil into a material form is actually easier, if not always possible. But one's Ghost Shape isn't always the same as their spirit guide."

"You guys are so beyond weird," Faith announced as she dropped beside her Guide. "And I still can't believe you wanted to keep some of those snakes, babe."

"Says the woman whose spirit guide is a cobra," Obi snorted as he sat with more dignity.

Faith snorted in return while said spirit guide coiled around her wrist and flared his hood. "Venom hasn't tried to play living vibrator."

"There are two reasons I didn't keep them," EC observed. "One, I have nothing to keep them in ... yet. Two, Robin would want to play with them, and I'm not up to sharing my sex toys with the brat." She paused and smirked. "Alright, three reasons. There are lots of them around the hot springs and I got Jane to show me how to catch them."

Blair shook his head. "You are a sick, sick woman, E.C.."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing," she chuckled. "Which, thinking of at least one of your mates, isn't that convincing."

"Which one of my mates?" Blair demanded.

EC grinned. "Ask Fannie about her story Teddy Bear's Picnic. Then see if you still need to ask me that question."

(Cordy set you up for this, Jag. She' really got to be a leeeetle bit more wary around me, ya know.)

While Jag didn't often fight in her Ghost Shape, she could and did find it useful for communicating directly with the large concentration of Spirit Guides. //How was I supposed to know that the presence of a Spirit Jaguar would send me into heat?// She thought in disgust as she yowled and panted under Tigre's big black bulk. She yowled again as she actually felt conception take place, and understood, suddenly, a female cat's need to smack the shit out of her mate when this happened. She hit him twice, the first time for getting her pregnant, the second time for gouging her with that sharp hook on his pecker when he withdrew.

She stared at him in shock when he informed her that her litter would be true Shape Shifters. Not just limited to shifting to a Ghost Shape, but capable of truly shifting to the form of a Jaguar. He told her that the kittens would not be WereCats, but true Shifters.

Then she chased him down and bit the shit out of him in pure outrage when he told her that she would remain in a temporarily borrowed mortal jag-shape for the entire pregnancy, as well as long after the birth, until her litter was weaned.

Fortunately for Tigre, he was a real Jaguar, if a Spirit in Mortal Host…the bites and scratches didn't bother him at all. If anything, he was highly amused, which only pissed her off more.

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

"Qui? Are you alright, brother mine?" Jane asked softly.

"Did you know about this?"

"Yes. There are many kinds of fighters on the Right, and not all are of the Light. Some kinds of evil can not be defeated by Light Children, love. Qui, there are dragons here, and most will agree that such beasts are not normally considered Light Sided." She paused, "Come and sit with me. I think we need to talk, and call Obi, since as your padawan, he needs to know these things. As a matter of fact…call the Jedi. All of them. And summon Snape. He will understand these women and the girl more easily. He's not particularly Light Sided himself, but he isn't Evil either. None of them are."

When the assembled Jedi and Snape had settled in for the meeting, she Called Eph and Mac.

"Education, Understanding, Support, Love, Loyalty, Caring, Tolerance and Co-operation are the watch words of the Clan. These may not be violated." Jane said quietly. "There is a time of great upheaval coming, when all the laws of the Universe will alter and reverse themselves, so constant experimenting is needed…the Change is a gradual process. Most sentient beings will die during this Time. It is a natural process that has occurred many times, and is a part of the natural evolution of the Universe. Creatures unable or unwilling to co-exist and co-operate during the Change, die. It is that simple." She told the somber group, her tone serious and sober. The Sentinels, Guides and Anchors know what their roles are to be in the Change and in the time after…but Witches, Warlocks, and Jedi will have other duties. You will have to handle the aspects unSeeable, UnHearable, Untouchable…the Non-Mortal, in some cases the Un-living. If sentient beings are to survive the Change, we must lead the way, and part of that is protection on every possible level. The physical and magickal laws you know will alter until they are un-recognizable. For instance, Eph and Mac, Jim's Spirit Animal, the Black Jaguar named Tigre, just had a little visit with an unwisely Shifted Jag, and bred her…."

The two women stared at her in shock. "Cordy and Robin are going to have a fit…" Eph whispered.

"Oh God, what will Faith say?"

"Or do?"

And she will have to remain in the Borrowed physical mortal Jag Shape she's currently wearing until the litter is weaned. The Litter will be mortal shape shifters, by the way." She glanced at Snape, "They will NOT be WereCats, the shifting will be fully under their own controls by the time they reach the third year of life. And due to the fact their daddy is a spirit guide, they will be immortals. Well, actually, they already are Immortal. They are the first of the new Deities…and the fact of their conceptions heralds the beginning of the Change. We have about three years to get ready for it, and after that we'll have to deal with it."

Jane looked around, "No, the joke war ain't over, but this is a time-out since the Witches, the Warlocks, and the Jedi need to have a little chat. Qui, the Temple will have to once more BE a Temple. And Obi and Harry are the only padawans whose Souls are Balanced. That means that Snape will have to assume the Mantle of Teacher once more…and the rest of the population of Hogwart's teaching staff is in-route. A new settlement has been raised to House them. We are now Alpha Cave and Alpha Clan. They are Beta Cave and Clan. And there will be others. This is HAVEN, and we have a world to organize, populate and otherwise build. We have a Universe that is depending on us. All of us. Intolerance is not acceptable, you have to work together for the protection and survival of trillions of living things and you need to accept and acknowledge now that some of them will not, and should not survive. And those judgements will also be yours to make. This is no light task. And much of the onus is on my head, for I have chosen the workers in this Work. Which is why I do not do mistakes. Mistakes fuck up lives."

Jane got up, then and looked around at the assembled Force Sensitives and Users. She nodded to them, then and said. "I suggest you tell each other exactly what you are and what you are not, what you can do, what you will do, and what you can or will not do. All of you must know the strengths and weaknesses of the others, since you were picked for your ability to compensate for each other. Qui…Yoda is in route and will take up residence in Alpha Cave. He left the House Elves at the Temple, though. He will be needed here. And the Sentinel Jedi are with him, I understand Mace is still a bit pissed."

"When do they arrive?" Jinn asked, turning to look at his sister: She was already gone.

"Look behind you, you should." Came a familiar voice from the level of Qui Gon's shoulder blades.

Fic: Core Haven, Chapter 1, EC #5

Jag mewled pitifully with her head in Ezra's lap as the gambler tried to soothe his currently jaguar shaped mate. His soft Southern accent kept up a steady litany about how she couldn't have known and it wasn't her fault as he stroked a hand through her thick golden brown fur.

(But I wanted to have your and Vin's babies,) she wailed mentally.

"They'll be ours, darling," Ezra assured her. "We shall be the ones assisting you in the care and rearing of the little ones. Vin has gone to make sure that brutish creature stays away from you until you're safely back in your human body."

In fact Vin had just found Jim and Tigre growling at each other. "S`cuse me, but I got a few words t'say m'self," Vin said quietly. His sky blue eyes had gone the color of arctic ice as he glared at the jaguar. Beside him the wolf
called Commanche kept up a low growl, echoed on the other side of the former bounty hunter by Jag's spirit guide, Anita. "Ya keep yer distance from Jag, fleabag, else I'll be giving Jim here yer balls in a bag."

Tigre snarled at the Guide.

Vin snarled right back his fingers playing around the hilt of his favorite knife. "She's *mine*, so jist stay away from her!"

Jim shook his head as the Texan stalked away, heading back toward his mates. "Why do I think that's just the first of the threats you're under, Tigre?"

Jim was right. That night Tigre was chased away from the hearth Jag shared with her family, not by the massing spirit guides that belonged to them or by Jag's mates, but by a fireball wielding Eph. Tigre was going to smell like burnt fur for weeks.

The next morning EC had turned Tigre's black coat a bright neon pink, and Robin hit him with a gender bender spell that she *had* been saving for a special prank. Then the teenaged Sorceress informed Tigre that the spell would wear off roughly around the time Jag became human again.

Tigre just out right ran when Eph's spotted lion Sebastian smacked a massive paw at Tigre's rear. With his claws all the way out.

When Ezra's horse spirit guide, Puck, intentionally nailed the jaguar in the ribs with both back hooves, Tigre finally figured out that discretion was the better part of survival and stayed away from Jag and her defenders. After all, there were still the cobra called Venom and that crow of EC's.

Jim wisely sent Fannie and Blair over to try and calm the group down. At least they were the least likely people for the girls and Jag's mates to take their wrath out on.

"I'm not turning him back," Robin snapped from where she was cuddling her feline sister. "Maybe Claw will get him knocked up and then he can stay female until his kits are weaned!"

"Tigre was just following his instincts, Robin," Blair said carefully. He figured that the multitude of colors swirling through the girl's normally green eyes was a bad sign.

(To the abyss with that!) Jag snarled into their minds. (As soon as I realized what was happening I tried to shift back into my body, you know the one laying over there with no one home! But by then my Ghost Shape had been forced to manifest physically! I don't *care* if my Ghost form when into heat! He's not my mate and I didn't want him on me!)

"Take it easy, sweetheart," Vin said gently. "He ain't gonna get near you again."

Ezra nodded. "I suggest, Mr. Sandburg, Mrs. Sandburg-Ellison, that you advise Mr. Ellison to keep his feline companion at a distance from our beloved."

"Could you at least turn Tigre black again?" Fannie asked tiredly. She was entirely sympathetic toward Jag, but Jim was fuming about his spirit guide being glow-in-the-dark pink. Tigre wasn't happy about it either.

EC tilted her head and smirked, her eyes still eerily solid black. "No. But feel free to inform them that the hex will wear off around the time Robin's gender bender spell does."

"And if I see Tigre at all he's going to end up smelling like the boys locker room of a public high school," Mac informed them firmly.

Faith scowled. "Are you guys still sure I can't just slay the jerk?"

Eph pinched the bridge of her nose. "As much as I'd love to say 'yes' to that ... No, Faith. We have to use most of our energy to keep Jag's human body from just stopping without her spirit in there. Until we can get her into some form of stasis, we don't have the power to back you up enough to kill an immortal spirit animal."

"We're moving Jag's human body to the Jedi temple as soon as they've finished setting up that tank thing for her," Robin added. Rambo sat on Robin's shoulder, glaring at Blair and Fannie. *She'd* done her part in avenging Jag's dignity and honor by pissing and shitting in Tigre's sleeping area.

******

"Angry you are," observed Yoda, as Eph and Ezra watched Jag's human self as it was carefully prepared to be placed in the Bacta tank. "Leads to the Dark Side, that does."

"Remember you should, a Nighthunter I am," Eph growled at the little green Jedi. "From the Dark Side I came."

Yoda eyed her in mild annoyance. "Helps nothing, mocking me does." He released his annoyance into the Force and tried again. "Explain the Nighthunters to me, you will."

Ephiney reined in her temper with effort. "The Nighthunters ... We do whatever it takes to win, to make sure those who walk in the light have a Light to walk in. I suppose we're best described as what the Sith were supposed to be, long ago. But there are only three of us, and so many more monsters than that. I'm the fire power, literally. I create and control flames. Mac's our raw muscle, so to speak. Her telekinetic let loose at full power could rip a mountain apart. As for Jag ... She's our link, she grounds us and reminds us why we hunt. The Ghost Shape isn't her primary power, it's more like a side effect."

"She said its called telepathy," Ezra said quietly. He gestured toward the tank. "Will that contraption truly keep Jag's human form alive until she weans the kits she carries?"

"Survive she will," Yoda assured the obviously worried man. "Strong she is."

******

EC and Faith sat watching Mac from a fairly safe distance as the telekinetic Nighthunter released her fury by smashing boulders three time her own size into each other.

"I didn't know she could do that," Obi Wan said softly from behind them.

"That and much, much more," EC told him calmly. She'd learned a long time ago not to let her mate's emotions influence her own and so managed to keep the rage of Faith and Mac separate from her own anger.

Faith nodded. "Looks like she starting to slow down."

"If only because she's running out of energy," EC muttered. "You might have to carry her back to the cavern, luv."

"Why do I get the feeling that Mac wishes those rocks were aimed at Tigre?" Obi asked after a massive granite bolder exploded under Mac's glare.

"'Cause she does?" Faith said with a grin.

EC snorted. "The good news is that now it will be much easier to get at the flint deposits in this area. That should at least please Eph."

Obi hesitated for a moment before he asked the other question that had been on his mind so much that he'd sought out EC in the first place. "I understand Robin's need to avenge her sister ... but how did her spell
effect a spirit creature?"

"Raw previously untapped power." EC said with a shrug. "Robin's never been that purely tied to Chaos before, and this time, in her rage she was finally able to direct it to do her will, to show Tigre the violation that Jag is experiencing. Not even the spirit world can stand against that for long."

The young Jedi nodded slowly. "Remind me not to anger Robin." He paused, studying EC for a moment. "And how did your spell effect Tigre?"

EC grinned. "I rode Robin's power wave."

******

Snape found to his surprise and shock that Robin was well versed in the Dark Arts. He paled when she started to explain the alterations to the wandless version of Killing Curse that would make it instant and painless. She was
only fifteen-years-old, for Merlin's sake!

She looked at him and snorted, shoving her once again brassy red hair out of her eyes. "Don't look so shocked, Professor Snape. Or didn't you hear about how at full power I'd make Voldemort piss himself?"

"I had taken that rumor as a rumor," Snape said slowly.

Robin frowned slightly. "Well, I'm not up to my full power yet. That won't happen until I'm nineteen."

"Just out of curiosity, Miss Robin, if Voldemort offered you the Dark Mark what would you do?"

She grinned, wide and brightly. "I'd tell him to go fuck his wand in hell and then make his head explode like a Jack-O-Lantern with a cherry bomb in it."

Snape started to smile thinly. "I believe that's the best answer I've ever heard. Why would you tell him that?"

"Two reasons," Robin explained seriously. "I don't do tattoos, and I'd never serve someone more power hungry and manipulative than I am."

"You'd have made an excellent Slytherin."

"Thank you, Professor."

Jag was huge: Her sides were rounded, her belly distended, her thirteen teats were milk-full, and she was laying on her side, panting heavily. From time to time she grunted with effort, and contractions rippled down her flanks and belly. Three mewling cubs already sprawled next to her side, and a fourth was complaining bitterly under the big cat's tongue as she cleaned it. For the time being, her human mind was deeply recessed and that part of her that was pure cat was firmly in charge. Which was just as well, since she might have balked at licking blood and mucus off her young, otherwise, to say nothing of eating the afterbirth which was what she did once the last of the five cubs had been birthed and the afterbirth itself had been expelled. Five minutes later, "Jag" came back, hawking and gagging. //I can't believe I just ate what I think I did…eeeeeeeew!//

She washed the clean cubs, willingly enough, but insisted that EC and Mac see to cleaning their wastes with rags rather than lick it off, as a real cat mother did. She had to draw the line somewhere, after all.

//Only six more weeks of this// She thought, wistfully, thinking of her human form with longing.

Jane came over, grinned at her, and said, "How's it feel to be the mother of newborn gods? Just think, in a few centuries, you'll have the starring role in your very own myth! How's that for famous?"

She looked startled, she'd completely forgotten about that part of what her cubs were going to be, indeed, already were. She could feel the difference in them, could sense the intensity of the LifeForce within each youngster, and sighed.

"I've just gotten some new info from the High Intergalactic Council. Since there are five cubs, and five of you girls, each of you…You, Eph, E.C., Mac and Robin have been designated as High Priestesses to one cub each. You each have the Right to Choose Five additional abilities that are to reflect the cub's abilities. Each cub will Rule over certain aspects of the Clan. Sentinel (for obvious reasons) Guide, Anchor, Jedi, and Enchanters.

The two female cubs will be the goddesses of Nature and Enchantment…in other words, they will Rule the Guides and Enchanters…Hogwarts and you lot, alike. The three males will Rule the Sentinels, Anchors and Jedi.

It's the fastest, and easiest method of combining so many wildly different Disciplines into a workable whole. And that means that one of your Anchors is to be your group's Chosen Rep for dealings with the Jedi. I would recommend a spell casting to determine which one receives that duty." She paused. "By the way, they are Immortal…and magic by their nature. Weaning will occur upon the first taste of meat, since that has blood in it, which is representative of Life. Once that happens, they will Shift for the first time, becoming Human, and you will reanimate your proper form. And for future reference, do not, I repeat do NOT shift during a time when the double moons of this planet are BOTH full at the same time again. Any planet you're on, if it has more than one moon, avoid the Shift when all of them are full at the same time. If you had been on Trahinake 6, and pulled this stunt, you would have shifted physically, and would have been a true cat for the rest of your life. This is not Earth, it does not have the same rules, and errors like that can make life very uncomfortable. Add to that the fact that all of the existing laws are altering daily during this time of transition, and you have a situation ripe for trouble." She offered each of the newborn, but already rapidly developing kittens a bit of raw liver. Mother and Elder Mage watched the kits mouth, suck at and then swallow the bits, then watched the infants transform. Jane smiled as Jag's form dissipated into non-existence, ignoring Eph's yelp of alarm.

"Hush, girl. Go to the Temple and bring her home, foolish twit!" Jane snapped. "She has merely returned to her own body."

*********

Jim watched a once more black Tigre lead her nine cubs down to the river to drink. Unlike Jag, his Cat would have to remain female for the normal nursing period for his kind, about six months. But at least he wasn't pink and didn't glow anymore. Jim thought in relief.

**********

Robin was in formal classes now, under the experienced eyes of the Hogwarts staff. She wore the School uniform, too, as did the kids that had also been brought. She was this year's new Seeker, too, and was doing well in her classes. As Snape had expected and predicted, she had been Sorted into his House. And so, Draco was jealous, since Severus now had a new "prize" student. He had set up a series of spells meant to humiliate his rival, in true Slytherin tradition…he did not expect retaliations, perhaps because he was too used to Harry's tolerance. Jane and Fannie watched but said nothing, both women figured that Rob could handle this little shit on her own. And they figured Draco had it coming.

"Boys." Jane said in mild disgust.

"Ah well, she'll teach him better manners." Fannie chuckled.

"Always takes a female to housebreak them, just look at what you went through with Jim!"

"You're both bad. What's he doing?" Blair said, stepping up beside Fannie and winding an arm around her waist.

"I think he's trying to put a spell designed to make Robin think she's a House Elf on her. You know, subservient to Malfoy bullshit. I saw the look on her face a bit ago, and I think she's already blocked it."

Fannie chuckled. "Hope she's got something, er, appropriate in mind for him. I think he'd look good in a maid's uniform, personally."

"With no undies." Herminone said as she joined them, the active spell having gotten her attention. "It be worth a lot to see that. I heard he's built like a bull elephant."

"Asian, Indian or African?" Jane wanted to know.

"Does it matter?"

"I did all that, and plus he has a few more, umm, surprises, coming his way. I don't think he'll try anything on me again." Robin was laughing at whatever underhanded trick or tricks she'd used to settle Draco Malfoy's shit for him.

"So, that's the little bastard who did this to me!" E.C. was pissssssed. "He changed me physically, but could not alter my mind or reduce my intelligence."

The whole group turned to see a human sized house-elf female. They also winced. Fannie sighed and made a counterspell to return E.C. to her former appearance.

"Don't kill him, he's only 13 after all, but do make sure he'll be unwilling to do this to anyone anymore." Was all Jane said.

EC nodded as she smoothed her black curls into place. "Thank you for reversing that, Fannie. Robin ... So long as the little smeghead survives, have at him. I have to get back to the kits. Even with your family's tendency toward multiple births ..."

Robin shook her head as EC stalked off. "She's using Lister words. Draco's really pissed her off. Majorly, mucho pissed her off."

"Lister words?" Blair asked after a moment.

"Red Dwarf, Dave Lister, the last human in existence searching the universe for a way back to Earth, or at least for a way to hot alien babes with six breasts," Robin explained as she started thinking of what *else* she could do to the little prick. She started to smirk.

It was an expression even Jane was learning to be wary of.

"When does the maniacal laughter start?" Scribe wondered.

Robin's smirk only deepened. "Maniacal laughter is a waste of energy better put to other uses. I think a Summoning is in order."

"The idea of you summoning anything isn't comforting," Hermione pointed out.

"My dear Miss Granger ... It wasn't supposed to be."

Hermione shivered as the small redhead stalked off, robes swirling around her. "That girl spends too much time with Professor Snape."

"No, I don't think she spends too much time with him," Blair said slowly. "He ... understands her, and her ties to the Dark. And she doesn't judge him, she's not frightened of him."

"Just be glad she's too short to loom and too cute to be really menacing," Jane suggested.

"Yes, well," Hermione sighed. "Draco should have known better than to irritate her in any case. Especially after what happened when Neville was teased at lunch."

Scribe closed her eyes. "What happened?"

"Some of the Slytherins were teasing him because ... well, he's Kreelo now," Hermione explained carefully. "Robin, ah, she turned all of them into house cats. But it was only for a few minutes. Of course ... she said if they did it again she'd make it permanent."

Jane tried not to laugh. "There's more isn't there?"

"With Robin? There always is," Scribe muttered. The girl's harshly spoken hope that Tigre become pregnant had come true with all due speed. Of course she'd still been riding high on a wave of pure Chaos Magic at the time.

"Ah ... She said he may not be in her House but he is in her Clan and that was, and I quote, a whole fucking lot more important than a bunch of witless wonders more interested in playing power games than in gaining power," Hermione grinned. "I think she's Fred and George's new hero. Percy tried to call her to order and she threatened to turn him into a vibrator."

"Can't Professor Dumbledore control her?" Blair asked once Scribe and Jane finished laughing.

Hermione shook her head. "From what I've seen the only ones who have a hope in hell of controlling her are her sisters, EC, Professor Snape, and possibly Faith, Vin or Ezra. And the girls are more likely to egg her on."

******

Robin laughed as she swung her niece, her goddess, Abira around. "Oh, little sorceress, we're going to have such fun this afternoon. Yes, we are! We're going to bring us a play mate. And that brat Draco is going to be our toy. But we must not break him into little bits, because that would be naughty of us wouldn't it, darling Abira?"

The toddler giggled and cooed at her delighted aunt.

"Shall we let the magic pick our play mate?" Robin asked even as her eyes swirled with every color and some that had yet to be named. There was a muted bang from behind the petite redhead as her new play mate arrived. She turned, cuddling Abira closely. A slow smile curved her lips as the magic continued to work. Ethan Rayne, warlock and worshiper of Chaos, stood before her ... as a fifteen year old boy.

"Welcome to Haven, Ethan," Robin said when he collapsed at her feet. "We're going to have some fun."

******

Snape shook his head slowly at Robin and her companion. "I can not believe that you did this, young lady."

"Well, if you want to get technical about it, Professor, I didn't do it. I asked the Magic and the Magic did it," Robin said smirking. She'd ditched the robes as soon as classes were dismissed for the day in favor of what was likely wildly inappropriate clothing. Of course sprawling across one of the desks with her head in the lap of a warlock known for summoning orgy demons wasn't any more appropriate than the fishnet stockings that sparkled where tiny gems caught the light as her legs swung over the desk's edge before they vanished up an indecently short skirt.

"What I don't bloody well understand is why in Janus' name I'm a fifteen-year-old boy," Ethan said with a scowl down at Robin.

"I asked *very* nicely," she purred at him. Then she turned her head and nipped at his stomach through his shirt. Ethan hissed and shifted slightly as he hardened. He glowered as she grinned impishly up at him.

"Miss Robin, I am aware that classes have been dismissed for the day and that while you are a member of Slytherin you don't actually live in the house, I must insist that you behave with a *bit* more dignity when you are on school grounds," Snape told her firmly.

Robin rolled to her feet with a growl. "We're not here about my behavior, Professor. We're here about Malfoy's behavior. The little snot's been trying to, and here I'm quoting some of my dear fellow Slytherins, 'put that little
wandless beast in her place'. And after that stunt he pulled today I have to make it clear that my place is where ever the bloody fucking hell I say it is."

"As my old mate Ripper would say, oh dear," Ethan murmured as he watched the girl stalk back and forth in the empty space between the student desk he still sat on and where Professor Snape leaned against his own desk. "This Malfoy lad does have you in a snit, doesn't he?"

"He tried to make her believe she was a house elf earlier," Snape explained. "They are rather subservient creatures.

"Ah."

"And that really was a naughty thing to do to the High Priestess of Abira," Robin said, her voice back to a soft, slightly amused tone. "Don't you agree?"

Ethan eyed the girl warily. In the few hours he'd been on Haven he'd seen her mood shift suddenly and violently although her control seemed to only waver rarely. "I'm sure you're right."

"Everyone knows you're plotting your revenge, Robin," said Snape as he crossed his arms over his chest and did his best to scowl at the teenager. "What I would like to know is what this ... warlock and I have to do with it?"

Robin's smile had a razor's edge to it. "I want to have a party. A costume ball in fact. Something to celebrate the birth of our Goddess of Enchantment." Her eyes swirled with colors briefly. "And I want Draco's costume enspelled. Just Draco's mind you, Ethan."

"Spoil sport. That explains what I have to do with it, but what about tall, dark, and looming over there?" Ethan asked with a nod toward Snape.

"He's going to ask Professor Dumbledore if we can hold the party here," Robin said sweetly. "And make sure Draco wears the costume I want him to."

"And what pray tell do you expect me to make him wear?" Snape asked, a thread of resignation creeping into his tone.

Robin made an artfully careless gesture and a neatly folded set of clothes appeared on the table next to Ethan. "Those. Suitable for the sneering Prince of House Slytherin, don't you think?"

"You can't be serious," Ethan snorted. "You want him to be that git Edmund from Blackadder? Your sisters let you *watch* that show?"

"You might be surprised at what my sisters let me do, nummy," she said gliding forward and giving his neck a lick before gliding away again. "At the least, they haven't told me to put you back."

With that said, Robin flounced ... as well as any slightly Goth Punk Princess could flounce, out of Professor Snape's class room singing as she went. "Row, row, row your boat. Gently down the stream. Belts off! Trousers down! Isn't life a scream?"

"Some times I think there's something wrong with that girl," Snape said after a moment.

"And other times?" Ethan asked, amused.

Snape smirked. "Other times I'm quite sure of it. Now, shall we get to work on her plot?"

"We shall."

******

As things turned out Dumbledore thought it was a splendid idea and proceeded to invite everyone instead of just the students.

Robin ended up supplying most of the costumes and was close to drained when the day of the ball finally arrived. But she held herself well when she walked into the Great Hall on Ethan's arm. Much to the amusement of her sisters, EC and Faith, Robin was dressed as Harley Quinn and Ethan was Two-Face.

"When will the spell start messing with him?" she asked in a low tone. Experience told her whispers were for when she wanted to be heard.

Ethan smirked at her as she leaned tiredly against his shoulder. "Just as soon as everyone arrives." Mac, Faith and EC swirled past in the crowd, dressed as the Furies. Ethan chuckled as they passed by. "I'm glad you didn't let me enspell more costumes. Those three are frightening enough without actually becoming the Furies."

"Ah, they gave you the Thou-shall-not-fuck-our-little-bird speech then?"

"Them, Jag and her two men, and Eph," Ethan snickered. "I think Vin's threats were the best, with Faith's coming in a close second. Jag just grinned at me a lot."

Robin rolled her head slightly to study Ethan's face. "Jag was grinning at you?"

"Yes, was there something unusual about that?"

"While everyone else was threatening you? Yeah," Robin snorted. "I'm betting you didn't recognize the grin because it wasn't on a vampire with his grrr-on."

Ethan raised his eyebrows.

"You know, that 'I'm going to drain you dry and leave you to rot in an alley' grin. Or maybe the Big Bad Wolf when he's cornered Little Red Riding Hood and the Woodcutter isn't anywhere near her," Robin mused as a smile played around the edges of her lips.

The two of them settled back to watch Draco/Edmund make an ass of himself in spectacular fashion.

But somehow, that just didn't feel like quite enough to Robin, and so she began to plot again. This time something that didn't involve magic. Something that would get her point as far across to Draco as she had gotten a similar point across to Tigre. Only without the gender-bender and pregnancy.

Across the room Jim looked over at the young sorceress when Roy had worriedly pointed out that she wasn't in the middle of everything gloating. He frowned when he noticed her smirk. "Robin's still plotting something, and I don't think it's anything good."

"Of course not," Snape said with just a hint of pride. "She's a Slytherin."

"He looks like Shirley Temple with those curls." Harry chuckled as he stared at Malfoy. "It's cute."

"I like the dimples." Obi commented. "And that slinky walk he's developed since Robin 'accidentally' neutered him. His girlfriend's father was sympathetic, but he wants grandchildren…so he broke the betrothal."

"Yeah, I heard. Poor kitty. Only cat on the planet with no nuts." Harry grunted, "However, it has had the usual effect of calming him down rather well…as such things generally do."

"Sev was a little pissed, wasn't he? I know Draco's Master was." Obi Wan commented. "Master Heri said that Draco's master was taking him to Coruscant to the Temple healers in one of the portable bacta tanks. They're going to try to re-grow his testicles. And put him into formal training at the Temple. He won't get away with much there!

"He'll scandalize the Temple, you know."

"There are waaaay too many Masters and Knights…and senior padawans for Draco's so-called Magic to help him much. He'll just land himself in front of the Full Council in a Disciplinary Hearing and he won't want do that to himself very often."

Hermione giggled. "Formal training in a school who not only doesn't know his family, but would not care if they did? He's going to be miserable!"

"Yeah, but the Soul and Mind Healers, his Master, the Teachers and other Masters will straighten out that attitude of his pretty fast, though."

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

Mitri was up to No Good. She was currently massaging Yoda with a "setting" lotion after telling the Ancient Master that the River Clay has 'special' properties that made it a splendid item for mud bathing. The lotion would set the orangey-yellow color of the mud for the next several weeks over the moldy-green of his skin's normal hue. The result was streaked and mottled with alternating yellow, orange and green. Having no mirrors available, the little master was unaware of it. Particularly since Mitri had coated her hands with an agent that prevented the color from getting on her own skin.

Qui Gon took one look, groaned, and quickly found chores at a fair distance from the Cave. He didn't want be there when Master Yoda discovered the trick. Obi stared and was un-ashamed of the speed at which he grabbed Snape, Ginny and Harry to go find something useful to do…somewhere else. E.C. saw them sneaking off, and frowned as a giggling Mitri scuttled by with Robin right behind her. Then, she saw Yoda.

"Oh shit…."

A flash went off, right in the old master's face as Mitri let Robin use the Polaroid. She had also given Robin some pictures she'd taken near the spring without the flash…of Faith's…er…activities.

This had both girls giggling in a rather dirty tone, and E.C. decided to sneak up behind them to see what the hell was so interesting on those instant pictures.

"YOU TOOK PICTURES?!" She roared, the girls froze for an instant, then bolted, laughter bubbling behind them as they "accidentally" dropped several copies where other Clan Members could (and did) find them.

"Those two are going to be trouble. Mitri is a trained Shaman, you know. She's got her own School of Force Use down pat and has for years. Who do you think trained the Moose and Mammoth to lick people?" Jane muttered to Jag a bit later. "And they are of an age…."

"Oh crap!" Was that wise woman's only response. Her expression was priceless as she considered the sort of trouble two such girls could get into together. "Oh no. This is NOT good."

"Mitri took Polaroid pictures of Faith and her lovers, and shared with Robin, who then scattered them amongst the other teens…."

"She WHAT?!"

"E.C. is livid."

"I'll bet." Her voice was rather dry.

"And they somehow managed to paint Yoda with orange and yellow stripes…."

"Oh no…."

"And all the Jedi snuck off as soon as they got a good look at him. There're no mirrors here, you see. So he doesn't know. Yet."

Jag moaned a little. "And you're telling me this because…."

Eph's with the Jedi and so is Faith…and E.C. is tracking down the rest of those instant photos…you might want to manage to wander off until it's over. And the other kids are prudently making themselves scarce, as well. Oh, and they somehow managed to lose all of Yoda's clothes. So he's running about in a loin cloth. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"It keeps sliding off. Leaving him exposed for short but frequent intervals."

And Robin gave him something that has given him worse gas than Blair had in "Squealers". ALL of the male Sentinels passed out cold from the ah, aroma, several minutes ago. I got out of the Cave when I saw what she was feeding him…."

"So what we have is a little mottled yellow, green and orange guy, farting sulfur and fire, plus two mean girls with an insta-matic camera running about taking pictures of naked adults having sex. Does that cover it?"

"Yeah, that would about do it."

"CRAP!"

"Oh, yeah. There's one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Strife just moved in. Would you care to bet on the cause of our current problems?"

"Damn, damn, damn, damn it!"

"Which is why I alerted you…."

"Oh. Gee. Thanks muchly."

"Hey, I have enough to do! Gotta pull your weight. Sic Mac on him, if need be. She hasn't had her meds in days, ya know."

"OH SHIT! WE FORGOT THAT!"

"Sic me on who?" Mac asked as she arrived to pass Delsin off to his mother. "And what's so Oh Crap worthy?"

Jag shifted her son onto her hip as she studied her sister. "Sic you on Strife, and you haven't had your meds in days."

Mac snorted. "Didn't anyone let you two know?"

"Know what?" Jane asked suspiciously.

"EC and I spoke to Snape about the problem about my meds and he came up with a potion substitute that works just as well and I have to take less often," Mac explained brightly. "Now, about siccing me on Strife ... He responsible for the mischief recently, right?"

"Yeah, since we thought you were off your meds ..." Jag's voice trailed off when she noticed the slow grin curling her sister's lips. "Uh oh. I know that look. That's your 'I'm about to raise all hell and enjoy every minute of it' look. That is not a look I want you to have around my kids."

"Don't worry, their little divine diapers won't be involved in it," Mac laughed. "I'm going Strife hunting."

Jane glanced at Jag as Mac stalked off. "You know he's with Robin, Mitri and that Ethan kid, right?"

"Yep," Jag said with a smirk. She gave Delsin a bounce on her him. "Come on, little man, let's go see if your Daddies have your brothers and sisters ready for naptime."

******

Mac froze the four trouble makers where they stood, sat, sprawled and squatted. Now, Ethan Rayne on his own was a menace, as were Mitri and the aptly named Robin. Pranksters and trouble makers to the bone all three of them. Together they could terrorize pretty much everyone. But Strife ... Strife really should have known better.

"Uh, hey! Mac, babe! How they hanging?" Strife babbled. "I saw that chick you and the Evil One are banging and can I just ask what it is with you and Discord-look-a-likes?"

"You do know that Nighthunter's Blood works a lot like Hind's Blood, right?" Mac asked very quietly as she locked eyes with the Greek God of Mischief.

Strife gulped and nodded at the look in her eyes. Mania had that look on her better days, that sort of serene insanity where all was right with her world and if you fucked it up she used your blood to paint pretty pictures on the walls.

Robin wouldn't have moved even if Mac didn't have them locked in place with magic. She didn't even try and talk. Unfortunately Mitri and Ethan didn't know better.

"So, Mac ... What's this about?" Mitri asked brightly. "I'd kinda like to move around, you know?"

"Shut up," Mac hissed in the teenager's ear. "I've put up with quite a bit from you, little miss. I've let you get away with many things. But right now I'm fed up with your behavior. Getting your spirit guides to slime us is one thing. Watching us make love is one thing. Taking pictures and letting other people see them is something entirely different." She stepped back to let Mitri see the black swirls in her eyes. "You see, Mitri, I'm not like your adoptive Core Family. Scribe, Blair, Jim ... They'll forgive you pretty much anything, which I think might be your problem. I won't."

"You realize her folks are the Alpha core, don't you?" Ethan said snidely. Robin bit back a whimper at his stupidity.

Mac's eyes went solid black. "You realize that I could kill you with a thought don't you? Or that I could make it hurt for subjective eons before I let you die? You realize that *you* don't have the protection of *any* of the core groups, little Rayne, don't you?"

"MAC!" Robin screamed as she shattered the invisible bands of energy holding her motionless with her own power. She redirected the shockwave to strike at her sister on instinct.

Mac raised her hands and the energy fragmented, swirling back into the chaos it came from. "Very good, baby sister." Her eyes went back to the usual mix of blue, green and gray. She smirked. "That little scare is all the punishment the three of you are going to get. From *me* anyway. But I'd be on the look out for Faith and EC. I think I'll enjoy watching you squirm."

"W-what about Strife?" Robin asked as she dropped to her knees, exhausted from expending that much energy.

"Jane suggested to Jag that I be sicced on him," Mac chuckled. "Or did Jag suggest it to Jane? I forget."

Strife tried really hard to squirm, but since Mac released her hold on Ethan and Mitri when Robin struck back at her ... well, *all* of Mac's energy was now focused on him. And she had the blessing of a powerful God that he didn't recognize. "Ah, come on, Mac. It was just a little fun."

"Go home, kids," Mac instructed the teenagers without taking her eyes off Strife. "Greek-boy and I have a few things to talk about."

Mitri and Ethan helped Robin stand. The redhead swallowed hard. "Mac ... You're not going to ..."

"He'll survive," her sister said firmly. She shot an amused glance at Robin. "And in better shape than Malfoy. You do know that you're going to have to explain how castrating him was an accident."

"Castrating him wasn't," Robin muttered. "Leaving his cock attached was."

"The knife slipped," Ethan added.

Mitri yanked the other two toward the cavern. "We'll just be going now. Bye!'

Mac chuckled and turned back to Strife. "Was that your idea?"

"Nope, not me, your girl Robs came up with that," Strife blurted. He paused and tilted his head in thought. "Actually, Ethan and Mitri probably helped. You really shouldn't leave those three alone together, you know."

"It's worth the risk to see Robin with friends who can stand up to the weirdness that is our lives," Mac said with a slight shrug. "Now, you and I are going to talk, Strife. And then I'm going to tell you what's going to happen."

"Do we get to start with whose blessing you're carrying?" Strife interrupted.

Mac smiled. "You've seen Jag's babies, right? Cute little imps?"

"Yeah ... So what?"

"They're Gods." Mac smirked. "I'm Delsin's High Priestess, and he doesn't like the trouble you've been causing any more than Jane does. But ... he has a different idea about what your punishment should be than she does."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you gonna do?"

"Oh, I'm just going to activate a little something that's been suppressed by your godly DNA," she said cheerfully. "Did you know your father was a mortal?"

With that one of Mac's new powers reached out and flickered along everything that made Strife the God of Mischief. And she wasn't particularly gentle about it.

******

"I'm surprised at you," EC was saying when she was interrupted by a scream that echoed through the perceptions of the Jedi. EC blinked, then sighed. After all, Strife really should have known better. "As I was saying, I'm surprised at you. All of you. First that none of you sensed the disturbance in the Force that simply *is* Strife, and second that you ran away from it."

"Now you listen here," started a Master than she didn't know.

"You will be silent," EC said with a calculated wave of her hand. The man's eyes glazed for a moment and then he glared at her, unable to speak. "You people seemed to have missed the announcement. There is now a God of Jedi, and I am his High Priestess." She pointed to the toddler boy playing at her feet. "Meet your God, Emil."

"Young he is, to hold such power," Yoda intoned then hummed wisely.

EC's eyes narrowed at the small Jedi Master. "For that little display of arrogance, Jedi Yoda, you can stay in stripes until they fade away naturally."

Yoda blinked. "Stripes? What mean you by stripes?"

"Don't these Jedi guys have mirrors?" Faith asked as she leaned her forearms of the back of EC's chair. The Alpha Core's Squirt painted him and he still hasn't noticed?"

"Wise doesn't always mean observant, dear," EC said flatly. She braced her elbows on the armrests and tapped her finger tips together. "Yoda, you seem to think that being eight hundred years old entitles you to some form of respect, especially from the children. In reality that just makes you a more tempting target for their pranks. So, Emil has decided to lay down a few new rules for all the Jedi. No Jedi without a *current* Padawan Learner will be called Master. Seats on the Jedi Council will be rotated on a biannual basis through the Masters."

EC stood and scooped Emil into her arms. "So, Ladies and Gentle-beings, I suggest you find padawans I understand there are several likely young people attending Hogwarts if you can't find one in the creche."

"Emil my padawan should be," Yoda announced. He was flung backward out of his seat and the few white strands of hair he possessed turned green.

EC glanced down at the frowning child on her hip. "I think Emil disagrees with you, Knight Yoda. Oh, and we do expect those of you who actually live with the Clan to return to the cavern within the next seven days or so."

******

That evening Faith put herself in charge of retrieving the photographs Mitri had taken of her, Mac and EC having wild monkey sex and a muff munching party. Needless to say a few of the less attentive Cores and their Sentinels found themselves rapidly falling down the rankings when they tried to keep some of the pictures from the determined Sentinel Slayer.

Peja and Simon were among those that handed the photos over without Faith even having to ask. Although their mates pouted about it.

Megan Connors tried to give the Dark Slayer trouble over it. "Have you girls ever thought of a career in pornography?"

"I've had better offers and better insults, Vamp-bait," Faith snarled.

"You little slut," Megan hissed.

"At least I get laid."

"This is going to get ugly," Ron observed quietly.

Finch grinned. "In the best possible way."

Megan threw a punch and Faith slid out of the way. No one ever saw Faith move, she was just there one second and then her fist was buried in Megan's stomach, the taller woman doubled over and gasping for breath.

Faith grabbed her hair and yanked her upright. "Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to kill you? Do you think I'd give you a second thought after I did? Where the fuck are the god damned pictures, bitch?"

"Faith!" Scribe yelled. "Let her go!"

Megan dropped to the ground, wide eyed and clutching at her stomach.

Scribe took a deep breath before addressing Megan. "Connors, give Faith the Polaroids. You can't keep them without asking."

"So why hasn't Faith attacked Scribe?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

"Are you mad? Mac and EC would be furious at her," Hermione whispered back. "They adore Scribe."

Megan's core mates handed over the pictures. Faith flipped through them and picked one out. She stuffed it down Scribe's top and pulled her into a deep tonsil licking kiss before stepping back to wink at her.

"Thanks, boss-lady." Faith walked off whistling.

Scribe was left blinking in her wake.

Ron grinned. "I think I like that girl."

***

The triplets, E.C. and Faith stared at the little, skinny, scrawny group of little green guys in consternation. Five now being a Number to them, they had each had five House Elves just pledge themselves to their new Temples. Five clumsy, well-meaning, Light-Sided walking disaster areas serving them.

Each cub was being juggled by an additional Elf. These were not house elves, these were Mountain Elves and were neither clumsy, nor particularly Light-Sided. They were for defense of a nature that the Priestesses could not match, simply because they were born of Mortal Woman. They were tall, well formed, stately beings, graceful, deadly when needed, and could defend against the few critters that could and would slay the Five, given the chance. The mountain elves would deny them the chance. The little house elves gazed on their smarter cousins in adoration, said cousins watched the little Self-Destructing Zones with long-suffering patience. They were house elves because they were slow, stupid, clumsy and could not defend themselves. Something that the Priestesses realized immediately. In exchange for loyal service, the House Elves received protection. And the Oath had already been taken. There wasn't a damned thing they could do, those were their elves!

E.C. stared around the Hearth, at the once neat piles of clothes, bits of scorched food that had been intended for dinner. Her eyes started to glaze over at the sight of Faith's disheveled new hairdo, courtesy of an over-enthusiastic elf. Faith had tried to eliminate the offender, tried hard, angrily, only to discover that she couldn't. The little elf had taken it as a particularly painful punishment, but accepted it as her right to do so, as she was his Mistress. She had gone into pure shock as a result.

Mac was moaning a little as she held her Cub in a state of disbelieving horror, and as her eyes landed on her sisters, she said: "House Elves, who are True Immortals, who are Sworn to our Houses, to our Temples, to our Service, for Eternity. Our responsibility to protect, and we're permanently stuck with them."

"Why us?" Jag mourned.

"Mostly because we didn't want Faith to get to much of a swelled head." Jane said quietly. "Megan is a bitch, but she is still a member of the Clan, as are you, Faith. You went a tad too far. I'm afraid that, when dealing with House Elves, you WILL learn patience." They were told. "Push me too much, and I'll have either have Big Bird step in as a Spirit Guide for you, or perhaps Barney."

"You wouldn't!" She nearly wailed.

"Shit, you would, wouldn't you?" E.C. stated. "Oh hell!

"Might even use Elmo."

"CRAP!"

"Oh, and Faith? Do NOT kiss someone else's Anchor! Tigre's transgression is not Jim's and it damned sure ain't Blair's. You caused Pain to a Guide. And that's a rule you do not break, unless you want me to convince your pussy that it wants to have a go at Hagrid and his 'friends'?" Jane paused. "To the point that your body will completely over-ride your mind?"

She paled, knowing Jane could do that. She did not want to have a four-way orgy with a half-giant and two centaurs! That would be waaaay too much like having sex with a pair of ponies! "I, uh, didn't think first…damn it, I'm sorry Blair!" Her own Cub was glaring at her, disapproving of even the accidental mistreatment of a Guide.

He nodded at her without speaking, shuffled his feet a bit, leaning into the strength of his Sentinel, unsure of Fannie's reaction now, since she hadn't yelled a protest. Fannie took matters into her own hands at that point, petting and cuddling her Husband/Guide. She knew better than to allow Sandburg to let his self-esteem drop too low. He did it too well.

Jim just glared at Faith.

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

Yoda sighed as he finally decided on a youngster to form a training bond with. "Jane's oldest son, good this is not. Bad as his mother, could be. But the Will of the Force, is."

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

"Actually, we didn't want to see an eight-hundred-year-old Jedi cry when he saw his new…decorations." Qui told Jag, later. "He was my Master, after all, and I owe him some respect for that." He paused. "Even if he is a meddlesome old busybody of a Temple gossip, I do love and care for the little shit!"

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

Tigre smirked at a thoroughly stunned Jim, purring. "I have decided to remain female. I like having cubs with Claw." She said and called to her young as she headed toward a kill Claw had brought to his family.

"Damn!" Was all Jim could think to say.

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

Tigre, still purring, scent marked a sleeping Jag, that night, leaving a kill next to the Witch. It was both apology and thanks. She liked being a girl.

"Well hell." Her men shook their heads in wonder the next morning, "Whoda thunk?"

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

"AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!" Mac screamed as shock and upset had her yelling at her hapless house elves. "You've made me BALD!"

The scream had put lit sabres in the hand of every Jedi, and spears in everyone else's hands. Now, amused chuckles sounded around the cave as Truth came out and people went back to bed. Many were eyeing her shining pate.

Core Haven: Chapter One: EC #8

Robin and Ethan spent hours putting up wards to keep the house elves out of their sleeping area. It had taken a rather heated argument with EC and the triplets before they could combine their bedding. Ezra and Vin had still pulled Ethan aside to explain exactly what they'd do to him if Robin turned up pregnant before she was sixteen.

Eph explained to all twenty-five house elves that they were not to "help" their mistresses with fixing their hair. Being the most patient of the sisters, as well as the least likely to give her powers free reign and obliterate the cavern, it was logical that she deal with the house elves. After explaining that they were not to touch anyone's personal items, ever, Eph went on to explain the duties that the Priestesses expected from their servants. Cooking and cleaning the sleeping areas weren't numbered among those duties.

Once the house elves were momentarily out from under foot, Eph grabbed Robin and Ethan and dragged them outside to find suitable places to build temples to the four that didn't have them already. EC had made it pretty clear to the Jedi that their Temples were now Emil's.

EC fixed the damage done to Faith's hair, leaving the dark curls shortened to a crisp cap that would grow out fairly well. She sighed and turned to the fuming Mac, grateful that Jag, her mates and the Mountain elves had taken the little godlings away from the Hearth. Otherwise they'd be getting an education in cursing that would leave a dwarf blushing.

"Mac," she tried. "Mac." Still ignored. "MacKenzie." EC gave an annoyed huff, then goosed her mate. Mac yelped. "Now that I have your attention, will you sit the bloody fucking hell down so I can try and fix this?"

Mac sighed and dropped to her knees in front of EC. "Sorry, sugar. But my hair ..."

"Shh, luv, let me work," EC whispered back, eyes closed as she started to work. She let the magic flow through her, centering on her fingers where they stroked lightly over Mac's bared scalp. Then, Mac's hair started to grow.

Soon EC was running her fingers through short waves, but she continued to work until Mac's hair had been re-grown to her shoulders. Then she opened her eyes and bit her lip as she looked down at Mac. Her hair had grown back alright, as soft and plentiful as ever, but now rather than the sun streaked reddish brown it was white. Stark white. Snow white. Lily white. Except for two stripes in the front, one on either side framing the Anchor's face. Those were blood red.

EC let the magic fade away as she continued to stroke Mac's hair. She sighed and realized she'd still have to keep Mac from flinging her favorite curses not only at the house elves, but at Jane as well. Perhaps she should go explain some of the Dark Slayer's actions to Jane ... On the other hand Jim was the one sending her death glares at the moment, Jane apparently viewed the situation as handled. Then again, Blair was the one most hurt by Faith's impulsive actions.

And then there was the fact that Tigre had left a dead animal beside Jag's bed. It had taken Vin, Ezra and all five of the little ones to keep the feral telepath from just sending a psychic set of claws to rip into the spirit guide. Her physical swats might have amused Tigre, but her mental powers had increased since then ... as had her temper.

Ezra had been heard to mutter that dealing with Mr. Larabee had indeed been the best training for dealing with Jag. Vin's reply had been that getting Jag to shut up was easier. That had caused Jag to leave the quints in the care of the Mountain elves as she dragged her men away from the cavern.

EC left Mac with Faith as the Sentinel Slayer was fascinated with Mac's new look and kept twining the red and white strands around her fingers, mixing them together.

"Blair, can I speak with you?" EC asked around Jim as the Alpha wouldn't get out of her way. "In private?"

"Anything you want to say to Blair you can say in front of me," Jim snarled.

"James Joseph Ellison, you are a Sentinel and this Clan's Alpha," she said quietly. "Don't make me move you. Blair, please?"

"Here's fine, EC," Blair said after a moment. "Please, sit down."

The Black Witch folded her legs under her neatly as she sat in front of Blair, effectively ignoring Jim for the moment. "I'd like to explain a bit of Faith's behavior, if I could." The other Guide nodded slowly. "For as long as she can remember, Faith has been told that she's only good for two things, Blair. Fucking and killing demons. That has of course shaped her behaviors into inappropriate channels."

"So what are you saying?" Jim snapped.

EC shot him an annoyed glared. "I'm saying that Faith was just being *friendly* when she kissed Scribe. She'd have laid the same kiss on you or Blair if it had been you." EC took a deep breath and let it out slowly in an effort to control her temper before she turned them into some thing small and fuzzy. "Now maybe you weren't paying attention when Eph explained about Slayers to you, but they all seem to have a problem with impulse control, especially when emotions are running high. I assure you that Faith was *not* trying to steal one of your Guides. She does have two of her own after all."

"Then she should have known better than to kiss Fannie," Blair said softly.

"Yes she should have, but she didn't. She does now," EC said firmly. "I'd have sent her over here to apologize herself, but she's trying to work herself into a zone at the moment."

Blair frowned. "Then you should be with her, keeping her out of it."

"I said *trying*. Mac's with her and Delsin and Botan are both near enough to help," EC explained as she rose to her feet. "Oh, and Jim? Tell Tigre not to leave anymore 'gifts' for Jag. Especially dead ones by her bed."

"She was just saying thank you," Jim grumbled.

EC nodded. "And I'm sure if Jag were anyone else it would be taken in that spirit. But Jag isn't."

With that, the witch (as she still refused the title of Jedi, even as their High Priestess) stalked off. She felt the need to wreak a little vengeance if not out right havoc. Sic house elves on *her* family would they?

******

Eph stood on the steps of the Jedi Temple, looking away from the building with a speculative eye. "I'm thinking a great big five pointed star."

"No, I know you better than that," Robin said with a smirk. "You're thinking a Pentacle. You want to build the temples into a sacred circle."

Ethan frowned as he looked around the area. "Well, this would be the place for it."

"Working?" Eph asked her little sister.

"Working," Robin agreed. She glanced at Ethan with a faint smile. "You might want to step back."

Ethan's eyebrows shot up, but he did step back as power flared up around the sisters. The world itself seemed to shake under their feet, although it was in reality only the local area.

On the right hand side a black tower erupted from the planet, slick and oily in appearance it shimmered with every color in existence. It was the temple of Enchantment

To the left a mighty tree surged into being, not just any tree but a massive bower tree that out stripped any Elven palace tree. The temple of Nature and Guides.

A stone tower burst from the ground next, again to the left. Carvings of animals covered every inch of it, every one of them seeming to stand guard. The temple of the Sentinels.

Eph and Robin were shaking with the effort. Their bodies sweat slicked and gleaming. Their hair matted to their faces and necks. Ethan impulsively put his hands on Robin's shoulders, allowing his power to be drawn into their Working. He understood now, this wasn't some small spell, this could kill them trying to finish it.

The last temple flowed more slowly into existence and refused to raise more than two stories high although they could feel it reaching deep into the world, connecting the other temples to itself and each other, anchoring them together. The temple of Anchors stood firm.

The Five Temples of the Five Gods stood at the points of a star with a wide grassy field between them.

And the three magic users collapsed. They were exhausted, weak, but very much alive.

And they also had some place to send the house elves to get them out of their living space.

They smirked.

******

Jim, Blair and Fannie stared down in shock at the insipidly grinning house elf that had just burned their dinner to ashes.

"I's Caro," the little creature announced before launching into a babble about how it was such an honor to be the personal servant of the Alpha Core. "And I's gonna be with you forever and always!"

******

Jag hmmmed happily from her place wrapped up between Vin and Ezra's bodies. Life was ... well, it was too complicated to be really good, or even great even. But it was enough for her to be content at the moment.

******

Faith squirmed under Mac and EC's attentions as they took turns growling in her ears that she was *theirs* and there would be no touching of other Guides. Their Sentinel. Their Dark Slayer. Their Lover. Their Mate. Their Faith.

******

Gunn held tightly to Fred's hand as he continued to assure her that they weren't in Pylea, even if they were lost in the woods on some weird-ass funky planet that wasn't Earth, much less anywhere near LA.

Once he'd managed to calm her down, Fred pushed her glasses up her nose and asked if he thought they had tacos on this world.

Neither of them noticed the saber-toothed tiger or the great horned owl that followed them protectively.

"Ah, Jag…bringing you a fresh kill is a favor. It means that you have enough meat for several meals without having to go hunt it yourself." Jane told her in a funny tone. "Don't you know anything about feline apologies?"

Jag just looked confused.

"I may not be educated in 'civilized' Magics, but I do know the Earth Magics, and part of that includes learning how animals, of whatever kind, think. You can bet the CUBS understood it, that's why YOUR'S didn't go ape-shit. That's also why all five cubs were eating from the carcass when you woke up."

"Oh." She muttered. "Look, can you do something about Mac's hair?"

"Oh sure, I can do several things with it. What did you have in mind?"

Jag grinned and whispered to her, while Jag's Cub stared at the Priestess in alarm.

Jane raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you want to do that alone?"

The Five Cubs all moaned a little when Jag nodded. So Jane taught her the spell needed and walked away saying, "If you want to do it, at least make sure she finds out about it, outdoors. It's not a spell for a first-timer."

Next morning, Mac had thick, shining, healthy hair down to the backs of her knees, but it looked funny. When Mac leaned closer to her Core's fire to fill her plate for breakfast, Jane saw that it was striped, with each and every bright rich color of the rainbow. Jane stared, shook her head and walked over to EC who hadn't seen it yet.

"That'll be the last time I teach Jag as simple grooming spell. The woman skewed the spell. That ain't what *I'd* call *black as sin.*" And Jane pointed at Mac with her chin, watching E.C.'s jaw sag. "And Jag looks a little bit like a woman looking for somewhere to hide, since Mac hasn't apparently noticed anything but the weight and length, yet."

But Eph sure had, and she had noticed Jag's behavior as well. So had Robin and Mitri, who were both snickering. Even Strife was having a hard time suppressing his mirth. By that time, E.C. was glaring at Jag, who got up and rapidly left the Hearth…and the Cave.

Jane grinned as she got a good ringside seat that was at the same time well shielded. She gestured for the Alpha Core to join her for the 'show'. Caro she fed the TEA too, then told her to go find YODA and give him some, too. Since House Elves had babies by the litter (up to 30 babies at a shot it'd keep Yoda occupied trying to control his newest youngsters, plus Caro, who was well known for going ape-shit over the little troll.

But, Jane noted, Yoda made even weirder noises than elves did when being molested.

//Jane, what in all the Hells of the Sith is my master doing to make those horrid sounds?!"//

//Screwing a house elf.//

//HE'S WHAT?// Qui Gon looked just a tad green.

//He's fucking a house elf…did you know the Tea works just fine on him? And just think of the blackmail material!//

//Eeeeeeeeeeeew//

//Don't like the thought of a naked Yoda, huh? Well, Caro oughta be happy, since his species has three dicks and he has to use them all, at the same time, to get his "cookies"//

//It's no worse than telling you the males of his species have bright red dicks. I saw a dago-ite porn datachip once. It was soooooo gross!//

// So you just HAD to share it, is that it?//

//Pretty much, yeah.//

Qui glared at his sister, throat working as he tried to keep his breakfast in his stomach.

//It's weird, ya know.//

//What did you do?//

//Moi?//

He glared again. //Yes, you.//

"Obi thought it was sooo neat."

"You showed that chip to my padawan?" He bellowed suddenly. "Of all of the…CRAP! And you're my sister so I can't even DO anything about it!"

Robin and her little group of trouble makers, joined by Harry and Ron spent most of the day hiding out in the library at Hogwarts II, which would no doubt lead to more trouble later on. It usually did, even if they didn't make something explode while they were there. With Strife having joined in, even temporarily powerless, the odds that something was going to go wrong went up.

Jag had snagged Vin, Ezra, the kids and the Mountain Elves to hide out in the woods. EC had taken Faith out for some 'sparring' near the hot springs.

Leaving Eph to deal with the furious Mac. Oh joy of joys. A pissed off Mac was only slightly less dangerous than say ... counting coup on a Vampiress who was turned while she had PMS.

A few snarled counter spells had stopped the telekinetic's hair from growing back down her knees every time she cut it, but it was still rainbow hued.

"At least it isn't scented," Eph observed as Mac threw the last long coil of hair into the pile. "And it'll be useful."

Mac glared at her oldest sister. "Useful? For what?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know," Eph said sarcastically. "What would Clive do?"

"I knew I shouldn't have shown you those stories," Mac muttered.

Eph shrugged. "Hey, Clive and I have a lot in common. Except for the cock thing and the hair fetish."

"That only leaves bi-sexual, leather wearing, and Dom," came the retort.

Eph grinned. "Isn't that enough?" She rolled to her feet and shook Mac by the shoulders. "Hey, you know Jag was just trying to help. And we could use the rope, and thread, and stuff we can make from all of that hair."

"You just always have to be so fucking reasonable don't you?" grumbled the middle twin.

"Hey, that's part of being the boss of us, right?"

"Bitch."

"Slut."

"Cocksucker."

"I also lick cunts, what's your point?"

******

"Charles, I'm tired," Fred said as she staggered along after her boyfriend. "Also, I'm pretty sure we passed that tree before."

Gunn sighed and stopped. "Your probably right. Man, give me city streets any day."

"At least we're not on Pylea," Fred offered. He had finally convinced her of that a few hours ago, although she still worried that the people of this dimension would think they were cows or food or demons. Unless the people of this dimension were demons then they were just screwed. She blinked at Gunn from behind her glasses. "I said all of that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it," Gunn said as he sat on a fallen log. "You're beautiful when you babble."

Fred dropped beside him. "You're only saying that because you love me."

"Just cause I love you doesn't mean it ain't true," Gunn teased.

They both jumped to their feet when a jaguar cub tumbled into the clearing.

"My Lady!" protested a musical sounding male voice from just beyond the trees.

The cub bounced to its feet and pounced on Gunn's feet. He yelped and fell backward over the log he'd just been sitting on. A little girl giggle came from the jaguar as the cat shifted into, well, a little girl. Clad in a doeskin shift with dandelions woven into her hair, she grinned up at Fred.

"My Lady Botan," panted the owner of the male voice as he entered the clearing with less noise than his charge. "I must insist that you return with me .... at .... once...." He blinked at the two humans Botan had found. "Lady, please, return to your siblings, your mother and her mates. I'll deal with these intruders."

Botan stomped her bare little foot in the grass and glared at her guardian. "Eph's."

The elf frowned. "Lady Botan, are you quite sure?"

"Eph's!" Botan insisted. "Home!"

The elf sighed. "Your mother will not be pleased about having to return to the cavern so soon, Lady Botan. Your aunt is doubtlessly planning her revenge."

Vines slithered out from the trees and wrapped around the elf's ankles. He looked down in surprise just in time to be yanked down and dragged back into the woods.

"Prissy elf," Botan muttered. She turned back to Fred and the now scowling Gunn. "Come!"

The two members of Angel Investigations shrugged and followed the strange little shape shifting girl back into the forest.

Three pairs of eyes snapped up to look at them when they finally reached another clearing. Grey, sky blue, and green. The little girl grinned and ran toward the gray eyed woman. "Momma!"

The woman stood and grabbed the child as she ran, swinging her up on to her hip. "Botan? Where's your elf?"

"Prissy," Botan answered disdainfully.

The woman sighed. "I know he's prissy. He can't help it. It's an Elf thing. Well, the drow aren't prissy, but they're almost all evil so you wouldn't like them."

"Jag, my dear, you are aware that Vin and I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about?" drawled the green eyed man.

She grinned. "Yep. Now, Botan, tell Momma why you brought Miss Burke and Mr. Gunn to her and your Daddies."

"Eph's core," Botan said calmly.

"Ya sure, kid?" asked the blue eyed man in a raspy Texan drawl.

Fred perked up. "You're from Texas?"

The man nodded with a faint smile. "Long time ago. Name's Vin Tanner, this fella's Ezra Standish, and our wife is Jag."

"I'm Fred and this is Gunn," the physicist said cheerfully. "Do you have tacos here?"

Jag laughed. "We're working on it."

"Just how did you know who we were?" Gunn asked suspiciously.

"Well, that's the long part of this little story and a question better answered back at the cavern," Jag said slowly. She put Botan down and gave the girl a nudge back toward the trees. "You go bring your Elf back, little miss. Vin? Call the other's back into camp, please."

"I suppose that leaves me to help you break camp?" Ezra sighed. "I do detest menial labor."

"Just be grateful that we haven't totally unpacked yet," Jag retorted with a laugh. Then she whistled sharply. Her spirit guide loped into the clearing with a small furry animal dangling from her jaws. In Jag's opinion, Anita looked smug.

******

"You know," Faith panted as she dropped onto the grass. "When you said we were going to spar ... I thought you were just being cutsie on me."

EC gave her a wicked grin and crouched just out of her reach. "Let's think of it this way, luv. You take me down and you get to top."

Faith glared. "But you're using those Jedi tricks you've got now, *and* your magic."

"You're point?" EC teased.

"I am so going to find a way to kick your cute little ass, English," growled the Dark Slayer.

EC wiggled her tongue suggestively. "Fore or after I shag ya inta a screaming, squirming, pile a Slayer?"

Faith grinned. "Goddamn! I could have used you back in Sunnydale, if only to prove I wasn't the biggest perv in the universe."

"Course y'ain't." EC snickered. "In your universe I'd say that distinction belongs to either Giles or Spike."

"Jeeves? What makes you say that?" Faith propped herself up on her elbows to study her mate and Guide.

"Experience. I mean, think about it. How often did Giles have adult female or even adult male company in Sunnydale?" EC pointed out as she crawled over to sprawl next to Faith. "He only shagged Joyce when they were both under the influence so to speak. And I'm bloody sure he shagged Ethan every time the git showed up. Then there was that Gypsy chit, Jenny Calendar, who in spite of the corkscrew that went in an unseen piercing struck me as rather vanilla."

Faith shook her head. "I'm still not seeing it."

"Lovely, he was constantly surrounded by a group of rather yummy looking teenagers from the time they were still jail bait." EC smirked. "If he wasn't shagging one or more of them then he was "whacking off" to thoughts of shagging one or more of them, or watching them shag each other in interesting combinations."

"Just because you would," Faith snorted.

EC just grinned. "Keep in mind I'm closer to his age than you are."

"And you're English."

"Too right, luv. I'd have shown Willow the Gay Side of the Force long before college."

******

Eph had managed to calm Mac down again. Of course combing her hair almost always worked to calm down the quick tempered Nighthunter. In fact, Mac was well on her way to slightly more than half asleep when the laughter and shouts were heard from the front of the cavern.

"Should we check that out or run in the other direction?" Mac mumbled.

Eph sighed and put the comb down out of the way. It was a good thing she'd ordered the House Elves not to touch their personal items, otherwise Mac *would* have found a way to kill which ever one of them damaged the carved wooden comb. "We should go at least say hello to the newcomers. Congratulate who ever they're bonded too."

"Yeah, I guess. You know, you'd make a kick ass Alpha."

Eph grinned at her sister. "Then it's a good thing for Jimmy-boy that we like Scribe and Blair so much isn't it?"

They laughed as they strode through the cavern. They stopped just inside the entrance. Mac snickered.

Mac giggled.

Mac doubled over laughing at the sight of a Mammoth and Moose spit covered Fred and Gunn.

Eph stared.

Eph bonded.

Eph got really, really annoyed.

Vines exploded up from the ground, coiling, twisting, and pulling the two humans gently from the attentions of the two large spirit animals. And pinning said spirit animals to the ground.

"I think that's more than enough, don't you?" Eph asked quietly.

Mac stopped laughing and backed cautiously away from her sister. A quiet Eph was a *bad* thing.

"Excuse me but what the fuck is going on?" Gunn demanded.

Eph motioned and the vines holding him and Fred lowered them to their feet then faded into the ground. "I'll explain while you two wash up. Follow me, please."

"Who are you?" Fred asked as she regained her nerve.

"I'm Eph," the oldest triplet replied with a smile. She turned and walked toward the hotsprings. "You two coming or are you waiting for the slobber to petrify?"

They followed quickly, nearly running into Eph when she stopped suddenly.

"Oh, for..." she muttered. "EC off Faith, now." loud moan. "I said Off not 'Get Her Off'. You're scaring the new kids." When she still didn't get an answer Eph shook her head and waved Fred and Gunn past them. "Try to ignore them, we all do."

E.C. stared at Jane in dismayed surprise.

"Why us?"

"Cause you only have five kids at you're hearth, and everyone else has between ten and twenty, that's why. These four were just dropped off, there's plenty of Mammoth and Moose milk to feed them until they're on solid food, and there are more than enough adults around, between your mates and in-laws to care for these babies. That's why I authorized them, and four more to be dropped off. Your sister-in-law has just been presented with the other four. They're all single births, except for these two. There's nothing like fangs, shape-shifters, or anything weird, though. Other than the fact they're all boys, that is."

E.C. sputtered.

"You are all Clan Members, not just priestesses. And that means you must contribute to the Clan as a whole, not just toying with Power Plays. Now, then, moving right along…." Jane pulled several eight and nine year-old children forward. "Here are your acolytes. They have Un-Purposed power which you and the other four will have to Purpose, Focus, Train and everything that implies. The best way to prove you know something is to Teach it, after all." Jane ignored the continued splutters that currently passed for a language for E.C. at the moment. Eph had returned from the springs to be mobbed by and was currently being swarmed over by the other four small boys, all of them being extremely active three-year-olds. At the moment, the toddlers were playing king of the hill, using Eph for the hill. Giggling madly as they tickled, poked, and otherwise "attacked" their new mama.

E.C. watched Eph, thought about what Robin was going to say, and sat down with a thud as Jane laid the warmly wrapped two-week-old infants around her, the last child laid gently in her arms.

"I saw that smirk, Streeter!" Mac yelled as Jane exited the Cave. "Just what the hell have you done now?"

"I think you'd better go ask E.C. that, and get to know your new sons in the process."

"SONS?!" She howled.

"Are you the sort whose afraid of newborns, then?"

"N,n,n,newborns?" She sputtered.

"Yes. Newborns. Infants. You know? Babies."

Mac stared at her in stunned disbelief, then headed toward her hearth.

****

Qui Gon stared at the pair of day old infants in his strong arms, stared at his sister, stared at his pregnant wife who would soon present him with more babies and whispered, "Are you nuts, Jane?"

"You're one hell of a Jedi, brother of mine…but now you need to be a daddy, too. There's only these two and Ginny's to think of, and you've Obi to help. When he's a bit older, I'll add a few more babies to your hearth. But these will be at least three-years-old before I do that." She cocked her head at him, "Unless you're afraid of infants?"

"Of course not!"

Jane smiled at him evilly, and he paused. "Oh shit. Damn it."

"Yeah, you're pretty much caught. Just think of how tiny those little girls are, how helpless…how dependant on you for safety, guidance…love."

He looked at his sister helplessly as she pushed every single button he had, nailing him right where the Jedi Master lived. And then one of the tiny girls grabbed his beard and tugged, he glanced down, smiled at the goofy look on her face, and melted.

"Okay, okay." He sighed. "They're our's."

He ignored his smugly grinning sister to cuddle the babies. He had a long history of adopting just about anything that was helpless….

Fic: Core Haven Two, Scribe #1

"Scribe?" No response. *gentle poke* "Scribe?" Still nothing. "Shit. BLAIR, GET IN HERE!"

Blair had been taking a turn at pounding one of the local roots (dried) into a flour-like powder. At his Sentinel's call, though, he was up and moving, long hair streaming behind him. He located Jim unerringly, finding him in a smallish cavelette that was fairly well lost in the twists and turns of the Clan Lair. As he ran in, he panted, "What is it?" He knew that tone of voice meant trouble.

Jim was squatted down next to their mate, and his blue eyes were worried when he looked up at Blair. "Has there ever been an instance of an Anchor switching to be a Sentinel?"

Blair blinked, dropping to his knees beside them. "I've never heard of it. You'd have to ask Jane, but I'm pretty sure it would be unprecedented. What's going on?"

"Scribe has zoned. I need you to bring her back."

"Zo--? Oh." His expression, at first alarmed, softened. "Jim, it's okay. She isn't zoned. Well, not exactly, anyway."

"What do you mean? She's just sitting there, staring, paying no attention to anything around her."

"She's blocked."

"And this is?"

"Not something that could be understood by a man who's only real experience with writing is filling in police paperwork. Do you see what she's holding?"

"It's one of those personal data thingies. She managed to talk it out of the Jedis--don't know how, since they have a limited number of them, and are kind of jealous about it."

"Jane co-ersed Qui Gon into giving it to her. I hate to think what she used as a threat."

"Anyway, what's that got to do with it? Did it, like, hypnotize her, or something?"

Blair sighed. "What did she do before she came to us?"

Jim frowned. "Not much. She was on medical disability before all this weird stuff cured her physically."

"Right, she didn't have a mainstream job, but she..." Blair let his voice trail off, making a rolling motion with his hand, encouraging Jim to continue. When he didn't, Blair wiped one hand over his face, casting his gaze up.

There was almost instantly a pattering of tiny feet in the hall, followed by louder footfalls, and anxious murmuring. Three of Jag's godlings, two boys and a girl, toddled into the cavelette, all of them with concerned looks on their faces. One immediately went to each of the three adults as concerned Mountain Elves stood in the doorway, peering in.

"Lord Delsin," admonished one. "Come here. Your holy mother would not want you bothering..."

"Pillock," snapped Delsin, as he squirmed his way onto Scribe's lap, putting chubby arms around her neck. "Needs me."

Jim blinked, stroking the curls of the little boy who was clinging to his leg, looking up at him. He was still distressed, but for some reason, not as panic stricken. "Cadel, we have a problem here, and maybe you should..."

"Need me!" the boy insisted, patting him. Jim was confused to feel his anxiety ebb even further.

Blair didn't seem confused, though. He picked up the little girl who was raising her arms to him. "Heard me, huh?"

Botan nodded. "You pray loud."

"I don't get it," said Jim, almost plaintively.

"Jim," said Blair, almost wearily. "What are we?" He indicated himself and his two mates. "Now WHO--WHAT."

"Well, I'm a Sentinel, you're a Guide, and Scribe is an Anchor."

"And who are these?" He jounced the toddler on his hip.

"Cadel, Botan, and Delsin."

"That's who they are. WHAT are they?"

"Jag's kids?" Blair rolled his eyes. "Oh. They're the Gods of Sentinels, Guides... and... Anchors. Oh."

"Yes, oh." Blair grinned. "Still new enough to be able to answer every call personally, I guess." He rubbed his nose against the baby girl's nose, making her giggle. "Or else we're favorites, huh?"

"Don' let Auntie Jane hear that," she said seriously.

Delsin was softly patting Scribe's face. "Wakey, wakey, silly." No response. He cocked his head shrewdly, drew a deep breath, and shouted, "PLOT BUNNY!"

Scribe jerked, eyes widening. "WHERE?! GRAB HIM!" She blinked, then looked down at the baby accusingly. "You lied to me." He chuckled, giving a very adult shrug. She yawned, then looked around. "What's everyone doing in my study?"

"Your study?" asked Jim. Scribe held up the small data pad.

"As I was saying before I asked for help from our respective new deities," drawled Blair. "Before she came to us, Scribe was primarily a writer."

She looked surprised. "He FORGOT that?" She scowled at Jim, who blushed.

Blair leaned down to hug her. "Don't be mad at him, cupcake. He was worried about you--sometimes that obscures the brain processes. You were trying to write, correct?"

"Yes. I managed to get about a half a page done on a new Poetic Series story. Turns out Robin REALLY likes Krycek and Mulder together, smart girl," Scribe smiled. "And the Jedi have unBELIEVEable access to all sorts of data even on
Earth literature that shouldn't be in existence for them, when you take in the timelines laid out by Lucas..." Everyone was starting to look a little confused, "but we don't need to go into that right now. Anyway, I found a good poem and got the first few paragraphs down and BOOM! Blocked."

"Blocked," said Jim flatly.

"Like a brick wall wrapped in a force field." She rubbed her forehead. "I can almost feel a bruise from running into it headlong. Crap, I couldn't even squeeze out another SYLLABLE! I've just been STARING at this mocking, snickering screen for..." She trailed off, blinking. "Say, how long HAVE I been staring at this thing?"

"It's almost bed time, and I hadn't seen you since breakfast," said Jim. "I know you need your private time, but I got worried. When I came in here, you just seemed to be zoned, and I couldn't snap you out of it."

"Really? I can't remember it ever being that bad, but then again--I've never gone so long without writing, either." She set Delsin aside and started to get up, then winced. "Give your old lady a hand, guys." Jim and Blair deposited the other god and goddess, who toddled back to their watchers, now that they knew their followers were all right. "I guess I can give that thing a rest for the time being. No point in trying to force it. It'll come when it comes, and I can keep this data pad right with me for when inspiration strikes." She rubbed her right arm, wincing. "Say, how was I laying in there? My arm is aching like a bitch--almost feels like I broke it, or something."

******

Eph was getting bored. Not even bead making could hold her attention any more. She had massive strands of beads in dozens of colors in the fifth month of her pregnancy. At least she wasn't alone. EC, Mac, and Faith were in pretty much the same condition, even if they weren't confined to bed.

"I want to get up," she muttered.

"Nope," said today's so-called entertainment. One would think that the God of Mischief would be more fun to spend time with, but he was too terrified of the younger Godlings and Eph's sisters (and to be honest he was even more terrified of Jane) to let the heavily pregnant woman do anything.

Eph scowled at him. "You do know that I could roast you over an open fire, right?"

Strife gave her a nervous grin. "Duh, hotstuff. But ya see, if I let anything happen to ya then Robs'll wrap me in rawhide and stake me out as a chew toy for Sebastian and Homes. Then Mac's gonna go and get creative. And have I ever mentioned how much EC reminds me of Ma? Only calm in a creepy-scares-the-shits-out-of-me kinda way?"

"Could you at least get me something to read?" Eph huffed. "Go see if Scibe's done with a new part of her CSI Mary Sue or something."

"And leave you alone?" Strife twitched at the thought.

She snarled and threw a fire ball at him. Strife yelped and dodged.

"Note to self," he muttered. "Self, a preggers Witch is as bad tempered as Unc after Herc ruins one of his plans."

******

Robin pulled Jag and Ethan aside once all the babies and smaller children had been put to bed if not to sleep. Strife joined them, shooting nervous glances over his shoulder toward where Gunn and Fred were dealing with a still irate (i.e. Very Bored!) Eph.

"What's up, little red?" Jag asked calmly, although she kept a wary eye on Faith, EC, and her sisters. The fact that she currently had Sailor Moon's hair style attested to her sisters' annoyance that she wasn't five months pregnant as well.

"We need a spell to hurry up the last four months for those psychos before they kill someone," Robin said. Her normally silky curls were a frizzy mess and singed slightly from a near miss with a temperamental EC earlier in the day.

Strife nodded, being a bit charred from a few not near misses also known as direct hits from Eph. "Someone like *me*. I ain't even done anythin' to 'em since I got here and I'm gettin' fireballs thrown at me."

"And you hadn't anything to do with the swarm of ants in Faith, EC and Mac's bed?" Ethan asked with a disbelieving snort.

"Can't help what my spirit animal is, now can I?" Strife snarked back.

Jag smacked him upside the head. "Your spirit animal is a tarantula, you dork."

"Okay, all of that? Not the point," Robin said impatiently.

"We're not speeding up their pregnancies, Robin," Jag said firmly. "They're divinely generated and we don't know how a spell would effect the babies or the girls."

Robin yanked off her school tie and ran it though her fingers. "This blows. Think we could talk the divine squirts into speeding things up?"

"I asked," sighed her older sister. She scrubbed a hand over her face. "Botan said it has to happen in its own time."

"This is my punishment for all those pranks I pulled on Ripper in Sunnydale," Ethan muttered. "Has to be."

"No, those three feet you have to write on Chaos in the Mage Wars of twenty BC is your punishment for that," Jag pointed out. "And you have to finish it tonight. Get writing."

Robin dragged Ethan off, yelling at him for not having finished it yet while he muttered about being too old to have homework.

Strife glanced at Jag. "Nature-girl really say that?"

Jag nodded. "Trust me, she's not any happier about Eph being stuck in bed than anyone else is."

"Ya know, I don't think *anyone* is as unhappy as I am about her being stuck in bed," Strife complained.

"You only say that because she throws fireballs at you," Jag teased.

The Greek God shook his head. "Anyone ever tell you guys that Eph is way too much like Uncle Dark and Deadly?"

She smirked. "All the time back home. Get some rest, leather boy. You're going hunting tomorrow."

"Bettah than weedin' the garden again."

"And Eph doesn't throw fireballs at Radar."

******

"Holy Mother, we must insist that you remain here while the hunting party ..." The Mountain Elf stopped speaking abruptly when a thin flint spear point came to rest at the hollow of his throat.

Jag smiled sweetly at him from the other end of her favorite spear. "Okay. First thing? Stop with the Holy Mother business. It's annoying as all get out. Second thing? You never, ever, ever on your immortal life tell me what I can and cannot do. Third thing? You never, ever, ever on your Elvish Soul tell me that I can't go on a hunt, you scrawny reject extra from LotR."

"Now, kitten," Vin said as he pulled the spear carefully away from the Elf's throat, "ya cain't go offerin' ta slit a fella's throat fer speakin' his mind."

"He told me I couldn't go hunting," she said slowly.

"Well now, we all know better then that," the former bounty hunter told her. "Only Jim can tell ya not ta hunt and he wouldn't do that. Least not so long as ya ain't pregnant, and even then ya'd have ta be pretty far along."

Another Mountain Elf made the mistake of speaking up. "My brother is correct. The Holy Mother takes too many risks, she shouldn't go."

Cadel kicked him in the shin. Over the Elf's yelp he said quite clearly, "Momma hunts for the Clan."

The God of Sentinels' brothers and sisters all nodded and looked annoyed at their baby sitters.

Botan nodded her agreement. "Pa's with her. She'll be fine."

Ezra started to lead the five godlings out of the cave to play with the other children and scolded the Elves as they followed. "I *told* you gentlemen that Jag would react badly to such a poorly worded and badly phrased ultimatum."

Abira grinned at Emil. "Daddy's silly."

******

EC glared at Qui Gon across the chess board. "You realize of course that this means war."

"Aren't you taking this a bit too seriously?" He asked.

"Not in the least," EC assured him. "Losing intentionally to humor the pregnant woman leads to the Dark Side."

"I hardly think ..."

"*My* Dark Side."

"Ah." Quo Gon blinked. "Would you care for another game?"

******

Mac scowled down at her rounded belly. "Not that I don't want you guys," she said speaking to her unborn children. "But this isn't exactly something I expected in a lesbian three way. So could you give Ma a break and stop jumping on her bladder for five minutes or so?"

"Serves you right," Coyote said from where the house elves were giving him a flea bath after one of Strife's pranks on the other trouble maker.

"You do know that if I hit you with a lightening bolt the House Elves will barely notice, right?" Mac snarled. "And you might want to keep in mind that *I'm* the one who stripped Strife of most of his powers, mutt."

She refrained from mentioning that she had only been able to do so because Strife was a latent, unbonded Anchor, and it would only last until he was finished with his training.

******

Faith glared down at Cadel. "What do you mean mine are all going to be Slayers and Sentinels?"

******

Robin stalked through her fellow Slytherins, several of them scrambling out of her way and cringing at the look on her face. Pansy Parkinson wasn't nearly that smart. Which was a bad thing when one considered that Pansy was Robin's target.

The tiny redhead's fist plowed into Parkinson's stomach with all the force of a battering ram. When the taller girl doubled over Robin grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked her painfully back into a sharp arch.

Pansy found herself staring into eyes that swirled with more colors that she could name.

"Keep your slutty little hands off *my* Ethan, scut," Robin hissed out. "You won't like what happens if you don't, and you might even be so unfortunate as to survive it."

Ethan sighed. "I did turn her down, luv."

"There's a short list of people I'm willing to share you with, she isn't on it," Robin said coldly.

The Chaos Mage turned teenager looked interested. "Really? Who is on it?"

"Xander, Wesley, Ripper, or Dawn Summers," Robin answered without even needing to think about it. "And Nightcrawler, but I'm not sure he'd go for it."

"None of them are here, though," Ethan pointed out as he untangled Pansy's hair from Robin's fist now that he had his girlfriend distracted from pounding the stupid bint's head in.

Robin favored him with a cheeky grin. "I could fix that."

Fic: Core Haven Two, Jane #3

//Master, *please* tell me I'm *not* seeing what I think I am?// Obi Wan asked plaintively. He blinked hopefully, but the image of Strife and Jar-Jar Binks going at it didn't change. There was another guy with them, and the three had the special glow of a newly bonded Core.

Kenobi felt his stomache heave as he turned and headed for his master...but not before the first, accidental image of the Gungan's long tongue up the new man's ass while Strife screwed Jar-Jar silly was burnt into his gray matter. He and his sickened belly headed in a Force-Assisted run for his Hearth and his Master. For the moment, he was no Sentinel, just a young padawan who wanted his master's protection in the worst way.

"HEY! Kenobi! Will you wake the fuck up? You're grossing every Sensitive in the Clan out with that shit!" The High Magess didn't waste time being gentle, instead dumping a large bucket of very cold river water on his head. He shrieked and vaulted up out of his bedding with his lightsaber ignited, in a Force Assisted leap that carried him clear of the icy, soaked bedding and into Jane's brother's steadying arms. Obi Wan stood panting, his stomach still heaving as he fought to regain his center, then powered down his saber as he heard her chuckles. "Nice response, Little One. Where the fuck did that sickening little nightmare come from, anyway. The Cores have a certain amount of say over who does and does not come here…and Gungans are not welcome. Par-TIC-u-lar-ly in that fashion.

He stared at her. "Sith if *I* know. That was the worst dream I've ever had!" He was still a bit green in the face. "Besides, I know I saw Strife making out with Coyote and some dude Strife kept bitching at. He kept saying something like, "Damn it, Aries, how did that woman manage to nail you? Why did I have to get you as a Core Mate. The mutt's not so bad, him I understand, but shit, why you?"

Jane was laughing quietly. "Aries can control him and the mutt, and Strife knows it. That's why he's complaining. That, and those three sorta deserve each other. Besides, the Warrior is not needed here, since I've someone else for the job. Who would you rather have as War Leader: Jim Ellison or Aries? Also, Hades owes me, and if this pans out like I hope it will, he'll be babysitting all three of them."

"For how long?"

"Well, Eternity sounds about right to me."

"This Hades person owes you quite a bit, apparently." Qui said quirking his lips.

"One of our ancestors told him how to catch his wife, and this seems like a good time to call in the first half of the Debt owed this generation of our family."

"What's the other half?"

"That's for YOU to decide, Qui. We're the only ones of our Generation still living. Just don't waste it on something trivial, okay?"

"Would I do that?"

"No, but the Council would. They're a bit upset with their new deity, and might encourage you to do something stupid. If they press you, tell Eph. She'll arrange something suitable with her sisters." She looked at Obi Wan, "You okay now, kid?"

"Yes, Aunt." He exhaled slowly, then nodded.

"Go get some dry clothes on and change your bedding, meditate for a few hours, then go find Blair. You and Qui are about to spend some rather intense few weeks building settlements and getting a working society formed. Blair's in charge of that since he's the only Anthro we've got. Jim is in charge of Defense while the rest of your lot have the politicians to handle. Go on, now."

Kenobi nodded to her, sensing that the time of transition was over. He knew these folk, was one of them, understood them, the goal and the job. They were family. But all of them were here for a reason, and the fates of billions of species hung in the balance. He bowed low, formally to his Master/Mate and the Magess, then got on about his duties. Play time was, for the time being, over.

"Qui, I've got some maps for you and Jim to go over, and some other materials for you, Obi, Jim and Blair to study and use. I'm fixing to go snag Severus and get some details hammered out with the Witchbloods. Since Albus isn't here, I want Snape and that first class mind of his in charge of the Hogwarts contingent. Oh, and haul every single former member of Major Crimes together and tell them I said it's time for them to be cops again. They're going to have to put together a planetary police force from scratch. It's time to get our collective asses in gear, brother mine."

"Yes." He nodded. "It is. The Force agrees."

"Blair, get those shears away from her."

"Why me?"

"Because she might USE them on me, if she gets pissed enough."

"YOU'RE the one who wants her to keep the long hair--you do it."

*sigh* *soft, wheedling voice* "Scribe, honey..."

"Shut up, Ellison." His mate, one of the lights of his life, was looking at him with a mulish expression that told him she wasn't about to listen to reason--or what ever arguments he could marshal. She was sitting with her back to the cave wall, legs crossed Indian fashion. Her brown-red hair, so close in color to Blair's, had grown to the point that it reached the small of her back--when it was wet. However, due to the extreme curl, whenever it was dry, it reached somewhere around the middle of her shoulder blades. When gathered into a tail (and that was a JOB, considering that it had a mind of it's own that once made Strife wonder aloud if she was related to Medusa somewhere down the line--and we won't go into how quick he had to move to escape Jim after that little comment) it was so thick that Jim could just barely hold it bunched in one big hand. Right now Scribe had a thick hank of hair wrapped around one hand. In the other hand she held a pair of large, shiny, very SHARP shears, the blades slipped around the tress.

"Sweetie, don't be impulsive."

"Impulsive? I've wanted to do this since it started brushing my shoulders. I kept looking around to see if there was a bug crawling on me. The only reason I've put it off this long is..." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Blair is the expert at sad puppy eyes, but you aren't bad at it yourself. Add to that the fact that you'd always fuck me through the nearest horizontal surface every time I gave in, and it sort of clouded my judgement. Well, NO MORE! I'm cutting this mop, and that's that!" Jim eyed her shrewdly, and came to a decision. He heaved a watery sigh, and let his bottom lip tremble, just a tiny bit. "No! I'm on to you this time, Jim."

"But WHY, Sugarlips?"

*snort* "Pet names won't work either, and you KNOW why. It's fine for you and Blair to keep the long hair. You can both have some semblance of order with it. But me? I've NEVER wanted that 'tousled look', and now I can't HELP but
have it. Christ, Jim, if I try to comb the snarls out, it takes close to an hour and a half, and I can't do it alone anymore. I'm losing fucking combs in it, for heaven's sake! I CAN'T keep it tied back neatly. I end up with it in my mouth when I sleep, in my food when I eat," she paused to make a face and a spitting noise, "and I DESPISE that! I'm SHEDDING! I get a double-handful every comb out, but there never seems to be any LESS! I'd think Jane hexed me, but I had EC run a check, and no, this is just natural for me."

"Maybe a little trim and some conditioner?"

"Tried that. Even Snape has given up. The ones he's come up with make everyone else look like a Breck model. Me? I look like I've tried a bacon grease marinade. No, it's got to be cut. I can handle it short or medium, but not long like this."

Jim tried one more time. "But don't you care about how Blair and I feel?"

"Stop it! You know damn good and well that YOU'RE the one with a hair fetish. If you were shorter, blonder, and cooler, you'd be like Clive."

"HEY!"

"Again, stop it. You know I love you, but Jim--don't you WANT me to be comfortable?"

Jim sighed. "Can I play with it one more time?" He drew his finger back and forth across his chest. "Promise not to try to stop you."

She lowered the shears. "Okay."

Jim came over and sat beside her. He buried both hands, then his face in the mass of her hair, sniffing deeply, and even mouthing a few strands. "I'm gonna miss this."

Blair sat on his other side, hugging him. "We'll save it. The triplets can weave us some kick-ass rope with it." He grinned. "Perfect for play time."

"Clive would love you, too," said Scribe, amused. She petted Jim's cheek as he sat back. "I'm sorry you're disappointed, sweetie, but I have to do this for my own sanity. But at least I didn't try to sneak behind your back, did I? All I had to do was let Caro 'help' with my hair."

Jim winced, and Blair nodded. "You'd have ended up with an excuse to shave your head, probably."

"Speaking of Caro," Jim said, puzzled. "She hasn't destroyed anything around here for at least three days, and I only see her at meals, and when she's ready to fall into bed. What gives?"

Scribe smiled. "I figured out a way to keep her busy--one that had the minimum chance to destroy anything."

"What?"

"Well, I've decided that there should be a sort of formal meditation garden, besides the little ones the Jedi have. But there's no real hurry in setting one up, since there are plenty of sheltered, serene spots hereabout. But I told Caro that the details of the garden's decoration would be ESSENTIAL to it's purpose. So I have her sorting gravel to be used in paving paths and such. I told her they needed to be as nearly uniform in size and shape as possible, with no sharp edges, in a variety of pleasing, complimentary shades. And I suggested that the only way this could be accomplished was by one person, with a single vision, and a dedication. Oh, and one at a time hand selection was the obvious way to accomplish this." Blair started laughing as Scribe slid the shears around a hank of hair and made the first snip. "I told her to start with a ton, and we'd see from there.

Core Haven Chapter 2: EC #4

Aries stalked into the off shoot cave that he was -temporarily- sharing with those three vicious harpies, his idiot nephew, a horde of brats, that lunatic mutt, and *mortals*. The five young godlings at least had the potential to be molded into proper Gods. That is, in *his* image. They were the only reason that he was even putting up with that one harpy's insistence on training him. As if the God of War needed to be trained in anything. He was a god after all.

He paused as he overheard the triplets conversation. They were honestly as bad as the Fates about pushing around people's lives. As if he'd really believe that none of them, or their brat baby sister, was responsible for bringing him to this world so far from Greece.

"I told you, Eph, it's too soon to give Coyote a human form," one of the other triplets said. Aries never really put that much effort into telling them apart.

The one that was probably Eph, if only because she was currently bedridden, shook her head. "We have to force the issue, Mac. You, Delsin and Blair all agree that Strife is ready to take his place as Guide. Coyote is still trapped in a single form, he's just not a pooch anymore. Note that his collar is still firmly in place. And so, no mojo for the bad doggie."

The third sister shook her head. "Aries isn't ready to even admit what he is, much less pay attention to his training, Ephiney. He won't let himself be ready to become more than what he is."

"I don't have to listen to this," Aries bellowed as he stormed into the cavern chamber. "I'm the God of War, witches!"

Strife winced and scowled at the snickering Trickster beside him. "This ain't gonna go well, Coyote."

"Probably not," snickered Coyote. "But it's funny while it lasts."

"Around the Nighthunters? It ain't gonna last long!"

"God of War?" Jag echoed as she rose to her feet, pushing a Mountain Elf out of her way. "God of War? For generations longer than even the Ancient Ones can call to mind the Nighthunters have *faithfully* served the Gods, even you, Son of Hera! And it's from the Nighthunters that the new kind of Gods have come to be."

"Momma's -not- happy," Botan observed quietly.

Ezra shook his head with a faint smile. "Sweetheart, that is an understatement of the highest order."

Jag's voice grew louder as she continued, seemingly unaware that everyone at the hearth was staring at her. "My children are those Gods and I will not allow you to pass your ignorance and arrogance onto them!"

Coyote blinked. "Is she gonna ..."

"Do to him what Mac did to me and that collar does to you? Yep." Strife said still scowling.

"We're screwed."

"Ya think!?!"

In all the months since the triplets had come to call Haven and the Clan's caverns their home, Jaguarita had only used a small fraction of her power. Even after explaining the full extent of her abilities, she had only actually used the telepathy and her Ghost Walking, which is how she ended up with her beautiful babies. Neither aspect used much energy or even all that much concentration.

This time she focused all of her power on the Greek God of War.

"Oh shit," Eph and Mac said in harmony.

"Bollocks," EC agreed.

"Crap," added Robin.

Ethan nodded. "Soddin' hell."

Abira slammed a shield up around her Momma and Aries. "Poopie."

White light flared behind the little goddess' shield and the God of War screamed.

Strife closed his eyes and sighed. Aries was going to kick his ass.

Coyote clamped his hands over his ears as Eph's earlier words echoed in his head.

"You're a Guide, whether you want to be one or not. Your Core is here and the three of you are about to come together," Eph had told him. "It's time to grow the fuck up."

When she was finished speaking pain had ripped through the Trickster's body as it shifted at someone else's command.

Strife pulled Coyote against his side out of instinct when the mutt whimpered.

Aries screamed again, this time out of rage rather than pain.

Abira dropped the shield as energy started crackling around her hands, ready to defend her Momma, and aware that her siblings had done the same. Even calm, soft spoken, Emil had small bolts of Force Lightening dancing between his hands.

Aries was on his knees before the woman who the Mountain Elves called Holy Mother, the youngest of the Nighthunters, and as he stared up at her he suddenly remembered watching her hunt.

And he felt like prey under Jag's gaze.

"You shall remain with no more power than any other mortal Sentinel until such time as the Alpha Core and their council agrees that you and your Core are stable and ready to function as members of this Clan," she said calmly, although her voice echoed strangely through everyone's heads. "That includes treating your Guide and Anchor right."

"You can't do this to me!" Aries bellowed.

"Yeah, she can," Cadel said as he wrapped his arms around his Momma's leg. "I'm God of Sentinels and I say so."

"Little traitor, turning on one of your own kind," Aries hissed at the little godling.

Cadel pointed at his brothers and sisters. "They're my kind, ya big meanie."

"Be nice to Cadel," Delsin said cheerfully. "He's -your- god after all."

"And who are you?" Aries sneered.

Delsin tilted his head. "I'm the one that can take Strife away from you forever." He gave a mock bow, acting far older than his apparent age. "Delsin, God of Anchors."

"He's my God, Unc," Strife said quietly. "He's pretty good at it, for a squirt."

"Short version, War-boy," Coyote added. "Don't tick off the kiddie-gods. Especially after Mommy there has stripped your powers from you."

The divine Quints looked at each other with matching frowns on all their little faces. Then they nodded in unison and started to glow.

After a moment the glow flared brightly enough to leave everyone blinking. When the light faded, five pre-teens stood in place of the five toddlers.

Abira grinned as she smoothed her Hogwart's school uniform. In place of where her House Badge would be was a five-pointed star superimposed by a pair of crossed wands.

Botan brushed imaginary dust from her green leather shift.

Cadel grinned shyly as he shrugged to settle his buckskin coat across his shoulders.

Delsin fussed briefly with the lay of his red leather tunic before he glanced around with a smirk.

Emil simply folded his arms together in the sleeves of his Jedi robes.

While Abira and Botan looked like mirror images of their mother at twelve, Emil looked like a beardless miniature of Qui Gon Jinn. Cadel and Delsin looked like smaller versions of Vin and Ezra respectively.

Faith smirked. "How cool is that?"

Snickering was heard behind them, then. The entire bunch turned to look at Jane and Fannie. The girls grinned at the look on Streeter's face, for it boded ill for the new Core.

"Since none of them have ever really learned restraint, and since the young ones' age progression has to be balanced." Jane gave Aries an evil smile. "I'm going to remove an equal percentage from the accumulated years of these three. And since the balances required are from a five way split that *would* normally have required several thousand years to accomplish, that will put these three at about two mortal years."

Coyote moaned and fainted: He just flat fell over. Strife shivered, for he knew that there were few beings in existence who could scare the Mutt. Apparently this female was one of those few. He saw her looking at him. "Strife, dearie, the Fates only *monitor* lives, I rearrange them either when need arises, or when you simply piss me off." She snickered as he stared at her in growing horror. "Or hadn't you noticed that neither the Priestesshood, nor the young godlings are willing to piss me off?"

Fannie sniggered at him. "Even gods require safeguards, the Five are the safeguards. And even the safeguards require a failsafe. Jane's the failsafe."

"Wha..what are you going to do, other than turn us into babies?"

"There's a transport in the process of making planet-fall, to pick up the youngest of the padawans and their new masters to take them to the Jedi Temple at Coruscant for the structured learning and lessons that are still only available at that location. Your true origins, even in infancy will make the three of you extremely strong in the Force...so you'll be going to the Cre`che. I'll make sure that every master and knight there knows who you used to be, who you're going to be, and that you three are members of a single Core. When you are nine or ten years old, you will be FORMALLY picked as someone's padawan, and training in strict accordance with their ancient traditions. Which just means you will each be subject to TWO of Jag's kids, instead of one. The God of Jedi has more power than the other four combine because that deity is indirectly responsible for several billion lives, due to the role of Jedi in the galaxy as peace keepers, as well as *directly* responsible for the well-being, balance, actions, guidance and happiness, of every Initiate, Padawan, Knight and Master in the Order." Her quiet voice seemed to toll like thunder to the shocked Nighthunter family.

The young godling she referred to was staring at her, in slack-jawed shock. He groaned and looked at his mother who was doing a credible imitation of a freshly landed trout.

"Robin." She said into the silence.

"What?" The normally brash girl was a little nervous due to the reactions of Jag to the "News".

"Were you aware that I've got all sorts of non-sentient spies around here? Like, Blairette and her kittens?"

"Uhh, noooo." She paused thoughtfully and then paled, backing away from her sisters and EC. That caused the women to stare at her and start frowning.

"Priestesses, were you aware that due to the nature of our intergalactic emergency, Robin's growth has been accelerated to a rate of one year per month? She's eighteen, physically, now."

Mac started to snarl, sensing where THIS was going. Jane just looked at her and grinned. She wasn't particularly worried about it.

"Sooo, that means I'm, what?"

"Well, legal age, for starters." Jane "The same for Ethan and your Third, actually. It was past time for you to form your Core...in every way that implies. Including what you were doing at the spring just after moonrise last night."

"Which *was*?" Jag growled.

"Consummating her Bond, what else? I had those urges of her's suppressed magically until her body had reached the proper state of development. Once it had, all those dammed up hormones hit her in under thirty seconds. This insured the completion of her Bond to Ethan, with no shilly-shallying about. Now all those two need to do is identify their Third and take advantage of them. Unless, of course you want her at FULL POWER and INSANE at the same time?"

Jag and Mac paused, thought about it, then shuddered as the implications of a Robin at full power without any controls on her whatsoever sank in. Behind them Eph moaned a little, and EC sorta oozed down the cave wall into a puddle of outsmarted female.

Meantime, Fannie'd had the time to think about that "All the youngest padawans" remark.

"Jane..."

"Don't go there. You know they're exempt. They're being schooled at the local temple until they're ten. THEN they have go to the main temple. And since Qui's a better swordsman than their masters, *he* is teaching sabre to them. Besides, it's just as well, since you and your Core have Anthro oriented organizing to do, and Blair is going to need your knowledge of him and his *TA* side to do it."

Fannie grumbled and started to cuss...EC and her bunch stared at her. And a reviving Coyote and still stunned Strife were stunned. Jane noticed and gave them a not-so-nice smile. "It's okay for Fannie to cuss at me sometimes, she's *my* sister." She grinned at Fannie, "'Cept Qui doesn't know about you, yet. I believe Obi should have had a chance to drop off the birth records from the Intergalactic High Council, by now though. In fact, he may have had time to read them..."

She turned to watch as her Jedi Master brother entered the cavelet and studied Fannie for a moment, Force-Scanning her signature before he nodded and stepped forward to envelope the shocked woman in a gentle embrace. "I will take as great a care in schooling my nephews as I did my Obi Wan." The big Jedi told her in his deep voice. She relaxed under the sneakily applied Force Suggestion without even knowing he'd given her one. It had nothing to do with the children,
he just didn't like seeing her scared of him.

Qui Gon knew that Fannie had remained somewhat nervous around him from day-one, and the proof of her sibling status only made him want to soothe her more than he had already. He figured that status made it okay to calm her whether she knew she was tense or not. He nodded to Jim where he stood behind his woman, then brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek as he released her and gave her a nudge in Ellison's direction. Jim took her into his arms and just held her, hearing Blair coming toward his Core at a rapid trot. The big man loosed one arm to draw the Guide into the embrace with their shared wife, and let him help steady the stunned woman.

"Jim." Jane said softly, "Take her back to the private Hearth Cave you three moved into last night and spend as much time as you need to making love, talking, and otherwise nurturing your Bond. You three need some downtime, anyway. Until you emerge, *I* will Guard the Tribe."

At the formal words, Ellison was reminded that Streeter was still his Beta. He nodded, and began to herd his Core toward the Hearth Cave. She aimed a "Look" at Aries, Strife and Coyote, and in the next instant there was a brief flash of white light. When it faded three male toddlers remained where they had been.

A new voice stated in startled shock, "I knew Strife and Aries hadn't really grown up, but isn't this going a little too far?"

Robin saw Hercules and squealed before launching herself straight at him. "THIRD! OUR THIRD!"

Mac snarled, but considering the alternative had no option other than to let it happen. At least she knew that Herc would NOT hurt her baby sister.

Chapter 2: EC#5

Megan was being a pain in the ass again. She'd been learning, but it seemed that with the slow development of a planet wide police force she was back sliding, and this time her target was one of the worse ones she could pick. Well, short of antagonizing Jane or Scribe.

In her opinion she'd earned the right to be a member of the new police force during her time with Major Crimes in Cascade. Jag and her two pretty boys hadn't earned that right, no matter how well Megan got along with the other woman's older sister.

The muscle in Jag's left upper eye lid had been ticking for the last fifteen minutes while the Aussie former Inspector continued her one sided debate as to why Jag and her Core shouldn't become members of the police force. Only Vin and Ezra each pressing a hand to the small of the telepath's back kept her from lashing out at the aggravating woman. Vin murmured softly that they should let Simon handle Megan when the tension in Jag's muscles neared the breaking point.

"Enough!" Simon bellowed when Megan started to repeat herself. "Let me point out a few facts to you, Connors, cause you seem to have missed them." He pointed at Jag. "*She* is a Sentinel, a telepath, and a witch version of a cop. Not to mention how damn useful that ghost walking thing she does could be." He shifted to point at Vin. "*He* tracks better than most of the Sentinels in this Clan, and has better aim than any man I've ever seen." The finger pointed to Ezra next. "And *he* can charm the birds out of the trees, talk a man out of his most prized possession and be -thanked- for the privilege. Not to mention that *both* men are experienced in law enforcement with conditions that were damn near as primitive as the ones we live under here. The three of them together are god-damned scary in fact, and *I* want them on my team."

Megan's jaw dropped a bit lower with each point Simon made and the rest of the volunteers started to mutter quietly behind her.

"How primitive?" asked Rafe.

Vin grinned. "Few years after the War."

Rafe frowned slightly. He hadn't really paid attention when Jag's mates had arrived. "Which war?"

"The American Civil War," Jag answered helpfully. "Vin and Ezra were peacekeepers in a town called Four Corners, in the Southwest Territory. Around where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada all bump into each other."

"We also both fought in the War," Ezra pointed out. His accent making it a fairly good bet as to which side he was on. "It was most unpleasant."

Simon nodded. "Working for me going to be a problem?"

"No more than working with Mr. Jackson was, sir," the Southerner assured him. "And why does no one ever ask that question of Vin? We both fought for the Confederacy after all."

"Who?" someone asked from the crowd.

"Nate was one of us," Vin said shortly.

Ezra nodded. "A very talented healer, and good friend, to whom Mr. Banks bears a slight resemblance."

"You three have anything else to add?" Simon asked with a smirk.

"We suck at paper work?" Jag offered.

******

Emil raised his head at some internal prompting and frowned.

"Something disturbs you?" Obi Wan asked when the young Godling stepped back from the 'saber kata he was working on.

"There is a problem at the Old Temple," Emil murmured. "They have not listened and I am needed."

Obi Wan frowned slightly as well. "You do not intend to go alone, do you?"

"Of course not," Emil answered with a small smile for his friend and sometimes tutor. "Mother would be most upset with me if I did so. Yet, I can not take Aunt EC with me at this stage of her pregnancy. This concerns Abira as well, so she and Aunt Robin's Core will suffice."

"Perhaps a Mountain Elf or two," suggested Obi Wan.

"I suppose that would be a good idea, thank you, Obi Wan." Emil said right before he vanished into the Force. Robin, Ethan, Hercules, Abira and two of the Mountain Elves disappeared at the same instant.

Obi Wan shook his head. "I hope he told Jag where they were going, otherwise she's going to be very unhappy."

******

The Mountain Elves staggered slightly when the group appeared near the doors of the Council Chamber. One of them coughed slightly. "My Lord Emil, a little warning next time before you move us half way across the universe would be much appreciated."

Emil's lips twitched. "I'll keep that in mind."

"What's the meaning of this?"

"How did they get in here?"

"Who the blazes is that?"

"Silence," Emil commanded. Mouths snapped shut around the large room. "I am Emil of Haven, Son of Jaguarita the Nighthunter, God of Jedi."

"Told me of you, Yoda has," Yarrel said slowly. "Many changes you have ordered."

Emil folded his arms. "That which does not change, dies. Change, adaptation and growth are why the Force is living energy."

"Perhaps we can move on to why we're here, brother dear?" Abira suggested as she eyed the defiant form of Draco Malfoy where the young man stood between their group and the council.

"Who is that kid?" Hercules whispered to Robin.

"Draco Malfoy, pain the the Ass Prince of Slytherin," Robin whispered back.

Ethan snickered. "Thought he was more of a bad ass than our Red Robin." The Chaos Mage raised his voice slightly. "Hey, Princess, your balls grow back yet?"

"Shut up, Ethan," Abira ordered with a small smirk. "Now, what's Draco done now?"

Emil shot his sister a slightly annoyed look.

"Sith the boy is," Yarrel explained calmly. "Power hungry and angry."

"That makes him Slytherin and a prat, not Sith," Emil pointed out. "Well, yet."

"The old Malfoy charm at work again," Abira muttered under her breath.

"Said yet, you did," Yarrel said as her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Abira snorted. "What else would a Dark Wizard become with Jedi training?"

Emil nodded. "My sister is correct. The Sith have their place in the Balance of All Things. When in the Balance the Sith are no more evil than the Jedi." He raised his eyebrows. "They are not yet in balance."

"Draco Malfoy is the Counter Balance for Harry Potter, his opposite and equal," Abira explained.

"I'm bloody well Potter's better," Draco sneered.

Abira's sneer was much more impressive, which might have had something to do with the fangs she'd suddenly affected. "If you weren't Potter's counter balance I'd have let Auntie Robin kill you, idiot."

"Draco, you might want to refrain from annoying one of the three gods that has sway over you," Emil pointed out with a small smile. He glanced around at the members of the Jedi Council, still smiling faintly. "Now, two of you have broken the new rule about *all* council members having to be Masters, and no Jedi is a Master without a Padwan. Luckly for you, I can fix that."

Three two year olds appeared with a wave of the Jedi Godling's hand. Then Emil continued. "These are Aries, Strife, and Coyote. A Core Group that is very strong in the Force."

"Too young they are," Yarrel pointed out.

"I can fix that," Abira said cheerfully. She focused on the toddlers as her hands and eyes began to glow with a pale green light. "Age and Time, heed my rhyme, By five plus four, grow these three more!"

Aries, Strife and Coyote grew into eleven year olds in a flash of the same green light.

"Thank you, Abira," Emil said once the light had faded. "Master Yarrel, your new Padwan Learner, Aries. Mace Windu, your Padwan, Coyote. Now ... Ah, I believe there is a new Knight that would be perfect for Strife's Master. One of the Bant."

The young Bant Knight in question came hesitantly into the Council Chambers at a prompting from the Force that had been too strong to ignore.

"Master Luu, your first Padwan Learner, Strife," Emil announced as he motioned toward the thin, pale boy with the wildly spiked black hair.

"He's a fish," Strife observed.

Emil shook his head. "No. She's a fish."

"Neat," giggled the eleven year old God of Mischief.

Aries scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "This isn't what Jane said was going to happen."

"Changed plans have," Yarrel said. "Happens this does. Hmmm. Strong in the Force you are. But arrogant."

"I'm a God, you little green troll," Aries sneered.

"Forgot already?" Robin called out. "Jag not only stripped you of your powers, she made you *mortal*, War-boy!"

"Little green troll?" Yarrel echoed as her eyes narrowed and her eyes press back flat against her head.

Emil resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We will be taking our leave not, Master Yarrel. I believe you can expect Master Jinn and his sister, Jane, as well as their cores to arrive soon along with the older Padwans from Haven." He bowed slightly then vanished into the force without so much as a flicker.

"Have fun," Abira said brightly just before she and the others vanished in a flash of green sparks.

Coyote ran to hide behind Master Windu while Strife started pushing his new Master out of the line of fire. Aries continued to glare at Yarrel.

"We might wanna get outta here," Strife said to Luu.

Chapter 2: Jane #5

"No, Qui, don't interfere. Let Yaddle give him his lessons." He heard his sister say quietly as she caught first Bant's, then Windu's attention and gestured for them to vacate the room. The rest of the Councilors did the same. "Aries doesn’t seem to know that the main difference between Yaddle and Yoda is that she generally knows what she's doing and isn't an interfering ass about it."

"Windu is firmly online, now. The fact that he's got the Mutt as his Third will irritate him, particularly since Coyote's only got to be house-broken. He already knows how to use Power. He just doesn't know when NOT to" Jim told them as he smiled at the look on Aries' face when Yaddle pinned him upside down against a wall several feet above the floor and then proceeded to teach the seemingly ten-year-old smart-mouthed boy some respect.

"That certainly ought to cause problems." Qui said, lips twitching as he thought about it.

"You bet, but it'll also keep him too busy to be an asshole."

"True." He eyed the now screeching Aries as Yaddle proceeded into "Lecture Mode". The fact that the rest of the Council had made damned sure to be out of the line of fire did not escape his notice. After this little session he suspected that Yaddle at least would be somewhat sympathetic toward Genesis.

"You're gonna be the one to update Yaddle on Yoda's new status, aren't you?"

"No, the little fool insisted on recording his woes on a datacube, and he was too upset to remember to either release it or hedge. After this session with Strife, I rather think Yaddle is going to take advantage of Yoda's absence to take control of the Council. High time, too. She's a LOT smarter than he ever was."

//I wonder if we can get the Council to recall Yoda and get Yaddle out there instead?// Qui projected to his sister.

//Bad idea, as long as he's there, and she's here, she's in charge. Otherwise, he has seniority. Only offworld with Yaddle the oldest being active on the Council can she minimize some of his…effects.// She answered the same way.

//Good point// Obi interjected. //Now, exactly why did you roust us out of bed and onto that ship yesterday?//

"Yaddle, if I can interrupt?" She asked.

"Need you have?"

"We're dropping off several dozen masters with new padawans, some of which have different disciplines than anything the Temple has seen before. You'll need to see to them." She eyed Aries. "Think he's gotten the point, here, yet?"

"Bond there is."

"Think it'll do any good yet?"

"Pin him down, I will. Disrespect will not have."

"Good. Now then, the door guards are already processing the new pairings. All you have to do is find the rest of the Council."

"Rest of Council is…" She looked at the empty seats, eyed her dangling apprentice and sighed. "Scared them, I did."

"Given the speed at which they vacated the area, I'd say so, yes." Obi Wan snickered.

Yaddle gazed at him, then laughed softly. "Meditate I must to clear this. Meditate they must, displayed rank cowardice they did."

"Or wisdom." Qui Gon murmured.

She just smiled at him. "Left for Genesis, Mace has."

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

Blair was in lecture mode, people's eyes were beginning to glaze over. He was explaining the parallels between Genesis and some ancient civilization on Earth, and the Laws they had. Then pointed out that Genesis didn't have any laws yet.

A bit later, he sat down with Jinn, Yoda, Windu and several more Masters and began to give the Jedi a full history of Sentinel/Guide functions from the present, all the way back to the Dawn of Man….He didn't notice that he was using Guide Voice. He was still using it later when he shared his ideas of proper dietary habits. At that point, Fannie came into the cave, heard the Voice, groaned knowing he'd been talking for hours, and reached over to pinch her husband. HARD. "God knows what you've made them memorize." She muttered when Blair didn't even twitch. He did shut up though.

"JIM! I COULD USE A HAND IN HERE!" She bellowed.

Then she observed that all five godlings had done their usual nosy thing and joined the audience. Their eyes were a bit glazed over from extended time exposed to a Guided Voice Lecture as applied by Sandburg.

Fannie called their mother. Not priestess, this time, mother. She looked around for the Mountain Elves, and noticed that they were still tranced into Learning Mode…and sighed as she started tossing buckets full of ice water at them.

Core Haven Chapter Two, Scribe #3

Reference: ~Greg. Ever seen The Brady Bunch? Remember Greg, the oldest son? In one episode he was told not to drive his new car (forget what he was being punished for, but it was deserved). He thought to get around it by borrowing a FRIEND'S car, and claiming, "I DIDN'T drive MY car. I drove my FRIEND'S car. I didn't disobey." *rolls eyes* Oh, if I'd tried to use that argument with either of my parents, I would only now be regaining consciousness.

Scribe and Jim, buckets still in hand, watched as the last few drenched and shivering Mountain Elves tottered out, supporting each other toward the hot spring. Scribe looked at Blair. "Okay, Professor, how long were you lecturing?"

"Not all that long." Blair shrugged, then winced in surprise, rolling his shoulder. "Damn, that's tight! Maybe it was longer than I thought. What time is it?"

"I left Peja distracting Caro from trying to fix our supper."

Blair's eyes got round. "THAT late? No wonder I'm so hungry. I thought it was lunch time."

Jim eyed him sharply. "You started just after breakfast, didn't you?" Blair nodded sheepishly. His mate groaned, wiping a hand over his face. "Well, that explains a lot--like why Jane has been chuckling to herself all afternoon. Frankly, that had me worried. I'm glad to see it didn't involve any more damage than it did."

"Oh, you don't think there was any damage?" asked Scribe snidely. "Jim, he was lecturing a group that had gone into a deep learning trance. He was using his Guide voice."

"So? Now they all know everything they need to know about Guides, Sentinels, and Anchors. Now THEY can pass on the knowledge, and it will save a lot of time..."

She grabbed the front of his shirt, standing on tip-toe to get in his face, and hissed, "He'd moved on to PROPER DIET!"

Jim blinked, then winced. "Oh, shit."

"He's just installed the Sandburg Theory of What's Good for You in the minds of a big handful of Jedi masters, who can 'suggest' stuff, and five GODS! Can you say 'ritual dietary restrictions'?" She let go and headed for the door of the cavelette.

"Where are you going?"

"To hide what's left of my stash of Earth junk food. It isn't much, but I'll be darned if I'm gonna give it up on the say-so of either an intergalactic do-gooder or a divine being of whom I have intimate knowledge, having changed their didies."

Jim gave Blair a pleading look. "It won't be THAT bad, will it? I mean, we don't even HAVE most of the shit you used to consider essential to a healthy diet. No kelp powder or soy beans to make tofu."

Blair frowned, going back in his mind over what he'd told the assemblage. "I think we'll be all right. I seem to remember commenting on the progress of dietary habits through the course of civilization. Since we're still at the hunter-gatherer stage, the ingestion of large amounts of red meat is natural, and there's no refined sugar to worry about--everything is sweetened naturally by fruit, honey, or sap. As long as no one tries to take Fannie's last Pop Tarts or Hershey bars, things shouldn't get too frantic."

A clear voice rang down the outside hallway, "Auntie Fannie, those are BAD for you!"

"Uh-oh."

Jim and Blair heard Scribe's voice rising. "I love you, kid, but GET YOUR HANDS OFF THAT BOX!"

"Auntie Fannie..."

"JAG! COME GET YOUR KID! JANE, SO HELP ME I'LL MOVE INTO THE KREELO VILLAGE PERMANENTLY IF YOU LET HIM TAKE MY LAST BOX OF VANILLA-FUDGE TARTS!"

Blair sighed. "It's about time Jag and the others had a talk with the three boys about the proper way to interact with a woman concerning breakfast pastry."

*****

It took Blair, EC, Robin, and all three of the triplets to convince the young gods that passing religious laws against the eating of snack foods wasn't a very good idea. The concept of 'Free Will' was heavily discussed. Even after the young ones had reluctantly agreed, Fannie refused to allow her stash out of arm's reach. This was because the only way the children would conceed was if the Jedi programmed the replicators to make any of the snack foods Fannie tried to have duplicated low-fat, low-sodium, and sugar free, and she wouldn't put it past the concerned gods to secretly 'replace' her original food items. "Because," she explained grimly, "I don't care HOW fucking advanced the replicators are--I've never yet encountered anything that got 'healthily cleaned up' that tasted like the real thing." Qui Gonn started to argue that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference, and she snapped, "It's psychological, okay? I'll KNOW it's not the real thing. Same way they trie d to claim that it was the same formula when they dumped New Coke and brought back Classic Coke. HAH!"

Qui looked baffled, but Jim and Blair were nodding. "Yeah, that's one thing our universes had in common, and I gotta agree with her," said Jim. So that night Jim and Blair had to share their bedding with the afformentioned box of Vanilla-Fudge Tarts, a box of Cherry, and a box of Brown Sugar-Cinnamon, several Hershey Bars, three large boxes of Cracker Jacks, and a half-pound of Salt Water Taffy. The men awakened in the middle of the night by Fannie grumbling that the shared body heat had melted her chocolate bars.

Always good at improvising, Jim and Blair proceeded to show her that melted chocolate was good for other things than pouring over ice cream. At breakfast, Obi Wan noted the Alpha female's unusually cheerful mood. "She's usually pretty nice, but I haven't noticed her being a morning sort of person. What got into her?" He was bewildered when Jim, Blair, and Jane laughed so hard that they had to hold each other up.

Blair was all set to begin discussions about the possibility of helping the Kreelo develope a written language (one of the prerequisits for being considered a 'civilization' rather than a culture), but he was told firmly that there'd been enough of that for the time being. Fannie was holding her PDA very protectively when she said this, obviously worried that the young gods might take this new project up enthusiastically, and arrange for all data devices to use nothing but a hastily formed language, which she'd have no prayer of understanding. "Let it go for a little while, Blair. Lately you've been spending too much time inside, fussing over details." She made shooing motions at him. "Go out. Take a walk. Get fresh air."

Cadel had been listening, and asked no one in particular, "Do ALL mothers share a same basic set of phrases?"

"Yes," said Jag shortly. "Including 'because I'm the mother', 'if fill in the blank did fill in the blank, would you have to?', and 'well, I'M not so-and-so's mother'." He looked thoughtful. "Give it up, son. There are some things not even gods can change."

Blair was not allowed to help with any of the regularly assigned chores, since Jim and Scribe had given death glares to any of the Clan members he'd approached with offers of assistance. Finally he shrugged, packed a lunch, and took off on a ramble.

A little before noon, he wandered back around the Jedi Temple, with the idea of seeing how Remy and Royal were doing. Now that they were bonded to Masters, they spend a good deal of time away from the main cave--training. Blair knew this was necessary, given their strength in the Force, but it didn't stop him from missing his boys. Despite what a lot of people thought, Naomi didn't always foist him off on someone else so she could go roaming. He'd been very close to his mother, had spent a lot of time with her, and he wanted that closeness with his children.

He found Royal a short distance from the Jedi Temple, gazing up into a tree. He smiled at first, but then, looking around, noticed there there wasn't an adult in evidence. Squatting down by his son, he said, "Hon, where's your Master?" Not looking down, the little boy pointed behind himself. "Are you supposed to be here by yourself?"

Now Royal looked at him and blushed, shaking his head. "I s'posed to be nappin'."

"Oh. You snuck out?"

"Uh-huh."

"What have I told you about going off alone, son?"

"I not alone," the boy said reasonably. "I wit' Remy."

Blair said sternly. "Don't try to get out of it like that, Royal. Remy isn't here. I'm sure he's asleep, like he's supposed to be."

Royal gave him a small smile. "He asleep, but not where he s'posed be." He pointed up. Blair followed the indicated direction, and felt his blood freeze. There was a thick branch jutting out horizontally from the tree at a height of about thirty feet. He could just see tiny arms and legs dangling over either side of it, and a wisp of dark hair. Remy was apparently sprawled on his face, straddling the branch. "He inna tree," said Royal helpfully.

"Oh, FUCK!" whispered Blair.

"Pappa said bad word," scolded Royal. "Oo din' even say 'scuse my French'."

"Not now, baby! You stay right here. Don't move. And don't make any noise. I don't want Remy to get startled and fall."

Blair might not look quite as buff as Jim, but he was an athletic man. All his years in the field hadn't been dulled by his years in the classroom, and he was quite fit. *I can climb this tree,* he told himself. He walked around it, examining the trunk, which looked alarmingly smooth. *How the hell did Remy do it? There damn sure aren't a lot of hand-holds.*

Blair started. He began inching his way up. One foot, two feet, three... By the time he was ten feet up, he was sweating, his arms and legs trembling with the strain of hanging on when there wasn't really anything to use as a brace. Still, sheer will power kept him going. Seven feet, eight feet, nine...

He was just about at ten feet up when the bark on the small knob he'd used as a foot rest decided to peel off. It was a good thing that there was a lot of moss on the ground around the base of the tree, but he still felt something give in his right leg. There was an immediate, hot burst of pain, and he cried out.

Royal, horrified, ran to his father, babbling, "REMY, REMY, PAPPA FELL BOOM!"

Blair's horror was compounded when he saw the tiny limbs of his son twitch, and a little face appeared over the side of the branch, puckered in concern. He yelled, "Remy! Don't move!"

"Pappa, you yelled loud!" protested Remy. "You hurt?"

"No, I'm all right! Don't try to move. Hold on tight." *Oh, God! Can I move under him, and catch him if he falls? How am I going to get word out for help? Maybe if I concentrated hard enough some of the Jedi..."

Royal stamped his foot. "Remy, you scared Pappa! You come right down."

Remy started to roll off the branch.

"NO!" Blair screamed... and watched as his dark haired son floated gently to the ground, landing so softly beside him that the moss was scarcely disturbed. He blinked at the boys. "What the fuck?"

"Pappa!" scolded Remy. "Mama gonna 'pank you."

"Your mother would understand completely." He hugged Remy. "I'm glay you're safe, kid, but I don't know what I'm gonna do now. Neither one of you is big enough to help me walk, and..." The boys exchanged looks, then turned and gazed in the direction of the Jedi Temple, eyes squinting in concentration. "What are you...?" There was almost immediately the sound of voices and breaking brush. "Oh. Right."

Obi Wan was the first one to enter the little clearing, and he was holding his head. "All right, all right, boys! Stop shouting!" Royal and Remy relaxed, and Obi took note of the scene. "Oh, I'm sorry, kids!" He rushed over and knelt beside Blair. "You two had a good reason to be yelling, didn't you?" He ran his hands over Blair. "You're hurting. What happened?" The boys started hopping up and down excitedly, and Obi winced again as a couple of other Jedi entered the clearing. "Kids, PLEASE. Why don't you let your father explain this to me?"

"I would if I could," said Blair. "All I know is I got here, and Remy was up there," he pointed to the branch.

Obi glanced up, then winced. "Remy! That's FAR too high up for you to attempt at your level! What were you thinking of? Didn't your Master warn you not to practice your levitation without supervision?" Remy was rubbing one toe in the moss.

Blair said, "Excuse me--levitation?"

Obi gave him a curious look. "Of course. It's a basic part of Jedi training. Granted they usually don't start them as young as these two, but, well, things are changing lately, and they have the apptitude..." His voice trailed off. "Wait a minute... didn't their masters tell you they were beginning levitation training?"

"THEY--DID--NOT!"

Everyone flinched at the sound, and turned to see a glowering Jim Ellison stalking into the clearing, followed closely by an equally pissed looking Fannie. Obi stood up quickly, holding his hands up, palms out, in a 'peace' gesture. "Hey, when they started this, Qui Gonn WARNED them they needed to keep you informed of every stage. They still aren't used to being held accountable to the parents of padawans."

"So," said Fannie, her voice dangerously level, "since the felt it was an uneccesary bother, they didn't inform the concerned parents that they were teaching two-year-olds how to FLY?"

"And by so doing," continued Jim, teeth gritting, "you half scared one of the fathers into a heart attack, and it led to him endangering himself needlessly--or perhaps not so needlessly, because let's face it--a kid that age canNOT be counted on to be in control all the time."

"And said father now has a broken limb," continued Fannie. "He DOES, doesn't he?" Obi nodded. Fannie sat beside Blair, pulling his head into her lap, and beginning to stroke his hair. "Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it, punkin?" she crooned.

"Mama," said Remy reprovingly.

"Hush," she said shortly. "You're the one who was where he shouldn't be, weren't you?"

He did the toe-toe-in-the-moss bit. "Oo dint say I COULDN'T fly."

"It never occured to us it would be an issue!" Jim snapped.

"Jim?" said Fannie. "Let me take this." She gave her son a severe look. "Listen, Greg~," she said firmly. "There is the LETTER of the law, and then there is the SPIRIT of the law." She pointed at him. "And you knew darn good and well that even if we DIDN'T say, 'Remy, don't go flying around without supervision', we EXPECTED you to have enough sense NOT to do it without permission. Right?" Remy's bottom lip was trembling, big eyes moist, but this was important, and Fannie wasn't backing down. She poked him firmly on the shoulder. "RIGHT?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said in a small voice.

She sighed. "I'm not really MAD at you, sweetie. You SCARED me. How would you feel if you saw Pappa Blair playing with a snake?" The boys looked horrified, and she nodded. "Exactly. It MIGHT not be dangerous, but it COULD be. Remember, there's a reason for the rules."

Jim looked at Obi Wan, "Can you and these others help Fannie get Blair back to the cave?"

He nodded. "I'm surprised you haven't swooped him up already."

"Don't think I didn't come close, but I know Scribe will get him there safely, and there are other considerations." He looked at his contrite sons, then softly stroked their hair, red and black. "I don't think they're going to forget this." He cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowed. "I don't think their masters will, either, once I get through with them."

Core Haven Chapter Two, Scribe #3

Peja looked over at the Alpha Core's hearth, then leaned close to Rafe and whispered, "Sssscribe isn't back yet?"

Rafe shook his head. "She'sss ssstill holed up in one of the little caves at the back of the complex."

"How long has it been?"

"I dunno, but Jim and Blair sssay it ssseems like MONTHSSS."

"Day and a half," volunteered Neville, looking up from the hopper leg he'd been gnawing. "Missster Ellissson and Blair look..." He cocked his head, considering terms, then smiled in pleasure as he found an appropriate one. "Woeful."

"Enforced separation will do that to a Core," said Jane, pausing by their hearth.

"Enforced?" said Peja, puzzled. "Who sssays they have to stay apart?"

"Scribe. She said, and I quote, "I love you all, you know that, but kids, babies, wizards, witches, Kreelo and domestic cats, a menagerie never seen this side of Noah's Ark, Jedi (Masters, Knights, AND Padawans), moody teenagers, cranky toddlers, and DIVINITIES who are still learning their powers, all underfoot!" Then she grabbed Jim's shirt, got in his face, and yelled, 'I NEED A TIME OUT.' I don't think she would have been gone this long if Jim hadn't suggested that she take a Calgon moment."

Peja winced. "I guesss that explainsss why he wasss divorced."

"But it remains a mystery how he's managed to survive this long."

"Who or what isss Calgon?" asked Neville. "Sssounds like a Slytherin." Peja and Jane just gave him 'looks', and patted him on the head. He complained to Rafe, "I wish they wouldn't act like I can't underssstand anything jusst 'cause I'm young and from another universsse."

Rafe gave him a cynical look. "Kid, it's a woman thing. Believe me, being their age and from a sssimilar background doesssn't make any difference if you ssstill have a Y chromosome."

Chet, sitting between Peja and Rafe sighed. "I remember Calgon." This earned him speculative looks.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Usually their periods don't last this long."

"Dennis!" Fraser scolded. "That is a sexist and unutterably rude comment."

"Also a home truth," said Ray. "But she's not on the rag, except possibly metaphorically. I think that may be part of the problem. I think she thinks she might be pregnant again."

"Oh, dear," sighed Fraser. "And we've just gotten all the babies weaned and potty trained."

"I thought that Jane said that would probably be all the offspring for at least a couple of years? Something about reaching population saturation levels?"

Dennis nodded. "Yeah, but from what I've learned from talking to Fannie, her last name shoulda been Murphy rather than Feazell. To hear her and her friends tell it, the woman was working on breaking as many bones as Evil Kneavel."

Ron had dropped by their hearth to visit. Now he frowned. "You mean to tell me that there was someone in your universe actually NAMED Evil?"

"Usually they're fictional," said Ray. "Evil Kneavel, Scott Evil..."

"Ray? Las Vegas?" said Benton pointedly.~

Ray got a lascivious, nostalgic look on his face. "Right."~

"Deatheater?"

"Motorcycle daredevil," Ray corrected him.

"Oh, you mean a demon."

"Don't be so literal, Wandboy," said Finch. "Daredevil--someone who performs dangerous stunts just for the hell of it. Though in Evil's case, he made some fair money off it in his heyday. I'm not sure if it was enough to pay his insurance premiums, though?"

Ray snorted. "You think someone would have actually INSURED him."

"Right. Pay his medical costs, then. Ron, you DO know what a motorcycle is, don't you?"

"I'm just from another universe, I'm not bloody stupid, Dennis."

"Just checking. Anyway, Evil would advertise, draw huge crowds, then ride his cycle off a ramp and jump dozens and dozens of cars--sometimes, that is." Dennis grinned. "Sometimes he only managed the first dozen or so, thus the broken bones."

Ron stared at him. "You're having me on." Dennis held up his left hand, palm out, and put his right hand over his heart in the classic 'I swear' pose. "He must've bee barking mad."

"A lot of people would agree with you on that," Fraser admitted. "I always wondered if perhaps he had unadmitted suicidal tendencies."

"But why did he do it?" Ron asked insistently.

Ray shrugged. "Because Muggles can't fly on brooms?"

"I'd like to know how we managed to get from Fannie's pissy mood and voluntary isolation to why people perform motorcycle stunts," said Dennis.

Fraser shrugged. "I have heard of channeling spirits before. Might it be possible to channel a fanfiction writer?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

EC sighed wearily, looking at the five deities. "No, you are not to make religious decrees directing that it is the Divine Will that EVERYONE be at least bi-sexual."

Mac remarked, "Not that Scribe wouldn't approve..."

"No, she said that all the pretty gay men should be strongly persuaded to be at least bi so that their DNA could be passed down to future generations. Speaking of which, has she--?"

"Still holed up," said Robin.

"She'd better hurry up and come out of there," said EC. "Jim and Blair are shuffling, since Remy and Royal have more or less attached themselves to them."

"Can't blame them," said Mac. "They're feeling a little insecure since Mama as secluded herself."

"But she better end the seclusions soon. The boys' Masters still aren't used to the concept of their Padawans being under parental authority and care, and they are starting to get huffy about the boys missing training. I'm worried that one of them is going to say something stupid, and end up getting thrashed by Jim or Blair."

Mac shrugged. "I, personally, could use the entertainment."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"This moping about is ridiculous, Sandburg," said Snape firmly. "It isn't as if she's gone off world. The woman in no more than a hundred or so yards away."

"With rock walls between us," sighed Blair.

"You seem rather run-down. Do you need me to brew up a revivifying elixer?"

"No, I just need my mate to come back. Jim's been feeling even more insecure than the boys, and when he's insecure he's needy, and when he's needy, he wants physical comforting, and cuddling can only go so far. I love the big guy, but he's wearing my ass out."

"Hm, I see. I could perform a summoning spell."

"Are you crazy? She reacts badly to being forcibly brought anywhere. You haven't really seen her pissed yet."

"There was that time when she overimbibed the fermented tallaberry cider."

"Oops, forgot the difference between English and American-speak. When I said 'pissed', I didn't mean drunk--I meant ANGRY. It's just that angry isn't quite as descriptive as necessary for that state. Ask Chet about the infamous 'child bearing hips' incident when she was pregnant with the twins."

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Carter was hugging TW, patting her back. "It's okay, sweetie."

"But I'm WORRIED about her," TW sniffed. "I told her I had S'mores Pop Tarts, and she wouldn't even come to the door."

"She knows there aren't any left," said Malucci reasonably. "If there were, she would have found them a long time ago. When it comes to Pop Tarts, that girl can make you think she's a Sentinel instead of an Anchor."

TW wiped her eyes. "Jim and Blair won't let Remy and Royal go ask her to come out. They say that they aren't ready to stoop to mother guilt yet. But she has to get in a better mood, fast. I'm going to send in the big guns."

"No!" Carter gasped in mock horror. "Not..."

"That's right." TW's eyes narrowed. "Baby animals."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Scribe lay on a bed of furs in the dim cavelette, moodily staring up at the indistinct ceiling. She was feeling more peaceful than she had when she'd loaded the cave up with food and supplies, then threatened to hamstring anyone who came near her without an express invitation. It hadn't been easy to leave her children outside. Marietta, Remy, and Royal had clutched each other, watching her drag her furs away, eyes moist, and plump baby lips trembling, but she'd stiffened her resolve. She was getting more and more snappish lately, and it wasn't good for her kids. Besides, she knew there was an abundant pool of loving and competent babysitters, starting with their daddies.

She sighed, closing her eyes. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to sleep alone. She had decided that she didn't particularly care for it, even if she ended up with hair in her mouth occasionally, or a numb arm from someone falling asleep on it.

She wasn't sure exactly WHY she'd made this retreat. She'd only known that she needed to be alone for awhile, and this was the only way to do it, since she wasn't equipped to spend a night alone outside the cave. Whatever it was that had driven her to this seemed to have passed, but now she was sort of... becalmed. She just couldn't get the inspiration or motivation to get up and get out.

Right about the time she was thinking this, something warm and furry dropped on her face. Her eyes flew open, to find tiny yellow eyes staring into her own, from less than an inch away. There were minute scrapes applied to her cheeks.

*meeeeer*

She plucked the tortoiseshell kitten off her face and sat up. "How the hell did you get in here?"

As she said that, one of the Clan cats, another tortoiseshell, came into the room, carrying a black kitten by the scruff of its neck. She deposited this baby in Fannie's lap, and sat by her side, staring up at her, then chirped. "Puddin! You had your babies." She scratched the mother cat under the chin, receiving a rough purr. "You looked like you'd swallowed a football before I came in here." She picked up the black kitten and examined it. "Wait a minute... You were still pregnant, and if these are your babies... Their EYES are OPEN! That doesn't happen for how many days?"

She did a fast fact check in her mind, not liking what she found. Suddenly she realized that her pile of supplies had been reduced to a few scraps, and her water pots were down to a few sloshing drops. "I've been in here THAT long? Crap!"

She scrambled up, carefully cradling the kittens. "C'mon, sugarkitty, and show me where you're keeping the rest of them."

She stepped out into the hall. A couple of yards farther up, TW was squatted beside a basket that contained three other kittens. She flushed when she saw Scribe approaching. "Okay, I know that it was unfair to push your buttons, but..."

Scribe said, "Oh, hush." She carefully put the two kittens in with their sisters and brothers, and glanced down to where the hall led into the main cave. Jim and Blair were standing there, watching, expressions anxious. "Where are my kids?"

"The Hogwarts kids are watching them down at the Kreelo village. It wasn't easy to get them to go, but they were promised that they'd be shown how to bead a special 'welcome home' necklace for you. We figured that if this worked, you'd want some time alone with Jim and Blair."

"Well, I'm about to go back into that cavelette." TW's face fell. "Not alone, you ditz." She lifted her voice. "Jim, Blair--haul ass over here! First come, first served." She ducked back into the cave to the sound of eager whoops and the thunder of running footsteps.

Core Haven: Chapter Two: Evil Cordy # 7, I'm pretty sure

"Scribe's ... well, not out of her little bolt hole, but she dragged the guys in," Ephiny observed as she joined her sisters outside.

Jag snorted. "If I'd separated myself from Ezra and Vin for as long as she's cut herself off from Jim and Blair I'd have dragged them in with me, too."

Robin yawned. "Good thing all the kids are down at the Kreelo village."

"Uh, not all of them," Mac muttered. "We've got incoming."

"Mooooom!" Abira whined as she popped out of the ether in front of the triplets and Robin. "Tell Cadel to stop making Sentinels out of my magic-users!"

Cadel and Delsin appeared right behind her.

"I can't help it if a couple of Sentinels were born magic users," Cadel protested. "They were born before me anyhow!"

"It isn't as if she protests when Botan or Emil find Guides or Jedi among them," Delsin added with a frown at their sister.

Abira leveled a glare at the boys that would have had mortals cowering at her feet. "That's because Botan and Emil *tell me* before they yank them off to a temple to be trained!!!"

"Silence!" bellowed all three of the Nighthunters before the fight got any further out of hand.

Robin cleared her throat. "Uh, who was it this time, Abira?"

"The Weasley twins, Fred and George," Abira grumbled. "Do you know how great those two are as chaos makers? Every time one of their pranks goes off I get a power charge."

"She's hogging all the power they supply!"

Jag arched her eyebrows at her sons. Cadel shifted nervously. "Well, ya' see, their senses are about t'come on line. And iffen they don't get the training they need, and get bonded to their Guides and Anchors, then they ain't gonna be doing Abira any good."

"We were perhaps a bit hasty in moving the young men from Abira's domain to Cadel's," Delsin admitted under Mac's blank faced stare.

"And you three didn't go to Emil over this ... why?" Eph asked as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He'd take her side!" was exclaimed at the same instant as "He'd take their side!"

"Bullshit," Mac announced. "Emil doesn't take sides. You know that. Taking sides is not part of his job. Mediating crap like this, *is*."

Abira muttered something under her breath.

"What was that?" demanded Jag.

"Um. I said ... Emil's kind of busy mooning over a girl," she paused for a moment.

Mac smirked. "Anyone we know?"

"Serendipity, one of the muses," Cadel piped up.

Delsin smiled slightly. "Of course nothing will come of it as she's , ah ... anatomically incorrect?"

Eph snickered. "You son is hot for a barbie doll."

"Shut it," Jag snapped. She pointed at Cadel. "Next time you find a Sentinel among your sister's magic users you will *inform* her before shifting them to your temple!" She pointed at Abira. "You will stop hogging all of the energy from the twins." She shifted to point at Delsin. "And I'm not sure what you've done, but I *know* you've done something, so cut it out because I *will* find out what it is."

"Mother, really, I haven't done anything," Delsin insisted.

Jag snorted. "You're entirely too much Ezra's son for me to believe that. Oh, if he had been here while David was `teaching' the children to play poker ... now that would have been interesting."

"Ezra would have cleaned him out and had the kids ready to do the same in less than a day," Mac pointed out.

"His head would have exploded," Eph agreed. "David's not Ezra's."

Robin grinned. "That would have been fun to see. Wonder if we can get a poker game started ..."

******

Ezra was settled on a rock that Mac had rescued from what her sisters referred to as the Great `Jag Got Knocked Up' Tantrum, and arranged as a seat near the outside area where the younger children played. His favorite deck of cards flew back and forth between his fingers as he entertained the children by playing hide and seek with the Queen of Hearts.

The professional gambler and occasional con-man enjoyed the days he and his mates, and partners, had off from helping to build the world wide police force. The sheer scope of the project was daunting from time to time. Especially when compared to his few years as a peace keeper for Four Corners. There were more people living in the Cavern Complex alone than had resided in and around the dusty little town where he had found his first real home. Add to that number the residents of Hogwarts II, the cat-like Kreelo of the near by village, the other Kreelo villages, and the Jedi ... While he lacked the exact numbers he was fairly certain that there hadn't been that many people in the New York of his world.

But this place, so aptly named Haven, was his home now and Four Corners seemed only a short stay over where he had found one of the companions for the rest of his life. The rest of his life spent building this new world.

And his mother said he wouldn't amount to anything without her.

"Hello, Daddy," Delsin said, joining Ezra on the rock that served at a bench. "What's wrong?"

"I assure you, my dear boy, there isn't the slightest thing wrong," Ezra told him with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes even as it flashed his gold capped tooth.

Delsin snorted softly. "Don't try and con me, Daddy. I learned everything you know on the subject. If it would help you could think of me as your God rather than as your son."

"While I am not a great believer in corporal punishment, Delsin, you are not too big to be spanked."

"Yes, sir. But helping you is part of my job," the young God of Anchors pointed out.

Ezra turned a carefully controlled look on his wife's son. "And how exactly did you come to the conclusion that there was something wrong with me?"

"You've been playing hide and seek the Queen for the last ten minutes, and the children were collected by their parents six minutes ago," Delsin said, waving toward the play area.

"I'm not certain you would understand," Ezra finally admitted.

That earned him a quirked eyebrow. A mannerism Delsin had copied entirely from Ezra himself. "Try me."

"I feel as if Fate is playing a cruel joke on me," Ezra said quietly. "As if all of this is a dream and in a moment Mr. Larabee will send someone upstairs to bang on my door because I'm late for an early patrol. Or worse yet, open my eyes to find that Judge Travis never released me from that small jail cell."

"It isn't, Daddy," Delsin said quietly. "This is real. Us, Mama, Pa. Your work with Uncle Simon to build a workable police system. Personally, the five of Us wouldn't understand as much about people as we do if it weren't for you."

"And as I now feel better I will use my keen powers of observation to ask what I can do for you," Ezra drawled.

Delsin blinked at him. "What makes you think I want something?"

"You're my son."

"Good point." The young god grinned. "Aunt Scribe has been somewhat distracted of late. Care to help me make her undistracted?"

"You mean she's been in absentia and you want to help certain members of the Clan gain their revenge for abandoning us to woeful Jim and Blair? As Neville so aptly put it." Ezra asked quirking an eyebrow at his boy.

Delsin grinned. "Something like that. Cadel's asking Vin for help, and the girls are talking Emil into it."

Ezra started to smile as well. "I believe that this calls for a larger group than we have at present."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"You're Aunt Robin, and Ethan," Ezra said. "They're just to start with of course. Perhaps the young Mr. Weasley? He must have learned something from his elder identical brothers."

"We can only hope," Delsin chuckled. "What about Harry?"

Ezra shook his head. "No ... I believe Mr. Weasley would do well to learn how to get into trouble on his own rather than at Mr. Potter's side."

"You believe we'll get into trouble for this?"

"Only if we're caught out."

******

Peja frowned slightly and glanced back toward the cavelette that Scribe had taken over as her study as screams and shrieks echoed down the tunnels. "What isss that all about?"

"Sssstrrrrawberrrrriesssss," Neville replied promptly.

"Do I want to know anymorrre?"

Neville tilted his head to one side then the other as he considered it. "Prrrrobably not."

******

Mac settled back with a grim smile. "Well, my part in this little debacle is done."

"Why strawberries?" Faith asked.

EC grinned at her. "Because they taste good with ... cream."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "And I had kids with you two? What was I thinking?"

******

"This is a bad idea," Ron whispered. He distinctly remembered Robin and Ethan being closer to his age, but now they were older and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know how that happened. Or why they bothered with a triad when neither of them was a Sentinel, an Anchor or a Guide.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "It's a bloody marvelous idea, you twat. Even your sister said so."

"Both of you shut your holes," Robin said softly. "And stop whispering they'll hear you. You know your parts, get started."

Ron rolled his eyes before he swished and flicked his wand over the small container of water. "Voluminus."

Ethan tapped the side of the container. "Froid."

"Éclaboussure," hissed Robin with a wave of her hand from the container toward the nook where Scribe, Jim and Blair were getting nookie. She then grabbed her companions and apparated out of the caverns.

******

"Revenge leads to the Dark Side," QuiGon reminded his redheaded mate.

Ginny gave him a sharp look learned at the knee of her mother. "Don't take that tone with me, Mr. Jedi Knight. Even your God is in on this."

QuiGon pressed on. "Fannie is my sister, Ginny. I can't in good conscience go along with this."

"Then go over there," Ginny snapped, waving in the general direction of away. The next time the Alpha Core actually used their bed they wouldn't be in it for long. Not with half a dozen of the twins' beatle bog bombs going off.

******

"How long are we going to have them keep this up?" Botan asked as she and her siblings watched the ensuing chaos.

"Until one of two things happen," suggested Cadel.

"And those two things would be?" Emil wondered.

Delsin shrugged. "Aunt Fannie apologizes or Aunt Jane makes us stop them."

Abira smirked. "And they can't make the Clan stop by using magic because I won't let them. It's good to be me."

"We're mean," Botan sighed.

"Not really, a lot of this was Daddy's idea, although Pa helped," Emil pointed out.

Cadel shrugged. "A little divinely inspired retribution will only make Aunt Fannie stronger in the long run."

FIC Core Haven: Jane part 8

'Smirking Abira' yelped as she found herself dangling well above the cave floor from the hand 'Aunt Jane'. "You were supposed to go after *the men*, kid. You know, the Cascade duo who should have yanked her ass out of there for an extended vacation. SHE NEEDED CUDDLES AND WAS IGNORED.

Since when has Jim ever listened when told "No" and what kind of example is BLAIR setting for young guides if he doesn't even TRY to talk her into so many circles he soon has her wrapped up in a not so neat but very tight little knot? HUH? Just what the hell are you people DOING?" She snarled. "I'll kick Jim's ass myself...he knows better than to let this sort of thing go on too long like this! Guess I'm back to my "Fuck With JIM Mode." She said as she swatted the youngster's ass a few times, then ducked the kid in a hot spring to scrub at the sticky stuff off her niece.

It was, she mused, a good thing Abira was immortal, judging by the amount of water and soapsuds she was swallowing. She'd reverted to cat-form and was mewling pitifully. Jane rinsed the soap out and added home-made conditioner. "Shut you lips or you'll have the shits for a week. Look, if you want to KEEP the "I'm Divine" part, then you damned well better start with the "I'm a responsible member of the Order of Divine Guidence and I am Responsible for My Followers' part! Got me, Fuzzy?"

She plopped the soaking wet Abira onto a low, flat rock, hit her with a blast of hot wind without rinsing out the conditioner. It wouldn't hurt her, after all. It *would* have the effect of giving her a sort of fizzed out, fuzzy Jerri-Curl, though.

Then she went into the cave to clean up the mess, stuff various portions of her sister's men full of the strawberries and cream, then shaved Jim utterly bald. All over. She didn't leave so much as a bit of peach-fuzz on him anywhere. She figured if he had no better sense than shown, he didn't *deserve* to keep any hair.

She also tied Blair's hair into knots and then she dumped the pair of them out into the middle of a chilly lake to swim back. Fannie she plunked down on a rock on a small island out in the middle of the Cave and just glared at her before handing Fannie her hurt-feelinged kids.

"Your kids wanted to know why you don't want them around anymore. You created that propblem, so you deal with it...while your husbands are trying to swim home."

Isolation, Jane thought, was fine as long as limits were observed. A hiatus of that length was just plain silly. And the things those kids had been thinking! She heard Fannie's daughter ask her mama, in a voice thick with unshed tears, if the reason she had hid for so long was because she (the girl) wasn't gifted or special like her sibs. The children were all convinced that their mother's absence had been *their* fault. The fact that their fathers had been too busy moping over it to care for the kids properly hadn't helped, either.

The other parents had seen to their overall care, but that wasn't the same at all. They hadn't really felt all that welcome in their own hearth, and except for the youngest, had stopped sleeping at home. Ususally, now, they found a hidden spot near a river to curl up and stare at the water until sleep came. They were NOT a happy bunch of kids.

Simon, Qui and Megan stared at her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Banks bellowed. "Creating balance, what else? By the time they get back to the cave my sister will have figured out what happens when a mama drops her kids cold-turkey and stomps off in a pique." She huffed, still glaring at Fannie.

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

The men finally made it to shore where Blair panted, exhausted. Jim was in a little better shape although his emotions were all over the place. Jane had dropped them both into a coldwater lake and left them there, singing out "Lesson Time! Find your Anchor and go TAKE CARE OF HER *PROPERLY* YOU MORONS!"

Blair had started to fade halfway to shore and that had roused his protective instincts. He'd zoned twice on the reflections on the water and that had focused Blair. Their eyes met on the beach as they staggered toward the cave.

Jim was pissed, Fannie was...he wasn't sure yet...Blair was nervous, the Triplets were in High Gear and Jane was on what looked like a small crusade. And the rest of the Cave seemed to be intend on backing up and getting out of their way(s). No one seemed real sure what would happen, on that it would be explosive.

END: Core Haven: Jane part 8