Chapter 17

Kara bounced excitedly on the wagon seat next to H'zim as they headed to the main farmhouse the next morning. She'd watched these people from a distance, fascinated by their camaraderie and the sense that they were a family, no matter how different they were, and now she was about to meet them.

The summer sun cast a warm glow over the landscape as they came over a slight crest and the farm spread out in front of them, peaceful and prosperous looking. Pastures filled with cattle mingled with fields heavy with grain. The big white farmhouse was at the center, like a mother hen watching over her chicks.

She glanced over at H'zim, curious about his reaction but he was scowling again. Was he dreading this visit that much? She reached over and slid her hand into his. He squeezed it almost desperately, but some of the tension left his shoulders.

As they reached the wide drive in front of the farmhouse, the door opened and a pretty plump woman hurried out giving them a warm smile.

"I'm Ida, Temel's wife. Welcome."

Kara liked her immediately and smiled back.

"Thank you. We're happy to be here."

H'zim helped her down from the wagon, then tensed again as they turned towards the stairs. A second person had emerged - a big blue alien with towering horns and an indefinable air of command. She didn't need Ida's murmured introduction to know that he had to be Commander Temel.

"Commander," H'zim said stiffly.

"Just Temel is fine," Temel said calmly as he studied H'zim's face. His eyes were far too discerning and she was glad he wasn't focused on her. "How is the farm working out for you?"

"Fine."

H'zim was still rigid with tension, and she jumped into the gap.

"We're enjoying it very much. We'll be able to harvest some grain this year and my garden is doing remarkably well."

Temel turned that intimidating gaze on her, but he no longer looked quite so stern. Tired perhaps, but also kind, and she smiled at him.

"This is my mate, Kara," H'zim said awkwardly. "Kara, this is Commander Temel."

‘I'm pleased to meet you, Kara," Temel said courteously and she echoed him.

A brief, awkward silence fell and then a small boy poked his head around the door, his eyes widening when he saw her.

"The fairy lady!" He came rushing down the steps and threw his arms around her waist. "I missed you," he said indignantly.

"I missed you too, Tommy, but I was… needed somewhere else."

"Are you here to tell me another story?" he demanded, and everyone laughed.

The tension eased and even H'zim relaxed a little.

"Come into the kitchen," Ida urged. "I just made some cookies."

"Cookies!" Tommy yelled and charged off ahead of them.

More people waited in the kitchen. Ida introduced them as Kalpar and Constance. She immediately recognized the petite blonde from their brief encounter outside the barn next door and Constance recognized her too.

"So you are real! I almost managed to convince myself I'd imagined the whole thing."

"I'm definitely real," she laughed.

Kalpar and H'zim were eyeing each other warily, but Kalpar finally sighed.

"You should have told me you were newly mated. I thought you were going mad."

"Not entirely," H'zim said calmly.

Kalpar stared at him for a moment, then laughed.

She watched as the two of them talked and realized that despite H'zim's concerns, his bond with the other warriors was still intact.

S'kal joined them a few minutes later, accompanied by his very tiny wife. S'kal smiled down at her as he brought Evie over and introduced her. Evie grinned and gave her a quick impulsive hug.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered. "S'kal worries about H'zim so much."

"I think things are getting better."

"I know they are. I understand congratulations are in order."

Evie beamed at her. "I'm so excited. What about you?"

She shook her head but couldn't help a slight pang of envy. What would it be like to feel H'zim's child growing inside her?

"If you decide to do that one day, just be prepared," Evie wanted her. "You think they're over protective now? Just wait until you're pregnant."

As if in response to her words, S'kal came over to join them, picking Evie up and depositing her gently in one of the chairs around the big kitchen table.

"You need to stay off your feet."

"Yes, sir," Evie murmured, rolling her eyes at Kara, and she had to turn away to suppress a laugh.

As they all laughed and chatted, she felt a sense of belonging wash over her. These people, H'zim's friends and family, were accepting her with open arms. She was no longer the stranger watching from the periphery of their lives.

Ida finally let out a sigh, breaking the spell of warmth and laughter.

"I suppose the two of you are here on business," she said to Kara, her tone practical and no-nonsense. "Why don't we get started on lunch while the boys go off to talk?"

She shot a quick glance at H'zim but he nodded and rose, all of the warriors following Temel out of the kitchen. Constance wandered towards the front of the house while Evie took Tommy outside to play.

She was a little disappointed that the moment of connection had been interrupted, but as she joined Ida at the kitchen counter, she was still grateful for this newfound sense of belonging. She began to help Ida chop vegetables, the rhythmic motion soothing her as they worked together in comfortable silence.

Finally Ida shot her a curious glance.

"Is it lonely for you, out there on that farm away from everyone else?"

"Actually, I love it." She looked up from the carrots to find the other woman gazing at her sympathetically. "I'm not afraid of hard work, and the two of us have made good progress. The fields are cleared, the garden is planted, and the chicken coop is finished."

Ida smiled at her, and Kara took a deep breath.

"But I was lonely, before H'zim arrived. I'd been… hiding out on that farm for several months."

"On an abandoned farm? By yourself? Oh, you poor thing."

Ida gave her a quick impulsive hug and she returned it, but she couldn't relax completely until she'd told her the entire story.

"H'zim told me that he didn't actually go through with it, but a man named Lucas Trask was going to accuse me of theft. He was trying to blackmail me into sleeping with him."

Ida made a moue of disgust.

"I've run into him a few times in town. He's never shown any particular interest in me, but he was definitely interested in my daughter Dora - or at least he was until her husband Naffon accompanied her to town. He had the sense to back off then. The man is a menace."

"H'zim threatened to cut off his balls if he went after another woman."

H'zim had told her about their encounter as they drove over to the farm and she'd thoroughly enjoyed picturing the scene. Ida's eyes widened, and then she laughed.

"A suitable fate. Do you think he'll listen?"

"I don't know, but H'zim spoke to the shopkeeper and told him to send word if he heard about Lucas doing anything like that again. He thought the shopkeeper's wife would know if there were any rumors about his behavior."

Ida nodded a little ruefully. "Miranda Anderson is one of the biggest gossips in town - but it's nice to think that might be helpful for once." She reached out and put a gentle hand on Kara's arm. "I wish you'd known to come to me. I would have helped you."

Unexpected tears threatened to fill Kara's eyes as she gave Ida a watery smile.

"Thank you. I felt so alone at the time." She hesitated, then blurted out the rest of her story. "Because I was lonely, I used to watch the farm sometimes, watch all of you. I didn't mean any harm but everyone seemed so happy and it made me feel less lonely."

The other woman didn't seem disturbed by her confession, nodding slowly.

"I suspected as much when Tommy announced that you were the fairy. I'm sorry you were so alone."

"I was for a long time, but now I have H'zim."

"And us," Ida said firmly. "We're a family. A sometimes dirty one," she added with a laugh as Evie returned with a very grubby Tommy. "If you'll finish up the vegetables while I try to find the little boy underneath all that dirt, we'll have everything ready to go by the time they finish their meeting."

She nodded happily, feeling a thousand times lighter after her confession. A family - a somewhat odd family, perhaps - but a family nonetheless. She only hoped that H'zim's meeting was equally successful.