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Cassie stood looking stunned for a moment. the herald was gone, or rather replaced by a child,

"Fiona?"

Fiona looked up at cassie befor diveing at her

"momma!"


Cassie looked down at the child who was now clinging to her. Sandy too was at Cassies feet now. And sandy had not left The Heralds side from the time she had introduced the to, there for this child had to be Fiona.

She tore off her jacket and wrapped it around Fiona as a clap of thunder sounded makeing her teeth rattle. Cassie scooped Fiona into her arms and Sandy scrammbled up her back to cling to her sholders. She then tore across the feild leaping the ditch with seeming ease and started running down her driveway back to her house. The store was gradually getting worse,

"Its alright Fiona im here and we are going to go home and get you warm and dry."

Cassie said this again and again, Fiona clung to the frount of her shirt shakeing like a leaf in the wind. She was unsure if the child was afraid or cold.

Cassie and Fiona moved back down stairs were all the pets had gathered and now turned to the new comer. All at once the critter surged forward wanting to sniff, lick or nibble at the child. Fiona eeped and moved behind Cassie, as if to hide.

"Easy easy, one at a time kids."

the mongeeses and dragons moved back and then waited for instruction, Sandy stood at the frount wanting to be with Fiona again. Cassie scooped Fiona up into her arms and moved to sits on the stairs and then sat the child on her lap.

"Are you ready to meet your new family Fiona?"

The little girl with her gray eyes and fair hair looked at Cassie then nodded smileing,

"Yes! just not so fast."

Slowyly the critters moved forward rubbing their faces against Fionas hands and landing on her lap or Cassies sholders. For a time they sat like that each animal getting to know Fiona. When they were done Cassie stood and let Fiona back down, Sandy walked right beside Fiona as they made their way to the kitchen. There Cassie made them hot soup and coco. When it was ready they sat at the table and ate listening to the storm rage outside. all the animals were inside, most of which sat or lay around the table. Fiona watched and mimiced Cassies' every move

The next morning the sun was shineing brightly, it was hard to tell there had even been a storm at all other than the fact there were puddles to size of swimming pools everywere outside.

Cassie woke as the sun filtered through her window onto her face. She moved to rub her eyes with her right fist only to find she couldnt lift her arm. The red haired woman looked to her right to see the reason she couldnt move her arm. There beside her clinging to her arm was Fiona. her soft gray hair messy with sleep, shown with the light of the sun.

Cassie slowly eased her arm from the childs grip and replaced her own arm with a pillow, which Fiona clung to.

'What a strange child. . ."

Cassie left her room and the sleeping child to shower and get ready for the day. When she had finished Fiona still slept soundly so She went down stairs and started makeing brakefest and feed the pets.

The large motorcycle was speeding down the highway. The Driver wore a black leather jacket and an old brown helmet with goggles, She wore rideing gloves and boots. In the side car beside the driver was another person. This one much smaller. She wore the same sort of Jacket and helmet, only her white hair flew out behind her as the wind blew past them.

Soon the motorcycle turned off the highway onto another smaller main road that twisted through town. Now she slowed down considerably. At a stop light the driver turned to her passanger and asked,

"Hey Fiona how do you like the ride?"

The little girl looked up at Blair through the goggles she wore to protect her eyes.

"I like it when you go really fast!"

She exclaimed happily. the light turned green and Blair moved on again twisting her way through the city to a tall building. she pulled into the parking lot and stopped, cutting the engin then said,

"Here we are, our first stop anyway."

Cassie swong off the bike and went around to were fiona sat. She opened the frount to let the child out. Fiona hopped out of the side car and stood beside it, a bright smile on her face. Blair pulled a box from under the side car seat then closed the door again. She took off her helmet then put it in the top of the side car, fiona following suit. Cassie pulled a cover over the side car opening then scooped fiona onto her sholders.

"Hold on tight"

fiona didnt know what to hold on to so Cassie took her hands and put them on her her forhead. She then crouched and picked up the box. she shifted it to carry in one arm useing her free hand to keep Fiona steady on her sholders, the girls legs under her armpits. Cassie stooped low so They could get throught the door. As they entered the building tons of people could be seen rushing this way or that. Cassie walked up a set of stairs and then down to another part of the building.

people running this way and that bumping into Cassie as they rushed around. That was the exact reason why she had put fiona on her sholders. It was a hectic place and she didnt want the child to get caught up or hurt.

"Rain! Is that you?"

Cassie turned around to see one of the goffers running toward her. it was Lilly Jones, she was working for one of Cassies co-workers part time. As she drew closer Lilly notice the fair child that was purched on Cassies sholders.

"hey Lilly, you need help with something?"

"No just sayin hi, whos your friend?"

Fiona brightened when she was mentioned and said,

"Im Fiona Blair. Who are you?"

Lilly smiled,

"Im Lilly Jones, its nice to meet you Fiona Blair. do you know what your name means?"

"Mmhmm, Fiona means. . . fair or white, and Blair means child of the fields."

Cassie grinned but did not laugh freely. Lilly looked sort of in shock, she had not expected the child to know. cassie explained,

"I told her what her name ment already Lilly, sorry to
spoil your fun."

Lilly smiled and waved it off just then someone called to her and lilly turned to jog off calling,

"See ya later Mrs. Rain, bye Fiona nice meeting you!"

Cassie turned and continued down to her emplyers office, she tapped on the door, someone from inside said,

"Unless that is Cassie, with my pictures, go away."

Cassie opened the door and stooped as she entered so Fiona didnt hit her head.

"Hey Kris, sorry it took so long, something came up. Here are your pictures."

The woman at the desk looked up, her short brown hair hung in her eyes boyishly. She wore a dark pant suit and squired fine rim glasses. She looked at Cassie then her eyes moved up and locked on fiona,

"Is that what came up?"

Fiona smiled at Kris as Cassie put the box of pictures on Kirs's desk and reached up to take Fiona off her sholders.

"Yes, this is Fiona Blair."

Kris studied the child a moment then said to Cassie,

"I knew you were thinking about adopting, but i never thought you would go through with it."

"Well i did Kris, Fiona dear, saw buh bye to Mrs Kris."

Cassie was not always fond of the woman, She was a strict and often angry woman. by chance cassie had run into her at a bar one night, Kris had been drunk, and when Cassie talked to her the woman talked. Cassie had found that she was homosexual, which she had always guessed, and that her girl friend had left her. Cassie felt bad for her boss, on more than one occation she thought about confronting Kirs about our Girl friend, but she had passed out that night at the bar a didnt remeber the night at all.

Fiona smiled,

"Bye-bye Mrs. Kris! It was nice to meet you."

Fiona waved bye to Kris as they walked out the door her hand firmly clasped in Cassies. Kris watched in amazment as they two walked out. There was something about that girl that made her less angry. Cassie scooped Fiona up onto her sholder and weaved her way through the people. Fiona looked around amazed and happy as could be. she pointed out Pictures that hung on the walls and asked about them and Cassie would answer and explain about them.

They left the building and Cassie let fiona down again. She kept the childs hand in her own as they walked to the motorcycle. They got organized back onto the bike befor zooming away to their next destination

For Lunch the two stoped at a MacDonalds. Fiona got a chicken nuggets kids meal and a milk with apple sauce. Blair had a salad. Blair watched happily as Fiona plaied with her toy as she nibbled on a nugget. When they finished their meal blair got Fiona an icecream as they walked along the side walk back to were the bike was parked. fiona licked at the frozen treat while holding onto Blairs hand. When she finished Blair sqated infrount of the child and wipped the icecream from her mouth and fingers.

They got back to the bike and climbed in. Blair asked if there was anything fiona wanted to get when she got a shrug from the child Blair started up her bike and they drove around for a while enjoying the warm sun and cool brezze. As they were rideing along Blair saw Build a Bear workshop and pulled over to were they could park

blair lead fiona into the building and let the little girl pick out a stuffed animal and cloths. After a while Fiona finally picked out the Giraffe stuffed animal and the camo cargo out fit. In addtion to that fiona also picked out a bed and pillow blankete set and a pair Pink Gradient Sunglasses .

As fiona was filling her giraffe with stuffing Blair saw a health set, there was a brush and tooth brush tooth past set. She got that to help her teach Fiona how to care for herself

Later that day Fiona and Cassie sat in the living room. Fiona had a sheet of math problems infrount of her that she was working through. Cassie sat checking the answers of a grammer work sheet.

Right away Cassie thought it would be best if she home schooled Fiona. she was unwilling to subject Fiona to the teaseing and funmakeing she was sure to incounter. She may have had the body of a young girl but she was already figureing material ment for a juinor high student.

Fiona put down her pencial and said in a chipper tone,

"Fi-inished!!"

Cassie smiled and toke the paper from the young girl and replied,

"Im almost finished."

While Fiona waited for Cassie to finish gradeing her papers she rubbed her back against the corner of the end table beside her stratching her back. Cassie glanced up and noticed this,

"Fiona stop!"

Shocked Fiona stopped what she was doing and looked at Cassie, with a slightly hurt look. Cassie quickly explained,

"If you dont stop scratching your back, your going to end up hurting yourself, Lets go put some more cream on it ok?"

Fiona nodded. Cassie almost never yelled at her. The older woman saw that she had hurt the young girls feelings by yelling at her. Quietly Cassie moved behind Fiona and scooped the girl up into her arms and walked waggying the girls legs back and fourth.

"Im sorry i yelled at you Fiona, I just dont want you hurt."

Fiona hugged Cassies arms and nodded,

"I know."

Cassie smiled and put Fiona on her sholders stooping so the girl wouldnt hit her head on the celling. once in the bathroom Cassie set Fiona down and the girl rolled up the back of her shirt to expose the irritated flesh and small wings.

"Mama? why does my back itch so much?"

Cassie had not told Fiona what she found earlier that morning and desided to show her instead of tell.

"Let me show ya."

She set fiona sitting on the counter and held a mirror so she could see her back in the larger mirror mounted on the wall.

" You are growing wings, and very pretty ones at that."

Fiona was shocked. She looked in the mirror then craned her neck back to get a different veiw of her back. All she could say was,

"wow. . . "

Cassie got on her computer and started looking up information for their trip. Fiona sat on her knee looking at the pictures that were on each sight. She expectaly liked the baby animal pictures. They spent several hours looking for the information they were going to need. As she surfed the net, Cassie took notes on what they were going to need.

Once their list was complete Cassie and Fiona went into town.

She hated to admit it, but Cassie's bike was just not large enough for her to pack everything for the trip. She went to a U-Store, place and after talking to the manager was able to get into her storage garage. As she and Fiona wondered around in the massive storage unit Cassie grummbled,

"Geez, i really need to organize all of this stuff."

Slowly she wond her way through the boxes to the back of the Unit, fiona asked,

"Mama? What is all of this stuff?"

Cassie went to a large covered item and pulled the cover off of it.

"Ah-Ha! found you! All of this is junk mostly, i really should sell it or give it all away, but i am a pack rat really."

There infrount of Cassie was a large jeep. She walked a circle around it checking everything over befor moveing boxes out of the way. fiona helped with the light ones asking,

"What are in all of these boxes?"

"The lighter ones are Pictures the big stuff i dont really know."

Once a path was cleared Cassie pushed the jeep out of the storage unit and did a better check of it. After checking the brakes and engin she took their things from the bike and put them in the jeep befor storeing the bike away.

After packing their bags into the back of the jeep Cassie went back inside to see Fiona playing with sandy in the frount walk way. The mongoose pulled on a toy as Fiona pulled back, they play tug o war. Cassie smiled while watching them a moment then went through a different hall to the kitchen were she started cooking.

She browned some ground beef and boiled egg noodles. She threw fresh sliced mushrooms into the browning meat then put Jonny Seasoning salt on it befor covering the pan. When the noodles were almost done Cassie drained the grease from the meat and mushrooms then took sour cream and mixed it in with the meat. She then drained the noodles and then put them back into the pot befor mixing the meat and sour cream mix with the noodles.

"Fiona! Dinner is ready!"

Cassie called to the girl she could still hear playing in the hall with Sandy. Fiona called back,

"Coooomeing!"

Fiona came into the kitchen and washed her hands. Then she took dishes from the cubord and set the table while Cassie put the pot of food and drinks for them. The two sat down and Cassie dished out the noodles and poured milk for Fiona. They ate chating about what their trip might hold.

"Is there anything you want to see in africa?"

Cassie asked. Fiona answered,

"Oh yes. I want to see the pyramids in Eypt, and i want to see the lions and cheetas and elephants and the giraphs too!."

Cassie smiled at the young girls excitment. She didnt know what to expect but was ready for the advendture. They both were.