Wrapping my arms around Jaded as she runs into me, I pick her up smothering her in kisses as I carry her back to the mansion; she is shivering and soaking wet. We get back to the house and the WAASers are still standing outside - but at least now, they are on the veranda and out of the rain - looking at the wooden dinosaur. I look for Anti or Claire, they seem to be the ones who might be in charge of this happy mad house - the more I get to know these 'girls' (and I hope they don't mind me referring to them as girls - it is meant as a sign of respect and nothing less) the more I like them - a fun loving bunch of gals and they certainly like my pilots, of course there is no accounting for taste and each seems to have gathered his own following; all I can hope for is that Wes will start driving them crazy for a while and leave me alone.

Still carrying Jaded, I head up the stairs to the third floor following the directions I had been given earlier; finding the 'fresher, I set Jaded down and begin to fill the tub with warm water and add something labeled lavender bath oil that I found on the counter - as it fills I gently strip her out of her wet clothes then help her into the warm soapy water, "You stay her and warm up, I'll be right back with some towels and warm clothes for you."

In the next room, the room I had been told was my bedroom, stood a large bed with a thick down comforter on it covering several blankets, next to it was a smaller bed on which Emote laid curled up and sleeping, his hunger finally sated, and along one wall was stone fireplace with wood filling the alcove next to it; I piled wood into the fireplace and started a fire to take the chill out of the room caused by the thunderstorm raging outside. After getting the fire going, I walked over to where Emote lay sleeping and covered him with a blanket I got out of a chest of drawers in which I also found some thick, soft towels and both mine and Jaded's clothes from our X-wings - how they got there I do not know but I am sure one of the WAASers, or more, had something to do with it; I stripped out of my flightsuit and changed into a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. Grabbing a similar outfit and towels for Jaded, I headed back into the 'fresher with my finds to discover that she is not quite ready to get out of the tub yet as she has not warmed up enough; I set my finds down and head back out and downstairs to the kitchen looking for the stuff Luke likes to drink, hot chocolate - finding some in pre-packaged containers, I read the directions and gather together the things I need to make it knowing I can heat the water in the fireplace up in my room - I head back upstairs and begin to heat the water. As the water is heating in a kettle in the fireplace, I measure out some of the powder into two of the three mugs I brought upstairs with me and set them aside, along with one of my bottles of Whyren's; I head back into the 'fresher to check on Jaded - she is just finishing dressing and combing out her hair, "Come on," I whisper to her, "I have something else for you." I lead her into the bedroom and have her sit on the edge of the bed; the water is boiling and I pour it into the mugs to which I add a generous amount of whiskey. I sit down on the bed next to her handing her a mug and wrapping an arm around her, I pull her close and kiss her gently.

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