A Wizard Meets the Parents PV Simon Kincaid F

AngelFyre had had a blast on the motorbikes that morning, but she was glad to have Simon to herself now. As they embarked on the 20 minute walk to Stenton Village, she gave him all kinds of background intel on what they were about to encounter. For instance, they would take a shortcut through Mr. McGregor’s property. She assured him that though there was a sign that said ‘Private Property’, she, Ainsley, and Kendric had long ago received special permission to enter at will through his rustic garden gate made of gardening tools. “There is a toll, so to speak, however,” and she knew her eyes had to be dancing with laughter.

“Yes, Mr. McGregor is a gardener and yes, he sometimes has struggles with rabbits, none of whom he has ever named Peter, Flopsy, or Mopsy as far as I know,” and she giggled at the thought, “but all he has asked in return is that we do a quick perimeter check of his vegetable garden for any breaches or 4-legged, floppy-eared visitors. It only takes 5 minutes, so it is a quick job and will save us 20-25 minutes of walking all the way around his property to get into town.” And it would be an especially good deal for Simon, she knew, because the long way was also considerably sunnier with fewer trees to provide shade, something a dhampir would not at all appreciate.

As they both scanned the garden perimeter, AngelFyre shared with Simon that “Mr. McGregor is an absolute delight.... to absolutely no one.... but the Three Amigos wore him down years ago. He honestly is a curmudgeon, but I just adore him, and while I think he would be reluctant to admit it, he is rather fond of me as well." She would give the perimeter one more quick scan before she would move them along. She had hoped Mr. McGregor might be around so she could introduce him to Simon, but that would have to be another time, sadly.

“Now, fair warning, my London love. Do not expect a lot in the way of amenities in my little village. It is very much still an agrarian community, but the people, Simon.... oh the people are wonderful! They rise early to tend to their flocks and fields, and they shutter up early as well. I would bet that there are more people who live in one city block near your townhome than live in the whole of Stenton Village. Last I heard, it had a population hovering around 300.” She got quiet for a second and then whispered, “Why, I bet there are even more people at Hogwarts, come to think of it.”

As they approached the village proper, she had explained that the name itself, Stenton, meant 'stone'. “And trust me, you will see a lot of it. The village is a 16th century, medieval holdover. We do have electricity, indoor plumbing, and land line service, so some modernity has managed to seep into the agrarian consciousness here,” and she chuckled. “I guess we are just barely more modern than Hogwarts,” and she laugh-whispered as she mentioned Hogwarts.


When they reached the old village square, AngleFyre stopped again to tell him what he was seeing. “This medieval scale, called a tron, was once used weekly to weigh wool, grains, and hides. It is actually an original and not a reproduction." Then she pointed to the tower a small distance beyond the scale and at the end of the cottages. “That tower you see in the distance is the town doocot, possibly more recognizable to you, my handsome Englishman, as a dovecote. The villagers did then, and still do, harvest the pigeons and their eggs for food as well as their dung for garden fertilizer. The tower itself was once part of the Old Kirk, or old church, as I understand it before it became the doocot.” And she squeezed his hand as she finally pointed off to their right, smiling excitedly. “Just over the rooftops you can see the tower of the new(er) kirk. That is my faith home, ‘The Stenton Parish Church’. This is not the best view of it, I admit, so come on, Handsome. Through the graveyard we go!”

Still holding Simon’s hand, AngelFyre started to run towards the doocot. She loved to run. It felt freeing and life-giving; fresh, clean air filling her lungs; spring crocus beneath her feet; the sun on her face. And best of all, Simon by her side. Life was grand. As they rounded the corner of the doocot, Simon got his first full look of her church. This was her absolute favorite view of it. Many people felt graveyards to be sad places, but not AngelFyre. Almost everyone of the 300 residents living here had family buried here, many going back centuries. Far from being forgotten, their graves were tended to and remembrances were made. Church volunteers adopted headstones of those too old to tend to the family graves or those who truly did not have anyone any longer to do so. No one was forgotten or left behind.

“There it is. This is my favorite view of my church. I just love the look of it from the outside. It looks so much larger than it actually is though, but I expect my fabulously intelligent boyfriend and one-time architect wannabe, the one and only dashing Simon Ezra Kincaid knows a little something about that,” and she turned to give him a kiss but was interrupted by a very familiar male voice off to her right side. He said but one word and AngelFyre’s heart was first thrilled to hear him and then saddened at the knowledge of what had just transpired.

“Boyfriend?"

As they both turned, somewhat surprised, in the direction of the voice, AngelFyre saw Kendric standing behind a grouping of headstones, holding a sponge that was dripping soapy water down his wrist. AngelFyre and Kendric looked at each other for a moment, neither making a move, while Simon looked back and forth between the two, finally resting his gaze on AngelFyre, gently squeezing her hand.

Clearing her throat and smiling, and then releasing her grasp on Simon’s hand while giving him an apologetic look for doing so, she quick-stepped over to Kendric who was still standing in the same position, looking like a boy in shock. When AngelFyre reached him, she gave him a soft punch in the shoulder. It was their thing. They both knew from time immemorial that the opposite gender could only give one cooties if you were to hug or kiss them. No thank you! So shoulder punches it had always been. Kendric still had not moved as AngelFyre approached, but his gaze had turned from AngelFyre to Simon. When AngelFyre punched him, he dropped the sponge and a loud splash could be heard. That finally seemed to have snapped him into the here and now.

“Kendric, it is good to see you. I did not expect to see you here today,” and it was true. She had not. He usually volunteered on Wednesdays. Kendric frantically started wiping his hands on his pantlegs and then reached down for a towel that was draped over one of the headstones to finish the job properly. “With Ainsley away, schedules were rearranged a bit so we would have coverage. Looking confused, he asked, “I - … I thought you and your folks were going to be gone for a few days. Did you get back early?” and once again, he turned his focus back to Simon.

AngelFyre did not often lie, and right here was the reason why. She knew Simon was going to be here when Ainsley was not, and her whole reason for lying to Kendric was meant to protect him…. to be a kindness. She wanted Ainsley around when Kendric found out she had a boyfriend so that he would have a friend to turn to to help him through. AngelFyre knew he had a crush on her, so her intentions were coming from a good place.

“Yeah. I am sorry about that Kendric. I fibbed to you. I am sorry and I will explain why I did in a moment, but first, I would like you to meet someone,” and she smiled brightly as she motioned for Simon to come over, reaching her hand for his as he drew near the two friends. “Simon Kincaid, I would love for you to meet Kendric McLeary, one of my two very best friends in the whole world. Kendric McCleary, I am very proud for you to meet Simon Kincaid,” and unable to help herself, she turned her adoring gaze upon him, highbeams definitely shining, “my boyfriend." Squeezing his hand as she turned her gaze back to Kendric, she followed up with, “Simon and I have only been a couple for a little less than two weeks, so you, my friend, are one of the very first to know. Ainsley does not even know yet.”

“I see,” he said as AngelFyre finished the introduction. He raised his hand out to Simon, no smile to be found anywhere. “Nice to meet you. Normally people under these instances say something like, ‘I’ve heard so much about you.’ Clearly it would be a lie if I were to say such a thing so I guess I will have to say I hope to hear good things about you,” and for the first time since they had all encountered each other that afternoon, Kendric’s shock and surprise seemed to have melted away as his face was lighting up with a surprisingly warm… and very convincing… crocodile smile.

AngelFyre had been living and breathing nothing but Simon Kincaid since April 2, 2022. That was not actually the precise truth. The real truth was that he had been her world since he first took her into his arms and sang in her ear in the Rehearsal Room on that fateful night in January. Her heart had been quick to concede game, set, and match to his power over her that evening, but she just knew in an instant that Simon would be, for the absolute better and not for the worse, her destiny. That did not mean that their short journey, thus far, had been nothing but sunshine and lollipops. There had been a long trail of tears, shed by herself, Simon, and one other, to get her to the place where she now stood, where she believed she would always stand... with Simon at her side. Still, even the enormity of the confusion, anger, heartbreak, and desperation she had felt in loving a boy who was with another in the beginning could not diminish the elation she experienced each day since becoming his. There had been a steep price to pay...for both of them... to get to this place, but it would seem that there was still more due in going forward.

Her intentions, in anything she ever did, were never meant to harm or hurt anyone or anything. That was true of Haley, though she would likely never believe AngelFyre on the subject, and it was most especially true now of Kendric. The energy arcing between all three of them in these moments in the graveyard was, at best, uncomfortable and only made worse by the two boys' instant and palpable dislike of one another. She had known Kendric for longer and knew he was confused and hurt while trying to process the bomb that had just exploded in his lap. He was not putting his best foot forward to be certain, but he could be forgiven given the blindside he had been dealt. AngelFyre could not imagine a worse way for him to have found out she had a boyfriend. She had been working hard at determining the best way and time to tell him, and it always came back to the tried and true reliance upon deep friendship amongst the three amigos. Yes, Ainsley would have to be present. She could be Kendric's shoulder to cry on, so to speak.

Kendric she understood in the moment, but it was Simon who had her confused. There was an 'offness' about him that she could not quite pin down. She had seen and heard him meet hundreds of people, not all of them particularly likeable, but that never seemed to phase her boy wonder. This was different somehow. It was not a jealousy vibe per se, but it was.... almost like there was a sort of staking his claim kind of vibe. He said all the right things, even offered to help Kendric with the headstones when they had finished their tour, but there was an undercurrent of something that felt like agitation or disappointment. She could not think beyond the obvious encounter with Kendric what Simon would be upset about, but he knew of her plans to tell Kendric with Ainsley present. He had not balked in the least when she told him of her plan in the treehouse night before last, so AngelFyre was left with but one conclusion - he was disturbed by her in some way. But how? Why? Had she misstepped in the introduction? Had her adoration embarrassed him?

She took a deep breath as her brain was flooded with the possible realization that she was the cause most likely of his irritation. Everything else in the world pretty much receded into the background whenever AngelFyre felt Simon might be upset with her, and this moment was no different. When he started walking towards the church, she took a few hesitant steps to follow. All of this felt wrong and the thought of leaving her hurting friend by himself as she and Simon went off together felt to her like she would be rubbing handfuls of salt into his open wound. Male energy and puffery was new to her, well, this kind of male energy anyway.

Her eyes had automatically turned towards Simon, but something inside her momentarily balked. "Simon, wait a moment, please," and she turned her saddened eyes to Kendric, squeezing Simon's hand three times in quick succession. "Kendric, would you like to join us? I cannot think of a better tour guide than you?" and she smiled at him with a hopeful look.

Kendric just shook his head no and looked down, reaching for the sponge once again. "No. You two go ahead. I'm almost finished here anyway. Maybe I'll see you when you are done," and he smiled at her and this time her heart smiled, too, because she saw, and heard, the Kendric she knew and loved so well. "Okay. Sounds great. If we miss each other, I will call you tomorrow evening. Maybe you can come over for dinner then?"

Turning back to face Simon, she tried to smile but was not certain if she managed it or not. "Come on, and I will show you the interior. I promise you it is absolutely nothing fancy, nothing like I imagine your church home to be like. Fun fact. Kendric's uncle is our parish minister, Rev Alastair Galbraith. He might be inside, too." She turned her gaze upon him and said with some earnestness, "Maybe you will like him better than his nephew," and she leaned over to deliver a soft kiss to his lips.

************
Once inside, she showed him what there was to see. She was charmed when he automatically looked for a basin with holy water and then caught himself, laughing a bit. Those little differences between his Catholicism and her Protestant ways were really just that... little. His faith canonized people and prayed to our Lord through the Virgin Mary, if she had understood him correctly. Her faith had no Saints and believed that Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, two things they both believed in and held in common with each other, tore the veil down and allowed for anyone to call upon the Father directly in prayer. She knew there had to be millions of other differences, but the thing they both believed about each other and had stated to be to be true of their own personal beliefs was that the Trinity was the center of everything. Christ and his teachings were their mainstay and how they treated each other and their fellow man with love was second only to the love they were to have for the Father. All the rest of it, like basins of holy water or having no saints, mattered little in the grander scheme of things. On this there was a solid understanding between them as their thoughts and beliefs were so much aligned.

She had meant it when she had said Kendric would have been a better tour guide. "Kendric has read everything there is to read on the Stenton Village Parish church, largely because he wants to be a member of the clergy when he grows up. Strange how that is something he has in common with you...well sort of," and she sat down in one of the balcony pews where their tour had ended. "I guess that is where I caught a huge break with you being born Catholic and a bit girl crazy," and she laughed. "Thank goodness Catholics do not allow your priests to marry or you may have been lost to me forever."

She patted the seat next to her and looked at the stain glass windows. They were famous for something, she had forgotten for what, but no matter. She just loved how the the light was colored and muted and danced upon the walls after passing through them.

"Simon, can you tell me, please, what upset you so much out there? I could feel your irritation radiating off of you like a fever, and I know it was because of me, but I swear I do not know what I did. All I know is that I do not want to do it again."

Your praises have ALWAYS been sung from the rooftops @Simon Kincaid

Relief washed over her as Simon took a seat beside her and seemed to be appreciative of the beauty of the multi-colored, dappled light surrounding them. He had an almost angelic aura surrounding him in those moments, which she thought framed him perfectly.

There were long moments of silence between them, but she was not worried or bothered by that. She knew he was going to answer her because he did not respond immediately. That was completely counter-intuitive, but she knew some things so well about him, even in this short amount of time. He was doing now just as he had done when she had asked him what his hopes and dreams were while they skated on the Great Lake. He was not simply brushing her off with a knee-jerk reply. He was being quiet and deliberative. It was one of the things about him that made her trust him so. She sat in patient silence, allowing him the time he needed to formulate his answer.

It was not so hard to wait. She was in a place, quite literally, that brought her great peace. She was also given the opportunity to gaze upon him freely, and in those moments she found she was particularly captivated by a warm, apricot colored oval highlighting his magnificent cheekbone.

When he did speak and said that he was confused because her family knew so much about him, but her friends knew nothing, an even greater sense of relief washed over her. This was an easy hurdle to jump, and one, she thought, that might make him feel a lot of relief himself.

Turning to him and grasping his hand once again, she smiled softly at him. "Oh, but Simon, love. You are wrong. Ainsley has known of you since the very beginning, long before I mentioned you to my folks. I would have lost my mind were it not for her, especially when I found out you were with Haley." AngelFyre took a deep breath and sighed slowly afterward, remembering.

"The day you were knocked from the sky in your first broom race, I was a wreck. I was so angry and heartbroken to learn you had a girlfriend during that race, and then I spent most of the rest of it watching her a few rows below me. She was older and gorgeous and I was feeling like an idiot, questioning what I could have been thinking to believe that someone as wonderful as you would be interested in me. I oscillated between embarrassment and fury. And then you fell from the sky," and her breath caught in her throat.

"Simon, my hand to God as I sit here in my church, I was never so scared as I was in those moments, helpless to do anything to help you. The second you hit ground I was up and running to the Hospital Wing. I beat everyone there, including Haley. I hid in the shadows and only left once I knew you were awake and conscious. When I left you there, surrounded by your friends and your redheaded love, I went straight to the owlery and wrote Ainsley. My tears would not stop, and actually did not stop, for weeks. I was so relieved you were alive and okay that any anger I felt towards you about Haley just evaporated, but I also knew my heart was still lost to you, so Ainsley was my go to."

"She has been crazy about Kendric as long as Kendric has been crazy about me. If anyone would know how I was feeling, it was going to be her. So, fear not, my beloved. My dearest friend, the one who would NOT be devastated to know of your existence, could probably recite an encyclopedia's worth of information about you, and some of it would likely be things you do not even know about yourself." And her first thought was that she believed he was completely unaware that when anxious, his hand brushed through his hair reflexively, but Ainsley knew it... if she bothered to remember it.

"And finally, may I remind you that the shadow box sitting on my desk, with a photo of us kissing, was an early birthday present from Ainsley. She did not conjure that photo herself. Someone in the know... spoiler alert...me!... had to get the photo to her," and she laughed softly.

"Kendric has had to be a different case, and you, of all people, should recognize that," she gently chided. "You said nothing to me of your feelings about me, to me, because you did not want to hurt Haley more than necessary. That stupid Valentine's Tea Party took that option away from you... from all of us... and you see how much extra heartbreak came from that terrible situation. Would you have had me knowingly break his heart? I doubt it very much. It has felt like a betrayal to him... and to you... by keeping it from him, but you know why I did it and how I had planned to remedy it. Best intentions and all that run amok, I suppose. Still, telling anyone who will listen to me about you is one of my great joys.... believe that, mo chridhe¹. You are my everything, Simon."

And then she laughed, not loudly, but it nonetheless echoed throughout the sacred space. "Ainsley is the one who offered the sage advice that I should stay away from you for that long, miserable month, though she did warn me the cuter you were, the harder it would be. She even ended that letter telling me that she hoped for my sake that you were ugly," and AngelFyre laughed some more while looking directly into his soft, inviting eyes. "I was doomed from the start on that count alone."

Relaxing and sitting back once again in the pew, which she had to admit, was not in the least bit comfortable, she racked her brain for the answer to his questions. "Well, once again, Kendric would be able to answer you in a flash, but if my memory serves, the original kirk was built sometime in the 16th century.... around 1561 or so. Some artifacts have been found in the old excavations that have had some thinking it may have dated to as early as the 14th or 15th century, but I honestly do not recall specifically. This structure is 17th century, that I am pretty sure of. Suffice it to say, there have been thousands of weddings, baptisms, and funerary services. She got very still and quiet for a moment and then shared something she had not given much prior thought to whatsoever.

"It just struck me that I have never... ever... pictured myself marrying here, but I just always assumed that I would. Having now said it, I still cannot envision it. How strange," she spoke almost to herself.

Clearing her throat and looking to her handsome fellow, she did not belabor the point that what she did clearly see of her wedding day consisted of Simon standing as bridegroom, waiting for her at the altar. A familiar and welcome warm flush accompanied that thought.

"Come on, love. We should get back so that we can get ready for our evening in Edinburgh and the Rat Pack cover show. Should be fun!"

¹ mo chridhe = my heart

Simpson's Shoppe Window and @Simon Kincaid

Simon did not respond in any way whatsoever to her explanation, but he did listen intently. That much she knew. He often did that though, hold everything close to his vest while revealing nothing. She at first found it unnerving and it left her feeling like she could only guess at what he was thinking or feeling about the topic at hand, but she found that something almost always arose that brought clarity to his thoughts. It may take hours or it may take days, but nothing was ever left completely forgotten or unaddressed. At least not so far in their relationship.

Simon was a talker, most definitely, but he was also a deliberator. AngelFyre was one to talk her emotions out in the moment she was feeling them, but she was also an incredibly patient soul and recognized Simon was different in his process, and that was fine. Pressing him, when he was not ready, she just knew would be unwise, not to mention unfair. Besides, maybe there was nothing really for him to respond to was there? He had his answer. He had not been kept as a secret from anyone important to her other than Kendric. Nor would he ever be. She had hoped it was abundantly clear to the boy he was absolutely adored and she could not be more proud to be able to call him her boyfriend. It was still early days in their relationship. If he did not know it yet, she felt certain he would.

She was not completely surprised when he begged off saying goodbye to Kendric, choosing instead to call his Aunt Maggie right then of all things. Sigh. Her heart was hurting that her very most favorite person and one of her favorite persons were so at odds with each and so quickly. AngelFyre had not even been aware that Simon was capable of disliking someone, but apparently he was. So be it.

She, however, still very much loved her friend so she excused herself to find him. She invited him over to a late-ish dinner the next evening. He wanted to squirm out of it, she could tell, but happily accepted after learning Simon would be on a train, heading back to London. AngelFyre knew she was going to be heartbroken, so having a friendly distraction would certainly help... or so she hoped. Deep down she knew nothing would help, not really, but at least company would force her to keep her tears at bay for a few extra hours. She would take whatever solace she could get at the time and deal with the devastating hollowness of Simon's absence later.

When she caught up to Simon in the village square, he had seen the lay of the land pretty much, at least insofar as it pertained to her village. "Ha, no. I never attended the primary school here. My mother was friends with Ainsley's mother, and Ainsley had been attending Belhaven School in Dunbar, or as you like to call it, 'Sunny Dunny' for a year. Her folks raved about it and Ainsley also enjoyed it, so when we left Edinburgh and moved to Stenton, Belhaven was my school from the start. I loved it there, too." Then teasing him, even though he knew all about it already, she reminded him, "It is where I was first kissed."

She laughed merrily and reached for his hand. As soon as they connected, she could swear all of the uneasy feelings of the last 45 minutes simply evaporated. The boy had miraculous power to make all things right for her, and she wondered, not for the first time, if she had a similar effect on his mood ever. She glanced over at him as they started walking back home and felt her heart swell. They would take the longer route home as the sun was low in the sky and would not be an issue for him any longer.

"Since you mentioned it, I want to show you something." She was vibrating with pure excitement now as she ran with him over to "Simpson's Shoppe", the village kilt shop, and stopped in front of the shop window. It was nothing fancy. Nothing in her little village home was fancy. There was not even a full mannequin in the window, just half of one, but it was wearing a kilt, complete with a sporran. The dark, knee-high, socked feet were draped with an assortment of neatly folded tartans, splayed out in an attractive half circle that followed the color wheel hues as closely as possible.

"Believe it or not, this is my absolute favorite shop, both here and in Dunbar. And the tartan the mannequin is wearing right now would be the clan Kincaid tartan," and she stepped forward and placed her index finger and the one next to it on the glass as she admired the display. She had not seen it for herself until just then, but her smile could not be broader. She finally turned to Simon.

"Our in house vet helped Mr. Simpson with an infected udder one of his milk cows was dealing with my first day home on Spring break. He and I got to talking, and I just happened to ask him whether he had any Kincaid tartan fabric. He snorted and replied that not only did he have the fabric, but he actually had a display kilt in the fabric. My eyes must have bulged out of my head because he laughed and asked why I was asking. So I told him about this incredible English lad with the most dreamy golden brown eyes, the voice of an angel, and the surname of Kincaid, and I was just curious what his tartan would look like."

"He told me that the colors were green and black, with pops of red. I may have mentioned somewhere in there that said lad was my boyfriend," and she blushed at the memory of Mr. Simpson's reply. "He simply looked at me and deadpanned, 'No! Really? I never would have guessed,' and then he scooped me up in a hug and started laughing. The best part though was that when I told him you would be here in a few days, he told me to stop by and he would have the display mannequin wearing the Kincaid tartan, so Ta da!" and she slowly, but softly, squeezed his hand. "It is very green, I have to admit. I know you were probably wishing it was dark blue and gold, but I rather like it."

She shot a glance to the door and saw the "Come Back When We're Not Closed" sign and sighed. She would have liked to have Simon meet Mr. Simpson, or more precisely, the other way around, but definitely on his next trip for sure. As they turned to begin the walk home, again, AngelFyre told Simon how famous and beloved his surname was amongst the Scots.

"As a proud Englishman, you may appreciate the irony of this factoid. As a proud Scot, and one in love with said proud Englishman, I know I certainly do. Turns out that in the Scots long battle for our independence from the English, it was a Scottish clansman by the name of Kincaid who captured Edinburgh castle from the English in 1296. Thank you for that, by the way. A Kincaid was just destined to be a hero in my life one way or another it would seem," and she chuckled as she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

They walked on in silence for a bit and she answered his question about what to wear for their evening excursion. "We are going to be taking a tour into underground vaults and cemeteries, so just wear what will make you comfortable, though I was told we really would not be in danger of getting dirty. The club is casual dressy - no jeans. I am going to be wearing dark slacks and a deep blue sweater... and a 60's era fedora from my paternal grandfather's collection. I bet there is one that could work for you if you are interested?"

She stopped and pulled away from him a bit, but was still holding his hand. Her eyes were focused on his legs and a playful grin began to cross her lips. "You know, my love, if you did not pack any dress slacks, we could run back to Mr. Simpson's and I could ring the buzzer to his apartment above the shop. I bet we could get that Kincaid kilt on loan for the evening," and she cocked her head to the side as if taking his measurements. In a most solemn tone she looked up at him and stated "I so hope your answer is that you only have jeans. Your handsome self in a kilt would answer a question I have worried over for some time now. Are you, Simon Ezra Kincaid," and she feigned an overly exaggerated nervous swallow as she asked, "bowlegged?"

Haughty snuffs of pretend indignation from him mixed with peals of laughter from her drifted on the gentle breeze as the two made their way back to change for the evening.

Hey-hey now said the broad with the broad smile to @Simon Kincaid

"Ahh, yes. Our swimming excursion," and her voice took on a throaty whisper at the memory. "I remember it like it was yesterday," and she momentarily had a distant, moony kind of look cross her face as she sort of drifted off to who knows where while, quite frankly, replaying the pictures of a bare chested Simon through her mind for only about the bazillionth time.

Not paying precise attention to where she was walking really, she snapped back to the present when she stepped on a sizeable stone and twisted her ankle just the slightest. Not letting her inattentive clumsiness get the better of the situation, or her pride, she blurted out, "And hey! It was only yesterday, and if memory serves, and you know it does," and she shot him a smugly confident look, "your shirt came off but the pants stayed on... at least I think they did. My attention was definitely not on your legs," she admitted and teased him, laughing and blushing while meeting his hip check with one of her own.

"So, the question, you see, is still very much up in the air as to whether my boyfriend is bowlegged or not." As they reached the patio door, she poked fun at the situation one last time. "But if we need to go swimming again to put this issue to rest," and she turned to him and raised her eyebrows 3-4 times rapidly, "you will hear no complaints from me, handsome," and she chuckled.

Determined to seek her answer to this most pressing of questions at some point in the future, she kissed him before parting ways to get ready for their evening. She made it back down to the living room just a minute or so before he showed up and she had three fedoras for him to choose from on display on the coffee table. He actually had four to choose from, really, if you also counted the one she was wearing. One of the other three was her backup choice if he preferred hers.

Not gonna lie. The sight of him in his button down shirt with black skinny tie made her heart race. AngelFyre still pinched herself several times a day just to make certain Simon was not a dream she had fabricated. One thing was certain though - Simon Kincaid was most definitely dreamy. She was about to compliment him on his brand of 60's cool when he stopped her short by selling it with his catwalk entrance. More, please.

AngelFyre laughed and then widened her eyes when he greeted her with his rat pack lingo. She giggled as she hurriedly ran over to him and finally covered his mouth, first with her palm and then with her lips. He already had a sobering look of realization on his face before she reached him, but who was she to turn down the opportunity to lock lips with him anyway? Not crazy, that is who. Her rush over to him and his furtive glance over his shoulder, presumably looking for her family, just tickled her. No sooner had she reached him than Hillary barked sharply three times and then tail-thumped the thick rug until they both, in tandem, reached out to pat her on the head while still kissing. Now that is teamwork.

He decided on a hat that was not currently resting on her head, and shortly thereafter, all four of them had bid goodnight to Grandma Ruth and they were on their way to Edinburgh. The plan was that her folks would drop them off a block from where their tour was to begin. There were food trucks there and AngelFyre could for sure get something to eat as could Simon if he was feeling particularly peckish. She had a fondness for a certain Greek cart where she could get some falafel coins sitting atop a bed of lemon infused rice with a side of roasted tomato hummus and tahini sauce. That was going to be some lip-smacking heaven second only to the boy sitting next to her.

"Okay, you have your tour and show tickets and I entered my cell into Simon's phone, along with the restaurant and the club's number. You two be careful and have fun. We will be expecting you at the club no later than 8:15, got it? The show starts at 8:30. Do not make me have to come looking for you two." Simon "Yes sir'd," in all the right spots and smiled all the way through her father's itinerary checks and admonishments which in turn made her father smile as well. It was a good start to the evening.

Forty-five minutes later, the two kids were gripping onto each other as they were immersed in the Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends. They would be holding onto each other regardless, but far from being scared, they were trying their level best not to laugh. Maybe, even at their tenderly young ages, they were just a little jaded when it came to castles and ghosts. They lived in one 9 months of the year and saw and spoke to ghosts each day after all. A little dampness, moss, spiderwebs, and creaking doors weren't quite enough to capture their attention... until they were told of the infamous duo of Burke and Hare.

Their truly wonderful tour guide was quite knowledgeable, but Simon and AngelFyre knew just a little too much of what could really be behind the curtains so everyone else's reactions are what tickled them. But then he started telling them about how during the time of the Scottish Enlightenment that Scotland was becoming well established as an academic mecca of sorts when it came to human anatomy and physiology. Doctors were learning so much about the human body, but that, of course, meant cadavers were necessary to further their knowledge.

Laws had been quite clear that the only cadavers that could be used for such studies were those of prisoners who had been condemned to death. Criminal laws and punishments changed also during this time of Enlightenment, and many crimes that once resulted in sentences of death were changed to imprisonment. Not too long thereafter, doctors at academic institutions found themselves with fewer and fewer cadavers.

Grave robbing became rampant, but doctors and scientists wanted fresh cadavers. Wealthy families began burying their dead in mausoleums or with thick slabs of rock and stone over their dearly departed. And then Edinburgh, unknowingly for a while, became prey to two serial killers by the names of Burke and Hare. The two relieved 16 living souls of their breath of life, and would have killed more except that students in two instances actually recognized the cadavers presented in class. One, it turned out, happened to be a well known children's entertainer.

Burke and Hare were both arrested after the doctor who had been getting the cadavers named his sources. Hare gave up the goods on Burke who was tried and sentenced to hang. Guess what happened to him? His skeleton, to this day, is still displayed at the University of Edinburgh’s medical school.

Oh, the irony. That story did not particularly scare them, but it was gripping. Simon seemed particularly interested which pleased AngelFyre immensely. After dragons, potions and things of a medicinal nature seemed to interest her fellow quite a bit. Muggle born Simon may have once thought to be an architect, but wizarding Simon, AngelFyre was pretty convinced, might one day be a healer. She did not care what he chose to be so long as he was happy doing it.

At one point the tour took them to Calton Hill. AngelFyre grasped Simon's hand and asked if he would mind too terribly much if they ditched the rest of the tour and enjoyed the view from there. Edinburgh, for her, was a nice mix of their two homes. It was definitely a cosmopolitan city which would appeal to Simon, but it also had a stillness to it that left her soul feeling not too far removed from her home. On this, their last evening before Simon had to head home tomorrow afternoon, AngelFyre wanted just a little to herself with him.

It was a beautiful view. She did not think he would mind.