I Wanna Hold Your Hand [JAMES]

[Deleted]

It had been almost three months since James Potter had set off to find his father. Ariadne could still feel his lips on hers, too brief for her liking before stepping out the door of their shared home at Grimmauld Place and Apparating on the top step to his first destination. James had been restless in the days following Harry Potters’ disappearance, and with the Order fractioning off into pieces, his assurance that the Order would find him dissipated rapidly. Ariadne knew that her beloved would never be happy until he had ventured out himself to search for him, so it was with her blessing that he left, trying to piece together the limited clues the Potter patriarch had left behind.

The wait Ariadne had endured since then felt timeless, as though no time was passing at all but far too quickly for her liking. James had written as often as he could, but she’d go weeks at a time without hearing a peep from him, causing her to fret about what happened. Finally, a few days ago, a letter had arrived saying he was coming home. It was brief and to the point, but Ariadne felt her spirit grow light again. He hadn’t mentioned the exact day, so she had woken up multiple times in the night, feeling the empty space next to hers in bed, and believing she heard him down the hall. Alas, James had still not arrived home yet, and Ariadne was forced to wait in wonder.

Ariadne woke one Sunday morning, having slept surprisingly well despite the still-empty space in bed next to her. Rubbing her eyes, she shot up suddenly. She could swear she heard the faint clicks of the many locks undoing themselves, and the large wooden door to 12 Grimmauld Place creaking open. “James?” she called, slipping her feet into their slippers and grabbing her dressing gown off the wardrobe as she hurried down towards the entrance. “James, is that you?” she called, trying to keep her voice as level as possible, not wanting to reveal the eager hope just in case it was not the eldest Potter.  Please, let it be James come back to me, she thought as she made her way down the many stairs of the old house.

@rivjames

[Deleted]

Three months... For some, a blink. For James, it had felt like years. Alone and abroad, pulling at every thread he could think of... all of it in vain, save for what he assumed was a personal lesson for himself. Or at least he felt it was in vain. He ran a hand through his curly hair, pondering a moment. He really couldn't remember what had happened. What little of his notes remained only explained so much. At least he could explain to Ariadne where the scars came from. Mm. Ariadne... 

James let out a happy, albeit tired sigh. He was early enough that she should still be home. By Merlin he had missed her. 

He stood on the landing outside of 12 Grimmauld place, digging through his pockets. Finally, he produced a ring of keys. He cracked his neck to the side and set about the ironically involved task of coming home. James looked a bit thinner than he was when he had left and was perhaps a little tanned, but he had made a point of stopping through a hair salon on the way back, if only to clean up the mess that become of his hair and beard. His clothing and backpack looked a bit roughed-up and dirty, but at least he wasn't. 

After unlatching he final lock, James took a deep breath and opened the door. He strode in past the heavy, wooden door to be greeted by the voice of his one true love. 

"Ariadne!" he called out, hearing her footsteps coming closer down the stairs. His heartbeat quickened. "Yes, I'm back," 

As soon as she was in view, James dropped his backpack onto the hardwood floor of the entryway. Without looking, he closed the door behind him and ran his wand down the side, causing all of the undone locks to fasten once again. He dropped his wand next to his bag. 

He gazed up into her eyes and grinned. "Just as gorgeous as I remember," he said. "I should never have left." 

@ariadne

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The moment between Ariadne calling out and James responding felt like a lifetime, but as soon as she heard his voice and rounded the staircase and saw him in person, everything melted away. She stopped a few steps above the landing as he gazed up at her, as though she was trapped in a spiders’ web. She smiled as he called her gorgeous, and as if that freed her from the spell, she skipped down the last few steps directly into James’ arms. There was no need for talking, for at that moment all she needed was him. The feeling of his hair, curly as ever in between her fingers, she had missed this, she had missed him so much. She hadn’t dared lament out loud to any of her fellow Healers about how she pined for her boyfriend while she was away - it wasn’t her style. Though the suspicions of two years ago had long since melted away, her surname Lestrange still held a level of caution towards anyone who did not know Ariadne well. She didn’t want to give anyone reason to dislike her, and she imagined lamenting that her boyfriend was off on an important mission to find his father and NOT with her wouldn’t win her many fans. She knew why James needed to do this, and she did want him to find the answers he so desperately seeked. She just hadn’t expected to feel his absence as badly as she had.

Pressing her lips to his once more, Ariadne snaked her hand into his, gently pulling him into the kitchen that they had whitewashed the day after they had moved in last year to add some brightness to the cavernous room. “What can I get you my love? Coffee, tea, water? I stocked the pantry last week with some of our favorites,” she asked, peering into his eyes. Her Healer instincts were taking over she knew, but she wanted to check every inch of James to make sure he was alright. Her fingers lightly traced over his collarbone and she smiled a little wistfully. “You need a proper meal, shall I send an owl off to Grandmother Weasley?” she suggested. Ariadne had been trained since birth to be a proper lady; unfortunately that had not included cooking lessons. That was for the house elves, her mother had instructed when Ariadne had even suggested the idea of baking cookies at Christmastime. Molly Weasley thankfully, had given her some simple lessons last Christmas, but judging from the thinness of James’ frame, Ariadne wanted the expert to come in on this one.

@rivjames

[Deleted]

She skipped down toward him, right into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, slipping his hand through her soft, slightly messy hair. This... this was home. Not the old, mostly renovated building, but having her in his arms once more. James inhaled slowly, feeling like he did when Ariadne returned to Hogwarts after being pulled away so suddenly. So that was what that felt like... he thought, now realizing they were reversed from last time.

Such reflection was immediately banished from all thought; however, when she pressed her lips to his. Oh wow... James closed his eyes as his cheeks grew red. The moment was all too short, but he was stunned nonetheless. James wanted to kiss her again, but her hand was suddenly woven into his and he was being led into the kitchen. James opened his eyes and stumbled like a cartoon after her. 

"Oh dear, um..." he thought aloud when she asked him if she could get him anything. "If you're here now, I don't think you stocked the pantry with yourself in slightly less clothing." James winked at her, pulling her hand to his lips. He made a sarcastic sigh. "I suppose coffee will do until then." His tone rapidly shifted back into sweet. "Thank you, love." 

Goodness... he did not deserve her. He knew the how and why, but the way she could be so thoughtful and caring still amazed him. Damned lucky, he was. He watched the way her eyes peered into his. She was doing her healer thing. She was cute when she did the healer thing. James knew he wouldn't have a moment's peace until she had made sure he wasn't dying of one thing or the other. But this, James did not mind. Attention was attention and who was he to deny it? 

He chuckled at the mention of a proper meal. "Maybe later," he said, shaking his head. "Smudge just isn't a morning owl, and I am definitely not ready for the social influx Gran would bring through that door if she knew my present state. The kitchen wouldn't stop moving for a week!"

James laughed and tugged Ariadne close enough to press his lips to her forehead before slumping back into the nearest chair. Oh, it felt good to sit down on a chair again. He forgot to pack one in his magically expanded tent. At least he remembered the cushion-y ottoman. 

"No, but more important matters first," he said, peeling off his tattered jacket. "How are you, my darling, sweet raven? How have you been these last months? You look fantastic."

@ariadne

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Ariadne grinned suddenly, and slipped her dressing gown off one shoulder, then the other. “Better?” she asked, her tone innocent as she tossed the robe in his direction. Clad in her tank top and shorts, she padded into the pantry where she kept the coffee, and magicked it out into the coffee maker. With a few taps of her wand, the coffee was soon ready and she poured it into two cups. Setting everything on the tray, she brought over the cups, plus milk and sugar for her at the very least. She pulled her chair closer to where James was sitting and joined him at the table. She suppressed a snort at his comment on his grandmother as she stirred in the sugar and milk to her coffee, changing the liquid from black to a light brown. “That is certainly true,” she agreed, sipping the hot liquid while cupping the mug with both hands. With a satisfied sigh, Ariadne closed her eyes for a moment. Just sitting here with James like any other Sunday morning before he’d left felt perfectly wonderful to her, and she wanted to stop time, just for a moment.

Eyes still closed, Ariadne smiled at James’ compliment. He had always been quite the flatterer, and had charmed his way into the hearts of many women before they had officially become acquainted with each other. Though his womanizing days were well over, his charm was a part of his personality that would never leave him, or at least Ariadne hoped not. It had been one of the things that had drawn her to him after all - why would she want that to change? “I have been well,” she promised, opening her eyes to look at him. “Of course...I have been burning with the anticipation of your return. My job keeps me busy, but returning home to this empty house each night felt rather depressing.” Ariadne reached out and took one of his hands in hers. “I’ve missed you so much my love,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “But, we can talk later about what we’ve been up to the past few months.” Not letting go of his hand, she stood up, eyebrow raised as she smirked. “I didn’t get a chance to shower before you came home, and it does seem like you could use one…” she trailed off, knowing he’d know exactly what she was suggesting. It HAD been three months after all, and going from spending every spare moment together to not seeing him at all had taken a certain kind of toll on Ariadne Lestrange.


@rivjames

ooc: feel free to hop a bit forward in time to when they're ahem, squeaky clean and tidy XD

[Deleted]

ooc: ahem. 
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With the precision of a Quidditch Seeker, James snatched the gown out of the air and had it draped over his shoulders.

"Goodness," he mused, looking her up and down. "So you did stock my favorite..."

Eyes full of adoration, James beheld the love of his life as she brought the coffee over. Oh, James, you damn fool. He felt a funny kind of joy inside that he couldn't fully explain. He took his cup off of the tray and blew over the surface. Ariadne moved her chair closer. James reached a hand to her forearm, giving it a gentle caress as he studied every inch of the face he had so dearly missed. 

She told him about how she had been while he was away. It crushed him to hear her describe it. When she took his hand, James silently vowed to never leave her like that again. He was about to make some encouraging smile and a sappy one-liner, when she suddenly stood and gave him a sexy look. She said she hadn't showered yet and that he could use one also to which James jokingly replied before realizing, 

"Shower? But I hardly know he-" James paused and looked away for a moment for his eyes to go wide. He looked back to Ariadne who still held his hand quite firmly. His voice went about as low as it could.  

"Oh, sweet raven..."

______________________________________________________

FADE-TO-BLACK

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three hours later...

James collapsed on his back, once again on his side of the bed. Panting and out of breath, his eyes stared transcendent at the ceiling. 

"Never... ever let... me go a...way for so long... ever again," James sputtered. His hand scrambled to find Ariadne's beside him. "_{By Merlin,}" he breathed. "Can't say I deserved quite all that, all things considered. The search was a bust from what I can tell. All I have to show for it are some scars and no memory of pretty much any of it. There's a weird feeling that I shouldn't worry about it so much, but I can't explain that either." James paused and finally looked over to Ariadne. Damn, she was beautiful. He almost forgot that a part of his last statement wasn't quite true. 

"I mean, the scars I can explain. I think."

@ariadne

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Ariadne couldn’t stop the wide smile from spreading across her face as James spoke for the first time in several hours. When it was just the two of them, alone together in their home, their bed, words weren’t necessary. They could effortlessly communicate through touching, feeling, looking. She nestled herself in the crook of James’ arm, gently tracing circles around the scars he had procured while he was away for those months. She closed her eyes, just listening to him speak. At his memory loss though, Ariadne lifted her head to look directly at him, her brow furrowed with worry. “No memory?” she repeated, propping herself on her elbow, her fingers entangled in her sweaty blonde hair. “That doesn’t seem right; the letters you wrote me held some detail as to where you were and what you were looking for - don’t you remember?”

Not bothering to cover herself - why would she, it was just the two of them - Ariadne crossed over to the vanity table in the corner of their large bedroom. She rifled through the top drawer before coming back to bed, letters enclosed in her hands. “Here’s what you wrote me,” she told him, offering the multiple letters to James so he could take a look at the content. Settling herself back in the crook of his arm, she drew the blankets close, making a nest for the two of them. “Does anything sound familiar, or stir anything for you?” she asked, her minds’ gears whirling already with the multiple possibilities of James’ possible memory loss. “Any kind of memory loss concerns me. Not just as a healer, but as your partner. It’s not exactly natural for one to lose a total block of memory instantaneously, and it’s even more fish it just so happens to be about your time searching for your father.” The more Ariadne thought about it, the more worried she became that James had run afoul of something, or some one. Or perhaps he had seen something he should not have, and a Memory charm had been more powerful than anticipated. Either way, Ariadne did not like this admission.

@rivjames

[Deleted]

Yeah... that was how he figured she would react to the memory thing. He honestly could not remember most of his travels aside from a few scarce notes in his own journal and the final note he had left himself. Quite a few pages had been torn out and lost. James sat up when she mentioned the letters though. 

"To be perfectly honest with you, love," he said. "I don't, but I'm open to see if it jogs something." 

While Ariadne walked over to the table across the room, James focused on his wand and held out his hand. It was one of the few things he could usually call to him without holding it in the first place. 

"Accio wand." The blackthorn wonder zipped to his waiting hand, flying all the way from the entryway where he had dropped it. Once he had it, though, he called up his travel bag in similar fashion. By now Ariadne had returned with a handful of letters. James took them when offered and scooted back to sit upright against the headboard and pillows. 

James took his journal from the travel bag and set it nearby as Ariadne settled back by his side. He flipped through the pages, skimming through his own handwriting. Pretty much learning this stuff like it was the first time, he picked up on something of a path. Certain gaps were filling in, however. He knew where he had started, and now understood what route he had intended to follow... as well as a few places where he had gotten turned around and was temporarily off of the route. Eventually he got to the incident with the Red Caps. James hated those merlin-damned things. 

James opened his journal and placed a few of the letters between two of the few remaining pages, almost like he was replacing what was torn out. "I think so, yes," he replied. "Thank you, love." James separated another set of notes and placed them in the journal before turning the page and repeating the process until he was out of letters. 

"I fully understand what you mean. Memory loss is not ideal in any case, especially for something I know means a lot to me and... well... most people we know." James made a cautious chuckle. "But look at this," James flipped through his journal to the last page. He titled the journal to better face Ariadne. In careful handwriting were the words:

       Don't worry about it. Move on.

"I wrote this for a reason. Something important, but you know how my handwriting gets when I'm stressed or in a pinch. This is as calm as it gets." James sighed and leaned his head over to rest on top of his love's blonde head. "Something about those words resonates with me in a way I can't really explain. Like they just make perfect sense. Almost like I got to the point where I knew the search would continue to fail if I kept going, made up my mind to stop, and charmed away what I needed to stop thinking about it..." 

James trailed off, staring into the distance. His vision went fuzzy before he closed them, content to just be here again, by the side of the one he loved. "Or something like that." James shrugged and turned his head to kiss Ariadne's. "Dad made a choice. He knows what he is doing, and I think he knows what we are all capable of. Maybe moving forward is the right thing to do? Maybe I'm just crazy." James chuckled again at that last part and buried his face in her hair. He was definitely a bit crazy. 

@ariadne

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James said he wasn’t sure if it would jog his memory, but once Ariadne got something in her mind, it was hard to talk about anything else. Ariadne’s chin rested gently on James’ shoulder as she watched him flick through the letters, her eyes scanning the pages eagerly while she waited for any source of emotion or reaction from her boyfriend. She noticed a reaction while reading about the Red Caps; her hands traced some of the scars on his arms gently with her delicate fingers. Perhaps they had been the source of some of these new injuries he had sustained while out looking for his father. She dug her fingernails briefly into his arm, angered by the idea, then calmed down. There was nothing she could do about them now; it was even possible James had taken care of them during his memory blackout. She could only hope that was the case at least.

Ariadne stared down at James’ messy yet so familiar handwriting, telling him not to worry about it and move on. She frowned, her forehead creased with wrinkles of confusion. “It is your calm handwriting yes, but why…” she sighed, rubbing her free hand over her eyes in a slight bout of frustration. “It must be for the best, perhaps you learned something you weren’t supposed to, and whoever wiped your memory convinced you to write this down so you wouldn’t panic,” she suggested. The most logical of those people being his own father, Harry. But why? Did that mean Harry Potter was alive? Nobody in the wizarding world had heard anything from him in months, aside from Ron Weasley finding his wand in the forest. He was thought to be dead, or in the clutches of something far worse than death. Was this his way of telling his eldest everything would be alright? Ariadne didn’t know, and she was bursting full of questions, but one look at her beloved told her that now was not the time. He was home, in her arms where he belonged, and he looked to be mostly at peace with that fact. “Whatever happens, happens. Just know I will always be on your side, whatever may come our way,” she told him softly, tilting his chin so her lips could meet his in a soft kiss. She sighed, and settled down in the crook of his neck, her eyes closing sleepily. “I’m so glad you’re home,” she murmured, gently tracing circles over his chest as she drowsed.

@rivjames

[Deleted]

James had been trying to avoid the suggestion that someone else had tweaked his memory for some reason or another. He knew it was possible, but he didn't want to dwell on the idea. He preferred the narrative that he had done it to himself. Harry Potter was out there somewhere in one condition or another and that was that. It was a tough reality to bear, but now was the time to be strong. Hope was a precious commodity. 

Ariadne echoed some of those thoughts. He met her soft kiss and rested his head on hers. "Aye, my sweet raven," he said. "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you too. I love you."

He supposed a Sunday morning nap wouldn't hurt. He'd get to seeing the rest of his family soon enough. As he closed his eyes and his breathing began to slow, James reiterated quietly, "Seriously though... Please don't let me take off like that again..."

@ariadne

---

ooc: calling this fin?

[Deleted]

In response, Ariadne tightened her arms around James’ waist. It was a simple, physical gesture that Aria knew she did not have to speak out loud. She was his, and he was hers; anything they needed to go through they could get through it together. She laid her head on his chest, listening to the thumping of his heart beat as his slow breathing lulled him to a lazy sleep that she knew would be more refreshing than any of the long nights spent alone in their bed.

----two weeks later-----

James had been recruited for the Appleby Arrows, and Ariadne had had an early morning shift at the hospital, so by the time she arrived home, he was already at practice. Good; Aria had plans to surprise him with a nice home cooked meal when he arrived home. She placed her bags of groceries in the cavernous kitchen and rolled up her sleeves. What she was planning on making wasn’t super complicated - lemon and herb crusted chicken, with potatoes and asparagus - what she was really excited for was the molten chocolate lava cake. James loved chocolate, as he had told her on plenty of occasions, so she was excited to test out the recipe one of her Healer colleagues had given her. She swore by it, saying it was heaven on a spoon when you ate it. Ariadne checked the clock, and figured she had about an hour until her boyfriend got home. Flicking the gramophone in the corner on to an old Weird Sisters album, Ariadne tied on an clean blue apron and got to work. Soon then Grimmauld Place kitchen was simmering in the smells and sounds of cooking foods and Aria’s humming along to the Weird Sisters. So engrossed was she in her process that she would never have noticed if anyone came in to the house; not that she really had to worry about trespassers. James’ middle namesakes’ family had been quite the paranoid bunch, and the security on Grimmauld Place was better than even the old Lestrange family home.

@rivjames


ooc: NEVER

[Deleted]

By a stroke of luck, practice had been cut a bit short today. Being fairly new to the pro-league, James had been working as hard as he could to improve his chaser game, though the long hours were starting to get to him. He wasn't used to working this hard. Ever. But truth be told, it was taking away from the time he could spend with Ariadne. While he couldn't do a lot about the amount of time, he was sure, he could improve the quality. Today's short practice was all he needed. 

James' trademark quick thinking went into overdrive as he went about. He acquired a variety of items from a variety of shops and made his way home for what he hoped would be something of a surprise. James did get home with plenty of time to spare, but as he was disarming the necessary protections and sneaking in through the front door, he realized that the old gramophone was on. Not only was Ariadne here, but probably making dinner, given the sudden impact of lovely aromas drifting up from the kitchen. If James was going to pull this off, he'd have to be quick on his apparition game. 

With a quiet deep breath, James silently put down his acquisitions, took up the first few and willed himself into the dining area. He quickly set out a vase full of flowers and a pair of tall, stick candles, which he lit before willing himself back into the other room. James supposed he hadn't made that much noise beyond a muffled thud and a quick poof, but he still paused and listened carefully for any signs of movement toward the dining room. 

@ariadne

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Ariadne inhaled deeply as she removed the chicken from the oven and stuck the meat thermometer into the bird.  Perfect temperature, the instructions had worked perfectly.  She arranged the chicken on a silver serving plate, the potatoes and asparagus in their own.  Aria knew it looked fancy, but she wanted James to have a proper, fancy meal.  In the two weeks they had been reunited, they had certainly made up for lost time in certain...aspects of their relationship, but they had yet to have a proper date.  Aria's patients had kept her busy, sometimes resulting her in staying late at the hospital, while James' new Quidditch career had kept him on his toes.  She wanted this meal to be perfect, even though she knew he'd be happy if she brought them pizza or Chinese takeout.  That was what she loved about James, about their relationship - as long as they were together, all would be well.

Ariadne waved her wand, and her dishes led her into the dining room.  She stopped short, the serving platters hovering over the table.  Flowers, a beautiful arrangement of her favorites, was sitting in the center of the table.  She smiled; James had gotten home early it seemed.  She set the plates down and wandered into the other room, a smile lighting up her face as her curly haired love was waiting for her there.  "It seems we both are full of surprises today," she said happily, crossing the room and rising up to her toes to kiss him sweetly.  "Come, dinner is ready," she told him, taking his hand in hers as she led him back to where the table was now set.  "I made chicken, mashed potatoes and asparagus.  Full rounded meal," she informed him.  She removed her apron and sent it back to the kitchen, revealing the long sleeved black dress with a rather plunging neckline underneath.  "We've both been so busy in the past two weeks, so I wanted to make us something special," she told him, taking the seat to his right with a smile.  "The flowers are the most beautiful arrangement I've ever seen - you remembered my favorite," she added, the smile never leaving her face.

@rivjames

[Deleted]

As he waited and listened, he could not help but smell the lovely aromas that were drifting out of the kitchen. As he heard the oven door close, smells of lemon and herbs, what he believed was chicken, and something akin to asparagus. His features relaxed as the blissful array of smells drifted around him. He almost forgot about his mission, when he heard a pair of quiet footfalls enter the room. Being only right near the doorway, he opened his eyes with a start. Alas, the jig was up. 

The golden-haired angel before him greeted him with a lovely kiss and a tug on his hand to join her in the dining room. With his free arm, James grabbed up the last few objects he had brought with him and allowed himself to be swept away by Ariadne's lead. She explained the meal she had set out before them. James could not help but salivate, everything looked and smelled fantastic. 

"I suppose so, dearest... I-" She then removed her apron to reveal a stunning black dress that made his eyes widen in wonder. As always, her taste in dresses was nothing short of divine, and this was no exception. Before James could finish his thought, Ari mentioned her desire to make something special and complimenting his choice of flowers. James' cheeks flushed red as he took his seat and produced the rest of his acquisitions. 

"Wow..." he began, "You spoil me, Ariadne. This is fantastic. Really, really fantastic." James set on the table before them a pair of mason jars full of mulled wine and orange slices followed by a wax-sealed card and a mint-chocolate pie. "I tried to get home early with a similar idea, but you beat me to it! Thank you, sweetheart." James leaned over to kiss Ariadne's forehead. A bit of moisture began to well up at the base of his eyes, unceremoniously followed by a rude growling from his stomach. The color in his cheeks darkened considerably. 

@ariadne

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Ariadne smiled serenely as James said she spoiled him. “Ah, but you spoil me as well my love, so it balances out,” she replied as she watched him set out the mulled wine, pie and a card. She cocked her head to one side and reached a slim hand towards the card, tearing it open in one clean swipe. As she read the card, a faint blush tinged at her cheeks, and she looked up at him with a tender smile. “You are amazing James Sirius Potter,” she told him softly, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his lips before taking her seat at the table.

She laughed at the grumbling in his stomach; he must be as hungry as she felt! She dished them both ample servings and they ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. That was one of the many nice things about their relationship - not every minute had to be filled with conversation. They were able to enjoy each other’s company without using their words. She speared an asparagus to her fork and popped it into her mouth, happy they had turned out the way she had wanted them to. “So how are the Arrows looking this season? Are we looking at another interleague championship?” she asked after she had swallowed, cutting up a piece of her chicken and savoring the taste of the lemon and herb combination she had decided upon.

@rivjames