The old place is dusty. I should say the new old place, is dusty. I moved everything here when I left a few years back. I never set up things in the new shop. Now that I'm back with the girls, things are moving along.

Until now, I haven't really written anything down. Now that I'm back in Rhydin and limited contact with the SPD, I'm hoping to give them a normal life. All this for the sake my girls. The past six years has been so hard. We've been hiding in Europe, staying with old friends and moving around.

Now, they want a stable home. They'll be in 1st grade next year, so they need something stable. I wanted to home school them, but they want to be around other children so we're back in Rhydin for the sake my girls. We've been hiding in Europe for the past six years, they're asking questions and tired of traveling.

We sent a few Christmas cards. I was going to send a card to their grandparents, but I don't even know if they are alive. I couldn't contact them and tell them. I don't know what happened to him. We don't talk about their father, they haven't asked yet, but I suspect they will at some point. I don't know what I'm going to say.

One day at a time. I'm simply excited we don't have to hide now, at least for now. I'm praying we'll be safe.

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Juliet asked, "Mum what are we?"

"Wha" ye lass?"

"Well, some of the kids know where they are from. Not all mums talk funny like you."

"Aye, m'see. So ye askin" where mum be from?"

"Yes. Why do you talk funny?" Juliet sat at her table holding Myia's hand.

"Well, me love. Mum is Irish and a Scot, tha' why me talk funny. Me mum was from a line of fine Scots wit' th' name Mackenzie. Mum's da" from Ireland. They be two islands away, granny an pa" met, fell in love an' had me. When me was young they went t"heaven an' me met ye bunica and bunicul. Tha' be granny an' pop in Romany. Tha' be why ye learnin" t'speak Gaelic, Romany, Latin an' Italian."

Myia stared at her mother. "Mum. We have a da" too?"

"Aye lass, ye do. Ye weren't hatched from eggs like dragons."

Juliet followed with another question. "Mum, where is da?""

Iona stared and breathed in slow. Thankfully some of those dragon cookies were on the end of the counter. "Hmm. M gonna get a cookie an' tell ye th' story, bu' there only be two cookies left. Me gonna eat them if ye wanna know."

The girls screamed, laughed and begged for the cookies. Mum and lassie hugs later, they were all curled on the couch watching Frozen for the 8,328 time.

"Iona, I have some good news and bad news." Teri said on the other end of the phone.

"Aye, ye always got good an' bad news. Ye gonna give me th' bad news first aye?"

"Why do you like to get the bad news first' Never mind. I know why."

"Ter...get t"it lass. Me gotta some lassies tha' gonna revolt if me dun get dinner on th' table."

"The last lead we had on the amulet was a dead end. No body, no information, no witnesses."

"M'see. Wha" tha' gonna do fer th' good news?" Iona clenched her fist.

"Well. We're chasing down a lead for the Jackal. The one you gave us panned out. I'll send you the info. We're going to need you for a few days. We have a safe house set up, a tutor for the girls and everything ready."

"Ye can send me th' info, bu' nae gonna know if me comin". I'll let ye know. Wha" else?"

"That's all for now, except how are you doing now that you're back in Rhydin?"

"Bein" on th' other plain make it be jus" strange t"be back an' known me ain't aged here, bu' th' lassies were. Feck, Teri. M'shoulda stayed, kin"na regrettin" comin" here. Th' lassies love it, bu' me dun know. Wha" happen if somethin" happen t"me. Ye said y"would take them, m"know...bu' ye really gonna?"

"Of course, Iona. We're family. I promised you and I'll love them like my own."

"M'sorra Teri. M"know ye would..bu' if ye have a bunch o"ye own. Sorra...th' lassies asked me about da". M'dun wanna hide th' truth, bu' they be young t"know. How ye explain wha' ye cannae explain yeself" M'jus' on edge since m'dun know wha' t'say."

"Iona. Look. You're a hot head, you did something you shouldn't have done, but so did he. He broke protocol. You're the leader, but what he did isn't on you. He broke protocol and decided to go on his own for whatever reason. That is not on you!!! I'm going to keep telling you until you believe it. As far as you know he just said fuck it. I thought you could trust March, but you can't, I can't. Dead or alive, he is the one who betrayed you and me. I wiped that from his record, because you asked. His actions were shit!"

"Ter...m'dun wanna talk about wha' he did. M"know wha' he did an dinnae do. M"jus" got me head twisted an confused wit' th' lassies askin" about him. So far m"been able t'sway them away from answerin" bu' m'sure they gonna ask again. M'dun wanna lie t"me lassies. M"can't."

"I know. I'm sorry. We're doing our best. I'll keep running the program to see if there are any more clues. If nothing else, maybe some closure. We can call him dead on undercover assignment. If Juliet and Myia go looking for information at any time, they'll find that."

"Aye, m'do tha' but tha' dunna stop them from sayin" mum wha' was da" like. Why he leave us" Why he nae here" Why ye ain't wit' him' Di" ye love him?"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Thanks an m"know. Th' lassies are revoltin".? She hung up the phone and went to get dinner.

Teri continued to run a program searching for clues.

Iona fell asleep near the fire from sheer exhaustion. The twins were in bed just after 1AM for the New Year celebration. The dream was so vivid, but even as she dreamed she didn't understand why she was dreaming of two adult redheads.

The young women were lovely with crystal blue eyes, rounded nose, pale skin and pouty lips. "Lass ye dun have a fetish for redheads do ye?" The joke was self-deprecating in tone to her dreaming self. It happened often enough, she'd dream of horrible and vile things and try to make humor in the darkness.

The two older girls were sitting together and whisper when she walked by. They both looked at her and frowned. Finally, one spoke up with the voice of a child. "Mum, you aren't telling us about da". You said you would. Aren't you supposed to know if he's dead or not."

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"Yes, mother. Why can't you be honest with us if you're not going to be honest with yourself. Are you keeping him away from us" We begged you to tell us about him. You didn't. You're acting like a selfish..b.."

Juliet heard her mother laughing, but it sounded like crying. The four-year climbed out of her bed and followed the sounds to her mother. "Mum.." She whispered. "I am here, you're not alone."

Usually when Juliet came to anchor Iona, she never woke up. However, she sat up straight and stared into Juliet's little face. "Lil lassie ..." Leaning to kiss her face with butterfly kisses and strange noises. "Thank ye love." Iona realized that dream was of her girls as they were older.

After much love, Iona pulled Juliet closer to her and rubbed her back. "Juju ye love mum, right?"

There's a snicker in her ear. "Mum!"

"Aye, aye, m"know lass. Jus" know mum willna do anythin" t"ye hurt ye on purpose."

Juliet sat up and little hands held Iona's freckled face. "Mum." She said in such a serious tone. "Teri told me and My-eye that we're your helpers and we will always love you. We take care of each other and we can't hurt each other if we take care of each other." Juliet rolled her eyes, snickered and cuddled with her mom.

Iona stood up with Juliet in her arms. "Come lass...ye be right' an ye need t"get back t"bed."

She stayed and rubbed Juliet's back until she fell back asleep. Little Myia was sound asleep with her mouth open and drooling on her pillow.

Iona said a prayer under her breath. "Thank ye God fer all this. Thank ye." Knowing that she would have been dead without the little lassies, they saved her life and continued to do so every single day.