Chapter 18 - Sunday Revelations

Bailey and Violet rushed back to the mall before the noises from Bailey’s parents’ bedroom got too loud.  They arrived giggling and out of breath.  “I wonder what Jimmy thought of that run,” panted Bailey.

“Change him back... and ask him,” said Bailey between breaths.  “We need a ride home...”

Bailey moaned about the loss of her favourite leggings, but reluctantly headed off to change.  She tossed the leggings into the Venn Machine unceremoniously, but the door didn’t open.  Violet stepped into the other side to find out why.

“Change me back,” croaked Jimmy.

“Are you serious?” gasped Violet. “This thing is set for a month.”

“I would happily spend eternity like that.”

Violet called up Jimmy’s history, making him smile.  But instead of touching the shimmering puddle of fabric she called up Jimmy’s previous form, the twins.  They pouted at Violet in stereo once she applied the change, but didn’t change her.  Instead they spent the time before the doors opened getting used to being people again, one of them female.

The Jimmies complained about being human and not a bodysuit the entire time.

“Was it really that good?” asked Bailey intently, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

Both Jimmies grinned at her, and nodded.  “Front row seat for the two of you going at it like lust-crazed weasels?  Heck yeah,” said the male one.

Bailey snorted then started to laugh.  Violet just looked mortified.  Bailey’s snickering proved infectious enough for her to join in once the blush died down.

“I should turn you into a weasel for that,” grumbled Violet.

“Heck with giving him fur, I want my fur back,” bantered Bailey.  Violet hopped in the Venn Machine with her, and soon had Bailey’s favourite form set up.

“Any extras in mind?” asked Violet.

“Katie got rid of the good bits, I’d like them back for this go around.”

“She did?” giggled Violet.  “Little minx.”

Bailey shrugged.  “Probably for the best, otherwise my first time wouldn’t have been with you.”

“So you’re saying I should thank her later?  I’m sure I can find something.”  Violet fiddled with the system for time, murmuring softly to it.  “There we go.  One big furry sex-beast.”

“How big?” asked Bailey.  “I’d like to be... compatible.  Being huge is fun, but until we have a cargo van to move me around...”

“Head at my level when standing on all fours,” replied Violet.  “Goldilocks-sized.  Not too big, not too small.”

“Hit me.  I’ve already set you up with a more biddable tentacle, it’ll stay out of the way if you want to be female.”

“Ooh, nice.  And done!”  Violet tapped her button at the same time as Bailey.

Bailey flowed out of the machine and up to the mirror.  She touched her face and grinned toothily.  “Oh!  This is even better than before.  It’s... me.”  Her face had a pronounced muzzle, but other than that and the fur, the resemblance was very close.  “Can we go back in and make this my forever form?”

Violet giggled.  “Not until school is over.  And the Venn Machines get new settings.”

Bailey turned a little circle in front of the mirror, grinning at how flexible she was.  “I feel like I’m longer in body...  Wait, do I have three sets of legs now?”

Violet nodded with a mock-serious look. “I’ve been studying fictional centauroids.  Varley had some very interesting ideas.  I’ve... extended them a little.”

Bailey tried rising up to stand on only the four back legs, and found that her front legs had hand-paws with opposable thumbs.  Reared up like that, she towered above Violet and Jimmy, which made her grin.  She dropped down to all six again for the walk out of the mall, humming happily to herself, her long body squirming and dancing behind her like a happy ferret.

By the time he’d driven them home, Jimmy agreed that Violet had done the right thing.  “Spending eternity as a bodysuit feels a little less appealing now.  Still tempting, but...”  Both bodies shrugged.  “There are advantages to mobility.”

Despite Bailey’s interest in exploring her new anatomy, Jimmy and Violet both argued that it was quite late, and they could play more on Sunday once they’d passed inspection.

*** *** ***

Sunday morning, quite the group met in the kitchen for breakfast.  Mommy Violet was cooking pancakes with able assistance from little Katie, and when she saw both Jimmies and how long Bailey was, she started another batch of batter.

The atmosphere around the table was convivial, despite the cramped quarters.  Due to the lack of chairs, Bailey sat on the floor, and Katie on Mommy Violet’s lap.

As she was serving up another stack of pancakes, Mommy Violet asked what everyone’s plans were for the day.

Young Violet giggled.  “You sound so much like a real mother.”  She took a bite of pancake and sighed happily.  “Can we keep you?”

Mommy Violet smiled over at Katie.  “I’d like that, and I think Katie-boo would like it too.”

Katie protested the pet name, but her giggle told the real tale.

“We could use the extra set of hands around the house,” agreed Jimmy.  “Between her and the two of me, we got the place all cleaned up yesterday.  But if we’re going to have a couple extra of us around long term, it will impact the food budget.  I’ve got enough for two, and with creative shopping I figured I could manage four, but six?”

“Five,” piped up Katie.  “I don’t eat when I’m Violet’s necklace.”

“How much would it take to double your food budget?” asked Bailey.  “Violet Bailey Creations is pretty profitable these days.”

At the number Jimmy named, Bailey laughed.  “That’s per month?  We clear more than that on a good Saturday.”

“So... We can do this?” asked Violet.  “Jimmy, do you want to double up regularly?”

Jimmy’s grins were a clear answer, but female-Jimmy spoke up as well.  “Being able to be a girl and still go to school?  Yes please.”

“So that’s the house settled, then,” said Mommy Violet.  “Katie and I are going to go for a walk down to the park after breakfast.”

“We are?” asked Katie.  “Why?”

“So you can have some fresh air, and go play on the playground.”

Katie giggled.  “Right.”  She looked at young Violet, eyes narrowing suspiciously.  “And so your other half can have some fun, too?”

Four blushes and some stammering gave her a clear answer.  Katie’s giggles grew louder.  “Cool.  Can we get ice cream, too?”

“I’m pretty sure the budget can stretch that far.  Come on, let’s get you dressed.”

Before long, Katie was wearing her new unicorn T-shirt, and hugging Violet tight.  “You’ll tell me everything, right?”

Violet giggled.  “I’ll tell you what you want to know, but no more.”

“Perfect.”  Katie skipped to the door.  Mommy Violet gave everyone a hug then followed on behind her.

Once the door was closed, Bailey looked back and forth among her lovers.  “Well now.  I see why Violet equipped me the way she did.  One for each of you, and enough flexibility...”

Jimmy chuckled softly at Violet.  “Planned this all out, did you?  Does that include making sure I can’t get pregnant?”

Violet nodded.  “I made sure your female half is infertile.  With all my tentacles, I’m not human enough to be compatible, and Bailey definitely isn’t.  We’re safe.”

“Are we really going to try this, then?”

“After last night, you have any doubts?” giggled Bailey.  “I wanna bang all my sweeties at once.”  She eeled her way toward the rec room and its mountain of pillows.  “Come on!”

Both Jimmies looked to Violet, who grinned.  “Hey, I already hit that.  And you were there for it.  Why are you looking shy now?”

“Performance anxiety?” offered Jimmy.

Violet took one of Jimmy’s arms, and his female half the other.  Between the two of them they carried him to the rec room, giggling all the way.

They found Bailey lounging on the pillows, her tentacles busy teasing certain new appendages...

“Holy,” murmured Jimmy.  “She has two?”

“Three, one between each pair of legs.  Set up for our current combo.  So yes, we can all make love to her at the same time.”

That was far, far easier said than done.  Bailey was flexible enough, but there wasn’t much room between each pair of limbs, and many elbows and knees got poked here and there.  Then Bailey’s paw slipped and her reflexive claw-grab dug into male-Jimmy’s thigh.

There was a lot of bleeding, and it didn’t stop until Violet managed to tie an improvised tourniquet around the leg.  By then, dozens of the pillows were ruined and the mood was quite thoroughly killed.

“I’m so sorry, Jimmy.  I thought I’d covered everything, but...”

Female Jimmy sighed, and shook her head.  “Nobody’s perfect.  And I think... maybe this whole arrangement is a mistake.  Mechanically, I mean.  It was a sweet idea, but it doesn’t work.”

“Yeah.  Starting to think my offer to be your condom is the better approach.”

“Bah,” protested Bailey.  “We’ve already done that, with Jimmy as the bodysuit condom.  Should shrink you and a Jimmy down small enough to make love in my fur.”

Violet giggled.  “Or in your stomach.”

Male Jimmy coughed weakly.  “I could go for that.  Can we hit the mall, please?  Any change is better than this.”

Everyone agreed that they should get Jimmy un-Venned to patch him up.  Female Jimmy and Violet found themselves carrying him once again, while Bailey bagged up the blood-soaked pillows.  Jimmy was in no shape to drive, so his female half took the wheel instead.  She drove very slowly and carefully, so she wouldn’t need to explain driving on Jimmy’s license.

Soon Jimmy was whole once more, and the three of them sat down beside the Venn Machine to plan their next step.  While they were talking, several regulars approached Bailey and Violet about getting a few changes made.

Bowing to the inevitable, Bailey and Violet got to work creating new dresses and turning more than a few of their clients into catgirls.  Several of their classmates asked for short-term changes to versions that were well outside school rules, including variations on the slight muzzle making Bailey’s face feline, but still recognizably her.  Extra breasts were popular as well, and their boyfriends often cheered to see their new forms.

One of said boyfriends was even persuaded to let his new catgirlfriend twin her shape onto him.

Jimmy spent the time watching the pretty people Violet made, and snuggling up to Bailey while Violet was working.  Violet offered to shrink him to a more decorative size, but he demurred.  There were less than eight hours left until his father was due to come to the house and inspect it.

As if summoned by the mention of parents, Bailey’s mother and father showed up, asking for their promised Venning.  Violet grinned at them despite Bailey’s discomfort.  “I believe you were promised my best efforts at any change you wanted.  What’ll it be?”

Ms. York blushed.  “I’ve... really enjoyed the flexible bones.  But it took a long time to get myself unentangled this morning.  Can you do something about that?”

“I could make your bones normal...” started Violet, then she saw how Bella was shaking her head.  “No?  If I make them more flexible, you’ll end up with tentacles.”  Violet shook out her arms, showing how they were really tentacles.  “Takes a while to get the hang of them, and leg tentacles are really tricky.”

Bella looked to her husband, who shrugged.  “Tentacles aren’t really my thing.”

Violet nodded.  “Fair enough.  Acquired taste.”  She flashed Bailey a grin, and got a tentacle wave in return.  “I’ve had some luck with dynamic outfits, I could try that on your bones.  Maybe a button somewhere on your body that switches states?”

“Does it have to be a button?” asked Bella, her cheeks pinkening even more.  “I have an idea...”

Violet shrugged.  “I’m sure we can figure something else out.  If it doesn’t work, we can try again.”

Bella nodded eagerly and turned toward the Venn Machine.  She set the duration for a year, but Violet put a hand on her arm.  “Slow down, girl.  Let’s go for a month now, and if you like it you two can easily extend it as long as you want.”

Bella let Violet set the machine for a month, and eagerly hopped inside.  Once the doors were closed she asked if anyone outside could hear, and Violet shook her head.  Bella went on to explain that she wanted her bones to soften when she got aroused.

Violet blushed, but she’d dealt with crazier things recently, so she nodded as well.  “I’ve done something similar before, mostly by accident, but... let’s see how this works.”

While Violet worked, she noticed Bella dancing about agitatedly.  “Are you sure about this?”

Bella nodded curtly.  “I just...  Can I ask something weird?”

“My threshold for weird is pretty high these days.  Let’s see if you can clear it,” said Violet with an attempt at a comforting smile.

“Can... can you make it so I don’t have to breathe?  Or eat?”

“Both?”  Violet thought about turning Stella into a mannequin.  “Should be doable, give me a minute...”  She murmured and tapped some more, then studied the result.  “You look... just a tiny bit artificial.  Kind of glossy?  Will that be okay?”

Bella nodded with a wide grin.  “Yeah.  Let’s see it!”

Bella examined her newly shiny skin with a big grin, but when Violet asked what she thought of it Bella found she couldn’t speak.  Violet winced.  “Oh dear, not again.  Want me to try again?”

Bella thought about that for long enough that the doors popped open, and she darted out to check herself out in the mirror instead.  Violet followed behind, as did Mr. York, who looked entranced.  Bella grinned at him, then pointed him toward the Venn Machine.

“Something for you, too?” asked Violet.

“Just a little younger.  And maybe...”

Violet chuckled.  “We can talk privately inside.”

Mr. York only wanted an eight hour change, as he had to work in the morning.  Violet pretended to be hurt at the implication, but then smiled once they were inside.  “It’s okay.  Just means I can get even more creative.  What do you want?”

Mr. York danced around the subject for a bit, but when he finally admitted what he wanted Violet only smiled and agreed.  Soon he was back outside the machine, and caught his wife up in a powerful hug and kiss that left her looking more than a little limp in his arms.

“What’d you do?” he asked.

Violet grinned.  “She goes soft when she gets aroused.  Have fun!”

Bella tried to walk out of the mall, but soon her husband was carrying her.  Bailey shook her head as she watched them go.  “What did you do to him to turn her on so fast?”

Violet snickered.  “Extendable tongue.”

Bella and Jimmy both oooohed at that, in stereo, then all three broke down in giggles.  Violet offered to upgrade Jimmy’s tongue, but he shook his head.  “I should get back and make sure things will be ready for the inspection.  Wouldn’t hurt to do some grocery shopping on the way, too.  You two have fun.  Give me a call when you want a ride back home.”

Both girls gave Jimmy warm hugs, and then coordinated to kiss him on each cheek.  “We’ll be good.  Good-ish.”

That promise was tested when Mr. York returned without his wife.  Bailey winced.  “Something wrong?”

Mr. York bit his lip, and bent to whisper something to Violet.  She blushed.  “Oh.  Oh dear.  And she can’t wait it out, she’d be stuck as your ...”

Mr. York shook his head frantically, drawing another giggle from Violet.  “Fine.  I don’t like keeping secrets from Bailey, but I don’t think she wants to hear any of this.  Want to take five and get us some drinks, love?”

Bailey smiled gratefully and trotted off.  Violet frowned when she realized that Bailey wasn’t doing her usual squirm-dance walk.  “You’ve upset her.”

“I know.  But you have no idea what it’s like.”

Violet smiled at the distant backside of Bailey.  As she got further away, her tail started swishing and her hindmost legs started dancing.  Violet smiled happily.  “I think I can guess.”

“Ah?  Congratulations, then.  New love is wonderful.  Finding out that your love can be rekindled after a decade of drought even more so.  I wish she could be happy for us,” sighed Mr. York.

Violet shook her head.  “She is happy.  But she’s happier not knowing the details, you know?”

“Hah, yeah.  It’s just so hard not to talk about it.”

Violet giggled.  “Yeah.  Do you want to try to bring her in like she is, all cubed up because her bones solidified while she was still all compact?”

Mr. York shook his head.  “I just need a solution for... um... later.  We both like her as she is.”

“Couldn’t you just get her turned on, then lay her out flat in the bed?”

Bailey’s father sighed.  “I tried that.  Trying to fix her cools her ardor rapidly.”

“So what you need is four tentacles so you can keep her interested while stretching out her arms and legs?” suggested Violet.

“Sounds good, let’s try it.”

Violet’s eyes went wide and she grinned.  “Really?  I was kinda joking, but if you’re game, cool.”

“Tentacles are cool?” asked Mr. York curiously.

“I think they are,” enthused Violet, flaring out her own tentacles and giving them a wriggle.  “Others mostly don’t go for it.  How long?”

They settled on sixteen hours, so that Mr. York would be normal in time for work Monday morning.  He soon emerged from the Venn Machine with four muscular tentacles sprouting from his sides, in addition to his arms.  He stretched them in front of the mirror, then arm-wrestled one.  “Yeah, this will do nicely.   You do good work, Violet.  Thanks.”

Violet waved as he headed off, then looked around for her next client, and spotted a familiar looking golden dragongirl.  “Oh, hey Amelia.  Can we talk?”

Amelia nodded brusquely.  “Talk.”

Violet winced at the tone.  “Look, I’m sorry about how the catgirl thing took off.  I’m mostly just rolling with whatever people request, and I hadn’t realized how it would look.  I don’t actually want to be the school’s trend-setter, but I don’t know how to make it stop.”

Amelia sighed, and took a seat near the Venn Machine.  “I figured as much.  I have an idea for how to fix it, if you’re willing to play along.”

Violet nodded eagerly, stepping toward the Venn Machine.  “Sure.  I said you could change me, and ... well, I might not show up to school in exactly the same form, I need to be myself for a bit tonight... but I’ll do my best to match it.”  She set the machine for a month, and opened it.

Amelia looked at her in puzzlement.  “A month?  Without Bailey to rescue you?”

“You’re not going to turn me into butterflies, are you?”

Amelia laughed at the idea.  “I think the other girls would literally crucify me if I did.”  She strolled into one side of the machine, and Violet hopped into the other.  “Still kind of tempted to turn you into my shoes for a bit.”

Violet shrugged.  “I can’t show up to school like that.”

“The idea doesn’t bother you?  Getting walked on, by me?”  Amelia chuckled wryly.  “Figures.  You’re as pervy as we are, you just don’t show it.”

“Guilty as charged.  C’mon, I can see it in your eyes you have something fun planned.”

Amelia grinned wickedly, but something about the way her eyes lit up made it clear she had no ill intent.  “You’ll love it.  Trust me.”

Violet smirked.  “You haven’t steered me wrong yet.  Besides, it’s a bit late to decide I don’t trust you, now that I’m inside the machine.”

Amelia’s grin softened to a warm smile.  “Yeah.  Look, I’m sorry about how bitchy I got earlier.  I know you didn’t mean it, but the fashion-leader thing is still a big part of the pecking order among the cheerleaders.  You could walk in and take over if you liked.”

“Ha!” guffawed Violet.  “Can you imagine?  Me, as a cheerleader?”

“You’d be fantastic.”

“I can barely dance without embarrassing myself.”

Amelia shook her head.  “The moves aren’t the hard part.  Keeping the team together is way harder work than it looks.  Every one of us thinks we should be in charge, now that Chelsea’s out, and it’s making a mess of practice.  We need someone who can keep us in line.”

“And you think that’d be me?”

“You are the fashion leader at school.  Which is why I’m doing this...”  Amelia went quiet for a time as she tapped at the interface, then her hand darted to the side.

Violet glanced down at herself, and saw a sea of purple scales.  “Dragongirl?  Oh!  If I go around like this, others will follow.”

“Exactly.  Then I look like the leader.”

Once the doors opened, Violet darted out to look at her new body.  She looked like a muscular twin of Amelia, but with amethyst eyes and pale violet scales.  It took almost a minute before she realized she was naked – the scales covered everything like a bodysuit, and smoothed her breasts down to the point they barely showed.  “I can work with this,” mused Violet.  “I’ll need to go more Violet-shaped on Monday, though.”

Amelia nodded.  “Of course.  I didn’t want to tweak the design too much, because then you might lose the horns.”

Violet’s eyes went wide as her hand felt through her hairline.  “Oh.  Oooooh, they...” her eyes went even wide.  “I had no idea they felt so...”

Amelia smirked at Violet wickedly.  “Have fun.  See you Monday.”

Violet wandered the mall looking for Bailey, and more importantly her stash of long T-shirts.  Once she was covered up, she sighed happily.  “I don’t know how Stella does it.”

“Was anyone reacting to your apparent nudity?” asked Bailey, studying her newly muscular sweetie with a lascivious grin.  “You look good.”

“Lots of people were looking, and there were more than a few giggles.  Nothing overtly negative, really.  Appreciative.”  Violet frowned, and her hand went to the hem of the shirt.  “I’m half tempted to take it off again.”

Bailey smiled and gestured encouragingly.  There were some cheers and clapping when she tossed her shirt aside, and Violet blushed faintly under her scales.  Most people’s attention soon scattered, much as the crowd did.  Violet hooked one arm in Bailey’s, and they strolled around the mall as if it was perfectly normal to be wearing only scales or fur.

“You’re already used to this, aren’t you?” accused Violet after a half lap.

“Yeah.  I did try improvising a saddle blanket, but... meh.  The fourth time it fell off, I just gave up.”  Bailey danced, wriggling her long body.  “This feels so nice.  I wish I didn’t have to go back to school tomorrow.”

“We could do you up like Jimmy, one of these and one human...”

Bailey thought about it for a while, then shook her head.  “Nah.  It’s kind of hard to explain, but... being part human just spoils the whole thing, right?  It’s only what... a month until Christmas break, then six more and we’re done?”

“Something like that.  Then we need jobs.”

“We have jobs!” protested Bailey.  “I don’t know if we can keep Violet Bailey Designs going, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”

“Same here.  Can you imagine?  Doing this as a career?  All the dresses I can make.”

“All the wild body shapes, especially when school lets out for summer...”

Violet grinned and hugged Bailey excitedly.  “It’s going to be awesome.”

Bailey purred happily and snuggled in to the hug, wrapping her lower body around Violet in the process.  They were still standing there when Jimmy walked up.

“Oh good, you're here.  We need to hit the Venn Machine then get going.”

“The Venn Machine?” asked Bailey.  “What is it?”

“A big box that lets you transform each other, but that’s not important now,” deadpanned Jimmy.  “Mommy Violet invited our parents to stay for dinner after the inspection.”

“Oh, that’ll be nice,” replied Violet.  “Good for her.  Me.  This is confusing, but why are you looking so frazzled?”

“Dad says he wants us to be human, it sounded like he wants to make some kind of announcement.”

Violet patted Bailey’s shoulder as her fuzzy sweetie drooped.  “You knew we’d have to change back soon enough.”

“I promise we’ll do something fun to celebrate, afterward,” added Jimmy.

“Chocolate minimonsters for dessert?” asked Violet.

“Oooh, I accept your offering.”  Bailey unwound herself from Violet and led the way to the Venn Machines.  Once there, she asked, “Do we have to be all human, or just... mostly human?”

“They’re both venned younger, so mostly should be okay.  What do you want to keep?” asked Violet as she set up the Venn Machine.

“I guess just the rosettes, and a little bit of fur.”

“How about the ears, too?  I don’t think he’d send you away for ears, and it’s honest about where you’re going.”

Bailey nodded. “Going to keep your tentacle-arms, then?”

Violet considered that, then shook her head.  “Just the... other tentacle.”

“Kinky.  Let’s do it.”

Before long two very normal looking girls emerged from the Venn Machine.  Jimmy nodded happily.  “Looking good.”

“Even with the ears?”

“Yup!  They’re cute.”

Bailey blushed.  “Thanks.”

Jimmy drove them back to the house, where they helped with final cleaning and got chased out of the kitchen by Mommy Violet.  Katie had returned to normal size, but was still at Mommy Violet’s side, helping out.  She was also wearing a T-shirt with a sparkling unicorn on it, sized up from her favourite over the weekend.

“They're here!” called out Violet, who’d been sent to watch.

Everyone lined up by the door, including both Jimmys and Mommy Violet in her apron.

“Well,” said Scott, Jimmy and Katie’s father.  “This is quite the display.  Is the rest of the house as clean?”

“Cleaner,” said Mommy Violet.  “I made sure of it.”

“Good.  I’ll spot check later.  But for now...”  He held his hand out to Ruby, Violet’s mother.  “Ruby and I want to get married.”

“Congratulations!” cheered Bailey, leading the charge to hug them both.  “You two will make an awesome couple.”

“Hold on, hold on.  Want to.  I feel... that you three, um... four?  That you should have a say.  It’ll upend your lives.”

“Yes,” said Violet without hesitation.  “I’m all for it.”

Jimmy chimed in a moment later.  All eyes then turned to Katie, who tried to disappear behind Mommy Violet.  “Why are you looking at me?”

“Because you’re my daughter, and this concerns you just as much.”

“Are you seriously telling me that if I said no, you’d call it off?” asked Katie.

Ruby and Scott shared worried looks.  “I... I don’t know.  It’d put a damper on things, that’s for sure.”

Katie darted forward and hugged her father tight.  “I’m not saying no.  I just...  Thank you.  For asking.”

“Are you happy?”

Katie nodded frantically.  “So, so happy.  This has been the best weekend ever, since before you and Mom split.”

“Ah.  About that.”

Katie stared up at her father worriedly.  “She wants me back?”

Scott nodded.  “I got a formal request to reinstate our existing custody arrangements by registered mail on Friday.”

“I DON’T WANNA GO!” cried Katie.  “You can’t make me go.  Can you?  Please, I’ll do anything.”

“It’s not up to me,” sighed Scott.

“Ahem.”  Everyone’s eyes turned to Ruby.  “Maybe let your lawyer fiancée have a look at this?  I bet we could stall it in court until Katie’s eighteen, and free to live wherever she chooses.”

“I could hide as Violet’s necklace until then,” suggested Katie, hopefully.

“We’ll see.  We’ll do everything we can,” reassured Ruby.  “It shouldn’t come to that.”

“Aww.  I like being her necklace.”

Violet giggled, and pulled Katie into a hug.  “I’ll wear you to school, don’t worry.”

Mommy Violet clapped her hands.  “Well, if that’s settled, dinner is ready.”  She led everyone into the dining room, which had the only table big enough for the eight of them.

Scott looked around at all the happy faces once everyone was seated and had served up their plates.  “Thank you.  I don’t quite understand how my family has gone from two people to this magnificent crew in such a short time, but... it’s wonderful to have you all here.  Thank you.”