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Chapter Text

Part 1 of 3

Tally Craven loved her chosen sisters. She did. It had been inevitable, her loving them. After their time in basic got off to a horrendous start, it was impossible not to see the beautiful talented women Raelle Collar and Abigail Bellweather were. Together they were an unstoppable force. Their harmonics were unlike any that Fort Salem had seen in generations. Their talent was unmatched as they each equally excelled in their chosen fields. Abigail was the best Blaster to have passed through Fort Salem since her great-great grandmother Jem Bellweather. Raelle Collar had been a Fixer with great natural potential, and that was before she’d become the most powerful witch to ever pass through Fort Salem’s hallowed grounds after touching the Mycelium and becoming it’s symbiotic conduit. 

Tally Craven was a humble person, but even she had begun to believe it when Major Verger spoke of how talented she was, naturally talented at Knowing. Tally’s Sight set her apart from all the other witches on Fort Salem, because she could see more. 

Which meant her sisters should have known better than to try and keep secrets from her. 

Tally despised secrets. 

Secrets were dirty and they clouded the waters of a relationship, and Tally hated dirty water. 

Raelle and Abigail had been huddled up together whispering and tittering with some stack of papers for two weeks. Papers that they hid as soon as Tally came into the room. Tally had let it go at first, not wanting to pry. She’d hoped that eventually her sisters would come to her with whatever it was they were hiding. But it had been two weeks. Two long weeks of Abigail and Raelle hiding something from her. 

Where Tally once would have been happy that her two combative sisters were getting along so well she didn’t appreciate being kept on the sidelines, kept out from the fun. She could use some laughs and smiles too, goddess damn it. 

After the first week, Tally had begun to worry that whatever it was they were whispering about in dark corners had to do with her. What bothered Tally even more was that since the other day now M, Gerit, Gregorio, and even Penelope Silver seemed to be involved in the whispering. But still, her sisters hadn’t told her what was going on. 

It couldn’t be her birthday, that wasn’t for another five months and neither of her procrastinating Queen sisters would have started planning something this early. So it wasn’t a birthday surprise. And with the way that her sisters kept stealing looks at her, Tally felt that whatever it was they were planning didn’t bode well for her. In fact, she knew it didn’t bode well for her. Which is why she had decided she was going to nip it in the butt. Today. 

Right now! 

People did not keep secrets from Tally Craven. It just wasn’t done. Tally’s ability to uncover the truth has less to do with her Knower abilities and more to do with her personal determination. Her sisters should have known better.

“What do you two think you’re doing!?” Tally hissed as she threw the door open to their shared dorm room. Raelle and Abigail jumped and turned so whatever it was they’d been looking over was hidden behind their backs. 

“Nothing!” They both practically ‘eeped’ their response. Abigail looked far less guilty than Raelle. And Tally honed in on the Fixer, knowing Raelle was the weakest link. 

“Rae…” Tally inquired a hundred different questions in just the use of her sister’s name.

Raelle was practically sweating as she quaked under Tally’s penetrating gaze. 

Abigail hissed, and bumped her shoulder against Raelle’s, issuing a glare of her own. “Don’t.” Abigail warned, and it only made Raelle swallow nervously. 

“Rae….Rae…” Tally softened her tone as she crossed the room towards her sisters. Her face softening as she took step after step closer to the two women. 

“Be strong, Collar!” Abigail insisted, trying to put herself in front of Raelle, to keep her from Tally’s big round soft puppy dog eyes. As soon as Abigail stood in front of Raelle, she felt her own skin break out into an uncomfortable sweat. 

Those eyes, those big brown doey eyes were staring into her soul. Right into her very soul. The quivering of Tally’s chin caused her own hands to shake. It was like Work. Abigail was powerless against Tally’s sad pleading gaze. 

“Don’t look!” Raelle grabbed both of Abigail’s shoulders, her own face pressed tight against Abigail’s shoulders to hide herself from looking at Tally. 

“Abi…” Tally whispered Abigail’s name, her lips slowly curving downward into the perfect parabolic frown. 

“Oh Goddess…” Abigail squeezed her eyes closed for a second, knowing she was going to falter. “Run Rae, run!” Abigail handed the papers to Raelle and when Tally got close enough she wrapped her arms tight around Tally’s shoulders and held her tight as Raelle ran like she was the least skilled running back, because all Tally had to do was stick her foot out and Raelle had tripped and fallen, splatted really, right across the floor. 

“Oww…” Raelle groaned. 

The papers that she had been holding as if they were the precious fotoball were released into a shower of fluttering individual pieces. Each one taking it’s time falling to the floor in different places. 

“Really shirtbirt!?” Abigail glared at Raelle’s sprawled out ass on the floor. The air suddenly leaving her in a whoosh as Tally elbowed her right in the solar plexus. “Ugh…fuck.” Abigail released her hold on Tally, wheezing as she glared at her redheaded sister. 

Tally calmly walked away from Abigail and went to pick up the papers that Raelle was scrounging to try and pick up herself, but she just looked like a flopping fish had mated with an earth worm as she slid slash flopped forward her arms reaching out to pick up the scattered papers.

”Wait, Tals, don’t!” Raelle begged as she got her hand on one paper and she crumpled it up and stuffed it down her shirt, while Tally picked up the remaining four pieces and began looking them over. 

Tally walked away from where Raelle tried to grab at her foot, easily skipping over the attempt and making her way towards Abigail’s dresser, which she hopped up onto to sit, as it put the wall at her back and let her see her sister’s if they decided to try and formulate a new plan of attack. But really, it was too late. Tally had what she had wanted. These papers. 

The mysterious papers that she saw Abigail and Raelle constantly adding things to and crossing things out on, and where creased and looked rumpled because of how often both Raelle and Abigail had to scrunch them up in an attempt to hide them from Tally. 

Tally really thought they’d have been better off using a notebook, but she wasn’t about to tell her sisters how to fail in keeping a secret from her. Rather let them learn the hard way. 

People did not keep secrets from Tally Craven. 

Tally’s eyes widened as she looked over the written words on the page. Abigail was helping Raelle up off the floor, the two hissing insults at each other for their failure, blaming each other for the loss of the papers. 

“She didn’t get it all .” Raelle whispered into Abigail’s ear, pressing a hand tight against the crumpled bit of paper that was the most important of the bunch. Abigail released a heavy sigh of relief. Good. Then they were only in for a good tongue lashing, not actual death. 

“You both better start explaining this.” Tally’s voice brokered no room for arguments, her eyes almost black with her barely contained anger.

“Uh…” Raelle cleared her throat, “You see Tals…” 

Abigail rolled her eyes, “Look Tally. It’s been, like, two years. Two long years since you’ve even gone out on a date with someone. Sure, you participate in Beltane. But like, whatever. We all participate in Beltane.” Abigail waved off Raelle’s hand as the fixer tried to put her hand over her mouth to shut her up. “It’s been two years since you’ve been on a date. And you know, Raelle and I wouldn’t care, but like, you’re getting a bit much.” Abigail did care, obviously, otherwise she wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble, “You know, we love you. But you need to get laid. Or at least be wined and dined so you’re less of a pain in the ass.” Raelle groaned loudly, throwing her hands up in the air, shaking her head at Abigail’s severe lack of tact. “So Raelle and I decided it was time to change that. That…” Abigail pointed to the papers Tally was holding, “That’s what we were able to come up with.”

Tally stared, not saying anything as Abigail gave her explanation. She turned to Raelle, who looked as if she were hoping the Mycelium would suck her up whole and help her disappear into the floor. 

“Rae…?” Raelle twitched and slowly turned to meet Tally’s eyes, “Is this true?” 

“Well, look Tally.” Raelle scratched the back of her neck, her cheeks flushed, “You’ve been kind of sad. I wouldn’t say a pain in the ass.” Raelle kicked at Abigail’s shin for good measure for that turn of phrase her sister had used. 

“Ow…fuck off shitbird!” Abigail shoved at Raelle’s shoulder as she hopped on one foot and rubbed at the area Raelle had just kicked with the tip of her boot. 

Raelle just glared at Abigail before softening her eyes as she looked to Tally, “ But you’re just very wistful lately and we thought maybe if you gave one of those people a shot, that maybe you’d be happier.” Raelle tried, really she did, to be as diplomatic about this as she could be. She, unlike Abigail, had actual tact and compassion. 

“So you…what? Put together a list of possible dates?” Tally asked, eyes widening as she looked over the pages in her hand, turning them over as she read over each name and the items listed under them. At the top of each page was the name of someone her sisters thought Tally might be interested in spending time with romantically or sexually. And on the pages were pros and cons to their personality and whether Abigail and Raelle thought these individuals would be a good match for Tally. And if they weren’t, why. 

It was…well there was a lot of work put into these profiles. Her sisters had been putting in a lot for work to try and make her happy. That was sweet of them. Misguided, but sweet. 

Tally jumped off the dresser and she stalked across the room towards her sisters. Abigail covered her ribs and Raelle squeezed one eye shut, both of them expecting some kind of attack. Instead they were each hooked in with the crook of Tally’s arms and pulled in for a group hug. “That’s so sweet you guys. You didn’t have to do this.” 

Abigail and Raelle sighed heavily, glad that they weren’t under attack. 

“It’s what pain in the ass sisters are supposed to do, right?” Abigail asked, she wouldn’t know. None of them had had sisters before joining the army. 

“How would I know?” Raelle asked from within the group hug, lost as she was the shortest amongst the three. 

The three laughed as they slowly disentangled themselves from the hug. “So, you’re in?” Abigail asked, getting straight to the point. 

“What exactly am I, ‘in’...for?” Tally asked cautiously. 

The gleam in both Raelle and Abigail’s eyes frightened her. 

“I cannot believe I agreed to this.” Tally lamented as she stood amidst the gardens of Fort Salem. The early spring sun was rising higher in the sky, it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. It was still the mid of April, the air was a bit crisp and Tally wished she’d worn something just a little heavier. 

Abigail and Raelle each laughed as they stood on either side of Tally. They hooked their arms through Tally’s and kept their sister from rushing away. She’d agreed after all. 

“No backing out now, Tals.” Abigail grinned wickedly, and Tally whimpered as she felt her cheeks flame up. 

“Don’t listen to her, Tally. If you don’t like who wins, then you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” 

“The hell she doesn’t shitbird. It wasn’t cheap getting the reservations at Henrieta’s Steakhouse. And since the meal is on my dime. She damn well better be there. And don’t say she could just bring us with her. The reservation is for two only!” Abigail looked around Tally’s shoulders to glare at Raelle. 

“She can still just go with you , Abigail. But if she doesn’t like who wins this, it’s still up to her whether she wants to go or not.” 

Abigail seemed to consider what Raelle was saying and sighed, “Fine. Yeah. What Raelle said. But you better take me instead of the winner, Tally.” Abigail warned with an accusing finger wag. 

“Let’s just get this over with?” Tally begged, wishing the grass beneath her feet would open up and suck her deep into it’s soil where she’d never have to be seen again. Or maybe she could just spring forth in thirty or forty years from now, which would be plenty of time for everyone to have forgotten this mortifying day. Surely forty years was enough. 

They came to a stop in the clearing where they often played some kind of hand to hand sport during Beltane, the bleachers were already set up as Beltane was only a few weeks away. The area was already alive with early spring blooms. 

Across from where the Bellweather unit stood was a collection of individuals Abigail and Raelle had collected and invited to join in on this game.

“Alright…as you all know, you’re here to prove yourselves as the best match for the strong, talented, powerful…” 

“...kind, generous, and sincere…” Raelle input as she elbowed Abigail to get her to actually include some of Tally’s greatest qualities, not just how powerful and strong she was as a witch but what she was like as a woman as well. 

“...uhh…fine. Sweet, positive, and passionate…” Abigail looked at Raelle as if to ask if that was good enough, and with a nod from Raelle, Abigail turned back to the gathered group, “...Tally Craven!” 

Abigail and Raelle gestured in between them and behind, where Tally was standing, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. Tally looked like she was going to be sick. The flush that had been in her cheeks only a few moments ago had rushed away leaving her palor very white. Raelle and Abigail shared a nervous look with each other before Raelle went over to Tally. 

“I can’t do this.” Tally whined, near tears, as Raelle pulled her off to the side, closer to the tree line. 

“Tally, it’s going to be fine.” Raelle promised. “It’s all in good fun. Really. None of them are seriously, you know, competitive about this.” Raelle reassured, rubbing comforting hands up and down Tally’s bare arms. 

Abigail had picked out Tally’s outfit. It was a nice spring sundress that had a nice frilly skirt on the bottom but was a clipdrop dress with a fitted waist in a soft baby blue. The gold heart shaped locket that Tally wore complimented it, even though she felt completely awkward in it. There was just something off about the color that she didn’t love. But Abigail had promised she’d look fabulous, and she did, but she just felt off. 

All of this, it felt off. 

Raelle, her promise of the group not taking this too seriously, helped ease her mind, a little. But only a little. 

“Ready?” Raelle asked, and Tally felt sick to her stomach again, but she nodded and stepped forward. 

“Alright, so let’s introduce the paramours.” Abigail grinned, looking across the short distance between her and those that had assembled to compete for a date with Tally Craven. 

“Wait! Wait!” Abigail, Raelle and Tally turned as the voice came from behind them. 

Tally stared feeling like she was going to pass out. Was that…

“Uhh…Captain Quartermaine, are we not supposed to be here?” Raelle asked as she looked at their former drill sergeant, now Captain. 

“No. No, you’re fine Collar. Phew…” Anacostia leaned over onto her knees, she grinned as she looked over her shoulder, “...told you I’d win.” She teased the witch that came up behind her. The older witch, much older witch, was only a few moments behind her though. And she was hardly as out of breath as Anacostia was. 

“Devon?” Tally asked as she looked at the elderly witch, one of Sarah’s Biddie’s. The woman was hard to miss, her short silver gray hair and sharp features, not to mention the scar across her cheek and over her eye. But as aloof and frosty as she might appear to others, Tally knew better. Tally and Devon had gotten along wonderfully well when Tally was a Biddie, and even since, Tally maintained a friendship with the strict, by the book woman. 

“Hi, Tally.” Devon smiled at Tally, and the sight almost made Raelle and Abigail fall on their asses. They’d never seen this particular Biddie smile. Or speak. Ever. 

“Uh…what are you two doing here?” Tally asked, since neither of her sisters had come out from their shock at hearing Devon speak, or smile. 

Anacostia stood up and smiled a bit sultry at Tally, “We’re here to participate in the Love Connection contest.” 

“You…” Tally swallowed and Raelle and Abigail had to come up behind her to keep her standing. “...you…” 

“Oh relax Craven. I’m not, you know, interested like that. But I heard there was reservations at Henrieta’s involved. And Devon here.” Anacostia ticked her thumb over to the tall, slender, Biddie. “She’s interested in full participation and I promised I’d get her a spot.” Anacostia looked to Abigail, “Sorry we’re late. It wasn’t as easy to ditch General Alder as we thought it would be.” 

Raelle and Tally snapped their attention to Abigail, “You knew!?” Raelle hissed, not liking that Abigail was keeping secrets from her. 

“I needed permission for Tally and whoever the winner was to leave base for the reservation. And Anacostia said she knew someone we hadn’t been considering and, you know, she also wanted to get in on the grub from Henrieta’s so…” Abigail sighed, “Don’t look at me like that! When they didn’t show up, I didn’t think it would matter whether I told you or not.” Abigail looked only slightly contrite at not having mentioned it. 

“Uh huh…you and I are going to have words about secrets, later. Bellweather.” Raelle promised. 

Tally rolled her eyes, “Not fun, is it?” Tally asked of Raelle, who sighed, no. Secrets were not fun. Especially when she was not in on them. 

“Are we too late? Have you started?” Devon asked, seemingly very eager and hopeful that they weren’t too late. 

Abigail shook her head no, “No. We haven’t started. You’re just in time. I was about to start introducing the contestants.” 

Devon hopped up, as if she weren’t actually weighed down by Sarah Alder’s many years and was as spry as a spring chicken. “Do you…” Devon blushed as she stepped closer to Tally. “...do you mind if I’m a contestant?” 

Tally’s cheeks flushed at the gentleness of the question. She couldn’t find her voice though. Her tongue was somewhere lost in her esophagus, so she just shook her head no. No, she didn’t mind. 

Devon’s smile softened even further, making her look so much younger than she was, as she put a soft hand on Tally’s forearm. 

“Hey, no fair!” Someone from behind them, one of the contestants that had arrived on time, complained, seeing Devon touching Tally’s arm. “She shouldn’t get to touch Tally if we don’t.” 

Raelle rolled her eyes as she glared at the annoying voice. “Shut it, Buttonwood. You’re lucky you’re even being considered.” 

Gerit, properly chastised, clicked his jaw shut. 

Devon squeezed Tally’s forearm softly, winked, and made her way across the field to stand with the other contestants. 

Anacostia laughed as she stepped up to Tally, “This should be fun, Craven.” Ana clapped Tally on the back before she went to join the line of contestants, standing to the right of Devon. 

“Any more surprises!?” Tally whispered fiercely to her two sister’s. Her cheeks still a little pink from Devon’s soft touch and request to be considered. 

“Uh…” Raelle shifted nervously, “...there is one more contestant that hasn’t shown up yet.” 

Tally looked across the field at the gathered participants. There was already two additional to the list that she had found in her sister’s possession last week. So, who else was supposed to be here but was late? 

“That would be my fault, Sergeant Collar.” 

Tally felt the flush on her cheeks plummet somewhere deep down into the dirt beneath her. All the heat she’d felt from moments ago leaving her body as she heard that voice. Her sisters, no, surely they wouldn’t have, no. They wouldn’t have dared! 

Tally felt like time had slowed, and it took two lifetimes for her to turn around and see, that yes, yes, her ears hadn’t been deceiving her. That had been General Sarah Alder that had spoken, asking for forgiveness. Tally was so focused on staring at Sarah’s arrival that she didn’t notice Izadora standing next to her. 

“General Alder.” Everyone present stood at attention, even though it was the weekend and they were all wearing civilian attire. 

“At ease.” General Alder waved off the show of respect and she closed the remaining distance between her and the Bellweather unit. Her Biddies, six of them, were all filed behind her. When Sarah looked over those here, her eyes locked immediately with Devon and Anacostia. 

Anacostia who had asked for Devon’s presence, away from her and the rest of the Biddie’s. Sarah hadn’t known exactly what her daughter was up to, but she’d allowed it. It was unorthodox and rare to separate the Biddie’s, but there was very little Sarah would deny Anacostia if she had the ability to provide it. 

“I kept Izadora a little late. She had informed me she had another appointment. I offered to walk her here and offer my apologies myself.” Sarah’s blue eyes moved from the line of people anxiously standing across the field back to the three Sergeant Major’s in front of her. 

“Yes, thank you for accompanying me, General.” Izadora offered, and grinned as she met Raelle’s eyes. “Sergeants. I am sorry for my tardiness.” 

“It’s cool, Izadora.” Raelle promised, smiling fondly at the scientist. “We haven’t started yet, so you’re good.” 

“Hello, Tally.” Izadora smiled at the Knower. 

“Hi, Iza.” Tally was surprised she could even speak, she was still so unsettled, her mind racing. Raelle came up behind her to keep her standing on her own two feet and the two locked hands. 

Tally squeezed Raelle’s hand tightly, still a little unsteady. Her breathing was barely more than a stuttering wheeze. Was, so it wasn’t General Alder that had been missing, but Izadora. Good. That was Good…wasn’t it? If it was good, why did Tally feel so disappointed? 

“So, I think that’s everyone.” Abigail looked to Raelle and the two shared a look, as if asking each other if they’d invited anyone else they needed to know about. 

Sarah remained where she stood, just a few feet in front of the Bellweather unit, even as Izadora walked across the field to stand to the left of Anacostia. The two women began whispering to each other before they pulled apart and waited, like the rest of the group. 

“Uh…General?” Abigail asked, seeing that Sarah had made no indication that she was going to leave. “Ma’am…?” Abigail wanted to ask if Sarah planned to stay, because Goddess forbid she had to ask General Alder to leave. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t be expected to do it, she wasn’t that brave. This was Fort Salem. If General Sarah Alder wanted to be anywhere on Fort Salem, she had the right to be. 

“Yes, Sergeant Major?” Sarah’s hands were clasped tightly behind her back as she stood at attention and looked at the floundering Bellweather. 

“Do you, uh, don’t you have somewhere to be? Like an important meeting or something?” Raelle asked, wincing at the turn of phrase she used, so she’d quickly tried to rectify it, but she’d still fucked up. 

“Not for another few hours.” 

Tally felt her heart begin to settle, the anxiousness her sister’s were exuding somehow settled her. Because as Tally stared at Sarah Alder’s blank face, Tally noticed what no one else could. The slightest crease in the left cheek just below her eye, it was there because Sarah was trying not to smile at how uncomfortable Raelle and Abigail had become in their failing efforts to ask Sarah to leave. The sight of that single crease warmed Tally’s heart. 

“Would you like to stay?” Tally found herself asking. 

“Tally!” Abigail and Raelle mock screeched in horror. They tugged Tally’s arm and pulled her a few steps away from Sarah, putting their backs to the general as they stared wildly at their sister. “What are you thinking? You just asked the General to stay and…” 

“It’s my own mortification, guys. No one else’s. Besides, she wasn’t going to leave anyway. Not unless one of you had the guts to ask her to leave. Which, let's face it, you didn’t.” Abigail and Raelle met each other’s eyes and agreed, no, neither one of them would have had the courage to ask Sarah to leave. 

“Fine. But you’re explaining this to her. And you know. Go stand or sit over there.” Abigail gestured to the bleachers. 

“Aww, Abi, does the General make you nervous?” Tally teased, and Abigail flushed as she snapped her eyes away from Tally’s knowing gaze. 

“The fact that she doesn’t make you nervous is what worries me, Tally.”

“How are you okay with her like, being here for this?” Raelle asked, honestly curious. 

Tally shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I just am. She’ll help keep me calm and hopefully her being here will make me not throw up, because, I will not be throwing up in front of Sarah Alder.” 

“I don’t know Tal, maybe you should ask her to leave.” Raelle pushed, “Some of these questions…they’re a little personal and embarrassing.” Raelle looked to the note cards she had, flipping through them as she looked back up at Tally and then turned to look at Sarah over her shoulder. 

“If neither one of you is willing to tell her to leave, then I’m certainly not going to.” Tally shook her head, though she did feel a bit of trepidation fill her as Raelle warned her about the questions. Questions Tally hadn’t really seen. Sure, Raelle and Abigail had been asking her some pretty strange questions over the last few weeks, but she couldn’t possibly remember them all, and if she’d known they were asking them to get answers for some odd twisted version of a dating competition, she would have been less truthful with her answers. 

“Fine, look, just, stand over there with her. It's your funeral. I mean date.” Raelle laughed at the slip and shrugged as Tally gave her a reproachful look. 

“It’s all in good fun, Tals. Remember that.” 

“Yeah, says you. It’s not like we’re auctioning you off for a date.” Then she thought about what would happen if she and Abigail had tried that, “Scylla would kill us if we tried.” 

Abigail scuffed, “She’d try at least.” 

Tally grinned and Raelle shook her head at the two, “Let's get this started shall we?” 

“Time to channel our own personal Alex Trebecks.” 

“I’m going for Drew Carey.” Raelle admitted, and Abigail shrugged, not really caring who Raelle channeled for this. 

As Raelle and Abigail stepped forward to put a little less space between them and the group of contestants, Tally walked back to where General Alder and the Biddies were still standing. 

“What is the verdict? Are you the bravest of your unit, Craven?” Alder asked, looking at Tally through the corner of her eyes as Tally came to stand right beside her. 

“I could ask you to leave, but then I’d have to suffer through this alone.” Tally admitted, “So I don’t think that makes me brave.” 

Sarah’s grin broke through as she fully turned to Tally, “The fact that you would have asked me to leave at all is very brave, Craven. Don’t sell yourself short.” 

Tally grinned as she rested her chin on her shoulder and looked at the taller woman beside her. “Would you like to sit?” Tally looked behind Sarah to the Biddies, “Or at least have the Biddie’s sit? This could take a while.” 

Sarah didn’t even look behind her, but spoke through her link with the Biddies as the elderly women all began making their way towards the bleachers and took seats upon them. But Sarah made no move to sit herself or step away from where she stood beside Tally. 

“What exactly is this?” Sarah asked, gesturing to the field in front of them and the small gathering of people with them. 

“Izadora didn’t tell you?” Tally had really hoped that Izadora would have told the General, so Tally wouldn’t have to. 

“She did not. She just informed me that if she did not arrive on time that she would be disqualified. So I assumed it was some kind of competition. But I cannot imagine what type with the…assortment…of people involved.” Including Devon. 

“Ha…well…” Tally dropped her eyes to the grass beneath her, boy, it was suddenly very very warm. 

“Alright, now that everyone is here. Thank you all for coming.” Abigail’s voice broke through the air, “Again, just for those who weren’t here during our last introduction.” Abigail shamed the three women who had been late, Raelle using her fingers to point at her eyes and then the three that had been late, laughing when Anacostia gave her the finger in return, “As you all know, you’re here to prove yourselves as the best match for the strong, talented, powerful…” 

“...kind, generous, and sincere…” Raelle input as if this time they had planned it this way, rather than having come up with it the last time they’d tried to introduce everyone to the event. 

“Sweet, positive, and passionate…” Abigail and Raelle grinned and ABigail looked at Raelle as if to ask if that was good enough, and with a nod from Raelle, Abigail turned back to the gathered group, “...Tally Craven!” 

This time, Raelle was the only one to gesture to Tally like this really was some kind of twisted game show. 

Abigail didn’t even wait for Raelle to turn back around, “Alright, so let’s introduce the paramours.” 

Sarah’s shoulders straightened and her eyes suddenly stopped blinking, “Did Bellweather just say…”

Tally felt her whole body stiffen and her cheeks burned as if she had sun poisoning. 

“Paramours. Yeah…surprise!?” Tally offered lamely, so lame. 

Sarah’s eyes were suddenly gone, the General stared across the field and away from Tally with a critical eye. Her hands, which were still clasped behind her back, tightened slowly, getting tighter and tighter as her eyes noted each of the paramours lined up, until her knuckles were white. 

“They thought I was sad. And lonely. And mean. Sad, lonley, and mean, so they put this stupid conpetition together to try and find me ah, ah date.” 

“A date?” Sarah inquired, finally looking back to Tally, “Not a lover?” 

“Well, I mean, I guess that was their intentions? I don’t really know what they were thinking.” 

“Did you not think yourself sad, lonely, and…” Sarah rolled her eyes, “...I do not believe you have a mean bone in your body, so they must be mistaken on that ailment, at least.” 

“Oh…well…” Tally wanted to flap her hand at her cheeks to get them to go back to a normal color, “...thank you!” 

Sarah nodded her head once, accepting Tally’s thanks, before she looked back across the field again. “My daughter, and Devon, they wish to go on a date with you?” 

“Well, Anacostia doesn’t. Not really. She just wants to join me for the actual date. You see, Abigail pulled some strings and got a reservation at Henrieta’s steakhouse, for two. For next Friday night and Anacostia apparently really wants to go and enjoy the food. So she’s competing for that.” 

Sarah listened as Tally explained why Anacostia was competing in this. “And Devon…” Then as Sarah thought about it her nails bit into her palm, “...and Izadora?” 

“Oh, well, I’m pretty sure Izadora just wants to go for the steak too. Or maybe the mushroom dish they have.I don’t think she’s interested in me, romantically or anyway beyond platonic.” Tally’s eyes scrunched up as she looked across the way at Izadora. “At least, I hope, Izadora isn’t interested in me romantically.” Tally slapped her hand to her mouth, staring wide eyed at Alder before she quickly continued, her words a bit muffled as her hand remained over her mouth for the first few words, “Not that Izadora isn’t a lovely woman, but she’s just not my type.” 

Curious, Sarah thought, but said nothing on the matter of Tally having a type. If Sarah were to look at the individuals across the field that were not Izadora, Anacostia, and Devon–which she would get back to in just a moment–the rest of those assembled seemed to have similar builds and features. They were all tall, lean, with dark hair and light colored eyes. 

“And Devon?” Sarah finally looked away from the gathered group to look at Tally, her right brow raised in question. 

“Uh…well…Devon asked if she could have my permission to compete and you know. She’s…we’re close.” Tally stammered. “But I don’t, know, for sure if she’s uh…interested in me like that, like more than a friend? I just, you’d have to ask her.” Tally couldn’t hold Sarah’s eyes, she couldn’t, and yet now that their eyes were locked she couldn’t look away either. Goddess damn it! She was trapped in the ocean blue whirlpools of Sarah’s eyes, the swirling vortex in them full of emotions and secrets that Tally couldn’t even begin to decipher, though she wanted to. So, so badly!

“Hmmm…” Sarah did not sound pleased as she hummed in answer to Tally’s words. 

Had it gotten colder? Or, the sun, Tally looked up, discreetly, and noted that the sun was no longer shining as brightly as it had been a few minutes before. There were clouds beginning to cover it, but thankfully they didn’t look like rain. Or maybe, unfortunately, they didn’t look like rain clouds. Maybe if it had started raining they could call this whole thing off? 

“The youngest of our paramour options is, Private First Class Penelope Silver.” Abigail gestured to the young woman, who had certainly grown in the last three years. Now the youngest member of Skemet coven, Penelope stood tall in a sleek purple tunic shirt and black slacks, her hair down and left to their natural curl. Penelope smiled across the way to Tally, waving a bit nervously, but her nerves eased when Tally’s own anxious smile relaxed and Tally waved back at her. 

Penelope froze and swallowed thickly and averted her gaze quickly after that. But Tally couldn’t tell why. Huh. 

“Next we have our first High Atlantic gentleman, Sergeant Gregorio Shellbark.” Abigail seemed a little biased when it came to Gregorio, as the animation to her voice rose. It was clear she had a favorite. Gregorio shifted his feet nervously and rolled his shoulders as he danced on the balls of his feet as if he were getting ready to throw down in a ring. But he smiled over at Tally and Tally smiled back. But just like Penelope, as soon as Gregorio’s eyes left Tally and he looked to her right, his smile fell and he looked anywhere other than Tally. 

“The second High Atlantic gentleman…Gerit Buttonwood.” Abigail sounded far from pleased with this option. 

While it was clear that Raelle had a least favorite. 

“Whose no longer handfasted, we made sure.” Raelle promised, as he looked to Tally and offered, but while turned away from Gerit she stuck her index finger towards her mouth and proceeded to faux gag. It helped ease some of Tally’s nerves and she chuckled softly at Raelle’s antics. 

“For the first time ever, in like the history of, well ever, we have one of Alder’s Biddie’s competing. Devon…uh…” Abigail looked down at the cards in her hands and then over to Raelle. “Do you have a last name?” 

Raelle shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t even know her first name till a few days ago.” 

Raelle and Abigail turned to Anacostia, who stood next to Devon, as if she could help them. “Don’t look at me, ask her!” Anacostia pointed her thumb at Devon. 

“It’s Birch.” Tally, Sarah, and Devon called out at the same time. 

Sarah seemed genuinely surprised that Tally knew Devon’s last name. It made her wonder if she knew the last names of all her Biddie’s, or if her friendship with Devon was the reason why she could easily inform her sister’s of Devon's surname. 

“Right, thanks uh…everyone.” Raelle offered her thanks by meeting Alder’s, Tally’s and Devon’s eyes. 

“She’s also the third High Atlantic competing.” Sarah threw her voice forward to give Abigail this bit of information. 

Abigail who tried valiantly not to meet Alder’s eyes, as she was trying to pretend that Sarah Alder wasn’t still standing there watching this. 

Raelle whistled, “Damn, Tally. You’re like pulling in royalty. Private Silver’s like the Second Daughter, you have three high atlantics…” 

“Four.” 

“Huh?” Raelle blinked, looking at Alder to explain. 

“Anacostia is my adopted daughter, and I am– the first –High Atlantic.” 

Raelle’s eyes widened before she started laughing, “Oh Goddess…she’s the OG High Atlantic. Oh…oh…Abigail did you know that? You had to know that right? Come on, tell me you knew that and were holding out on us.” Raelle begged her sister as she laughed to the point of tears. Finding something hysterically funny about Sarah being the OG High Atlantic. “Goddess, does that make Anacostia like the Princess of High Atlantics if Alder’s the Queen?” 

Abigail looked scandalized, “It doesn’t work like that, shitbird. It’s not a monarchy .” 

“Phfft…tell her that!” Raelle threw her thumb towards Alder, who Abigail made the grave mistake at looking at. 

“I would have thought you would do better research than this, Abigail. Not knowing your contestants' social statuses reflects poorly back on you.” Sarah tisked Abigail’s poor research skills, all in good fun. Though no one but the Biddies and Tally seemed to realize that.  

Abigail did a silent eep and snapped her eyes back up front, the glare she got from Sarah making her skin crawl. Oh, she was going to be in so much trouble when all of this was over. It wasn’t even funny how much trouble she was going to be in.

“NEXT…we have the fourth High Atlantic,” 

"The Princess of the Atlantics!” Raelle snickered, looking over her shoulder at Tally to see if Tally found this as funny as she did, and it was obvious that Tally was trying to refrain from laughing at Raelle’s obvious amusement. “Ha, like Ariel.” at the blank stares from most of the witches around her, except Penelope and Tally, Raelle continued, “Like the mermaid?” Tally, Penelope and even some of the Biddie’s chuckled as they understood the reference, “Goddess, pop culture red alert, jeeze. Anywho …Ana, you should have been named Ariel!” 

“I’m not saying that.” Abigail deadpanned, “Captain Quartermain. Who really shouldn’t even count because she just wants to go to dinner with Tally for the food. Not the company.” 

“I’ll enjoy Craven’s company just fine, Bellweather.” Anacostia assured Abigail with a grin, which fell away rather quickly as she cleared her throat and stuck her hands behind her back at parade rest. 

“Last, but certainly not least, we have…” 

“...world famous, cadet throat slitting, lab coat wearing genius, mushroom obsessed scientist…” 

Abigail looked at Raelle, waiting to see if she was done, “You done?” At Raelle’s nod, she continued: “Good–”

Raelle whirled her hands around as she prolonged the pronunciation of Izadora’s name, and then pointed right at the woman when she’d finished, “Izadora….L'Amara….” Grinning like a goof at Abigail, who only rolled her eyes, while Tally whooped and clapped her hands for Raelle’s performance. 

“Way to go Rae. Very well done.” Tally gave two thumbs up. 

As Raelle turned back to the contestants with a bowed flourish, Sarah turned to look at Tally’s profile. The spread of her lips was so wide that even only seeing half of her face, Sarah felt like she was being blinded by her smile, “You seem to be enjoying this.” 

“It’s all excruciatingly embarrassing, but Raelle and Abigail have been stressed beyond their limits recently. So if this is something that helps them relax and have some fun…” Tally smiled, her eyes shining as she turned and met Alder’s eyes, “...who am I to not go along with it? Even if it’s mortifying and hardly something I want.” 

Sarah seemed genuinely curious, and a bit surprised, “You didn’t want this?” 

“Goddess, no!” Tally exclaimed a bit too loudly, she lowered her voice as she spoke to her CO. “This is terrible . I just, they needed an outlet and you know, I guess I did too. So, I’m happy to give them a reason to conspire and smile and just act silly. And have some fun.”

“Who exactly?” Sarah inquired, wondering if Tally was doing this just for her sisters or if she was also doing this for the contestants. 

“Raelle and Abigail, but all of them too, I guess.”  

“ This, is Abigail having fun?” Sarah asked, staring at how tight Abigail’s shoulders were and stiff her movements. 

Tally turned to Abigail,  “Well, she is very nervous about you being here. But yeah, she’s having fun.” Tally nodded her head as she thought about it. Grinning again as she turned to stare into Alder’s softening blue eyes. Her breath left her in a whoosh at the steel blue pools of cool ocean water staring at her. 

Breathtaking….Sarah Alder was breathtaking. But Tally had always known that. It just seemed harder and harder to ignore more recently. 

“Are you worried that whomever wins will be expecting more from you than you are willing to give?” 

“Oh, yes. Definitely.” Tally nodded her head empathetically, “I’m afraid that they’re all going to take this a little too seriously. They can all be competitive. So, I suppose if today ends with no one throwing a punch and one of my friends winning the chance to go to a steakhouse they want to go to, then, that’s all I can really ask for, right?” 

Sarah wanted to tell Tally that she could ask for so much more than that, but bit her tongue. She was not meant to say such things. Even if Tally Craven was no longer a Cadet but a soldier climbing the ladder within the army along with her sisters, there was still too much that separated them, kept Sarah from being as open and honest with Tally as she found herself wishing to be. 

“Now, as we discussed previously. Raelle and I have compiled a list of questions, which Tally has answered. Raelle is going to give you a small notepad. You are to write your answers on these notepads. You will all get a chance to answer. If two of you get the correct answer, then you each get a point. The person with the most points at the end, wins the date with Tally.” 

“Or, just dinner with Tally. No romantic affiliations whatsoever.” Anacostia added for good measure. 

“This is why she shouldn’t count!” Abigail hissed at Raelle, who patted Abigail gently on the arm. “It’s not like we put in all this effort just to find Tally a platonic date. The girl needs to get laid!” 

Tally’s cheeks flamed red hot as she heard the rather not subtle angry whispering between her sisters. Horrified to note that if she heard them, so had Sarah. But thankfully, Sarah had more class–or the ability to bite her tongue–and said nothing. 

“I know, Abs. I know. Just chill. It’ll be fine.” Raelle promised, rubbing Abigail’s back to try and help her relax. “Let's just get started. Okay?” Abigail nodded firmly. Squaring her shoulders all over again. Raelle left Abigail’s side to hand out the notepads. 

“Does everyone understand?” Raelle asked as she came back around after handing everyone a small notepad and a pen. When she got back to Abigail, Raelle still had one notepad left. 

With a grin, Raelle stomped over to Tally and Alder. “We have an extra one, you want to throw your hat in the ring, General?” Raelle asked, wiggling her eyebrows and trying not to laugh outright at the wide eyed expression on both Sarah and Tally’s face. 

Before Sarah could answer, or Tally could stop sputtering, one of the Biddie’s, the tallest of the bunch with thick curly hair and piercing green eyes, grabbed the notepad from Raelle. 

Raelle jumped, not having even seen the amazon like Biddie get up from the bleachers and come take the pad. “Thank you. We’ll play.” The rest of the Biddie’s grinned from their seats as Kendall returned to the bleachers with the notepad and the pen. 

“Hey, is it fair that the six women get to be on a team?” 

“Buttonwood, shut up.” Raelle ordered of her least favorite contestant. 

“The Biddie’s aren’t really playing for the date. They’re just playing to pass the time!” Abigail explained though she turned to the Biddies. “You’re only playing to pass the time. The reservation is for two people only.” 

“Yes, only to pass the time.” Kendall agreed for all of the Biddies. 

“Though if we do win, can we pick one of us to go with Tally?” 

“Goddess, Tally, what is it with you and old–” Sarah’s glare had Abigail swallowing and quickly changing her words, “older…ol DER …women? Are you a magnet to them? I just, I don’t understand. You’re gorgeous and annoyingly nice and, oh, that’s got to be it. You’re too nice to people. Tally…we have to make you meaner.” Abigail finally deduced why it was that Tally attracted all of the older women in Fort Salem. All except the one woman Tally wanted to attract it seems. 

Sarah raised a single brow, “I thought one of the reasons you planned this event was because Craven was being too mean.” 

Abigail tensed, “You told her!?” 

Tally shrugged, “She asked?” 

“Look, she’s not mean. She’s just…snippy when she’s not getting laid. So, she needs to get laid so she’s not snippy.” 

“And you believe one of these contestants is the right person to…lay with her?” 

“I don’t know. Tally likes all of them–” 

“Platonically!” Anacostia called out cupping her hand by her mouth to project the word, but Abigail ignored it, grumbling only a little bit about Anacostia not even counting. 

“...and they all like her. Even if it’s just a night out with good food and wine. She deserves it. She deserves to have fun.” 

“Even if it does not entail the sexual aspects you intended?” Sarah pushed, one eyebrow raised, even as she stood with her hands held behind her back the perfect picture of decorum–even while talking about a subordinates love and sex life. 

“Yeah, I…” Abigail frowned as she noticed Tally shifting uncomfortable, “...Tally you know that, don’t you? I’m not–we’re not” Abigail gestured between herself and Raelle, “--whoring you out. We just want you to have fun. And you like everyone here enough to have a lot of fun with them. In whatever way you want.” 

Tally smiled softly at Abigail, “I do know that.” Now, she didn’t add the now. But she was pleased she didn’t because Abigail preened, happy that Tally didn’t think her and Raelle total monsters. 

Once Abigail turned back to the contestants Tally looked at Sarah’s profile. “Thank you.” Tally whispered, and Sarah dipped her head just enough to make it clear she’d heard Tally’s thanks and accepted it. 

“So, I hate to be the one to say this, but one of the Biddies is playing for real, and they have a hive mind. Isn’t that, cheating?” Gregorio asked, though he looked to Devon, “No offense intended in any way , Ma’am. I just wondered if you could like, turn off the hive mind or something?” 

Raelle saw Abigail grin wide at how chivalrous and sweet Gregorio was to his competition. And when she looked behind her she noticed that both Sarah and Tally had noticed as well. 

"I can keep Devon disconnected for a short period of time from the rest of us.” Sarah locked eyes with Devon, “Only if that is what you are comfortable with.” 

“It’s safe?” Penelope asked, looking between Alder, Devon and Tally. The youngest of them and the least familiar with the abilities of certain works, she seemed genuinely concerned. 

“Yes, it will be perfectly safe. A bit of adjustment will be necessary. But, if this is what you want? Truly?” Sarah asked of Devon. As if by having Devon agree or disagree Sarah could ascertain just how much participating for Tally’s attentions meant to Devon. 

It wasn’t something Sarah should be allowing. It wouldn’t be something she allowed at all, had stopped allowing in the past as complications had arisen when a Biddie was in love with someone outside of the bond. There were multiple Biddies through the years that ended up falling in love with each other, and Sarah never forbade that, but she’d had to draw the line at a Biddie having romantic entanglements with another witch or civilian. Yet, Sarah had not forbidden Devon’s friendship with Tally. But now…it was bordering on a line where Sarah might have to step in and stop their interactions if it meant Devon’s feelings for Tally had deepened  

Devon swallowed, and considered her options. She nodded her head once, firmly, agreeing to being taken out from the hive mind, for a time. 

The Biddie’s all gasped, not having realized that Sarah had that kind of control that she could unsync one of them from the rest. And to have Devon unsynced from them, the oldest, most loyal, and typically loudest of them all, no longer connected with them? It would be an adjustment. 

“Ana…” Sarah looked to her daughter and gestured with her eyes to Devon, and only when Anacostia was standing directly beside Devon with a securing arm around her waist, did Sarah humm a soft seed in the air. The seed caused the Biddies to shiver and Sarah to look a bit uncomfortable, but it was Devon that took the brunt of it as she fell into Anacostia’s arms at the sudden…lack of a hive mind within her own. Her thoughts were her own, private, for the first time in five years. It was…exhilarating and frightening. 

“I’ve got you.” Anacostia promised as she held Devon up until she was able to stand on her own two feet. 

“Thank you.” Devon smiled as she stood up on her own two feet and stretched a little. Covertly rubbing her temples as if to massage away a headache. 

“Right, uh, so, now that all concerns of cheating are, you know, handled. Let’s move on to the questions.” Raelle looked at Abigail to offer up the first question. 

“You’ll have thirty seconds to jot down your answers, Raelle will come and check them and after she has, you can state your guesses. Sound fair?” 

A chorus of yeses rang out. 

“Alright possible love birds, the first question is…” Raelle did a fake drum roll on her thighs that surprisingly, the Biddie’s helped her with by stomping along to it. Raelle smiled widely at the group of women and gave them a big thumbs up for their help and “Love the enthusiasm, Biddies! Uh, Ladies? Lady Biddies, no, Goddess no that sounds terrible.” 

“Oh, for fucks sake, Collar. Leave it be!” Abigail begged, hiding her face behind her index cards. 

Raelle frowned, “Sorry.” She offered the apology to the Biddies, not to Abigail. She just flipped Abigail off before turning back to the participants.  

Abigail shook her head and looked at the index card in her hand, “First question…” Abigail bit out as she glared at Raelle, “What is Tally’s favorite color?” 

“Yellow!” Gerit quickly spat out the answer before anyone else and looked proud of himself for being the first to say the color. 

“Buttonwood, were you not listening to the rules!?” Raelle’s shoulders straightened as she stalked across the way towards the boy who was suddenly quaking in his boots as Raelle glared at him. Raelle had perfected her own stare down over the last few years and was happy to get to use it on her least favorite candidate. 

“Uh…yes?” 

“Yes?” 

“Uh, ma’am? Yes, ma’am?” Gerit swallowed nervously as he shrunk back from Raelle the closer she leaned in to him. 

“No. You were not, listening. If you had been. You would have followed the directions.” 

“Private Silver, what were the rules?” Raelle asked, without ever taking her eyes off of Gerit. 

Penny snapped her feet together and her hands clapped behind her back as she stared straight ahead and spoke the rules clearly. “We are to write down the answers, let you look them over, and then once you’ve noted them, we will be given a chance to say them outloud before the answer is provided and points tallied up. Ma’am.” 

Raelle grinned, “See, Buttonwood. If you had been listening you would have known not to shout out the answer.” 

“Honest mistake, ma’am?” Gerit offered his most charming boyish smile but Raelle just rolled her eyes at him and pointed her pen at him. 

“You don’t get to provide an answer to this one.” 

“But…” 

“But nothing Buttonwood!” Raelle hissed, eyes flashing, and Gerit snapped his mouth closed, his teeth clicking as he did. “Follow the rules like everyone else or just quit now. We don’t need you ruining this for everyone else.” 

Raelle turned her back on him and walked to the front of the line, which began with Penny. “Besides, you wouldn’t have gotten it right anyway.” Raelle winked at Penny as she provided the rest of the group with a clue that Tally’s favorite color wasn’t in fact yellow. So the answer that Gerit had been quick to offer was wrong, and wouldn't have given him a point to begin with. 

“Yes it is. Her favorite color is yellow. I know it’s yellow.” 

Abigail quickly made her way across the field, as much as she would have enjoyed watching Raelle kick Gerit’s ass, she couldn’t let Raelle lay a hand on him. Not when General Sarah Alder was right behind them watching this whole thing with a rather…miffed expression on her face as she glared at Buttonwood.

“He isn’t worth it. He isn’t worth it.” Abigail wrapped an arm around Raelle’s shoulder to keep her from moving closer to the arrogant little shit. 

‘What is her favorite color.’   Kendall looked at the women beside her on the bleacher. All of them moved closer to each other. 

‘ Obviously it isn’t yellow.’ Harri snickered, making them all grin, as they enjoyed Buttonwood getting put in his place. 

‘Think, think, ladies. This shouldn’t be that hard.’ Mari forced them all to focus. 

Grace sighed, ‘This is a lot harder without Devon here to give us the answers.’

Sarah internally sighed as she heard the Biddies floundering with such an easy question. Without looking away from the contestants across the way, Sarah provided them the answer. 

‘It is blue.’ 

The Biddies didn’t look at Sarah, afraid it would out the fact that she was playing with them, and somewhat cheating, but then again, no one had said Sarah couldn’t help them. They were all part of the same hive mind after all and Sarah was the queen of this hive. None of them even went to question Sarah on her answer, Kendall just jotted down the answer on their sheet of paper, and waited. 

“Has everyone else finished writing their answers?” Abigail got them back on track. 

Yeses rang out, so Raelle went to each and noted who got it right and who didn’t on her own sheet of paper, held tightly against a clipboard. Raelle came back to stand next to Abigail across from the contestants just to the left of the bleachers. 

“Uh-hmm…” Sarah cleared her throat and caused both Raelle and Abigail to look at her. Sarah gestured towards the Biddie’s who were all huddled together on the bleachers, waving their own paper in the air to provide their answer. 

“Oh!” Raelle blushed as she jogged quickly over to the Biddies and noted their answer. She grinned at them as she saw they had the answer right, and went back to stand beside Abigail. 

“So, how many got it right?” Abigail asked again. 

“Four.” Raelle watched as the shoulders fell for a majority of the contestants. 

“Oh, that’s just…” Abigail shook her head, “Pathetic. This was the easiest question of the bunch. You all should have gotten this. Except you Buttonwood. You better pick your game up, ladies and gentleman.” Abigail tisked as she met each of the contestants eyes. 

“What were your answers?” Abigail asked as she turned to the start of the line, “Penny you start.” 

“Blue.” Penny answered.

Gregerio spoke up next as he stood beside Penny. “Green.”  

Gerit grit out his answer, “Yellow” 

Raelle yelled across the field, “You don’t count Buttonwood!” 

Devon grinned, trying not to laugh at Raelle’s obvious dislike of the boy standing next to her and how easily defeated he was. He was certainly not a good match for Tally.  “Blue.” Devon spoke confidently. 

Anacostia smiled, as she too answered correctly, “Blue.” 

Izadora frowned, but read her answer aloud. “Red.” 

“Alright, so Penny, Anacostia–who really shouldn’t fucking count–and Devon, all get points. Moving on to the next…” 

“Blue, huh?” Sarah smiled, as she looked at Tally through the corner of her eyes, as if she hadn’t known that answer. 

Tally blushed, her eyes staring at the particular blue that was her favorite, the ever changing blue eyes of the woman standing beside her. She’d been fascinated with the depths of them since she was a child. She could stare into them for hours on end.

“Yes. Blue.” Tally had so much more she wanted to say. She could wax poetic about the beauty that could be found in the soul touching blue of Sarah Alder’s eyes. But she hadn’t the right or the courage to say anything like that. So she just stuck with the facts. Yes. Blue. Blue was her favorite color. 

“Wait.” Raelle touched Abigail’s shoulder to keep her from going to the next question. She smiled as she looked over to the bleachers and the Biddies. “Your answer.” 

“Blue.” Kendall spoke aloud for them, smiling triumphantly. 

Tally peered around Sarah’s shoulders at the Biddies only slightly surprised that they knew that answer. 

Harri and Grace high fived. Mari pointed across the field at Buttonwod and then back to her own eyes, warning the boy that they were watching him. 

Raelle laughed, the grin faltering when she turned to see Abigail glaring at her. She shrugged her shoulders at her sister. Having a lot more fun with this than Abigail seemed to be. 

Penny and Gregorio laughed softly at the Biddie’s excitement, everyone except Abigail and Buttonwood smiling at the jesting older women. 

“Better be careful, Gerit.” Penny smirked as she and Gregorio mimicked Mary’s hand gesture. “The Biddies are watching you.”  

Tally laughed till she snorted, which just helped dissolve everyone around the area into giggles. Even Sarah had to clear her throat to keep from laughing. 

“Goddess be damned old ladies…”

“Uhhmm…” Sarah cleared her throat and Abigail blanched, 

“Older…ol DER …ladies wanting to date Tally I just, uhh..” Abigail muttered under her breath as she flipped to her next index card. “Alright, next question!” Abigail wondered how she had become a kindergarten teacher having to control so many unruly children. 

“What is Tally’s favorite movie? You have thirty seconds, and for the love of the goddess, Buttonwood, keep your damn trap shut and just write it down!” Abigail hissed when she saw Gerit opening his mouth to shout his answer again. 

The Biddies all leaned forward, even as they didn’t say a word out loud, they just exuded a tittering type of air around them. 

‘What was that movie she loved? ’ Kendall asked as she looked at the women seated behind her. 

‘Oh, oh, the one that made her cry.’ Mary snapped her fingers trying to see if she could get the memory to come forward. 

‘Titanic?’ Grace asked.

‘That’s your favorite, Grace!’ Kendall laughed, as did the other Biddies. ‘No, no, it was with the two friends.’

Harri spat the first one that came to mind, ‘Beaches!’ No, no that wasn’t right, she then threw out another one. ‘Simon Birch!’ 

Sarah shifted her weight from foot to foot. How, how in the world were her Biddies so helplessly bad at this? How could they not remember that Tally’s favorite movie was Fried Green Tomatoes? Tally had spoken at length about it being her favorite movie as a kid. Even if she didn’t understand the truth depth of it as a child. But the sisterhood and friendship between Ruth and Idgie was the type of sisterhood and love she wanted to find with her unit-mates in the army. Just as Idgie and Ruth had been willing to do anything for each other, so to, was Tally willing to do anything to protect those she loved. 

‘Oh, right. Thanks, Sare!’ Kendall jotted down the answer, hiding a smirk as she noted how Tally was watching them, and Sarah, rather closely. 

“Alright, times up.” Abigail sent Raelle to get the answers. Raelle showed Abigail how many got it right and the Bellweather sighed heavily. “You people aren’t taking this seriously. And it really shows. At this point I should just take Tally to dinner myself.”

“I told you we could do that, Abigail!” Tally jumped on her sister’s comment. 

“Where would the fun in that be though, Tals? At least this way you know who actually pays attention to you, who cares to learn the things you like.” Abigail turned flashing eyes towards the people across the field. “This lot is lacking.” 

“Jeeze, Bellweather. How many got it right?” Anacostia asked. 

“One. Only one of you got it right!” 

“Uh, excuse me. Our answer hasn’t been looked at yet.” Kendall waved her paper and Raelle slapped her palm against her forehead as she raced over to look at the Biddie’s answer. 

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll start with you ladies next time.” Raelle promised, grinning when she saw that they had the right answer. 

“The Biddies make it two.” 

“Still cheating. They shared a mind with Tally for like…” 

“Four and a half days.” Devon defended herself and her sister Biddies. 

“Yeah!” Mary looked at Anacostia with accusing eyes, “Besides, you’ve all spent far more time with her since we were linked three years ago. Besides Devon and Sarah, we don’t really see Tally all that much anymore.” And it was obvious that Mary didn’t like that, the sadness lacing her words easily detectable. Even to all the people who’d only ever just heard her speak for the first time right this instance.  

“Ana, what does it matter if they get it right, they’re not really competing. They’re just doing this for fun.” Abigail actually tried to defend the Biddies. 

“It matters if they get more points than me. I’m competitive, Bellweather.” 

Devon snorted, even as Sarah nodded her head, smiling fondly–and proudly–at her daughter. 

“What was the answer?” Izadora asked curiously. 

Gerit nodded his head, “Yeah, which one of us got it right?” 

“Devon.” Raelle grinned as Devon slapped the back of her hand against Anacostia’s shoulder. 

Anacostia frowned as she glared at Devon, “Are we sure their hive mind is turned off?” 

“Oh, for the first time in like five years my thoughts are all my own.” Devon grinned, laughing, “It's kind of lonely.” The grin fell and Anacostia immediately placed a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. 

Tally smiled as she heard Sarah suck in a slow breath at Devon’s admission. Tally’s hand twitched and she brushed her pinky over the underside of Sarah’s hand. Sarah turned at the gentle touch and Tally smiled softly at her. Trying to reassure Sarah without the use of words that it was okay. 

“Okay, great. So that’s two points for Devon. One point for Anacostia and Penny.” 

“Ladies represent!” Raelle cheered. Abigail rolled her eyes while Tally laughed, “Tally and the Biddies think I’m funny.” Raelle whined, and Abigail’s lips twitched into an almost smile. 

“Next question.” 

End Chapter 1