"I think she just needs some warm milk," chuckling at the face Brianna made.

"Ew - I'd rather go back to bed and try counting sheep," Brianna said as she slowly backed up towards the door just beyond the one they were standing out side of. "I'm sure that will do the trick nicely," she added as she scooted into the room and shut the door soundlessly behind her.

Okasa and Saphira exchanged glances and giggled for a brief moment. "Are all holidays around here this exciting?" Saphira asked with a twinkle.

"Usually, yes... but it doesn't generally start until later in the day. And speaking of... if I don't get that turkey in the oven soon, we won't be eating until much, much later in the day."

"Do you need some help?" Saphira offered.

Okasa smiled and patted Saphira's arm. "You're sweet, but no. I do this every year and it doesn't take but a few minutes... usually, anyway," she added with another soft laugh. "Besides, you've got more important things to take care of, I think," gesturing towards the door.

Saphira nodded. "Thank you, Okasa. I can't tell you...." She stopped speaking when Okasa held up a hand.

"I was glad to be able to help. As I told Es, I like you two, and I'm glad you came. My daughters could both do with more people like the two of you in their lives."

"Broke?" Saphira joked.

"Real," Okasa replied, then lightly patted Saphira's arm. "Goodnight, Saphira."

"Goodnight, Okasa."

************

Paddy and Kent were the first ones up when morning came the second time, though Okasa wasn't far behind them. Still, Patrick looked at her with concern when she eased into the kitchen in her bathrobe and poured herself a cup of coffee without saying a word. She squeezed his shoulder, then took a seat beside him, focusing on her cup as though to force herself to wakefulness a little faster.

"Everything all right?" he asked softly. Kent didn't look up from the paper he was reading, but they were acutely aware of his presence in the room. "You're usually the first person up."

"Hmm," Okasa offered noncommittally. "Putting the turkey on this morning took longer than expected. I think it threw my cycle off a little."

Before he could question further, a sleepy Charisma scuffed into the room carrying her wide-awake, wide-eyes son. She plopped him on Kent's lap, then she dropped into the seat beside him and let her head fall to the table. Okasa reached over and smacked the back of her head, causing Charisma to look up and glare at her mother. Okasa glared right back.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. I am still your mother and you know better than to behave like that at the table. What's wrong with you?" reaching a hand over and letting it rest on Charisma's forehead. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"

Charisma leaned into the touch and closed her eyes. "No, Mama. I just didn't sleep well last night."

Okasa nodded. "That seems to have gone around," she muttered, garnering her a questioning look from Patrick. "Brianna and Esmeralda were both up when I got up. I gave Es something to help her sleep, so she'll probably miss breakfast. I'm not sure about Brianna - she declined my offer of warm milk," her words causing all but Kent to laugh. He cocked his eyebrow in question.

"What'd I miss?"

Okasa looked at Charisma, who shrugged and nodded. Okasa turned back to Kent. "When Brianna first came to visit, she had trouble sleeping, so I offered her some warm milk. She didn't realize I meant just that, and not hot chocolate. Oh, the faces she made while she drank it."

"Not a fan, I take it," Kent guessed with a grin.

"Warm milk makes me want to cry," Brianna said from the doorway, pushing her hair away from her face and making a beeline for the coffeepot. "I mean seriously... there ought to be a law. If it wasn't so frivolous, I'd introduce one on the Senate floor just to outlaw it." She shivered. "Just thinking about it is... ew." She held up the coffee pot and four cups raised for refills. She looked at Okasa with a grin. "Now I understand why you're using the percolator."

Okasa nodded sagely. "I always do this time of year."

Kent turned to Adam. "You want some breakfast, Boy?" grinning when Adam nodded vigorously. "Let's see what we can find," rising from his chair and moving to the cabinet Okasa kept stocked with all manner of cereal for her visiting grandkids. Brianna took a seat beside Okasa, then looked at Kent.

"Are you done with the paper?"

He nodded. "Go ahead. I don't think I'll be getting back to it today."

It was quiet for a few minutes after that. Brianna and Patrick turned a page occasionally, and Adam ate his cereal, but otherwise, there was very little sound beyond the odd swallow of coffee and breathing. It was into this scenario that a fully-dressed Saphira walked a few minutes later.

It wasn't that she was loud - on the contrary, Saphira had an almost cat-like stealth. Still, her footsteps were louder than anything else going on in the kitchen, and every eye, including Adam's turned her way as she crossed the threshold. The scrutiny caused her to halt mid-step. She looked behind her and carefully around the entire room before she spoke in a whisper.

"Did I missing something or did I do something wrong?"

Okasa smiled and shook her head. "Neither," she confessed in a normal tone of voice. "We're all sitting here trying to get the old brain cells jump-started for the day. So far, it doesn't seem to be very successful - except for you, obviously," motioning to Saphira's fully clad state, then around the table where the rest of them were still wearing pajamas and robes.

"Hey!" Brianna protested. "Speak for yourself! My brain cells are working."

Charisma snorted. Saphira smirked. "But not really firing on all cylinders yet, are they? You haven't looked in a mirror yet this morning, have you?"

Brianna narrowed her eyes. "Noooo," she drawled. "I am sleepy, not brain dead. I never look in the mirror until *after* my shower."

Saphira scratched her nose and crooked a half-smile at her. "You may want to reconsider that practice while you're here."

Brianna scowled and stuck out her tongue. "You're picking on me!"

"I'm not trying to," Saphira replied honestly, though she didn't lose her smile. Then she turned to Okasa. "What can I do to help?"

"You know," Charisma said conversationally to Brianna as though Saphira wasn't sitting right there. "We should discover her secret. Think what our fellow Senators would pay to be able to come downstairs first thing in the morning completely put together without even needing a cup of coffee."

Brianna smirked. "We could rule the world."

"You wouldn't want to," Saphira said softly, seriously. "Not at this price," her tone draining all the teasing out of the room. Okasa laid a hand on her arm.

"How is she this morning?"

"Sleeping. Whatever you gave her did the trick." She looked around the room. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to ruin the mood."

Charisma placed a hand on her other arm. "You didn't. We should have thought about it first."

"Yeah," Brianna agreed. "Especially me since I was up with her last night."

"You were up with whom?" Margaret asked as she crossed the threshold and headed straight for the coffee. "Am I the last?" looking around the room. "Where's Es?"

"Still sleeping," Okasa replied briefly, her eyes telling Margaret to let the subject go. Margaret acknowledged the directive with the barest nod of her head and then turned to Saphira as she stirred condiments into her coffee.

"Well, Saphira, I guess that means you and I will be starting the prep work while these three," motioning to the other women in the room, "go get ready for the day. You two," pointing to Kent and Patrick, "are assigned to keeping my grandson out from under foot."

Okasa chuckled. She sometimes forgot Margaret's tendency to become a drill sergeant in the kitchen, but what she'd said made a good deal of sense. "Sounds like a plan, Margaret. You know where things are," waiting for Margaret to nod. "All right, the rest of you - you heard the woman. Hop to!" Then she turned back to Saphira and Margaret. "I'll be back in a few."

"Go on," Margaret made shooing motions in Okasa's direction. "You know what happens if I'm left alone in the kitchen too long, and this time, I have a helper."

That alone was enough to spur reaction from almost everyone, and Brianna followed their example as a matter of course. When they were gone, Saphira turned to Margaret.

"Should I even ask?"

"No, my dear. Let's just say I learned a long time ago how to get things done to my satisfaction." Then she turned to the refrigerator and started pulling out the things they would need.


Chapter LVIII

It was some time later when Saphira stood in the doorway of their darkened room with a cup of steaming hot coffee clutched in her hands. Okasa has sent her upstairs to check on Esmeralda and waken her if possible, as the rest of the family was due to join them within the hour and she was anxious to introduce to her sons the friends her daughter had brought home.

Saphira stood still for several minutes, her eyes clearly seeing Esmeralda's sleeping form beneath the covers and her ears detecting the deep, steady breaths indicating her depth of sleep. "I talked to the Father this morning, Es," knowing her mate wouldn't hear her, but needing to say it anyway. "Everything's taken care of. You're gonna be all right."

She crossed to the side of the bed and set the coffee cup on the nightstand, then carefully seated herself on the bed. The motion was enough to paint a frown on Esmeralda's face, but otherwise, she gave no indication of waking. Saphira reached out a hand to soothe the lines created by Esmeralda's displeasure, then had to smile as they turned to a smile beneath her touch.

She kept up the light stroking, recognizing the signs of wakefulness as Esmeralda slowly made her way towards consciousness. Finally, green eyes blinked open and Saphira leaned down and pressed her lips to Esmeralda's. "Good morning," she whispered, blue eyes closing when Esmeralda gently scratched the base of her scalp.

"Good morning," Esmeralda replied throatily. "What time is it?" glancing at the clock and feeling her eyes widen in response. "Oh... wow."

Saphira chuckled, pulling one hand from the back of her neck and cradling it so she could brush a kiss over her palm. "Yeah - Okasa asked me to see if you felt like joining us. The boys and their families will be here in an hour or so and I think she's anxious to introduce us."

"What else?" Esmeralda asked when she felt Saphira's hesitation. Saphira shrugged.

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "I can't read this stuff like you do, but things are weird down there," handing Esmeralda the coffee cup as soon as she slid into a sitting position. Esmeralda inhaled deeply - Saphira didn't give her coffee often, so this was a nice treat... especially since Saphira had fixed it just the way she liked it. She arched an eyebrow, knowing Saphira would see it and understand.

Saphira sighed. "I'm not sure how to explain it," biting her lip thoughtfully. "Okasa was pretty cool - she kinda let me and Margaret take over in the kitchen until she could get her brain cells kick-started... her words. When she came back, though, she was right there with us. I don't think much fazes that woman."

"She's survived three boys, Charisma and Brianna. What could phase her at this point?"

"True," Saphira acknowledged, dropping her eyes to Esmeralda's hand on the coffee cup.

"However, except for letting you and Margaret 'kinda take over' for a bit, none of this sounds weird. So what's up with Charisma and Brianna?"

Saphira blew out a breath. "I'm not sure. Brianna reminds me a little of a porcupine and Charisma's acting like her feelings got hurt. But they haven't actually said anything to one another this morning besides 'could you pass...' or 'excuse me'." She met Esmeralda's eyes. "Now you see why I said it was weird?"

"Yep," Esmeralda said succinctly, nudging Esmeralda with her legs and waiting until she stood before turning so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. "I think I know what's going on." She accepted the hand Saphira offered and rose smoothly from the mattress. Then she tugged on the hand she still clasped and headed towards the bathroom. "C'mon," she invited. "You can keep me company and I'll fill you in on what happened last night... aside from my insomnia."