The farmhouse was lit up with pretty Christmas lights. Sirene and Dan stopped outside for a few minutes admiring the homey look of the place. It had started snowing so the grounds were fresh and clean. Dan led the way inside the farmhouse. There was a fire going in the living room fireplace, with a beautiful Christmas tree in a corner. The room was warm and cozy.

"I see you survived Bobby sitting," Diana said to Sirene as Sirene and Dan walked into the living room.

Sirene smile at Di, as she took off her coat. "That boy has more energy that an atomic bomb. If we could bottle it up, and sell it, we would make a fortune. He also has a very inquisitive mind. I spent the whole day answering questions. My brain is tired."

"Bobby can be a handful. We’ve all watched him at one time or another," Dan re-assured her taking her coat and hanging it on the coat rack for her.

"Diana has updated me with what happened this afternoon, but she didn’t have time to tell me what Spider had to say or suggest?" Sirene said to the group of young people as she sank down on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"Tansy had to go and fill out a report. Spider’s going to forward that report to the telephone company. They’ll put a tap on the line and for the next few weeks will monitor all incoming calls. We’re to call the police if anyone gets another threatening phone call," Honey explained.

"Interesting that this call would come in the day after she told Silvenus and Kern that her aunt is away," Sirene said. "I think we should have one more look through her house. There is that room that has all the books in it that Honey and Brian only did a quick search in."

"We also have to check out that hotel. I think we’re going to have to split up to get everything done," Diana said.

"Honey, Brian, Jim and I will check out the hotel. You, Mart, Dan and Sirene can talk to Tansy about getting in and do a search in that one room," Trixie suggested.

"I’ve been thinking about the book," Honey said thoughtfully. "We’re assuming that the book is in English, but if the book is as old as we think it is, it could be written in a different language. This means we could have missed it because we were looking for a book in English."

"That’s a very good point," Brian said admiringly. "Since we’re dealing with druids, we’re probably looking for a book with ancient symbols."

"Great! Like we didn’t have enough problems finding this book in English, now we have to search for a book in some foreign language," Diana groaned.

"It might make it easier. After all how many book can they have that’s in a foreign or ancient language?" Mart pointed out.

"Tomorrow half of us will search Tansy’s house and the other half will go to the hotel. We’ll all meet back at the Manor house at three o’clock. I think that we’ve talked enough about what needs to be done, so let’s get this party going," Jim suggested.

"Great! I’ve been dying to play the game ‘Outburst’ that I got for Christmas," Sirene said.

"Well as long as we don’t play ‘Trivia Pursuit’ I’ll be happy," Dan said. "I’m always amazed at how much trivia Mart and Sirene have stored in their brains."

The Bob-Whites and Sirene played games for awhile, then they put on some records and Diana taught them the latest dance steps. Soon it was time to bring in the refreshments. Mr. Belden had provided them with alcohol free champagne to celebrate the New Year. As Brian passed out the champagne glasses, Trixie went up to her bedroom. By the time she came back down everyone was in the living room, with a champagne glass in their hands, waiting for midnight. Trixie nodded to Jim. Jim smiled back at Trixie and walked over to Sirene, with Trixie meeting him there.

Sirene looked at Trixie and smiled at her. "Did you know that you’re a jealous person and can get real mean?"

Trixie looked puzzled.

Sirene laughed. "I guess no one told you about it. Well, in order to get Jim and Honey to drive me home last night, I told the twins that you were a jealous shrew."

Trixie wrinkled her nose at Sirene. "I’m not too sure about the shrew part but I’ve been known to get a bit jealous in my time."

Jim just grinned at her with a twinkle in his green eyes.

"We’ve been thinking that with the New Year coming that the Bob-Whites need to make a change. We were hoping that you could help us with the change we want to make," Trixie said to Sirene with a smile.

"Sure. You know I’ll help you all anyway that I can. What do you need me to do?" Sirene asked.

Trixie shook out the red jacket that she had been holding folded across her arms and hand the jacket to Jim.

"What we need for you to do is wear this jacket and become a member of our club that is if you’re willing?" Jim asked holding the jacket out to Sirene.

Sirene looked around at all of the Bob-Whites and tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"You can’t mean it? I mean, you all are so good and nice. Why would you want someone like me in your club?" Sirene cried confused, standing there in the middle of the room.

Diana moved over to Sirene and put her arm around her with Dan moving behind Sirene.

"You have a good heart and are loyal to those you consider your friend. You’ve always been willing to help us and you respect us. How could we not want you?" Diana said softly.

Sirene smiled at Diana, overwhelmed at the thought that a dream that she never dared to dream was coming true.

"I hate to be the breaker of such tender moments but Jim’s arms have to be getting tired holding that jacket out and since we would like to celebrate the New Year with our new member, you really do need to get that jacket on and make it official," Mart said

Sirene nodded her consent and Jim help her put the jacket on. Just then Brian announced that it was January first and the New Year had arrived. There was a lot of laughter, kissing and hugging among the friends.

Once it settled down, Sirene hugged her jacket tightly around her; Honey told Sirene that she would make up a new jacket for her soon.

"So whose jacket is this?" Sirene ask.

"That’s my old one. I outgrew it so Honey made me a new one," Dan explained.

"Can I keep it?" Sirene asked, her eyes shining with happiness.

Dan smiled brightly at her. "Sure you can. I like the idea of you wearing my jacket."

Siren looked over at Honey. "Thank you for the offer of making me a new jacket but I would like to keep this one, if you don’t mind?"

"Of course I don’t mind," Honey said with a smile.

"So I guess this means that I have to have an initiation?" Sirene asked.

Trixie laughed. "You’ve already been initiated."

Sirene looked confused.

Diana giggled. "Today, when you watched Bobby. That was the initiation. We figure that anyone who can watch Bobby for the whole day and still stay sane deserves to be a Bob-White."

"You all can even begin to imagine how happy I am right now. This has to be the most perfect moment in my life," Sirene said.

"Actually that’s perfectly perfect," Brian said. "Now that you’re a Bob-White you have to use the right phrase."

"And we’ll have to teach her the Bob-White whistle. I think we can leave that chore in Dan’s capable hands," Honey said.

"Don’t worry. I’ll teach her everything she needs to know," Dan said as he put his arm around Sirene.

Sirene looked up at Dan with a smile on her face. " And I’ll be more than happy to learn whatever he has to teach."

"Well, as much as I hate to break this up. Diana needs to get home. She promised her parents that she would be home by one o’clock. Don’t you have the same curfew, Sirene?" Mart asked.

"Oh my gosh! Is it that late already? We have just enough time to help clean up," Diana said as she started gathering up dirty glasses.

Everyone pitched in and soon the house was cleaned up. Jim and Honey were spending the night. The Lynches’ chauffeur arrived to take Diana and Sirene home since Sirene was staying at the Lynches that night. Dan and Mart walked Diana and Sirene out to the waiting vehicle.

‘You’re one of us now," Dan said to Sirene as he leaned down to kiss her good-bye.

"Yep! And I couldn’t be happier," she whispered before his lips met hers.

Mart and Diana had stopped on the front porch.

"Mart, you’re not mad at me are you?" Diana asked. "You seemed a little distant the last few days."

Mart looked down at the beautiful girl by his side. He brushed her hair from her face and leaned down and gently kissed her.

"No, I could never stay mad at you," he said. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"So everything is okay with us?" she asked.

Mart smiled at her. "Sure, we’re fine. I’ll see you tomorrow."

Diana smiled at him and brushed her lips against his, then turned away hurrying to the waiting vehicle.

Mart stood on the porch and watched her leave. Dan joined him there.

"Do you think that we’ll ever be able to find any girls as beautiful and as wonderful as those two?" Dan asked.

"They’re out there! So the question is can we find someone else that makes us feel the way we feel about those two?" Mart countered.

"My mother once told me that even though it was possible to love many people in many ways that there was only one person in the world that is your soul mate. If a person was very lucky, they would find that person, but only a wise person will know when they found that person."

"Does that mean that Jim is wiser than the rest of us? Because he seems pretty sure about Trixie being the one for him."

Dan smiled at Mart. "Let’s hope for all of our sake that he’s not the only wise one."

"Amen to that!"

 

Regan and Tansy at Regan’s apartment…

"Do you think that my parents ever thought about me on the holidays?" Tansy asked Regan. Regan and Tansy were cuddled up on the couch in his apartment.

"I would imagine so. From the impression I got from that letter is that they thought they were doing what was best for you. So it must have been hard for them to miss watching you grow up. The holidays would be especially painful."

"I never thought of it that way. I guess I always assumed that my mother was happy living away from me. I was never told why she left. My aunt has tried to take her place and she’s been a good and loving person in my life, but she's not my mother. Does that sound ungrateful?" Tansy wondered.

"No, it’s honest. When my parents died my sister and I was first sent to an aunt and uncle that we’ve never met before. Although they tried to take the place of my parents, there was no way they could. I don’t think anyone can once you know your parents. I think it would be different if someone never knew their biological parents to begin with."

"I thought you and your sister were brought up in an orphanage," Tansy said.

"My aunt and uncle ended up going bankrupt and lost their farm. So the State came and took us away and put us in an orphanage. I was six and my sister was thirteen when my parents died. We only lived with our aunt and uncle for two years before we were placed in the home. When my sister was able to leave the home, she said that she would come back for me but I ran away before she could," Regan explained.

"So now there’s just you and Dan. Some day I want to have a big family," Tansy said dreamily.

"Oh, there’s only two ways to get that. You can marry into a big family or have lots of kids," Regan said warily.

"I think I like the idea of lots of kids. I’m not sure I want to deal with a lot of in-laws," Tansy said.

"When you say ‘lots of kids’ are you talking about three or four or is it more like ten or twelve?" Regan asked.

Tansy laughed. "If you could see your face. No one in their right mind would want ten kids. Three or four would do nicely. It’s not like I’m asking you to be the father of these kids. This is just make-believe. After all, I might find out that one is all I can handle."

"Four is a nice round number," was all that Regan would say.

"What is your New Year’s wish?" Tansy asked.

"I don’t make wishes. If I want something then I go after it and work until I’ve accomplished whatever it was that I wanted. I’ve always thought wishing was a waste of time," Regan admitted.

"Okay, what do you want to accomplish in the future?" Tansy asked.

"I would like to open up my own riding stables and maybe do a little breeding. I know that I’ll never become rich but I think I could make a comfortable living. More importantly, I’ll be doing something I love," Regan said.

"Doing something you love is very important. I don’t know what I would have done if I weren’t able to create my gowns and sell them. I just love taking material and making something beautiful out of it. Even better is the fact that I can work at home," Tansy said.

"You want to know what I would like to see happen this year?" Regan asked

"I asked didn’t I?"

"I would like to see you go out in public more often. I know that it’s hard for you but I also know that you can put up barriers for a short time. I was thinking that the more you practice putting up those barriers the strong it would become and eventually you would be able to move among people on a more common basis."

"Why is that important? I’ve manage to do pretty well so far," Tansy asked.

"Because you’re missing so much. Wouldn’t you like to go to the fair or go to a concert? How about spending a weekend touring the city? You so limited and there is so much to see and do," Regan pointed out.

"Well, I always did want to go to a carnival, but my aunt wouldn’t let me," Tansy admitted.

"So that can be our goal for this new year. We’ll work on getting you to a carnival," Regan said.

Tansy looked up at him. "Does this mean that you’ve decided to move our relationship a little further then friends?"

Regan smiled. "Since all I can think about now-a-days is kissing you, I think it would be a good idea to move this relationship to a more intimate relationship then friend."

Tansy smiled at him. "Good because I’m tired of feeling you wrestling with yourself. I know that you think that I’m too inexperienced to know what’s what. What you keep forgetting is that I know myself very well and I always sort out my feelings. I have to or I would go crazy. And I definitely approve of the kissing part."

Regan looked down at the fey young woman in his arm and as he leaned down to kiss her; he wondered what he was getting himself into.

Tansy’s lips were the softest and sweetest lips he had ever tasted. Regan could feel his blood start heating up and his body started responding to her sweet curves pressing into him.

TBH Main