Who is She? - Panther's Lair

Serene began to purr, nuzzling at the child, almost knocking her over in her enjoyment of the petting.

Grace chuckled, and dirtied his nose just as she had Rhiana's.

"Love, ye walk through me doors, an' ye're nay Prince o' anythin'. Ye' just a father an' a grandson, an' King o' our hearts."

He laughed and wrinkled his nose as he continued to plant the 'trees.'

"Aye, I ken tha'."

The child giggled and hugged the panther, then looked at Jamie, confused.

"Does that mean I'm a princess, Daddy?"

Serene licked the girls giggling face, and nuzzled her with affection.

Rhiana laughed as Jamie leaned close and pressed his forehead to the child's.

"Why, o' course! Th' prettiest princess in th' world, too."

Grace chuckled at the two, rubbing her hand over Serene's back.

Rhiana giggled, this time throwing her arms around her father's neck. She kissed his cheek (getting sand all over him) and set about climbing into his lap.

He chuckled, reaching out to scritch the panther, too.

"I think, Grace, tha' we should put th' lass into a bath, an' get her clean. She'll be ready for sleep soon."

Grace nodded and stood, shaking the sand from her clothing. Then she reached out her hand to Rhiana.

"Aye. Come on, love. Time t' get clean, then get ye tucked int' some PJ's."

She took Grace's hand, turning to follow her back into the house.

Jamie stood, chuckling, as he shook his head.

"I'd ask if ye wanted t' keep her tonight, but ye are likely busy. An' I'm nay fond o' her nay bein' wi' me."

Grace wrinkled her nose at him.

"I'm nay busy. An' ye can both stay over. I've got th' rooms for it."

He laughed.

"Aye, but I'd bet Dalia would nay like tha' one much."

Grace shrugged as she led them through the house to the bathroom. It was definitely big enough for both Grace and Jamie to kneel next to the tub with room to spare.

"Is one night really goin' t' be tha' big a deal?"

He nodded slowly. He looked for a way to phrase it as he started the water in the tub, leaving Grace to get the dirty child undressed.

"Och, aye. She's been even more possessive of late."

Grace made quite a deal about undressing the dirty child, tickling as she went.

"Well, then, if I'm t' tell Rhiana a bedtime story, I'll just have t' come home wi' ye."

He laughed at that one as he filled the tub with lukewarm water. Just for fun, he added bubbles.

The child was squirming, making it quite difficult for Grace to get her clothing off of her as she continued the tickling.

"Aye. I suppose we can do tha'. Wha' d'ye think, Rhiana. Want Granny t' come home wi' us?"

"Yes!" squealed the child, squirming all the more at the tickling fingers.

Grace laughed, finally getting the clothes off the squirmy thing the child had become, just as the bath filled.

"Then tha' is wha' we shall do. An' Serene can come as well, t' keep ye company as ye sleep. Sound good, Rhiana?"

The child continued to giggle nodding emphatically.

Gentle hands reached up to pull the child's hair down from the tail it had been put up into right before he reached for a sponge.

"Ye know," he said, calmly as he let the child sink into the water to play with the bubbles, "th' house is goin' t' be crowded."

Grace leaned against the tub, hand trailing through the bubbles, forming them into mountains.

"Aye. But a crowded home is a happy home. An' I can always sleep under th' back yard."

He laughed, lifting the sponge to begin washing the sand and mud off of the now thoroughly occupied little girl.

"Aye. But ye ken I would nay ha' that."

She chuckled and splashed a bit of the water into his face.

"I ken tha'. All else fails, I can sleep wi' th' wee one."

He laughed and splashed water back at her.

Rhiana, because she was four, took this as her cue to splash both of them. Which brought another fit of laughter to Jamie.

"Ye will nay fit in her bed. I'll find ye a spot t' sleep. All else fails, I'll ha' ye sleep in th' room wi' Medwyn an' Nadine. Ye can share one o' their beds."

She laughed as she got splashed by both of them. And of course, that just set off events that would flood the entire bathroom as she continued the splashing match.

"Or I can just steal one o' their beds outright."

He continued to laugh as he splashed both of the women in his life.

"Aye. They think I dinna ken, bu' I do."

She laughed, even have Rhiana got a lucky shot right into her face.

"Aye. Th' little ones always think we dinna ken wha' they d'."

He continued to laugh, now fully and thoroughly soaked.

"Aye. Th' wee ones think tha' they're hiding something from me. Like I'd be angry or sommat."

She finally caught Rhiana's hands, stopping the water fight. The girl was certainly clean now, as the fight had sent all the sand to the bottom of the tub. She reached behind her for a towel.

"Why would ye be angry? Silliness, tha's all tis."