A Winter's Tale Ch. 01

"Settled on a major already?" Paddy asked trying to keep the conversation going. He was tired and talking would help to keep awake.

"I'll be a nerd forever, Paddy. I'm going to double in Math and Astrophysics."

"Nerd or not, you're the smartest of all of us. Even though your taste in women is something you need to work on."

"Paddy!" Ione giggled. She remembered the day she had come home with the most incredulous expression.

It had been her senior year in high school, a dark and gloomy November day, a few days before Thanksgiving. It had been Paddy who almost knocked her over coming out of the living room. Paddy was the only sibling still living in Devils Lake and her most favourite one to talk to.

Paddy had seen the look on Ione's face and grinned. "Who's the lucky boy?" he had asked.

Ione had almost broken down when she tried to tell her oldest brother that it had been Jane Wilkinson who had kissed her and that she felt like her whole world had been turned upside down.

Paddy had taken her into the kitchen, brewed some tea and waited for Ione to be ready to talk. Ione had been an atypical Winter, shy and silent, caring and loving but lonely and at times distant.

"Do you remember your first kiss?" Ione asked after Paddy had put the steaming tea in front of her.

"I do, Liz Talbot behind the toolshed, her father caught us and things went downhill from there."

"Oh," Ione said not having heard the story. "I thought it was Fran."

"It was kind of embarrassing so I tell that one about Fran to make me look better."

"Do you think I am weird?" Ione asked.

"Yes, but who isn't?" Paddy chuckled, he loved his youngest sister as if she were his first daughter, Tara and Teagan weren't that much younger than Ione.

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone else?"

Paddy promised.

"I kissed Jane." It was almost a whisper, "I've kissed boys but that was almost like getting a tooth pulled. This was magical."

Paddy got up and sat on his knees while he pulled Ione into his arms.

"Thanks for telling me, that was the bravest thing I have ever seen."

When Kathleen walked in on the embrace she almost went into panic mode. "Did something happen?"

Paddy answered before Ione could. "Yes mum." Paddy felt Ione tense up. Quickly he added, "I realised how little time I have spent with Ione and how much I love her."

"Really?" Kathleen asked.

"Stop prying, mum, we're having a sibling moment."

Paddy stopped the truck at a gas station, mostly to use the restroom but he also filled up the tank to be sure.

"Spencer?" Ione asked softly when Paddy had gotten out of the truck.

"Hmm?" the dazed movie star asked and started to move closer to Ione. Spencer moved her face up Ione's breasts and then opened her eyes to look at Ione.

"What?" Spencer asked as she jumped away surprised and a bit frightened.

"I need to use the little girls room. You were sleeping in my lap."

"Where are we?" Spencer looked around and only saw the white of snow and a few neon signs flickering further down the road.

"About half way to my parent's house. You slept most of the time."

"Oh," Spencer said looking embarrassed.

"Spencer, don't be embarrassed. I am a grown girl and can stand up for myself. You needed to sleep and I kept you safe. Do you understand? You will be safe with me, I promise."

Spencer simply nodded. Ione's voice was almost hypnotic. When Ione started to move away and out of the truck Spencer suddenly started to tremble.

"I'll go with you," Spencer said quickly not wanting to be inside the truck alone.

"Put on your coat. It's freezing out there."

Together the girls went to the restrooms which were quite clean for such a place. Paddy would have known where to stop.

Ione waited until Spencer was done. When the purple haired girl walked out of the stall she looked a little better.

"Come, I'll fix your hair," Ione said looking at the mess and Spencer complied almost too eager.

The girls walked out of the restroom a little more refreshed.

"Want something to drink?" Ione asked spotting her favourite flavour soda.

"Water?"

"Sparkling?"

Spencer nodded and the two bought a water, mountain dew light and a regular coke for Paddy. Spencer added a pack of breath mints.

After paying the bored clerk, the two walked back to the truck and found Paddy already waiting for them.

"Thanks," Paddy said as he accepted the cola. He opened it and emptied half in one swallow. "I needed that. One more hour of this and we're going to find a bed. It's going to be snowing the rest of the night so we will have a white Thanksgiving."

"Hailey will be complaining all day," Ione grinned at Paddy.

"Who's Hailey?" Spencer asked.

"My older sister. She moved to Florida because she hates the cold."

Spencer got under the blanket while Paddy started the truck, soon they were inside the flaky world of a snow filled night.

"How are you feeling?" Paddy asked when he saw Spencer shiver.

"A little better. My day has not been great."

"Want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps dealing with stuff."

Spencer sighed. Did she really want to tell about her personal life? So far neither of the two had made any comments about her movie star self. Perhaps the purple hair had thrown them off.

"My dad threw me out of the house. He was drunk. He told me that I was no longer welcome in his home."

Ione instantly pulled Spencer close to her and felt her stomach contract.

"On Thanksgiving?" Paddy asked his anger showing in his voice. "Spencer, you are welcome at our house. Or at my parents. If you need a place to stay to get back on your feet you've got it. I have two girls and two boys. If anything bad would happen to them I would I hope someone like my sister will come along and help."

"Thank you," Spencer said her tears now dripping freely from her eyes.

Ione took out a handkerchief from her bag and handed it to Spencer while she kept her other arm around the young woman.

"I can't understand why you would do that for me," Spencer said, her distress increased.

"Because that is who we are," Paddy answered. "We never turn people down when they need help. If we can help we will. If we can't we'll see who can. Simple as that. Especially to people who have been abused."

"I wasn't abused," Spencer denied.

"Your arm says otherwise," Ione said carefully.

Spencer looked at her arm and saw it had turned all kinds of purple and almost choked.

It took Ione a long time to calm Spencer down while Paddy was fuming behind the wheel. If he would ever meet her dad he would kick his drunken ass.

"This is your stop," Paddy said looking at his sister. Spencer was slowly waking up. "I'll see you tomorrow for dinner. If you need anything before lunch call me, ok? I'll drop by after lunch to pick up mum, Regan and John to do some shopping."

"Ok," Ione said as she reached over to kiss her brother on his scruffy cheek. "Sleep tight."

"Spencer?" Paddy asked when she opened her eyes and rubbed the sand out of them.

"Yeah?" Spencer asked half awake.

"If you need help, ask. Don't think asking for help will make you weak or vulnerable. There is nothing to be embarrassed for. Will you promise me that?"

Spencer nodded. "I will." Then she reached out and hugged Paddy softly. "Thanks for everything."

"You are welcome."

The two girls watched the truck pull away and then started to make their way to the large two story house half covered in snow.

When they stepped through the gates, the front door popped open and there stood Sean. He was dressed for bed but was articulating frantically.

A short red haired man stood in his skivvies. His eyes were big and his ears a little flappy. There was no point in counting the number of freckles on his face as they were literally all over his face, neck, arms and hands. A set of white teeth flashed a huge smile at the girls.

Spencer signed with one hand. "That's my brother Sean, he's deaf but he reads lips, just speak normally."

"I know how to sign," Spencer said with a smile, the first one that she had since her father's outburst. Sean was so excited his hands were a blur.

"Sean, we only just got here," Ione said and signed.

"It's so good to see you. And looking so happy. Is this your new girlfriend? Why didn't you tell me you found someone new?" Sean signed as if he was desperate to know the answers to those questions.

"Can I get inside first? Sean, this is Spencer."

Spencer smiled and introduced herself signing her name. "Nice to meet you," Spencer signed awkwardly but with each sign she started to remember how to sign.

Sean was so excited that Ione was glad Geena pulled him away from the door so they could get inside.

Geena looked like a giant next to Sean almost a neck and head taller. Her blonde hair was long and curly and her eyes were dark blue with a hint of green.

"Thanks Geena," Ione signed to her brother's girlfriend. "We're both really tired."

"Kylie made you two a bed above the garage, so you can have some privacy. At least the kids are at Paddy's so you won't have to deal with them," Geena signed while Ione took off her shoes. Sean took all the luggage and disappeared into the house.

"Dad only got home a few minutes ago, he's still in the shower," Geena continued to sign. "It is really nice you met someone. I was so worried about you when you were at camp this summer."

Spencer watched with a kind of glee how Ione started to blush.

"Wait," Ione signed but before she could set the record straight Kylie rushed down the hall and wrapped her arms around Ione's neck and kissed her sister with tears in her eyes.

Kylie had the Winter trademark of red hair, although more auburn than light orange, and was almost as tall as Geena. She was a bit overweight and had large breasts that got in the way of a good hug but that didn't make her less affectionate.

"I missed you Tails," Kylie said. She hadn't seen her sister in two years. "Don't stay away from me so long again."

Spencer looked confused.

"I missed you too Rabbit," Ione said emotional.

Without missing a heartbeat Kylie looked at the purple haired girl. "My god you look just like that movie star, Spencer something."

"I get that a lot," Spencer said unable to fend off the hug she received next and a few kisses. Kylie was really a hugger.

"You must tell me all about how you two met," Kylie said before she let go.

"Let them breathe first," a rumbling voice came from the dark hallway. "You'll get to talk to them tomorrow. Now go back to your rooms or I'll use my power as head of this mad family to disown every one of you."

The patriarch of the Winter family walked down the hall wearing shorts and a long t-shirt. Bald but sporting a dark red beard, Gerald Winter looked a lot younger than his actual age of fifty-five. A bear of a man, muscled and strong shouldered, he was a sight to behold.

"Dad," Ione said with happy tears and rushed over. She hadn't seen her dad since January when he had visited her on campus on his way to visit her brother Henry down in San Francisco.

"Ione, you take my breath away every time I see you," Gerald said softly. Despite his appearance, Gerald was a caring and gentle person, hardly ever needing to raise his voice in anger. "It is so good to hold you again."

Kylie stood next to Geena who both had gentle smiles on their faces. Spencer slowly realised how close this family was. How much love their was to give, even had to spare. She tried to fight back her tears but it was no use. She was too tired, a wreck, an outcast no longer worthy to be called a Brennan.

"Oh my goodness," Gerald said when he saw the big tears roll down the cheeks of the purple haired girl. He opened his arm and pulled Spencer close as if she were his daughter. "You two must be so tired."

Two faces rubbed into his chest which put a smile on the face of Gerald. "Then we better get you to your room. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to talk."

Gently Gerald guided the two to the kitchen and then to the garage and pointed up the stairs. Sean had passed them in the kitchen and had waved them goodnight.

"You two got the best room of the house," Gerald said.

"Mr Winter, I just want to tell you how much I appreciate you taking me in."

Gerald said with a big smile. "A friend of Ione is a friend of mine. Now go and get some sleep, you look like you haven't in quite some time."

With those words and a kiss on each of the girls foreheads he walked off into the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

"Was this your room when you grew up?" Spencer asked when they walked into the room that covered the entire floor. It held one king sized bed and lots of draped furniture. On the walls were paintings and one wall was entirely dedicated to photos of the family.

"It was. It is almost the same as I left it more than two years ago," Ione said after she spotted the couch under a sheet she said, "You can have the bed, I'll take the couch."

"Absolutely not," Spencer said almost angry. "I will take the couch or if you don't mind we can share the bed."

"It would not be proper," Ione said looking at the floor. "I... I am gay."

"Yes, I got that from your family's reaction when they saw me."

"So you don't... You're fine with that?"

With two steps Spencer crossed the distance between them and took the raven haired girl's hands.

"We need to talk. Tomorrow. For now we just sleep. And I am more than fine with you being a lesbian."

"What..."

Spencer pressed her tiny finger on Ione's lips. "Tomorrow, sleep now."

"Tomorrow," Ione agreed and then they went to their luggage. "You can use the bathroom first," Ione told Spencer.

"Thanks," Spencer said as she spotted the door at the other end of the room. After gathering all she needed Spencer rushed into the bathroom, a need to pee superseded anything else.

For a moment Ione stood quietly in the middle of the room, her mind a chaotic mess of unrelated thought and ideas. It didn't last when someone knocked on the door.

"Ione?" a voice asked.

"Come in, Hailey," Ione said with a smile.

The door opened and a small woman with long red curly hair walked in. She was a few inches shorter than her sister and was almost flat chested. Compared to Ione's grapefruit sized breasts, Hailey still looked more like a boy than a girl.

"I missed you," Hailey said as she walked over to cry into her sister's shoulder. Hailey had broken up with her boyfriend of three years when she found out he had been cheating on her while doing her masters in a science station on the Antarctic. Hailey was four years older than her sister but looked three years younger. It was her smaller stature and the large childlike eyes and white skin.

"I missed you too, Hails," Ione said as she kissed her sister on the lips.

They had almost been mortal enemies growing up until Hailey had fallen through the ice at fourteen. Ione, ten at the time, had been telling her sister not to try the ice. When she saw Hailey disappear she rushed over and started to yell but when Hailey didn't appear she rushed into the water and went underwater. Hailey was pushing against the ice with her eyes closed.

Ione had pulled Hailey out by her jacket and into the hole. When they surfaced again, Hailey was screaming as if she was about to die.

It was hard for Ione to get Hailey out of the water. Luckily, a police car stopped on the bridge and the officer driving it had been Kathleen, their mother.

After that Hailey changed. Once a terror and menace she became a quiet and doting sister to Ione, almost closer than was proper. They shared showers, slept together and shared secrets that were only to be shared between lovers.

"I heard about Simon," Ione said as she pulled Hailey closer. "I am so sorry."

"I'll get over him. Like you got over that bitch."

"It's not like that," Ione started not wanting to lie to her sister. "Spencer is..."

"Hi," Spencer said as she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a long shirt with a picture of the tower of London.

"Oh my, you look so lovely," Hailey said as she pushed away her sister and walked over to the purple haired girl.

"You look every bit that vampire girl in... in... Help me out."

"Lost Girls", Spencer said. It had been a long time ago when she had played the part of Ginny, vampire and in love with a mortal.

"Yeah," Hailey said, "You get that a lot I think."

Spencer shrugged. "It has happened before."

"Welcome to our family. Ione can be so private at times. She hardly ever calls me."

"You were on the Antarctic for a year!" Ione gasped.

"I had Skype," Hailey said with a smile. "Don't keep her up too long, I really like to speak to my sister before noon."

"Hails!" Ione shouted pointing at the door.

Hailey moved her mouth close to Spencer's ear and whispered. "She likes to be kissed in her neck."

Seeing Ione's face Hailey retreated with a wink to Spencer.

"Sisters," Ione said when she heard the garage door close.

"I like her," Spencer said still a bit blushing.

"Yeah that what makes it worse," Ione said and picked up her toiletries and went into the bathroom.

Spencer walked over to the bed and sat down on the left side. The side she preferred but waited for Ione to return to make sure it was ok.

Slowly it became clear to Spencer that she was falling for Ione. Her last girlfriend had been a bad influence on her. She had made her a bitch, a diva, because that was what Fallon had expected and wanted. It had ended when she found Fallon doing lines of cocaine in the bathroom. Drugs were the lines she would never cross, whatever the circumstances.

Fallon was two years in the past. Two long years without a loving touch, without a non-self induced orgasm. She knew why she hadn't tried again. It had been the scare she had had picking up a girl, kissing her and seeing the photograph in the paper the next day. Headline: "Fan gropes Spencer"

Lucky for Spencer her face had been one of utter disgust on the photo. It had not been because of the kiss but because a man had shown his erection two tables over. She had never tried to go to clubs after that.

"Is it ok for me to use this side?" Spencer asked when Ione got out wearing panties and a half shirt with small hearts printed all over it.

"Of course," Ione said looking at Spencer.

With those words Spencer pulled down the covers and waited for Ione to join her. When they were both under the covers, Spencer faced Ione who did the same.

"Thanks for being there for me," Spencer said with a much affection and love she could find inside.

"I was glad I could be there for you," Ione said flushing. The soft kiss that followed melted her heart and left her breathless.

"Goodnight, Ione," Spencer said caressing Ione's face with her fingers.

"Goodnight, Spencer."

When the light was switched off by Ione the room was pitch black.

It wasn't long before both girls fell into a strange sleep.
Light slashed through the tear in the drapes cutting the bed sheet and part of the floor near the stairs on the other side of the room. Ione slowly opened her eyes and closed them again when part of the piercing light hit her face.

A second attempt failed as did a third. The soft hand that was touching her stomach moved up a little. When Ione moved her buttocks a little Spencer started to push back with her abdomen.

For a while Ione drifted between sleep, pleasure and tenderness. When she opened her eyes once more the slashing light had moved over to the far wall cutting a painting in half. She wanted to stay and be held by Spencer but her bladder had other ideas. Slowly she entangled herself from arms and a mouth drooling on her hair to step on the cold floor. Ione reached the bathroom barely in time and felt the aching feeling disappear with the yellow liquid disappearing in the depth of the toilet, it almost felt orgasmic.