Sheeple

Pat nodded in agreement and looked up as the door behind them opened. Suzie walked in with Peaches and Angel. He kissed Kate and headed towards Suzie. "Suzie!"

Kate turned to look who had come in the door. She smiled when she saw Suzie and the kids. "Those are my feral grandchildren," she said as she turned back to Eric.

The look of puzzlement that played across Eric's face made Kate break out in a smile. He looked towards Pat and the woman he was hugging, and tried to understand what Kate was talking about.

"Here, take a plate and we can talk as we eat." Kate handed him a plate, and started filling her own.

"What about Jamie and Mark? They'll need plates."

"Eric, if you turn around, you'll see that they've been fed."

Eric turned to see Zach had just handed them plates as well as Bess. All three children were thanking him and started to dig into the food.

"I guess you're right." Eric filled his plate with food and then turned to Kate. "Where shall we sit? Is there anywhere to sit?" He looked around the crowded kitchen and living room.

Kate smiled and made a motion for him to follow. She lead him down the hall to a room full of books, computer parts, fabric, yarn, records, 8-tracks and other odd bits. Kate sat behind the computer desk and pulled the sewing table chair out for Eric.

"It isn't the easiest space to sit in, but at least it is a little bit quieter."

"Yes. I could do with a bit of it for a few moments. I haven't been in such a tight space with so many people in a long time." Eric balanced his plate on his knee and started to eat.

"Well, it isn't always like this. The boys wanted to cook and I couldn't say no. Then of course, all the friends follow." Kate smiled over the top of her wine glass.

Eric just shook his head, not knowing exactly what to think of Kate and her household of people. "I hope you don't expect me to remember any of the people you introduced me to. I'm bad with names."

"Oh, no way. There are too many people in there. However, I owe you an explanation."

"Ah yes. Ferals..."

"That's what I call the people who are like stray cats. The ones who don't have a place to call their own."

Eric stopped eating. "I guess you'd class me and the kids as ferals then." His voice had lost some of its cheerfulness.

Kate looked at him and realized that she'd inadvertently hurt his feelings. "Yes, in some ways, you'd be a feral. However, you are not so out of it that you can't connect to society. You aren't living rough. You aren't dysfunctional, and you don't miss the social clues that so many of my ferals do." She took a deep breath and was about to continue.

"Okay. I was just a bit worried. I've run into some prejudices and so I'm a bit sensitive I guess."

"I'm sorry Eric. Let me give you an example. Take Suzie, the woman Pat was greeting with such enthusiasm. She's a feral. Even after living in a house of her own for nearly a year and holding down a job at the local burger joint, she still is just that one step away from dysfunction."

Erin looked at her trying to understand.

"She was the middle kid of a large family. Her mom isn't all glued together right, and has had about five or six husbands. Suzie ran away from home when she was 17. Had Peaches when she was 18. Has no idea of who the biological dad is. Angel came along eighteen months later. No parenting skills, no life skills, nothing." She stopped to let this sink in as she ate a bit of her burger.

"Suzie was in and out of housing, the shelter, her mom's house and my house. She came here, because Pat was her boyfriend for a while. And no, I'm not sure if Peaches or Angel is one of his or not. I gave up worrying about it. My biggest concern has been trying to help her be a better mom and a responsible adult." Kate took another bite of burger.

Eric ate the last bit of his food and set the plate on the floor. "Okay, I understand a bit more of what you mean now. Wow. How do you cope?"

"How could I not cope? How could I turn any of them out? I'm just not built that way."

"Is that why you work at the shelter?"

"Yes. Suzanne recognized I had a talent for working with the odd ones. She's been here often enough that I'm not sure if the boys know she isn't a relative. She came to be with me when David died." She took a large sip of wine. "I started out as a volunteer and then realized that I really wanted to work there. When a spot opened, Suzanne put me in it."

"Well, only knowing you for a short time, I think you are very good at it."

"Thanks Eric. Do you want anything else?" She pointed to his empty plate.

"No, I'm fine. I'm..."

"MOM!" A voice hollered from the kitchen.

"What Jon?" Kate asked as she gathered her plate and glass. She headed back to the kitchen where Jon stood there with his arm wrapped around his neck, and forced back at an odd angle with his older brother Zach keeping it there.

"Tell him to let go of me!" Jon said as his face got redder the more he struggled.

"What did you do?" Kate asked.

"Me? I didn't do nuthin!" Jon gasped.

"Oh? Trying to sneak out with the cake was 'nuthin' eh? You illiterate lout!" Zach said rather loudly.

"I was takin it to Mom."

"Oh sure you were. Try again fish bait!" Zach lifted him a bit higher off the floor.

"Zach, put him down. Where is the cake?" Kate said quietly

"I've got it Mom. I'm serving it up to the little ones first," Andy said from the other side of the room. He was busy cutting cake and putting it on small paper plates. Jamie, Bess and Mark were waiting patiently.

"Alright. Now, as for you two," she said even more quietly than before. "I want you to stop it and let it go. Now."

"But Mom!" Jon started to argue.

"Shall I just take him outside?" Zach said as he tightened his grip.

"No, just let go of him. You two need to not start wrestling like paratroopers every time one of you disagrees with the other." Kate's voice was still soft.

Zach let go of Jon so fast that he fell to the floor. "Fine by me Mom. I'm just trying to keep some order here."

"Thank you dear, but sometimes you two just go too far. Don't wrestle in my kitchen."

Jon got up from the floor blustering still and took a swipe at Zach. Zach caught his foot and carried it up until it was level with his shoulder. The rest of the people in the room just moved out of their way and were heading for Andy and the cake.

"Boys..."

Jon and Zach looked at their mom and realized that she had had enough. Any quieter and she'd be whispering, and that was a bad sign. Mom whispering meant that people were going to wish she'd been yelling. Zach dropped Jon's leg and moved back.

"Sorry Mom," Jon said as he moved forward to give her a hug.

"Me too Mom" Zach snagged a piece of cake. He snapped a wrist at Jon as he too got a piece of cake and then disappeared into the living room where music was getting louder.

"Here Mom. Have some of your cake." Andy handed a piece to her and Eric. "Maybe some day those two will grow up," he said as he turned back to the cake pan.

"One could only hope." Kate took a bite of cake.

Eric wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing. Horseplay gone wrong and Kate had dealt with it with a voice so quiet he could barely hear her. However, her body language read like she was ten foot tall and made of steel. Funny when you really looked at her. Eric took the opportunity to study her while she dealt with her own cake and one of the people she'd introduced him to earlier.

*

Kate was petite. 5'3" if that, and round soft curves. Nowhere near the model thin type, yet she looked as if she could out walk just about anyone. Long reddish blond hair streaked with white moved like it was alive. She had a pale complexion and blue eyes that gave him trouble meeting their gaze when they talked. They were blue with darker blue rings around them. Kate had a confidence about her that he liked.

Finishing his cake, he put the plate in the trash and the fork in the sink. He moved towards the people in the living room. He hadn't been in there before and smiled when he got a good look around. First off, books lined the walls, just like they had everywhere he looked. Photos of people he figured were family were scattered amongst more books, knick-knacks and dust bunnies. One photo showed Kate standing in the arms of a very tall man. David he guessed. A TV entertainment unit stood in one corner. It was covered in DVD's, VCR tapes and more knick-knacks, candles, obscure clay items obviously made by the boys over the years as well as alabaster nudes, and cats. One cat was sprawled with his head resting on the thigh of one statue.

Eric scratched the cat's ears and continued to look around. Couches, tables and a fireplace with ashes still in it although it was late Spring. He turned as his children's voices caught his attention and he froze for a moment. Deep breath, he thought. He looked around and realized that there were things he had missed in the rest of the room. The thing that had made him freeze was a low chest. It was partially obscured by the door. It was covered with a lace cloth and had a cup, candle holder and two small statues on it. There was also a tall pointy hat nestled in the rocks of the ficus next to the chest. He was just trying to figure out how to politely ask if Kate was pagan when a voice spoke in his ear.

"Mom's a witch ya know."

It was Jon. Eric turned and smiled at him. Jon had obviously picked up on Eric's interest in the altar and had decided to see if he could shock Eric.

"Well, that's nice to know." Eric tried to sound calm. The last thing he wanted was this teen having any kind of oneupmanship on him. "I'm pagan too."

Jon looked disappointed. "Damn, I was hopin' you'd get all squicky about it and we could tease you about dead guys on sticks."

"What?" Eric was a tad perplexed.

"Never mind him. He's just a brat." Pat came up on the other side of Eric. "And a dead guy on a stick is a crucifix."

"I caught that one. Its just been a while since I've heard that phrase."

"Okay. You just never know. We're a famtrad. Or as famtrad as you can get around here. Lots of closet pagans and oddball wannabes. But Mom's the real thing."

"I'm famtrad too," Eric said quietly. Not exactly what Pat might expect, but it was a family tradition he followed. Looking back around the room, he realized that there were star shaped votive candles and elemental colored votive holders around the room. What really gave him the giggles when he noticed it was the sign saying "Bewitched" hanging over the door he'd come through earlier.

"So, I see that the boys have spilled the family secret." Kate had come up behind him.

Eric turned and looked at Kate who was smiling up at him. She had Peaches in her arms and was rocking from side to side with her.

"Peaches is tired and can't relax enough to sleep. So, I said I'd rock her to sleep." Kate swayed.

Eric looked at her and had an idea. He reached out his hand and put it on Peaches shoulder. He sent a stream of sleepy energy to Peaches and watched as she gave a brief shudder and then fell asleep.

Kate looked at him as she felt the tingle as well as Peaches going limp in her arms. "You're good at that."

"Lots of practice with those two." He gestured towards Mark and Jamie.

Kate smiled. She didn't have any secret handshake to give Eric, but it was nice to know that he was some flavor of pagan. She liked him and she always felt better around people she didn't have to watch her tongue around. It was also easier when the boys ferreted out the information. If there was a bad reaction to Jon's little taunt, she could always do the cover up. Kate was glad that this wasn't necessary.

"I need to put Peaches on Pat's bed. Can you give me a hand?"

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"Just down the hall, through the kitchen, down the stairs and to the left," she said as she moved.

"Here, do you want me to carry her?"

"No, I can do it."

"Are you sure?" He moved in front of her.

Kate looked up at Eric. The thought of carrying a toddler downstairs didn't appeal to her. "Okay. She's heavy though." Kate handed Peaches over to Eric.

"Not a problem. I'm stronger than I look." He smiled. If they only knew.

Kate smiled. "You look strong enough for me."

Eric shifted Peaches up a bit and turned to Kate. "Lead the way."

Kate headed through the kitchen to a door he'd seen earlier. She opened it and there were a set of stairs that turned right half way down.

"Watch your head. There is a wall here that is too low for 90% of my household."

Eric ducked just in time. He wouldn't have hit it by much, but stucco style walls are rough on the skin. Kate turned on lights as she walked and they went from a short hall to a large open room which looked like a boys dorm. Shoes, clothes, dishes and trash all over the place.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know it was such a mess down here. Heads will roll. Damn." Kate spoke as she did her best to clear a path to the bed in the far corner.

"Don't worry. I was a boy too you know."

"No! Really? I'd never have guessed. You're so polite and have manners and everything!" Kate was sweetly sarcastically.

Eric smiled and just nodded. Peaches was still sound asleep when he laid her on the bed. He hoped that she didn't need a diaper.

"Don't worry, Pat can just change the sheets in the morning."

"Umm... I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did. You said you hoped she didn't need a diaper."

"No, I thought that. I didn't say it."

"Oh..." Kate looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I usually have better control."

"Don't worry. We all do it, even those who aren't magical." Eric tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, but I pride myself on having that edge of control. It doesn't do any good to be screaming mentally when you are trying not to bother the clients."

"I can understand that. However, if we share a random thought, I don't think that the world will end."

Kate looked at him and smiled. "Yep, I think you're right." She reached down and pulled the covers up over Peaches. Angel was already asleep in the bed, just the top of her head peeped out over the bedding. Pat would just have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.

*

Upstairs, the party had quieted down. Andy and the three kids were in one corner talking quietly. Jon and his buddies were still outside playing with the grill. Pat and Suzie were nowhere to be seen, and Zach was talking quietly with Anne in the kitchen eating the last of the cake.

"Well, glad to see that things have settled down. Where's Pat?" Kate ran her finger around the edge of the cake pan to get the last of the frosting.

"They went to get some soda at the Corner Store," Anne said.

Kate nodded. Probably a good idea to escape for ten minutes while they could. Peaches and Angel could be rather exhausting to deal with as Kate knew all too well.

"Okay. I guess everyone got enough to eat?"

"Yeah, and your cake was a hit as usual," Zach said.

"That was a good cake. Devil's food?" Eric asked.

"No, mayonnaise." Kate smiled.

"Mayonnaise? But, it was chocolate." Eric was perplexed.

Kate smiled, because it always confused people the first time they had her cake. "It's made with mayonnaise instead of eggs and oil. It's also called Depression Cake. During the Depression when you couldn't get eggs, you could buy mayo. So, some smart woman figured out the cake recipe. You get a really rich chocolate cake in the end. My mom gave me the recipe and it's the only cake I make."

"It is very good. Did you make the frosting too?"

"Yes."

Eric looked to Zach. "Does your mom know how rare she is?"

"Don't inflate her ego too much. She's already trying to save the world and humanity. Don't tell her she really can cook," Zach said with a smile.

Kate took a towel off the stove and snapped it at Zach. He caught the end and pulled it from her hands.

"You're slow tonight Mom."

"Oh poo!" Kate looked around for another weapon. She caught sight of the Monster Spray bottle and grabbed it. She took aim at him and nailed him good before he could move. The scent of lavender filled the room.

"Mom!"

"Yes dear?"

"You know I hate that stuff!"

"It could have been salt water."

"Uggh!" Zach dried himself off with the towel. "Next thing I know it'll be bells and incense. Arrghh!"

Kate just laughed. Anne joined in and Eric just stood there perplexed and amazed, trying to follow the interplay between Kate and Zach. Pat walked in behind Kate and picked her up before she could douse Zach with anymore Monster Spray.

"Put me down Pat! Now!" Kate said loudly.

"Aww Mom. You never let me have any fun. Besides, what did he do to deserve being doused with Monster Spray."

"None of your business."

"Oh Gawds Zach. Did you make short jokes again?"

"No, but I was about to call her a tree hugging dirt worshiper." Zach smiled. Kate was still trying to get Pat to put her down, and her feet were a good eighteen inches off the floor.

Kate finally wiggled enough of her arm free to aim at Zach again. She missed, and caught Eric in the ear.

"Oh! Eric! I'm sorry". She blushed with embarrassment.

"Not a problem," Eric said taking the towel from Zach and trying to dry out his ear.

Zach was laughing so hard that he had to sit down. This started Pat laughing too, and he dropped Kate rather abruptly. Kate turned and in rapid order hit Pat and Zach again with the Monster Spray. The boys retreated, laughing and smelling of lavender.

"Well, someday I'll get some respect." Kate sat down on a stool, bottle still in hand.

"What is in that bottle?" Eric asked.

"Water and lavender."

"So, why is it called Monster Spray?"

Kate smiled again. "When Zach was little, he was afraid of monsters under his bed. So, we made Monster Spray. Lavender for calm and water. Mix it up and you have Monster Spray. It works great. I squirted them, and they left."

From the living room, Zach hollered something unintelligible. Kate laughed. "See, it worked... can't understand them either." This made both Eric and Kate break into giggles. They were still laughing when Andy came into the room.

"Mom, the kids are drooping. Shall I put them in on the guest bed?"

"Yes, but where will you sleep?"

"I can kick it on the couch. Bess' mom called and she had already asked if we could keep her for the night. I said yes."

"Ok. As long as you are alright with that. Make them go to the bathroom and stick them in bed." Kate realized that she should have asked Eric what he wanted to do.

"Umm... I'm sorry,.... should have asked if it was alright if the kids spent the night."

Eric had only been partially following the conversation. "I, um.. Ok. I guess it's okay with me. Will they mind us not being at the shelter for a night?"

"No, Especially as it's my house you're at. Suzanne says I should just rename the house because I end up with as many strays here as at the shelter."

"Oh. Ok. Yes, sure. Let me go talk to them and let them know it's okay," He started following Andy out of the room.

He found his children sitting in a corner with a husky puppy and a tabby cat snuggled in with them.

"Jamie and Mark, Kate says you can spend the night here if you'd like. Bess is staying and you can all snuggle into Andy's bed. Sound okay to you?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. Can I have a pillow?" Mark asked.

"Yes. Of course," Eric said, not understanding where Mark was coming from with that question.

Jamie and Bess were jumping up and down with glee singing. "We get to sleep at Kate's! We get to sleep at Kate's! We get to sleep at Kate's!"

"Enough you two!" Andy said coming up to the girls. "Get ready for bed. Bathroom is down the hall and we'll get you tucked up fast. Kate says you can take Gretchen and Tabitha to bed with you."