Winter's Child

Chapter 5 Neighbors Meet

Author's Note: I have no idea how old Hope was when she went into hiding with Rebekah. So, I'm going to make her a year in this story. If I have it wrong, I apologize in advance.

Elijah walked into the house with a slightly dazed look on his face. He walked toward the kitchen, where he heard Rebekah with Hope. Elijah walked in and smiled when he saw Rebekah feeding Hope. The baby squealed when she saw Elijah. Rebekah smiled at her brother and passed Hope to him. Elijah kissed Hope's cheek and then kissed Rebekah's cheek.

Elijah returned the baby to Rebekah while he started dinner, “Where is our brother and Hayley?” Elijah asked his sister.

“Nik went to talk to Cami, and I don't know where Hayley is. She asked me to watch Hope and said she'd return later,” Rebekah responded.

Elijah nodded and continued to work on dinner. As Elijah cooked, his mind wandered to the brunette. He wished he had seen her face, but Elijah knew he'd see her soon. Elijah was so lost in thought that he didn't hear his sister calling him, “Elijah, did you hear me?” Rebekah asked.

He shook his head to dispel his thoughts, “I am sorry, Rebekah. What were you saying?”

“I said, did you notice that we have new neighbors?” Rebekah asked.

Elijah cleared his throat, “Yes, I thought that perhaps you and I could call on our neighbors and welcome them to the neighborhood.”

Rebekah raised her eyebrow, “Really?”

“Yes, I don't see why not,” Elijah said, then returned to his cooking.

Rebekah stared at her brother, then shrugged. If Elijah wanted to meet the new neighbors, she wouldn't argue, “Alright, shall we go tomorrow?”

“That's fine, Sister. We shall go in the morning and take them some Beignets.”

Rebekah thought it was odd for Elijah to show interest in humans, but she wasn't going to argue with him, “Alright, we'll go to the bakery early and get some fresh Beignets,” Rebekah told her brother. Elijah only nodded.

Meanwhile, Kagome made dinner for her and her father. She decided to make some Japanese dishes that her mother was known for. Kagome thought that her father would like to have something familiar and comforting. While Kagome cooked, Bucky took a quick shower. He got dressed and then headed downstairs. Bucky suddenly stopped as the aroma from the kitchen hit him. He inhaled, then sighed; Kagome's food reminded him of his wife. Bucky felt a pang in his heart thinking of Emi. He resolved that once it was safe, Bucky would bring his wife and her son to New Orleans. He only hoped that Emi would agree.

Bucky entered the kitchen and smiled when he saw his daughter cooking dinner, “Hello, Kagome, dinner smells good.”

Kagome turned around and smiled at her father, “Thank you, Dad, I made this especially for you,” Kagome informed her dad.

Bucky kissed Kagome's head, “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You're welcome, Dad. Could you set the table, please?”

Bucky nodded, “Sure, Kagome.”

Bucky went to the cabinet and took out two plates and two bowls. From what he smelled, Bucky knew his daughter also made Oden; that was his favorite dish. After Bucky set the table, he went back into the kitchen and boiled water to make tea. Once everything was ready, Kagome plated everything on a serving dish and poured the Oden into a serving bowl. Bucky helped Kagome take everything to the dining room, and they sat down to eat.

Kagome served her father and then herself. She sat down across from Bucky, and they began eating. Bucky smiled at his daughter after tasting the Oden, “This is delicious, Kagome; it tastes exactly how your mother used to make for me. Oden is one of my favorite dishes your mom makes.”