My One and Only (Bewitched and Bewildered #10)(6)

Everyone turned silent before the sound of groaning metal echoed through the dining room. Sebastian snapped the towel bar off his serving cart. "We do not do that here," Sebastian said softly. He picked up a pair of serving tongs and stacked sandwiches on Pip's plate. "Let me know which ones you like best."

Pip turned to Meryn. "I cannot eat all of this," he confessed.

Meryn smiled. "I think that sometimes too, but then poof, it's so good I eat it all."

Pip picked up a sandwich with a trembling hand and bit into it. "So this is what fresh bread tastes like!" he exclaimed with child-like glee. Meryn handed him a soft roll and Pip hummed with satisfaction.

Another snapping sound came from Sebastian at his cart. This time, the serving tongs, bent in half, were the object of his frustration. Micah turned his head to hide his smile. He had a feeling Sebastian would be having a few choice words with the DeLaFontaine squire.

Bethy spun in her chair to face Gavriel. "You..."

He raised her hand and kissed it gently. "Consider this situation taken care of. Warrick requested a meeting after lunch and I have a feeling I know what it may be about." He inclined his head toward Pip.

Warrick grunted and nodded. Avery rubbed his mate's back soothingly.

"I've never in my life been more ashamed to call Noctem Falls my home," Bethy whispered.

Adriel covered her other hand with his. "We must trust in Fate. A lot of wonderful things have come about in our darkest hours of late."

"He is right," Pip agreed. "I did not know what would happen when father went to the detention cells. But now we have Warrick to help us on Level Five and he looks huge like he can protect us. And I got to meet Meryn who introduced me to soft bread!" Pip bounced excitedly.

Warrick smiled at the way Pip described him. "I will do my best."

Aiden pushed over his bowl of soup. "Try dipping it in the chicken noodle soup, then eating it."

Pip tentatively reached out his precious soft roll and dipped it into the soup. When he took a bite his eyes rolled back in his head. "It is like magic!" he whispered in a reverent tone.

Aiden scooted the bowl so that it was squarely in front of Pip. "You work on that one."

"You're a good man Aiden McKenzie," Rheia said smiling.

Aiden blushed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's just soup."

"Wait until you try Magic Pudding, then dinner, then coffee, then breakfast, then tomorrow's lunch, plus snacks!" Meryn exclaimed.

Pip turned to her. "There's more?"

She grinned. "You have no idea."

"Let's take it one meal at a time denka. That way he can be surprised and enjoy each new discovery," Ryuu suggested.

"Good point," she agreed.

"Maybe we should introduce everyone," Micah suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea," Ellie agreed. She held up Benji. "Hello Pip, my name is Benji, pleased to meet you," she said in a squeaky voice.

Pip giggled. "Hello Benji," he said waving. Ellie went up and down the table introducing everyone and explaining who they were and what they did.

As soon as she finished Pip stood and pointed to each person repeating each name and whatever information Ellie shared. When he was done he looked down to Meryn expectantly.

She beamed up at him. "You're not slow, you're a freaking genius. How'd you do that?"

Pip sat back down. "It is easy if I put the information away correctly." He frowned. "But sometimes I do not understand what people tell me, not like everyone else."

Avery gasped. "You're like me! It's called having a photographic memory. But I have a hard time understanding some social cues if they aren't explained to me."

Meryn nodded. "Yeah, they fuck me up too."

Pip looked down the table at Avery. "I am not broken?"

Avery shook his head emphatically. "No! In fact you're special." He turned to his sister. "I've learned that being different isn't such a bad thing after all."

Kari leaned over and kissed him on the top of his head. Meryn watched carefully then leaned over and kissed the top of Pip's head. Pip touched his hair a look of wonder on his face. "My first kiss."

Meryn smiled. "I thought it only counted if you got kissed on the lips."

Pip kept his hand on his head. "No. That is the first time anyone has ever kissed me."

"I am so going to fuck that douchebag up," Meryn whispered under her breath.

Rex cleared his throat. "I didn't hear anything."

Gavriel shrugged. "I have no idea what you are referring to."

Pip frowned and pointed to Meryn. "She said that..."

Aiden wrapped an arm around Pip and covered his mouth. He leaned in and in a clearly conspiratorial whisper said. "They know."

Pip blinked and Aiden removed his hand. "Oh!" he then shared an evil grin with Meryn. "I get it."

Meryn smiled back at Pip before she began to frown. She stood, then walked to stand between the twins' chairs. She kissed both of them on the head then returned to her seat. They exchanged the same poleaxed expression.

"Just in case," Meryn said reaching for a sandwich.

"Look at you! Amelia would be so proud," Rheia teased.