THE IMMORTAL AND THE BAKER14

Back in New Orleans

Timothy McGee's apartment

"Have you ever thought about getting a pet?" Zelda inquired once the two had gotten back from dinner.

It was about a week after she had visited her parents in San Francisco and she'd been putting off this conversation, but knew she had to bring it up at some point and now was as good a time as any.

"No, that never even occurred to me," Tim admitted, as he sat in his favorite recliner with his feet up with a computer on his lap. He was rarely without his laptop or at least a link. "I've never had a pet before not even as a child, as that was something my father forbid."

"I had already figured as much," Zelda said. "For your father to forbid you and your sister from having a pet, a cat or a dog or even a goldfish just shows me that he didn't really care about your happiness. Also, having a pet teaches responsibility. It means taking them on walks and making sure you fill their food and water bowls, and also play with them. It's a normal part of growing up."

"Not every child has a pet growing up though," Tim said, "even if a lot do."

"True, but I still think you're father was a bastard for not allowing you to have a pet if you really wanted one," Zelda said.

"While I wouldn't have minded having a dog it was my sister that really wanted one," Tim remembered. "I was never one that enjoyed the great outdoors like so many children and was always playing some kind of game on my computer or on the gaming system we had."

"I'm glad you like animals," Zelda told him warmly smiling, which was tinged with relief. "I'm glad you're not allergic."

"Oh? Why?" Tim asked curiously, then answered his own question. "You have a dog and you thought I might be allergic."

"I have two dogs and yes, I thought you might be allergic, since a lot of people are to animal dander. Since you've never had a dog or a cat, I didn't know whether you were or not. I got them from an animal rescue about eight months ago and they were just puppies at the time, a brother and sister."

Zelda didn't bother to mention her talent to talk to any animals she cared to, as now wasn't the time to reveal her magic.

"I also own and operate a no kill animal shelter as you know and it would've been a shame if you were allergic," Zelda said.

"I'm surprised you didn't get your puppies from there instead of from a pet rescue," Tim said.

"I saw these two on the rescue's website and I couldn't resist. They were just so cute and adorable," Zelda admitted. "I've had foster dogs in the past from the shelter and I might take another dog in if I find one that calls to me in particular. Besides, we get mostly full grown dogs, not puppies, though we do have puppies occasionally if one of the females we take in is pregnant. You're welcome to come and meet them and I can introduce you to Lily and Remington. You've never seen my house, even though you've had multiple invitations," Zelda said.

"It didn't feel right for me to invade your home," Tim said.

"You're not an invader or an intruder," Zelda told him firmly. "I know you're nervous about seeing my house. I know you probably think it'll give me naughty ideas, but I'd love to show you my home. I won't force you to have a physical relationship with me until you're ready. I know you're nervous about where our relationship is going and I can tell very easily that you're nervous around women unless they are your sister or someone older, like your mother, but I promise not to pounce on you unless that's what you want."

Tim flushed as Zelda spoke from embarrassment. Zelda figured that was from having her figure out why he had refused to visit her at her home.

"You're not the only one that that is shy about relationships," Zelda told him in a soothing tone. "There are several people in my family that were really shy about relationships, but either my siblings or my cousins won them over in the end, even if it took awhile. I'm sure you'll meet them eventually."

"You haven't said much about your family other than your brother Neville, which is more of a name used in England then here in the states by the way, who owns and operates a bakery. Well, not unless the family is originally from that country," Tim said, seeming to have gotten over his embarrassment.

"What can I say, except that my parents like unusual names," Zelda shrugged unconcerned. "They visited England around the time Nev was born, which is probably why they thought it was a good name for my brother."

Zelda, didn't bother to tell Tim that her parents had simply had so many children that unusual names were ordinary to them, because they used all the more normal ones a long time ago. If you combine the Rossi kids with the Hotchners, it was no wonder that some of their children had very unusual and uncommon names, because the two families tried not to use the same names unless it was as a middle name since they were so close and saw each other all the time.

Zelda for instance hadn't been all that common when she had been born, but was somewhat more common now in this century.

Timothy though, much like Dave and Aaron always had been very common throughout history.

There were a lot of very uncommon names in her family, and that was just fine no matter what most people thought. It wasn't like her mother or aunt didn't have uncommon names. She'd never heard another person called Jazzlyn or Shonda for that matter.

"It's not that we don't have a lot of ordinary names in my family. We have several Elizabeths for instance, a few Kelseys, a couple of Quinns, both female and male well you get the point. We even have a Timothy, a few Abigails, various versions of Jason and a few Alexs, again both female and male."

"Your family must be really large," Tim said, looking startled at what Zelda was telling him.

"Between the Rossis and the Hotchners, yes, my family is large," Zelda agreed cheerfully with a laugh. "The Hotchnhers might not technically be related, just so you know, but my mother and their mother are so close that they're just considered family.

"So do they live here in New Orleans?" Tim asked, and Zelda shook her head negatively.

"I'm afraid not. They live in San Francisco Well, at least my parents and godparents do, but as for my siblings, they live all over the world," Zelda said not adding for this generation, though she had to stop herself from adding that last bit, but Tim wasn't in on the secret yet. "We'll have to go up and visit them at some point. I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do."

Zelda saw Tim visibly gulp and immediately knew that he was nervous about meeting her family. Tim would soon learn that they were very warm and welcoming people so long as you meant them and their family no harm, but then, Tim had never met them, so she could understand his nervousness. He probably assumed like so many parents that they wouldn't like him, just because he was dating their daughter and not because he didn't have a good job and a nice personality. Many parents wanted their kids to marry someone wealthy or least someone that had a job that paid well.

Zelda knew that Tim had probably never met any of his girlfriends parents before and yes, Tim had dated some, so wasn't a complete innocent, just not a lot. Much like Spencer so long ago Tim had dated very little.

Some people just were not very prolific when it came to dating unlike some of her siblings who were very prolific in the dating arena. It was true that no immortal settled down until they had met their mate, but that didn't mean that they didn't date frequently until that happened. Sex made life much more enjoyable, and no immortal could get any diseases. The females also couldn't turn their male partners into what they were while her brothers had to be more careful not to turn any female they had sex with even partway immortal, which meant it had to be either a one night stand or they had to use a condom every time. Also, if a male immortals only had sex with the same mortal female once a week instead of frequently, then that would work too.

"There's no need to be so nervous Tim. They'll love you simply, because I do," Zelda told him, even as she rose to go stand beside the chair, he was sitting in and kissed his cheek and Tim rubbed his cheek afterwards, smiling at the affection that Zelda had shown him.

"How can you be so sure?" Tim asked looking, as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

"Because they would never reject someone that one of my siblings or cousins loved just so long as they were sure that they weren't being taken advantage of by a grifter or some other kind of criminal," Zelda explained shaking her head smiling. "A lot of my cousins have settled down years ago now and they are very happy. All my parents and godparents want is for their children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren to be happy, which means finding someone to settle down with and having a family."

"So what are your parents and godparents names?" Tim asked. "You never have said."

"You haven't asked either," Zelda pointed out, "and I guess I haven't brought them up in conversation either. In any case, my parents are David and Jazzlyn Rossi and my godparents are the same family I mentioned earlier tonight Aaron and Shonda Hotchner. You'll meet both sets of them when we go up to visit and I'm sure you'll like all of them. I have no doubt about that at all. Before you ask, my mother owns a bakery like my brother, as Neville got his baking talent from my mother's side of the family. Unfortunately, it's not a talent I inherited."

"You've told me you can cook, though," Tim said puzzled at that last statement.

"I can cook, but cooking and baking are not the same thing at all," Zelda said calmly. "I've known people who can bake quite well without using mixes or preprepared products, like my mother and a lot of my family, but they can't cook at all without burning the food. Of course, I've also known people where the opposite is true and they can cook without using any prepackaged stuff, but can't bake without using mixes or other preprepared products. I can bake and everything, but it never turns out as good as my mother's."

Zelda didn't bother to tell him why that was, as he didn't yet know the family secret, though that day was getting closer to where he was told. Hopefully, he would react well, when he learned her family's secret.

"I guess I never thought about it that way, that there was any difference between baking and cooking," Tim said thoughtfully.

"It's just not a subject most people think about unless they're really into cooking and baking like if they're professionals in some sort of food preparation profession. My family on the other hand, have a lot of really terrific cooks and bakers, and usually they can do both, though there are some that can do one or the other, but not both. I can cook quite well, but as for baking... well, that's kind of different," Zelda shrugged. "I know my family is different in that way, unlike most of the rest of the world. I would be happy to cook for you sometime, but you'd have to come to my place in order for me to do that and so far you seem rather we reluctant on that front."

"You could always cook here," Tim suggested.

"You apparently don't know anything about preparing food," Zelda snorted out a laugh. "I would have to bring everything I need over here. I have all the equipment at my place and since I just went shopping all the ingredients to make about anything, but I don't see the point of going to the trouble of transporting all that here when you're welcome at my house where you can meet Lily and Remington. I don't know what's preventing you from accepting my invitation, but I don't see the point of bothering to cook here when all I need is over at my place. You have only the most basic cooking tools and it's clear that you don't do a lot of your own food preparations. You probably eat out for practically every meal of the day unless it can be heated up in the microwave."

"You're not wrong," Tim blushed, as Zelda was absolutely correct in all she had said. "I do usually eat out for every meal."

"Which isn't very healthy," Zelda told him in a scolding tone. "I know a lot of people can't cook and not just men, but you could at least try to learn to make some basic meals."

"I can't cook to save my life and have been known to burn water," Tim shrugged.

"That's probably because you get busy thinking or doing something else and don't pay attention," Zelda said and Tim blushed at how accurate she was. Zelda apparently knew him better than he had thought if she could so easily guess why he was such a lousy cook. "I suspect you have at least a dozen things running through your head at once, so you don't give the attention to preparing a proper meal like you should. There are some easy meals I can teach you to fix that will be nearly impossible for you to ruin no matter how distracted you get. They're meant for a ten-year-old who is just learning how to cook."

"And what happens if I turn out to have absolutely no talent no matter how much attention I pay to the instructions," Tim asked.

"Nothing," Zelda shrugged. "Some people just don't have the talent to really learn how to cook and can burn water. They don't have to be like you and not be paying attention. Still, if you want to at least try to learn then I'll see if I can teach you and if you don't have a talent for it then I'll simply have to cook for you as much as possible. I can make stuff to store in your freezer and you can just dethaw it when you're ready to eat it. I'll simply put the food in a container that will contain one meal. However, you have to give cooking an honest try, and not be distracted by thinking a dozen or more different things at the same time."

"That's fair, I guess I'm willing to try," Tim said. "If it doesn't work out, then I guess you can do what you just suggested and prepare meals to freeze, but only if it's not too much trouble for you. I don't want you to do it just for me, because you feel sorry for me."

"I could never feel sorry for you Tim," Zelda told him firmly moving behind his recliner and putting her hands on his shoulder gently. "You're a brilliant, compassionate man and a lot of people can't cook, but that's okay, because they have other skills."

Tim blushed at the admiration in Zelda tone, as he wasn't used to being admired by a woman, one that he cared for very much.

"I admire your brilliant mind and I've known a few people like you in my life, but most of them are so arrogant, I don't want anything to do with them."

"You sound as if you're at least 100 years old," Tim said looking at Zelda speculatively.

"It's a matter of experience," Zelda said, even though in her mind, she realized that she had revealed too much but knew so long as she remained calm and didn't panic that Tim wouldn't ask her any further questions. "I've traveled all over the world with and without my family," Zelda said. "I've had experiences that most people never get. They either don't like to travel or they can't afford to. That's not true for me and my family though. My father is very wealthy, as his family made their fortune centuries ago. My family has manged to not lose their money in bad economical times and my mother is also very wealthy, because dad has helped her invest and her bakery also brings in some money, though that's not where most of her wealth comes from. When me and my siblings were children, we traveled a lot, particularly in the summer when there was no school. It was our reward for getting good grades and causing no trouble to where we got detention or suspended. Mom took off from the bakery and let the staff she had in place run things for her until we returned."

"That sounds like a good reward," Tim said finally smiling.

"It was, as we would spend the entire summer somewhere and a lot of times that was overseas in someplace like France or Italy or even Germany. While we were on vacation that didn't mean that dad and mom both didn't want us to learn about the history of the country, but they made it fun for us and the more questions we got right the better the reward. I learned more in the actual countries we visited, about their history than I ever did in school."

"There's nothing wrong with learning even on vacation," Tim said. "It sounds like your parents were teaching you things that you would probably never pick up on your own unless you like to study history of foreign countries and not just here in America."

"I won't say I disagree, especially since they made it fun for us and we were always rewarded for getting the answers right, but some of my siblings aren't like me and wanted just to have fun and didn't see the point of continuing to learn while they were on vacation. I think that's one reason my parents put the reward system in place personally, because it encouraged those that were slackers to participate. Those that didn't participate didn't get rewarded so they eventually saw my parents point of view."

"Well, there's almost always at least one slacker in every family, especially if you have more than three children," Tim chuckled. "I know many people only have one or two, but there are some large families out there. I say good for them, so long as the parents can afford to take care of them and they aren't abused or neglected."

"Oh my siblings were intelligent enough. They just didn't want to put in the work, because they were lazy," Zelda said shaking her head half grimacing as she remembered. "I won't say they were slackers, because they did well while they were in school. It was only while on vacation that they wanted to slack off. None of my family is stupid and in fact, a lot of them are very intelligent, more so than is average, but that's only because both my parents themselves are intelligent."

"So I've been meaning to ask why did you decide to open an animal shelter instead of choosing another profession? I mean, you can't make much money off the shelter, so why choose it as a career?" Tim asked curiously.

"Well, for one thing I love animals," Zelda explained. "I prefer things with fur or feathers to things with scales, but still I love all types of animals and I didn't want to become a veterinarian, as there was every chance I'd lose an animal that was in an accident and I don't believe I could take that. For another, remember, I told you, my parents are very well off so me and all my siblings have trust funds and I've invested well to where I'll never go broke. I figured I could give back to the community by starting a no kill shelter for animals. I didn't see any point of going into a profession just for the money I was paid when I would probably have been unhappy in it or at least unsatisfied. Both my parents and godparents donate to the shelter on an annual basis, as do other people who have extra money and also love animals, so I'm not funding it all myself."

"From what I read on the website you set up you do a good job of matching dogs and cats with new owners," Tim said.

"Me and my staff try our best. The shelter has a very complete application and we run a background check on all of them, which includes a home visit to make sure that it suitable for a dog or cat to live."

"I would think that would be necessary," Tim said. "I mean, why would somebody want an animal if they didn't want to take care of them?"

"It's clear to me you know nothing about human nature or at least not enough," Zelda chuckled. "They're all kinds of reasons that people want a dog or cat, including selling them to the people that run an illegal animal fighting ring. Such an operation usually uses big dogs like pitbulls and the dogs can end up gravely injured or even dead. They definitely end up underweight and dehydrated. Some can even turn vicious, even if they weren't before, because of their experiences and then they have to be put down when that happens. Once a dog turns vicious they'll bite anyone, even the hand that tends them. Dogs have been known to be kidnapped out of a persons yard if a close eye isn't kept on them."

"That's awful," Tim said looking mad at what he was learning. "I didn't realize that happened, but then, I've never had an animal, so I've never researched the subject. Now I understand why you run a background check before you allow a dog or cat to be adopted."

"You let me know if you want to adopt a dog and I'll be happy to accommodate you as I know you'll never mistreat a pet," Zelda said.

"I'll think about it," Tim promised.

"If you do, you'll want a small dog, not something as large as a pitbull, because they need plenty of room and your apartment isn't that big despite the fact you have plenty of money because you own a gaming company."

"That's true," Tim agreed looking pensive.

The two continued to talk for sometime before Zelda hit it home to feed her dogs.

~~~Tim and Zelda~~