Peter, Assumpta and Maggie all nap longer than they had planned, and afternoon has turned to night. Maggie awakens first, and tiptoes downstairs, turning on the oven and putting the now-thawed chicken in to bake, along with some potatoes, onions and carrots in a roasting bag, with water and the giblets, to make stock for gravy. Nearly an hour later, Peter and Assumpta trail downstairs, lured by the beginning of delicious scents wafting upwards. Maggie has by now prepared stuffing and put it in to bake as well, and has thawed some frozen sweet rolls to provide a snack until the mid-night dinner is done. The three friends sit around the kitchen table, chatting.

"So, Peter, are you helping out at the wine bar, or looking for another job?" Maggie asks.

"Actually, I've applied to teach science next year in the Dublin schools, if they'll have me. I got a degree in astronomy at University. But until the school gets back to me, yeah, I'm working with Assumpta." Peter sips hot tea, and takes another bite of cinnamon roll.

"He's a natural listener, and that's always good in a barman or a priest, I reckon!" Assumpta smiles at her fiancee, then turns to Maggie.

"Maggie, now that Peter and I've decided to marry sooner, rather than later, can you do the ceremony this winter? I know we can get a civil license fairly quickly, but I'd really like a ceremony, even if it's not in the church here in Ballykissangel."

"I can, Assumpta, we can hold the ceremony on Mid-Winter Day, it's a very good day, at the turning of the seasons. But speaking of churches, Peter, I know you want a Roman Catholic wedding as well, but there's one big problem, I'm afraid. Have you and Assumpta discussed whether your children will be baptized and raised as Catholics? Assumpta, have you thought about this?" Maggie has concern clear in her voice and on her face.

"Well, Peter just found out about the baby this morning, but I've known for three weeks now, and, well, Peter, I'm sorry, I can't let my baby be baptized before it's old enough to chose for itself to be a Christian. Lots of Protestant religions perform adult baptism, they don't let parents baptize their children as babies. I know the Catholic Church baptizes babies, then lets them nominally choose again at Confirmation, but I don't want to make a decision for my child that may later be against it's will. Can you live with that, Peter?" Assumpta reaches across the table and lays a hand on Peter's.

"Assumpta, I knew, when I asked you to marry me the first time, that you weren't a practicing Catholic, but I figured, well, that if we had kids that you'd let them be baptized and come to church with me. In these last few weeks, being with you again, after believing I'd lost you forever, I've felt like the luckiest and happiest man on earth. An' I've seen you happier than I ever knew you before, you're more at peace, some pain you've carried with you is gone. I don't know if it's because we're together, though that would be very flattering, but I think it's something that's happened before me. I've seen you pray, Assumpta, something I never, ever saw in your life before. You seemed like a wild thing sometimes, tangled in a net of pain that you fought and struggled with as if it burned you. That net's gone now, you aren't fighting that outside force. I can see you have a faith in a greater power, and that following that faith leads you to behave in an honourable, kind and ethical manner. I've talked with Maggie, read alot of comparative religious stuff, even talked with a few other priests, all before I knew you were alive. Since then, mostly, I've just been doin' alot of thinkin'. I'm a Catholic, but there's lots of other Christian faiths, an' we all accept Jesus as the Messiah. Jews are still waiting for the one they will accept as the Messiah. Muslims call Jesus a prophet, and feel their prophet, Mohammed, has given them the perfect guide for how to live in a way to please God. Besides the people of the Book, there's religions that worship lots of gods, like in India, there's philosophies that have no gods but help people find a way to live good lives. You an' Maggie an' Orla try hard to do no harm, and worship a Goddess. I've met alot of people who claim to be good Catholics that, if I was bein' strict, ought to be struck dead by God's own hand! Who am I to judge, though, the Church teaches me not to judge, but let the sinner beg forgiveness of God. If I'm not to judge them, I won't judge you, either, Assumpta, or you, Maggie. I've seen you both act honourably and kindly, with love towards even people who have treated you unkindly. I've seen the results of that, Maggie, I've seen Kathleen Hendley smiling and happy, and she used to be such an angry woman..."

"Well, Peter, that probably has more to do with Dermot Malone than me!" Maggie interrupts, then stands to check the chicken in the oven. Peter continues.

"Whatever the reason, Maggie, she's a changed woman, for the better. I don't claim to understand everything you believe, an' I SURE don't understand what you're doing when you do 'magic', but you're not evil, an' neither is Assumpta. I can live with our very different faiths, Assumpta, an' I can live with our child growing up and learning about both of them. After all, as a priest, I've always known I was never gonna get married in the Church, anyway, right, so why should that change?" Peter's laugh is real, but also rueful.

"Oh, Peter! I'm sorry! I never meant this to hurt you!" Assumpta has risen, and thrown her arms around Peter from behind, resting her cheek on his head. He reaches up and lays his hands on her forearms.

"No, 'Sumpta, it's not a hurt, just a recognition that a little dream is not as important to me as the big one, the dream of sharing a lifetime with you." He turns his head, and she leans further forward, and kisses him on the lips.

"Ahem, um, sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but the chicken is done, if you're hungry?" Maggie has lifted the roaster out of the oven, as well as the other dishes.

Assumpta lifts her head, and Peter says, "Great, I'm starved, an' that smells wonderful!"

"Well, it isn't quite a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, the potatoes aren't mashed and the gravy isn't thickened, but we have stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and I'll get some pie out of the 'fridge, here, for dessert." Maggie lifts the chicken out of the roaster on to a platter, and sets it in the middle of the table, then reaches for plates, while Assumpta takes flatware out of a drawer. Peter stands and gets milk and juice out of the refridgerator, and gets glasses for the three of them. Maggie hands him a large carving knife, and he carves the chicken while Maggie puts a bowl of potatoes and carrots on the table, then reaches back and grabs the dish of stuffing. Assumpta has opened the can of cranberry sauce, and has put it in a bowl as well, looking at it with some skepticism as she sits down again. The three pass the dishes, serving themselves in relaxed fashion, until everyone has some of everything, though Maggie has certainly taken more cranberry sauce than either the Englishman or his Irish fiancee.

"Peter, will you say grace?" Maggie asks. Peter looks startled, but bows his head over his folded hands. He thinks for a minute, then says, "For the friendship which has brought us together, for the love which binds us, and for the food we are about to share, may we be truly humble and grateful to the Power which has given us such blessings." Maggie and Assumpta, both smiling, answer him with a soft "amen!", and the three begin their meal. Much later, Maggie leans back, still smiling.

"Peter, are you sure you want to be a teacher? I think the Unitarians would be ecstatic to have you!"

"Ah never thought about that!" Peter has a startled look on his face, then shakes his head with a smile.

"Maybe you should think about that, Peter." Assumpta is actually serious. "You're such a good priest, I know you'd be a good minister, too!"

"But how many jobs are there for Unitarian ministers in Ireland, Assumpta? I don't think I want to move to America, do you?" Peter takes his fiancee's hand. Assumpta laughs out loud.

"Niamh would KILL me if I moved anywhere after she's just come back to Ireland! Besides, I've a good business in Dublin, and Maggie's takin' good care of the family home in my home town. I wish, really I do, that I hadn't dreamt up that silly plot to get out of town, because I get homesick for Ballykissangel, but at least I can sneak back now and again. No, Peter, I don't want to move to America, but don't dismiss the idea, either, Dublin might have room for another Unitarian congregation, you never know!" Assumpta stands, and walks over to the sink to peer out the window.

Moonlight shines down on the snow-blanketed town, and Assumpta leans on her elbows, while a soft sigh escapes her lips. Maggie and Peter join her, one on either side, and Maggie says "It's beautiful.................. Astronomy, huh? So, Starman, what constellations am I looking at?" Maggie leans further towards the window.

"I'd have to go outside to point them all out, Maggie, an' I think it's a little cold to do that. An we need to go to bed, we have to drive back to Dublin tomorrow if this melts off." Peter straightens.

"Before we go to bed, I want to go outside and look up for a minute, Peter, I don't think it's that cold, if we wrap up." Assumpta turns to Peter, and puts a hand on his arm.

"Let's go up to my deck, I can sweep it off and we won't be so cold. But let me get the dishes dealt with, first, okay?" Maggie turns back to the table, and Peter and Assumpta help get the leftovers put away.

"Chicken soup for lunch tomorrow!" Maggie soon says, wiping her hands dry on a towel. She grabs a broom, and the three turn out the lights, and go upstairs. Maggie opens her bedroom door, then pulls a heavy sweater over her clothes, and steps out on her deck, sweeping snow off the edge. Soon the three are standing on the bare deck, looking upwards. Peter begins pointing out stars, planets and constellations, Maggie and Assumpta looking up the length of his arm to see where he is pointing.

"He's a natural-born teacher, too, Assumpta, you're getting a Rennaissance man!" Maggie chuckles softly as the trip steps back inside. Maggie slides the door closed again, and draws heavy drapes.

"Peter, you go ahead to bed, I want to talk to Maggie for a minute or two, okay?" Assumpta folds the afghan she had wrapped around her like a shawl back into a square, laying it on the seat of Maggie's rocker.

"'Bout what?" Peter asks.

"Well, I want to know if our baby is a boy or a girl, and she and I can find that out." Assumpta answers.

"It is late, Assumpta, and we're both tired, maybe we should wait for another time?" Maggie answers. "Are you too tired, Maggie, I'm sorry, was today harder on you than me?" Assumpta is thinking back to Samhain, concerned again.

"No, dear, I'm not wasted, it was easy on me, too, we had some serious Help from above in bringing Brian Sean Dillon into the world! If you really want to know, we can find out. But why should Peter leave, maybe he'd like to be the student now, since he was such a good teacher showing us the stars?"

"Oh, I just thought he'd be uncomfortable, you know, it's woman's magic." Assumpta turns to Peter.

"Assumpta, that's an old designation, there's no 'woman's magic' or 'men's magic', anybody can learn anything they feel drawn to." Maggie also turns to Peter. "Do you want to know if you are having a boy or a girl in eight months or so, Peter?"

"Yeah, I do, Maggie, if I won't be in the way!" Peter has an eager look on his face.

"Not at all, dear, you two sit on the bed a minute while I get us ready, here." Maggie turns to her dresser, opening a drawer and removing a different silver dish, and more incense, and lifting a sparkling object off the dresser top. "Normally I wouldn't do this much preparation, but I want to be sure and do this right and be careful, this is a very special little soul, I think." Maggie lights the herbs, and smoke soon rises. Maggie steps to the windows and doors, drawing a clockwise circle at each of them, then moving to the center of the room, and motioning Peter and Assumpta to stand and hold hands. Maggie draws three large clockwise circles around the couple, while standing inside the area she draws. At the completion of the third circle, Maggie sets the silver dish down on the floor, and takes first Assumpta's then Peter's hand in each of hers, forming a triangle.

"Bright Lady, be our guide as we seek to know the new soul who has joined our midst, that we may welcome them to their new family." Maggie says softly, then lets go of Assumpta and Peter's hands. Assumpta takes a step and turns, drawing Peter's arms around her, and rests his right hand on her abdomen, both of her hands pressing his tight. "Peter," she says.

"Yeah?" he answers.

"Close your eyes, and breathe deeply and evenly, in and out." Peter complies. He is feeling relaxed, and becomes more so as he regulates his breathing. Assumpta pulls one hand away, and clasps one of Maggie's hands in hers, palm to palm, with the silver medallion in between them. Both women then close their eyes, and also breathe deeply and slowly, letting their conciousness join and sink into Assumpta's body, gentle greeting on their minds. Only a few seconds pass, and the womens' eyes open again, smiles on their faces, and their hands come apart, and then Assumpta gently pulls Peter's hand away and turns to face him again. His eyes are still closed, and Maggie bends swiftly, picking up the silver dish and incense, stubbing the burning herbs out.

"Peter?" Assumpta calls his name softly.

"Yeah, what?" he answers, as his eyes slowly open, and he straightens. His eyes meet Assumpta's, and his face breaks into a grin. "We're havin' a little girl, Assumpta, a baby girl!" He reaches forward and nearly lifts Assumpta off her feet. Maggie steps backwards, quietly breaking the circle.

"Yes, we are, Peter, we're having a daughter! I wonder what her name will be?" Assumpta has her arms wrapped around Peter as well, and her grin mirrors his.

"Okay, you two, off to bed now, you've a long drive tomorrow, and it already IS tomorrow!" Maggie pats both of them on the shoulders at the same time, and, as they look at her, makes shooing motions.

"But Maggie, I just realized, we haven't even spoken about what Peter and I came down here to talk about!" Assumpta suddenly, in thinking of leaving, remembers why she came.

"We've said more than enough about that, dear, odds are nothing will come of it, and if it does, then fiddle dee dee, I'll worry about that tomorrow!" Maggie chuckles. "Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof! Now off to bed, the pair of you! We can talk about your wedding once Niamh is back on her feet, maybe we can get Father Vinnie to show us where that Mass Rock is, and he can join us for the handfasting! That'll get up the Bishop's nose for sure, the old fogey!" Maggie is laughing now, and Assumpta and Peter join her as mirth as they go down the hall. Maggie waves goodnight, and everyone closes their doors, crawling under warm blankets after one last look out at the moonlit snowscape of a suddenly very magical Ballykissangel.