Merida knocked on the door and opened it. Higgs turned around and Merida held up a matchbook and Higgs turned back.

"Have you come to boil me?" he asked.

"Aye. A bit of fox stew to heal the soul."

Higgs chuckled. "I'm sure I taste horrible."

"I've tasted ye afore and ye taste pretty good."

Higgs turned around in the tub in a panic. "When?!"

"A long while ago. It wasnae a real kiss, I assume. Something to do with the transformation ye were in."

"Oh! Yes, I remember that. You liked it?" he said with a bright smile.

"Ye have Ms. Hinkley to like it now. Let me heat ye up a bit and get ye some soaps and oils."

"Merida?"

"What?"

"You don't like Elizabeth, do you?"

"Tis not my place."

"Of course it is. You're my most trusted friend. Your opinion matters more than my own parents."

"I dinnae ye ken to like what I have to say. I've been trying to dismiss it but..."

"What is it?"

"I just cannae pinpoint it but I've got an odd feeling in my bones, seeing her mansion and the way she was when I spoke with her about her interesting room, it hit a sour note with me. Something's just not right and it irks me that I cannae put my finger on it."

"I'll try to keep that in mind. Your assumptions are pretty spot on."

"I'll keep to looking for conformation but... I'm not tryna sabotage ye, an ye think I am."

"You're not the sabotaging type, Merida."

"Oh ye havenae kenned me long enough to see an I can or cannae." She said, bending down to light a match to warm heating mechanism.

"Seems like a low stoop for you as well as taking way too long to see the results."

"Although I do prefer a more blunt approach, depending on the situation, I am quite capable of other things. Just know that an that woman hurts ye, ye'll find I can become a very different type of person." She said as she sat back up and gave a twee smile.

"Merida-"

Merida put her fingers on his lips. "How many times do I have to tell ye what I will do for ye to ken how much danger that woman is in?"

"Remind me once more?" he said, putting his arms on the edge of the tub. "I need you to color me good."

Merida lifted an eyebrow. "Color ye good, eh?"

"Aye. I seem to have forgotten what you've told me before. My memory is a little bad."

Merida stood up as Higgs leaned back into the tub as Merida leaned over the other side of the tub, pinning her employer to the back of it.

"How colorful do ye want?"

"I want every color known so I can paint the perfect picture in my mind. I need to understand with the minutest of details. Color. Me. Good." he said, getting closer with every word and practically touching his lips to hers.

Merida pulled back a little as she climbed into the tub so that she could look him straight in the eyes. Higgs' eyes were going wild, turning gold with slitted pupils as the kitsune and back to his normal gray in anticipation and agitation. He was trying to be decent but it was hard to do when she was balancing herself with her arms on the sides of the tub.

"An that woman does anything to ye, I'll kill her. An ye scream in pain and heartache, I'll rip out her heart. An she make ye want to die, I willnae hesitate to torture her in kind so she feels the same pain. An she fucks with curse and fucks up yer life: <i>fuck mi suas i</i>."

Higgs lifted an eyebrow. "Is that all?"

"Details depend on what she may do to ye. I respond in kind, Laird Northumberly. The worse she is, the worse I will be by far; she breaks ye, I break her. Rest assured: she willnae ever come across another bitch like me."

"Hmm... Then should I even take the chance? I mean, if you get arrested-"

"Scotland isnae that far away an ye run fast enough."

Higgs chuckled. "I see how it is; leave me hanging while you go on the lam."

"What do ye take me for? Ye'd be with me. I would never leave ye behind, especially if it was after what may or may not be done. I'd make sure to take ye with me to heal and get away from this place. Ye need a little wild countryside in ye. Good for recuperation."

"That so?"

"Aye. Highly recommended."

"But that's only if she fucks up."

"Aye... if she does." Merida stood up, soaking wet, and stepped out of the tub. "I'll let ye soak yer bones on yer own. Seems ye're getting excited about the wrong lass. My apologies."

Higgs' face turned a shade of red Merida didn't know existed as he splashed his hands in the water to cover himself.

"MERIDA!" he screamed, embarrassed beyond comprehension.

Merida took her leave, laughing to herself on the way out. He was so easy to tease... and she was so vulnerable to doing it. She knew it was wrong but... it felt so right.

**********************

A couple of hours later, Catherine and Merida met each other back in the living room and slouched down on the couch.

"I'm so tired." Catherine said.

"Aye."

"Why are ya all wet? Did ya slip in or somethin'?"

"Or something."

Catherine made a face and looked at her friend. "Oy, what did ya do?"

"Nothing that bad, honest."

"Ya don't get wet like that for nothin'."

"I may have slightly gotten in the tub with Mr. Higgs when things got a little... interesting."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Lard's beard, you two are about as confusin' as a pair of matin' squirrels, ya hear? Is he be wantin' you or her? He better make up his mind."

"Although it wasnae trouble, I admit that I instigated it a wee bit. No harm no foul..."

"That is an understatement and ya know it. Ya need to stop it. You two are too old for this goin' around. Either he likes ya or he doesn't and either you'll let him be or bring him closer. Ya can't have it both ways, the lot of ya. It's just goin' to make things so much harder down the line."

"I know..."

"Ya obviously don't if yar still playin' these foolish games."

"Sometimes it's hard..."

"That may be true, but ya both decided yar fates and what you've decided ya need to stick to. Ya can't go around getting' angry at Edgar when you are doin' ten times worse with yar games. It's not fair to anyone if ya keep this up."

"Aye, I ken ye. It's just muckle hard when he's so close..."

"You are his maid and until he makes it any different, that is what you will be. He's moving on and ya need to realize that as well. As a maid, you will be up close to him. Can ya keep yar feelin's at bay to do yar job? If ya can't then ya had best refigure yar priorities." Merida nodded and Catherine sighed. "I hate to lecture ya and then ask a favor, but would ya mind if we slept here tonight? Well... at least me?"

"Ye are always welcome to stay and ye are always welcome to give me advice. Sometimes I dinnae realize what I'm doing until ye say something about it. That being said, I think I'm going to wash up myself and go to bed. Do ye want to borrow one of my night chemises?"

"If ya have one to spare."

They both got up and dragged themselves up the stairs to get ready for bed.

True to her promise, Elizabeth came over every day to help nurse Higgs back to health as well as talk with him. She would stay all day and Merida ended up serving three full meals a day since she would come in the early morning and leave just before sunset. Merida actually felt like a real maid for once, hardly getting a word to speak to Higgs edgewise as she brough meals and tea to her employer. There wasn't that much time in the month, though, and so the closing of May ended with one question on everyone's minds: what's next?

++++++++++++++++

aye, what's next is a good question regarding so many things! and sorry for the short chapter but eh, there are those.

that was me attempting to make a sensual scene. it kind of felt like i was playing house with a mr. and mrs. potato head so... yeah...