The Baker's Assistant (closed)

The snow was falling outside in heavy flakes, already promising the blanket the countryside by morning time. The light was fading, but inside the bakery it was toasty warm and bright thanks to the lanterns that Aleister had installed to work in the early morning hours. Kayla Ghis had fallen into her role as the baker's assistant rather well, taking his recipes and learning from the master while putting her own little twist on things.

She pulled the last honey cake of the evening from the large clay oven and placing it on a cooling rack. With the holidays just a few days away they had been incredibly busy baking for the entire town. Scones, rolls, cookies, cakes, they were all coming out of the bake house at a record pace. Her Uncle Brogan had ordered a large amount of honey cakes for the celebration which would bring all of the Ghis together under one roof for the first time since the summer. Her Aunt Kayla was bringing her newborn daughter and the entire family was bustling about in preparation for Annie's birth sometime in the early new year.

It was a joyous time for the family she thought to herself with a smile as she dusted her floury hands on her apron and walked into the front of the bakery. She laughed when she saw Aleister giving Lucy another scone, the little girl's face already sticky with currant jam.

"When I have to watch her here at the bakery, it doesn't mean that you have to feed her." Kayla said, wiping off her niece's face with her apron as the little girl looked at them both with a charming smile. "Did you give him the coin that your Da gave you this morning?" She asked as the little girl nodded, her thick curls bouncing around her cherub like face.

"Two scones ain' gonna ruin me," Aleister gave Kayla one of his rare, gruff smiles. At Lucy's nod about the coin, Aleister nodded too. "Tha' she did." He drew it from his apron pocket and tucked it into Kayla's own pocket. "Holiday bonus," he grunted as he headed for one of the ovens to check on a new experimental cheese pastry made with nothing but sweet cheese, sugar, and a dough that would bake up very light and airy. He'd apparently gotten the idea from one of his cousin's friends.

Kayla gave him a look as he placed the coin in her own apron pocket, a smile curling her lips as he moved off to check on his newest pastries.

"I finished the last of the honey cakes. The rolls for the Morrison family are cooling on the rack. The cookies for my Da are already packaged and ready to take home and the scones for Chessie are ready to be delivered as well." Kayla said, giving him an update on everything that had been finished.

She untied her apron, hanging it on her hook and exposing her growing belly to everyone's gaze. She was only a few months along, but it wasn't a secret any longer that she was going to have a baby. She had saved enough money working for Aleister that she had built a cozy little cottage just down the block, her brothers over seeing the construction to make sure it was safe for their little sister. She was proud of her little life and proud of her job.

"We're meeting at my parent's home in an hour or so to have some cider and eat. Would you like to come with us? There's always plenty to go around with my brothers." Kayla offered, getting Lucy bundled up to go home.

Aleister paused at her invitation. She knew well from Bell that he was quite a loner and his gruff ways often kept people from trying to get too close with him, so he didn't often get such invitations. "... I'd be glad to," he nodded to her. "Thank ya. I'll be along by then." He then looked to Lucy and smiled ever so slightly. Even if he'd never admit it out loud, Kayla had begun to see that he had a soft spot for children.

Kayla smiled as he accepted her invitation to come for dinner. She glanced down at Lucy as she held her horse under one arm and her scone in the other. It was becoming apparent to her that Aliester had a spot in his heart for the little girl that was so charming.

"Perfect. I'll take Chessie's scones with me and take them to the keep and Lucy can carry the cookies for Grandpa." Kayla said as she went back into the bake house and gathered the packages. "And we will see you for dinner."

Aleister opened up the door for her on her way out and smiled to Lucy as she went. Outside, the crisp cold met them with a light breeze and a clear sky. With the days getting shorter, it was already dusk on their way home and most people were on their way home. About an hour later after she'd joined her family and settled in just before dinner, the family heard a knock on the front door and Eli let Lucy go to get it as they knew who it'd be. Soon, she was returning holding the hand of the large gruff baker, who carried a paper-wrapped bundle in one arm.

Standing before the family, he nodded to Emma first. "Ma'am." He knew that despite Boar's position as leader of their little branch of the family, Emma was the one who really had the final say most of the time, and though Boar could be wrathful, Emma was the one to be feared as she had three huge men at her beckon call among her sons and husband.

Emma grinned at the baker as he entered, being tugged by Lucy as she led the way. The little girl was over the moon to have a guest for dinner and she was practically bouncing around the room until her father gently told her to calm down.

"Aleister. I'm happy you decided to join us for dinner." Emma said, playing the gracious host as Kayla appeared after having freshened up and changed into a wool gown of dark green. "Can I take your package? And would you care for a mug of hot cider?"

Kayla quickly moved to pour a fresh mug, offering it to him as the men of the family continued their conversation. Kayla gave Aleister a smile, showing him to a seat next to her father before she took one next to Leon.

"Thank ya, ma'am. It's just a couple loaves o' bread t'add t'dinner," Aleister let her take the bread and he sat down beside Boar, who gladly shook his hand.

"Welcome, m'friend," Boar clapped him on the shoulder. Aleister gladly listened to the conversation, but he wasn't much of a talker. He smiled to Kayla in thanks for the cider, and the meal began.

The conversation at dinner was light. Hunting was typical for the family to discuss and Kayla noticed the way that Aleister seemed to follow along silently without adding anything to the discussion. He was an intelligent man she had discovered but he very rarely said anything. In fact, she was the one that conducted much of his business now and he stayed in the back baking.

Her mother had out done herself that evening. Roasted duck was plentiful along with hearty potatoes, greens, and the delicious bread that Aleister had brought to compliment the meal. Her father had even brought out the ale in celebration of the holidays. It reminded Kayla so much of when she was a child and they would have close family meals on a regular occasion.

Little Lucy finished her plate first, tugging on her father's arm for seconds. It made Kayla laugh as her big, strapping brother bent to the wishes of a tiny little girl. He doted on his daughter and she adored him, watching his every move.

"If you don't watch it, Eli, she'll eat you out of house and home. She already had two scones with jam at the bakery and I'm pretty sure that Chessie sent her home with a cookie or two when we were done at the keep." Kayla said, drawing laughter from everyone present.

"I know, but she knows I 'ave a terrible time sayin' no t'her. Sly lass, takin' advantage o' Da an' all th'soft-hearted men."

"Smart lass," Aleister added quietly, getting a chuckle from Eli.

"She knows 'ow t'get what she wants, just like 'er gran," Boar smiled, winking to Emma.

"She'll break hearts when she's older." Kayla said, watching as her brother shot her a look that said he would rather not think about that right now.

Emma swatted at her husband's shoulder at his comment before she leaned over and kissed his cheek gently. "Only because we know that the Ghis men are easy to bend to our will."

"Soft romantics," Boar nodded with a grin up at his wife. Their children knew well that Boar and Emma were still definitely in love. With another round of cider and pie for dessert, Leon and Eli rose to head home, and Aleister looked to Kayla.

"Mind if I walk with ya?" He asked with one of his small, rough smiles. His home was hardly more than the small bedroom on the floor above the bakery, but it was so close to Kayla's own home that he took the chance to escort her.

"I would love an escort home." Kayla said with a smile as Aleister offered to walk her home with a rusty smile.

She kissed her mother and father goodbye, noticing the suspicious look on her father's face as she stepped out the door with her brothers and Aleister in tow. Lucy was playing in the snow just outside the front door, throwing great heaps of wet snow at her father as Eli laughed.

"Be good for your Da, little imp." Kayla said to her niece as she and Aleister turned to walk down the row to her little cabin.

As they walked, the wind picked up until it was fairly bitter cold, and the first thing Aleister did was take off his cloak and wrap it around Kayla's shoulders. It wasn't terribly far to her home, but far enough that he felt the need to protect her from the cold.

"Thank you." Kayla said as the wind blew harshly and Aleister wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. "Would you like to come inside? I don't think you've seen my cabin since my brothers finished it. It's not much, but I am proud of it."

"Sure," he nodded and followed her inside. He glanced around with a nod as he came to stand in the alcove of the front door that connected to the small den and dining room and kitchen. "I can tell tha' they built it," he commented. "Looks a lot like yer Da's, but smaller."

"They wouldn't let me talk to anyone else about building it. They wanted to make sure that it was as secure as possible." Kayla said with a grin as she handed him his cloak and set her own on a peg by the door. "My cousin David got the best wood he could find at the lumber yard. It's small, but it's home and all mine."

She smiled at Aleister as she moved past him to a small pile of presents that she had placed next to the hearth, picking out a small one in plain wrapping. He could also see the beginnings of what would turn into a nursery in the corner of the room. A tiny cradle, a stuffed horse, some blankets. She was slowly preparing for the arrival of her baby come the spring.

"I got you something for the holidays. It's small and I made it myself." She said softly as she placed the small package in his large hands. "In thanks for keeping me employed for so long...even after I always manage to burn the first batch of rolls every morning."

"Y'didn't have t'make anythin' fer me," Aleister insisted softly, but he couldn't help a smile of thanks as she placed the package in his hands. "Is this one o' those 'don' open til Christmas' presents?" He chuckled. He noticed how she'd gotten him talking, smiling, and laughing so much more.

"It's whatever you want it to be, Aleister." Kayla said with a smile as he talked more to her in that moment then he had since she started working for him. "It's something you can use in the bakery."

"Well, I've got a couple somethin's fer you too, an' I hope they're finished by Christmas a' least." He then paused as he met her eyes and he couldn't help one more smile. "I'll see ya tomorrow then, Miss Kay." It was a name he occasionally called her, but it'd become usually just 'Kay' like the regulars called her.

"For me? Aleister, you didn't have to get me anything. My job is enough." Kayla insisted as he called her Miss Kay and she blushed deeply. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

Aleister made his way out, and it was only long after he'd gone that Kayla would see he'd left his cloak with her. It was probably on purpose, as the man had quite a sharp memory and there was no way he'd have forgotten about it especially after he'd opened the door to leave. He'd left it for her to wear on her way to the shop in the morning.

That next morning when she entered the shop using her own key, she found a box laying on the counter with a ribbon tied around it, and a little tag with her name on it. Beside in lay a note from Aleister, telling her that her presents had gotten finished sooner than he'd expected. He wa off to get supplies to finish off the second one, but the first was in the box.

The ovens were already going and there were rolls ready to bake and a fairly teasing 'P.S.' on the bottom of the note saying 'Don't burn the rolls this time'.

Kayla chuckled to herself as she wrapped her apron around her waist, moving into the bake house to put in the rolls for the day. She pulled the bread that had already been baked, placing it in the front for sale. She kept glancing at the package that was sitting on the counter for her, wondering just what he had gotten for her.

An hour later, curiosity got the better of her and after she had placed the rolls in the front and started a batch of fresh scones and honey cakes, she sat down at the counter to open her present.

Inside, neatly wrapped in paper, she found a beautiful, thick, and soft baby blanket made from deerskin and wool, dyed a rich dark indigo with an image of a Ghis bear crest dyed in white at the middle. It was finely crafted and almost looked like something from the Lunar tribes, but Kayla knew that Aleister made his own clothes and such, so he certainly didn't buy the personalized blanket. It was just after she'd gotten a chance to look at it that Aleister appeared through the doorway, dusting snow away from his long coat. He looked to Kayla, seeing her examining the blanket. Without saying a word, he laid a second, smaller package before her with a smile before heading into the back to start his work.

Kayla gasped softly as she saw the baby blanket, a beautiful dark indigo and so incredibly soft as her fingers sank into the fabric. She felt tears gathering in her eyes at the thought and planning that had gone into this little gift for a baby that wasn't even his own blood. She glanced up as Aleister appeared, placing another gift down at her side and she was speechless for a moment.

She picked up the second package, opening it almost as quickly as she had the first, her heart racing to see what he had brought her this time.